Monday Night Raw
Date: December 18, 2023
Location: Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, Iowa
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett

We have about five weeks to go before the Royal Rumble and the show’s namesake match is starting to come together. That would be due to CM Punk and Cody Rhodes both declaring for the match, which serves as quite the great start. Other than that, it is time to add some things to the card, which might start tonight. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is Judgment Day to get things going. The team is ready to defend the Tag Team Titles against the Creed Brothers, who are in for the biggest night of their lives. For the team, it’s just another night at the office. Rhea Ripley threatens violence against Ivy Nile but here is R-Truth to cut off Dominik Mysterio. He didn’t know the team was opening the show off, even though he’s the newest member of the team.

Truth was hurt by the team both physically and emotionally, with JD McDonagh threatening more pain. Truth is ready to fight, like say in a Miracle On 34th Street Fight! McDonagh points out that the match was already announced, so Truth says we need to get started because 34th Street is a long way off. We’ll even make it a Loser Leaves Judgment Day match! Priest approves so let’s go.

R-Truth vs. JD McDonagh

Street fight so McDonagh grabs the candy cane kendo stick. That’s cut off so they fight to the floor, where Truth hits him with a Christmas tree. They head inside and we take an early break. Back with Truth fighting out of a chinlock and grabbing a table. That takes too long so McDonagh gets in a cheap shot, only to be sprayed with a fire extinguisher. The table is set up inside and Truth kicks him down to set up a Five Knuckle Shuffle. Truth puts him on the table and goes up, only to get caught by McDonagh. That’s broken up as well as Truth…kind of hugs him into something like a spinebuster through the table for the pin at 9:52.

Rating: C. This was the goofy match that you would have expected and there is nothing wrong with that. I could even have gone for more of the shenanigans with a bunch of silly weapons and Christmas decorations. It’s a Christmas tradition but it’s nice to have something important come out of the ending. Good opener here, even if it was the most basic of a street fight.

Dominik Mysterio knows that was bad, with a great “oh dang” face.

Kayden Carter and Katana Chance are ready to win the Women’s Tag Team Titles. Woop wooping ensues.

Here is Nia Jax for a chat but Becky Lynch interrupts before she can say anything. Jax bails to the floor but Lynch thought she had something to say. Jax says she has more important things to do, though Lynch thinks the fans don’t care. The challenge is laid out, but Jax says no because she would break Lynch, who is the company’s money maker. Lynch calls out Jax being scared because she is always famous for being on someone’s back.

Jax is only famous for hurting Lynch and if they fight, she’s famous for being the one who lost to the best ever. The referee comes out but nah we’ll do this later, with Jax saying Lynch isn’t getting it now. We’ll do it in Jax’s hometown in two weeks at Day One. Lynch’s daughter is going to ask why her mom is uglier than usual so Lynch charges at her to start the quickly broken up fight.

Earlier tonight, Kofi Claus appeared to give fans presents.

Kofi Claus is in the back and asks DIY what they want. That would be the Tag Team Titles, but they’ll settle for a Jey Uso shirt instead. Miz comes in and they’re cool after last week, while Miz is ready to get the Intercontinental Title back.

Intercontinental Title: Miz vs. Gunther

Gunther is defending and this is Miz’s last shot at him. Miz gets powered down to start but comes up looking rather serious. Gunther gets a bit too cocky and gets pulled into a leglock, with Miz mocking the Imperium pose and cranking back. The rope is grabbed so Gunther heads outside, where he hits a hard chop and apron powerbomb as we take a break.

Back with Gunther hitting a big boot, sending Miz out to the apron. Miz’s comeback is cut off by a hard chop, meaning Gunther can call him a nobody. For some reason Miz tries to chop with Gunther and finds that to be a very bad idea in a hurry. The running corner clothesline works a bit better but Gunther pulls him out of the air. Miz gets dropped onto the top rope and Gunther chokes with a boot to send him outside again. This time the big chop hits post and we take another break.

Back again with Miz working on the hand and arm before grabbing a DDT. A tornado DDT gives Miz two and it’s time to stomp away at the hand. Gunther’s legs are fine enough to hit the shotgun dropkick and it’s the powerbomb into the Boston crab. The bad hand gives out though and Miz is able to make the rope for the save.

A quick Skull Crushing Finale gives Miz two of his own and the fans want one more. Gunther isn’t having that though and kicks him down, only to get caught on top. A middle rope Skull Crushing Finale connects but Gunther rolls out to the floor in a smart/soul crushing escape. Back in and Gunther hits a powerbomb into the hard clothesline into another powerbomb to retain at 21:12.

Rating: B+. We’re firmly at a point where it’s hard to imagine Gunther losing, but at the same time, people are getting closer and closer to taking the title. The good thing is that the matches are still awesome and that means it is going to be a heck of a moment when someone finally slays the beast. Gunther is primed for a main event run and the title has grown so much during his reign. At the same time, Miz is a great choice to put in this spot, as he is a successful enough to be a threat but isn’t going to be hurt by the loss. Awesome match.

Video on the Creed Brothers.

Post break Imperium applauds Gunther on his win but he’s tired of the two of them skating by. He’s going to take a few weeks off and he expects them to step up while he’s gone. With Gunther gone, Kofi Claus comes in with presents for both of them: coal! And it’s not even Michael!

Shinsuke Nakamura is sitting in front of a Christmas tree and reads us a special story: the American Nightmare Before Christmas. He doesn’t seem too fond of Cody Rhodes, calling him (in rhyme): a bastard, a cancer, a prancer a nitwit, vomit, stupid and the son of an inbred father. Merry Christmas to Cody, because Nakamura is his last fight. Then Cody jumps him and they fight into the arena. Cody beats him to ringside and takes out security but they break up a Cross Rhodes through the announcers’ table. Good fight, better rhyming.

Akira Tozawa tells Adam Pearce that he wants an unspecified match. With Tozawa down, Chelsea Green and Piper Niven aren’t happy that they have to defend their titles tonight. They leave, so Bronson Reed comes in to talk about an Intercontinental Title shot.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Kayden Carter/Katana Chance vs. Chelsea Green/Piper Niven

Green and Niven are defending. Carter headscissors Green on the mat to start so it’s off to Chance for a slingshot hilo. Niven comes in to run her over but a dropkick to the knee gives Chance a chance. The After Party is broken up by Green though and Niven runs both of them over as we take a break.

Back with Niven splashing Green by mistake, allowing Carter to hit a springboard spinning legdrop for two. Green’s Rough Ryder gets two and frustration is setting in. Niven crushes Carter but she’s back up with a heck of a superkick. The Keg Stand splash gets two with Green making the save this time. I’m Prettier is countered into a Codebreaker and the After Party gives us new champions at 9:37.

Rating: C+. It’s not the worst idea to change the titles as Chance and Carter are at least a regular team for a change. The titles have been a bit of a mess throughout their history and a lot of that is due to having teams thrown together. Odds are the title reign doesn’t last long, but at least it’s something fresh.

The Alpha Academy is warming up when Akira Tozawa comes in to say he’s facing Ivar. Chad Gable isn’t sure about this but we’re on anyway.

Kayden Carter and Katana Chance are happy with their win so here is Kofi Claus to celebrate with them. Various other women think they should be the challengers as I still want to know what kind of cards Shayna Baszler has every week.

Akira Tozawa vs. Ivar

Maxxine Dupri and Valhalla are here too. Tozawa slugs away to start but his middle rope hurricanrana is pulled out of the air. A spike DDT plants Ivar, who crushes Tozawa to cut him off again. Ivar misses the top rope splash though and Tozawa does the Hulk Hogan shirt rip. The women get into it on the floor and Tozawa’s top rope backsplash gets two. Ivar kicks him in the head but the moonsault is broken up. Instead it’s a middle rope World’s Strongest Slam to finish Tozawa at 4:06.

Rating: C. This was better than I was expecting and I’ll take that most of the time. Tozawa can still go in the ring and when he isn’t making it clear that he is the designated comedy guy of the Alpha Academy, he can still be quite sold. Ivar winning is the right way to go, but at least he had to break a sweat for once.

Long video on CM Punk/Seth Rollins’ showdown last week.

Here is Iowa’s own Seth Rollins for a chat. Things have been heating up around here for him lately and now he is motivated to be the best World Champion in this industry. He’s ready to defend the title against Drew McIntyre in two weeks at Day One…so here is McIntyre to interrupt.

McIntyre says he isn’t here to fight because he likes what Rollins said to Punk last week. He got to go home a few weeks ago and it had him questioning if this was all worth it. Rollins, as well as his wife, know what it’s like to have to sacrifice all kinds of things to chase their dreams. McIntyre needs the title to know that the sacrifices, such as not being there when his mom passed away, were all worth it.

Rollins says no one knows how to feel about McIntyre because his words and actions haven’t lined up. He likes McIntyre wanting to do everything to be champion…except take responsibility. Rollins doesn’t hate McIntyre, because he pities him. The fight is on and it’s an Alabama Slam to put Rollins onto the steps. Rollins is holding his elbow as McIntyre leaves. There’s your story for the title match and that should be a good one.

Cody Rhodes gives the Creed Brothers a pep talk and they’re downright giddy.

Kofi Claus is here to give out more presents but Imperium jump him for a beatdown. Barrett: “IT’S NOT SANTA! IT’S KOFI KINGSTON!” Jey Uso runs in for the save and it seems to be a match.

