Welcome to another edition of The ROHbot Report – the only article you need for all the Ring of Honor news you have to know. With 2021 coming to an end, it’s time to find out who & what was the best of the best in ROH during the year with The Ring of Honor Year-End Awards.
Before getting started, it must be stated that thoughts, prayers & condolences are being sent out to the family of James Guffey – known the world over as “Jimmy Rave” during his time in NWA, TNA, and, of course, Ring of Honor. After struggling to find a place in ROH during the promotion’s formative years as a protege of AJ Styles, Rave aligned himself with Prince Nana to form The Embassy faction. Though the faction would take many different forms for the next decade, no version compares to the days when Rave was “The Crown Jewel”, The Outkast Killaz were the muscle, Jade Chung was the footstool, and Nana served as the mouthpiece who had no shame in beating up a woman – making them one of the most despised group in all of wrestling during a time when heels were getting cheered for almost everything they did.
2005 was a monumental year in Rave’s ROH career as he feuded with CM Punk prior to the latter’s leaving for WWE by the summer. The online reactions to Rave’s villainous ways were over-the-top compared to almost everything else ROH offered at the time including trying scrape the “Straight Edge” tattoo off of Punk’s stomach with a cheese grater, yet made him that much more hated due to his lack of pride in performing the most dishonorable methods for victory. Rave reached main event status in 2005 as well, headlining “Glory By Honor IV” – the same event that Bryan Danielson won the ROH World title – and being a part of the first “Steel Cage Warfare” match that headlined the show of the same name.
By 2007, Rave was in the World title hunt, almost dethroning Homicide in the champ’s home state in a match that provided “The Notorious 187”, arguably, his most critically acclaimed defense. 2007 also saw Rave reach an agreement with TNA to work for the company, eventually opting to choose the future Impact Wrestling over ROH during a time when Ring of Honor couldn’t provide more than pay-per-appearance deals. Alongside Lance Hoyt (the future Lance Archer) & Christy Hemme, Jimmy became one-half of The Rock ‘N Rave Infection – a comedic tag team benefiting from the popularity of musical video games featuring plastic instruments that the pair would play to the ring in hilarious fashion.
Unfortunately, Rave battled drug addiction stemming from a broken jaw he suffered years earlier. Rave eventually got clean and used his knowledge & life experiences to help others even when his health began to fail. The wrestling community proudly helped Rave during his physical lows over the past year and he became a testament to how much one person can inspire & encourage so many without reach a certain level of status their talents deserved.
The end of the year means various lists and awards start popping up, but none matter more in the world of Ring of Honor than The ROHbot Report Ring of Honor Year-End Awards where the best of the best in ROH are honored. Now lets see our award recipients.
Biggest Story of the Year: ROH Goes on Hiatus
After a year of positive movements in regards to providing live events & pay-per-views, Ring of Honor made a sudden announcement on October 27th. Via Twitter, ROH announced that the company would go on a hiatus after “Final Battle” in December; with a return tentatively scheduled “Supercard of Honor” next April. The biggest shocker in regards to this announcement was all personnel, from wrestlers to ring crew, would released from their contracts as of December 31st or March 31st depending on the expiration year associated with said contract. Though far behind in status of WWE or AEW, ROH provided many people guaranteed contracts, and thus guaranteed money that few wrestlers imagined would be associated with ROH just five years prior.
For many, this seemed like the end of Ring of Honor with multiple personalities & thousands of fans eulogizing ROH as ROHbots knew it mostly because of a lacking explanation regarding the re-imagining Sinclair Broadcast Group has in mind come April 2022. Will ROH revert back to the super indie that helped it grow to prominence almost twenty years ago? Is this new ROH going be a haven for archival footage highlighting the best & brightest the promotion had to offer? As of now, no one knows what ROH in 2022 will provide. All fans can hope for is the company’s return providing some of the best wrestling on the planet yet again.
