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ROH champion Eddie Edwards vs. Davey Richards
Lots of back and forth chanting as they faced off. They locked up and went back and forth trying to gain an advantage. Edwards was forced against the ropes and they broke clean. They locked up again and this time they broke clean. Richards tried to throw a kick but Edwards evaded it and they faced off.
They went back and forth wrestling and went for a test of strength. Richards was forced down to the mat but forced his way back up. He then forced Edwards back up and Edwards forced his way back up. Richards snapmared him over and drilled him in the back. Edwards responded in kind. They began battled back and forth. Richards drilled him with a running kick to the chest. Unbelievably stiff.
Richards nailed a snap suplex for a two count. He tied up Edwards on the map and used a Texas Cloverleaf variation. Edwards escaped and fought back with sit-out F5. Edwards tagged Richards with a kick and a gutwretch suplex.
Edwards locked on an armbar but Richards made it to the ropes to break it. Richards fired his way out of the corner with massive shots but was taken down by Edwards and covered for a two count. Edwards drilled him with a headbutt and a kick to the face. He tagged Davey with a chop. He whipped Richards into the corner but was tossed up and over to the floor. Richards went for a kick off the apron, but Edwards ducked. Richards tagged him on the rebound, then hit an inside suicide dive to the floor.
Edwards was tossed bacck into the ring and Richards nailed him with a missile dropkick. He charged Eddie but was kicked off Edwards hit a leaping enziguiri. Richards rolled him over in a crossarm breaker but Edwards escaped. Richards locked in a Kimura.
He forced Edwards into the corner and tagged him with a series of stiff kicks to the chest. Edwards was hoisted to the top rope, where Richards went for a superplex. They battled back and forth with headbutts. Richards was sent to the mat but rebounded with a leaping kick. He nailed a superplex with both standing on the top and then pulled him into a cross arm breaker. Edwards broke the move and turned it into a Boston Crab.
Richards made it to the ropes and they tagged each other with hot slaps. They continued to go back and forth with near falls. Incredible stuff. Richards drilled Edwards with another kick to the chest. He went for a handspring elbow but was caught and tossed, landing rudely on his face.
Edwards nailed a running knee to the face. Richards cut him off but was caught with a fisherman's buster for two count. Edwards, now selling his arm, chopped Richards with the other one. Richards tried to pull himself together and nailed a hard knee to Edwards' bad arm. Edward fired back but was caught with a rolling cross armbreaker.
Edwards slipped out and stomped away on Richards, who fired back and caught him with an armbreaker. They went back and forth beating the hell out of each other. Edwards drilled Richards with a hard kick to the back, sending him to the floor. Edwards nailed a moonsault to the floor, crashing into Richards and the guard rail in a scary moment.
Edwards killed Richards with a missile dropkick. Richards chopped away at Edwards. Edwards caught him with a back suplex for a two count. They fired away with forearms. Richards started to stagger. They battled back and forth with strikes like an MMA match. Edwards drilled Richards with a flying knee. This pretty much a war of attrition.
They battled to the outside, where Edwards attempted a suplex. Richards nailed several kick. Edwards nailed a 2K1 Bomb on the apron. That was insane. They teased a double countout but both returned at the 17 count. Edwards nailed a double stomp off the top through a table on the floor. The crowd chanted, "You just killed him."
Back in the ring, Edwards nailed another double stomp off the ropes but Richards kicked up. Edwards tagged him with slaps but was nailed with a kick. Edwards' leg was caught up in the ropes but Richards came off the top with a big knee drop.
Richards locked on the anklelock in the center of the ring but Eddie made it to the ropes. He drilled Richards with a kick. The crowd chanted, "This is awesome" and they were right. This was just all out pro wrestling greatness with kickass physicality.
They battled on the ropes. Edwards nailed several back elbows sending Richards to the mat. Richards returned and was sent off again. A third time, Richards beat the hell out of him with headbutts. Richards tossed him with a back superplex. Richards drilled him with an awesome superkick and locked on the anklelock. Edwards rolled through and locked in one of his own. Richards reversed and locked in a heel hook. Edwards reversed but Richards rolled through with an anklelock. Edwards finally made it to the ropes.
They battled atop the announcing table with Richards beating down Edwards. They exchanged kicks. Edwards ducked and Davey kicked the ringpost, going down. They recovered and each climbed the turnbuckle, battling. Edwards was shoved off and landed on the apron. He rolled into the ring and went after Richards, who was still on the top. Edwards tried to go for a top rope rana but Richards caught him for a powerbomb. In mid-air, Edwards turned it into a rana.
Edwards followed up with a powerbomb for a two count, then a massive lariat. He nailed Davey with a 2K1 Bomb for a two count, then locked on a single legged crab. Richards rolled over and began beating Edwards in the face with kicks but was forced back over. Edwards then locked in a full Texas Cloverleaf.
He covered Richards for another two count. He pulled Richards up but was caught with a nasty back suplex. Edwards then returned the favor with one of his own. They were almost counted down on the mat but returned to their knees, then their feet. They battled back and forth with forearms and chops, then kicks. They were showing their exhaustion but didn't let up. Richards tagged him with a kick to the gut and a hard lariat that sent Edwards spinning for a two count.
Richards tagged Edwards with hard punches and clothesline but he kicked up at one and fired up. Richards KILLED HIM with stiff kicks to the face but Edwards kicked up. Richards repeated the assault but Edwards kicked up at the last second. Richards drilled him with a hard running punt kick to the head and scored the pin.
Your winner and NEW ROH champion, Davey Richards!
OFF THE F**KING CHARTS, HARD HITTING MATCH. Unbelievably sick main event.
A number of wrestlers and ROH officials came out to check on both men, who took a long time to recover. Fans chanted "Match of the year" and "Best in the World." Richards and Edwards, spent, embraced each other. Edwards left the ring and Richards put on the title he's been chasing for the first time.
Fans began chanting his name as Richards took the ring mic. Edwards returned to the ring. Fans chanted Edwards' name. Richards said that this is his moment and said the fans and the boys are all the family he has. He told them they were there for him when his grandparents dying and his marriage ending and they are all his family. Richards said he has nothing but ROH and this and he thanked everyone for giving him a reason to get up when everything bad had gone down in his life and given him a reason to live. He said that the title means everything to him. He thanked Richards for setting the example and showing what a good person in. Edwards took the mic and told him that Richards is always talking about how good everyone else is but Edwards wouldn't be here right now if Davey hadn't believed in him. He thanked him and told him to take his moment and raise his arm like the champion he is.
Richards took the mic and apologized to everyone for doing this but he always wanted to and closed out saying, "Hey grandma. Hey grandpa. I did it!"
Incredible emotional, real closing to the evening. Hell of a main event, going 36 minutes and what a final scene. Off the charts.
That's it from NYC!
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