Jey Uso vs. Ludwig Kaiser

Actually not a tag match for once. Joined in progress with Uso working on a headlock until Kaiser takes him down and hammers away. A reverse chinlock keeps Uso down and Giovanni Vinci’s cheap shot gets two. Kaiser knocks him outside and hits a running elbow as we take a break. Back with Uso enziguring his way out of trouble and firing off the dancing right hands. The running Umaga Attack gets two but a Samoan drop is broken up. Kaiser’s wind up DDT is broken up so Vinci gets in a cheap shot, only to have Kofi Kingston cut him off. A spear into the Superfly Splash finishes for Uso at 10:28.

Rating: C. A good chunk of that was cut off by the break but it was a fine middle of the road match with Uso getting a win. The bigger deal here is likely going to be Gunther wanting to deal with Imperium when he gets back and that is going to be a problem. Uso needs something to do though and it might be a bit before that gets to take place if he’s likely to be just another entry in the Royal Rumble.

JD McDonagh is….still in Judgment Day, at least for now, as Damian Priest isn’t allowed to make that kind of a decision. Rhea Ripley is going to deal with Ivy Nile at Day One so the rest of the team better handle their business tonight.

Here’s what’s coming in two weeks.

Tag Team Titles: Creed Brothers vs. Judgment Day

Judgment Day (Damian Priest/Finn Balor, with Rhea Ripley) are defending and Ivy Nile is here with the Creeds. Julius wrestles Balor down to start but the Creeds clear the ring to start. We take a break and come back with Brutus fireman’s carrying Balor down as Ripley isn’t pleased with any of this.

Priest tags himself in though and Julius is low bridged to the floor. There’s a ram into the steps (Ripley approves) but Julius kicks his way out of trouble back inside. Brutus comes back in to clean house, including a torture rack slam for two on Balor. Priest comes in off a blind tag though and kicks Brutus outside, setting up a heck of a Pounce over the announcers’ table.

We take another break and come back again with Brutus pulling Priest out of the air and eventually suplexing him down. Julius and Balor come in with the former snapping off the suplexes into the nip ups. A running shooting star press hits Balor but Priest breaks up the Brutus Ball. Balor and Julius hit a clothesline each, leaving Ripley and Nile to get in a fight.

The Brutus Ball gets two as Priest makes a last second save. Julius hits a running up the corner flip dive outside onto Priest before taking Balor to the top, only to have Priest make a blind tag. Instead it’s a Brutus Ball to Priest, with Balor making the save off a Coup de Grace. South Of Heaven finishes Julius to retain the titles at 16:13.

Rating: B. I’m fine with the Creeds not winning here as they’re not ready for their big moment just yet. They clearly have the skills to go a long way but putting them over two stars at this level might be a stretch too far. Judgment Day gets a nice win as they go into the new year, though I’m not quite sure who is going to be next for the titles at this point. DIY maybe?

Overall Rating: B. This show was carried by two matches and that is not a bad way to go. The main event and Intercontinental Title match were both very good and there was enough good stuff to get through the rest of the night. What matters the most here is setting things up for Day 1, as next week is a week off (all but announced at this point). That should set the stage for the Royal Rumble later in January and the table has been well set to set the table.

Results
R-Truth b. JD McDonagh – Middle rope slam through a table
Gunther b. The Miz – Powerbomb
Kayden Carter/Katana Chance b. Chelsea Green/Piper Niven – After Party to Green
Ivar b. Akira Tozawa – Super World’s Strongest Slam
Jey Uso b. Ludwig Kaiser – Superfly Splash
Judgment Day b. Creed Brothers – South Of Heaven to Julius

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

Make sure you check out some recent reviews:

Rampage – December 15, 2023

Impact Wrestling – December 14, 2023 (Hidden Gems)

And please vote for the Royal Rumble redo right here.

Three For One: Updates On Status Of Multiple Missing WWE Superstars.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/three-one-updates-status-multiple-missing-wwe-superstars/

Roman Reigns Reaches New Milestone (Yes Another One).

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/roman-reigns-reaches-new-milestone-yes-another-one/

More Details On Charlotte’s Knee Injury, Even Worse Than Expected.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/details-charlottes-knee-injury-even-worse-expected/

WATCH: What Happened During SmackDown Break With Roman Reigns And Randy Orton.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/watch-happened-smackdown-break-roman-reigns-randy-orton/

WRESTLING RUMORS: Update On Potential Return For Controversial Former WWE Star, WWE’s Interest.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/maybe-one-day-update-potential-return-controversial-former-wwe-star-wwes-interest/

As always, hit up the comments section to chat about what is going on and get on the Wrestling Rumors Facebook page and follow us on Twitter (featuring news stories written by ME).

Impact Wrestling
Date: December 14, 2023
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan, Santino Marella, Gia Miller
Hosts: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

Our weird period of shows continues here with a Hidden Gems show, meaning matches that have never aired on television before. That could make for some very good options, as these are likely dark matches from previous television tapings. I’ve heard worse ideas to fill in time before we can get back to normal so let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

The hosts welcome us to the show.

From October 22 in Cicero, Illinois.

Samuray del Sol vs. Alan Angels

They trade rollups for two each to start until a double clothesline sets up a double nipup for a staredown. Sol sends him outside and hits a rather hard suicide dive as commentary talks about Angels’ obsession with low blows. Back up and Sol’s shoulder seems to be banged up so he uses the rope to pop it back in.

They get back inside where Angels stays on the arm like a good villain, including an armbar. Sol suplexes his way to freedom for two but Angels’ Halo Strike gets the same. A quick Salida Del Sol gets two on Angels, who has to put a foot on the rope. They head up top and Sol elbows his way to freedom, setting up a super Salida del Sol for the pin at 8:13.

Rating: B-. Good stuff here, which isn’t a surprise given how smooth Sol can be. He is someone who could add a lot to any roster and I’m not sure why he isn’t getting a better spot somewhere else. Angels is another good hand in the ring, which can finally be shown now that he is away from the horribleness that is the Design.

From June 24 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Masha Slamovich/Killer Kelly vs. Gisele Shaw/Savannah Evans

Jai Vidal is with Shaw and Evans and Kelly/Slamovich aren’t MK Ultra yet. Shaw and Slamovich slug it out to start until Slamovich takes her down. Kelly comes in to boot her in the face for two but Evans takes Kelly into the corner. The villains take over in said corner, with Shaw dropping some middle rope knees to the ribs. A DDT gets Kelly out of trouble though and it’s Slamovich coming in to clean house. Slamovich Death Valley Drivers Kelly into Shaw in the corner but has to slip out of Evans’ full nelson slam. Something like a double piledriver finishes Evans at 7:22.

Rating: C. This wasn’t exactly a gem but you can see why the team that would become MK Ultra got a bigger push. They know how to work well together and that was on display here. Shaw and Evans are another good team, and it would be nice to see them go after the Knockouts Tag Team Titles. Why that isn’t the case is beyond me, but those titles have never been the most logically booked concept.

From June 10 in Columbus, Ohio.

Deaner vs. PCO

Street fight and PCO starts fast with a Cactus Clothesline to the floor. The cookie sheet shots to the back have Deaner in more trouble and it’s time to grab a bunch of chairs. Said chairs are set up at ringside before Deaner is sent inside. Deaner manages a low blow and a toss outside sends PCO into the chairs.

Back in and Deaner plants PCO for two before hitting him in the back with a chair. PCO gets sent into the chair in the corner but pops back up for a clothesline as we take a break. We come back with PCO slugging away and hitting a DDT. A Backstabber out of the corner sets up a middle rope legdrop to crush Deaner again.

The Deanimator connects but PCO takes WAY too long setting up a table, allowing Deaner to flip him off the top through said table. PCO gets up again so cue the Design to beat him down, only to have OVE run in to even things up. That’s enough for PCO to hit the PCOsault for the pin at 12:34.

Rating: C+. Picture any run of the mill street fight and you know what you had here, save for the always painful looking Deanimator. PCO knows how to do this as well as anyone today and seeing Deaner get hurt is always a good thing. Not a great match or anything, but a fun showdown that the live fans seemed to like quite a bit.

Video on Josh Alexander vs. Will Ospreay. The rematch is in January.

Alexander is ready to even the score after his loss to Ospreay in a great match.

From August 8 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Channing Decker/Tommy Dreamer vs. Dirty Dango/Alpha Bravo

Decker wastes no time in throwing Deaner into the corner so it’s off to Dreamer vs. Dango. Dreamer takes over without much effort so Decker comes back in for a Sharpshooter. With that broken up, a wishbone keeps Decker in trouble, followed by an Indian Deathlock of all things from Dango.

Bravo misses a middle rope elbow though and the double tag brings in Dreamer to beat on Dango again. The Bionic Elbow into a cutter gives Dreamer two with Bravo making the save. Everything breaks down and Decker cleans house until Dreamer catapults Bravo head first into a low blow to drop Dango. The DDT gives Dreamer the pin on Bravo at at 7:34.

Rating: C. Very basic match here but Decker is a local star so it’s nice to see him getting this kind of exposure against someone who won’t be hurt by the loss. What matters here is giving the fans a bit of fun and that went well enough. You don’t have Dreamer out there for quality these days and they didn’t try to here, so this was good enough for what it was.

From June 23 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Knockouts Title: Deonna Purrazzo vs. Taylor Wilde

Wilde is challenging and has KiLynn King in her corner. They fight over a lockup to start with Wilde taking her into the corner for a quick slap. A legsweep puts Purrazzo down before it’s time to fight over wrist control. Purrazzo snaps off some armdrags and takes out both Wilde and King on the floor.

