ROH World Tag Team Championship: The Foundation (Rhett Titus & Jonathan Gresham) (c) vs; Violence Unlimited (Chris Dickinson and Homicide)
Right after the conclusion of the ROH World TV Championship Match, Titus and Gresham run to the ring and attack Dickinson and Homicide. (They came to the ring to protect Deppen from La Faccion Ingobernable.) The match quickly breaks down into a brawl. Titus slams Homicide through a table with a Falcon Arrow. Dickinson chokes Gresham with his shirt.
ROH WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES ARE ON THE LINE NOW! @RhettTitusANX @TheJonGresham vs. @DirtyDickinson & Homicide! #ROHBITW pic.twitter.com/fOmsRmkaPE
— ROH – Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) July 12, 2021
Dickinson gets a two count on Gresham with a Spicolli Driver. Titus blasts Dickinson with chair, but Homicide drops Titus with a falling Ace Crusher. Titus slams Homicide onto a chair for a two count. Dickinson slams Titus into Gresham to break up the Octopus Stretch. Dickinson locks Gresham in the STF, but Titus eventually breaks it up after he stops Homicide from using a fork on “The Octopus.”
Dickinson powerbombs Titus off the top rope and sends him crashing through a table. Homicide pins Gresham with “Da Cop Killa.”
Winners and new ROH World Tag Team Champions: Homicide and Chris Dickinson
Author’s Thoughts: The writing was somewhat on the wall when the broadcast team announced that Tracy Williams would be unable to compete. When Gresham, coming off a tough match with Bennett, was forced into action, the title change felt even more likely. As fans saw in the aftermath of ROH 19th Anniversary, the substitution sets up an easy rematch, as Williams never lost the title himself. As for the bout, Titus and Gresham deserve recognition for excelling in a totally different style. They typically compete under Pure Rules, and this match was the antithesis of that.
Homicide and Dickinson complement each other nicely as two believable brawlers. Homicide’s attempted usage of fork drove home the idealistic clash between The Foundation and Violence Unlimited. Dickinson enjoyed a breakout performance, at least for fans who are less familiar with his work, as he had some of the most memorable spots in the match, like the powerbomb off the top rope.
Maria Kanellis-Bennett and Lenny Leonard unveil the new Ring of Honor Women’s World Championship. She then revealed Chelsea Green as a newcomer to the company. Green explains that she plans to take everything she was denied at her previous company. She notes that she’s injured, but she will join the women’s division in one month.
THE BRACKETS ARE IN!
ONE SPOT REMAINS… #ROHWD#ROHBITW pic.twitter.com/xIHplqkVWF
— ROH – Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) July 12, 2021
ROH World Championship: RUSH (c) vs. Bandido
RUSH immediately takes the fight to Bandido. He dominates the opening minutes and shows his disregard for the rules by choking Bandido with a wire. The challenger eventually rallies after this initial onslaught with a dive to the outside. RUSH blocks the X-knee and rocks Bandido with a superkick. A crucifix driver earns Bandido a two count. The champion suplexes Bandido into the corner.
. @bandidowrestler doing whatever it takes to win the ROH World Title! #ROHBITW pic.twitter.com/0hM89rbQ7c
— ROH – Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) July 12, 2021
RUSH dives onto Bandido outside the ring and gets a table. Bandido blasts RUSH with a superkick and sacrifices himself to send RUSH crashing threw the table. The two stars trade German suplexes and strikes. A stiff headbutt rocks Bandido, and both men are down after a heel kick from RUSH. Bandido stuns RUSH with a Shooting Star Slam off the top and hits the 21-Plex for a near fall.
RUSH rips at Bandido’s mask, but the challenger rolls RUSH up for the win.
Winner and new ROH World Champion: Bandido
https://twitter.com/ringofhonor/status/1414419734947377156?s=20
LFI attacks Bandido after the match, as the trio beats him down. RUSH blasts Bandido with the title, and the group poses over the new champio while the show goes off the air.
Author’s Thoughts: Bandido’s victory was a genuine surprise. Yes, it’s easy to seehow ROH would want a true babyface as its world champion due to the return of live crowds. But it’s fair to question if the 26-year-old is ready for this step up, at least from a booking standpoint. He looked strong coming out of his win in the Survival of the Fittest tournament, but if the title change had been the plan, this build could have stretched a bit longer. Instead, it felt rushed. Still, Bandido is immensely talented, and his matches always steal the show.
Having Bandido as the champion sets the stage for some exciting matches, as potential bouts with Brody King, EC3, and as previously mentioned, Flip Gordon are on the table. Bandido’s win also helped solidify the feeling at ROH Best in the World is a new beginning, as it marked the third title change for the evening.
