It was officially announced on December 18, 2009 that Brian Kendrick would make his return to Ring of Honor when we come back to New York City for our ?8th Anniversary Show? on February 13, 2010. This will mark the ROH founding father’s return after more than four years as well as his first match in the ?big apple? for Ring of Honor.
Now, after weeks of speculation, we can announce to the ROH faithful exactly who has accepted the challenge to face Kendrick in his homecoming bout. His opponent will be a man that Brian faced only once in his previous ROH tenure, and, in fact, it was his last match at ?Dragon Gate Invasion? and as part of a tag team match to be precise. Kendrick’s opponent will be none other than the ?Messiah of the Backbreaker? – Roderick Strong!
?It’s a great chance to welcome Brian back,? said Roderick. ?Everyone’s excited to have him back in ROH but it’s a different place than the one he left. Brian Kendrick is going to have to prove he can still hang. All the respect in the world goes to Brian, but I?m not going to be the guy he beats to proves himself. I wasn?t shocked to hear that he?d challenged me, but he’s got to know I?m a far different Roderick Strong in 2010. I?m playing second fiddle no more.?
Another factor that could heavily come into play in this bout is Roderick’s ?Pick 6? standing. As of this writing, Strong is sitting in the sixth spot with a match against Delirious scheduled for Los Angeles on January 29th, and even if Roderick makes it past the masked man, there are still plenty of possibilities that could cause him to lose that rank. Should Strong still find himself in the ?Pick 6? come February 13th, Kendrick could get himself into title contention with just one victory.
It’s Roderick Strong vs. Brian Kendrick on 2/13/10 in NYC. Come celebrate ROH’s 8th birthday by welcoming back one of our originals! Get your tickets at ROHWrestling.com now.
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