Back in and a distracted Purrazzo gets caught with the Wilde Ride for two and it’s time to choke on the ropes. Purrazzo gets pulled into a crossface, which she reverses into a Fujiwara armbar, which is reversed into a rollup to give Wilde two. The Queen’s Gambit is broken up by a King distraction and Wilde drops Purrazzo for two more. Now the Queen’s Gambit can retain the title at 6:52.

Rating: C+. It’s no surprise that this worked well as they are both talented stars who can do well when given the chance. Granted they didn’t have a ton of time and Purrazzo is a much more accomplished single star, but at least they had a good match here. I could go for having Wilde around more and Purrazzo is still one of the most talented stars in the division. Nice match here and an actual hidden gem.

From September 23 in Memphis, Tennessee.

Josh Alexander vs. Yuya Uemura

This is Uemura’s farewell match. They go technical to start with Alexander getting the better of things and working on the arm. Uemura reverses into one of his own and we take a break. Back with Uemura slugging away and snapping off some armdrags into a powerslam for two. A nice dropkick gives Uemura two and he stays on the arm to keep Alexander in trouble.

Alexander fights out of a Kimura and grabs a suplex but the arm gives out on the C4 Spike attempt. Uemura grabs a belly to back suplex and we’re right back to the arm. The C4 Spike is countered with a backdrop and Uemura knocks him off the top for a nasty crash. Alexander is fine enough to hit a crossbody to the floor and they head back inside, where Uemura hits a clothesline to the floor again.

Back in and the cross armbreaker is countered into an ankle lock to put Uemura in trouble for a change. That’s broken up and an armbar goes on, with Alexander having to roll to the ropes. A nasty German suplex sends Alexander into the corner and a running dropkick knocks his headgear off. Alexander knocks the high crossbody out of the air for a near fall though and Alexander is livid at the kickout. The C4 Spike is blocked again so Alexander hits him in the face and grabs the C4 Spike for the pin at 15:21.

Rating: B. Uemura really did start to get good near the end of his run with Impact and it was nice to see him getting this kind of a farewell here. There is only so much you can do when he is on excursion from New Japan but he seemed to grow quite a bit from it. Alexander gets a nice win and Uemura looked rather strong in defeat, making this a heck of a main event.

Overall Rating: B-. This wasn’t exactly a great show but I can go with the idea of seeing some nice matches from wrestlers you regularly recognize around here. It’s a better use of time than just trotting out a bunch of great matches that we’ve seen over the course of the year. If nothing else, I can go with the idea of seeing something fresh for once, which isn’t the kind of thing you often get in a spot like this. Now just get to something a bit more important in the coming weeks and we might be getting somewhere, but I’ll take it for a one off special.

Results
Samuray del Sol b. Alan Angels – Super Salida del Sol
Masha Slamovich/Killer Kelly b. Gisele Shaw/Savannah Evans – Double piledriver to Evans
PCO b. Deaner – PCOsault
Tommy Dreamer/Channing Decker b. Dirty Dango/Alpha Bravo – DDT to Bravo
Josh Alexander b. Yuya Uemura – C4 Spike

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

It’s that time again. The Royal Rumble is in about five weeks so it’s time for me to redo some of them. As usual I’ll be redoing the most recent, but I’d like you all to pick the other redo. You can pick any in history except for the ones listed below, which I’ve either done too recently or too often:

1992

2000

2008

2022

Vote in the comments, with the count-up starting on December 22.

KB

Rampage
Date: December 15, 2023
Location: College Park Center, Arlington, Texas
Commentators: Chris Jericho, Excalibur, Tony Schiavone

Rampage has been on a bit of a roll in recent weeks and that could make things all the more interesting this week. While we probably won’t be having a Continental Classic match this week, we do have the Von Erichs near Dallas and that should be enough for a change of pace. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Orange Cassidy/Von Erichs vs. Matt Menard/Jake Hager/Angelo Parker

Danhausen is here with Cassidy and company. Parker takes Ross up to the ropes to start but Ross cranks on the wrist. A dropkick and running boot to the face stagger Parker and it’s quickly off to Hager vs. Cassidy. Hager sends him hard into the corner but Cassidy rolls away and puts his hands in his pockets, setting up the tornado DDT.

Menard gets in a running knee to the head though and we take a break. Back with Cassidy rolling away and diving over to bring in Marshall to clean house. Everything breaks down and the Von Erichs dropkick Hager to the floor. Parker rolls Marshall up for two but Marshall rolls him up for the pin at 7:22.

Rating: C. Much like they did at Final Battle, the Von Erichs being in a match near Dallas is as much of a layup as you can get. They didn’t try anything screwy here and had a quick match to let the fans have a fun moment. I’m not sure if the Von Erichs are ready to be around here full time, but at least they did the basics well here.

Post match the villains jump the Von Erichs but Danhausen (with purple hat) comes in but Kevin Von Erich comes in to Claw Hager. Again: give the fans something to cheer about.

Mark Briscoe is out of the Continental Classic but this is like his rookie season as a singles wrestler. Jay Lethal and company come up, with Briscoe saying he and Lethal face off next week. They agree to fight for honor and everything is cool.

Don Callis Family vs. Hunter Grey/Paul Titan

Grey and Titan look like crosses between the Barbarian and the Missing Link. Hobbs hits the World’s Most Dangerous Slam to pin Grey at 47 seconds.

Post match Don Callis rants about the Golden Jets, who came together out of fear of the Don Callis Family. Callis introduces the Don Callis Family Rules, which mean…any members of his Family can come after the Golden Jets. That needed a rule?

Ruby Soho is upset by her loss when Saraya comes in to yell at her. Saraya says Soho needs her, but Soho tells her to go beat Riho by herself.

Anna Jay vs. Red Velvet

Jay offers her a left handshake to start before they trade rollups for two each. Jay bows in front of her and gets kicked in the face for her efforts, only to send Velvet to the apron. A running hip attack puts Velvet on the floor as we take a break. Back with Jay cranking on both arms and snapping of a suplex. Velvet blocks another suplex though and strikes away before checking her watch. The running knees to the back rock Jay again but she’s right back with a Gory Bomb for two. Cue Matt Menard to distract Jay though and a discus lariat gives Velvet two. Not that it matters as the Queenslayer finishes Velvet at 8:34.

Rating: C. Jay continues to feel like someone that AEW wants to push and if she can take it to just one level higher, that could very easily take place. For now, she is doing well enough and getting in more and more reps should only help her. Velvet is doing well enough too, but she is only going to be able to go so far with the whole cooking deal.

We recap all of the Devil stuff from Dynamite, capped of by Hangman Page being laid out.

Top Flight/Action Andretti vs. Komander/Penta El Zero Miedo/El Hijo del Vikingo

Dante and Komader fight over arm control to start until Komander pulls him into something like an abdominal stretch. That’s broken up so Dante is sent to the apron, where he avoids a running dive from Komander, who of course sticks the landing on the floor. Back in and it’s off to Vikingo and Andretti to flip around each other, with Andretti flipping out of a headscissors.

Vikingo misses a kick to the face and we have a standoff, with even Jericho applauding. Penta and Darius come in to chop it out until Penta scores with some Sling Blades. Everything breaks down (you knew that was coming) and the triple dives drop Andretti and Top Flight as we take a break.

Back with Vikingo caught in the wrong corner but he gets in a springboard armdrag to both Martins. Penta comes back in to clean house as everything breaks down again. Komander hits a springboard Swanton but Dante knees him in the face. Vikingo is back in with a very springboardy legdrop to Dante in the ropes. Penta hits a Big Bang Catastrophe of all things on Darius but Dante is back in to run Komander over.

Penta Codebreakers Dante, only to get hit with an AA onto the apron. Back up and Komander hits a running dive, followed by a monkey flip to send Vikingo onto the apron. Everyone needs a breather until Penta and Andretti chop it out back inside. The other four join them in the chop off until Andretti and Top Flight hit stereo superkicks.

The other three hit superkicks of their own and a triple clothesline puts everyone down. All six nip up and hit kicks to the face to put them all down again. Back up and Darius and Andretti cut off Penta and Vikingo with Spanish Flys, followed by a spinning half nelson slam to pin Komander at 16:06. Justin Roberts refers to it as a “spectacular match” because he has to be different.

Rating: A-. Yeah that was awesome, with all six of them going nuts for a long time and never really slowing down for more than a bit at a time. I had a great time with this and they didn’t bother trying to do anything but tear the house down. It’s a bunch of flips and dives and everything is all over the place, but dang it was a fun ride. It isn’t some technical masterpiece full of psychology and logic and it’s not supposed to be. Incredibly entertaining match that will probably make your eyes pop more than once.

Overall Rating: B-. The main event alone carries the show, even with the rest of it just being ok. This was a show built around one match and little else, which works rather well for an hour long show. Obviously check out the main event, but there isn’t much else to see on here. Nothing is bad, but one match blew away the rest without looking back.

