Collision
Date: February 28, 2026
Location: Mission Ballroom, Denver, Colorado
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Tony Schiavone

We’re getting closer to next month’s Revolution and that should be the focus for the next few weeks, including this show. The pay per view now has a main event with MJF defending the World Title against Hangman Page in a Texas Deathmatch, with MJF talking about the match this week. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Here is a ticked off MJF to get things going. We’re not starting this show until Revolution is fixed so he wants Tony Khan out here right now because a Texas Deathmatch is NOT happening. Cue Kevin Knight instead, saying he sees MJF trying to hide while Knight has been out here getting the job done. Knight says he has better fashion and swagger than MJF but he’s also the future and here and now. MJF isn’t impressed…but gives Knight a World Title shot on Dynamite anyway, promising to make Knight history. Well that worked.

Mark Briscoe wants to face Tommaso Ciampa again but tonight, Ciampa is facing Jay Lethal, who beat Ciampa for the ROH TV Title (I was at that show).

Death Riders vs. Don Callis Family

Eight man tag with Jon Moxley on commentary as the feud continues. Garcia and Romero start things off with Garcia avoiding a dropkick and hitting a basement version of his own. It’s off to Castagnoli vs. Alexander with Alexander blocking a Swing attempt. Castagnoli throws him down with the gutwrench suplex so Archer comes in to take over.

Everything breaks down and we get the parade of knockdowns. Archer hits a chokeslam but gets taken down by Yuta. The big flip dive lets Yuta wipe out the pile at ringside and we settle down to Pac kicking away at Beretta. Romero is back in with a missile dropkick to knock Pac off the apron and we take a break. We come back with Alexander chinlocking Pac, who gets up with a rebound German suplex. That’s enough for Castagnoli to come back in and fire off the uppercuts.

It’s already back to Yuta, who gets dropped by some jumping knees. Archer gives him a chokeslam and Yuta has to fix his hat to hide the baldness. Marina Shafir comes in to choke Archer, who breaks it up in a hurry. The Riders are back in to strike away at Archer, including a string of shots in the corner. The Fastball Special gets two, with the Family making the save. They brawl back to the floor and it’s Yuta’s running knee to finish Romero at 15:20.

Rating: B-. This is the big team feud in AEW at the moment and it wouldn’t shock me to see it go all the way on to either Anarchy In The Arena or Blood & Guts (or both). It’s smart to use the lower level wrestlers in the fall for a change, as it isn’t like Romero is going to be hurt by a loss. Nice match here, which might be due to Don Callis himself being nowhere in sight.

Post match Moxley gets in the ring to celebrate but Konosuke Takeshita runs in for the brawl.

Tommaso Ciampa vs. Jay Lethal

The Swirl is here with Lethal. They go technical to start and a headlock takeover is broken up, giving us a standoff. With that not working, it’s time to slug it out until Ciampa grabs a belly to back suplex. Blake Christian offers a quick distraction though, allowing Lethal to hit his own suplex. Lethal shoulders him down and there’s the strut before Ciampa is sent outside. That means Ciampa can take out the Swirl, only to get wiped out with a suicide dive.

We take a break and come back with Ciampa catching him on top with a chop. Lethal knocks him right back down but the Figure Four is countered into a small package. The Lethal Combination puts Ciampa back down but Hail To The King is countered into a crucifix for two. Lethal grabs a cutter and tries the Lethal Injection, which is cut off with a basement dropkick. Ciampa kicks away and hits the running knee for the pin at 9:20.

Rating: B-. Again, this is where Lethal is at his best, as he can help boost up anyone around here. That’s certainly a good thing for Ciampa, who is already doing well establishing himself in his new surroundings. It would be nice to see him get another title shot, though I’ll take him being on his own for a change after so long in a tag team in WWE.

The IInspiration are here and seem to want to fight the Brawling Birds on Dynamite.

Video on Clark Connors.

Brawling Birds vs. Gypsy Mac/Tyra Russamee

Hayter forearms away on Mac to start and sends her to the corner for the tag to Russamee. Windsor hammers her down in a different corner and it’s back to Hayter with a running boot into a backbreaker. The double chops and double shoulders set up a Hart Attack (Two Birds One Stone, a rather clever name) for the pin on Russamee at 3:01.

Rating: C. Total squash here but I’m liking the Birds thus far. They’re both talented women who had nothing better to do and it’s nice to see them getting a chance. Hayter just hasn’t been quite the same since returning from her terrible injury so this is good for a rehab assignment. Maybe it works long term, as it’s not like there are a lot of teams to jump over.

Video on a four way tag match for $200,000 next week. I guess that’s a thing again.

IMG Credit: All Elite Wrestling

Kyle Fletcher/Kazuchika Okada vs. Top Flight

Christopher Daniels is here with Top Flight and Don Callis is on commentary. Okada and Darius start things off as Callis explains the idea of Okada, the senior man in the team, giving the younger men a hard time. A double big boot drops Darius, who pulls himself back in to dropkick Fletcher. Dante comes in and gets knocked outside, where Okada gives him a DDT as we take a break.

We come back with Dante fighting his way out of trouble but Okada is in to cut off the tag. Said tag goes through about five seconds later and it’s Darius coming in to clean house. Fletcher misses a charge into the corner and Darius comes back in to kick him into a German suplex. Darius and Fletcher strike it out until Okada comes in for the dropkick. The Rainmaker drops Darius and Fletcher adds the brainbuster for the pin at 9:40.

Rating: B. This got going near the end but ultimately it was what Top Flight does best: putting in a solid effort but coming up short against a bigger name team. Unfortunately that has been their situation for far too long now and there isn’t much hope that they’ll shake the funk. I’m sure this will lead to even more of the tease of Okada vs. Takeshita, which has only been teased for the better part of ever thus far.

Post match Fletcher declares himself and Okada as the best champions in AEW history and a challenge is issued. Cue Jet Speed, who beat them in singles matches in the Continental Classic. A tag match is teased, along with Okada getting a World Title shot once Knight wins the thing, and a Trios Title match. General thought: SWEET GOODNESS THERE ARE TOO MANY TITLES AROUND HERE.

Darby Allin and Orange Cassidy want to fight the War Dogs.

Toni Storm vs. Zayda Steel

Storm’s early headlock takeover doesn’t get her very far so she tells Steel to give her some running shoulders. Steel can’t put her down so it’s a hurricanrana to send Storm into the corner instead. The running knee staggers Storm, who is right back with a suplex. A Codebreaker sends Storm outside for a suicide dive, followed by a high crossbody for two back inside. Three straight German suplexes knock Steel silly and the hip attack into Storm Zero finishes her off at 3:32.

Rating: C+. Steel got in some offense here but she has been little more than cannon fodder since coming to AEW. I get the idea that you don’t want some rookie becoming one of the big players around here, but there has to be something of a middle ground between that and her one singles win. Other than that, Storm would seem likely to be facing Marina Shafir in a big showdown soon, which should be good.

Post match Shafir comes in for the brawl, with Wheeler Yuta joining in. Storm fights back and steals Yuta’s hat, revealing a mostly bald head, though the hair is already starting to grow back in. At least they did it early enough.

Hook is recruiting for the Opps and Anthony Bowens offers his services. That’s only a maybe though, because Bowens might not be enough of a killer. Hook talking is not a great idea.

IMG Credit: All Elite Wrestling

Sisters Of Sin vs. Kris Statlander/Thunder Rosa

Rosa hammers away on Hart to start and takes her down, only to be driven into the corner. Blue comes in for a double flapjack but gets sent into the wrong corner as well. That’s broken up so Hart comes back in and gets reverse slammed. Statlander’s big suicide dive is cut off though and we take a break.

We come back with Statlander catapulting Blue into Hart in the corner, allowing Rosa to come back in. Blue jawbreaks her way out of trouble and everything breaks down. The superkick gets two on Statlander, with Rosa diving in to make the save. They slug it out from their knees but the super swinging Rock Bottom is broken up. Staturday Night Fever drops Hart and Rosa’s package powerbomb gets the pin at 10:17.

Rating: B-. The Sisters remain little more than lackeys for the rather awesome Thekla and that’s a pretty solid choice for them. I’m not sure how that’s going to go for their future but the trio deal does seem to be the right idea. Rosa and Statlander feel like two singles stars working as a team, meaning they’ll likely stay this way for the time.

Post match here is Thekla, who says if there is one thing she can’t stand, it’s two dumb b******. She’s ready to beat Rosa, who should just retire already. Give it up for the past of the women’s division because it belongs to her. Yeah she’s good at this.

IMG Credit: All Elite Wrestling

Tomohiro Ishii vs. Andrade El Idolo

Don Callis is on commentary as they fight over a lockup to start. Andrade tries to pick up the pace but gets caught on top, where Ishii can’t hit an early superplex. Instead Andrade gets two off a high crossbody, with Callis saying he has his eyes locked onto Andrade’s physique at all times.

Ishii gets dropkicked out to the floor, where he drops Andrade onto the apron to take over. Back in and Andrade’s big boot gets two and they’re already back on the floor. Andrade sends him into the announcers’ table and stops for a photo with a fan as we take a break.

We come back with Ishii fighting up, leaving Callis so frantic that he gets back on commentary. Andrade’s Three Amigos get two but he misses the running knees in the corner. Ishii’s German suplex is shrugged off so he headbutts Andrade down. A missed charge sends Ishii face first into the buckle and the running knees knock him silly for two. The double moonsault gets two more but the DM is blocked. Instead Andrade’s spinning back elbow gets two, followed by the DM to pin Ishii at 14:04.

Rating: B-. Yeah it was fine, but you know what Ishii is going to do most of the time. He’s pretty much just playing the greatest hits these days and that’s only going to get him so far. Andrade is on his way to a match with Bandido, which should make for a good use of both of them at the pay per view.

Post match Bandido comes out for the staredown with Andrade and the match is announced for Revolution. There’s no word on if the Ring Of Honor World Title will be on the line, which would be about as appropriate as you could get for that title.

Overall Rating: B. This show did a nice job of setting some things up for the future or simply advancing a few things that were already established. That’s often the best you can get out of Collision and I’ll take it over what we got last week. This did a nice job and the tag match was rather good stuff. Nice show this week.

