By Kevin Eck

Here’s the latest ROH news and notes:

Ever since Jay Lethal lost the ROH World Title to Matt Taven in the Triple Threat Ladder Match at G1 Supercard last month, fans have wondered when he would enact his rematch clause.

We now know the answer. Lethal will face Taven (or whoever is the champion) at Manhattan Mayhem on July 20 at the Manhattan Center’s Hammerstein Ballroom, which is just minutes away from Madison Square Garden, where Lethal lost the championship.

Lethal, who holds the record for most combined days as ROH World Champion, is looking to join Adam Cole as the only men to win the title three times.

Before turning his attention to regaining the championship, however, Lethal has a match against Kenny King when ROH makes its Pacific Northwest debut at State of the Art in Kent, Was., on June 1. …

Speaking of King, he claimed he was undergoing surgery this week to restore his sight, which he supposedly lost as a result of being sprayed by The Great Muta’s mist at G1 Supercard, but ROH officials have received no further word from King on the matter.

Needless to say, officials are highly skeptical about King’s alleged vision impairment, which is why they moved forward with booking the match between him and Lethal. On a side note, a reliable source told me they walked in on the “blind” King checking out his hair in a mirror backstage in Grand Rapids, Mich. …

As seen on this past weekend’s episode of “Ring of Honor Wrestling,” Bandido pinned Shane Taylor in a match taped prior to Taylor winning the ROH World Television Title in a Four Corner Survival Match at War of the Worlds in Toronto on May 9. As a result, Bandido will challenge for the ROH World Television Title against Taylor (or whoever is the champion) at the Best in the World pay-per-view on June 28 in Baltimore. …

Speaking of Taylor, the new ROH World Television Champion will soon speak publicly for the first time since winning the title. He has never been at a loss for words, but now that he is a champion, he may never stop talking. ...

The Guerrillas of Destiny may have scored a tainted victory over the Briscoes to retain the ROH World Tag Team Titles at War of the Worlds in Chicago on May 12, but the issue between the two highly decorated teams isn’t over. Expect the Briscoes to speak on the matter in the very near future. …

The Soldiers of Savagery (Moses Maddox and Jasper Kaun) made their shocking debut on “Ring of Honor Wrestling” on this past weekend’s episode by attacking LifeBlood’s Bandido, Mark Haskins and Tracy Williams and laying them out. Bully Ray and Taylor were both out there when the attack took place, and they appeared to be as shocked as anyone.

I have it on good authority that SOS was indeed acting alone. Maddox and Kaun have been training at the ROH Dojo for months and it was considered just a matter of time before they got the call to join the main roster. Apparently they were tired of waiting, so they decided to take matters into their own hands.

I’m very familiar with these two men, who dominated the tag team division in MCW Pro Wrestling in Maryland. Despite their youth and inexperience, SOS will be a force to be reckoned with in ROH. Maddox and Kaun are talented, hungry and willing to succeed by any means necessary. …

Flip Gordon has yet make a decision as to whether he will join LifeBlood. Haskins and Williams extended the offer to Gordon after his victory over LifeBlood member Bandido at War of the Worlds in Buffalo on May 8 and told him to take some time to think it over. Gordon has said that he has a great deal of respect for everyone in LifeBlood. …

Gordon, Haskins and PCO will join ROH World Champion Taven in a Defy or Deny match at State of the Art in Portland, Ore., on June 2. In this elimination match, if the ROH World Champion wins, whoever is eliminated last cannot challenge for the world title as long as he remains champion. (Note: If Taven loses the title to Williams the night before in Kent, Was., Williams will replace him in this match). Should one of the three challengers win, they will receive a future ROH World Title shot. …

Also signed for Portland is a tag team gauntlet match for a future shot at the ROH World Tag Team Titles. I’ve been told that in addition to the tag teams on the ROH roster, the match will also include a wild-card team that has been put together by ROH officials. …

Two big first-time-ever singles matches have been signed for Kent: PCO versus Jay Briscoe, and Haskins versus the undefeated Jeff Cobb. …

All the women who attended the recent ROH recruitment combine impressed ROH officials and will receive future opportunities with Women of Honor. ...

Caprice Coleman has been getting rave reviews for his work as a color commentator on broadcasts of Best of the Super Juniors on New Japan Pro-Wrestling World. …

Congratulations to Quinn McKay on making her debut as ROH’s new backstage correspondent. The bow-tie-wearing newcomer brings an infectious enthusiasm to her interviews.

Kevin Eck is a veteran pro wrestling journalist who has worked for The Baltimore Sun, WWE and WCW before joining ROHWrestling.com.