Results
Orange Cassidy/Von Erichs b. Matt Menard/Angelo Parker/Jake Hager – Rollup to Parker
Don Callis Family b. Hunter Grey/Paul Titan – World’s Most Dangerous Slam to Grey
Anna Jay b. Red Velvet – Queenslayer
Action Andretti/Top Flight b. Penta El Zero Miedo/Komander/El Hijo del Vikingo – Hal nelson slam to Komander

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

Make sure you check out a recent review:

Collision – December 16, 2023

Nope: Update On The AEW Devil’s Identity, Major Name Not Expected To Be Revealed.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/nope-update-aew-devils-identity-major-name-not-expected-revealed/

WWE Bringing Back Classic Show Name For First Time In 17 Years.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wwe-bringing-back-classic-show-name-first-time-17-years/

VIDEO: Former AEW Champion Makes Surprise Return After Year Plus Absence.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/video-former-aew-champion-makes-surprise-return-year-plus-absence/

WATCH: Mick Foley Makes Surprise Appearance At Independent Event, Gets Violent.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/watch-mick-foley-makes-surprise-appearance-independent-event-gets-violent/

Double Shot: SmackDown Star Reportedly Works Two Matches Despite Illness.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/double-shot-smackdown-star-reportedly-works-two-matches-despite-illness/

As always, hit up the comments section to chat about what is going on and get on the Wrestling Rumors Facebook page and follow us on Twitter (featuring news stories written by ME).

Collision
Date: December 16, 2023
Location: Curtis Culwell Center, Garland, Texas
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Kevin Kelly, Nigel McGuinness

We’re two weeks away from Worlds End and that means we have more Continental Classic matches this week. The tournament field is starting to thin out and that should make things more interesting. Another thing they might want to work on is building up the pay per view card, as with Kenny Omega now stuck on the sidelines, the Tag Team Title match is off for now, leaving the card with two matches. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Eddie Kingston, Daniel Garcia, Claudio Castagnoli, Andrade El Idolo, Brody King, Bryan Danielson and Orange Cassidy (who is a bit confused) are ready to fight.

Opening sequence.

Continental Classic Blue League: Andrade El Idolo vs. Claudio Castagnoli

They fight over a lockup to start before an exchange of shoulders doesn’t get either of them anywhere. Andrade knocks him outside but Castagnoli is back in with a hard clothesline. It’s too early for the Swing though as Andrade hurricanranas him to the floor. A dropkick through the ropes has Castagnoli in more trouble but he nails an uppercut. Back in and Castagnoli shrugs off a dragon screw legwhip and hits Swiss Death as we take a break.

We come back with Andrade hitting a running forearm but the Swing puts him down. The Sharpshooter goes on but Andrade reverses into a Figure our. That’s enough to send Castagnoli bailing to the ropes for the break so Andrade goes up, taking off the turnbuckle covering at the same time. A super sunset bomb gives Andrade two and the running knees in the corner get the same.

Castagnoli catches him on top though and it’s a superplex back down, only to have Andrade roll some Amigos. They trade kicks to the face until Andrade scores with a spinning elbow to the face. Andrade goes up again and tries a super hammerlock DDT, only to get crotched onto the turnbuckle. Hold on though as the referee notices the removed pad, allowing Castagnoli to get in a low blow. The Neutralizer finishes Andrade at 15:30.

Rating: B-. That adds a bit of drama to the tournament and it’s kind of nice to see Andrade get what was coming to him after cheating multiple times. Castagnoli gets to stay alive while Andrade’s spot in the semifinals isn’t entirely locked up yet. The match was the good stuff you would expect from these two, and it certainly didn’t feel like that long of a match.

Blue League Standings
Andrade El Idolo – 9 points (1 match remaining)
Bryan Danielson – 6 points (2 matches remaining)
Brody King – 6 points (2 matches remaining)
Claudio Castagnoli – 6 points (1 match remaining)
Eddie Kingston – 3 points (2 matches remaining)
Daniel Garcia – 0 points (2 matches remaining, eliminated)

We recap the Dynamite Continental Classic matches.

Abadon vs. Jazmin Allure

Abadon jumps her to start and hits a swinging Rock Bottom. A running knee and the Black Dahlia finish Allure at 1:07.

Post match here is Julia Hart for the brawl, with Abadon laying her out and posing with the title. Cue Skye Blue to jump Abadon and the double teaming is on. Cue the returning Thunder Rosa (who was on Spanish commentary earlier) for the save.

The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn are back and want revenge on the Devil and his henchmen. Action Andretti and Top Flight come in for a challenge to a title match next week. Game on.

International Title: Orange Cassidy vs. Bryan Keith

Keith is challenging and the fans certainly seem to like him. A headlock takeover puts Cassidy down to start but he’s back up to put his hands in his pockets. Cassidy starts picking up the pace but gets kicked in the face as we take a break. Back with Cassidy hitting the tornado DDT and suicide dive to send Keith into the barricade.

Keith is able to catch him on top though and a running knee drops Cassidy. The tiger driver is countered into Beach Break for two and Cassidy needs a breather. Cassidy kicks away but Keith does the same, setting up Diamond Dust for two more. The tiger driver is loaded up again but this time Cassidy reverses into the mouse trap to retain at 9:12.

Rating: B-. As has been the case every time I’ve seen him, Keith put in a rather nice match with the intensity being on full display. It wouldn’t surprise me to see him around here a lot more often as there are far worse prospects. At the same time, Cassidy adds another win to his tally as we wait for another serious challenger to come up against him.

Miro wants to beat up Andrade El Idolo and it isn’t just because El Idolo is being managed by Miro’s wife.

Komander is interrupted by Roderick Strong and the Kingdom, with Strong mocking Komander for not winning the ROH TV Title. Strong wants a match and Komander seems interested.

Here is FTR for a chat about the House Of Black. Wheeler talks about the success they’ve had around here but the House is still unrealized potential. If the House wants a fight, come get one. Cue the House on the screen to say no one can save FTR, but Buddy Matthews has a question for Wheeler: who loves you? Everyone loves Harwood, but who loves Wheeler? Malakai Black holds up a photo of Harwood’s family and burns it, saying the House is their family now. FTR runs off.

Video on Keith Lee, who beat Shane Taylor at Ring Of Honor Final Battle. Taylor is not the “him” that Lee has been looking for.

Kris Statlander/Willow Nightingale vs. Mercedes Martinez/Diamante

Street fight, with weapons provided. Believe it or not the brawl is on to start and they’re quickly on the floor, where Nightingale gets hit in the head with a bottle. Martinez tears away at the cut but Nightingale and Statlander can cut off Diamante’s dive off the steps. A barbed wire bat to the head cuts Diamante open but Martinez is back in with a tire iron for the save. Martinez hits a release German superplex to drop Nightingale onto some chairs for two and we take a break.

Back with Statlander being sent through a piece of plywood but Nightingale sends the villains into each other. A Pounce sends Martinez into a board in the corner but Diamante gets in a shot to Nightingale. Statlander is back in to beat on Martinez, only to have Diamante come back in with a briefcase (that Statlander and Nightingale brought to the ring). Said briefcase is full of thumbtacks and glass and it’s time for people to be dropped onto the contents. Diamante dropkicks Nightingale into a powerbomb through a table at ringside but Statlander hits a discus lariat with a chain to pin Diamante at 10:31.

Rating: C+. I have no idea what to say about this, but it was certainly a violent sprint. At the same time, I’m not sure if this feud warrants this kind of a bloody match, as it doesn’t quite seem like the right fit. Statlander and Nightingale winning is good as they could go for moving up the ladder, though they need something to move towards. I’m not a fan of the glass and thumbtacks though, even if they might have been the logical call in this kind of a match.

Toni Storm is ready to face either Saraya or Riho at Worlds End. Mariah May is getting her American wrestling license and wants Storm to commentate her first match. Storm isn’t sure but wants Saraya and Riho to beat each other up.

Adam Copeland wants to face Christian Cage at Worlds End in a No DQ match.

Brian Cage vs. Karl Wright

Kick to the head, release German suplex, fall away slam, powerbomb, Drill Claw gives Cage the win at 1:28.

Post break the Mogul Embassy is proud of Cage’s win but Keith Lee comes in to say that Cage can tell “him” (suggesting Swerve Strickland) that his patience is running thin.

Continental Classic Blue League: Eddie Kingston vs. Daniel Garcia

Matt Menard is on commentary. Kingston wants him to bring it to start so Garcia loads up the dancing. Instead he chops away and actually gets the better of things, with Kingston favoring his throat. A dragon screw legwhip off the apron drops Kingston again and it’s time to crank away on that leg back inside. Kingston isn’t having that and fights up to drop Garcia as we take a break.

Back with Garcia fighting out of a chinlock but getting caught in the corner for the rapid fire chops. Garcia tries some weak dancing, earning himself even more chops. Even more dancing, this time with Garcia down in the corner, actually starts a comeback, setting up a running knee in the corner.

A kneebar sends Kingston bailing to the rope so Garcia pulls him back in with an ankle lock, complete with a grapevine. That’s broken up as well and Kingston suplexes him into the corner, setting up the spinning backfist for two. Back to back Saito suplexes give Garcia two but Kingston hits a half and half suplex. Another spinning backfist finishes Garcia at 12:10.

Rating: B-. They had a story here of Garcia turning into a hybrid of the dancing goof and the serious wrestler, which made for a good mix. That version had Kingston on the ropes but still came up short, which feels like it’s going to be the perfect way to set up Garcia stealing a win in his final match. Kingston surviving, and possibly even advancing to the finals, makes sense as you don’t want him to just lose his title without even making a run in the tournament. Good match here, with some of the stories being set up for later.

