Tonight at Best in the World ’16, a rematch one year in the making as ROH World Champion Jay Lethal looks to further strengthen his grip on the title against familiar foe Jay Briscoe. Who leaves as the true Best in the World? Plus, Steve Corino and BJ Whitmer look to end it all in an unsanctioned Fight Without Honor! All that and more tonight on Ring of Honor Best in the World ’16!
Video package takes a look at Lethal vs. Briscoe for the ROH World Championship.
We are LIVE from Concord, N.C. Kevin Kelly and ROH Matchmaker Nigel McGuinness have the call for tonight.
Kyle O’Reilly vs. Kamaitachi
Code of Honor and Kamaitachi and O’Reilly feel each other out with submission wrestling. Chop from Kamaitachi against the ropes lead to a forearm exchange and O’Reilly with ground and pound. Armbar broken by the rope break and O’Reilly works the arm. O’Reilly with a backfist, body kick, and legsweep before he continues to work the left arm. O’Reilly buckles his knee off a tilt-a-whirl from Kamaitachi and he goes to work on the left leg of O’Reilly. Kamaitachi applies a figure-four leglock and O’Reilly able to get the rope break, but Kamaitachi drags him back to the middle and reapplies. Rope break again and O’Reilly gets tackled off the apron and to the floor. O’Reilly gets the cross armbreaker over the ropes to come back and a strike exchange won by an O’Reilly knee. Kamaitachi rolls outside and O’Reilly follows. Head kick misses and O’Reilly kicks the post. Running dropkick by Kamaitachi off the apron and a senton off the top rope to the floor. Kamaitachi with leg kicks inside and O’Reilly returns them before Kamaitachi dropkicks the leg. Knee from O’Reilly and an axe kick land, but Kamaitachi comes back with a German suplex. Thrust kicks land on O’Reilly and he comes back with a rebound lariat. Brainbuster blocked and Kamaitachi with a belly-to-belly suplex into the corner. O’Reilly gets a triangle and the armbar. Kamaitachi kicks his way out, but O’Reilly with the brainbuster and he grabs the armbar off the kick-out.
Winner by submission: Kyle O’Reilly
Post-match, Kamaitachi spits on O’Reilly instead of adhering to the Code of Honor.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Video previews ACH vs. “The Last Real Man” Silas Young.
“The Last Real Man” Silas Young vs. ACH
Young knocks ACH down and works him down on the Code of Honor. ACH comes back with a dropkick and Young snaps the head down on the top rope. Young wears ACH down to keep him grounded. ACH knocked to the floor as he skins the cat and Young continues to work him down. ACH tossed to the barricade and he jumps off it for a crossbody. ACH lands on the knee of Young inside and Young lands a knee to the midsection for a nearfall. Young stops a comeback from ACH with a flapjack for a nearfall. Young works the body of ACH. ACH fights up from a bodyscissors and works the comeback. Discus clothesline connects and a German suplex gets a nearfall for ACH. Young drops ACH on the top rope and clotheslines him on the apron. Backbreaker lands for Young, but ACH blocks the clothesline. ACH ties Get Over Here and gets hit with the backbreaker and clothesline combo for a nearfall. Young lands a corkscrew neckbreaker for a nearfall and brings in a chair. Security and the referee try to take the chair and ACH takes advantage with a springboard tope. Young misses Misery and a moonsault inside and ACH connects on a brainbuster. Midnight Star connects on Young.
Winner by pinfall: ACH
Rating: 2.75 out of 5 stars
Video previews Roderick Strong vs. Mark Briscoe.
Roderick Strong vs. Mark Briscoe
Strong pushes Briscoe on the Code of Honor and Strong tries to pull the hair, but a wig comes off and Briscoe has a shaved head. Strong sent out and Briscoe with a blockbuster off the apron. Briscoe works Strong against the barricade outside. Baseball slide from Briscoe and an elbow drop misses. Strong pops Briscoe up into the ring post. Strong tosses Briscoe into the barricade. Strong with a nearfall inside and he works Briscoe down. One-legged dropkick lands for a nearfall and Strong chokes Briscoe along the ropes. Briscoe comes back with a suplex and Strong brings him back down to the mat with an Olympic slam for a nearfall. Briscoe with a clothesline that puts both men down. Briscoe and Strong trade up top and Briscoe lands a toss off the top for a nearfall. Strong with strikes and an exploder from Briscoe gets a nearfall. Strong with kicks and Briscoe with a Death Valley Driver. Froggy Bow lands on the knees of Strong. Forearm train by Strong and a flapjack by Strong gets a nearfall. Double-knee gutbuster blocked and Briscoe grabs a Boston crab. Briscoe kicked out to the floor and Strong sits him up top. Knee knocks Briscoe out up top and a superplex lands. Briscoe hooks the leg on a small package for a nearfall. Strong with a double-knee gutbuster and a Gibson driver into the Strong Hold. Briscoe able to get the rope break and Strong tossed to the floor for an elbow off the apron. Strong lands a dropkick as Briscoe comes off the top. Strikes exchanged back and forth and a Sick Kick from Strong nearly puts Briscoe away. Briscoe with a kick and two fisherman busters.
