Wrestling fans love to complain. It is basically our national pastime. But honestly, if you sat through ROH Final Battle 2025 on December 5, you probably found it pretty hard to find much to whine about. Unless we're talking about those audio issues during the Zero-Hour pre-show. That was a mess.
Anyway, Ring of Honor has always been the "workhorse" promotion. It's where the guys who actually like wrestling go to beat the hell out of each other. This year’s event at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Ohio was no different. It was long—fourteen matches long—but it felt like a massive statement of intent for the brand heading into 2026.
The Night Mercedes Moné Lost the Gold
The biggest shocker? Red Velvet ending the reign of "The CEO" Mercedes Moné. People weren't just surprised; they were floored. Moné has been walking around like she owns the place (which, let's be real, she kind of does), but Velvet put on the performance of her life to snag the ROH Women's World Television Championship.
It wasn't a fluke. It was a 13-minute sprint that proved Velvet belongs at the top of the card. Seeing Moné lose clean is a rarity, and it immediately makes the TV title feel like the biggest prize in the division.
A New Era for the Pure Title
We finally have an inaugural ROH Women’s Pure Champion. Deonna Purrazzo and Billie Starkz went at it in a tournament final that felt like a chess match. These Pure Rules matches are weird if you aren't used to them—limited rope breaks, no closed fists—but they force wrestlers to actually wrestle.
Purrazzo took the win with her Venus de Milo submission. Starkz looked like a star even in defeat, but "The Virtuosa" holding that title adds a level of prestige that the division desperately needed. It's funny because Queen Aminata was supposed to be in that spot, but a neck injury knocked her out. That’s wrestling for you. Life comes at you fast.
Bandido and the Survival of the Fittest
The ROH World Championship match was pure chaos. We're talking a Survival of the Fittest six-way elimination match. Bandido had his hands full with Hechicero, Sammy Guevara, Blake Christian, Komander, and The Beast Mortos.
Imagine trying to keep track of that many high-flyers at once.
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Bandido eventually outlasted Hechicero to retain. It was the penultimate match of the night, which felt a little strange to some fans, but it gave the "Double Main Event" vibe some breathing room. Speaking of Hechicero, the guy is a wizard. Literally. His technical work is so smooth it makes everyone else look like they’re moving in slow motion.
Why Lee Moriarty vs. Nigel McGuinness Mattered
If you’re a "sicko" for technical wrestling, the 30-minute Iron Man match between Lee Moriarty and Nigel McGuinness was the real main event. Nigel is a legend. He shouldn't be able to move like that in 2025, yet here he was, pushing the young champ to the absolute limit.
The score ended 5-4 in favor of Moriarty after a sudden death overtime. Think about that for a second. These guys traded nine falls in about 31 minutes. It was exhausting just to watch. Moriarty surpassing Nigel’s legacy as a Pure wrestling icon is the kind of long-term storytelling that makes ROH Final Battle special.
The Full Rundown of Results
If you missed the show or just want the quick version, here’s what went down in Columbus:
- ROH Women's World Championship: Athena (c) def. Persephone (The "Forever Champion" keeps the streak alive).
- ROH World Championship: Bandido (c) def. Hechicero, Sammy Guevara, Blake Christian, Komander, and The Beast Mortos.
- AEW National Championship: Ricochet (c) def. Dalton Castle (Dalton’s entrance was, as expected, 10/10).
- ROH World Tag Team Titles (Vacant): La Facción Ingobernable (Sammy Guevara & Beast Mortos) def. Tommy Billington & Adam Priest.
- ROH World Six-Man Tag Titles: Shane Taylor Promotions (c) def. SkyFlight.
- Grudge Match: Eddie Kingston def. Josh Woods.
The Death Riders (Wheeler Yuta and Daniel Garcia) also showed up on the pre-show to beat the Grizzled Young Veterans. Seeing Jon Moxley on commentary during that match was a trip. He basically just growled at the microphone for ten minutes, but it worked.
What This Means for 2026
Ring of Honor is in a weird spot. It's owned by Tony Khan, so it's basically the "indie" wing of AEW. But nights like this prove it has its own soul. The matches are longer, the rules are stricter, and the focus is almost entirely on the bell-to-bell action.
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The immediate fallout is already happening. We're seeing Blake Christian continue to chase Bandido for a one-on-one shot. Red Velvet is now the hunted instead of the hunter. And Athena? Well, Athena is still the "Minion Queen," and it doesn't look like anyone is taking that belt off her anytime soon.
If you haven't checked out the replay on HonorClub yet, do yourself a favor and skip the first 20 minutes of the pre-show (the audio really is that bad) and jump straight to the Moriarty/McGuinness match. It's a masterclass.
Actionable Next Steps:
To keep up with the fallout from the event, watch the weekly episodes of ROH HonorClub TV on Thursdays. Pay close attention to the "Proving Ground" matches, as several newcomers are currently being scouted to challenge Red Velvet for her newly won Television title. If you're looking for the best technical match of the year to study, pull up the Moriarty vs. McGuinness Iron Man match and watch how they utilize the "Pure" rope break rules to build tension in the final five minutes.