12 Biggest Stories From Ring Of Honor's Final Battle - And What They Mean For 2019

Jay Lethal and Cody have found themselves frequently entangled since their first encounter upon Cody's Ring Of Honor debut two years ago. While Jay has been ROH’s proverbial “Ace” for years now, Cody has been a thorn in the company’s side since his debut -- wreaking havoc on many of the promotion’s stars and essentially holding the World title hostage during his reign in 2017. With rumors of The Elite's ROH status moving into next year swirling, Cody looked to capture Lethal’s World title and abscond into the night -- and possibly his own promotion -- with the belt.

For over twenty-three minutes, Cody and Lethal traded offense and the advantage in an old school-style championship bout. At one point, it looked as though the American Nightmare would steal the victory after Brandi Rhodes speared Lethal. Brandi went for another spear but hit her husband instead. A Lethal Injection followed but Cody pushed his wife into the oncoming move. Eventually, Lethal got the momentum rolling his way and hit a series of kicks before lining up for a finishing blow. He feigned tears before flipping Cody the bird and planting a boot right under his chin. With Cody prone on the mat, Lethal slapped on a figure four leglock to get the submission victory and retain his ROH title.