On ROH TV, we saw Demonic Flamita defeat Rey Horus to be the first name to advance in Survival of The Fittest 2021. Today on Week by Week, we will see the second qualifying match as Brian Johnson takes on Sledge. This one was quickly made personal as Johnson insulted his own father, something which struck a chord with Sledge who lost his father young. He’s intent to beat some respect into The Mecca, and get one step closer to the ROH World Championship in the process.
Brian Johnson Takes A Cheap Shot
Brian Johnson would debut a new entrance where he will no longer walk out of music, instead will run his mouth and do his own ring introduction. Sledge however doesn’t need to talk himself up, letting his actions do the talking. Johnson would attack Sledge during his entrance, and hit the rope hung cutter and ask for the referee to count, but the bell hasn’t even rang yet.
Sledge hurt his knee during this but got back up and told the referee to call for the bell. Johnson would rush back in and be thrown off, and while Sledge was limping, he’d be able to launch Johnson into the air. A kick to the knee had Sledge stumbling, and Johnson sent him outside. Johnson was picked out of the sky and thrown into the barricade and apron, before taking a chop and a Biel Toss.
Sledge caught another dive attempt from Johnson, and brutalized him on the apron. Johnson dodged a leg drop on the apron, and finally hit a dive on Sledge to regain some ground. Back in the ring, Sledge caught Johnson with a back elbow and a lariat in the corner, before hitting a running pump kick to the face, which sent Johnson stumbling to the outside.
Sledge Wrestled This One On One Good Leg
Johnson would trip Sledge up and slam his knee off the steel ring post. He’d apply the Figure Four Leg Lock around the post and hold it for as long as he could. A diving lariat off the top rope and the Mecca Locomotive would get a two count, before Johnson hit a single leg DDT to hurt the knee even more.
Sledge would kick Johnson off as he went for the Figure Four Leg Lock, before planting him with a big spinebuster. A T-Bone Suplex sent Johnson across the ring, before rushing in with a lariat. Sledge hit a suplex into a backbreaker, and the injured knee would be the one Johnson landed on. Johnson took advantage briefly before being dropped with the Blue Thunder Bomb for a two count.
Sledge would be called a ‘stupid addict’ and Johnson took some forearms to the jaw and was seeing stars. A rolling forearm would rock Johnson, who unintentionally fell into a chop block right to the hurt knee. Sledge pulled himself up with the ropes, and Johnson stole this one with a roll up.
This was a great match from a storytelling perspective. Johnson knew he was outmatched, so did what he could to cut Sledge down to size, and it worked. By the end, Sledge could barely stand, and Johnson was able to roll him up for a win. He proved that even if he can’t outmuscle Sledge, he could outwork him. Match Rating: 2.75/5 (** 3/4)
Will Brian Johnson win Survival of The Fittest 2021? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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