Hey everyone.
I’ve been under the weather since Saturday and apparently I have pneumonia. I’ll be resting up for the next few days and while I’ll be trying to do the shows, I reserve the right to think that a long sleep from some rather strong cough medicine is a better option. I’ve also been known to say some downright bizarre things in reviews on this stuff before so please bear with me until the end of the week or so.
Thank you as always,
KB
World Championship Wrestling
Date: June 18, 1983
Location: WTBS Studios, Atlanta, Georgia
Commentators: Freddie Miller, Bob Roop
Well here’s your random one of the week as we have a random episode of the original WCW show. This would be from Georgia Championship Wrestling and it was one of the hottest wrestling shows around at the time. I have no idea what to expect here but Tommy Rich will likely be featured. Let’s get to it.
Opening sequence.
Gordon Solie isn’t here this week so Freddie Miller is our host/commentator.
Tommy Rich (with some very blonde hair) says Buzz Sawyer is always looking over his shoulder. He doesn’t care who Sawyer sends after him though because he isn’t leaving. We see a clip of Rich chasing Sawyer for a brawl backstage and Rich blames Larry Zbyszko for causing the whole thing. The brawl goes back into the arena with Rich getting the better of things to wrap it up.
Miller throws us to house show ads which of course we don’t see.
I think I have the names right at least and Wrestling has to beat them both. Wrestling knocks Young around to start and the knee lift sends him into the ropes for a count from the referee. Back in and a front facelock sets up a chinlock as this is one sided thus far. A young Rick Rood (Rude of course) is wandering around the ring as Wrestling hits his running knee lift for the pin at 4:36. Brown comes in to go after Wrestling but gets backdropped. Another knee lift gives Wrestling the pin at 5:34.
Rating: C. This was kind of a weird one as Wrestling beat the fire out of both of them and then it just kept going. That’s the kind of a match that could go on for just a few minutes and end about the same way. That being said, Wrestling was a huge star in this area so putting him out there for a long match makes sense.
Post match Larry Zbyszko (National Champion) tries to come in but get sknocked away rather quickly.
Buzz Sawyer insists that Larry Zbyszko isn’t scared of anyone. He also doesn’t like Tommy Rich trying to steal his spotlight. They’ve been fighting all around the world and they’ll do it again in Albany, Georgia on July 7 and Sawyer can’t wait. There is nothing left of Rich when Sawyer gets done with him.
Iron Sheik and Paul Ellering come in, with Ellering comparing Ronnie Garvin to a wet pig. He sees Garvin’s face everywhere from in the bathroom to when he’s eating his cuisine. The Iron Sheik will be ready for Ole Anderson too.
Brooks snapmares Smith down to start and grabs a chinlock, followed by a quick front facelock. Some elbows have Smith in more trouble as it is WEIRD to see Rude as a clapping good guy on the apron. Brooks rips at Smith’s jaws and drops him throat first onto the top rope. A suplex and legdrop finish Smith at 4:01 so Rood comes in, though Brooks has to stomp on Smith a few more times first.
Rood’s headlock doesn’t last long as Brooks grabs him again. Another headlock doesn’t work so Rood shoulders him down, with Larry Zbyszko grabbing Rood’s foot from the floor. Cue Mr. Wrestling II to stare at Zbyszko as the time expires at….6:32? If there was a break in there, they did an all time job of editing it out.
Rating: C. I’m not sure what was going on with the time there but Rood and Brooks felt like they were starting to go somewhere. If nothing else, Rood with short hair and regular trunks was quite the visual, but he definitely had a look. Brooks was a good midcard heel, especially in World Class, so it was nice to see him doing something else in a different place.
Tommy Rich is ready for Buzz Sawyer on July 7 in Albany, Georgia. Rich thought this was over with him but now it’s a No DQ match.
Rick Rood is ready for Killer Tim Brooks in Albany. The fact that he talks to “Mr. Miller” about “Mr. Brooks” and how much he’s looking forward to meeting all of the fans as one of the politest men you could imagine is BIZARRE.
Garvin is known as the One Man Gang and grabs a headlock to grind away early on. Rossi reverses into a wristlock and gets taken down for a splash as Garvin doesn’t seem overly worried here. A neck crank has Rossi in more trouble and Garvin works on the arm. Back up and Rossi grabs a headlock, with commentary not believing that it’s really hurting. Garvin gets up to chop away as the aggression begins. A suplex and elbow drop have Rossi in more trouble as Garvin seems to be enjoying the beating. Garvin stomps on the ribs and drops some knees for the pin at 5:00.
Rating: C. Garvin has grown on me a bit over the years as he’s good in the role of a tough guy who is going to give you a hard fight. That’s more than you can get from some people and it’s nice to see him getting to just beat the fire out of someone. The match was an extended squash but Garvin felt like a star.
Remember how Tommy Rich is ready to face Buzz Sawyer in a No DQ match on July 7 in Albany, Georgia? Still the case.
Killer Tim Brooks didn’t get enough time to face Rick Rood this week and doesn’t see why Rood’s arm wrestling career matters. They’ll be using their legs here and Brooks might even headbutt him! Roode better do some curls and get those arms ready.
Paul Ellering, with Arn Anderson, thinks Ole Anderson is useless.
Sheik is defending and gets in a clothesline to start, followed by some early choking. A backdrop puts Barber down again and the gutwrench suplex gets one, with Sheik pulling him up. Sheik’s belly to back suplex retains the title at 2:09. Sheik looked like a killer out here and he would be WWF World Champion by the end of the year.
Paul Ellering, with Arn Anderson, is at the announcers’ desk to yell at Ole Anderson. Ellering insists that Arn is going to change his name to Arn Ellering, which has Ole concerned. For now though, Ellering thinks Ole should be concerned with the Road Warriors, so let’s go to a taped match.
The Warriors, who look like male strippers with a biker theme, aren’t defending their National Tag Team Titles. Hawk drives Barber into the corner to start and it’s off to Animal for the big forearm to the chest. Animal sends Barber flying and drops Young, setting up Hawk’s slingshot splash for the pin at 2:02. To say the Warriors were green here would be an understatement, but you don’t find a team who looked like that with that kind of power very often. Tweak them enough and let them become the monsters they were destined to be.
Back in the arena, Ole comes up to Ellering and asks if his challenge is still good. They get in the ring and the brawl is on but here are the Roar Warriors to jump Ole from behind. The big beatdown is on with Stan Hansen and Tommy Rich running in for the save. All that and Hawk didn’t even lose his hat. Now that’s a star.
Buzz Sawyer has a surprise for Tommy Rich in Albany, Georgia.
Paul Ellering says his men are taking over.
