Nick Wayne Out of ROH Final Battle Title Defense

Ring of Honor World Television Champion Nick Wayne will not defend his title at the promotion's Final Battle event on December 5 in Columbus, Ohio, due to a lingering foot injury that has delayed his return longer than anticipated. Ring of Honor owner Tony Khan shared the update during a media call ahead of the pay-per-view, expressing disappointment but optimism about Wayne's recovery.

Wayne, a 20-year-old wrestler, suffered the broken foot in an in-ring incident in late July. His last match occurred on July 31, when he defended the title against Willie Mack on a Ring of Honor YouTube special. The injury sidelined him shortly after, with his final physical appearance on August 13 during an episode of AEW Dynamite, where Christian Cage struck a chair from his hand. Wayne announced the injury on the August 19 edition of Dynamite, forcing him to withdraw from a scheduled tag team match at Forbidden Door.

Khan explained that officials initially projected a full recovery by the time of Final Battle. "I'll be honest, the timeline on this particular injury changed, which is the nature of injuries," Khan said. "You can expect when somebody recovers, but when it's a bad injury, it can...