Results
Death Riders b. Don Callis Family – Running knee to Romero
Tommaso Ciampa b. Jay Lethal – Running knee
Brawling Birds b. Gypsy Mac/Tyra Russamee – Two Birds One Stone to Russamee
Kyle Fletcher/Kazuchika Okada b. Top Flight – Brainbuster to Darius
Toni Storm b. Zayda Steel – Storm Zero
Kris Statlander/Thunder Rosa b. Sisters Of Sin – Package powerbomb to Hart
Andrade El Idolo b. Tomohiro Ishii – DM

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

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Ring Of Honor
Date: February 26, 2026
Location: H-E-B Center At Cedar Park, Cedar Park, Texas
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

I’m back to the point where I don’t know what to expect from these shows and that’s a weird feeling. There are so many titles around here but a bunch of them are either never defended or defended at random and that makes the shows hard to predict. Maybe it’s different this time around so let’s get to it.

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

Shane Taylor Promotions are ready to win their matches tonight, with Trish Adora promising to end Deonna Purrazzo’s luck.

Opening sequence.

JD Drake vs. Adam Priest

The much bigger Drake easily wins a slugout and shoulders Priest down. Priest’s comeback is cut off in a hurry and Drake drops a leg for a quick two. Drake slowly takes him into the corner for the chops but misses a sitdown splash. Priest throws him down for two but Drake takes him up top, where a Priest’s sunset bomb gets two. Drake gets two more off a Shining Wizard so he tries a spinebuster, only to get countered into a rollup to give Priest the pin at 7:25.

Rating: C. Decent enough match between two people who don’t have much going on, at least when it comes to singles status. Drake has just been floating around for a long time now and while he’s a good hand, there isn’t much that makes him stand out. Priest still feels like someone with potential, but his smaller size is going to be a lot to get around.

We look at Skyflight beating TMDK last week in a six man main event.

Frat House vs. TMDK

Garrison slugs away at Tito in the corner to start and a clothesline connects as well. A flapjack/running boot combination drops Tito for two but it’s off to Haste. That means a release Falcon Arrow to Garrison and everything breaks down. Tito takes out Garrison and Haste’s fireman’s carry swung into a spinebuster finishes Karter at 3:37.

Rating: C+. It was a fast paced tag match and TMDK looked dominant, which is why you bring them in for a match against a team like the Frat House. I can’t imagine TMDK sticks around but having them in a two match series like this is fine. Not a great match, but it was entertaining while it lasted.

Women’s TV Title: Zayda Steel vs. Red Velvet

Steel, with her one match winning streak after losing everything else, is challenging. Velvet snaps off some armdrags into an armbar to start before missing some right hands. They trade near falls off some small packages until Steel’s Backstabber out of the ropes gets two. An exchange of running shots in the corner goes to Velvet, who grabs a powerbomb for two more. Steel is back with a spinwheel kick for two but Velvet’s Iconoclasm gets the same. A TKO gives Steel two more and she can’t believe the kickout. Velvet is right back with a spinning kick to the face to retain at 6:02.

Rating: C. This didn’t have much of a story to it as they were just kind of trading moves back and forth until Velvet got the pin. Steel still feels like an interesting prospect, but she needs to string together some wins to shake off the early losing streak. There wasn’t much of a reason for her to get a title shot here, but I’ll take it over the title sitting on the shelf.

Post match respect is shown.

TMDK is happy with their win but they get jumped by Shane Taylor Promotions.

Grizzled Young Veterans/Big Bill/Bryan Keith vs. CJ Tino/Richie Slade/Che Cabrera/Dom Kubrick

Isla Dawn is here with the villains. Keith throws his gear at Tino to start and shoulders him down for two. Slade comes in and gets his arm twisted, allowing Drake to come in as well. Drake lets Slade forearm away to no avail before Gibson unloads with forearms of his own in the corner. Slade slips out of a slam though and hands it off to the muscular Guevara (Latino Meat, which made me chuckle), who wants Bill. That’s what he gets before actually winning a slugout. The Veterans come back in to clean house and Bill’s big boot finishes Tino at 4:32.

Rating: C. This was almost but not quite a squash as the villains ran through everyone but Guevara. I’m not sure why they need to be teaming together but I do like seeing the Veterans actually winning something for a change. It’s a quick match and that’s all it needs to be so I’ll take what I can get.

Post match the winners split some money but are interrupted by Skyflight, who give them a staredown.

Skyflight vs. Adrian Quest/Ricky Gee/Danny Rose

I do appreciate the jobbers having their names on their gear. Quest and Sky start things off with some wristlocking before Darius comes in instead. That earns him a quick triple teaming down and a front facelock from Rose. That’s broken up and Dante comes in to pick up the pace, including an enziguri and springboard high crossbody for two on Gee. Everything breaks down and Gee is catapulted into a cutter to give Dante the pin at 4:34.

Rating: C+. This was another fast paced match and it was nice to see them staying to the point here, with both teams getting to look good. Quest/Gee/Rose seem to be a regular team and I could go for seeing some more of them in the future. They were smart to keep this fast and it worked well enough.

We look back at Jay Lethal turning on Bandido and joining the Swirl.

Jay Lethal vs. Tommy Billington

Billington was barely shown in the clip but at least commentary explains how he’s connected to Lethal. They start fast with Lethal being sent outside for a suicide dive, followed by a backdrop back inside. Lethal is back up with a suplex onto the apron and then a cutter back off of it and they head back inside.

One heck of a chop drops Billington in the corner and Billington hammers away. It’s time to start in on the leg with the Figure Four going on rather quickly. The rope is reached and Billington rolls away from the threat of Hail To The King. Billington catches him up top with a superplex but Lethal is back up again. Lethal takes over again and tries Hail To The King, which is reversed into a crossface. Cue Lee Johnson for a distraction, allowing Lethal to hit the Lethal Injection for the pin at 8:15.

Rating: B-. Lethal having the best match of the night thus far is hardly a surprise as he’s still one of the best in-ring stars in the company. I do like him being added to the biggest story around here as it adds some credibility. I’m just not sure who is going to step in and take him out, though actually getting to the Christian vs. Bandido match that has been teased for months would be nice.

Satnam Singh vs. Jordan Oasis

Oasis slugs away with forearms to start but is quickly sent into the corner. The loud (or in this case, not so loud) chops have Oasis in trouble and we hit a nerve hold. That’s broken up and Oasis goes after the leg, only to get sent to the apron. The chokeslam brings Oasis over the top and plants him down for the pin at 2:54. Pretty standard Singh match.

Deonna Purrazzo says her Pure Rules match against Trish Adora means it’s the two of them, one on one.

Persephone vs. Johnnie Robbie

Persephone rudely backs her up against the ropes to start but gets armdragged down a few times. Robbie’s sunset flip is rolled through for a basement dropkick and a hard kick to the back has her in more trouble. A judo throw and some forearms have Robbie in more trouble and Persephone powers her into the corner. We’re off to the chinlock but Robbie is back up with some kicks to the head for two. Robbie’s knee to the face drops Persephone again but she counters a rollup into a Razor’s Edge to finish Robbie at 5:43.

Rating: B-. Robbie got in a lot of offense here and it was a nice performance from someone who hasn’t been around very often. At the same time, commentary continues to treat Persephone as a huge deal and that is likely going to continue. I’m not sure what she’s going to do, but it doesn’t feel as important when Athena has already beaten her in a big match.

Tony Nese vs. Komander

Before the match, Mark Sterling complains about luchadors like Komander, saying Nese is going to clear them out. Nese backs him into the corner to start and then flips over Komander out of said corner. Komander sends him outside for a suicide dive and chops away against the barricade. A Daivari distraction lets Nese get in a kick to the head and we hit the waistlock.

Nese double stomps the ribs into another waistlock, which has Komander slapping his stomach, which doesn’t count as a tap. Back up and Nese misses a charge into the post, allowing Komander to strike away. A quick DDT drops Nese for two and a double moonsault gets the same. Komander’s regular moonsault hits raised boots but Nese’s pumphandle driver is countered into a rollup for two. The very springboardy DDT plants Nese and Cielito Lindo finishes him at 8:31.

Rating: B-. Komander continues to get in a bunch of offense, though it doesn’t exactly lead to much no matter what he’s doing. Hopefully he gets to do something as he’s right there to go after one of the titles. Then again wins and losses only mean so much around here, which is one of Ring Of Honor’s biggest issues.

We look at Nick Wayne winning the TV Title from Komander last April.

Nick Wayne vs. Lucas Riley

Non-title Proving Ground match, because Wayne being gone since JULY isn’t enough to warrant a title defense. Wayne snapmares him down to start and messes with Riley’s hair, only for Riley to take him down and do the same. Normally this would mean war, but normally this would be a title match. Well actually normally he would have been stripped of the title somewhere in the last six plus months but oh well. Back up and Wayne chops him against the ropes but Riley grabs a Michinoku Driver for two. Wayne’s dragon suplex gets two and he kicks Riley in the head for the pin at 3:45.

Rating: C. I have no idea why this wasn’t a title match. Wayne has been gone for the better part of a year and yet here we are with a Proving Ground match. This is a perfect example of the title situation not making sense around here, as wrestlers will get title matches out of nowhere or after winning one match, but Wayne gets to go into yet another month without defending his title. I get that things might be different, but some kind of logic would be nice.

Women’s Pure Title: Deonna Purrazzo vs. Trish Adora

Purrazzo is defending for the first time since winning the title on December 5. They fight over wrist control to start and Adora bails from the threat of the Fujiwara armbar. Adora pulls her throat first into the ropes, which apparently counts as a rope break. A small package gives Adora two and they forearm it out.

The Lariat Tubman misses and Purrazzo is back with her own clothesline to put them both down. Adora’s bridging German suplex gets two, as does Purrazzo’s nasty powerbomb. The Fujiwara armbar doesn’t work as Purrazzo’s arm gives out thanks to the neck damage. The Lariat Tubman connects but Purrazzo rolls outside. Back in and Purrazzo rolls her into the Fujiwara armbar and leans back to make up for the bad arm for the tap at 9:15.

Rating: B-. Yeah it was fine. There’s still no need for this to be a title, as we went almost two months without the thing being defended and pretty much nothing was lost. Purrazzo is a rather talented star and it’s fun watching her in the ring. That doesn’t mean she needs a title basically customized for her.

Post match Diamante and Billie Starkz run in to beat down Purrazzo, with Adora joining in.

Athena is proud of her minions and wants to beat up Maya World, who attacked her at Global Wars. Therefore World has earned a match with Athena. A Proving Ground match of course. Because Heaven forbid it’s a title match.

