A new ROH Women’s World Champion was crowned at ROH Final Battle.
At the pay-per-view on December 10, Mercedes Martinez defended the title against Athena. Martinez recently returned after she had been out of action since July. She set her sights on Athena once she came back, and the two women had been on a collision course ever since. They clashed at ROH Final Battle, and at the end of a hard-fought match, Athena scored the win when she kicked Martinez into an exposed turnbuckle and hit the O-Face.
.@AthenaPalmer_FG drives the back of @RealMMartinez's head into the exposed turnbuckle!
Order #ROHFinalBattle on PPV now!@BRWrestling: https://t.co/EdGVni5sMA
Available on all major providers pic.twitter.com/p786LJ6yIa— ROH – Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) December 10, 2022
Here’s how the match broke down, courtesy of our play-by-play coverage:
Martinez takes control early on. The two women trade blows. Athena thumbs Martinez with a thumb to the eye and nails her with a forearm. She gains the upper hand with several strikes. She rocks the champion with a backhand. Martinez counters a suplex and drops Athena with a spinebuster. Athena trips Martinez and sends her into the ropes. She goes up top, but Martinez kicks her. The champion goes for the Spider German Suplex, but Athena avoids it. Athena plants Martinez with a powerbomb and suplexes her. She drops the champion with a kick. Martinez gets a two count with a brainbuster. Athena counters a leg lock and sends Martinez into the ropes. Athena slams the champion onto the apron. The fight spills to the outside, and Martinez takes control. She hits an Anarchist Suplex on the floor. Back in the ring, Athena gets a two count with a sneaky pin attempt.
Martinez goes for a Dragon Sleeper, but Athena bites her to evade it. Athena catches Martinez with a knee to the face, but the champion reaches the ropes. Athena rips off the turnbuckle pad. Martinez takes control, but Athena sends her into the exposed turnbuckle with a shotgun dropkick. She hits the O-Face for the win.
Martinez won the ROH Interim Women’s World Championship by defeating Willow Nightingale at ROH Supercard of Honor in April. She then defeated Deonna Purrazzo to win the lineal title on the May 4 episode of AEW Dynamite.
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