Ronnie Garvin is ready to take Ellering out in Albany, Georgia. Garvin: “I found the Easter Bunny and I’m going to make an Easter Bunny out of you in Albany, Georgia.” That’s a rather unique threat.
Irwin is a newcomer and hammers away against the ropes to start. Jackson’s dropkick lets him grab a headlock but Irwin knocks him into the corner without much trouble. This lets Miller wish the director a happy birthday and run down some upcoming shows. Irwin’s knee drop gets two but Jackson sends him into the corner and manages to hammer away. Back up and a shoulder breaker gives Irwin two but Jackson gets in a nice flying headscissors. A big boot drops Jackson and the show ends (as it often did, as this was a weird setup where it was technically two shows put together) at 5:14 shown with no winner.
Rating: C. This was one of those weird things that you would see with older TV shows and it was something you would just get used to over time. Jackson was getting beaten up for the most part and that boot at the end looked good, but it wasn’t necessarily the end. That’s a bit of a surprise but Irwin definitely felt like a bigger star here.
Roll credits.
Opening sequence.
Freddie Miller welcomes us to the show (which will be a bit shorter due to a Braves game) and brings in Buzz Sawyer, who lists off all of the people who have tried and failed to get rid of him. Now it’s Dick Murdoch coming after him but Sawyer is going to take Murdoch out too.
They shake hands to start as Bob Roop joins commentary to talk about the Road Warriors taking Ole Anderson out in the first hour. Wayne armdrags him down a few times to start and then grabs a headlock takeover to grind away. A pretty terrible Figure Four makes Rose give up at 3:50.
Rating: D+. Not much to this one, as it was more just the two of them having a basic match. Neither of them really stood out and Rose’s Figure Four was rather awful to bring it further down. This was a miss for the show and while Rose has done well enough elsewhere, they didn’t get much out of this one.
Zbyszko’s National Title isn’t on the line and Killer Tim Brooks (Zbyszko’s paid enforcer) and Mr. Wrestling II are here too. They walk around a bit to start and Rood pops up off of a slam before grabbing one of his own. Rood takes him down in an armbar and they take turns powering each other into the corner. Both of them shove the referee and that’s a double DQ at 3:45.
Rating: C+. This was a case where you could see the potential, with Rood definitely showing a bit of fire. He was a totally green star at this point and it would take someone giving him a chance (it was coming) for him to break out. This was little more than a tease for something bigger, but putting Rood out there with the champion is a pretty nice endorsement.
Post match Mr. Wrestling II says he’ll do anything to get a rematch with Zbyszko for the title. Zbyszko stole the National Title from him and Wrestling II wants it back no matter what.
Strap match and basically a preview for Murdoch vs. Buzz Sawyer. Bob Roop is on commentary and doesn’t know why Young is in there. Young tries to run but gets pulled back in with quite the yank. Murdoch beats on him with the strap some more and there’s the suplex. The four buckles give Murdoch the win at 2:50. Total decimation.
Miller previews a card tomorrow night at the Omni, with Mr. Wrestling II getting a National Title shot if he can beat Killer Tim Brooks first. Otherwise, it’s just a non-title match with Larry Zbyszko. Cue Zbyszko who says he’s going to beat Wrestling II up for fun.
Buzz Sawyer yells about beating up Dick Murdoch in their strap match at the same Omni show.
Paul Ellering has found Ole Anderson’s watch and destroys it.
We look back at the Ole Anderson beatdown. Seriously how did Hawk not lose his hat?
Tommy Rich and Stan Hansen swear vengeance on the Road Warriors.
Dick Murdoch, with the strap, is ready for Buzz Sawyer because they’re both rather ugly and they’ll beat on each other. It turns out to be a Loser Leaves Town match and Murdoch isn’t planning on going anywhere (but he did).
Miller acknowledges that this show is shorter than usual as he wraps it up.
Overall Rating: C+. This was fascinating in a way, as it’s so far before modern wrestling took over (Hulk Hogan wouldn’t be WWF Champion for about seven months) and you could definitely see what could be seen as rough edges. The focus was definitely still on the house shows nd that makes perfect sense, but the important thing here is that I could get an idea of the main stories taking place. This was just a random, one off show and I got the idea of what was going on around here in short order. Nice job here, though it’s really just more about previewing the house shows than anything here (as was the case back in the day).
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Forgotten Cell Matches
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Pat McAfee, Jimmy Smith, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves
This is another idea where the name says it all, which makes for an interesting situation. In this case we have the most violent match WWE has to offer but you never know which version of things you’ll be getting. I’m curious about this set as there have been so many of these things over the years that it is easy to forget some of them. Let’s get to it.
From Monday Night Raw, June 15, 1998.
Paul Bearer is here with the villains and wants Austin and Undertaker out here right now. Mankind even goes into a rhyming poem about the violence of the Cell (with the mesh ripping up your flesh) to help get them come to the ring. Austin comes out but Undertaker doesn’t show up, which seems like a ruse. Mankind goes after Austin on the floor but gets the door slammed onto him.
Kane goes after Austin and Bearer locks himself in the Cell (uh oh) as Kane gets an ugly backdrop on the ramp. And indeed the Undertaker pops up through the ring and kicks Bearer in the face as the beating is on. Kane climbs the Cell as Austin comes back to beat up Mankind.
Bearer gets sent into the cage and is busted open, with Undertaker kicking at the head as Mankind is sent into the Cell wall. Austin knocks Mankind down with a chair and goes up top to beat up Kane as the show ends. If there was an opening bell, I never heard it, but this was just a big angle anyway, with Austin never even getting inside the Cell.
From Monday Night Raw, August 24, 1998.
Mankind starts throwing chairs at the roof of the Cell but they fall back onto him. Instead he climbs up but gets pulled down by Undertaker (at ringside), sending him through the table (JR: “IT HAPPENED AGAIN!”). Kane beats Mankind around ringside and slams the Cell door on his head as they both finally get inside. The door is locked and we’ll say the match officially starts.
Kane beats on him with the steps before hitting a big dive over the top for the crash. Mankind avoids the steps being tossed and chairs Kane in the head before pouring out the bag of tacks. That takes too long (of course) and Kane kicks him into the tacks, only for Mankind to come back with the Mandible Claw. The Cactus piledriver puts Kane down but he’s back up with a nasty chair shot to knock him off the top.
The chokeslam and Tombstone knock Mankind silly and Undertaker gives Kane the throat slit. Three straight chair shots to the head set up another Tombstone onto the chair but Austin comes out from under the ring to jump Kane for the….I’m thinking DQ but we’ll say no contest at 4:28.