Winner by pinfall: Mark Briscoe
Strong and Briscoe shake hands and embrace as Strong wrestles in his penultimate match before he departs ROH.
Rating: 3.25 out of 5 stars
Video previews War Machine & Moose vs. Bullet Club.
Matt Taven joins the announce team.
Six-Man Tornado Tag: War Machine & Moose (w/Stokely Hathaway) vs. Bullet Club
The Young Bucks and Cole throw a Superkick Party to start and land suicide dives outside. Moose returns with a dive over the top and War Machine works Bullet Club on the barricade. Cole swung against the barricade by Moose while War Machine work The Young Bucks against the barricade and up to the stage. Moose Spears the barricade as Cole sidesteps. The Young Bucks darted into each other on the stage and they come back with low blows. Hanson suplexed on the ramp and Bullet Club in control. Moose clotheslines The Young Bucks out and Cole pokes the eye. Dropkick on Cole by Moose and Bullet Club pinball Moose with punches. Moose comes back with punches of his own and he gets hit with Superkicks. War Machine in and they toss around Bullet Club. Rowe catches both Matt and Nick outside, but runs into a Superkick by Cole. War Machine and Moose take control inside. Hanson dives outside and lands on the floor. Bullet Club with a suicide dive and a springboard moonsault to the floor. Hanson makes his way back to the top for a flip dive to take out Bullet Club. Path of Resistance lands and The Young Bucks break the nearfall. Hit Stick blocked by Superkicks. Cole with a Canadian Destroyer on Rowe and Hanson moonsaults into Superkicks. Hathaway and Moose hit with Superkicks and a Meltzer Driver on Moose.
Winners by pinfall: Bullet Club
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Video previews The Addiction vs. Motor City Machine Guns for the ROH World Tag Team Championships.
ROH World Tag Team Championships: The Addiction (c) vs. Motor City Machine Guns
The Addiction attack at the bell and MCMG take Addiction outside for knees and kicks off the apron. Kaz double-teamed inside and Daniels gets the same. Sabin with a nearfall on Kaz and he works the rear chinlock. Daniels with the distraction from the apron to allow Kaz to land a shot from behind. Sabin worked on the Addiction side of the ring. Sabin fights up and gets the hot tag to Shelley. Sabin taken out outside and Daniels sneaks a tag to drop Shelley and work him down. Shelley able to fight up and get the hot tag to Sabin. Shelley taken out to the floor as Sabin works the house of fire offense. Addiction with a double-team and they call for Intervention. MCMG come back and all four men put down.
Kamaitachi runs out and attacks recent NJPW Dojo graduate Jay White at ringside. Shelley hit with a low blow as the referee gets distracted. Sabin left by himself and he fights off Addiction in the corner, but they drop him and they land the Best Meltzer Driver Ever.
Winners by pinfall and STILL ROH World Tag Team Champions: The Addiction
Post-match, Kamaitachi raises hands with The Addiction.
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Video previews the unsanctioned Fight Without Honor with Steve Corino vs. BJ Whitmer.
