Ring of Honor, New Japan Pro-Wrestling collide at Death Before Dishonor XV

LAS VEGAS (UPI) — It will be East meets West at Ring of Honor’s upcoming pay-per-view event Death Before Dishonor XV, which features ROH champion Cody defending his title against Minoru Suzuki of New Japan Pro-Wrestling fame.

The title bout came together after Cody issued a worldwide open challenge that was met by Suzuki, who is the current NEVER Openweight Champion. The main event continues the tradition of ROH and NJPW working together to provide dream-match scenarios.

“We work so well together,” ROH chief operating officer Joe Koff said of the working relationship between the two wrestling brands during an interview with UPI. “It comes down to how we respect the business, how we respect the performers, and how we respect our audiences.”

Suzuki’s match against Cody will be the legendary performer’s first match in the United States in over 25 years. Suzuki, whom Koff described as an “unorthodox, wily veteran of the ring,” has only wrestled one other time in the United States, in 1992.

Cody, The American Nightmare, formerly known as Cody Rhodes, is a cocky champion who believes he will have no problem defeating Suzuki on Friday. “He’s relevant not only to our promotion, but relevant to the wrestling world and relevant to wrestling’s legacy,” Koff said of his reigning champion who is the son of the late Dusty Rhodes.

Death Before Dishonor will also feature ROH World TV Champion KUSHIDA of NJPW fame defending his title against Kenny King in his hometown of Las Vegas following his stint on Season 13 of ABC’s The Bachelorette.

ROH fans will also be excited to see Jay Lethal taking on Silas Young in a Last Man Standing match that will most likely bring an end to their long-running feud.

“Those two gentlemen really do not like each other and when you add that element into the ring, it really makes for a combustible situation to say the least,” Koff said of the match.

Rounding out the rest of the Death Before Dishonor card are The Young Bucks, competing twice to defend their ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship alongside their partner Adam Page against either The Kingdom or Bully Ray and The Briscoes and their ROH World Tag Team Championships against the Motor City Machine Guns.

Jay White vs. Punishment Martinez in a Street Fight and Chuckie T. vs. Marty Scurll is also set to take place.

“It’s an experience that’s unlike any other,” Koff said of viewing ROH. “The intimacy, the knowledge, the respect, all going on at once all through the arena really makes for a special experience.”

Death Before Dishonor XV takes place Friday live from Las Vegas on pay-per-view at 9 p.m. EDT.

Written by UPI sports writer Wade Sheridan

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