Claudio Castagnoli Defeats Chris Jericho to Win ROH World Title at 2022 Final Battle

Claudio Castagnoli defeated Chris Jericho at Final Battle on Saturday to become a two-time Ring of Honor world champion and avoid having to join the Jericho Appreciation Society.

Castagnoli got the win when Jericho tapped out while in the giant swing.

Claudio made his All Elite Wrestling debut at Forbidden Door in June by defeating Zack Sabre Jr. and aligning himself with Blackpool Combat Club. Before long, he set his sights on the ROH world title.

At Death Before Dishonor in July, Castagnoli beat Jonathan Gresham to become ROH world champion for the first time, but his reign did not last as long as expected or hoped.

Jericho challenged him for the title on the Grand Slam edition of Dynamite in September, and due in part to interference from the JAS, he added the ROH world title to his impressive career resume.

Upon becoming champion, Jericho set out to destroy ROH and its legacy by beating as many former ROH titleholders as he could.

As a result, he scored victories over Bandido, Dalton Castle, Colt Cabana, Tomohiro Ishii and even Claudio's Blackpool Combat Club stablemate, Bryan Danielson.

Due to the ongoing conflict between the JAS and Blackpool Combat Club, both Castagnoli and Danielson challenged Jericho to a title match for Full Gear, and the veteran accepted under the condition that JAS member Sammy Guevara be added to make it a four-way.

The 52-year-old triumphed again by stacking the deck in his favor, and the Blackpool Combat Club seemed to take a major hit at Full Gear when William Regal turned on Jon Moxley in favor of MJF in the main event.

Regardless of the BCC drama, Claudio was still fixated on the ROH title, and he challenged Jericho to another championship match on the Nov. 23 episode of Dynamite.

The Ocho was initially going to decline, but he agreed as long as his challenger would accept the terms of joining the Jericho Appreciation Society in the event of a loss.

The Swiss Cyborg agreed in a last-ditch effort to receive another title opportunity, and that decision paid dividends, as he ended Jericho's reign of terror over ROH.

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