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Ring of Honor presents Final Battle on Friday Night on Pay Per View from the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. Here is our take on what we believe should happen.
Ring of Honor World Champion Adam Cole versus Kyle O'Reilly
Dave: Big event. Title seems legitimately in play. I think they flip the switch and put the strap on O'Reilly. Now is the time, especially if Cole doesn't end up staying in ROH. They need to get that goodwill over to the challenger.
Mike: There is a LOT of history here and they have always had good matches with each other. I think it is far too soon for Cole to drop the belt, but my gut tells me Kyle is going to ascend to the top of the company with a big win. New champion.
Richard: This has been built as a man who is trying to win the World Title and a man who is doing everything possible to keep that man from winning. We have seen what they can do when they are in the ring against each other and now that the biggest prize in the company is at stake, will their previous match in this building look like a Sunday School picnic? The Bullet Club might try to get involved, and I hope it does not happen since there should not be any shenanigans when the top title is on the line. I think Kyle wins the title.
Ring of Honor Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks versus The Briscoes
Dave: This match just feels like The Briscoes will win to me. They ARE ROH and on this show, the feel good moment seems like them winning.
Mike: I am going to disagree. The Bucks are still one of the company's top act and just got the belts back at the last PPV. It makes sense for them to retain and to build to a big blowoff match at the 15th Anniversary PPV.
Richard: After a long run as the World Champion, Jay Briscoe has decided to go back after the tag titles along with his brother. This match sees the most successful tag team in Ring of Honor history against a team that many say is the best in the world right now. There will be a number of super kicks in this match, but in the end, I see the titles coming back to Sandy Fork and a night the Bullet Club will wish never happened.
Ring of Honor Television Champion Marty Scurll versus Will Ospreay versus Dragon Lee versus Bobby Fish
Dave: Scurll is a great heel and in this situation, where the odds are against him, I see him finding ways to hold on and leave with the belt, creating challengers in the process.
Mike: If ROH intends to play hot potato, Dragon Lee should win the belt. If they don't (and they shouldn't), Scurll should be retaining. This should be all about everyone blowing the world away with all sort of awesome spots. Ospreay working with Lee should be all sorts of crazy. I really am looking forward to this one.
Richard: We have seen two title changes in the last month during the UK tour. I would hope that they don't change the title again and let Ospreay and Scurll feud over the title. There will be a lot of spectacular work and I would not be surprised if this opens the pay per view. Each man will get a chance to shine in the match, but I think they will focus on Scurll and Ospreay.
Ring of Honor Six Man Tag Team Tournament Finals: The Kingdom (Matt Taven, TK O'Ryan, and Vinnie Marseglia) versus KUSHIDA, Lio Rush, and Jay White
Dave: I get the vibe that the new Kingdom goes over here to establish the group strongly.
Mike: I am with Dave here. The Kingdom have been given big wins over the course of the tournament and I suspect this will continue. I like that alot since it helps establish two new names and helps to push Taven.
Richard: They have pushed the new Kingdom and it would seem like that will be the team that wins since two of the three men are New Japan regulars. Ring of Honor has a chance to establish a new team with a Kingdom victory, but if they do not have a convincing win, it could hurt the title going forward. I want Jay White and KUSHIDA to have good performances in this match.
Cody versus Jay Lethal
Dave: This should be awesome, it really should. Given Cody's "all over the place" status, I put Lethal over here. I don't see the upside in having him lose.
Mike: Lethal needs the win here. I hope that the Cody who shows up is ready to work, because if he isn't, NYC will see right through that. On paper, this should be really good.
Richard: Lethal has been in a bit of a rut since losing the World Title and this is a chance for him to move back to the top if he can get a win over Cody. I think Cody is going to win the match since it is his debut, but strange things have happened at Final Battle in the past. This is a statement match for both men and I think both will come out of this better at the end of the match.
Jushin 'Thunder' Liger versus Silas Young
Dave: I guess what it comes down to is do you have Young beat Liger? I say probably not.
Mike: Silas has to win. I love Liger, but he's here to put people over.
Richard: This comes off as a strange match up, but Silas cut a good promo to set up the match. I think Young will win the match because after his title match against Cole in Lakeland, he needs a win to stay where he is in the booking.
Dalton Castle versus Colt Cabana
Dave: I think the perfect booking scenario here is to have Castle get the win over the veteran in a big time match. A loss doesn't hurt Colt at all and a win helps Castle.
Mike: I am with Dave. Dalton gets the win.
Richard: Since there was some tension between Colt and Dalton over the whereabouts of The Boys, I am not surprised that this was the result of their team. Personally, I think Castle would work better as a heel in this feud. There are a few men in this company who I think should be much higher on the card and Dalton Castle is definitely one of them. They had magic in a bottle with Castle, but I don't think they have maximized what they have with him. Castle should win, but I can see Cabana getting the win. I just hope they don't have The Boys turn on Castle since we saw what happened with Silas and the Boys.
Motor City Machine Guns and Donovan Dijak (with Prince Nana) versus The Rebellion (Caprice Coleman, Rhett Titus, and Kenny King)
Dave: Dijak has that size, and it makes him different than most of the roster. I see him using that advantage to help his team get the win.
Mike: Interesting six man tag. I can see Machine Guns and Dijak scoring the win here.
Richard: It seems like every time they appear to be giving Dijak a chance, they pull him down two levels for every one they push him up. Why is he in a six man tag match that really means nothing for storylines. The Rebellion is the new name of the Cabinet and that was a group that got reactions that rival the Vaudevillains and Ascension. Dijak should be the star of this match and I see him pinning Coleman after Feast Your Eyes.
PreShow Match: Tempura Boyz (Sho and Yo) versus Will Ferrara and Cheeseburger
Dave: Hey, we get Cheeseburger so we all win!
Mike: I think the Boyz get the win over here.
Richard: I got to see Sho Tanaka and Yohei Komatsu in Lakeland and while they are not being used the same way they were in New Japan, they still work as well as they did while being in the opening matches for most of the shows in Japan. Ferrara and Cheeseburger are their regular opponents so this should be a good match for the crowd to watch before the PPV starts. I want to see Tanaka and Komatsu win, but I know it isn't happening.
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