ROH: A Beginner’s Guide Before Final Battle 2018

ROH World Tag Team Champions – SoCal Uncensored (Frankie Kazarian and Scorpio Sky)

Frankie Kazarian is a veteran of the wrestling scene – even seeing some time in WWE – and he is a multi-time tag team champion in various companies. Kazarian has worked in TNA, PWG, and various other companies all over the world. However, since 2014, Kazarian has called ROH home. Debuting with Christopher Daniels (the 3rd member of SoCal Uncensored) as The Addiction, he has seen championship gold many times in ROH.

Since the addition of Scorpio Sky to their group, forming SoCal Uncensored, they have seen continued success. Scorpio Sky is another veteran of the indie scene all over North America. He has been wrestling for several years now, primarily out of Southern California, and was a natural fit with Daniels and Kazarian. Clearly the addition of Sky has worked well for them, because they have seen gold more than once since then. Sky and Kazarian managed to end the long run of The Briscoes in a triple threat with The Young Bucks in October 2018.

ROH World Champion – Jay Lethal

Jay Lethal might be a name that wrestling fans recognize around the world. Lethal, a 33-year-old veteran, has been wrestling for a long time. Starting his career in 2001, Lethal first joined ROH in 2003. Lethal’s first run in the company ended in 2006 when he made his way to TNA. In TNA, Lethal was a multi-time X-Division champion, known primarily as the guy who did Macho Man and Ric Flair impressions. While entertaining, Lethal was clearly a main event star in waiting.

In 2011, Lethal made his return to Ring of Honor and quickly won the ROH World Television championship. This only marked the beginning of Lethal’s new ROH run, as he turned heel in 2014, joining the House of Truth. It was here that Lethal regained the ROH World Television Championship and began his year long run defeating everyone in front of him. The days went buy, and the defences of the title built up to the point that Lethal called the Television title the real world title in ROH.

The only person left in front of Lethal was the ROH World Champion, Jay Briscoe, who was also undefeated. Briscoe went two years without being pinned or submitted, and this match was a clash of two of the hottest acts in Ring of Honor at the time. Lethal defeated Jay Briscoe at Best in the World 2015, and went on to hold the ROH World Title for over a year before losing it to Adam Cole in August 2016.

Lethal’s current reign with the title began on June 30th, where he made history again. Lethal is the first person to ever win the World title at an ROH Wrestling television taping, defeating Dalton Castle, who was injured and needed time off. Lethal has since defended the title several times, and finds himself feuding with Matt Taven and Cody Rhodes.

At Final Battle 2018, Lethal will be putting his title on the line against Cody, and if Cody wins he will take the title into free agency. Lethal, being the franchise of ROH, will want to defend the title at all costs, as the title leaving ROH would be devastating to the company as a whole.

So, those are all the current champions in Ring of Honor! Next, we look at all the stables, major tag teams, and the Women of Honor Division, giving a brief look at their history and current storylines.