Event of the Year: “Final Battle” (December 11th; Baltimore, MD)
The wrestling world had its eyes solely on Baltimore during the Saturday night of December 11th. Subtitled “End of an Era”, this “Final Battle” represented the conclusion of nearly twenty years of Honor as fans and even the currently employed wrestlers knew it with ROH promising to go on hiatus after the event with a planned return in April 2022. “Hour One” featured three solid bouts including The Righteous dethroning Shane Taylor Promotions to become the new ROH World Six-Man Tag Team champions. The pay-per-view’s official start set a high standard as Dragon Lee overcame Rey Horus in a lucha fan’s favorite style of match. Another title change presented a highlight for long-time ROH fans as Rhett Titus survived a Four Corner Survival encounter to win the ROH World Television Championship – his first ROH singles title.
Josh Woods became only one of two people to retain their titles during the show, pushing back the dishonorable onslaught of Brian Johnson in a match that surprised many due to its high quality. Shane Taylor and Kenny King went to unbridled war in the seventh Fight Without Honor at a “Final Battle”. After almost twenty minutes of brutalizing each other, Taylor overcame his old friend in another Match of the Night candidate. Out-sized and out-powered, Rok-C’s tenacity & sheer will to win helped her stop Willow from ending her World Women’s title reign. VLNCE UNLTD successfully enlisted the services of Rocky Romero to pay homage to ROH stars of the past & present as they defeated the Tracy Williams-led quartet consisting of Taylor Rust, Eli Isom & EC3.
It proved only fitting that during ROH’s “last” show The Briscoes challenged for the ROH World Tag Team Championship. Taking on their old rivals The OGK of Mike Bennett & Matt Taven, Dem Boys delivered a classic encounter associated with Jay & Mark for years. The end result was The Briscoes overcoming the titleholders to win their twelfth ROH World Tag Team Championship in a must-see match if there ever was one in 2021. Closing out this historic event was the returning Jay Lethal facing former Foundation member Jonathan Gresham for the original ROH World Championship belt. The back & forth battle – their sixth overall – had not only the fans going wild, but also the locker room as the women & men of Honor surrounded the ring in support of “The Octopus”. Gresham didn’t let anyone down that night as he submitted the former two-time ROH World champion with his patented Octopus Stretch to become the new ROH World titleholder.
As if the fantastic matches weren’t enough to make this event must-see, “Final Battle” 2021 featured surprise after surprise. First there was the arrival of Deonna Purrazzo as she laid down the challenge for a winner takes all title scenario between herself and Rok-C. Then came “The Titan” Adam Scherr (the former Braun Strowman) decimating Brian Johnson, Eli Isom & Dak Draper under the behest of EC3 before carrying his three victims off into the great unknown. And last, but certainly not least was FTR showing up to fight The Briscoes in preparation for their inevitable classic match whenever, wherever that happens. No matter what or what doesn’t occur in April of next year, “Final Battle” ended a chapter in ROH’s already massive book with something the company has lacked for far too long: buzz.
Match of the Year: The Briscoes vs. The OGK (“Final Battle”; December 11th)
When Jay Briscoe was forced to relinquish his first of two ROH World Championships in 2013, it was Adam Cole that won the vacant title and attacked Briscoe when Jay attempted to do the honorable thing. Cole’s one act of dishonor started a domino effect that turned the Jay-Cole feud into a stable war as Cole formed The Kingdom alongside Taven & Bennett. The Briscoes and Bennett & Taven fought numerous times during 2014 including mixed tag action where ODB joined Dem Boys to take on The Kingdom & Maria Kanellis.
But their final war was the most important as Jay & Mark fell to Taven & Bennett in an “Armageddon” Two Out of Three Falls match where each fall featured a different stipulation. The Briscoes never got a rematch from their then-six-year-old loss to The OGK until “Death Before Dishonor” this past September. “Dem Boys” brought the fight to their old rivals in Philadelphia during the pay-per-view, but that familiarity also cost Jay as Matt Taven countered the Jay Driller with a small package to pin the former two-time ROH World champion.
While The OGK used their win to catapult themselves up the rankings and eventually dethrone Kenny King & Dragon Lee to win their second ROH World Tag Team Championship, The Briscoes went beyond ROH for the first time in over a decade. Jay & Mark suddenly arrived in Game Changer Wrestling, immediately challenging for the company’s Tag Team title. It only took one event for The Briscoes to become the new GCW Tag Team titleholders, triumphantly defending the title last month at ROH’s “Honor For All” against GCW’s EFFY & AJ Gray; setting the stage for the inevitable rematch between The OGK and Dem Boys with only the ROH World Tag Team title on the line.