Rating: D. Yeah that’s what Russo thought the Cell should be: nothing more than a way to build up a PPV match between Undertaker and Austin was to have the Tag Team Champions (yes Kane and Mankind were a team here) fight in the Cell. The match wasn’t even the main event of the show, as there were two more matches to go, plus part of the Brawl For All. I would say I get the idea, but I really don’t, as it’s that stupid in so many ways.
Post match Austin unloads on Kane with the chair and a Stunner as Undertaker is on top of the Cell trying to get inside. The Cell is raised (with Undertaker still on it) and Austin gives Kane another Stunner.
From Monday Night Raw, September 26, 2011 (post show dark match).
Cena is defending and this is a match thrown together after a big beatdown of Cena and Punk ended the show. Ziggler (short hair version) and Swagger choke Punk in the corner as Del Rio beats on Cena in another corner. Swagger and Del Rio change places but Cena fights back and gets in a bulldog. Del Rio cuts Cena off again and Cena hits a Vader Bomb for two with Punk making the save (this is basically a five way match in name only as it’s basically a handicap tag).
Cena is back up with the finishing sequence to Del Rio as everyone else fights on the floor. As usual the AA doesn’t work so Punk gives Del Rio a GTS. That earns him a Zig Zag before Swagger ankle locks Ziggler. An AA to Swagger retains at 5:09. Punk’s “oh well” look as his eyes go back and forth boosts things up a lot.
Rating: C. To be fair, it’s a dark match so you can only get so mad at something like this. The point here wasn’t to blow the roof off the place or anything close, but rather just have a fun match to wrap up the night. That’s all they did and it went fairly well, though it really did just feel like a tag match for the most part.
From the June 18, 2021 Smackdown.
Reigns (who recently attacked Mysterio’s son Dominik) is defending and has to take a chair away from a swinging Mysterio to start. A fire extinguisher to the head (spray and canister) work a bit better for Mysterio, as does a running shot with a toolbox. We take a break and come back with Mysterio striking away with a chair.
Said chair is wrapped around Reigns’ throat and sent into various things and a quick Reigns spear only hits (and breaks) table. A sunset bomb is blocked though and Reigns sends Mysterio into the Cell over and over. We take another break and come back again with a spear being countered via a dropkick.
Another spear attempt only hits post and Mysterio gets in the 619. Now the chair shots can work a bit better and Mysterio splashes the chair onto Reigns in a less than brilliant move. A chairless frog splash can connect for two so Mysterio tries the seated senton, only to get LAUNCHED into the Cell with a toss powerbomb. The cravate choke makes Mysterio tap at 17:13.
Rating: B. Believe it or not, Mysterio knows how to fight a power guy in a match where he can use weapons to even things up. This is what Mysterio has done for so much of his career and it still worked here. While Mysterio winning was a long shot, he’s enough of a legend that it just kind of barely feels possible and that’s more than enough. Not a great match, but for free TV, I’ll definitely take it.
From the June 21, 2021 Monday Night Raw (yes, the second time in four days).
Lashley, with MVP (as canceled out by Kofi Kingston) is defending. Woods hits an early dropkick into the corner but Lashley is right back with some shoulders to the ribs. A clothesline takes Woods down again and a lifting Downward Spiral gives Lashley two. They go to the floor and fight over a chair, which Lashley punches into Woods’ face.
Back in and Woods knocks him to the floor again, with a dropkick through the ropes connecting. A chair shot knocks Lashley down on the floor and Woods gets to unload with chair shots. We take a break and come back with Lashley choking away before tying him up in the ring skirt. Woods’ comeback is cut off again and Lashley steps on his head.
Woods realizes that having his head stepped on isn’t great (sit down Tony Atlas) and kicks out the leg in a smart move. Some kendo stick shots put Lashley on the floor and a wheelbarrow faceplant gives Woods two. A springboard tornado DDT gets the same and an amazing Limit Breaker puts Lashley through a table (with Woods almost overshooting him) for two more. Back up and Lashley sends him face first into the chair in the corner, meaning the spear can connect as well. The Hurt Lock retains the title at 13:30.
Rating: C+. This is where the opponent comes into play. Woods is incredibly talented and it’s very cool to see him getting this kind of a shot. However, unlike the Mysterio match, it never once felt like the title was in jeopardy. Mysterio was a long shot, but he felt like he had a prayer. That wasn’t the case here and it gave the match a very different dynamic (and not necessarily in a bad way). Lashley was on a roll at this point though and it was clear why he was smashing through so many people.
Overall Rating: C+. This was a weird collection as “Forgotten” is kind of a misleading title (if nothing else, it’s hard to forget a match that didn’t air in the first place). It’s more like “Cell Matches At TV Shows” and one of them didn’t seem to even be a match in the first place.
There’s a reason the Cell isn’t used at TV very often, as it felt out of place here. Throw in doing it twice in four days (apparently due to the TV networks being jealous of each other (seriously) and it was kind of a weird time. That being said, it’s still fun to look back like this, as these went through multiple eras that you might have….forgotten. Ok they win.
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Why Dory Funk Jr. worked for so long and why he is one of the biggest names you don’t hear about enough.
AAA On FOX
Date: August 8, 2026
Location: Arena San Marcos, Aguascalientes, Mexico
Commentators: John Bradshaw Layfield, Rey Mysterio, Corey Graves
It’s the last night of Verano de Escandalo and that means it’s time to get ready for the build towards TripleMania. That could mean quite a few things, but we do have another title match with the Reina de Reinas Title being defended in a triple threat match. Dominik Mysterio is here too so let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
Del Toro and Fiscal tease an alliance but instead Clown helps Fiscal get rid of del Toro. Back in and a pop up powerbomb gives Fiscal two on del Toro but Clown sends Fiscal outside. The dive is broken up so del Toro hits a big dive of his own onto the two of them. They all get back inside with Clown hitting a heck of a clothesline to del Toro, who is right back up with a super hurricanrana to Fiscal.
Clown sunset flips Fiscal into the rope for no count so del Toro covers them both for two each. Back up and Clown Psycho Drivers del Toro onto the apron, followed by a Cactus Clothesline to Fiscal. Cue a masked monster in the crowd to take out Psycho Clown, punch some fans, and rip off part of his mask. That leaves Fiscal to toss del Toro off the top and hit a frog splash for the pin at 7:59.
Rating: B-. This was more about the monster (and likely Psycho Circus attacker) being revealed and taking out Psycho Clown. That’s something we’ve been waiting to see for a long time now and hopefully the future of the story winds up working. Fiscal winning is a good thing too as I’ve liked what I’ve seen from him in recent months.
