Ring Of Honor TV – September 1, 2021: They’re Doing It Again (Bad Version)
Ring of Honor
Date: September 1, 2021
Location: UMBC Event Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Lenny Leonard
The rather long road to Death Before Dishonor continues and that means we are going to be seeing more of the Women’s Title tournament. The level of interest took a bit of a hit last week as Quinn McKay was eliminated, so I’m not sure what to expect going forward. We have some more things to cover on the way though and maybe that can pick up some of the slack. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
Opening sequence.
Ian Riccaboni welcomes us to the show and runs down the card, featuring the other two quarterfinals matches.
Angelina Love talks about how great she is and how she deserved her first round bye. Why shouldn’t she be the Women’s Champion?
Women’s Title Tournament Quarterfinals: Angelina Love vs. Max The Impaler
Amy Rose is in Max’s corner. Before the match, Rose warns Angelina that this is going to hurt. Love goes after Max and gets scared by the glare she sees looking back at her. They head outside with Love being sent into the barricade as we take a break. Back with Love mostly destroyed on the floor but Max chops the post by mistake.
Love gets back in and hits a running elbow so Max just looks at her. A torture rack has Max in more trouble and a toss sends her throat first across the top. Love bails to the floor again and gets posted, setting up a choke over the ropes. Max doesn’t let go though and that’s a DQ at 5:53. Rose doesn’t seem to mind.
Rating: D+. This tournament continues to be weird and not in the best way. This was a complete squash with Love getting destroyed until Max went too far in the end. I’m assuming someone beats Love in the finals and then gets wrecked by Max later, but this hasn’t exactly been the most thrilling stuff so far.
Love is dropped on her arm and the shoulder seems banged up.
Women’s Title Tournament Quarterfinals: Allysin Kay vs. Trish Adora
Both of them say they’ll win. They go with the aggressive grappling to start with Adora taking her down into a headscissors. That’s reversed into a front facelock but Adora spins up, only to get caught in a wristlock. Kay tries an armbar on the mat and we take a break. Back with Kay kicking at the leg to put Adora in more trouble and dumping her over the top. They head back in and Kay kicks her into the corner, setting up the chinlock.
That’s broken up in a hurry and Adora hits a running crossbody, setting up a backbreaker for two. A DDT gives Adora the same and it’s time to go after Kay’s arm. Kay tries a Kimura but switches into a rear naked choke to keep Adora in trouble. The rope is grabbed so Kay kicks her in the head for two. Neither can hit their lariat so Kay elbows her in the head over and over. Back up and another lariat misses, allowing Adora to hit Lariat Tubman for the pin at 13:50.
Rating: C+. Technically solid and the ending sequence got better, but I’m still having issues caring about most of the women in the tournament. Adora has a unique look and charisma, but it’s not like most of the field has any kind of character. They have showed up, cut some very short promos, and are most of the way towards a title. That has been the problem with the women’s division around here for years and it is the case all over again.
Here are the updated brackets:
Rok-C
Angelina Love
Trish Adora
Miranda Alize
Death Before Dishonor rundown.
TV Title: Dragon Lee vs. Eli Isom
Isom is challenging and talks about how he promised his father that he would win the TV Title. Lee knows Isom is good but he isn’t taking the title. Dalton Castle is on commentary but stops to answer a phone call. They fight over a lockup to start and Lee rolls away, setting up the Tranquilo pose. We take a break and come back with Isom grabbing a headlock but getting caught in a quick hurricanrana to the floor.
Back in and Lee slams him down to set up a chinlock, followed by a half crab with a boot on Isom’s neck. That doesn’t last long and Isom is right back with a quick armdrag to the floor. Isom nails his own big dive and a high crossbody gets two back inside. They slug it out and get a little more heated until Lee scores with a dropkick. A slingshot dropkick in the corner rocks Isom again and we take a break. Back with Isom winning a slugout this time but getting caught with a poisonrana.
A snap German suplex doesn’t do much to Isom so they hit each other again for a double knockdown. Back up and Isom snaps off a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for two more. The Promise is broken up and Lee drapes him over the top, setting up a top rope knee to the back. Lee hits another knee to the back of the head for two (Castle: “THE DRAMA!”). Isom is right back up with the Promise for a VERY near fall but Lee knees him in the face again. There’s another knee to the face, followed by another knee to the face to retain Lee’s title at 12:25.
Rating: B. Isom is an underrated gem these days and he can do no wrong at this point. Throw in Lee as one of the better performers in all of Ring of Honor today and you have the makings for an awesome match. That Promise was one of the hottest near falls you could have asked for and it was an awesome match as a result for a heck of a TV main event.
Lee offers some rare respect to end the show.
Overall Rating: C+. This tournament continues to hit some bumps, mainly due to the lack of top stars involved. The women’s division has been a major problem for a long time and they seem to be doing the same thing all over again. Now granted the main event bailed out the rest of the show (as much as it needed to be bailed out that is) and it was another perfectly watchable week of wrestling.
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