Ring of Honor is coming back very soon, and will kick off the reboot with a big tournament. This brings back the Pure Championship, a beloved belt from the past of ROH. We know the sixteen men who will enter this tournament, and now the bracket has been announced, showing us the eight matches in round one.
Block A Has The Only Former ROH Pure Champion
Starting on the left side at the top, we have former ROH Pure Champion Jay Lethal going against Dalton Castle. They’re both former ROH World Champions, and we rarely get to see Castle show just how good he is on the mat. This could be the best match of the first round, easily having the most star power.
Next is David Finlay Jr. going against Rocky Romero, both from ROH’s connections to NJPW. They’re both great grapplers, and Finlay recently made it all the way to the finals of the USA New Japan Cup, showing that 2020 is a strong year for him.
Going to the bottom half of Block A, we have Silas Young & Fred Yehi. Young is a former TV Champion, and one of the toughest men on the roster, while Yehi is a very talented wrestler making his ROH debut.
Finally, ‘Hotsauce’ Tracy Williams will face Rust Taylor, another ROH debut. Taylor made an impact in NJPW recently, showing incredible wrestling ability and striking, making him a dark horse favorite for this tournament. Williams is someone built for the Pure Championship however, and this one will be one to keep your eye on.
Block B Has Rising Stars Aplenty
There might not be any former champions in the B Block, ROH could have handed the Pure Championship to Jonathan Gresham and gotten zero complaints from fans. He’s against the debutting Wheeler Yuta, who will have a hard time resisting the submissions of The Octopus.
Going down the right side of the bracket, you next see Delirious vs. Matt Sydal, which might as well be a bye for Sydal. Delirious is likely only in this tournament as he’s an on hand wrestler, but he rarely shows up to win matches, more just being behind the scenes as head booker.
The bottom half of the block starts with a sleeper hit in the making, as Josh Woods faces Kenny King. Woods has been trying to establish himself since he came to ROH, and he’s going to thrive in Pure Rules matches.
The final round one match is Tony Deppen vs. PJ Black. Black is mainly known as a veteran high flyer, while Deppen is an up and coming no nonsense type of wrestler. Deppen like many others in this tournament is perfect for this style of match.
Who do you want to see meet in the finals? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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