Rey Mysterio announces a tournament for the right to face Roman Reigns for the Raw World Title on September 14 in Mexico on Monday Night Raw. Yeah that’s big.
AAA was at the Summerslam version of Axxess.
They start with an exchange of headscissor escapes and both miss stomps on the apron. Boy is back up with a springboard cutter to take over and kicks Cartwheel in the head. Cartwheel is right back up to strike it out before going up top. A super headscissors brings Cartwheel down, leaving Graves to say that they’re just making stuff up now. Cartwheel sends him outside for the big running flip dive, followed by a Red Arrow for the pin at 4:32.
Rating: B. Oh good grief this was exactly what it should have been, with the two of them flying around and getting to show everything they could do. It made for a heck of a showcase, with Cartwheel getting to look great in the process. Odd name aside, Boy did well here too and it made him look like a bigger star at the same time. Rather impressive stuff here.
Post match here is Karmen Petrovic to signal Los Perros del Mal for the beatdown on Cartwheel. Daga says he warned us of this and here is Damian 666 (an original member of the team) as the newest member. That’s a big addition and he seems happy to be here.
We get a sitdown interview with Dominik Mysterio, talking about how he wasn’t happy with El Grande Americano not trusting him. Everything changed with Americano won Rey de Reyes and Mysterio left AAA for a bit. Americano went on to become the Mexican national hero but Mysterio will beat him at TripleMania.
As for Dorian Roldan, Mysterio joined up with him after Rey Mysterio became GM, because they both know what it’s like to have fathers in powerful positions. Omos will be here with Mysterio next week, and here is Liv Morgan to leave with Mysterio (along with give a hard glare at interviewer Andrea). That wraps up a bit of a loose end, as well as helps get us focused on Mysterio vs. Americano, as it should be.
Flammer is defending and both of the other two have pinned her in recent months. Rey Mysterio has to leave commentary to “do some GM stuff”, which has JBL rather annoyed. Flammer gets knocked outside to start fast and Shani takes her down again with a dive. Catalina dives onto both of them before hitting Flammer with a running dropkick back inside. Shani is back up to take the other two down but Flammer gets in a running dropkick to both challengers.
That’s broken up as Catalina is up with a double missile dropkick before Gory Bombing Flammer onto Shani for two more. Shani’s spinning sunset flip gets two on Flammer with Catalina making the save. Catalina splashes Shani for two and then spears Flammer on the floor, followed by a running knee to Shani back inside. That’s fine with Flammer, who sends Catalina outside and steals the retaining pin at 9:10.
Rating: C+. This was fine and felt like a house show triple threat, right down to the most basic three way finish imaginable. The women’s division continues to feel like something that doesn’t really matter all that much in AAA and this didn’t do much to change the feeling. The match was completely fine, but nothing that felt like a big deal in any way.
Overall Rating: B-. This is one of those things you have to get used to, as AAA doesn’t exactly go all out for its final nights of a big event. Instead, these things tend to be front loaded and that’s a rather different way to go. The Cartwheel vs. Boy match was a blast and Clown being attacked definitely felt big, but the show itself, as usual, could have been any regular week. That’s just kind of how it works around here though so it’s hard to get that mad.
Results
El Fiscal b. Psycho Clown and Cruz del Toro – Frog splash to del Toro
Jack Cartwheel b. Noisy Boy – Red Arrow
Flammer b. La Catalina and Lady Shani – Running knee to Shani
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Collision
Date: August 8, 2026
Location: Broadmoor World Arena, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness, Paul Wight
It’s another show closer to All In but this time we have something big to get going. This week’s features the debut of the Continental Cup, which is of course different than the Continental Classic. The deal this time is that it is a completely random draw each round, meaning there are no brackets. Let’s get to it.
Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.
Dynamite recap.
Castagnoli wastes no time in wrestling him down and stomping away, followed by another slam. Austin is right back up with the squatting Death Valley Drier but a slingshot dive is pulled out of the air. Castagnoli sends him into the barricade but Austin gets in his handstand on the apron. A kick to the face knocks Castagnoli down and we take a rather abrupt break (with Schiavone’s preview for the night being cut off).
We come back with Castagnoli working on the arm and pulling him down into the chinlock. Austin gets up for a dropkick and legdrop, setting up a hurricanrana out of the corner. Now the dive to the floor can connect and a spinning top rope Fameasser gets two back inside. Castagnoli has had enough of this though and uppercuts him out of the air, meaning it’s time for the Swing.
That’s reversed into a headscissors choke but Castagnoli muscles him up into a wheelbarrow slam (Wight: “There are ways of doing things and then there’s just showing off.”). Back up and Austin catches him with a spinning kick to the head, only to walk into Swiss Death for the pin at 12:07.
Rating: B-. This was a nice start to the tournament with Austin getting to give Castagnoli a bit of a sweat. Castagnoli finally catching Austin with the power worked, but it was nice to see that Austin got a chance to show what he can do, which is not done often enough. I do kind of like the idea of not knowing what is next for Castagnoli, as it does offer some intrigue. It’s different than the Continental Classic and that’s at least a step up.
We look at Will Ospreay beating Mark Davis in a street fight on Dynamite.
We look at the Motor City Machine Guns debuting last week.
The Birds jump them to start and Vertvixen is taken into the wrong corner. A Thesz press drops Vertvixen again and a boot to the face gives Hayter two. Van comes in with a springboard clothesline but Hayter hits a double clothesline of her own. Windsor comes back in to clean house and it’s a headbutt into Two Birds One Stone to pin Vertvixen at 3:09.
Rating: C. Just a basic squash here to get the Birds some momentum on their way to the Women’s Tag Team Title match at All In. It’s hard to imagine that the Birds don’t leave London with the titles so building them up is a good idea. The other two got in just a bit of offense, with that springboard clothesline looking rather nice.
Post match Lena Kross and Megan Bayne run in from behind to lay the Birds out. Windsor seems to be rather banged up.
We look as Darby Allin’s team beating Kevin Knight’s team on Dynamite. Now Allin wants a TNT Title shot at All In, falls count anywhere.
We get some respect shown to start before going to the basic grappling. Sydal trips him down but takes too long trying the standing moonsault, allowing Cassidy to roll him up for two. Cassidy is knocked down again and now the standing moonsault gives Sydal two of his own. Back up and Cassidy catches him on top but they knock each other to the floor as we take a break.
We come back with Sydal snapping off a hurricanrana and kicking Cassidy in the chest. A top rope Meteora gives Sydal two but Cassidy is right back with the Stundog Millionaire. They take turns countering front facelocks until Cassidy gets two off a Michinoku Driver. Sydal’s kicks annoy Cassidy, who sends him outside for a suicide dive. Well more of a shove than anything else but close enough. Back in and Sydal catches him with a jumping knee but misses the shooting star press. That’s enough for Cassidy to grab the Beach Break for the pin at 11:34.