The crowd was hot with the pro-Briscoe crowd getting their money’s worth by them bringing the fight to the champs like only Dem Boys can. Jay suffered a cut above his left eyebrow early on, giving the champs a point of execution after a big series of dives ended unfavorably for the champs. After some back & forth action, all four men were looking for that big maneuver to put someone down for good. Initially it seemed Mark found the solution after wiping out Bennett with his running blockbuster off the apron before landing his rolling DVD-Froggy Bow combo on Taven. Maria yanked the referee’s leg to stop a sure three count, only to be accidentally speared by her husband on the apron.
What occurred next took the bout to a different level as Jay had to save his brother from a sure pin after taking a Doomsday Device on the floor, the Proton Pack, and Hail Mary. Jay was a one-man army, hitting his patented Jay Driller for only a near fall on Taven. The fans were going wild as Dem Boys called for the end. Taven somehow survived the Doomsday Device, opting for death over failure. The Briscoes obliged in putting Taven’s lights out with the Jay Driller-Froggy Bow combo. Mark made the cover, pinning Taven to attain their twelfth ROH World Tag Team Championship win. No arguments can be made this is one of the greatest ROH tag team matches of the last decade and a fitting way to cap off The Briscoes’ time as ROH’s premier duo.
Feud of the Year: Shane Taylor vs. Kenny King
2016 was a turning point in the careers of Kenny King and Shane Taylor. For King, his reunion with Rhett Titus as The All-Night Express didn’t result in regaining the ROH World Tag Team Championship. For Taylor, his losing a tag partner in Keith Lee to potential greener pastures saw him rather aimless in a company featuring a roster & fan base that seemed beyond his then-talents. Alongside Caprice Coleman & Titus, King and Taylor found a bond under the upside-down ROH banner known as “The Rebellion” – a radical faction focused on opening the eyes of the masses to the corruption & favoritism of ROH management & its fans. The Rebellion’s mission, however, wasn’t necessarily successful before the group was forced to disband upon losing to Seek & Destroy – their primary rival faction of the Motor City Machine Guns, Jay White & Jonathan Gresham. Though King and Taylor were no longer a part of a stable, they didn’t lose the friendship grown during their time in the trenches together.
Taylor eventually bet on himself & the potential of other men who had all the talent, but needed that helping hand in wading through the waters of Honor when ruthlessness & sheer ungovernable athletes ruled the roost. Known as “Shane Taylor Promotions”, Taylor’s faction blossomed thanks to Moses & Kaun – known as The Soldiers of Savagery – O’Shay Edwards, and Rev Ron Hunt. Picking up victories & championships, Taylor’s belief in himself & the people under the STP flag also cultivated a supportive fan base as Shane approached what many now believe was his destiny: the ROH World Championship.
The 493rd episode of ROH TV witnessed Taylor – who won the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team title alongside The S.O.S only an episode earlier – standing across the ring from then-ROH World champion RUSH. The war seen between champion and challenger scared RUSH’s La Faccion Ingobernable brethren to the point they had to interfere and prevent RUSH from losing it all – Taylor was ready for this. What Shane wasn’t prepared to feel was the figurative knife stabbing him in the back; or, better stated, the chair to Taylor’s face wielded by King.
There were no excuses or reasons for Kenny’s actions other than LFI & championship glory meant more than the friendship that existed longer than LFI has been in ROH. From that moment in February to now, the fellow former Television champions have done battle in tag team and multi-man competition with LFI overcoming STP on ROH TV episode 520 when Kenny used a low blow on Shane to pin him. STP got a measure of revenge without Taylor at “Death Before Dishonor” a few weeks later when Shane returned after a pre-match thrashing courtesy of King & a chair again.
Shane stopped King from pinning Moses by cracking him with a chair to face; leaving Kenny prone to a pin fall. But the most interesting stat comes from what happened before their falling out last year. During ROH TV episode 478, Taylor and King fought for the first time in singles competition since their 2018 encounter almost three years prior. The end result was Taylor avenging his loss from “Honor Reigns Supreme”. It couldn’t be more appropriate that the “Final Battle”-dubbed “End of an Era” would see two old friends-turned-enemies settling their tied series of fights.