Blue League Standings
Andrade El Idolo – 9 points (1 match remaining)
Bryan Danielson – 6 points (2 matches remaining)
Brody King – 6 points (2 matches remaining)
Claudio Castagnoli – 6 points (1 match remaining)
Eddie Kingston – 6 points (1 match remaining)
Daniel Garcia – 0 points (1 match remaining, eliminated)

Continental Classic Blue League: Bryan Danielson vs. Brody King

King backs him into the corner so Danielson starts kicking away at the leg to slow things down. That’s not working for King, who knocks him right back down and rakes away at the eyes in the corner. There’s the Cannonball in the corner to knock Danielson silly and they head outside, with King sending him face first into the announcers’ table. One heck of a crossbody up against the barricade crushes Danielson and we take a break.

Back with Danielson’s bad eye busted open and the fight heading outside again. This time King misses another crossbody into the barricade, allowing Danielson to hit a shotgun dropkick back inside. King crotches him on top for a clothesline and they both need a breather. Danielson manages a quick half crab before kicking away at the leg even more.

The hammer and anvil elbows rock King but he’s right back with the Death Valley Driver for two. Back up and Danielson’s running knee gets two so he fires off kicks at King’s head. A hard clothesline takes Danielson’s head off for two but he’s back up with the fabled small package for two. Three straight running knees, with the last one to the back of the head, finishes King at 14:48.

Rating: B+. This started a bit slow but once they got going, they were beating the fire out of each other. That’s about what you have to expect from Danielson in a tournament like this, as he can bring out the best in anyone. King’s run definitely seems to be fading, as Danielson seems to be almost a lock for the semifinals. For now though, awesome big man vs. little man match and they had the crowd going nuts on those kickouts at the end.

Blue League Standings
Andrade El Idolo – 9 points (1 match remaining)
Bryan Danielson – 9 points (1 match remaining)
Brody King – 6 points (1 match remaining)
Claudio Castagnoli – 6 points (1 match remaining)
Eddie Kingston – 6 points (1 match remaining)
Daniel Garcia – 0 points (1 match remaining, eliminated)

Overall Rating: B. The wrestling here was quite good and they built up a few things other than the tournament. The whole league portion of the tournament is over in a week and that means we can move on to the bigger stuff. For now though, it means we’re still getting in some solid matches, including a pretty awesome main event. I’m a bit worried about what they’re going to do when the tournament is over, but things are still working well for the moment.

Results
Claudio Castagnoli b. Andrade El Idolo – Neutralizer
Abadon b. Jazmin Allure – Black Dahlia
Orange Cassidy b. Bryan Keith – Mouse trap
Kris Statlander/Willow Nightingale b. Mercedes Martinez/Diamante – Discus lariat with a chain to Diamante
Brian Cage b. Karl Wright – Drill Claw
Eddie Kingston b. Daniel Garcia – Spinning backfist
Bryan Danielson b. Brody King – Running knee to the back of the head

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

Make sure you check out some recent reviews:

Ring Of Honor – December 14, 2023

Final Battle 2023

Smackdown – December 15, 2023

Surprise! There Was An Unplanned Spot During A Survivor Series Grudge Match.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/surprise-unplanned-spot-survivor-series-grudge-match/

Full Results From December 22 SmackDown Taping (SPOILERS).

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/next-full-results-december-22-smackdown-taping-spoilers/

OUCH: Major WWE Name Out Of Action For Nine Months Following Horrible Knee Injury.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/ouch-major-wwe-name-action-nine-months-following-horrible-knee-injury/

He’s In: AEW Star Wins Important Championship Over The Weekend.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/hes-aew-star-wins-important-championship-weekend/

Boomer Sooner: Jim Ross Offers Update On His Health Status, Thoughts On Returning To AEW TV.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/boomer-sooner-jim-ross-offers-update-health-status-thoughts-returning-aew-tv/

WWE Films Concept For Brand New Concept Before SmackDown: “WWE Speed”.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wwe-films-concept-brand-new-concept-smackdown-sounds-cool/

WATCH: Former WWE Champion Makes Surprise Return On WWE SmackDown, Goes After Bloodline.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/watch-former-wwe-champion-makes-surprise-return-wwe-smackdown-goes-bloodline/

As always, hit up the comments section to chat about what is going on and get on the Wrestling Rumors Facebook page and follow us on Twitter (featuring news stories written by ME).

Smackdown
Date: December 15, 2023
Location: Resch Center, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Commentators: Michael Cole, Kevin Patrick, Corey Graves

We’re getting closer to the end of the year and that means the Royal Rumble build is getting underway. In this case, that means we have a rare appearance from Roman Reigns, who is going to need a challenger for one of the biggest shows of the year. Odds are we don’t find that out this week, but we might get closer to narrowing it down. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Here is the Bloodline to get things going. Roman Reigns tells the fans to acknowledge him before telling them to shut their mouths. It’s promotion season because he is a fair Tribal Chief. If people are doing well, you praise them, but if they’re doing wrong, you smash them. Reigns says this man is the next in line if something happens to him and….after we pause for a RANDY chant, Reigns tells Jimmy Uso to congratulate Solo Sikoa.

Cue Randy Orton and, after a break, Orton promises that he’s coming for Reigns. After 18 months off, Orton wants everything from Reigns, so he’s starting by challenging him for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble. Reigns laughs it off, saying he hasn’t thought about Orton in eighteen months. Orton has to earn his chance, but Orton calls Reigns a legend. Since Orton is a Legend Killer, who crouches down like he’s loading up the RKO, remember that Daddy is back.

Video on Carmelo Hayes, who is in the tournament to crown a new #1 contender to the US Champion.

US Title #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Carmelo Hayes vs. Grayson Waller

During Hayes’ entrance, US Champion Logan Paul insults Hayes, saying that while Hayes says he doesn’t miss, Paul has missed his entire career. After that pretty great line, Hayes starts flipping around to start and hits a quick dropkick. Waller is back up with a right hand and a hard kick to the face drops Hayes again. Hayes grabs a hurricanrana out of the corner and ties Waller in the ropes for the Fade Away (springboard legdrop with Hayes jumping backwards).

A springboard forearm and a running clothesline put Waller on the floor as we take a break. Back with Waller hitting a rolling Downward Spiral for two but Hayes gets a spinning faceplant for the same. Waller gets a boot up in the corner and hits a spinning Rocker Dropper off the middle rope (that’s a new one) for two more. Hayes’ springboard DDT gets him another near fall and Nothing But Net (top rope Fameasser) finishes Waller at 10:22.

Rating: C. The action was good enough and felt like a nice NXT match, which is about what you would have expected. Hayes is one of the biggest stars in NXT right now so giving him a shot in a tournament like this isn’t a bad idea. While I don’t think he’s going to win the whole thing, giving him a chance to show what he can do is a good thing as he is all but guaranteed to be up here sooner than later.

LA Knight runs into Randy Orton in the back and they both seem to want Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble. Orton doesn’t seem to like that.

US Title #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Kevin Owens vs. Austin Theory

Owens has a broken hand thanks to Theory (and Grayson Waller). Logan Paul gets in another insert promo here, insulting Owens’ physique and wardrobe. Owens works on a headlock to start before shifting into an armbar. The backsplash connects but Owens comes up favoring his hand, allowing Theory to bail out to the floor. A Cannonball from the apron hits Theory again but it’s too early for what looked like the Swanton. Theory is right back with a suplex onto the apron as we take a break.

Back with Owens hitting the frog splash but the hand means it’s a delayed near fall. The Swanton only hits raised knees though and Theory gets a breather. Owens strikes him right back down and strikes away though, setting up a one armed DDT for two. With Owens taking too much time going up again, Theory grabs a springboard Spanish Fly for a near fall of his own.

Theory puts Owens on top and tries a superplex, which even Graves knows is a bad idea as Owens reverses into his swinging superplex. They head outside again with Owens being sent over the barricade but he beats the count. That means a Blockbuster can give Theory two but Owens ties him in the Tree Of Woe. The Cannonball into the Swanton gets two but Theory kicks the hand to block the Stunner. Owens gets smart by hitting him with the case for the pin at 13:55.

Rating: C+. The hand played enough of a role in the match and that’s what it was supposed to do. What matters is that Owens seems all but guaranteed to be in a title match with Logan Paul sooner than later, which is a perfectly fine way to go. Theory’s fall continues, as he and Grayson Waller do well together but neither of them exactly win much of anything anymore.

Roman Reigns isn’t happy about Randy Orton and wants him handled. Jimmy Uso suggests Solo Sikoa but Reigns wants Jimmy to do it himself. A yeet, followed by an awkward stare from Reigns, is shared. Jimmy: “No yeet.”

Karrion Kross promises to recycle everything around here and suggests a bunch of destruction. Like Bobby Lashley destroyed him?

Kevin Owens is ready to face Carmelo Hayes, who comes in to say he respects Owens, but he’s coming for him. Owens isn’t sure what to make of him.

Commentary reveals that Charlotte will be out of action for nine months after a knee injury last week.

Bayley is happy with Asuka injuring Charlotte and hypes up the Kabuki Warriors. The rest of the team wants the rest of the titles, with Bayley seemingly entering the Women’s Royal Rumble and promising to take Rhea Ripley’s title.

Kabuki Warriors vs. Zelina Vega/Michin

Michin and Vega jump them in the aisle to start and we’re ready to go after a break. Joined in progress with Michin in trouble and getting taken down on the floor. Sane hits the sliding D to Michin in the corner for two and the Warriors hit stereo sliding kicks for two more. Asuka hits a clothesline but Michin manages a suplex for the tag off to Vega.

A running knee gives Vega two and a 619 connects, only to have Asuka hit her in the face. Vega flips out of the Asuka Lock for two and everything breaks down. With Vega being dropped onto the announcers’ table, some double teaming sets up the Insane Elbow to give Sane the pin at 6:17.

