The Infantry hope to end a longstanding rivalry at Final Battle, but they also want to continue putting a bigger spotlight on the Ring of Honor brand.
Carlie Bravo and Shawn Dean, aka The Infantry, spoke with WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard ahead of ROH Final Battle. There, they will team with Shane Taylor to defend the ROH Six Man Tag Team Championship against SkyFlight’s Scorpio Sky, Dante Martin and Darius Martin.
Bravo and Dean say that their beating SkyFlight won’t change, but they are out to deliver a fight that the opponents won’t want a rematch for.
Carlie Bravo: “STP is still going to be the six-man champions at the end of Final Battle. That’s what’s going to be the same. You know what’s going to be different is that we’re just tired of dealing with these guys. This might get a little violent, so you might want to make sure the kids have their hands over their faces because we’re done with them. At this point, I’m tired of SkyFlight. I’m tired of Scorpio Sky. I’m tired of the whole thing. I love Christopher Daniels and I love Leila Grey, but the rest of those chumps? They can go. It’s over for them.”
Shawn Dean: “Yeah, man. Top Flight has been a thorn in our side for a very long time. I think all three of us — the whole STP group — is just really tired of dealing with these dudes. You know, we might have to settle some scores coming up pretty soon. But yeah, like he said, we’re coming to leave as six-man tag team champions, and we’re coming to beat down SkyFlight. This is how it’s got to be.”
The Infantry Explains Shane Taylor Promotions’ Dynamic
Bravo, Dean and Taylor are champions together, but the group mixes its lineup based on what fits the situation at hand. Bravo compared Shane Taylor to a fight promoter who lines up fights, while Dean called the stable wrestling’s version of The Expendables.
“I constantly say we’re the wrestling version of the Expendables. Whatever the mission calls for, whatever chemistry is working at that time — like in basketball or football — you stick with that unit as much as possible,” Dean explained. “But sometimes you might need to put Lee and Shane together to handle something else. That’s just what the strategy calls for at that time.
“We’re definitely a well-oiled, fine-tuned machine when it comes to dissecting our opponents and executing the plan. That’s where The Infantry comes in,” Dean continued. “And like Alpha always said, this STP version is probably the greatest version of STP ever because we are so versatile. We can handle any type of match or situation that comes our way.”
Shane Taylor Promotions currently features six performers, including Trish Adora. The group is familiar with the “Freebird Rule” for title reigns, but they would rather keep focus on Bravo, Dean and Taylor building on the impressive run they are on.
“If something happens — God forbid, you know, anything can happen — we’ve got options. Hey, we might throw Trish (Adora) in there and be the real Infantry — all three six-man champions. That’s never been done,” Bravo noted. “So, it’s definitely possible. But right now, the focus for the six-man belts is me, Captain, and Big Shane, for sure.”
The Infantry Highlights ROH’s current identity
Shawn Dean and Carlie Bravo have appeared across all of AEW and Ring of Honor’s shows, but they are also two of the longest tenured members of the ROH roster. Ring of Honor has gone through changes over the years, and in many ways, it feels like the brand is finding its new identity. Both Dean and Bravo said that the whole roster is fighting with a chip on their shoulders and wants to use that hunger to go out and prove why they belong in “best-of” conversations.
“Everybody’s hungry. Everybody wants to contribute and go out and have the best match every time we have a show or pay-per-view,” Shawn Dean explained. “The roster, the people you consistently see in ROH, they’re putting their heart and soul into this brand, and it’s starting to show. To be a part of that, to really be the rallying men for it — the infantry in the trenches — that’s a testament.
“It’s a pat on the back that we give ourselves every time because we want our brand to be talked about and to be in contention as one of the best promotions in the world,” Dean continued. “Not just because we’re with the best wrestling company in the world, AEW, but because we are a brand in ourselves. We go out there every night and show that we are the best.”
Ring of Honor is hungry, and on fire
Bravo agreed that “hunger” was the key point to focus on, noting that they are signed to AEW contracts, but the ROH brand still feels like it gets overlooked at times.
“We are the roster to talk about,” Bravo said. “Yeah, we’re all signed to All Elite Wrestling. We float on Collision, we float on Dynamite. But we’re coming to represent Ring of Honor, showing everyone that ROH is alive and very, very well. We’ve got some shooters out there. We had one of the best pay-per-views of the year, from any company, in the last one we threw.
“Everybody was talking about it—our main event, our champion, Bandido, was crazy with the work. A female champion like Athena, who’s really making an impact. Now we’ve got Mercedes Moné in there doing her thing. The gang are the six-man champions. Lee Moriarty, the longest-reigning Pure Champion. When Nick Wayne gets back, he’s going to be a house of fire. Ring of Honor isn’t anything to play with. People are really starting to see that. They’re waking up to the fact that it’s alive and well. Not only is it alive and well, but it’s burning — it’s on fire.”
ROH Final Battle takes place on Friday, December 5, at GalaxyCon in Columbus, Ohio.
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