Image provided courtesy of Ring Of Honor.

By Nicholas Jason Lopez

“Notes In Observance” features random thoughts and analysis on recent television shows. Quick results can be found at the bottom of the post.

(Aired 11/30/16)

Final Words 

– The Lio Rush-Jonathan Gresham match was random, but could’ve been used as Final Battle hype anyway, since Rush would be on one of the teams in the Finals of the Six-Man Championship Tournament to take place there. Sadly, that was never mentioned on commentary (with even Alex Shelley on the call) as instead, they let the two guys simply wrestle a great match and follow it up with an angle where The Motor City Machine Guns looked to “form the brigade” as a way to combat Bullet Club’s ruthless ways. Gresham and Rush exchanged exceptional chain wrestling, with collar-and-elbow tie-ups and headscissor takedowns galore. Admittedly, some of it came off more choreographed than organic, but we appreciated the effort. Gresham also hit a memorable second rope moonsault to the floor, albeit Rush barely covered him on the fall. Some good near-falls down the stretch, as Rush went on to hit a total of three Rush Hours and a Rushing Elbow to get the win. It was enough for us to be interested if they were to fight again. Shelley was also pretty good on commentary, though nothing overly memorable. Certainly no Austin Aries. The post-match promo segment saw MCMG put over Rush/Gresham as the future. Obviously, this must mean that Rush/Gresham could be potential recruits for this “Honor Brigade.”

– Kyle O’Reilly’s sit-down interview was perfect, as far as his exposition. He sold ROH World Champion Adam Cole as someone he rose together with as Future Shock and a best friend before he was betrayed. The key was that he mentioned how Cole cost him the Title many times and it all built to this. He was angry and intense enough that we bought it. We also liked the idea that it was Cole’s abandonment of O’Reilly that turned him into “The Violent Artist” we all know today. Also emphasized was a scar on Cole’s lip he left him the last time they battled at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, where Final Battle would be in two days and how it was his “mark.” He called himself “the worst thing to happen to Cole.” That was fantastic and oh so necessary. That’s someone we can get behind.

– The Addiction-Briscoe Brothers main event match had the backstory of legacy – The Briscoes had it and Addiction wanted to cement their own by way of supremacy. The Briscoes also had a shot at the ROH World Tag Team Championship at Final Battle against Champions The Young Bucks, so this showed us some of the challenger’s fire. When you’ve got a chance to become nine-time Champions in anything, that should sell how good you are. Addiction refused the Code Of Honor early on, which saw commentary push it as a way of life for one Christopher Daniels, who was the first to go against it when he formed The Prophecy. It was amazing three of these guys in the match were in ROH when it started. It sold the legacy angle even better. We weren’t surprised things broke down into a brief brawl. A cool spot where Daniels performed a springboard moonsault and Frankie Kazarian hit a springboard leg drop on Mark Briscoe for about 30 seconds straight. Kazarian’s Flux Capacitor as a counter to the Doomsday Device was also well-done and got the crowd on their feet. In the end, it was the Jay Driller/Froggy Bow combo to pin Daniels. The Briscoes needed the win to have a chance at the Bucks and better yet, Addiction inch closer to babyfaces, as they partook in the Code Of Honor after the bell.

– Cole’s sit-down interview sold the feud from his end, as the confident Champion was exhausted of “the same song and dance.” Whereas O’Reilly talked up their history over the years, Cole focused on the last year, where he promised to defeat O’Reilly at Final Battle 2015 and go on to become World Champion. He saw himself as a man of his word since he did those things and questioned what happened to O’Reilly in that time and the relevance of his promises. He put over O’Reilly’s talent and worldwide recognition, but that he’d never be him. We loved his energy when he yelled about having to prove it again, as he questioned if the company was out of challengers or ideas for him. He sold this as O’Reilly’s last shot – choke or win. In many ways, it is. It should be noted that since O’Reilly’s contract was set to expire soon, we doubted he’d get the happy ending he’s due for, but you never know with ROH. As for the Final Battle card, it looks solid on all ends, but we wish the hype for it all felt bigger. Cole’s promo was effective on the main event sell. That’s for sure.

Quick Results

• Lio Rush def. Jonathan Gresham via pinfall 
• The Briscoe Brothers def. The Addiction via pinfall