Overall Rating: C. This show was back in the good old Ring Of Honor format of frustrating me to no end, as it’s over an hour and forty minutes long with matches seemingly pulled out of a hat. You could have easily dropped a handful of these matches and not lost a thing, but I’m wondering if this was due to the rumored studio show starting soon. Since Ring Of Honor had absolutely no choice but to tape and air all of these matches, they just didn’t have a choice otherwise.

Then you have the title situation, which is somehow getting worse. Either you have people getting title matches after almost no success (Zayda Steel), titles being defended at random after months of activity (Deonna Purrazzo), titles not being defended after a hiatus approaching enough time to conceive and have a baby (Nick Wayne) or just not being defended for three months (Athena, Shane Taylor Promotions, Bandido as of next week), I have no idea how the title process works around here.

There are WAY too many titles though and no sign of them ending, much like there is no sign of this place being well put together. Maybe the studio thing will help that, but I’m having fears of those nearly three hour shows that are just like this, with random matches up and down the card and talks of getting into title contention for hours on end. Not an awful show here, but good grief figure out how things are supposed to go around here and stick to it already.

Results
Adam Priest b. JD Drake – Rollup
TMDK b. Frat House – Fireman’s carry slam to Karter
Red Velvet b. Zayda Steel – Spinning kick to the face
Big Bill/Bryan Keith/Grizzled Young Veterans b. CJ Tino/Richie Slade/Che Guevara/Dom Kubrick – Big boot to Tino
Skyflight b. Adrian Quest/Ricky Gee/Danny Rose – Slingshot cutter to Gee
Jay Lethal b. Tommy Billington – Lethal Injection
Satnam Singh b. Jordan Oasis – Chokeslam
Persephone b. Johnnie Robbie – Razor’s Edge
Komander b. Tony Nese – Cielito Lindo
Nick Wayne b. Lucas Riley – Kick to the head

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

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Ring Of Honor
Date: February 12, 2026
Location: eSports Stadium Arlington, Arlington, Texas
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re getting closer to absolutely nothing right now and there are a lot of titles that could use a defense after literal months of no defenses. Hopefully they find a way around that, as the Swirl/Jay Lethal story, which was the best thing going, has already cooled off. Maybe we can switch it up a bit this week so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Tag Team Titles: La Faccion Ingobernable vs. Top Flight

La Faccion is defending for the first time since winning the titles on December 5, which was their first time teaming together. We get a cheer off to start and Dante speeds around Mortos. A running shoulder sends Dante flying and it’s off to Darius vs. Guevara. Well never mind as Guevara hands it right back to Mortos, which seems like a waste of time.

And it’s already back to Guevara, who is knocked into Mortos this time, but snaps off a headlock takeover. Guevara’s moonsault dropkick puts Darius on the floor so Dante comes in, only to miss a stomp. Dante gets taken into the corner for some clotheslines from Mortos, who is described as a good lawyer. As your bull monsters tend to be.

A shot to the hamstring lets Mortos start in on the leg but Dante manages a quick DDT. Darius and Guevara come in to pick up the pace but Mortos gets in a blind tag. A jumping Downward Spiral drops Guevara and a tornado DDT drops Mortos for two, as the blind tag didn’t make much of a difference. Mortos is right back with a pop up Samoan drop to pin Darius at 8:39.

Rating: C+. It was nice to see the titles actually defended, as if nothing else you might want to see the still mostly unproven team actually, like, team. It’s not like there are many teams in the title picture (whatever that entails) so it makes sense to give the champs some reps. At least more than one every two months at least.

Jay Lethal has Bandido’s mask and promises that Bandido will lose the World Title soon. Tommy Billington pops in to challenge Lethal. He doesn’t actually do anything physical, but he does make the challenge.

Michael Oku/Von Erichs vs. The OXP/Oday/Timur The Great

Kevin Von Erich is here too and gives Oku his cowboy hat on the way in. Oku grabs OXP’s arm to start and hands it off to the Von Erichs for some running clotheslines in the corner. Everything breaks down quickly and Oku hits the running shooting star to the floor. Back in and the double Claw and half crab give us the triple submission at 2:31. At least it was short.

We look back at last week’s main event.

Persephone vs. Julissa Mexa

Mexa takes her down to start fast and does a quick dance. The hips to the face have Persephone in more trouble and a spinning middle rope crossbody gives Mexa two. Persephone is right back up with a knockdown and basement dropkick to put Mexa in trouble. Some knees in the corner have Mexa down again and we hit the chinlock. That’s broken up and Mexa gets in a capture suplex, followed by a standing moonsault for two of her own. Mexa strikes away so Persephone gives her a bridging German suplex. A pumphandle dragon suplex puts Persephone down for two more but she’s right back with a crucifix bomb for the pin at 5:29.

Rating: B-. They made the most of their time here and it was a back and forth match. The good thing is that Persephone, who is apparently a big deal around here, got to look like a star. At the same time, Mexa had a solid debut and I could go for more of her, as the women’s division could certainly use some new names.

Dalton Castle/Outrunners vs. KM/Nathan Cruz/Rosario Grillo

Magnum scares Grillo into the corner to start so it’s quickly off to Cruz for an early change. Everything breaks down fast and the Outrunners clean house. Castle comes in for the suplexes and it’s a triple slam into the Mega Powers elbow to Cruz. The Bang A Rang gets the pin at 2:32. Total squash.

JD Drake doesn’t think much of Adam Priest going after Kazuchika Okada and wants to teach him a lesson. That’s quite the downgrade from Okada.

Lance Archer vs. Will Allday

Allday bounces off of Archer to start but manages to backflip out of a chokeslam attempt. A choke toss sends Allday flying but he avoids a charge in the corner. Archer has had enough and knocks him down, setting up the chokeslam and Blackout for the pin at 2:30. Anyone think maybe they should do something with Archer and his undefeated run? Anything at all?

Swirl/Premiere Athletes vs. Bandido/Mascara Dorada/Komander/Xelhua

Daivari and Xelhua start things off with Xelhua firing off some early dropkicks. Dorada comes in and gets his mask pulled, allowing the big beatdown in the corner. That doesn’t last long as Dorada is back with a spinning kick to Nese’s head. Komander comes in to face Johnson and flips over into a standoff. That works so well that Komander flips over into a standoff before bringing in Bandido to face Christian.

They forearm it out until Johnson and Komander come in as well. The luchadors clear the ring but some evil cheap shots leave Komander in trouble for a change. Nese drops a leg and the Athletes hit a quick double suplex. Bandido avoids a charge in the corner but gets speared down on the apron in a nice sequence. Back in and Johnson hammers away while Christian hits on Stori Denali.

Daivari and Komander crash on stereo crossbodies and Bandido comes back in to clean house. Komander’s very bouncy hurricanrana connects and the luchadors hit a nice quadruple dive. Christian flips out of the 21 Plex though and Denali sneaks in to chokeslam Bandido. Christian’s frog splash gets two with Dorada making a save. We hit the parade of knockdowns, including a pop up cutter to Daivari. More dives connect to the floor and Bandido 21 Plexes Daivari for the win at 14:07.

Rating: B-. This was a fun match with the luchadors getting to go out there and do some impressive things, as they are known to do. That’s always going to work, though at least this did something to keep up the build towards Christian vs. Bandido. I have no idea when that is actually going to happen, but at least they’re doing something to make it happen. Kind of.

Overall Rating: B-. While there was a lot of filler in the middle, it was nice to see a show actually feel important for a change. That’s not something that you often see around here and putting one of the ridiculous amount of titles on the line helped. Throw in some Bandido/Christian build in and I could go for more of this style. I doubt I’ll get it, but I’ll take it for a week.

Results
La Faccion Ingobernable b. Sky Flight – Pop up Samoan drop to Darius
Michael Oku/Von Erichs b. The OXP/Oday/Timur The Great – Triple submissions
Persephone b. Julissa Mexa – Crucifix bomb
Dalton Castle/Outrunners b. KM/Nathan Cruz/Rosario Grillo – Bang A Rang to Cruz
Lance Archer b. Will Allday – Blackout
Bandido/Xelhua/Mascara Dorada/Komander b. Swirl/Premiere Athletes – 21 Plex to Daivari

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

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Ring Of Honor
Date: January 22, 2026
Location: eSports Stadium Arlington, Arlington, Texas
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re in Arlington for a change and as usual it’s hard to guess what we’re going to be seeing here. The rise of the Swirl is the big story at the moment, though I’m not sure where that’s going to go. Other than that, we get to see how long multiple titles can go without being defended since last month’s Final Battle. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Premiere Athletes vs. Adam Priest/Tommy Billington

We get a quick insert promo from the Swirl and Jay Lethal, who aren’t happy with Priest and Billington. Priest and Daivari fight over arm control to start and it’s Billington being taken into the corner. Nese comes in and gets elbowed by Billington but comes back with a headlock takeover. Some running shoulders do a bit better for Billington but Nese cuts him off with a chop block.

The arm is rammed into the apron as well and Billington can’t manage a spinning Tombstone. Nese wraps the arm around the rope, followed by the running neck snap over a different rope. A double clothesline gets Billington out of trouble though and the tag brings in Priest to start the comeback. Priest gives Nese a tornado DDT for two before grabbing a half crab on Daivari.

Mark Sterling offers a distraction but the Athletes collide. Billington gets low bridged out to the floor, leaving an assisted DDT to plant Priest for two. Priest manages to send them into each other though and the half crab goes on but Stori Denali is in with a chokeslam. The cover is broken up by Billington’s Swan Dive (nice job on the save) and Denali is stunned. Billington hits a dive onto Daivari, leaving Nese to load up the pumphandle driver. That’s reversed into a rollup though and Priest gets the pin at 9:24.

Rating: B. Those guys just had probably the best match of their careers as they went out there and tore the house down when they were given the chance. It’s the best match that I’ve seen on the weekly series in a long time and I have a great time with the whole thing. Heck of a match here with really good action and more than one hot sequence. Nice job.

Post match Lethal and the Swirl run in for the big beatdown, with the Athletes joining in.

Satnam Singh vs. Josiah Jean/Dante Leon

Singh takes turns throwing them into the corner for some loud chops but they escape a double chokeslam. A double chop block just annoys Singh and it’s a double chokeslam into a double pin at 2:25. This was every Singh match but with two opponents. I do appreciate that they’re just throwing him out there as a monster, though it’s not like he’s doing anything important and I can’t imagine that changing.

Video on Cru.

