Ring Of Honor Final Battle Results: Flip Gordon vs. Jonathan Gresham [Pure Championship Match]

Jonathan Gresham is the foundation of the Ring of Honor Pure Rules division, after winning the tournament to become the first man to hold the belt in over a decade. There are few who can deny that he deserves to be the top name, he’s absolutely the best pure wrestler in the game today.

Despite this, he does need to defend that championship, and Flip Gordon is his first opponent. Gordon just got back into ROH, but feels like if he was in that tournament, he’d have won. A win over Josh Woods showed he knows the rules, but can he actually beat Gresham, who won his war with Briscoe & PCO to start this night?

Obviously, Pure Rules apply here. Neither man has ever lost a Pure Rules match, but Gordon is 1-0, and Gresham is 5-0 in this style. He brought this ruleset back, and is the best technical wrestler in the world. This one has a sixty minute time limit, and if that’s reached, lord help the judges.

Jonathan Gresham Makes Gordon Use All His Rope Breaks

They’d start in the middle of the ring and Gresham showed that despite his war earlier, he’s as smooth as ever. He got the hammerlock in tight, and Gordon used rope break one very early. Gordon was taken down in the middle of the ring and put in a modified deathlock, and countered into a pinfall. Both men remained calm, but Gresham clearly had the edge as Gordon used his second rope break at three minutes.

Gordon had to tighten up his game plan here, and was looking good until he was swept up and kicked in his previously injured arm. Gresham would focus on the arm, stomping it and controlling it while attacking the other arm and getting a Crucifix pin for a two count. Gordon was chopped while the arm was wrenched, ending up back on the mat and getting completely tied up.

Gresham had the arms trapped with one leg, and then yanked on the leg, only losing the hold after Gordon ended up in a pin and kicked out, the jerking motion breaking it. Gordon tried to get something, and was able to push Gresham into the ropes while in a hold. That’s the last rope break wasted by Gordon, and he can now be submitted in the ropes.

Flip Gordon Gets His Limb Target

Now under pressure, Gordon had to clear his head and fight back. He hit a big enziguri and caught his breath while Gresham caught his bearings. Gordon through chops, and got a two count off an O’Connor Roll. Gresham hit an headscissors off the ropes, Gordon rolling through and getting a superkick, Gresham using the ropes to break the pin.

Gordon would stomp Gresham in the corner and pearch him on the top rope, but Gordon was shoved off and Gresham missed a dive. He landed rough on the knee, Gordon going right after it with a leg DDT and some kicks. Now with a target, Gordon went for a Figure Four Leg Lock, but Gresham didn’t let him get the full hold. The damage was still done however, and Gordon wasn’t going to stop this attack.

Gresham kept on fighting but got beat down to the mat, only rising to get hit with a Fisherman Suplex, Gresham barely kicking out. A low dropkick into a half crab had Gresham crawling to the rope before breaking out. He dodged the next low dropkick and kicked the hurt arm of Gordon.

No More Rope Breaks In This Match

Gresham was dropped with a Dragon Screw, and Gordon got Submit To Flip applied, and Gresham had to use his second rope break to survive. Gordon wanted the suplex, Gresham slipped over but again the knee failed him. He got a strike but was slow to follow up. Gordon was sent to the apron after trying to climb up top, before being propped there and having a submission on the elbow applied up top.

Gordon fought out and wanted Sunset Bomb but didn’t get it. He did land on his feet and kicked the leg of Gresham out. A Falcon Arrow into another Submit to Flip, but Gresham used his final rope break to survive. There were no more rope breaks left, and they’re both seriously hurt, but that Submit to Flip is looking deadly.

He went for the hold again, but Gresham kicked the elbow and regained his ground. A slugfest saw Gordon give up his elbow and have it attacked again, an uppercut to the hurt arm after an arm wringer. Gordon used the closed right hand to the face, getting his warning. He’s got an opening now, but used it to just catch his breath.

Another slugest saw Gresham dropped but popped up and hit an enziguri into snap german, but Gordon got a kneebar before moving to Submit to Flip. Gresham rolled to the outside to break the hold, both men crashing down. Gordon was back up first and sent Gresham into the ring, but that led to his arm being kicked.

He ran into Gresham in the corner, got put up top and his arm trapped for a top rope backdrop, but Gresham kept going for running forearms until Gordon was knocked out. This one ends from a referee stoppage, and there’s Greshams first defense.

Who will get the next shot at Jonathan Gresham? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.

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