Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Kyle O’Reilly, the 29-year-old British Columbia native, defeated his long-time arch rival in a bloody war at Ring of Honor’s Final Battle pay-per-view this Friday night to fulfill a dream he has been chasing for seven years: to be the ROH World Champion.
O’Reilly bested champion Adam Cole in a main event grudge match that featured trash cans, steel chairs, thumbtacks and more to win the promotion’s top title for the very first time. The two have been battling for years, dating back to their tag team, Future Shock, that ran on the independent scene and had multiple runs on Ring of Honor television. Their rivalry has been one of the hottest programs in wrestling since 2013, extending to a battle over the PWG Championship.
Since then O’Reilly has become one of the most well-respected wrestlers on the planet, teaming with Bobby Fish to win five sets of major tag team titles across ROH and New Japan Pro Wrestling. This is his first singles title in Ring of Honor.
Adam Cole losses his title just 106 days into his reign, after defeating Jay Lethal back in August to become a two-time champion, something only three men in history have accomplished. The presumptive Western leader of the Bullet Club has been on a hot streak since returning from injury, while working his way up the New Japan roster.