Rating: B-. It’s another nice match, though also another without much in the way of drama over the result. Sydal is a veteran with some success in his career but there wasn’t much of a reasons to believe that he was going to win here. Cassidy is almost always a dark horse candidate to win just about anything and it would be nice to him making a run in this thing.
Jon Moxley congratulates Claudio Castagnoli on his win and respects Jack Perry, but tonight Perry is on the wrong team.
That’s as close as I can get on the name of Solo’s partner. Solo gets double teamed down to start and a superkick into a middle rope Meteora hits Fuerte. The Hot Fire Flame gives Xavier the pin at 1:32. That works.
Post match the Rascalz brag about their success and Myron Reed wants his match right now.
They both catch kicks from the other to start but can’t agree on who should put the other’s leg down. Bailey is back up with the bouncing kicks but Reed is right back with a leg lariat. Reed tries to run but gets caught with the Asai moonsault to the floor as we take a break. We come back with the two of them on the apron for another exchange of kicks. Bailey blocks the diving cutter to the floor and gets in a springboard corkscrew moonsault.
That leaves Bailey favoring his knee and like the genius that he is, he comes off the top rope and bangs it up even worse. Bailey catches him up top with a kick to the head and a super Frankensteiner brings Reed back down. The Tornado Kick misses though and Reed snaps off a cutter. Bailey’s Ultimate Weapon dives into another cutter and there’s the big running flip dive to take Bailey out again. Back in and Reed misses a 450, allowing Bailey to hit a flipping powerslam (basically a Spanish Fly but landing on Reed) for the pin at 9:45.
Rating: B-. Normally I would roll my eyes at someone popping up from a knee injury to do a spinning kick and a shooting star knee drop but that’s just what Bailey does. The lack of selling is downright hilarious at times as it’s basically Bailey making it as ridiculous as possible. You learn to live with it, even in a pretty nice match like this one.
The Dogs brag about their recent success and David Finlay is ready to finish off Jay White on Dynamite.
Hyan northern lights suplexes Shida to start fast and it’s off to World, who gets caught with some early double teaming. That’s broken up and World kicks Persephone down for two. A suicide dive is knocked away though and World is in trouble as we take a break. We come back with Hyan fighting out of a chinlock so World can come in to clean house. Everything breaks down and a Falcon Arrow gives Shida two on Hyan. An assisted Downward Spiral gets two on Shida, with Persephone having to make a save. Hyan spears Shida for two more but Shida is right back with something close to a Tombstone for the pin at 9:47.
Rating: C+. In theory we’re going to be seeing Shida getting a rematch for the TBS Title, which is fine if it’s a one off loss so World can move on to someone else. Hyan is far from bad but it’s not great to see her being lapped by World. That probably doesn’t bode well for her future, but at least she’s getting some regular time as World’s partner.
Kevin Knight isn’t sure about facing Darby Allin at All In but he wants to face Chris Jericho, for the title, on Dynamite.
Moxley and Austin fight out of a wristlock to start and it’s already off to Perry. Naturally Moxley immediately tags out to Yuta, who gets monkey flipped into a dropkick to put him in trouble too. The Gang takes over on Yuta’s arm and everything breaks down, with the Riders bailing outside as we take a break.
We come back with Robinson in trouble and getting stomped down. The Riders are right there to chase the rest of the Gang off the apron to prevent a tag attempt but Robinson dives over for the tag to Perry anyway. Perry slugs away on Moxley and everything breaks down, as expected. Colten gets taken into the wrong corner for the running clotheslines, setting up the parade of secondary finishers. Cue the Dogs to crotch Austin against the post, allowing Yuta to hit Colten low. A running knee pins Colten at 13:10.
Rating: C+. I’ve tried to get into the Dogs vs. the Gang and I just cannot make it happen. Maybe it’s due to so much of it starting back in New Japan, but there is something lacking in the whole feud. Hopefully it either gets better or wraps up sooner than later because the Gang needs something better rather quickly. Other than that, it was a preview for Moxley vs. Perry, which worked out well enough.
Post match Perry lays Yuta out.
Mike Bailey wants MJF but Nick Wayne interrupts. Wayne is ready to win the ROH World Title but for now, he’ll settle for a chance to get the #2 spot in the Casino Gauntlet Match at All In.
We get a tribute to Dory Funk Jr., which is a rather nice thing to see.
The Hurt Syndicate meets Shane Taylor Promotions, with the latter hiring the former to do something.
Dynamite preview.
Jack Perry, with the Bang Bang Gang, is ready for Jon Moxley on Dynamite. The Gang wants Jay White to take out David Finlay on his own in the Continental Challenge Cup. I’m not sure why Robinson needed to yell so much to get that point across.
Doyle shoulders him down to start and Kingston realizes he’s got some trouble here. The chops in the corner have Doyle staggered but he sends Kingston tumbling out to the floor. Some headbutts to Doyle seem to hurt Kingston instead and Doyle rakes the eyes back inside.
Kingston gets in a chop that has Paul Wight impressed on commentary, which only earns him a running powerslam as we take a break. We come back with Kingston’s middle rope shoulder connecting and allowing him to take the straps down. Kingston’s Saito suplex gets two, as does Doyle’s sitout powerbomb. A pair of spinning backfists knock Doyle silly though and the Stretch Plumb finishes him off at 11:59.
Rating: C+. Kingston almost had to win here just for the sake of being a former Continental Champion and since this is such a different kind of wrestling, it must make a difference. Doyle is fine as a midcard monster to be slayed and it worked out well enough here. Not a great match or anything, but something had to headline this show.
Overall Rating: B-. This show was mainly about the Continental stuff and….dang I cannot bring myself to get interested in another tournament so soon. It doesn’t help that the Continental Rules are basically just “no outside interference”, which really shouldn’t be some kind of a big feature. The rest of the show was fine, but this was based around one idea and it was only somewhat interesting.
