Heading into ROH Final Battle: End of an Era, Bandido will have the chance to go down in history. If Bandido defeats Jonathan Gresham to retain his ROH World Champion, he’ll go down as the final man to hold the title, at least in this era of the Ring of Honor‘s legendary history. The importance of this honor isn’t lost on the champion, and he appreciates having the opportunity to honor ROH’s prestigious past at the pay-per-view on December 11.
In an interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Bandido previewed the show, which promises to be an emotional, unforgettable night of wrestling. “The Most Wanted Champion” noted that he’s proud to represent the numerous icons from ROH’s past and all Latinos on Saturday, as he has always aimed to do with the title around his waist.
“I am proud to be the one in this position,” Bandido said through a translator. “I know how important it is, not only to be the champion in Ring of Honor, but I know all about the legends that built it, too. I am especially proud to represent all Latinos and the faithful Ring of Honor fans that have built this into such an amazing place.”
The ROH World Championship match between Bandido and Gresham will likely close out the pay-per-view, and many fans expect the two competitors to absolutely steal the show with an amazing match. In the interview, “The Most Wanted Champion” vowed to give it his all as a way to thank the fans.
“I owe everything to the fans, and that’s why I wrestle the style I do,” Bandido says. “They have brought me to where I am now, and I will always, always, give my full, maximum effort for them every time I step in the ring, just like I will at Final Battle.”
As the name itself spells out, this year’s Final Battle show will be the end of ROH as fans have known it; the promotion has announced its plans to return after it goes on hiatus in the first quarter of 2022. During this time, ROH will seemingly “reimagine” itself and build up an entirely new roster, so stars like Bandido will be leaving the place they have called home in recent years. For Bandido, he’ll personally miss the camaraderie and the feeling that the locker room is a family, something many other ROH wrestlers have described.
“Without a doubt, it is the dressing room,” Bandido said through a translator. “There is a brotherhood and companionship that make you feel at home. That is what I will miss greatly.”
While this era of ROH is ending, one silver lining can be found in the fact that talented wrestlers like Bandido can now hit the open market and reach for now heights. The reigning ROH World Champion’s immediate future is unclear, but he’s hopeful that he’ll get the chance to shine moving forward. He came up short in a bout for the AAA Mega Championship at TripleMania Regia, but coming out of this loss, he wants to win some gold at that same level in Mexico.
“I want to hold a belt of that magnitude in Mexico,” Bandido said through a translator. “AAA is very different from CMLL. They are very different companies and each one has their own way of working and capturing their fans with good quality encounters. I am excited to make more opportunities.”
Bandido will defend the ROH World Championship one more time on Saturday before he ventures out into a booming wrestling world that could certainly use someone as electric as him.
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