Rating: C. It’s nice to have the Warriors back, even if it was in a match that was little more than a squash. The team is valuable to have around as they have a history of success and can be used as he final bosses for the next hero champions. For now though, this was just a step ahead of a squash and makes other teams realize what they’re up again.

Jimmy Uso is worried that he’s being set up but Solo Sikoa doesn’t have much to say. Instead, he flexes the finger.

Santos Escobar is ready for Bobby Lashley.

Lashley, with the Street Profits, isn’t scared and the Street Profits say Escobar is losing.

Randy Orton vs. Jimmy Uso

Orton doesn’t waste time and starts hammering Uso into the corner to start. That’s enough to send Uso bailing out to the floor where he requests a time out, meaning we take a break. Back with Orton dropping him onto the announcers’ table for two and grabbing an armbar. Some right hands in the corner have Uso down again as commentary talk about how Roman Reigns might be making a mistake by picking Solo Sikoa.

Uso enziguris his way out of trouble and the running Umaga Attack gets two on Orton. A backdrop puts Orton on the floor again and we take another break. Back again with Orton making the clothesline comeback, followed by the powerslam. The hanging DDT connects but here is Solo Sikoa. Cue LA Knight to cut Sikoa off though and the RKO finishes Uso at 14:26.

Rating: C+. Orton is already looking like his old self in the ring and that is a good sign for his future. He would still seem to be on track for the big shot against Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble, as other than Knight, I’m not sure who else would be in the running. Uso can still take loss after loss without being hurt and that was the case again here, as he should be fine in this role for a pretty long time to come.

Post match Orton stares at Knight, who keeps looking at his watch. Cue Roman Reigns to take Knight out and then go after Orton. Uso gets back in and Orton is beaten down, with the invading Knight getting taken out as well. Cue the returning AJ Styles to make the real save, with the Bloodline bailing. Styles decks Knight and stares at Orton though, which makes things all the more interesting to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This was a show about starting the turn towards the Royal Rumble, with AJ Styles’ return at the end being the big moment. Other than that, the tournament moved forward just a bit and we seem to be on the way to Randy Orton vs. Roman Reigns. The wrestling wasn’t exactly tearing the house down but it did well enough. Things can really pick up for the Rumble build soon enough and they planted some seeds this week.

Results
Carmelo Hayes b. Grayson Waller – Nothing But Net
Kevin Owens b. Austin Theory – Punch with a cast
Kabuki Warriors b. Zelina Vega/Michin – Insane Elbow to Michin
Randy Orton b. Jimmy Uso – RKO

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

Final Battle 2023
Date: December 15, 2023
Location: Curtis Culwell Center, Garland, Texas
Commentators: Caprice Coleman, Ian Riccaboni

It’s the biggest Ring Of Honor show of the year and that could mean all kinds of things. The main event is again about the Women’s Title, as Athena, in her hometown, defends against Billie Starkz. Other than that, we’ll be getting a new TV Champion in a six way match with five wrestlers announced. Let’s get to it.

Zero Hour: Taya Valkyrie vs. Jazmin Allure

Bonus match and Johnny TV is with Valkyrie. A hard shot to the face puts Allure down to start and it’s time to choke on the ropes. Allure’s right hand doesn’t get her very far as Valkyrie hits the sliding German suplex. The running knees in the corner hit Allure for two and we hit the chinlock. Allure fights up and slugs away but gets caught up top, meaning it’s a top rope superplex. The curb stomp finishes Allure at 4:26.

Rating: C. So this week on Ring Of Honor, Valkyrie won a match over a bigger name but on the pay per view Kickoff Show, she beats someone who has only popped up here and there. Not much to see with this one but having Valkyrie around is a good thing. She’s a talented veteran and that adds a lot to the division. I’m not sure why this needed to be on the show, but at least Valkyrie was pretty dominant.

Zero Hour: Von Erichs vs. Outrunners

The Von Erichs in Dallas and you don’t advertise it better than this? Ross (which I know because commentary is smart enough to say which Von Erich is which since they aren’t known in Ring Of Honor) takes Magnum down to start and hits a dropkick, followed by a standing hurricanrana for two. Marshall comes in and clears the Outrunners out, meaning it’s time for a meeting on the floor.

Back in and Ross scares the Outrunners back to the floor where they hit…something on Ross that the camera misses. The beating is on back inside but Floyd has to cut off a hot tag. Ross kicks his way to freedom anyway though and it’s Marshall coming in to clean house. Monkey flips have the Outrunners flying and stereo Claws make the Outrunners tap at 6:11.

Rating: C. The match wasn’t very good but this was as much of a layup as you could get. You have the most famous family in the history of Dallas wrestling in a match close enough to Dallas and they won with their family’s signature move. This couldn’t have been an easier idea and they went exactly as they should have with it. Aside from the Outrunners losing of course, because that should never happen.

Zero Hour: Survival Of The Fittest Qualifying Match: Bryan Keith vs. Jack Cartwheel

Keith grabs a headlock to start and grinds away until Cartwheel reverses into one of his own. Cartwheel cartwheels away but a headscissors is broken up so Keith can kick him down for two. An enziguri staggers Keith, who boots Cartwheel in the face for his efforts. Back up and a cartwheel into a dragon screw legwhip drops Keith and a slingshot spinning elbow gets two.

A cartwheel into a powerslam plants Keith and a cartwheel Death Valley Driver is good for another near fall. With Keith on the floor, Cartwheel hits the big rolling flip dive but misses a shooting star press back inside. Keith avoids a shooting star press though and hits a Tiger Driver 97 for the pin at 7:04.

Rating: C+. Having something on the line here helped a lot as that hasn’t been the case with the other two so far. I’m not sure why Johnny TV didn’t get this spot as he’s been feuding with Dalton Castle and is named TV but I guess we needed some Texas flavor to it instead. Keith has done well in the appearances I’ve seen from him over the years while Cartwheel is incredibly athletic, even if it seems like he’s just adding stuff to moves that would already be good on their own.

Tony Khan comes out to talk about his history around here and Jay Briscoe’s legacy at this event. For now though, we have one more bonus match.

Zero Hour: Daniel Garcia vs. Blake Christian

Feeling out process to start and they take turns driving each other into the corner for some dancing. They strike it out a bit until a butterfly suplex gives Garcia two. One heck of a chop puts Christian down again and the fans want it one more time. Christian motions for Garcia to bring it and then hits a basement dropkick.

Something like stereo kicks to the back keep Garcia down but he fights out of a rear naked choke. Garcia gets knocked into the corner and kicked in the face but he’s fine enough to suplex Christian into the corner. A backbreaker gets Christian out of trouble so he does it again and hits Garcia in the back of the neck.

They trade kicks to the face until Christian hits a running Spanish Fly for two more. Garcia is right back with a leglock into an ankle lock but Christian sends him outside for a big flip dive. A springboard 450 gives Christian two but Garcia pulls him into the Dragon Tamer for the tap at 12:15.

Rating: B-. Good stuff here, which might be due to the amount of time they received. It made the match feel a bit more important, but at the same time, there is only so much that you can get out of this kind of a match. There was no story and it was added with no notice, meaning it was only going to be so interesting, especially with a newcomer like Christian.

Tony Khan has another announcement but Ring Of Honor World Champion comes in to say he wants to be on the card. Anthony Henry comes in to say he’ll fight so the Proving Ground match is on. That’s how the World Champion is booked for the biggest show of the year, less than two minutes before the show starts.

And now, the show proper.

AAA Mega Title: El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Black Taurus

Taurus is challenging and isn’t interested in the Code Of Honor. The much smaller Vikingo is sent flying to start and Taurus knocks him out of the air. Back up and Taurus misses a running knee in the corner but the big running flip dive is countered into a powerbomb. They head back inside where Taurus hits a ripcord powerslam for two as the pace slows down again.

A clothesline puts Vikingo over the top, with his head bouncing off the apron on the way down. Taurus follows with the rather large flip dive and a reverse Sling Blade back inside. One heck of a pop up Samoan drop plants Vikingo but he avoids a big dive. Vikingo gets two fight back with a big flip to send Taurus outside.

Vikingo loads up two springboard flip dives but has to bail out and hits a standard dive, with Taurus standing there waiting the entire time (my goodness people just don’t do the dive if it takes that long). Back in and Taurus runs him over and they go upside, with Vikingo snapping off a super hurricanrana. They strike it out on the apron until Vikingo hits a not great looking running sunset bomb. Vikingo springboard dropkicks him into the corner but misses a charge into the corner.

A top rope gorilla press plants Vikingo (geez) but Vikingo kicks him in the face a few times. Vikingo hits a moonsault Samoan driver (because someone can do that) but Taurus spears him down for a double knockdown. Taurus is sent outside for a 720 (yes a 720), which thankfully doesn’t land on his head. Back in and one heck of a backbreaker plants Vikingo but he’s able to knock Taurus into the corner. The running knees and the 630 retain the title at 16:30.

Rating: B. Yes they botched quite a bit and it went a bit long, but my goodness I wanted to see Vikingo beat the monster put in front of him. This was a heck of an opener and Vikingo, despite being rather small, can get a crowd behind him like few others. This was about the entertainment value rather than the quality (which wasn’t exactly terrible) and I had a heck of a time with it. Just don’t stand there waiting on a dive like that again. Ever. That was terrible.

Commentary runs down the card.

