Ring of Honor issued the following:
After more than a decade, FINAL BATTLE RETURNS TO PHILADELPHIA! On December 18th, Ring of Honor will present FINAL BATTLE 2015 on Pay-per-view. Plus, the very next night, we will return for the AFTERMATH and a huge television taping!
The heart and soul of ROH is in its Philadelphia roots. For the first time since 2004, FINAL BATTLE heads home! This year, we will be LIVE on PPV from the legendary 2300 Arena! FINAL BATTLE marks the culmination of a year’s worth of rivalries and competition. There’s no telling who will show up and who will leave as a champion. FINAL BATTLE is a must-see event for all professional wrestling fans! And the next night, all of the fallout will spill into a massive ROH television event!
GRUDGE MATCH
– KYLE O’REILLY VS. ADAM COLE
It has become one of the most iconic images in the entire history of Ring of Honor: Adam Cole at BEST IN THE WORLD 2012, face smeared with blood courtesy of his former partner, Kyle O’Reilly. This “Hybrid Rules” match cemented the split of Future Shock, after months of tension and O’Reilly’s increasing reliance on his mentor, Davey Richards. At this stage in his career, Kyle O’Reilly was hotheaded and cocky, the opposite of Cole’s cooler, more sportsmanlike demeanor. Despite Cole’s attempts to keep the team together, O’Reilly chose to walk away.
Future Shock was a team destined for success and ROH gold. They didn’t achieve that goal because, at the time Kyle O’Reilly had other plans for himself. By all appearances, Adam Cole was doing just fine on his own after the split, securing both the ROH World and Television Championships. While Future Shock may have failed to reach the potential it promised, Cole and O’Reilly were taking over professional wrestling on their own.
But sometimes resentment simmers.
Flashing forward to earlier this year, Adam Cole found himself on the shelf rehabilitating a serious shoulder injury. Tensions were mounting within The Kingdom, and even as he returned to ROH action, Cole seemed on the periphery of the scheming between Bennett, Taven, and Maria. With his new friends seemingly plotting to push him out of The Kingdom, Cole shockingly found himself at the side of Kyle O’Reilly! It would come to light that the camaraderie between Future Shock went far beyond the wrestling ring. Cole and O’Reilly really were best friends, supporting each other throughout their careers and personal lives even as they grew as individuals.
At ALL STAR EXTRAVAGANZA, Kyle O’Reilly finally got the one-on-one ROH World Championship opportunity the world had been waiting for. A palpable buzz was in the air that night in San Antonio. O’Reilly had proven before he can beat Jay Lethal. And tonight, it would be for the World Championship. Predictably, every person associated with the competitors attempted to interfere in the match, and the House of Truth had the numbers advantage on that end. But in the end, ADAM COLE hit the ring to back up O’Reilly, determined to make sure his best friend finally won the title.
And in that moment, the real Adam Cole revealed himself live on pay-per-view.
Drilling Kyle O’Reilly when he was as vulnerable as possible, Cole ensured Lethal retained the World Championship. More importantly, he sent a crystal clear message to O’Reilly: I have never forgiven you. This is not over.
Adam Cole – aided by The Kingdom – spent months convincing Kyle O’Reilly and the entire world that he could be trusted. And since the moment he revealed his true nature, he has spent months antagonizing his former partner. These two men have been separated by security time and again. They cannot share locker room space. The level of hostility has escalated to the point that there was no other choice. At FINAL BATTLE, Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly will face each other LIVE on pay-per-view!
Knowing the personal vitriol behind this match, and considering the consequences other times these two men have battled, this is truly a must-see encounter!
To get your tickets to FINAL BATTLE, click HERE! And to be there the very next night and witness the AFTERMATH, click HERE!
Ring of Honor Wrestling Presents:
Final Battle ’15 Live on Pay Per View
Friday, December 18th, 2015
2300 Arena – Philadelphia, PA
Doors open 7:30pm / 9pm Bell Time
