Ring of Honor posted the following on Twitter, noting that the Final Battle event will take place on December 2nd at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York…
#FinalBattle is coming home to #NYC and the Hammerstein Ballroom Friday, Dec 2nd pic.twitter.com/M3AhdRgcu0
— ROH Wrestling (@ringofhonor) June 15, 2016
ROH’s return is not a one-time event. The company has completed a deal with the Hammerstein that will see ROH run there several times a year in 2017 and beyond.
ROH stopped using the venue back in 2014 and started using Terminal 5. The move was made due to cost, as the Hammerstein wanted ROH to pay to use their equipment and production staff. These costs would make profitability hard for the promotion, so they made the move. But ROH started to get complaints about Terminal 5 (sightlines and other issues) and they did not want to abandon the New York market.
ROH management had been scouting different venues in all five boroughs of NYC to try and find a regular replacement. They also kept conversations and negotiations with Hammerstein management going. A new deal was agreed upon about two weeks ago.
Here is the complete press release:
Ring of Honor Wrestling will be returning to New York City this year for Final Battle and we are coming back to our longtime home, The Manhattan Center’s Hammerstein Ballroom!
This storied venue has hosted some of the biggest events in Ring of Honor history, and Final Battle promises to be the biggest yet.
The date is Friday, December 2nd, 2016
Traditionally, Final Battle is where scores are settled, reputations are forged and unforgettable moments are made.
The ROH World Title has changed hands twice at Final Battle. In 2004, Austin Aries ended Samoa Joe’s 645-day reign (a record that still stands), and in 2006, Homicide defeated Bryan Danielson, who had held the championship for 462 days.
There also have been several memorable successful world title defenses at Final Battle, including in 2009 when Aries and challenger Tyler Black wrestled to a one-hour draw, and last year when current ROH World Champion Jay Lethal defeated AJ Styles to solidify his status as the best wrestler in the world.
One of the most storied feuds in ROH history — Kevin Steen vs. El Generico headlined two Final Battle events.
In 2010, the friends-turned-enemies brutalized one another in an unsanctioned Fight Without Honor in which El Generico prevailed. Two years later, Steen gained retribution by successfully defending the ROH World Title against his arch rival in the aptly named Ladder War.
Another highly personal rivalry that culminated at Final Battle was between Danielson and Takeshi Morishima. Danielson, who had suffered a detached retina during a match against Morishima in 2007, finally exacted his revenge by beating Morishima in a Fight Without Honor at Final Battle 2008.
The main event at Final Battle 2005 was historic because it featured the Japanese-based GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship being defended on American soil, as Japanese superstar KENTA turned back the challenge of Low Ki in a match that is regarded as a classic.
Those are just some of the great matches that have taken place over the years at Final Battle, where the best wrestlers on the planet always look to end the year with a bang.
Tickets for Final Battle 2016 will be going on sale soon so be sure and check back here for all of the on-sale information!
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