Ring of Honor returns to Philadelphia this Friday for 12th Anniversary Show

Ring of Honor returns to Philadelphia this weekend with a huge event. On Friday, Feb. 21, ROH is hosting its 12^th Anniversary show with an outstanding card. Take a look at what’s on tap for fans at the National Guard Armory this Friday.

Already announced are:

Adam Cole vs. Chris Hero for the Ring of Honor World Championship

“The Phenomenal One” AJ Styles vs. Jay Lethal

Matt Hardy vs. “Unbreakable” Michael Elgin

reDRagon (Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish) vs. Adrenaline RUSH (ACH and Tadarius Thomas) for the Ring of Honor World Tag Team Championship

“Sicilian Psychopath” Tommaso Ciampa vs. Hanson for the Ring of Honor TV Championship

Jay Briscoe vs. Michael Bennett for Jay’s “Real” World title

Just announced are:

“Last Real Man” Silas Young vs Matt Taven

Kevin Steen vs. Cliff Compton

Unsanctioned Philly Street Fight

The Decade (BJ Whitmer, Roderick Strong and Jimmy Jacobs) vs. Mark Briscoe, Adam Page and Cedric Alexander

An absolutely stacked card to say the least – as it should be to celebrate the 12^th year in the history of one of the most popular independent wrestling companies in the world.

The World title match alone has huge implications. Chris Hero has only recently returned to Ring of Honor but already he has Adam Cole and the ROH World title in his sights. Having previously dominated the tag team division with Claudio Castagnoli in the Kings of Wrestling, Hero now wants to claim the World title for his own – a feat he has yet to accomplish in ROH. Current champ Adam Cole is definitely feeling the pressure these days. With Michael Elgin still breathing down his neck for another shot at the World title and Jay Briscoe claiming that he is the “Real” World champion of ROH, Cole thankfully has back up in the form of “The Icon” Matt Hardy. Cole defeated Hero at Pro Wrestling Guerrilla’s All Star Weekend 10 in December for the PWG World championship – will he be able to score another victory over Hero when the ROH title is on the line?

The ROH tag team champions reDRagon – Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish – will be putting the straps on the line against Adrenaline RUSH – ACH and Tadarius Thomas. reDRagon hasn’t had much competition for the tag belts in ROH lately but the team of ACH and Tadarius Thomas will be a huge obstacle for the champions. Two of the fastest rising stars on the independent scene, ACH and Thomas have an explosive style that the champions will look to negate with their hard-hitting, technical prowess. ACH and O’Reilly had an incredible match in the second round of PWG’s Battle of Los Angeles in August and fans in attendance will no doubt be in for a great contest – and possibly new champions.

The Ring of Honor Television championship will also be on the line at the 12^th Anniversary Show as “The Sicilian Psychopath” Tommaso Ciampa puts his title on the line against the winner of the 2014 Top Prospect Tournament, Hanson. Ciampa has been a regular in ROH for some time now but is starting to come into his own and now has his very first taste of ROH gold. I don’t know much about Hanson but the top prospect tournament was filled with many impressive up-and-coming stars and will undoubtedly give Ciampa all he can handle. But with this being Ciampa’s first ROH title, I don’t see him losing it any time soon.

But even the non-title matches on this card are huge. The most hotly-anticipated will no-doubt be AJ Styles taking on Jay Lethal in their first ever Ring of Honor meeting. These former TNA stars may have met in the ring for that company, but this will be the first time these two indy legends will face off in ROH. Kevin Steen taking on Cliff Compton in an unsanctioned street fight should no doubt sate the Philly fans always eager to see matches delve into the hardcore and the six-man tag match between some of ROH’s most established names and fastest rising stars should be exciting as well.

Ring of Honor’s 12^th Anniversary Show is this Friday, February 21 at the National Guard Armory in northeast Philadelphia and starts at 8 p.m.

(Image from wrestlingrumors.net)