Results
Claudio Castagnoli b. Ace Austin – Swiss Death
Brawling Birds b. Vertvixen/Viva Van – Two Birds One Stone to Vertvixen
Orange Cassidy b. Matt Sydal – Beach Break
Rascalz b. De Fuerte/Aaron Solo – Hot Fire Flame to Fuerte
Mike Bailey b. Myron Reed – Flipping powerslam
Maya World/Hyan b. Hikaru Shida/Persephone – Tombstone to Hyan
Death Riders b. Bang Bang Gang/Jack Perry – Running knee to Colten
Eddie Kingston b. Jake Doyle – Stretch Plumb
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Smackdown
Date: August 7, 2026
Location: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett
We’re done with Summerslam and CM Punk is still World Champion, having turned back the challenge of Cody Rhodes thanks to the help of a returning Randy Orton. While Punk might still have to deal with Rhodes, he also has a new #1 contender in the form of the returning Kevin Owens. That’s quite the surprise as Owens had been gone for about a year and a half but now he wants the title again. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
In Memory Of Dory Funk Jr.
Here is a ticked off Cody Rhodes who wants Randy Orton out here for a fight right now. With no Orton, Rhodes pays a quick tribute to Dory Funk Jr. and talks about winning the WWE Title right here in Philadelphia. He also brings up the loss to CM Punk, who comes out to join Rhodes. Punk asks if there is something Rhodes wants to ask him and Rhodes gets right to the point: did Punk know? Punk did not know and is willing to go help take care of Orton together.
Rhodes wants to do it himself and leaves Punk alone in peace. Punk stops him though, saying their unfinished business can be taken care of whenever he says when. As a pleased Rhodes leaves, here is Kevin Owens to join Punk. They waste no time in arguing but here is Nick Aldis to call it off. Owens and Punk say they’re both professionals and Punk thinks Owens is here in his gear.
That’s not true as Owens wrestles in shorts instead of pants, but yes he wants to wrestle. That’s all he’s wanted to do for seventeen months, with the fans saying he’s still got it. Owens: “I never lost it.” He’s been told that Punk is a changed man but Owens isn’t buying it. Rhodes can have his title match anytime but Owens is the #1 contender. That’s because Punk is arrogant enough to look past him, which doesn’t work for Punk.
The reality is that Punk is the best in the world and he acts like it. Were these people really standing around waiting for Owens? Punk thinks Owens should thank him for paving the way for him, as otherwise Owens would be working on the indies and calling Punk for tickets to the WWE shows. Owens says Punk must be lonely on that pedestal and calls him a piece of s***. Now the agents have to come in and hold them back. Yeah this worked, as Owens can hang with Punk on the mic and showed it here.
Charlotte has known Jade Cargill has something for years and tonight, Charlotte is giving her a beating.
Trick Williams is ready to beat up Baron Corbin and get his US Title back.
Corbin is defending and comes in on a motorcycle. They go right to the brawling with Williams knocking him outside early on. Williams knocks him over the announcers’ table and we take a break. We come back with Williams kicking his way out of trouble and the Trick Kick connects.
The Trick Shot is countered into the Deep Six though and Corbin gets a breather. They slug it out from their knees and Corbin is knocked outside, where Corbin grabs the belt. That just lets Williams grab a Rock Bottom for two, followed by the Trick Shot, but Corbin is in the ropes. Corbin is knocked outside again and with the referee shoved away, it’s a belt shot to retain the title at 8:26.
Rating: C+. I still like Corbin winning like this, as he’s not doing anything insane or complicated to win. He’s literally just hitting Williams in the head with a hard object to win the matches and that’s a good way to make him look like a villain. Williams will be fine in the end I’m sure, though I’m not sure if he’s going to go after Corbin again or do something else.
Sami Zayn congratulates Nick Aldis for getting his GM job back before yelling at Aldis for adding Gunther to the #1 contenders match. Aldis doesn’t seem bothered as here is Kevin Owens to interrupt. Owens wants his title shot in two weeks in Toronto, which works for the departing Aldis. That leaves Owens and Zayn to do their usual semi bickering and suggest that they’re fine with fighting each other for the title. Owens: “Six days. I’ve been back six days.”
Baron Corbin does not like his wins being called upsets. The reality is Trick Williams will never get the title back and no one can take the title from him. Carmelo Hayes jumps him and the title match is already set for next week.
We look at the ladder match from Summerslam, with Chelsea Green becoming the new Interim Women’s Champion.
Here is Green for her championship celebration. She thanks herself for the win, but also the blonde bombshell best friend, Tiffany Stratton. Cue Stratton, with Green saying she knows their friendship can handle what happened at Summerslam. Green offers a toast but here is Fatal Influence to interrupt. The brawl is teased and….let’s do it for the Women’s Tag Team Titles, with Jacy Jayne getting a Women’s US Title shot next week in return.
Fatal Influence is defending as Green starts with Henley. Green quickly brings in Stratton for the armdrags and some double knees to the back send the villains outside as we take an early break. We come back with Stratton Swantoning Reid for two, allowing Green to slam Reid off the top. Everything breaks down and Jayne’s Rolling Encore knocks Green silly Henley comes back in and the Fatal Flaw to Green retains the titles at 7:28.
Rating: C+. I’m not sure about how much sense the title stipulation made, but I’m really not sure about seeing the new champion, who won as a huge underdog, getting pinned less than a week after winning the title. That’s something you see every so often and it’s annoying to see it happen. Even with the interference, there isn’t much good about seeing Green take the pin here as she only has so much status at the moment.
Post match the Irresistible Forces come in to beat down Green and Stratton to pose with their titles.
Damian Priest doesn’t get why the MFTs are coming for them again when the MFTs have already been beaten. The War Raiders come in to say they want their own title shot and R-Truth comes in to say the title match is on next week. Priest points out that the AAA Tag Team Titles aren’t on the line and isn’t pleased.
Video on Brock Lesnar’s career, which is still rather cool to see. Lesnar has officially announced his retirement, which I’ll believe when I don’t see it happening again.
Here is Randy Orton for a chat but before he can get anywhere, a ticked off Cody Rhodes (in different clothes than he was wearing earlier) interrupts. Orton immediately bails out and Rhodes demands an explanation, which has Orton confused. Remember during the road to Wrestlemania when Rhodes told him to be the evil Orton?
Yeah Rhodes beat him at Wrestlemania but that’s the time when Orton realized he needed to go full blast. The best version of Orton isn’t going to bring home #15, but the worst version of him sure will. From now on, he’s not going to let Rhodes be champion again. Rhodes doesn’t have to be a champion anymore, so now the worst version of him is coming out again. So now, who kills Orton?
Sami Zayn rants to Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae about being jealous of Kevin Owens getting a title shot but here is CM Punk to interrupt. Punk asks if they’re still doing this and says that if Zayn could do anything about this, he would have when he lost. Now Zayn is at the back of the line.
Jade Cargill and the Baddies want the Women’s Title.
Nikki Bella says she rebuilt Paige’s career and now it’s Paige’s fault that the Bellas aren’t together right now. Therefore, revenge is promised.
