Brian Johnson will challenge Josh Woods for the Ring of Honor Pure Championship at ROH Final Battle: End of an Era on December 11.
“The Mecca” has been rising up the rankings since he moved to the Pure Division.; he won a Pure Rules gauntlet match and defeated veterans PJ Black and John Walters in Pure Rules matches. Woods won the title at ROH Death Before Dishonor, where he dethroned Jonathan Gresham. He defended the title against LSG on a special “Championship Edition” of ROH Wrestling earlier this month.
The official announcement from the ROH website is as follows:
The next ROH Pure Champion could very well be a man who is anything but pure. In fact, he’s one of the dirtiest wrestlers in ROH.
By hook or by crook, “The Mecca” Brian Johnson has become the No. 1 contender in the Pure division and will challenge Pure Champion Josh Woods for the title at Final Battle: End of an Era on Dec. 11 in Baltimore.
Johnson is coming off his biggest Pure Rules win to date, as he defeated former Pure Champion John Walters on Ring of Honor Wrestling this past weekend. However, the victory was tainted because Johnson poked Walters in the eyes behind the referee’s back to set up the finish.
While Johnson’s tactics are questionable, his talent is undeniable. Woods will have to be at the top of his game to thwart the intense, determined challenger.
Over the past six months, that’s exactly where Woods has been — at the top of his game. “The Technical Beast” ended Jonathan Gresham’s year-long reign as Pure Champion at Death Before Dishonor in September, and he hasn’t lost a match since May, when Silas Young stole the win by illegally using the ropes for leverage.
Will Johnson get his first taste of gold in ROH? Or will Woods prove to Johnson that Pure is not spelled M-e-c-c-a?
Join us live in Baltimore, on pay-per-view or streaming for HonorClub to find out!
The updated card for ROH Final Battle is as follows:
- ROH World Championship: Bandido (c) vs. Jonathan Gresham
- ROH World Tag Team Championship: The OGK (Mike Bennett and Matt Taven) vs. The Briscoes
- ROH Pure Championship: Josh Woods (c) vs. Brian Johnson
- Shane Taylor vs. Kenny King
In a recent interview with WrestleZone, Johnson previewed this potential title match at ROH Final Battle and made it clear that he fully intends to capitalize on the opportunity. He shared his thoughts on his run in the Pure Division and vowed that “The Mecca Locomotive” will keep rolling all the way through Final Battle.