Alec Price/Jordan Oliver vs. Cru

The video hypes up Lacey Lane joining Cru so of course she isn’t here. Andretti and Oliver go to the mat to start before it’s off to Price to work on the arm. A dropkick puts Price down and we hit the armbar as commentary says that due to upcoming weather issues, the announced Global Wars with Athena’s promotion is postponed. Nothing wrong with that as it’s not something they can control.

Anyway Andretti gets elbowed down for a splash/legdrop combination but he fights his way out of the corner. Rush comes in for the alternating strikes to Price as everything breaks down. Cru is sent outside for a double suicide dive but Price is up to dive onto the two of them. Back in and an assisted top rope faceplant gets two on Rush but Price knocks Oliver off the apron by mistake. Andretti hits a running clothesline and the double Falcon Arrow finishes for Rush at 6:08.

Rating: C+. There was some nice action here, though my goodness can Price and Oliver actually win a match? It’s like the company is going out of their way to have them lose as often as possible. At the same time, I’m not sure what Price and Oliver are supposed to do around here. There are so many teams who can do the exact same style (including Cru, and the Rascalz, who haven’t even started wrestling yet) so….what are they going to be? Another high flying team of losers?

Post match, respect is shown, as I’m kind of surprised that Cru are good guys.

Dalton Castle/Outrunners vs. Auzzy/Hitt/Gino Medina

Auzzy and Magnum start things off with Auzzy not being the most respectful. That doesn’t last long as it’s off to Media, who is chopped into a tag to Floyd. The rather large Hitt comes in to hammer on Floyd in the corner, which doesn’t last long as it’s Castle coming in. Suplexes and slams abound, setting up and Mega Powers elbow. The Bang A Rang finishes Medina at 3:25.

Rating: C. It’s another win for the good guys, though it would be nice if they could get a title shot already. I mean, it’s not like there are Six Man Tag Team Titles out there which haven’t been defended since early December or anything. Castle and the Outrunners are pretty clearly the best challengers (read as the only realistic ones at the moment), which is why it will likely be SkyFlight.

Deonna Purrazzo says she has to defend her legacy even after Madison Rayne left. The open challenge is on. You mean she’s going DEFEND THE TITLE? What a concept!

Matt Menard vs. Lee Moriarty

Non-title Proving Ground match, meaning if Menard wins or lasts the ten minute time limit, he gets a future title shot. Moriarty wrestles him down without much effort to start so the rather loud Menard is back with a headlock. That’s reversed into a short armscissors so Menard uses his first rope break. This seems to confuse him, as no one but Moriarty seems to get how the rules work.

An abdominal stretch has Menard using his second rope break and a right hand earns him an official warning. Moriarty knocks him outside and Menard burns off some time in getting back inside. Menard gets in a knockdown but Moriarty forearms him down a few times. Some chops have Moriarty in the corner for some elbows to the head and the Boston crab goes on. Moriarty has to use his own rope but he reverses a piledriver attempt into the Border City Stretch for the tap at 8:18.

Rating: C+. In a shocking development, Moriarty wins another Pure Rules match. It’s been going on for a rather long time now and since he keeps beating every opponent, I have no idea why it’s supposed to be interesting anymore. The matches are fine, but they’re just there time after time. Give him a story, or at least a challenger/division already.

Post match Moriarty stays on him until SkyFlight makes the save. The rest of Shane Taylor Promotions run in for the save. I WAS KIDDING ABOUT SKYFLIGHT GETTING A SHOT!

London Dior/Rachael Ellering vs. Diamante/Billie Starkz

Athena is here with Diamante/Starkz. Ellering and Diamante start things off with Ellering running her over. Diamante fights back and fires off the forearms to the face but Ellering is back up with some chops. A double clothesline allows the tag off to Dior but Starkz cuts her off in a hurry with a kick out of the corner. Diamante hits a spinebuster into Starkz’s Swanton, setting up an ankle twist to make Dior tap at 4:47.

Rating: C. This was like a match from Superstars with Koko B. Ware and Barry Horowitz against a regular team. It might work for a bit when Ware was in there but then it went south the second after the tag. There was nothing else to this one, as Ellering is still the same as she has been for years now.

Post match we get a quick plug for the previously postponed Global Wars show, with what sounds like “next week” edited out. I’ve heard worse ways of getting around something like that.

Big Bill/Bryan Keith vs. KM/Will Allday

Keith throws his gear at Allday and jumps him to start (fine with the referee), with the stomps having Allday in early trouble. Back up and Allday sends him outside for a quick dive, meaning the much bigger KM can come in. Bill is right there for the staredown, with Bill missing a charge into the corner. He’s right back with a splash though and it’s a running knee into a big boot. Bill’s swinging Boss Man Slam finishes Allday at 2:57.

Ace Austin vs. Johnny TV

Taya Valkyrie is here with TV. Austin starts fast and knocks him outside, where Valkyrie offers a distraction so TV can get in a shot. Valkyrie even gets in a cheap shot of her own, allowing TV to grab a choke back inside. That’s broken up and Austin fires off some corner clothesline, followed by a doctor bomb. Valkyrie offers another distraction but TV can’t hit Starship Pain. They strike it out with Austin getting the better of things until Valkyrie offers another distraction. A running anklescissors brings TV off the top though and the Fold gives Austin the pin at 7:03.

Rating: C+. It’s nice to see Austin winning, especially when he gets a victory despite Valkyrie getting involved. Austin is someone who feels like he could become an important player around here and while it isn’t much, headlining this show is better than nothing. Just get him somewhere more important already.

Overall Rating: C+. The opener was rather good and it was nice to see some titles actually addressed. There were still a bunch of people who feel like they’re just coming and going without doing anything important, but I’ll take the little advancements where I can. This show was at least a bit more focused this week, though I’ll need to see it last before I get a bit more invested.

Results
Tommy Billington/Adam Priest b. Premiere Athletes – Rollup to Nese
Satnam Singh b. Josiah Jean/Dante Leon – Double pin
Cru b. Jordan Oliver/Alec Price – Double Falcon Arrow to Price
Dalton Castle/Outrunners b. Auzzy/Hitt/Gino Medina
Lee Moriarty b. Matt Menard – Border City Stretch
Diamante/Billie Starkz b. London Dior/Rachael Ellering – Ankle twist
Big Bill/Bryan Keith b. KM/Will Allday – Swinging Boss Man Slam to Allday

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

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Ring Of Honor
Date: January 15, 2026
Location: eSports Stadium Arlington, Arlington, Texas
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

I’m not sure what to expect from this show because things are kinds of all over the place here, as usual. The only big story is Blake Christian coming after the World Title and now has Jay Lethal in his corner. Other than that, we have the usual assortment of people allegedly trying to get into title contention. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Spanish Announce Project vs. Grizzled Young Veterans

Angelico and Drake start things off with Drake wrenching the arm before sending Angelico into the corner. Some alternating elbows in the corner drop Angelico, who fights right back without much trouble. Serpentico comes in to work on the arm and drops a backsplash for two. The Veterans shrug that off and kick them down, with Drake working on Serpentico’s leg.

Gibson grabs a half crab, which is broken up, so Serpentico hits a quick backbreaker. Angelico comes back in to clean house with everything breaking down. Drake sends Angelico into the steps, leaving Gibson to give Serpentico the middle rope Codebreaker. Drake’s springboard dropkick finishes Serpentico off at 8:47.

Rating: C. In case you were wondering what a tag match between two teams going nowhere looks like, here you are. I’m assuming this was the way to heat the Veterans up before they get wrecked by Eddie Kingston and Ortiz, which makes me wonder about the logic when it’s in two different places. Either way, the technical stuff was fine, but these teams are so low on the totem pole that it just doesn’t matter.

Post match the Veterans promise the same for Kingston and Ortiz. Cue the two of them with chairs for the save.

Lance Archer vs. Vin Parker

Chops and a crossbody take Parker down and the Blackout finishes at 1:52. Total decimation, which will in no way get Archer closer to a title shot, even though he’s 15-0 here.

Kiran Grey vs. Shane Taylor

The rest of the Promotions are here with Taylor. Grey gets in a shot to the face and grabs a choke, which is broken up with pure power. A knee to the face rocks Grey and Taylor fires off some shoulders in the corner. Taylor’s big clothesline gets two but Grey sweeps the leg and gets two off a jumping splash. Taylor is back with a release Rock Bottom and his own big splash for two, followed by the right hand for the pin at 5:01.

Rating: C+. They pretty clearly see something in Grey and that’s not a bad thing. He certainly has something of a mystique to him and it’s interesting to see some fresh blood around here. It also helps that he got in a bit of offense and wasn’t totally squashed, so at least there was some protection here.

Frat House vs. Aaron Solo/QT Marshall/Von Erichs

Karter gets dropkicked by Ross to start and it’s off to Marshall for a dropkick of his own. Solo comes in to neckbreaker Garrison, who catches him with a slingshot powerslam. The House takes Solo into the corner for some stomping before Jameson misses a middle rope backsplash. Marshall comes in to clean house and Vance clotheslines Karter by mistake. Stereo Claws set up the cutter to give Marshall the pin at 6:25.

Rating: C. This was about what you would expect from these guys, though I did appreciate it being a bit shorter. The Von Erichs were their usual bland selves and Solo got to be the punching bag for a good chunk. The good thing is that it wasn’t long enough to get dull, making it more “well it could have been worse”, which is about the best you can hope for with these guys.

We look at Trish Adora beating Zayda Steel in last week’s mixed tag.

MxM TV vs. Shane Taylor Promotions

Rare heel vs. heel mixed tag here. Valkyrie and Adora start things off, with Valkyrie hitting a basement clothesline to take over. Madden comes in to elbow Bravo in the back, setting up a finger tip double elbow drop. Mansoor gets caught in the wrong corner though and some clubberin sets up a chinlock. A belly to back suplex gets Mansoor out of trouble and the diving tag brings Valkyrie back in.

The running knees in the corner get two on Adora and they forearm it out. They clothesline each other and it’s back to Madden to clean house as everything breaks down. Mansoor spinebusters Bravo and hits a dive but we pause for a fan to get Mansoor’s attention. Bravo gets in a cheap shot (Bravo to the fan: “BE RIGHT BACK!”) to Mansoor, followed by the double stomp for the pin at 7:04.

Rating: C+. I’m curious about the fan getting involved as it’s better than the same nothing matches that they have over and over. The Promotions are still about the same as usual, meaning they’re only so interesting, but MxM TV playing the heroes for a change made things a bit better. Just find something different for both of them to do already and things could improve.