Shinsuke Nakamura says the MFTs need to remember who he is. He’s back and starting a war…but he isn’t coming alone.
They fight over a lockup to start and crash out to the floor without letting go. Back in and Cargill shoulders her down but Charlotte nips up and gets in a knockdown of her own. The Queen’s Decree (the flipping figure four necklock slams) connects but they head outside, with Cargill ramming her into the barricade.
We take a break and come back with Charlotte avoiding a charge in the corner and grabbing a German suplex. Cargill rolls through a high crossbody for two more though but Charlotte bridges up to try the backslide. That doesn’t work so Charlotte takes her up, where the Stratusphere is blocked.
Instead Cargill gives her a big jumping sitout powerbomb for two but a bit boot misses. That lets Charlotte come right back with a chop block into the Figure Eight so here are the Baddies to break it up. Cue the returning Alexa Bliss…and the lights go out. NXT’s Tatum Paxley is on the top and dives onto the Baddies, leaving Charlotte to grab a Sister Abigail DDT. A top rope Natural Selection pins Cargill at 13:17.
Rating: B-. This was kind of a weird way to debut Paxley but she’s a good choice to move up. Outside of a surprise NXT Women’s Title win, there wasn’t much left for her to do down there and she seems like she could be an interesting addition up here. Other than that, Charlotte beating Cargill with some help in the name of revenge isn’t a bad way to go, though I’d assume we’re far from this being over.
Overall Rating: B. This show was more about the talking and advancing the big developments coming out of Summerslam. The World Title situation is rather interesting here and they’re doing some good stuff by having so many people want the belt. That’s how you make the title chase hot and it’s working here. While there was only so much in the ring, the show felt very busy and flew by, which is a rather nice feeling to have. Good stuff here, as things are looking interesting at the moment.
Results
Baron Corbin b. Trick Williams – Belt shot
Fatal Influence b. Tiffany Stratton/Chelsea Green – Fatal Flaw to Green
Charlotte b. Jade Cargill – Top rope Natural Selection
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Ring Of Honor
Date: August 6, 2026
Location: WJCT Studios, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman
We’re closing in on Death Before Dishonor with just over two weeks to go before the show. Last week, a few matches were confirmed for the event, including the rather random Bandido vs. Nick Wayne World Title match. There is every chance that we won’t get anything new added this week, as you never can tell what to expect around here. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
Athena is now the longest reigning champion of the modern era but isn’t getting any kind of respect. She beat the Women’s Champion and the TBS Champion but hasn’t received any flowers. Tonight, she’s beating up Janai Kai to blow off some steam.
Non-title Proving Ground match. Athena isn’t having any of the wristlocking but she has to run from the threat of some rapid fire kicks. Back in and Kai scores with the running kick in the corner but another kick gets caught in the ropes. That lets Athena kick at the leg and then knock her out to the floor.
The knee gets cranked back and Athena talks trash, as she tends to do. A half crab and ankle lock send Kai over to the rope and she kicks Athena down for a breather. Kai pump kicks her down for two but has to go after Billie Starkz, allowing Athena to get in the curb stomp for two more. They trade rollups for two each until Starkz gets in a belt shot from the floor. The O Face finishes for Athena at 7:42.
Rating: C+. Kai got in some offense here but it never felt like Athena was in any serious danger, as she shouldn’t have been. Instead, Athena got to use her minion to get by Kai and she’ll brag about her latest win. Hazuki is still waiting for her, which should be good, though it would be nice to have something from Hazuki to make it more interesting.
Last night, Brodido and Hangman Page talked about their abilities to speak Spanish. They also weren’t sure about the Good, the Bad and the Ugly thing, with Bandido lifting his mask to prove that he isn’t the ugly one.
Aminata takes her down for the kick to the back and the hips to the head. Back up and they trade some forearms in the corner, where Ley hits a pendulum Meteora. That earns her a headbutt and the fisherman’s neckbreaker, setting up the running knee in the ropes for the pin at at 3:54.
Rating: C. Ley is a former gymnast and got to show off her athleticism here, though that only makes her stand out so much. Aminata gets to run through another name on her way to…well pretty much nothing right now but the match didn’t take up much time. Commentary was certainly putting Aminata over though and that helps a good bit.
We look at the recent actions of Beef and the Premiere Athletes.
Mark Sterling is here with Beef, who appears to be a full on Athlete now. After a less than trusting handshake, Menard backs him into the corner for a clean break. Beef clotheslines him down and jumps over him for a spank, followed by a bit of a dance. Menard is right back with a spank of his own so Beef gets knocked out to the floor.
Back in and Beef chops away out of the corner before running Menard over for two. Sterling gets in a choke but stops to talk to Beef, allowing Menard to fight up. A running forearm grounds Beef so here are the Premiere Athletes for a cheap shot. The top rope splash finishes for Beef at 7:58.
Rating: C-. That’s kind of a long time for what was at least somewhat a comedy match featuring Beef and the Premiere Athletes. I know they get a bunch of time on these shows and I still don’t quite get why. The story is hardly some top idea, but here it is again after a quick week off.
Post match Beef beats on Menard even more.
Janai Kai wants revenge on Billie Starkz.
Ortiz shoves Beretta away to start and they slug it out, with Ortiz grabbing a flapjack. Romero comes in to hammer Kingston down in the corner but he’s right back up for an STO/Russian legsweep combination. Ortiz comes back in and is quickly taken into the wrong corner. That doesn’t last long as it’s back to Kingston, who stretch plumbs Romero, with Beretta making the save.
Everything breaks down and Beretta’s tornado DDT gets two on Ortiz but he’s fine enough to block the Forever Lariats. Kingston comes back in for a neckbreaker but he gets draped onto the top rope for a kick to the head. Kingston fights up again and hits a double clothesline so Ortiz can drop a top rope splash for two. Back up and Ortiz makes a quick save, allowing Kingston to grab the exploder suplex. A rollup pins Romero at 13:28.
Rating: C+. The match got better near the end and that’s nice to see, though it went on a good bit longer than it needed to go. Kingston and Ortiz continue to be popular, though I’m not sure I get their appeal. They’re just kind of there and it doesn’t help that Ortiz just feels like ROH trying to copy Mike Santana’s success.
Post match RPG Vice jumps them again and lays the winners out. So this keeps going.
Earlier today, Caprice Coleman sat down with the newly Computerized Kingdom. They realized they needed something fresh to get them out of their rut so here they are with artificial intelligence. They completely trust it and hang on as AI says they need to switch which leg is crossed. That’s in addition to the great shirt designs they’re being offered! One more leg switch wraps up the interview. This gave you pretty much the whole explanation for the story thus far and I kind of like it.
