Along with a new match announcement, Ring of Honor formally revealed today that their annual Final Battle event will be four hours long.
KENNY KING VERSUS ELI ISOM TO OPEN FOUR-HOUR FINAL BATTLE
Ring of Honor’s seminal event, Final Battle, emanates from Manhattan Center’s Hammerstein Ballroom this Friday, Dec. 14. Final Battle is ROH’s biggest card of the year and has been the site of some of ROH’s most memorable matches.
All roads lead to the G1 Supercard, co-promoted by ROH and New Japan Pro-Wrestling, at sold-out Madison Square Garden on April 6, 2019, and the results at Final Battle undoubtedly will have an impact on the historic show.
This year’s Final Battle is bigger than ever, as ROH officials have just announced that it will be a four-hour show! Just signed to open Final Battle is a first-time matchup pitting former ROH World Television and World Tag Team champion Kenny King against rising star Eli Isom in what is undoubtedly the biggest match of Isom’s career.
KENNY KING vs. ELI ISOM
Although King and Isom have never wrestled each other, they have been in the ring together twice — as partners. Back in June, the makeshift team of King, Isom and Chuckie T surprised everyone by beating SCU in a gauntlet match to earn a shot at ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champions The Kingdom. The biggest surprise was that the rookie Isom pinned Christopher Daniels to win the match. The eclectic trio nearly pulled off another upset against The Kingdom before ultimately falling short.
Not long after that bout, King began to undergo a change of attitude and take shortcuts in his matches. It paid off for him, as he amassed an impressive winning streak, scoring victories over the likes of “Hangman” Adam Page, Marty Scurll, Christopher Daniels and Jushin “Thunder” Liger. The string of wins earned King a shot at ROH World Champion Jay Lethal last month, and he nearly won the title.
Victories in singles matches have been harder to come by for Isom, but he made a good account of himself against larger, more experienced foes such as ROH World Television Champion Jeff Cobb and Shane Taylor. A win over an established star such as King on the biggest show of the year certainly would send a message that Isom has arrived.
Will Isom shock the wrestling world? Or will the cunning King make an example of the youngster?