Six Man Tag Team Titles: Mogul Embassy vs. TMDK

TMDK (Shane Haste/Bad Dude Tito/Kosei Fujita) is challenging. Kaun and Fujita start things off with Kaun taking over and dropping him with a kick to the chest. Fujita is back up with a spinning kick to the face, allowing the tag off to Tito to take over on Kaun. It’s back to Fujita, who gets taken into the corner for the tag to Cage.

One heck of a powerslam plants Fujita for two and his right hands don’t do much good. Fujita does manage to punch his way out of trouble and everything breaks down. Haste kicks Toa into the corner and Haste nails a running kick to the face for two. The Gates aren’t having any of this and run Fujita over but Tito makes the save. Haste knees his way out of trouble but Toa cuts him in half with a spear for two.

Tito counters Cage’s discus lariat into a Death Valley Driver for two and Fujita springboard dropkicks Kaun for the same. Cage grabs the apron superplex to plant Fujita for two more with Tito making the save this time. Open The Gates hits Haste, leaving Fujita all alone against the champs. Running shots in the corner set up a toss sitout powerbomb to give Cage the retaining pin at 12:01.

Rating: B-. Nice match here as everything went nuts in a smart move. At the same time, and much like earlier, there is only so much you can get out of the champs defending against a team that got their build in a tournament in Japan which was only mentioned before the match. It wasn’t a bad match, but this really could have been dropped from the card without much being lost.

We recap Tony Nese vs. Ethan Page in an I Quit match. Page was on a winning streak but Nese and his friends cut it off and then got on Page’s nerves. Now it’s time for an I Quit match, which is quite the escalation after one match. Also of note, commentary calls them former friends, which certainly hasn’t been a major part of the story.

Tony Nese vs. Ethan Page

I Quit match and Mark Sterling is here with Nese but is handcuffed to the ring. Well he is eventually that is, complete with Mark Henry coming out to make sure it happens. Nese jumps Page from behind to start fast and hammers away, only to get elbowed in the face to cut him off. They head outside where a Sterling distraction lets Nese get in another cheap shot to take over again. Hold on though as Sterling grabs some protein powder, which is thrown into Nese’s eyes by mistake.

They fight outside again, where Page is sent face first into the handcuffs for a fairly creative spot. Nese grabs the mic and tells Page to quit on behalf of the people. That’s not happening so Nese stomps away at the bloody Page, who fights back again. That means Nese is knocked over the barricade but comes back with a weight (as in the kind you put on a bench press).

The big shot misses but Nese sends him into the barricade to take over. Back in and Nese grabs a jump rope for some whipping, only to have Page fight back without much trouble. Nese teases quitting but uses the distraction to hit page with the microphone. That sets up the big flip dive to the floor, meaning some tables can be set up. Page gets in a shot to break things up and heads to the top, where he is knocked back down.

Not that it matters as Page grabs the slingshot cutter to send Nese through the tables. Back in and some chairs are set up with Nese hurricanranaing Page….completely over the chairs. Thankfully commentary acknowledges that it didn’t make contact and Page doesn’t quit. Nese goes to grab the keys to the handcuffs and, after taking out the referee, unlocks Sterling.

The stomping is on and then it’s time to handcuff Page so Nese can smash him with the weight, with Sterling promising to show the tape to Page’s daughter. Well that’s the plan at least as Sterling explains the idea without actually doing anything, allowing Scorpio Sky to come in for the save. Page is able to stomp Nese’s fingers underneath the plate and then DDT him into it.

Sterling gets hit in the face with the plate (probably should have killed him) and the Ego’s Edge drops him again. Sky takes Sterling to the back but Nese is back up with a chair to the head, meaning Page can indeed be handcuffed. Nese gives him one last chance to quit but Page shouts “F*** YOU” and makes the no hands comeback. The referee uncuffs Page, who hits Nese with the chair and chokes him with the handcuffs for the win at 20:01.

Rating: C+. I have no idea what to think of this, but the thing that stands out the most is how overbooked this was. It felt like they weren’t sure if they wanted to have the violent, bloody brawl or some kind of goofy match with all of the exercise equipment. While I wouldn’t call it bad, they could have cut out a lot of this and had a tighter match. It never felt like the biggest match ever as Nese has never been more than a midcard star at best, but at least Page gets a signature win over someone other than a jobber.

Nyla Rose vs. Vertvixen

Another bonus match. Rose starts fast and loads up the Beast Bomb in less than a minute but Vertvixen punches her way to freedom. Another hard shot drops Vertvixen but Rose pulls her up at two. The top rope knee to the back and the Beast Bomb finish for Rose at 2:39. Well that happened.

We recap the TV Title match, which is the result of Samoa Joe vacating the title. Therefore Survival Of The Fittest was brought back with the winner being the new champion.

TV Title: Survival Of The Fittest Finals

Dalton Castle, Lee Moriarty, Kyle Fletcher, Lee Johnson, Bryan Keith, Komander

Elimination rules but only two are in the ring at once. Castle and Moriarty start things off with a handshake before going to the mat. Fletcher comes in and gets beaten up without much effort, meaning it’s off to Johnson vs. Moriarty. It’s Johnson cleaning house and sending Castle outside but getting headscissored by Komander. Keith comes in and cuts off Komander, meaning it’s time for a showdown with Castle. That’s broken up by Fletcher, who tells Castle to bring it.

The fans are way behind Castle as he throws Fletcher outside, much to the fans’ delight. Komander and Fletcher both go up and stare at each other until Komander walks the ropes to dive onto everyone else. Back in and Johnson takes over on Keith but Moriarty slips out of a powerbomb attempt. Moriarty pulls Johnson into the Border City Stretch for the tap and the elimination at 8:47.

The Boys warm Castle up so he can take Moriarty down, followed by a suplex. Cue Johnny TV to drop…someone the camera misses on the floor. Apparently he dropped the Boys, which distracts Castle enough for Moriarty to hit a suplex Downward Spiral for the elimination at 11:17.

The fans are NOT happy, even as Moriarty, Keith and Fletcher slug it out. Komander is back in as a mini tag match breaks out, resulting in the Tower Of Doom leaving all four down. Keith is up with a fireman’s carry backbreaker for one on Moriarty, followed by a tiger driver to get rid of Moriarty for the pin at 15:39. That leaves Fletcher, Keith and Komander, with Keith kneeing Fletcher down. The tiger driver is blocked though and Fletcher Tombstones Keith for the pin at 16:54.

Fletcher and Komander slug it out with Fletcher getting rocked up against the ropes. The spinning Tombstone is broken up and Komander kicks the leg out, setting up a poisonrana. A slingshot hurricanrana to the floor is countered as well and Fletcher hits the jumping Tombstone on the apron to leave them both on the floor. Komander barely beats the count and it’s a brainbuster to give Fletcher two.

Fletcher puts him on top but Komander kicks the leg out and hits a springboard Canadian Destroyer for a rather near fall. A rope walk 450 onto the apron sets up a regular 450 for two and they’re both down. Komander goes up again but gets caught, setting up a brainbuster onto the turnbuckle for another near fall. Another jumping Tombstone gives Fletcher the pin and the title at 26:03.

Rating: B. The big positive here was they got the Survival part right. Fletcher felt like he survived against the others and that was a heck of a finishing sequence. That being said, it was another long match on a show that is going to go late into the night and it features another heel champion. Ring Of Honor needs to give us something more to cheer about and that is rarely the case when it comes to titles. Very energetic match, but dang some of those kickouts were a bit ridiculous.

Pure Rules Title: Wheeler Yuta vs. Tom Lawlor

Lawlor is challenging in his ROH debut. They go to the mat to start with Lawlor getting the better of things and leaving Yuta a bit shaken. Lawlor’s armbreaker has Yuta going to the ropes for his first break and Lawlor seems pleased. Yuta gets in a right hand behind the referee’s back so Lawlor punches him back, earning his official warning.

Yuta takes over again and goes for the leg, sending Lawlor over to the ropes for his first break. They strike it out, with Lawlor favoring his leg, including as they trade discus forearms. Lawlor is back with a spear but Yuta goes straight back to the knee to take over again. An Octopus Hold into an abdominal stretch into a rollup gives Yuta two but Lawler suplex slams him down for the same.

A monkey flip breaks up another leglock attempt and Lawlor starts in on the arm, including a hammerlock piledriver for another near fall. Something like an Anaconda Vice sends Yuta to the ropes for another break, followed by a right hand to drop Lawlor again. They go up top with Lawlor grabbing a Kimura, which he holds while superplexing Yuta back down.

Another Kimura has Yuta using his final rope break so Lawlor goes with Becky Lynch’s Disarm-Her. Yuta reverses that into an ankle lock, which is reversed into another Kimura. That’s escaped as well and Yuta grabs the seatbelt for the…..pin at 13:12, despite Lawlor’s shoulder being a good foot off the mat and his feet being in the ropes.

Rating: B-. This was a technical battle between two rather skilled technical wrestlers and it worked well, aside from the terribly screwed up ending. The Pure Rules thing can work very well and it was good enough here, but this was another match with no backstory and an outsider getting a random title match. Hook is already feuding with Yuta, but here is Lawlor instead. That can get old fast and I wasn’t a fan of it here.

Post match Yuta stays on Lawlor but Hook makes the save. Yuta low blows Hook before leaving.

We recap Shane Taylor vs. Keith Lee. They were a monster team back in the original ROH but Lee went on to WWE and left Taylor to start over. Now Taylor wants revenge. That’s an actual story and I could have gone for it getting some more development than it received.

