ROH Stages 9-Title-Match Death Before Dishonor Card in Philadelphia

Q: Can Lee Moriarty's historic 755-day championship reign survive the very man who shattered his first title run?

Yes—Moriarty’s reign can survive Shibata, but this is clearly the toughest threat to it. The case for Moriarty is strong. He enters Death Before Dishonor with a historic run of more than 755 days as ROH Pure Champion, the longest men’s Pure title reign in company history. Since beating Wheeler Yuta for the belt at Death Before Dishonor in July 2024, he has built credibility with wins over respected names including Blue Panther, Nigel McGuinness and AR Fox. Moriarty’s own argument is that this reign has proved he can adapt to any style, which matters greatly under Pure Rules, where discipline, rope-break management and technical control are decisive. But Shibata is not just another challenger. He is the man who ended Moriarty’s first Pure title reign in May 2023, and he also beat him again in singles competition on AEW Collision in April 2024. That head-to-head history gives Shibata a real psychological and stylistic edge. He also earned this shot by beating Yuta in a No. 1 contender’s Pure Rules match, showing he remains elite in exactly this format. So the answer is that Moriarty can retain, but only if he solves the one opponent who has repeatedly exposed him in this division. His championship run, experience as the defending champion, and recent résumé make survival plausible. Yet if any challenger is equipped to end this historic reign, it is Shibata, because he has already done it once and has beaten Moriarty more than once.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 21

Philadelphia’s 2300 Arena hosts ROH’s Death Before Dishonor on Friday, with the main card streaming on ROH TV at 8 p.m. ET and multiple championships on the line.
Nine featured bouts include Bandido defending the ROH world title against Nick Wayne, Athena facing Hazuki for the women’s world title, and Lee Moriarty putting his Pure title on the line against Katsuyori Shibata.
Shibata entered the card after beating Wheeler Yuta on Thursday, replacing Nigel McGuinness, who withdrew injured; Moriarty brings a reign of more than 755 days into that match.
The lineup also spans a women’s TV four-way, a four-team tag title match, a six-man title defense, Lio Rush vs. Action Andretti in a Fight Without Honor, and Deonna Purrazzo’s Pure Women’s title defense.
The event underscores ROH’s close overlap with AEW under owner Tony Khan, with several wrestlers familiar from AEW programming featured across one of ROH’s marquee annual shows.