The barbaric match witnessed Taylor being put through a table on the floor via King’s blockbuster, chairs bashed upon backs & faces, kendo sticks used as ways to stop comeback attempts, and ladders destroyed from the sheer force of moments like King pulling off a Superfly splash on his opposition while Shane was atop another ladder. The cumulative point came via King’s own twisted mind as he wanted to use a ladder bridge between the ring & nearby barricade as their conclusive battlefield.
A sneaky headbutt from Taylor stunned King and left him prone to the Marcus Garvey Driver through the ladder. With a chair in hand and King demanding that Shane pull the figurative trigger as he nothing left to fight with, Shane finished off his old friend with both a chair shot to the face and the Marcus Garvey Driver on said chair to end this feud via a pin fall in one of the best matches in 2021 from ROH. The post-match show of respect & love between the two showed that even when brothers fight, there’s always a bond that can’t be broken even through violence.
Breakout Star of the Year: Josh Woods
Josh Woods really made a name for himself last year during the Pure Championship tournament where he fought to the semi-finals after defeating Kenny King and PJ Black. In his semi-final bout, Woods faced eventual winner Jonathan Gresham in a match that almost ended in “The Technical Beast’s” favor. Woods didn’t let the loss stop his progress, overcoming Jay Lethal, Dalton Castle, and Silas Young in Pure Rules matches between 2020 and 2021. It was during his match with Young that Woods’ abilities hit a new level as he dropped his old, somewhat goofy persona to embrace the dangerous submission specialist he truly is; winning a Last Man Standing match against “The Last Real Man” at “Best in the World” ’21.
Woods’ eventual date with destiny saw him standing across the ring from the man who dashed his original hope of becoming the Pure champion over a year ago, “The Octopus”. Woods’ return to Philadelphia for “Death Before Dishonor’ in September was the culmination of all his hard work transitioning from a masterful amateur & MMA fighter to skilled pro wrestler when he did what no other man could by overcoming Gresham in a Pure Rules match to become the new Pure champion. Due to circumstances beyond his control, Woods’ reign only consisted of three defenses in ROH and one outside the company.
First “The Technical Beast” pushed back the grappling expertise & high-flying mastery of LSG. Indie standout Rickey Shane Page also failed to wrest the Pure title from Woods. And then there was Brian Johnson – a man who too found great success in the Pure division during 2021 by utilizing the Pure Rules against his competitors not seen since the days of Nigel McGuinness. Woods withstood Johnson’s dishonorable actions during their match at “Final Battle”, eventually choking out “The Mecca” at “End of an Era”.
At this point, Woods’ final ROH appearance happened a week after “Final Battle” where he beat fellow Top Prospect Tournament winner Dak Draper to retain his Pure Championship on ROH TV. Though the future is unclear what will happen to the Pure Championship between now and April, and whether or not Woods will even be available to wrestle for ROH in April 2022, the fact remains very few stepped up to assert themselves as a potential pillar of Honor more than Josh Woods.
Woman of the Year: Rok-C
When ROH finally took its best foot forward in having its own women’s division in 2015 it suffered several growing pains greatly associated with ROH in general including the loss of talent due to signings elsewhere and trying to indirectly compete against other promotions who were able to sign & groom said talents to be some of the best wrestlers the world has to offer. A combination of internal issues between talent & ROH management, the Covid-19 pandemic, and Maria Kanellis-Bennett’s return came the end of “Women of Honor” and the birth of ROH’s new Women’s Division.
To crown the first ROH World Women’s champion, fifteen competitors fought in a single-elimination tournament including former two-time Women of Honor champion Angelina Love, the first WOH titleholder Sumie Sakai, and several world-class competitors including the longest-reigning SHIMMER champion to date Nicole Savoy, and former NWA World’s Women’s champion Allysin Kay. The tournament also featured fresh faces in ROH – women who found some success in their home promotions and internationally – looking to make their mark on a larger stage. One of those women was none other than Rok-C.