Post match Bravo brings the fan over the barricade and she’s rather tall.

Red Velvet vs. Robyn Renegade

Non-title Proving Ground match, meaning if Robyn can win or last the time limit, she gets a future title shot. Renegade uses the hair to pull her down to start but Velvet is right back with a short armscissors. That’s reversed into a fall away slam and Renegade throws her out to the floor. Back in and a springboard double stomp to the back gives Renegade two. They trade missed hand licking chops in the corner until Renegade grabs a sitout gordbuster for two more. Velvet gets fired up and hits a leg lariat, followed by the big left hand for the pin at 5:27.

Rating: C. There have only been so many success stories in modern Ring Of Honor but Velvet has been added to the list in recent months. Something has clicked since she returned from her injury and she feels like a star. That’s a nice thing to see and her matches are becoming one of the highlights around here.

Tony Khan announces that Ring Of Honor will be teaming up with Metro Plex Wrestling, run by Athena, on January 29. Athena is rather pleased. Eh it’s something different at least.

Dark Order vs. Swirl

Jay Lethal is here with the Swirl. Christian and Uno start things off, with Christian flipping him off in a few different ways. Uno is back with a knockdown into his own strut, allowing Reynolds to come in for a double basement dropkick. Reynolds fights out of the wrong corner but gets kneed in the face for his efforts. They go outside, with Christian using the chair for a step up forearm to the back.

The chinlock goes on back inside but Reynolds fights up and ties him in the ropes for something like a Black Widow. The tag brings in Uno to clean house, including a big boot into a DDT for two. Christian fights out of a Gory Bomb though and everything breaks down. A Lethal Injection is countered into a Gory Bomb/Codebreaker combination to drop Christian again. Johnson is back in for the save and a pair of basement superkicks knock Reynolds silly. The Death Valley Driver/top rope double stomp combination finishes Reynolds at 7:05.

Rating: C+. The Swirl are the top heels around here, though I’m not sure where that is leading. In theory it sets up Christian getting a World Title shot, though he’s been ready for that for a rather long time now. At least they’re looking like a dominant team at the moment and I could go for seeing that continue for a while to come.

Post match the beatdown is on again until Tommy Billington and Adam Priest make the save.

Overall Rating: C. There were parts here that I liked, but one of the biggest issues was the simple fact that it featured so many of the same people that we’ve seen time after time. How many Lance Archer squashes can we see? Or Shane Taylor Promotions for that matter? Meanwhile, the Women’s Pure Title, Tag Team Titles, Six Man Titles and Women’s Title have not been on the line in about six weeks. Fix this, as it’s making for quite the annoying show.

Results
Grizzled Young Veterans b. Spanish Announce Project – Springboard missile dropkick to Serpentico
Lance Archer b. Vin Parker – Black Out
Shane Taylor b. Kiran Grey – Right hand
Aaron Solo/QT Marshall/Von Erichs b. Frat House – Cutter to Vance
Shane Taylor Promotions b. MxM TV – Double stomp to Mansoor
Red Velvet b. Robyn Renegade – Left hand
Swirl b. Dark Order – Death Valley Driver/top rope double stomp combination to Reynolds

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

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Ring Of Honor
Date: January 1, 2026
Location: Hammerstein Ballroom, New York City, New York
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

Hey I actually got the year right this time. Anyway, it’s the first show of the year and the third Ring Of Honor show in the last seven days. There is actually a feature match this week, as the Swirl is facing Bandido and Jay Lethal. If you ignore Lee Johnson getting squashed like a bug this week on Dynamite, it’s a bit more interesting. Let’s get to it.

Here are Tuesday’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Swirl vs. Bandido/Jay Lethal

Lethal starts with Christian, who wants Bandido, but tags out to Johnson when he gets his wish. Neither of them can get a suplex so they clothesline each other down (with Coleman getting in an interesting point of saying that if Johnson tried the same move as the champion, he was thinking like a champion). Johnson takes him down and it’s off to Christian, who works on Bandido’s bad arm. Bandido gets over for the tag…and Lethal walks away. Christian’s 450 gets two on Bandido and Lethal adds a Lethal Injection. The top rope stomp/Death Valley Driver combination hits Bandido and the triple team draws the DQ at 5:13.

Rating: C+. This was an angle rather than a match and that’s a VERY good thing to see. While this would have been better to set up Final Battle, I definitely like that we’re getting something involving the title and a story being told. That’s been lacking for such a long time and they did a good job with executing this one. Well done.

Post match Lethal takes off Bandido’s mask as Tom Billington and Adam Priest run in for the save.

Bryan Keith vs. Serpentico

We get some BOO/YAY chants to start before Serpentico tries to pick up the pace. That earns him a toss to the floor and they chop it out a bit on the floor. Back in and they fight over a suplex with Serpentico getting the better of things. A running Downward Spiral gives Serpentico two and Keith’s hard clothesline gets the same. Serpentico is right back with a superkick to the floor, followed by a suicide dive. Back in and Keith knees him in the face though and the tiger driver is enough for the pin at 6:32.

Rating: C+. Well the result was far from shocking, but it was nice to see Keith getting to do something for a change. He’s been stuck doing absolutely nothing for so long now that even toiling in Ring Of Honor is an improvement. At least the match wound up being decent, which is usually the case with Serpentico.

Billie Starkz/Diamante vs. Deonna Purrazzo/Madison Rayne

It’s a brawl to start and a double suplex puts Diamante down. Rayne works on Diamante’s wrist but Starkz breaks up Purrazzo’s Fujiwara armbar. Diamante can’t fight out of the corner though, instead being taken down by the leg. It’s back to Rayne, who gets taken into the wrong corner, with a pair of double backbreakers putting her down. Starkz grabs a chinlock, followed by a double wishbone. The villains get to stomp Rayne down in the corner even more but she kicks Starkz away.

Cue Diamante to sneak around the ring to pull Purrazzo off the apron and the beating continues. Rayne manages to send Starkz face first into the buckle a few times though and that’s enough for the needed tag off to Purrazzo. Everything breaks down and Rayne gives Starkz a Canadian Destroyer. A kick to the head drops Rayne though and a double kick leaves Purrazzo and Diamante down as well. Rayne and Starkz come back in, with an assisted Sliced Bread taking Rayne down. Starkz adds the Swanton for the pin at 10:33.

Rating: B-. They were working hard here and it made for a good match, as Rayne was putting in more effort than usual. She still has something to offer out there, which is something that the division could use. Diamante is useful as a tag partner as well and that was her main focus here. Then you have Starkz, who might be coming after Athena, and Purrazzo, who is closing in on a month as champion with nothing involving her new title. Sounds like a textbook Pure Champion already.

Lance Archer vs. Steve Gibki

Gibki is in good shape. Archer starts fast with a big boot and chokeslam but Gibki gets in a dropkick. That’s enough to send Archer outside, where he cuts off a dive and chokeslams him onto the apron. The Blackout finishes for Archer at 2:30.

We look at Lee Moriarty retaining the Pure Rules Title last week.

Shane Taylor Promotions vs. Top Flight/Komander

Non-title as it’s not the champion combination of the Promotions. Moriarty kicks Dean down to start and it’s off to Komander to work on the arm. Dean gets smart by going after the mask, with Bravo coming in to hammer away in the corner. The chinlock goes on for a bit, with the Infantry getting to stomp away. Komander fights up and manages a rather spinning crucifix for two on Moriarty, allowing the tag to Dante. The pace picks up but a hard clothesline takes Dante down, only for him to come back with a Blue Thunder Bomb for two. Everything breaks down and the double DDT pins Bravo at 6:23.

Rating: C+. Another fast paced match here, with Top Flight getting a win after not having the best run recently. If nothing else there is a chance that they can team with Komander for a future title match, even though they didn’t beat the champions. Either way, nice match here, with talented wrestlers getting to showcase themselves, albeit in a short match.

Deonna Purrazzo and Madison Rayne are in the back, with Rayne saying she’s retiring from the ring. She lost her father earlier this year and it lost a piece of her. This was a perfect way to end it and she thanks Purrazzo for being her partner. Tears ensue.

Hechicero vs. Aaron Solo

Hechicero dances a bit to start before they go to the mat, with Hechicero snapping the arm. Some rather spinny rollups give Hechicero two but Solo sends him outside. The big flip dive hits Hechicero outside, followed by a top rope double stomp for two back inside. Hechicero is back with a spinning faceplant for two and he catapults Solo into the corner, only for Solo to come back with a double stomp. Solo’s kicks to the chest just wake Hechicero up so he hammers away in the corner. A flapjack sets up a spinning arm trap rollup to pin Solo at 6:45.

Rating: B-. Solo got a chance to do something different here and it made for a fun match. You don’t see him get to hang in there with someone like Hechicero very often and it worked out well, with Hechicero being crafty enough to twist Solo around in the end. That’s always fun to see, as there is pretty much no one as smooth out there as Hechicero.

Outrunners/Dalton Castle vs. MxM TV

Fight Without Honor, meaning anything goes. TV comes out second and stomp on a Christmas tree on their way to the ring. The good guys charge the stage and the brawl is on, with the tree being repaired for all of three seconds. That’s enough for TV to beat them down to the steps and pull out some wrapping paper kendo sticks. Naturally Castle makes the save with a huge Christmas ornament before Mansoor tries punching a present.

Floyd finds a brick inside, leaving Mansoor’s hand in quite a bit of pain. Madden throws the tree inside and yes Floyd uses it for the Terry Funk ladder spin. Castle gets knocked down but Madden and Mansoor miss a double Grinch elbow. TV gets up and grabs a pie which hits Taya Valkyrie (in full Grinch attire) in the face, which he knows is a very bad result. That means a German suplex from Castle, who walks into a spinebuster.

It’s time for a stocking full of Legos, with Madden and the Outrunners fighting over suplex onto them. Instead Madden is sent (bare) feet first into them and then gets a present over his head. Some tables are brought in, with another being set up on the floor. The Outrunners are laid on the tables with Mansoor and TV going up, only for Castle to throw the ornament at them for a double crotching. TV is sent through a table at ringside and a double superplex sends Mansoor onto a table (and Legos) for the pin at 11:45.

Rating: B-. This was a fun, weapons based match with the Christmas theme working well. It’s something that a lot of promotions do but they still make it work every time. I had a good time here and that’s the point of this kind of a match. Now get Castle and the Outrunners into the Six Man Tag Team Titles picture already.

