New Belt and New Heel

Last night in Philadelphia Adam Cole won the Ring of Honor world championship, the title vacated by Jay Briscoe in May. The night's semifinals pitted Adam against Tommaso Ciampa, then Michael Elgin (who had defeated Kevin Steen earlier) for the win and the title. After Jay presented Adam with the belt, Adam superkicked him in the back of the head in a surprising heel turn. Then he used the belt to strike the already defeated Michael, afterwards blowing him a kiss.

Earlier this year Adam surprised fans and insiders alike when he renewed his contract with ROH, instead of making the expected switch to WWE. (A good move, as I see it.) At the year's beginning, Adam listed his new year's resolutions for 2013 on this blog, including, "I would like to [...] become the ROH World Champion, a goal that is held by everyone in ROH."

ROH will use tonight's show in the City of Brotherly Love to make official its corporate support of the pro-gay NOH8 Campaign, with the NOH8 crew being on hand pre-show this afternoon from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. for an open photo shoot ($40 solo, $25 per person couples and groups--come camera-ready and dressed in white).