Author: Lizzy Flanagan

SPOTLIGHT MATCH: Lee Moriarty vs Cheeseburger (“The Exhibition,” Labor of Love, 4/25/26) 
The longest-reigning Pure champion in Ring of Honor history makes another remarkable defense in the city that ROH once called home.

TEXT BY LIZZY FLANAGAN
PHOTOS BY KEVIN McELVANEY

SINCE WINNING THE ROH PURE championship from Wheeler YUTA at Death Before Dishonor 2024, Lee Moriarty has quietly amassed an undeniable reputation as one of the best competitors in the division’s history. He is the longest-reigning Pure champion of all-time, with nearly 700 days as champion under his belt at the time of this writing (Nigel McGuinness’ previous record of 351 days has been left in the dust). Despite this massive achievement, the quality of each of Lee’s defenses is even more impressive than the quantity. Indeed, the 15^th challenge to his crown—a technical masterclass with ROH veteran Cheeseburger—arguably stands among his finest showings to date.

Lee Moriarty has mastered the science of Pure wrestling. He is in a league of his own, and, in this author’s opinion, he knows it. Over the course of his reign, Moriarty’s inner perfectionist has surfaced. Challenges to his championship feel more like tests than genuine threats. The “TAIGASTYLE” practitioner is a true student of the game who heads into every defense intending to ace it. 

Unfortunately, there are some things that studying tape just can’t prepare you for. Moriarty, the pride of Western Pennsylvania, was heading into Philadelphia on a night when the city’s beloved Flyers were set to play their archrivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins. Heading into the 2026 playoffs, the Flyers had not reached the postseason since 2021. And, before their victory on Wednesday, April 22, they hadn’t won a playoff game at home in a decade. 

To say Philadelphia was excited about the Flyers’ recent run would be a gross understatement. There were brand-new orange flags adorning patios citywide. T-shirts and windbreakers had been pulled out of closets where they had been collecting dust. 

So, when Labor of Love ring announcer Brian “Box” Brown introduced Lee Moriarty as hailing from the Steel City, the champion (who is not a hockey fan) was ill-prepared for the onslaught of jeers and boos that rained down on him. I was able to speak briefly with Moriarty after the match, when I asked him if he knew about the ongoing NHL playoffs series. With a sudden look of recognition, he brought a hand up to his forehead. “Oh,” he said softly. “I thought I might get some reaction, but I was like, damn, I didn’t know it was like that!” 

Moriarty isn’t the first wrestler to face the wrath of Philadelphia, and lord knows he won’t be the last. The context of the NHL playoffs wasn’t the only thing working against him, either; his challenger was a true Philly fan favorite in Cheeseburger. When it comes to influence within the current local wrestling sphere, few men are held in such high regard as the “World Famous CB.” Cheeseburger is a Ring of Honor original, world-traveled veteran, and the respected head coach at the Worldwide Dojo. His extensive international grappling experience has made him adept at any in-ring style, and his connection with the local community has earned him a dedicated following. 

Moriarty may have been the loneliest man in the city that night. 

The bell rang, and the match got underway as one might expect. Lee, a champion in his prime, forced Cheeseburger to use his first rope break just three minutes into the bout after trapping the challenger in the Border City Stretch. He was obviously very pleased with himself, like a cat playing with its food. The tide changed rather quickly, though, as Cheeseburger managed to get Moriarty in a painful, rather humiliating-looking submission hold, with a foot on the champion’s back and both arms wrenched backward. Lee grimaced and bit the middle rope in order to escape. 

The A+ student could no longer pass this test with a perfect score, as he was down a rope break. Something visibly changed within Moriarty at this point. Cheeseburger offered the champion a hand to help him up, but Moriarty shoved him away, barking insults at his challenger. 

The incumbent found himself on his back foot. However, a cornered tiger is the most dangerous. Within another 60 seconds of wrestling, Moriarty forced Cheeseburger to use his second rope break with an inverted butterfly deathlock. A mounted rear-naked choke forced the third a few moments later.

With Cheeseburger out of rope breaks, the match took on a “sudden death” feel. It was then that “World Famous CB” kicked the action into a higher gear, catching the younger competitor with several roll-up attempts. The audience bit hard when Cheeseburger trapped Moriarty with a seatbelt pin, a maneuver popularized by another Philadelphia native, Wheeler YUTA. Alas, the champion escaped the maneuver just before referee Adam Gault counted three, and the bout continued. 

Moriarty was shaken, though. More than that, he seemed angry. A fan in the front row attempted to start a “this is awesome!” chant. Moriarty scowled at him. The champion and challenger exchanged quick, heated blows. At one point the champion, genius technician, resorted to pelting the challenger’s face with open-hand slaps. After a pair of elbows to Cheesburger’s face, the fan favorite went down to his knees. Commentary worried that the bout might end in a technical knockout. 

But the challenger rose to his feet. The pair exchanged a flurry of elbows, knees, and kicks before Moriarty took Cheeseburger to the ground and secured the Border City Stretch once again. Cheeseburger reached the bottom rope, but since he had exhausted all of his rope breaks, the ref couldn’t pull Moriarty off of him.

The champion, however, elected to let Cheeseburger out of the hold anyway. He had a much more brutal finish in mind: Moriarty secured Cheeseburger in the Camel Clutch, using the steel-cable ropes for additional leverage and pressure. His foe had no escape besides submission. It felt eerily similar to how Moriarty had conceded his single rope break in the match, with the victim’s face out of the ring and facing the crowd. Maybe he took that embarrassment personally … and wanted to get even as precisely as he could. 

Moriarty’s temper had subdued enough for a post-match handshake. He promptly left Cheeseburger in the ring, allowing the crowd a chance to shower the Philadelphia hero with adulation. Moriarty walked quietly through the curtain, title belt over his shoulder. 

Despite being a member of the vicious and cunning Shane Taylor Promotions, Lee Moriarty tends to be applauded by fans in most of his appearances. This night marked a rare exception.

When asked how it felt to get on the wrong side of Philadelphia’s notorious wrestling fans, the champion shrugged and smiled warmly. “I am whatever the fans make me,” he said. It’s a statement he proved on this evening, and one that speaks to Moriarty’s dynamism as a performer. But Lee Moriarty is so much more than what fans make him. He is the creation of his own expert artistry.