Overall Rating: B. Maybe it’s the low standard this show has given me over the years, but this felt like the best weekly show Ring Of Honor has done in the better part of ever. There was the big angle at the beginning, some good action throughout, the surprise of Madison Rayne’s retirement and the fun main event. I had a good time with this show and hopefully they do this more often going forward.

Results
Bandido/Jay Lethal b. The Swirl via DQ when Bandido was triple teamed
Bryan Keith b. Serpentico – Tiger driver
Billie Starkz/Diamante b. Deonna Purrazzo/Madison Rayne – Swanton to Rayne
Lance Archer b. Steve Gibki – Blackout
Top Flight/Komander b. Shane Taylor Promotions – Double DDT to Bravo
Hechicero b. Aaron Solo – Spinning arm trap rollup
Outrunners/Dalton Castle b. MxM TV – Superplex through a table to Mansoor

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

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

Ring Of Honor
Date: December 30, 2025
Location: Hammerstein Ballroom, New York City, New York
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

For reasons I don’t quite understand, we have a special edition of the show here from New York City. That’s in addition to this week’s regular show and it should be interesting to see what kind of thing we get here, with what should be in front of a bigger audience. Well in theory at least as that has not always been the case with these things. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Alec Price/Jordan Oliver vs. Death Riders

Yes it’s Yuta and Garcia, because they’re around a lot. The Riders jump them to start fast but Price snaps off a running hurricanrana. The villains are sent outside and Price hits a running dive to take both of them out. Oliver gets shoved off the top for a big crash to the floor though and he’s in trouble back inside.

A suplex gets Oliver out of trouble but it’s not enough for the tag to Price. Instead Oliver is sent into the corner and the Boston crab has him in more trouble. That’s broken up though and Yuta gets kicked away, allowing the diving tag off to Price. The pace picks up, including a moonsault over the Riders, who are right back with a double faceplant. Price gets double teamed and a running knee gives Yuta the pin at 5:50.

Rating: C+. Price and Oliver have done well in their recent appearances, which shouldn’t be a surprise as they have more than a bit of experience together. It wouldn’t surprise me to see them around a bit more often and it would be nice to have some more teams around here. Other than that, the Death Riders were the same thing they’ve been every time they’re together.

Mark Davis is 2-0 in ROH this year, with one of those wins being in February. This is vital information that you absolutely needed to know.

Mark Davis vs. Matt Mako

Mako, a former MMA fighter, kicks at Davis’ knee to start but charges into a slam. Davis hammers him down and we hit the chinlock. A suplex toss sends Mako flying but he’s back with a kick to the head. Davis sends him into the corner, only to get caught in a cross armbreaker. That’s broken up as well and it’s a big running clothesline to finish Mako at 3:22.

Rating: C. I’m not sure why we needed to have a video explaining that Davis had won a pair of matches here this year when one of them was only two weeks ago but oh well. At the same time, Davis isn’t someone who has done much either in AEW or ROH so this is at least something for him. I’ve liked the stuff I’ve seen from Mako so hopefully he’s around a bit more often.

We look at Athena not being happy with Billie Starkz.

Big Bill/Bryan Keith vs. Dark Order

Keith headlocks Silver to start but gets shouldered down, allowing the Order to hit a double basement dropkick. Reynolds is knocked outside and Bill hits a running clothesline to take him down again. Keith comes back in to knock Reynolds down and grabs a front facelock. That’s broken up though and it’s back to Silver for the rapid fire kicks to Keith. Silver tries the Spin Doctor on Bill but can’t keep him up, meaning it’s a big boot to knock Silver silly for the pin at 6:08.

Rating: C. Bill and Keith work well together, though I still have no idea why they’re stuck on this show. They wear at least established in AEW and it’s not like the tag division is overflowing with talent. Hopefully they get a chance to do something else, even if it’s around here, though there is a chance that it’s just to have Bill wrestling in New York.

Blake Christian wants a World Title shot against Bandido but instead it’s going to be Jay Lethal/Bandido vs. the Swirl on Thursday.

Satnam Singh vs. Charles Mason

Mason bites Singh’s hand to start and gets gorilla pressed for his efforts. A running crossbody and chokeslam finish for Singh at 1:42.

Back at Worlds End, Ace Austin said he wants a World Title shot at Bandido. Rocky Romero came in and a match was set up between the two of them.

Ace Austin vs. Rocky Romero

They go with the grappling to start until Austin armdrags him into a dropkick. Back up and Romero sends him outside, where Austin is back with a dropkick. They get back inside with Romero grabbing a quickly released ankle lock but the Forever Lariats are broken up. Austin is back with some clotheslines in the corner into a super anklescissors for two.

Romero kicks him in the head and they trade rollups for two each. A rather spinning leg trap roll up gets two on Romero, who is right back up with Sliced Bread for two. Austin gives him a suplex but the Fold misses. Instead Austin kicks him in the face and now the Fold finishes Romero off at 7:51.

Rating: C+. I still like Austin quite a bit and it’s nice to see him getting a bit of a showcase like this. He got in there and they even had something set up with the quick story before the match. At the same time, Romero losing isn’t going to hurt him because he’ll pop back up next time like nothing has changed, which is ok in a case like his.

Red Velvet vs. Janai Kai

Non-title Proving Ground match meaning if Kai can win or survive the ten minute time limit, she gets a future title shot. Kai takes her down by the arm to start and some hard kicks connect. Velvet is back up to send her into the corner and stomps away, only to dive into a superkick. A hard kick to the back gives Kai two and her armbar sends Velvet over to the ropes.

Kai’s slam is countered into a small package for two and something like a hammerlock dragon sleeper has the arm in more trouble. That’s broken up and Velvet hits a DDT but Kai cuts her off again. Some running kicks to the head stagger Velvet and a question mark kick drops Velvet. Back up and Velvet hits a heck of a slap for the pin at 6:24.

Rating: C+. This was much more about Kai taking it to Velvet, which is hardly out of the norm for her. Velvet got in a bit of offense here but it was mainly about her surviving against Kai with the kicking stuff. It’s good to see Velvet getting in the ring more often though, as she’s still doing the best stuff of her career so far.

Respect is shown to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. It was a fine show, though I have no idea why this was some kind of a special bonus edition. There was nothing on here that really stood out and hopefully they have something a bit better/bigger for the week’s regular show. It wasn’t awful, but unless you’re a die hard Ring Of Honor fan, there wasn’t anything here worth going out of your way to see.

Results
Death Riders b. Alec Price/Jordan Oliver – Running knee to Price
Mark Davis b. Matt Mako – Running clothesline
Big Bill/Bryan Keith b. Dark Order – Big boot to Silver
Satnam Singh b. Charles Mason – Chokeslam
Ace Austin b. Rocky Romero – The Fold
Red Velvet b. Janai Kai – Slap

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

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Ring Of Honor
Date: December 26, 2025
Location: Hammerstein Ballroom, New York City, New York
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

It’s a special Boxing Day edition, logically called Boxing Day Brawl. That should mean a big special show, with the Pure Rules Title on the line as Lee Moriarty defends against Komander. Other than that, it’s hard to say what we might be getting around here, as tends to be the custom. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

James Drake vs. Eddie Kingston

Zack Gibson is here with Drake and insults New York City, which brings Kingston out with a chair to smash both of them. Drake gets up and jumps Kingston to officially start things off, with commentary saying we have to make sure it’s a fair beginning. After one of them got smacked with a chair.

Kingston chops his way out of the corner but a neckbreaker is cut off. A kick to the head misses for Drake though and Kingston pulls him into the Stretch Muffler. Gibson offers a distraction though and Drake is back with a middle rope dropkick. Kingston is back with another neckbreaker but Drake’s running dropkick in the corner gets two. Drake goes up but dives into an exploder suplex, setting up the DDT to give Kingston the pin at 5:33.

Rating: C. The match wasn’t exactly in doubt, but it served as a way to give the fans something to cheer over because the loudmouthed heel. That’s a smart path to take on the opening match on a show like this as it’s worked forever in wrestling. If nothing else, Kingston needs the reps to get back to his old self after being out for so long.

Post match Gibson jumps Kingston and Drake adds a low blow. Drake’s top rope dropkick leaves Kingston laying and the villains talk a lot of trash.

Santa Claus is in the ring before the next match but the Premiere Athletes interrupt. Claus isn’t a fan of the team (who apparently helped with his weight loss) so Stori Denali gives him a chokeslam.

Premiere Athletes vs. VSK/Jon Cruz/Ashley Vox

Nese poses at VSK to start but VSK jumps over him and poses as well. Cruz comes in and gets taken into the corner to keep up the beating before it’s off to Vox. The chokeslam is broken up and Nese hits a dive over the top, leaving Denali to chokeslam Vox for the pin at 3:29.

Rating: C-. Well that was in fact a Premiere Athletes squash and that’s pretty much what they do a good chunk of the time. I’m not sure what makes this one any different than how they do it most of the time but here we are. Denali continues to be impressive, albeit in rather short sports. I’m just not sure what the three of them can do anytime soon.

Komander, wearing a backpack, is ready to face Lee Moriarty for the Pure Title.

Video on Athena/Mercedes Mone challenging the Babes Of Wrath for the AEW Women’s Tag Team Titles.

Mina Shirakawa vs. Rebecca Scott

Commentary says Shirakawa is trying to get back in Women’s TV Title contention. Why wouldn’t she want to go after Athena? She’s already lost to Athena as well so why go after the midcard title? Shirakawa gets to dance to start before dropping her with a Sling Blade. A top rope Sling Blade connects as commentary says Shirakawa took the Interim Women’s TV Title to new heights. As in the title she held for three months and successfully defended one time??? I love Riccaboni but he says some questionable things at times. The figure four makes Scott tap at 2:01.

Jay Lethal wants to team with Bandido to get rid of the Swirl. Sure.

Swirl vs. Alec Price/Jordan Oliver

Christian cuts Price off to start and sends Oliver outside. That doesn’t last long as Oliver is back in for a Fameasser but the Swirl knocks both of them to the floor. The flip dive connects for Johnson so the Swirl gets to pose a bit. Back in and Christian chinlocks Oliver, who manages to fight up for something of a hip attack. Price comes in to clean house, including a springboard clothesline to drop Johnson. A rebound clothesline does the same to Price and something like a springboard Steiner Bulldog (close enough) gets two. Price is sent outside though and it’s the Lethal Brainbuster to finish Oliver at 6:37.

