Cody Rhodes-Matt Taven First Blood Match Announced for ROH Masters of the Craft

It's been announced that former Ring of Honor Wrestling World Champion "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes of The Bullet Club will be taking on The Kingdom's Matt Taven in a First Blood Match at Masters of the Craft on Sunday, April 15th.

The following comes from ROHWrestling.com:

While Cody’s world, and seemingly Bullet Club, is rapidly changing around him, The Kingdom’s Matt Taven has seen an opportunity to take it to the former World Champion! The two have been engaged in a feud that has seen them battle in singles, tag, and six-man tag team action across the country, all stemming from Taven interrupting Cody addressing the Philadelphia crowd the night after losing the ROH World Championship.

The two have been breathing down each other’s necks for the greater part of 2018 and it has gotten personal. The Ring of Honor was stolen from Cody and then regained, low blows were thrown aplenty, and the Kingdom has used their numbers advantage to rough up the former World Champion several times, almost knowing that Bullet Club would not be there to assist due to their internal friction!

The feud has reached its boiling point and, with bad blood boiling, the two will meet in a conflict-ending clash, a First Blood Match, in Columbus!

FIRST BLOOD MATCH

“THE AMERICAN NIGHTMARE” CODY vs. MATT TAVEN W/TK O’RYAN & VINNY MARSEGLIA

Just one week after facing “The Cleaner” Kenny Omega in front of a record-breaking crowd in New Orleans as the Bullet Club fractures, “The American Nightmare” Cody must turn around and face a man who has attempted to not only beat but humiliate Cody, Matt Taven!

Taven cries of a Kingdom Conspiracy and stands just one championship short of holding every active championship in Ring of Honor. But the championship he is missing is the Ring of Honor World Championship and Taven, one of the most decorated stars in ROH, has had few opportunities to capture it. In Cody, Taven sees a former world champion but also part of the Bullet Club machine he believes is holding him down and a win would serve both masters of entering Taven right into the championship hunt while scoring a blow against Bullet Club when it is at its weakest.

For Cody, Taven may be a surprising return to normalcy. A match against a world-class competitor like Taven, who returns from another successful tour of CMLL, could be a welcomed break from the time, energy, and emotionally consuming internal struggles of Bullet Club.

These two stars have met one-on-one but their clashes have been decided with low-blows and actions behind the referees’ backs. In Columbus, they must decide it in the ring in one of the most brutal matches imaginable: a First Blood Match where the winner is crowned when he makes his opponent bleed! Who will land a decisive blow in this feud in this First Blood Match? Join us in Columbus to find out!

There is nothing like the fast-paced, in-your-face action of Ring of Honor LIVE! ROH returns to ExpressLive! for an event to be broadcast LIVE for HonorClub and tickets are moving fast! With previous ROH events in Columbus selling out and ROH tickets hotter than ever, don’t get locked out and get your tickets NOW!

If you can’t be there live, join us as Masters of the Craft will be streamed LIVE for HonorClub!

ROH MASTERS OF THE CRAFT
STREAMING LIVE FOR HONORCLUB
SUNDAY, APRIL 15TH
BELL TIME @ 07:00 PM EDT
EXPRESS LIVE!
405 NEIL AVENUE
COLUMBUS, OH 43215

ALREADY SIGNED:

MAIN EVENT

DEFY OR DENY
CURRENT ROH WORLD CHAMPION DALTON CASTLE vs. “THE VILLAIN” MARTY SCURLL vs. PUNISHMENT MARTINEZ vs. BEER CITY BRUISER

FIRST BLOOD
“THE AMERICAN NIGHTMARE” CODY vs. MATT TAVEN

SIGNED TO APPEAR:

CURRENT ROH WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS THE BRISCOES (JAY & MARK)
CURRENT ROH WORLD TELEVISION CHAMPION KENNY KING
CURRENT ROH WORLD SIX-MAN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS SOCAL UNCENSORED (CHRISTOPHER DANIELS, FRANKIE KAZARIAN, & SCORPIO SKY)
JAY LETHAL
THE YOUNG BUCKS (MATT & NICK JACKSON)
COAST 2 COAST (SHAHEEM ALI & LSG)
THE DAWGS (RHETT TITUS & WILL FERRARA)
ADAM PAGE
JONATHAN GRESHAM
FLIP GORDON
CHEESEBURGER
SHANE TAYLOR
BULLY RAY

WOMEN OF HONOR

TENILLE DASHWOOD
MADISON RAYNE
MANDY LEON
DEONNA PURRAZZO