Shane Taylor vs. Keith Lee

They stare each other down to start before going to the test of strength. Taylor’s headlock has Lee in some trouble but he breaks out so they can run the ropes. One heck of a shoulder drops Taylor and he’s more than a bit stunned. Lee chops away and hits a slingshot crossbody for one.

Taylor is back with a Tower Of London for two and the apron legdrop crushes Lee again. We hit the chinlock back inside, followed by a knee to the face to give Taylor two. Back up and the forearm exchange goes to Lee, who hits a splash in the corner. Taylor knocks him back down and hits a middle rope splash for two more.

Lee knocks him down again and goes to the corner, only to have Lee Moriarty pop up for a distraction. The sitout powerbomb drops Moriarty but Taylor gets in a knee to the back of the head for two. Taylor goes up top and hits a super Canadian Destroyer….for two more. Back up and Keith grabs the Big Bang Catastrophe for the pin out of nowhere at 14:33.

Rating: B-. It was a good hoss fight with some big heavy shots, but again it ran longer than it needed to. There were too many times where they were slowing way down and it would have been better with a few minutes less. I’m not sure how much sense it makes for Keith to win here, but it won’t matter if he doesn’t get a stronger push than he has had in recent months.

Post match Keith pulls Taylor up and Taylor acknowledges the crowd.

Bryan Keith wants gold so Orange Cassidy comes in to say come collect the International Title on Collision.

We recap the Blackpool Combat Club vs. Mark Briscoe/FTR, which is a big tribute to Jay Briscoe and little more.

Blackpool Combat Club vs. Mark Briscoe/FTR

After Dax Harwood goes over to glare at a fan on her phone, we start with Harwood vs. Moxley with neither getting very far. Castagnoli comes in to drive Harwood into the corner before it’s off to Danielson to strike it out with Wheeler. Briscoe gets to come in to a rather strong reaction and hammers away in the corner. It’s back to Harwood, who gets caught by the arm (now bleeding) with Danielson cranking away.

Castagnoli’s Swing has Harwood in more trouble but he German suplexes his way out of trouble. Wheeler gets the tag to clean house, including Redneck Boogie for two on Danielson. Back up and Danielson loads up the Swan Dive but gets caught with the PowerPlex into the Froggy Bow. The Doomsday Device is broken up so Danielson loads up a superplex on Briscoe. That’s broken up as well but Briscoe’s second Doomsday Device attempt lands on Castagnoli’s uppercut.

Moxley is back in with a cutter but Wheeler brainbusters him down. The Shatter Machine is broken up and it’s the running knee to Wheeler. Briscoe fights up to slug away at Moxley and Danielson but Castagnoli comes in with a Neutralizer for two. FTR is back in and a triple Shatter Machine gets the same on Castagnoli. The Jay Driller is broken up and the triple stomping has Briscoe down again.

The Club tries its own Doomsday Device but it gets broken up, meaning the brawl heads to the floor….where it’s a double countout at 19:17. Briscoe is NOT having that though and yeah we’re restarting it….as a Fight Without Honor (street fight, which I believe it was advertised as in advance). The fight is on in the crowd until Briscoe and Moxley head inside. The bloody Briscoe sends him outside and uses a chair for a step up flip dive. FTR loads up a table but let’s bring out a barbed wire ladder instead.

Moxley uses a fork on Harwood’s eye, followed by a curb stomp onto a chair back inside. Danielson is back in for a LeBell Lock to Wheeler, with Moxley adding barbed wire across the eyes. Briscoe makes the save but Moxley grabs a choke. Harwood makes the save this time so let’s throw in a bunch of chairs. A spike piledriver onto the chairs is broken up so Moxley is piledriven off the apron through a board covered in tacks. Danielson kicks away at Briscoe, who isn’t overly impressed. Briscoe fights up and hits a Jay Driller onto the chairs to finish Danielson at about 31:15 overall.

Rating: B. Yeah it was a mess and I’m not sure what was going on with the rules, but my goodness this was an entertaining fight. Much like the opener, they weren’t going for some classic match here as this was more about people beating the fire out of each other until one of them couldn’t get up anymore. At the very least, it’s great to see Briscoe getting a big win and I’m sure Danielson was more than happy to let him get something that big. Heck of a fight here, which was what they were trying to do.

Eddie Kingston vs. Anthony Henry

Non-title Proving Ground match, meaning if Henry wins or survives the ten minute time limit, he gets a future title shot. They start fast and fight out to the floor, where Henry hits a running boot against the barricade. Back in and a double stomp gives Henry two, followed by another kick for two. Kingston gets up and they chop it out, with Kingston snapping o the rapid fire corner chops. Henry is right back with an enziguri into a German suplex for two and they both need a breather. A top rope double stomp misses though and Kingston hits the spinning backfist. The stretch plum finishes Henry at 5:42.

Rating: C. It was a fine match but it’s a Proving Ground match, which has so far been a guaranteed win for the champion. I like the idea of Kingston being on the show, but it would have been nice to have something better for him than a midcard tag wrestler. It wasn’t exactly must see either, but at least they kept it short.

We recap the main event, with Athena defending the Women’s Title against Billie Starkz. Athena was training her as a minion but Starkz rebelled, setting up the title match. Athena has also added that she’s gone if she loses.

Ring Of Honor Women’s Title: Athena vs. Billie Starkz

Athena, the hometown star with a broken nose, is defending. Starkz knocks her fast into the corner and they fight out to the floor. Athena sends Starkz face first into the barricade a few times, with Starkz coming up bleeding. Back in and Athena keeps up the beating, including a neck crank as the blood continues to flow. Starkz gets sent to the floor as this has been much more of a brawl than a match so far.

Athena cuts off a comeback attempt but Starkz fights out of the Tree of Woe and suplexes her into the corner. They both mix kicks to the face before Starkz grabs a dragon suplex. Starkz spears her down and pulls off the mask, setting up some less than great looking forearms. The Swanton connects for two so Athena goes outside, with Starkz hitting a suicide dive into the barricade.

Athena gets in a shot of her own and loads up the announcers’ table but Starkz suplexes her down to the floor. A fireman’s carry is escaped and Starkz pulls her down by the hair. They fight onto the barricade again and it’s a reverse Sling Blade to send Starkz face first onto the floor. It’s time to really try something new so they head back inside for a top rope German superplex for two on Starkz. Back up and the ref gets bumped so Athena asks guest ring announcer (and head Minion) Lexi Nair to hand her the title.

Starkz dropkicks Athena into Nair and Starkz’s End gets two. Back up again and they fight to the apron, where Starkz hits an electric chair driver to knock Athena silly on the floor. The Swanton misses back inside and Athena punches her in the face for a double knockdown. Athena wins a slugout and hits Despicable Knee for two. They trade some rollups for two each until Athena ties her up in something like a modified Octopus hold for the tap to retain at 28:21.

Rating: B. I would bet that this had to be more of a brawl than a match due to the injury, as the style let Athena take a few long breaks in there. Other than that….my goodness who is left to take the title from Athena? This is the match that has been built up for months now and, again, Athena just retains. I’m not sure who in the world is supposed to take the title from her, but it might not be happening for a bit. It’s cool to see a milestone like the women headlining, but it would also be cool to see a heel lose a major title match around here.

Post match Starkz goes to leave but Athena pulls her back. Starkz shows respect and poses with Athena and Nair to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. Wow indeed. This show, counting the Zero Hour (which I do as it was advertised and played a role in the show, plus it’s playing if you go to watch Final Battle on Honor Club), was over five hours and, as tends to be the case, the good guys/women didn’t do very well in title matches. Ring Of Honor has a really bad record of pulling the trigger on a big title change (the biggest they’ve had in months, with Eddie Kingston, wasn’t even in ROH) and that was the case again here. There were some nice moments like the six man and Lee/Taylor making up, but those were pretty few and far between.

As has been the case for months, the wrestling is far from the problem around here. Instead, the problem is in how everything is thrown together with SO MUCH CONTENT included. This show had five matches added the day of the show and even more that were only added within the last two days. That doesn’t leave me wanting to see more ROH, but rather hoping that they never do that again. The weekly show continues to feel mostly disconnected to the PPVs and there is no reason to believe that will change.

Overall, it’s a good show because the wrestlers are so talented, but this was another pay per view that felt like it was thrown together at the last minute, with Tony Khan adding whatever came to his head in the car that morning. Ring Of Honor isn’t enjoyable to watch most of the time and a lot of the reasons why were on display here. As usual it isn’t about the action, which is strong, but the way that action is presented. Fix that and you have a heck of a show, but otherwise, you have a big mess which just keeps going.

Results
Taya Valkyrie b. Jazmin Allure – Curb Stomp
Von Erichs b. Outrunners – Double Iron Claws
Bryan Keith b. Jack Cartwheel – Tiger driver
Daniel Garcia b. Blake Christian – Dragon Tamer
El Hijo del Vikingo b. Black Taurus – 630
Mogul Embassy b. TMDK – Toss sitout powerbomb to Fujita
Ethan Page b. Tony Nese – Choke with handcuffs
Nyla Rose b. Vertvixen – Beast Bomb
Kyle Fletcher won Survival Of The Fittest last eliminating Komander
Wheeler Yuta b. Tom Lawlor – Seat belt
Keith Lee b. Shane Taylor – Big Bang Catastrophe
Mark Briscoe/FTR b. Blackpool Combat Club – Jay Driller to Danielson on a pile of chairs
Eddie Kingston b. Anthony Henry – Stretch plum
Athena b. Billie Starkz – Octopus hold

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