Rating: B-. Oliver and Price are a good enough team to warrant another look and despite being presented as boring or uninteresting, Swirl is more than fine in the ring. If nothing else, it was nice to have something a bit more competitive on the show, even if there was no reason to believe Oliver and Price were going to win. Bring them back though, as the tag div…ok there pretty much isn’t a tag division but it would be nice to have them around again.

IMG Credit: Ring Of Honor Wrestling

Zack Gibson vs. Bryce Donovan

Donovan is fresh out of the WWE ID Program and gets taken down to start. Back up and Donovan gets in a running clothesline, only to get kicked out to the floor. They get back inside and Gibson kicks him down, setting up a neck crank. Donovan fights up and hits a running clothesline into a swinging Boss Man Slam for two. A charge in the corner misses though and it’s a middle rope Codebreaker to drop Donovan. Gibson clotheslines him for the pin at 5:15.

Rating: C. During the match, Gibson vs. Eddie Kingston was announced for the Worlds End Zero Hour. That made this match the warmup for tomorrow, which probably wasn’t needed after Gibson laid Kingston out earlier tonight. Donovan showed about the same talent that was on display in the ID Program, meaning bringing him back won’t make much of a difference one way or another.

Dalton Castle and the Outrunners are jumped by MxM TV, who want a Fight Without Honor next week.

IMG Credit: Ring Of Honor Wrestling

Boom & Doom vs. Frat House

Big Justice, Aaron Solo and the rest of the Frat House are here too. Karter ducks Marshall to start and poses, meaning it’s Marshall being taken into the corner for some shots to the head. That’s broken up and AJ comes in for a quick powerslam to Garrison. Back up and Garrison chokes on the rope, with Marshall trying to come in, allowing Karter to get in a cheap shot.

A belly to belly suplex gets AJ out of trouble and the tag brings in Marshall to clean house. Marshall hits a big running flip dive to the floor but a cheap shot earns him a group stomping on the floor. Back in and Garrison’s armbar keeps Marshall in trouble, allowing Karter to kick him down. Garrison misses a splash in the corner but AJ is knocked off the apron.

A flapjack/big boot combination gets two on Marshall, who is sent outside. Big Justice and Solo won’t let him get smashed by a chair but they all do get ejected. Back in and Marshall Downward Spirals Garrison, allowing the tag off to AJ. The Powerboom is broken up and everything breaks down, with Garrison breaking it up. A Powerboom/Blockbuster combination finally finishes Karter at 12:01.

Rating: C+. Well that was rather long, which isn’t the most positive way to describe a Frat House match. AJ isn’t likely to lose any match he’s in and his novelty has already worn off. He’s perfectly fine, but that doesn’t make for the most thrilling time in the ring. The match was acceptable enough, but it wasn’t exactly anything different than what you would expect from AJ and company.

Lee Moriarty is ready to beat Komander again, as he tends to do with everyone.

Lio Rush vs. Katsuyori Shibata

Shibata won’t shake hands to start but will take over with a knuckle lock. That’s broken up and they run the ropes until Rush gets two off a rollup. Shibata takes him outside for a suplex on the floor, followed by a ram into the barricade. They head back inside, with Shibata getting kicked right back to the floor for a suicide dive. Shibata is fine enough to grab a suplex but the springboard Stunner brings him right back down for two. The Final Hour is broken up though and it’s a low blow to set up Shibata’s cross armbreaker for the tap at 6:11.

Rating: C+. Rush was bringing his usual energy here and it made for a fairly nice match while it lasted. That being said, Shibata as a heel isn’t exactly interesting, especially when he’s currently doing something as part of a team in AEW. I have no idea why he’s in Ring Of Honor, though he’s now 21-0 and nowhere near a title match, though that’s a bit too logical around here.

Pure Title: Lee Moriarty vs. Komander

Moriarty is defending and bounces out of an early hammerlock attempt. Komander gets out of a cross armbreaker and a Border City Stretch, the latter of which is from the first rope break. Moriarty’s wristlock is broken up and Komander backflips out of the corner for a staredown. That earns him a spinning faceplant and Moriarty is looking rather confident.

A waistlock keeps Komander down and it’s off to a seated abdominal stretch, complete with a stomach claw. That’s broken up and Komander goes to the ropes (not for a break) so Moriarty pulls on a regular abdominal stretch. Komander breaks out of it again and tries a springboardy armdrag, which is reversed into an STF. That means the second rope break before Komander dropkicks the leg out. A running DDT gives Komander two and he walks the ropes into a crossbody.

The Fang gives Moriarty two more as Komander uses another rope break. The Border City Stretch is countered into a rollup for two and a standing Spanish Fly gives Komander the same. Moriarty is sent outside for a heck of a springboard moonsault but bangs up his own ribs in the process. Back in and poisonrana gives Komander two, followed by a cross armbreaker to make Moriarty use his first rope break. Cielito Lindo hits raised foot though and a Gory Special in the ropes makes Komander give up at 14:37.

Rating: B-. It was the usual fine Moriarty match and that’s about all. While Komander did feel like someone who could take the title and the match was built up, it feels like Moriarty is going to finally drop the thing on a much bigger stage. At least it felt like a main event and was treated like one though and that helps a lot.

Overall Rating: C. Apparently this qualifies as some kind of a special episode around here, with one match that felt big and I guess Boom & Doom as the second biggest match on the card. Other than that, it was just the usual cast of characters doing the same stuff they do so often around here. That’s why Ring Of Honor is such an afterthought so much of the time, and if this special is any indication, it’s going to remain that way for a long time.

Results
Eddie Kingston b. James Drake – DDT
Premiere Athletes b. VSK/Jon Cruz/Ashley Vox – Chokeslam to Vox
Mina Shirakawa b. Rebecca Scott – Figure four
Swirl b. Alec Price/Jordan Oliver – Lethal Brainbuster to Oliver
Zack Gibson b. Bryce Donovan – Clothesline
Boom & Doom b. Frat House – Powerboom/Blockbuster combination to Karter
Katsuyori Shibata b. Lio Rush – Cross armbreaker
Lee Moriarty b. Komander – Gory Special in the ropes

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

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Ring Of Honor
Date: December 11, 2025
Location: Greater Columbus, Convention Center, Columbus, Ohio
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re done with Final Battle and the big story is that Bandido retained the World Title. That means he should be a few weeks (at least) away from his next meaningful title defense so we’ll have to see what else is going on. We do at least FINALLY have a Women’s Pure Rules champion and it’s the person who was the favorite to win the whole thing the entire time. Now we begin the months long build towards the next pay per view, whenever that is. Let’s get to it.

Here is Final Battle if you need a recap.

Final Battle recap.

Opening sequence.

Here are Athena, Diamante and Billie Starkz to celebrate Athena’s three year reign as Women’s Champion. Athena brags about her success and the various women she has defeated. It’s a reason to celebrate, but Starkz didn’t win the Pure Rules Title, so the plan didn’t come out perfectly. She can make up for it in a tag match with Diamante though. I can’t believe they are still teasing Starkz taking the title. How can they drag it out this long?

Spanish Announce Project vs. LSG/Josh Crane

Angelico and Crane start things off with an exchange of wristlocks. Serpentico comes in with a top rope double stomp to the arm and a rollup gets two. It’s off to LSG to stomp Serpentico down in the corner but he rolls away for the tag off to Angelico. The rapid fire strikes have LSG in trouble and the lifting Downward Spiral gives Angelico two. Everything breaks down and the Project grabs stereo submissions for the double tap at 5:08.

Rating: C. The Project is perfectly fine in the ring, but my goodness it’s hard to care about what they’re doing. It’s the same stuff we’ve seen for months now and they never move up the totem pole at all. They pretty much have no stories and they’re just out there to fill in some time about every other week. If that’s all they’re going to do, find somewhere else for them to go, as it’s just filler.

Frat House vs. Dark Order

Silver runs Garrison over with a shoulder to start and it’s off to Uno to crush him in the corner. Vance comes in and gets stomped down in the corner as well, only for Uno to be sent outside for some rapid fire stomping. Back in and Uno tells Vance to kick him more, one such kick is sent at the referee, allowing Uno to kick Vance in the head. Everything breaks down and Garrison rolls through Reynolds’ high crossbody for two. The Order’s striking sequence into a rollup gets two on Garrison but Vance clotheslines Karter by mistake. The Order’s triple flipping slam finishes Karter at 7:18.

Rating: C+. This was another six man with one of the multiple trios who aren’t doing anything around here beating another. It isn’t like either of them are going to get a title shot soon but they certainly had time to have a run of the mill match. Perfectly watchable match but not much more than that, as is almost always the case for these teams.

Deonna Purrazzo is emotional after winning the Women’s Pure Rules Title.

Zayda Steel vs. Rachael Ellering

They fight over wrist control to start with Ellering taking her down into an armbar. Steel’s headlock doesn’t last long and she uses the ropes to flip out of a wristlock. Ellering chops her down a few times, setting up a gutwrench suplex into a backsplash for two. Steel comes back with a neckbreaker and they fight over a suplex. Ellering manages to muscle her over, followed by the Boss Woman Slam for two. Back up and Steel grabs a spinning DDT for the pin out of nowhere at 6:07.

Rating: C. This was about what you would have expected, as Ellering never wins anything and Steel needed a win after the loss in her debut. It wasn’t a bad match, but there’s only so much to get out of something like this. At least Steel won her second match and is getting off to a decent start. The division needs some fresh blood so why not see what she can do?

Post match respect is shown.

The Swirl isn’t happy about their losses at Final Battle but Blake Christian still wants the World Title.

Jay Lethal vs. Nathan Cruz

Cruz jumps him during the handshake and hammers away to start fast. Lethal is right back with a strut but it’s too early for the Figure Four. Instead, Cruz’s neckbreaker gets two and a Hennig necksnap gets the same. Lethal fights out of a chinlock and then does it again, only to get caught with a slingshot belly to back suplex for two. A missed charge in the corner lets Lethal get some rollups for two each and he dragon screw legwhips Cruz down. The Figure Four sends Cruz straight to the ropes so it’s the Lethal Injection to give Lethal the pin at 5:48.

Rating: C+. Cruz was making his debut here and he got to have a nice showcase here, as he had a good look and was fine enough to hang in there with Lethal. I could go for seeing some more from Cruz, which is a good sign his future. Lethal is still at his best when he gets the chance to give someone a rub, which was the case here.

We look back at the opening segment.

Billie Starkz/Diamante vs. Deonna Purrazzo/???