Before the match, Miles brags about his amazingness. Miles jumps him before the bell and knocks Casanova out to the floor, where Miles gets crotched on the barricade. Back in and a crossbody gives Casanova two but Miles gets in a knockdown of his own. A slap to the face wakes Casanova up but Miles knocks him right back into the ropes. The chinlock goes on for a bit until Casanova powers out, only to get dropped with a nice dropkick. Casanova’s comeback doesn’t work again as Miles superkicks him for the pin at 6:39.
Rating: C+. Casanova got in some offense here and looked ok in the process, but this was more about showcasing Miles. That went well enough, with Miles getting to show off his athleticism. I’m not sure what’s next for him, but putting him in another stable like Shane Taylor Promotions is only going to get so far.
Post match Miles officially joins Shane Taylor Promotions. Well that was quick.
Andretti flips over Cleary to start and knocks him into the corner for some early stomping. A handspring elbow gives Andretti two but he misses a charge, allowing Cleary to stomp him in the back. Andretti’s Falcon Arrow gets two more and he plants Cleary with a super Spanish Fly. The cutter choke finishes for Andretti at 4:29.
Rating: C. This was a squash for Andretti and it means we’re likely on the way to Andretti vs. Lio Rush at Death Before Dishonor. That’s not the most thrilling match as Cru wasn’t exactly a top level team but it’s better than nothing. The match wasn’t exactly the point, as it was mainly about Andretti using Rush’s choke for the win, which makes perfect sense.
Mance Warner wants to give RPG Vice the violence, with Eddie Kingston and Ortiz being in as well. Kingston isn’t happy with being dropped on his head so find a third man.
Serpentico and Cutler start things off with Serpentico picking up the pace but getting taken to the mat. Cutler kicks him away so it’s off to Eddie to give Cutler a suplex. Yaki comes in to take over on Orlando, including jumping over Cutler for an elbow. The chinlock keeps Orlando in trouble and it’s back to Cutler for the same thing. Orlando gets up and sends Cutler outside, allowing the tag back to Eddie as everything breaks down. The bad guys are cleared out and it’s a Backstabber to pin Yaki at 6:49.
Rating: C. I still have no idea why the Colons are a thing around here. They feel like relics of the past and it’s not like they’re doing anything impressive in the ring. They’re perfectly fine as a filler team, but that isn’t the best thing to see on a show like this, which is already so full of filler. Just find someone else for this spot or let the show be a bit shorter.
Mark Sterling has his own action figure but Dalton Castle and the Outrunners want to beat him up. Both the figure and the real Sterling.
Mansoor headlocks Solo to start before it’s off to Madden to throw Solo down. Comoroto comes in and lines up the football pose, only for Mansoor to come back in instead. Madden breaks up Comoroto’s skinning the cat before hitting Comoroto in the face with the hips. The assisted abdominal stretch goes on, with Solo coming over for the save.
Solo gets the tag to clean house until we get the Comoroto vs. Madden three point standoff. Comoroto skins the cat and slams Madden before strutting into an elbow for two. A suplex into Solo’s top rope double stomp gives Solo two but it’s a Centerfold to put Solo away at 9:34.
Rating: B-. They actually got rocking there near the end and it wound up being an exciting match. Comoroto got a nice showcase here and it was cool to see him doing something other than losing in short order. At the same time, this was another match that went on for a good while on a show with a lot of that taking place. They might have stood out more if they had the chance but that wasn’t happening here.
Post match the Collection mocks Jacksonville and want the ultimate accessory.
Action Andretti wants the TV Title from Lio Rush. The lights go out and Rush’s laugh is heard, with Andretti not being scared.
Dawn is challenging and jumps her from behind to start fast. Some slams put Velvet down but she kicks her way to freedom and stomps away in the corner. Dawn is back with some right hands and a suplex before getting in her own corner choke. The reverse chinlock is broken up with a jawbreaker but Dawn is right back to stomp her in the corner again. Dawn knocks her outside for a change, including throwing Velvet into various hard objects.
Velvet is able to send her into the steps right back though, with a stomp making it worse for Dawn. Back in and a standing moonsault gives Velvet two but Dawn’s wheelbarrow suplex gets the same. Dawn goes up and gets Iconoclasmed back down so she snaps off a Saito suplex. The Shining Wizard gives Dawn two and she picks her up for a powerslam, only to be rolled up for the pin to retain Velvet’s title at 12:26.
Rating: B-. This went pretty well, with the two of them trading one big move after another in the end. Dawn continues to be one of the more underrated stars around here and I’m glad to see her getting a chance to do something like this. Velvet’s title reign has kind of stalled as she’s a champion but not really doing anything, as is so often the case around here.
The brawl starts before the bell and Lethal gets punched down for a quick near fall. Magnum saves Castle from getting whipped into the corner but the bad guys take out the other three to take over. Garrison drops a knee for two on Castle and Johnson comes in to stomp away in the corner. Castle clotheslines his way over to the corner so Priest can get the tag to clean house. Garrison is right back with a torture rack powerbomb for two as everything breaks down again. Preston Vance clotheslines Garrison by mistake though and Priest gets a rollup for the pin at 6:32.
Rating: C+. And, again, it’s fine. Just like almost everything else on the show, the match is nothing memorable whatsoever and doesn’t really change much, but somehow, this is the main event. Nothing about this match makes it feel more important than the rest of the card and that’s been a problem around here for a very long time now.
Post match Garrison lays out Vance and apparently he’s out of the team. The Dark Order runs in for the save. We get the big reunion and Vance seems to be back on the team to end the show.
Overall Rating: C. That’s your weekly two hour plus edition of Ring Of Honor, giving us a third straight day of AEW stars going that long in a row. As usual around here, there was a bit of storyline progression and A LOT of filler that felt like it was just there to get people in the ring. It’s a bad sign when you could cut out about half of the show and not miss much and that’s the situation they were in here. In other words, it’s Ring Of Honor.
Results
Athena b. Janai Kai – O Face
Queen Aminata b. Rachel Ley – Running knee in the ropes
Beef b. Matt Menard – Top rope splash
Eddie Kingston/Ortiz b. RPG Vice – Rollup to Romero
Tehuti Miles b. Dante Casanova – Superkick
The Colons/Serpentico b. Brandon Cutler/Teri Yaki/Jay Lucas – Backstabber to Yaki
MxM Collection b. Nick Comoroto/Aaron Solo – Centerfold to Solo
Red Velvet b. Isla Dawn – Rollup
Dalton Castle/Outrunners/Adam Priest b. Griff Garrison/Lethal Twist – Rollup to Garrison
Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at: