On that note, two grudge matches on the card represent tonally similar moral struggles. In one hand, EC3 will finally get his match with Jay Briscoe after their initially scheduled meeting at Final Battle 2020 was postponed. EC3 has dared Briscoe to show him that honor is real. He’s demanding the former ROH World Champion, a man who’s often viewed as the face of Ring of Honor because he has always stayed true to the company, to prove that there truly is honor in a promotion where this virtue is in the name. As for himself, EC3 has uneasily ventured around the professional wrestling industry, unable, or perhaps unwilling, to find a secure home after multiple runs in WWE and TNA/IMPACT Wrestling. This complex story is set to play out on Friday night, and the victor should surely be considered a favorite to challenge for the world title sooner rather than later.
. @therealec3 came to ROH on a mission to find out if honor is real, and he chose Jay Briscoe as his test subject.
ROH 19th Anniversary PPV hour one airs FREE tomorrow at 8 PM ET on multiple platforms: https://t.co/EMP2LEve0t
9 PM ET airs exclusively on HONORCLUB/PPV/FITE pic.twitter.com/KTNFwZ8bOM
— ROH – Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) March 25, 2021
Last but certainly not least, Matt Taven will battle his former friend, Vincent in what should be considered the most bitterly personal match on the card. This clash will be an Unsanctioned Match, so expect plenty of brutal violence in this one. On paper, this one is a fairly traditional bout that pits good against evil. Matt Taven is playing the role of the virtuous hero who’s trying to stop a despicable villain. But not too long ago, Taven was the company’s top heel during his lengthy run as the world champion. In fact, just a few short weeks ago, Taven proved that he’s not purely honorable when he smashed Bateman’s ankle after Vincent (initially) refused to accept his challenge to this match. Shortly thereafter, Vincent agreed to compete in this contest, possibly because a win could take his career to a new level.
When Vincent defeated Taven way back at ROH Final Battle 2019 in an already heated match, most fans expected the victory to turn the leader of The Righteous into a main event player. But the world, and the COVID-19 pandemic, disrupted those potential plans. Instead, Vincent and Taven reignited their feud shortly after the ROH restart in the fall. Mike Bennett returned to the company to help his best friend fight The Righteous, but he suffered a broken ankle in a post-match attack for his efforts. Though Taven and Bennett defeated Vincent and Bateman at Final Battle 2020, the triumph was hollow, as it was quite hard to move on from the rivalry following this devastating assault.
MATT TAVEN AND VINCENT RETURN TO ROOTS TO SETTLE THE SCORE IN UNSANCTIONED MATCH AT 19TH ANNIVERSARY PPV THIS FRIDAY: https://t.co/LPTdNTU7pt
All ROH PPV’s are free for HonorClub members! https://t.co/KrfEyQdUEo
PPV Information: https://t.co/EMP2LEdCBT#ROH19 pic.twitter.com/D1st8WKOmH
— ROH – Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) March 23, 2021
To avenge Bennett and, possibly, to manipulate Vincent into accepting his challenge, Taven broke Bateman’s ankle in a stunning display of rage. Clearly, bad blood is flowing in and around this match. This feud, which has spanned over a year at this point, will finally come to a head at the 19th Anniversary Show, and ROH fans should have this one circled on the card.
This preview is just a sample of the action fans can expect to see on Friday night. The full card and information about the event is available here.
For a review of the go-home episode of ROH Wrestling and a preview of ROH 19th Anniversary, check out the newest Recap of Honor podcast.