Unsanctioned Fight Without Honor: Steve Corino vs. BJ Whitmer
Corino and Whitmer fight outside and Whitmer sent into the barricade. Corino gets the table out and Whitmer tosses him into the ring post and barricade. Corino loses a front tooth. Corino and Whitmer slap each other inside and Whitmer with a spinebuster. Whitmer hangs Corino in the tree of woe and works the body. Neckbreaker lands for Whitmer and he looks to piledrive Corino on the apron. Corino with a uranage on the apron and he grabs a chair back inside. Corino tossses a chair on the repaired knee of Whitmer and Corino with Con-chair-tos to the knee. Whitmer busts Corino open with right hands. The doctor works on Corino while Whitmer brings a table into the ring. Table set up in the corner and Whitmer with two exploders to put him through the table for a one-count. Corino with Superkicks and Whitmer hits him with a shard of the table. Lariat gets a nearfall and Corino takes a beer bottle to the head of Whitmer. Corino grinds the the beer bottle into the forehead of Whitmer to further bust him open. Corino pours rubbing alcohol from the ringside doctor into the cut of Whitmer. The boot of Corino comes off and he fills a sock full of coins. Whitmer punches him with a roll of quarters for a nearfall. Strikes exchanged and Corino lands a package piledriver for a nearfall. The lights go off and come back with Kevin Sullivan in the ring. Sullivan takes a spike to the head of Corino and Whitmer with an exploder suplex.
Winner by pinfall: BJ Whitmer
Rating: 2.75 out of 5 stars
Video preview of Bobby Fish vs. Dalton Castle for the ROH World Television Championship.
ROH World Television Championship: Bobby Fish (c) vs. Dalton Castle (w/The Boys)
Code of Honor and submission wrestling to start the feeling out process between Fish and Castle. Castle works Fish down out of the corner and mounts him for punches in the corner. Fish ducks out and lands a kick to the back of the left leg. Fish goes to work on the leg. Senton on the leg gets a nearfall for Fish. Castle works the comeback and lands a takedown for a nearfall of his own. Clothesline in the corner misses for Castle and Fish works him from corner to corner. Exploder into the corner gets Fish a nearfall. Castle fights up and lands takedowns. German suplex gets a nearfall for Castle. Castle with boots and a forearm followed by a clothesline. Castle works Fish in the corner and runs into a big boot. Fish blocks a suplex and rolls to get a kneebar. Castle able to quickly get the rope break. Fish with a legsweep on the apron to drop Castle to the floor. Fish runs Castle into the barricade. Castle suplexes Fish into the crowd on ringside security and lands a running knee that drops Fish back into the crowd. Fish rolls back inside and back out. Fish with an exploder into the post on Castle. Castle with a suplex inside and Bang-A-Rang sees Fish spin himself into a victory roll on Castle.
Winner by pinfall and STILL ROH World Television Champion: Bobby Fish
Rating: 2.25 out of 5 stars
ANX and Caprice Coleman introduce themselves as The Cabinet to “Make Wrestling Great Again.”
Video preview of Jay Lethal vs. Jay Briscoe II for the ROH World Championship.
ROH World Championship: Jay Lethal (c) (w/Taeler Hendrix) vs. Jay Briscoe
Lethal and Briscoe feel each other out looking for position early after the Code of Honor. Lethal lands a dropkick and Briscoe comes back with a hurricanrana. Lethal works Briscoe into the corner. Briscoe with a nearfall after Lethal misses him in the corner. Lethal with a one-legged dropkick in return. Springboard dropkick from Lethal sends Briscoe out and two suicide dives connect. Briscoe with a big boot to send Lethal out and a pair of suicide dives of his own followed by a plancha. Hendrix attacks Briscoe at ringside and she gets ejected by the referee. Hendrix goes off and attacks timekeeper Mandy Leon and steals microphones from the announce table. Discus forearm from Briscoe inside after Lethal looks to finish. Briscoelooks for a Jay Driller, but Lethal fights out. Briscoe with a powerbomb for a nearfall instead. Death Valley Driver gets another on Lethal. Lethal gets a cutter on the floor for a nearfall after baiting Briscoe to slide outside. Lethal takes Briscoe up top. Briscoe looks for a super Jay Driller and Lethal catches him for a super hurricanrana out of midair. Hail to the King lands for Lethal for a nearfall and a figure four leglock applied. Briscoe able to get the hold broken and a Lethal Injection misses. Briscoe counters and lands the Lethal Injection on Lethal. Jay Driller follows and Lethal able to kick out. Lethal sat on the top turnbuckle and he looks for a super Jay Driller outside through a table. Lethal counters for a super cutter and a Lethal Injection follows on Briscoe.
Winner by pinfall and STILL ROH World Champion: Jay Lethal
Briscoe and Lethal shake hands after the match.
Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars
Nolan Howell can be reached at nth993@gmail.com for any questions or comments.
