ROH: Ranking the 8 Best Ring of Honor Matches in 2018
By FS Staff
Credit: RING OF HONOR
2018 was a magical year for ROH. This year was full of historical events and numerous Match-of-the-Year candidates that captured the attention of fans all over.
This year was particularly huge for Ring of Honor. ROH set a new attendance record with over 6,000 fans witnessing Supercard of Honor XII live and in-person this past April. As their eyes set on the NJPW-ROH joint-event ‘G1 Supercard’ at the famed Madison Square Garden this spring, we look back at what made this year particularly special for ROH in the ring.
Here are the 8 Best ROH Matches in 2018:
Credit: ROH Wrestling Twitter
8. Dalton Castle Vs Jay Lethal for the ROH World Championship – ROH 16th Anniversary
At Ring of Honor’s 16th Anniversary pay-per-view event, then ROH World Champion Dalton Castle went toe-to-toe with Jay Lethal, the man looking to regain the title he held for 427 consecutive days.
This match was what I would consider a “classic” wrestling match. Two of Ring of Honor’s current pillars going to war over the top prize and delivering a solid 26-minute performance. This match featured almost everything from technical work inside the ring to physical action outside of the ring. Jay Lethal even took out ring announcer Bobby Cruise albeit inadvertent with a dive through the ropes.
As the match wound down, Lethal looked for a Lethal Injection that was countered and turned into a Bang-a-Rang for the three count. Castle retained but Lethal was not at all hurt by the loss.
Personally, I would consider this match to be Dalton Castle’s best title defense during his reign. Some were weary with the sudden ‘Rise of the Peacock,’ but Castle continues to get better and better every time he steps in the ring. It also helps that Jay Lethal is currently in a career renaissance right now and is having some great matches as of late.
Fast forward just three months later and Jay Lethal would regain the ROH World Championship, a title he currently holds to this day.