Match Eight: ROH World Heavyweight Champion Jay Lethal (w/ Taeler Hendrix) v. Lio Rush
Rush earned this shot by winning the Top Prospect Tournament. Usually, the winner gets a TV Title shot, but with Tomohiro Ishii in Japan, they gave him a World Title shot.
No Truth Martini as he’s still selling the Dijak injury.
Lethal acting very cocky early, very similar to Apollo Creed laughing off Rocky Balboa. That tune gradually changed as Rush was keeping up with the really fast paced chain wrestling.
Lethal kept laughing him off until Rush slapped him in the face. They fought into the corner where Lethal was enraged and stomped a mudhole in Rush to teach the young upstart some respect.
The match then became this: could Rush use his lightning, God given speed and agility to get in enough quick strikes on the veteran Lethal to win? He was making a great impression trying.
As the match wore on, Rush was throwing everything he had at him, but Lethal still remained cocky and acting as if he could finish it whenever he wanted. He kept telling Rush he was the best in the world. Rush was trying to get up and begging Lethal to keep coming at him. Lethal was yelling at him and slapping him. Rush responded with a flurry of slaps, and insane reverse Hurricanrana and a frog splash for a near fall!
Rush was trying for a top rope move when Lethal hit a top rope cutter and followed it up with a Lethal Injection for the win. Amazing match and a star maker performance for Rush.
Winner: Jay Lethal