Unlike many of her opponents including tournament finalist Miranda Alize, Rok-C hadn’t gained the opportunity to travel across the globe and wrestle for multiple heralded promotions due to the simple fact she’s only been wrestling for three years. Though dubbed “The Prodigy” by fans & Booker T. alike, Rok still seemed like an underdog in pretty much every bout she’s competed in thus far including the tournament bouts.
Rok’s first opponent was none other than the inaugural Women of Honor champion Sumie Sakai. Rok showcased a knowledge for counter-grappling well beyond her years, catching Sakai with a victory roll. Similarly, Quinn McKay fell to Rok when the prior got caught with a pinning combination – the Code Red/Rok in this instance – to surprise another favorite to make it to the finale. Unlike her first tournament matches was Rok taking advantage of an injured Angelina Love by submitting her via the Fujiwara arm bar. Rok proved herself dangerous all regards of victory just like her future opponent in Alize.
Rok-C’s moment of potential glory happened in Philadelphia inside a building that saw a bloodied & battered Beulah McGuillicutty show heart unbelievable against the nefarious Bill Alfonso during the heyday of ECW. Stealing the show alongside Alize, “The Prodigy” proved her moniker correct as she walked out the first ROH World Women’s champion. Not resting on her laurels, Rok-C has been traveling around the United States, defending her title. Returning to ROH, the champ proved that even when outmatched in terms of size & power she will find a way to overcome as she did on ROH TV against a very game Gia Scott.
Undersized & out-powered again, Rok had to use cunning, resourcefulness & her unteachable tenacity to end the year off right by overcoming Willow at “Final Battle”. Similar to other award winners who happen to be ROH champions this year, the world seems to be Rok-C’s oyster and it’s up to her to take it for all it’s worth – and “all it’s worth” may be overcoming Deonna Purrazzo in the near future to win both the Impact Knockouts and AAA Reina de Reinas Championships while successfully keeping the title she’s refused to let go since “Death Before Dishonor”.
Trio of the Year: Shane Taylor Promotions
Shane Taylor is determined to be a man who dictates his worth in wrestling. By creating “Shane Taylor Promotions”, Taylor has slowly gained clients, allies and, most importantly, respect from those who always looked at him as the lesser part of the Pretty Boy Killers alongside Keith Lee. By Taylor’s side are two men who too are looking to prove themselves as men who can call their own shots in wrestling: Kaun & Moses, The Soldiers of Savagery.
It was on the February 3rd episode of ROH TV that Shane Taylor Promotions put everything together and did what they claimed they could do for months: become champions if given the same opportunities as other ROH competitors when they defeated MexiSquad to become the new ROH World Six-Man Tag Team champions. Since then, STP has branched out and proven that they are more than just a moniker or a pipe dream; they are changing the wrestling landscape.
During the faction’s reign they were able to best their impressive opposition in various forms including O’Shay Edwards stepping in to replace Taylor after the latter was attacked by a chair-wielding Kenny King. Established trios like Primal Fear, VLNCE UNLTD, and even Incoherence of CHIKARA fame all went out of their way to fail in overcoming STP when the Six-Man title was on the line.
Even makeshift teams couldn’t use their unpredictability to dethrone Shane Taylor Promotions when it mattered most including Dalton Castle, Eli Isom & Dak Draper. STP’s dominance as a unit saw them successfully defend the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship a record ten times across four promotions before losing their championship to The Righteous at “Final Battle”. Though the year didn’t end in STP’s favor in regards to the Six-Man title, the future is oh-so bright for Shane Taylor and his greatest contribution to the wrestling business thus far.
Tag Team of the Year: Dragon Lee & Kenny King – La Faccion Ingobernable
Easily the most controversial category of 2021 in regards to ROH as the company’s Tag Team Championship bounced around like hotcakes during the year. But of all the teams to attain ROH Tag Team gold in 2021, only one tandem won gold twice and actually successfully defended said title: Kenny King & Dragon Lee of La Faccion Ingobernable. After somewhat shocking the honorable realm by overcoming The Briscoes to earn a Tag Team Championship shot, Lee & King faced then-Tag Team champions Jay Lethal & Jonathan Gresham in their environment: a Pure Rules match. LFI used the match’s rules to their advantage with Lee illegally punching Gresham behind the referee’s back to set up a small package that resulted in Dragon pinning “The Octopus”.
