Joe Hendry still has the potential to be one of the biggest stars in Ring of Honor. He was held away due to COVID-19 – but made his return at Final Battle 2021. Now weighing 251lbs, he’s back once again to dominate ROH – and tonight faces his former tag team partner. Dalton Castle is a former ROH World Champion, and tonight will look to once again find some singles success.
No Code of Honor before this match, as Hendry refused to shake the hand. Castle was sent outside, and his Baby Chickens would join him in a lap around the ring. Hendry was wrapped up in this, and would be taken down with a single leg takedown. Castle would hit a snap DDT and a falling splash, before being scooped up and launched over the top rope with a slam.
Hendry would follow, pulling Castle into the ring for a suplex. He was controlling the match, with Castle unable to hit any of his signature throws. Hendry looked for a superplex to the floor, but was cut down to the size. Castle would hit the running knee strike and caught Hendry in the side of the head for a two count.
Hendry would dodge the second knee strike in the corner, but Castle caught him with the hurricarana on the floor. Castle would pop the hips in the ring for a set of suplexes, before a bulldog for a two count.
Hendry came back with a spinebuster, before just tossing Castle like a sack of potatoes. Castle would be able to regain his footing, and dropped Hendry with Bang-A-Rang for the victory! After the match, Castle yelled that he is Ring of Honor, and is going nowhere.
ROH Becomes Swerves House
Swerve Strickland has been making moves ever since leaving WWE, and making his way to Ring of Honor for the first time ever. He’ll be taking on Alex Zayne, a man who has previously challenged for the ROH World Championship. A win tonight for either man could put them in the crosshairs of whoever wins tonight’s main event, so this one could be do or die.
Zayne would look to throw Swerve out of the ring, before cutting Swerve down for a shooting star senton. Swerve would head to the ropes, before Zayne tried to hit a frankensteiner. Instead, Zayne was caught with a TKO over the top rope – before taking a pump kick to the face.
Swerve would follow up with the diving uppercut in the ring, before being turned inside out with a massive lariat. Zayne tripped Swerve up, but was almost caught with the pop-up Flatliner. He’d toss Swerve into the corner and hit the hurricanrana, before a flipping heel kick.
Swerve would apply the single leg crab, and Zayne would fight his way free. They’d battle on the apron, where Zayne nailed a poison hurricanrana off and to the floor. Back in the ring, Zayne looked for CrunchWrap Supreme, and nailed all of the Shooting Star Knee Drop.
Somehow, Swerve was able to kick out – and would find his way back to his feet. They’d trader back and forth blows, before Zayne looked for the Cobra Clutch Suplex. Swerve would nail the German Suplex and rolling Flatliner, before the double stomp for the near fall.
House Call kick was blocked, and Zayne hit a knee strike to the face. Zayne looked for the sidewalk driver, before taking the House Call & JML Driver for the finish.
Could Swerve Strickland be a future ROH World Champion? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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