Kurt Angle Wants To Make Wrestling Great Again, ROH Returning Home, Gail Kim On TNA Hall Of Fame
- Kurt Angle has a new "Let's Make Wrestling Great Again" shirt for sale at this link. Portions of each sale will support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Angle posted the video above to promote the shirt.
- As noted, Gail Kim will be inducted into the 2016 TNA Hall of Fame, which will take place during Bound for Glory weekend later this year. Kim commented on her upcoming induction on Twitter, writing:
Thanks to everyone last night for the HOF love. I was overwhelmed with emotion so thanks to all the fans, friends and colleagues 4 the love!
— Gail Kim-Irvine (@gailkimITSME) June 15, 2016
I can't really express gratitude in a tweet so can't wait for #BoundForGlory to have an opportunity to share how I feel ??????
— Gail Kim-Irvine (@gailkimITSME) June 15, 2016
- ROH sent us the following today, announcing that Final Battle in December will return to their "longtime home," The Hammerstein Ballroom at the Manhattan Center in New York City. You can check out the full press release below:
BIG NEWS REGARDING FINAL BATTLE
Ring of Honor Wrestling will be returning to New York City this year for Final Battle and we are coming back to our longtime home, The Hammerstein Ballroom at the Manhattan Center!
This storied venue has hosted some of the biggest events in Ring of Honor history, and Final Battle promises to be the biggest yet.
The date is Friday, December 2nd, 2016.
Traditionally, Final Battle is where scores are settled, reputations are forged and unforgettable moments are made.
The ROH World Title has changed hands twice at Final Battle. In 2004, Austin Aries ended Samoa Joe's 645-day reign (a record that still stands), and in 2006, Homicide defeated Bryan Danielson, who had held the championship for 462 days.
There also have been several memorable successful world title defenses at Final Battle, including in 2009 when Aries and challenger Tyler Black wrestled to a one-hour draw, and last year when current ROH World Champion Jay Lethal defeated AJ Styles to solidify his status as the best wrestler in the world.
One of the most storied feuds in ROH history — Kevin Steen vs. El Generico headlined two Final Battle events.
In 2010, the friends-turned-enemies brutalized one another in an unsanctioned Fight Without Honor in which El Generico prevailed. Two years later, Steen gained retribution by successfully defending the ROH World Title against his arch rival in the aptly named Ladder War.
Another highly personal rivalry that culminated at Final Battle was between Danielson and Takeshi Morishima. Danielson, who had suffered a detached retina during a match against Morishima in 2007, finally exacted his revenge by beating Morishima in a Fight Without Honor at Final Battle 2008.
The main event at Final Battle 2005 was historic because it featured the Japanese-based GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship being defended on American soil, as Japanese superstar KENTA turned back the challenge of Low Ki in a match that is regarded as a classic.
Those are just some of the great matches that have taken place over the years at Final Battle, where the best wrestlers on the planet always look to end the year with a bang.
Tickets for Final Battle 2016 will be going on sale soon so be sure and check back here for all of the on-sale information!