Unfortunately for the champions, their reign came to an unexpected end as Lee was forced off the “19th Anniversary” pay-per-view due to having an emergency surgery. With his father replacing Lee, LFI lost the title to The Foundation. When Dragon returned, he & King immediately went to reclaim what was once property of LFI by eventually overcoming the team that dethroned The Foundation for the title at “Best in the World”, VLNCE UNLTD’s Homicide & Chris Dickinson. LFI’s next test came in the form of the very dominant and imposing Soldiers of Savagery, Kaun & Moses. Though outweighed, LFI weren’t outmatched against Shane Taylor Promotions’ representatives in their title defense on ROH TV episode 526.
Unlike every other team that won the ROH World Tag Team Championship in 2021, LFI were able to successfully defend their title at least once in Ring of Honor in clean fashion. While The OGK did end LFI’s second reign, the fact remains that in a very chaotic year for ROH’s Tag Team title, Dragon Lee & Kenny King remained a constant threat in the division no matter if they had the gold or not.
And here we are, the biggest award of them all for a single Ring of Honor wrestler. With a year of breakout main event stars and moments, this man edged out the likes of RUSH, Bandido, and his greatest challengers in the form of Brody King & Jay Lethal. Ladies and gentlemen, the ROH Wrestler of the Year goes to…
Wrestler of the Year: Jonathan Gresham
Jonathan Gresham’s goal since debuting in ROH has been larger than himself. The golden days of ROH, in Gresham’s opinion, were during a time when Pure Rules matches were the norm and a division housing the best grapplers in the world reigned supreme – men like Bryan Danielson, Nigel McGuinness, Doug Williams, and John Walters. For Gresham, pure wrestling was ROH; and so it should be again. Campaigning for the restoration of the Pure Championship and thus the Pure division, Gresham fought tooth & nail to become the first ROH Pure champion in nearly fifteen years; doing so for the world to see on ROH TV last year.
For the majority of 2021, “The Octopus” reigned supreme on the top of the Pure division mountain. Gresham’s first major test in ’21 was Top Prospect Tournament winner and the much larger Dak Draper. Dominated, Gresham pulled victory from the jaws of defeat when he locked in a sleeper hold as both competitors were lacking any remaining rope breaks. Gresham followed up his win at the “19th Anniversary” over Draper by pinning Jay Lethal for the first time in five matches during ROH TV’s 500th episode, submitting Mike Bennett at “Best in the World”, overcoming fellow Foundation member Rhett Titus when “Glory By Honor” returned after a one-year hiatus, and even tested his own students & old allies Joe Keys and Fred Yehi respectively – all successful Pure Championship defenses.
Riding on a wave of momentum, Gresham finally met defeat in a Pure title match when he faced Josh Woods at “Death Before Dishonor” in September. Instead of being distraught by the loss, Gresham quickly regrouped and made his next plan very apparent: win the ROH World Championship. The former ROH Pure & Tag Team champion withstood the strategies of Brody King and Dragon Lee in subsequent bouts to ensure his ROH World title opportunity at “Final Battle”.
But like so many unexpected moments surrounding not only ROH in 2021, but the world in general, ROH World champion Bandido found himself stricken with Covid-19 and forced off the “Final Battle” card only days before the event. With the allowance of his new boss Tony Kahn, “The Franchise of ROH” Jay Lethal returned to his previous home promotion with the intent of not only replacing Bandido in the main event, but also winning the ROH World title belt once held by his mentor Samoa Joe, men like Low Ki and Homicide, and a title lusted after by true generational greats such as AJ Styles and Brian Kendrick.
Though Lethal had the big match experience and more wins over his former Foundation ally, it was Gresham found the right formula to win in Baltimore against a man who made history in the promotion now headed by “The Octopus”. With so much up in the air in regards to ROH’s future, the one certain thing is Jonathan Gresham comes into 2022 as the vanguard of Honor’s past, present, and, hopefully, future.
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