The partner is….Madison Rayne, the hometown girl. Purrazzo gets knocked out to the floor to start but Rayne takes over on Starkz in the corner. Everything breaks down in a hurry and Purrazzo is taken into the wrong corner. A basement dropkick connects on Purrazzo and Starkz is back in for a chinlock. That’s broken up and they clothesline each other down for a double breather. Rayne comes back in with a quick cutter and then a double cutter for a bonus. It’s back to Purrazzo, who Fujiwara armbars Starkz for the tap at 4:49.

Rating: C. Well that was quick, though it’s nice to have a match which feels like it might actually tie into one of the bigger stories around here. At the same time, this again feels like Starkz finally having enough of Athena and coming after the title. I would say I can’t imagine that happening, but in Ring Of Honor, it would absolutely not surprise me as we’re only three years into the story.

Red Velvet is happy with her win over Mercedes Mone and the kitchen is officially open.

Josh Woods vs. Hechicero

They go to the mat to start and neither of them can get very far. Hechicero takes over on the leg but Woods is right back with some quick rollups for two each. A front facelock doesn’t work either and we’re off to an early standoff. Hechicero grabs a DDT and starts in on the arm before twisting on the legs instead. Some shots in the corner stagger Woods, who is right back with some running forearms. Woods’ big knee to the head gets two but Hechicero gets something close to a la majistral into a Black Widow on the mat for the submission at 7:11.

Rating: B-. This was the kind of technical showcase where you knew how good it was going to be due to the people involved. They both got to showcase their skills, though it would have been nicer to have the match go a bit longer. Or for Woods to have been given a chance to be built up before he’s put into this spot. Either way, it was different in a good way here and I’ll take that.

Outrunners/Adam Priest/Tommy Billington/Dalton Castle vs. MxM TV/Premiere Athletes

The villains jump them from behind to start on the floor but the Outrunners take over on TV inside. The Mega Powers Elbow is broken up and Magnum gets taken down. Magnum avoids the frog splash though and a bunch of elbows miss too, allowing Castle to come in and snap off the suplexes. Castle is sent into Billington though and it’s back to the Outrunners for a double slam on Madden as everything breaks down. The extra villains are ejected and it’s a German suplex/clothesline combination to pin Nese at 4:30.

Rating: C. Well that was…messy. I’m not sure why they needed to have everyone involved here other than “they’re here for Final Battle so we’ll put them on this show too”. That seems to be a recurring theme this week and it’s giving us matches like this. The speedy offense was fun, but I could barely tell who was in the match most of the time, which isn’t a good sign.

Shane Taylor Promotions heard the fans cheering for them but they only care about titles and checks. Their biggest accomplishment though: making SkyFlight interesting. Now if only you could make yourselves interesting.

Red Velvet vs. Lacey Lane

Non-title Proving Ground match, meaning that if Lane wins or survives the ten minute time limit, she gets a future title shot. Velvet takes her down by the arm to start but Lane is back with a front facelock. A backslide gives Velvet two and she knocks Lane outside for an early breather.

Back in and Lane ties her in the corner for a running dropkick, followed by a springboard legdrop for two. Velvet is back up with some running knees in the ropes but Lane grabs a Death Valley Driver into a standing legdrop (that was cool….I think). That doesn’t get her very far though as Velvet is back with a superkick into the flipping faceplant for the pin at 5:20.

Rating: C+. It makes sense to give Velvet a win after her big upset on Friday so this was a good use for her here. She needs to be reestablished after so much time away and hopefully it works, as her final Battle match was pretty awesome. Lane is another good hand who I could go for having around a bit more often, though she’ll need to get something going around here.

Death Riders vs. Willie Mack/Aaron Solo

Oh come on can we just wrap this show up already? Mack is knocked outside to start fast and Yuta drops a middle rope elbow for two on Solo. Everything breaks down and Marina Shafir offers a distraction, meaning Solo can get tied in the ring skirt for some double teaming. Mack comes back in for some hard spinebusters but Solo gets sent into the corner for the running clotheslines. The top rope splash into the Dragontamer finishes Solo at 4:48.

Rating: D+. Sweet goodness I hate this show. This was a squash from the Death Riders, who feel like they’re on every show every week and here they are again, winning a match that won’t get them anywhere closer to a title match or anything serious. But hey, at least they go to make this long show even longer in a match over two established losers. Thank goodness for that.

Shane Taylor Promotions vs. Komander/SkyFlight

Moriarty and Komander start things off and trade escapes for a standoff. Dante and Bravo come in, with Dante taking him into the corner by the arm. It’s off to Darius for a dropkick into an armbar before Dante flips over a charge to send Bravo outside. Taylor comes in to headbutt Dante and knock him outside, followed by the beating in the corner back inside.

Bravo’s knee drop gets two and we hit the chinlock. Dante manages to jump over Moriarty and brings Komander in to clean house. The very springboardy hurricanrana gives Komander two on Moriarty as everything breaks down. Dante drops Bravo and it’s Cielito Lindo to give Komander the pin at 9:04.

Rating: C+. The idea here was to push Komander vs. Moriarty for their title match on December 26, though there were no rope breaks here so I have no idea what it has to do with a Pure Rules match. Other than that, the Promotions have already beaten SkyFlight so there’s not much of a need for them to fight again. Then again it isn’t like the six man division is in any way of a division, so odds are it keeps going anyway.

Overall Rating: D+. This show actually got on my nerves more than once and that’s not a good sign. After a five hour show on Friday (plus the regular show on Thursday and a bonus show on Tuesday), here’s one of the longest editions of the weekly show in probably a year or two. It was a bunch of the same people who were around at Final Battle in less interesting matches that are done week after week.

While there were a few stories being moved forward, it’s not like they’re interesting in the slightest. The wrestling was decent enough, but my goodness I am absolutely sick of seeing these same people trotted out there week after week so they can do the same stuff. If this is the best booking they can have, at least cut the shows down to an hour or so at most because MY GOODNESS this felt like it went on for days.

Results
Spanish Announce Project b. LSG/Josh Crane – Double submission
Dark Order b. Frat House – Triple flipping slam to Karter
Zayda Steel b. Rachael Ellering – Spinning DDT
Jay Lethal b. Nathan Cruz – Lethal Injection
Deonna Purrazzo/Madison Rayne b. Billie Starkz/Diamante – Fujiwara armbar to Starkz
Hechicero b. Josh Woods – Black Widow
Outrunners/Adam Priest/Tommy Billington/Dalton Castle b. MxM TV/Premiere Athletes – German suplex/clothesline combination to Nese
Red Velvet b. Lacey Lane – Flipping faceplant
Death Riders b. Aaron Solo/Willie Mack – Dragontamer to Solo
Komander/SkyFlight b. Shane Taylor Promotions – Cielito Lindo to Bravo

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

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Ring Of Honor
Date: November 28, 2025
Location: Agganis Arena, Boston, Massachusetts
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re on Friday this week due to the avoidance of Thanksgiving. It’s a week before Final Battle and thanks to AEW TV, we actually have some of the bigger matches set for the show. This includes the World Title match, but more importantly than that, we’re actually finishing the first round of the Women’s Pure Title tournament, a mere three months after it started. Let’s get to it.

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

Sammy Guevara reveals that due to Rush’s injury, the Tag Team Titles have been held up, so he’s teaming with The Beast Mortos to win the titles next week at Final Battle.

Opening sequence.

We run down the card.

Shane Taylor Promotions vs. Dark Order

Silver takes Moriarty down to start and poses, allowing the rest of the Order to come in for some rapid fire triple teaming. Taylor comes in so Reynolds goes for his leg, only to get dropped with a hard clothesline. It’s off to Ogogo for some knees to the ribs and a slam for two and it’s back to Moriarty for a front facelock. Reynolds gets his feet up in the corner though and cuts off a charging Taylor, allowing Uno to come in for the house cleaning. A double DDT plants Moriarty and Ogogo as everything breaks down. Taylor breaks up the triple flipping slam and Moriarty Border City Stretches Uno for the win at 7:17.

Rating: B-. This was….fun? I liked a Dark Order match? Geez it must be the holiday still impacting me or something as that’s not something that often happens. These guys went out there and had a heck of an entertaining match, with everyone working hard. This was a pretty awesome surprise and I’ll take that every time.

Blake Christian is in the World Title match on a technicality and that’s ok with him. All that matters is he can win the title.

Von Erichs vs. Zack Mason/Warren Johnson

Kevin Von Erich is here too. Ross takes Mason down to start and it’s off to Marshall for a dropkick. Marshall gets taken into the corner so Johnson can come in and whip him around a bit. A backdrop out of the corner gets Marshall out of trouble and it’s back to Ross to clean house. The Claws are good enough to give the Von Erichs the double pin at 3:57.

Rating: C. Nothing to see here as it’s the same Von Erichs stuff you’ve seen time after time. They’re perfectly fine in the ring but just dull in almost every imaginable way. If nothing else, they’re a logical choice to go after the Tag Team Titles, as they have a history with LFI and are at least an established team. Just please find something to make them more interesting. There has to be a way.

Jay Lethal apologizes to Adam Priest for accidentally hitting him with a Lethal Injection. Priest’s neck is still sore but he seems to accept the apology.

Frat House vs. Adam Priest/Jay Lethal/Tommy Billington

It’s a brawl to start fast and Lethal hits Garrison with a basement dropkick. Priest comes in and gets choked in the corner, setting up the triple teaming. Lethal’s save attempt doesn’t do any good as it’s off to Jameson for an elevator slam. Taking a drink takes too long though and Jameson misses his middle rope backsplash. Priest avoids a charge into the post and brings Billington in to clean house. Everything breaks down and it’s the Lethal Injection into the Swan Dive to give Billington the pin at 6:35.

Rating: C. Nothing to this one, with the Frat House being their usual self and the other guys getting to prove that they still have it. That doesn’t really matter if they’re going to keep losing in AEW, but it’s not like wins or losses on this show matter when it comes to the bigger shows anyway. I do like Billington/Lethal/Priest as a team though, as they have some nice chemistry and it gives Lethal something to do.

Post match we’re told that Billington and Priest are in the Tag Team Title match at Final Battle. As usual, enjoy your hearty laugh at commentary so constantly telling you that teams winning title matches gets them into title contention. That’s the case with probably half a dozen teams but who gets the title shot? A team who hasn’t actually wrestled a two on two tag match in Ring Of Honor (and are winless in AEW). Again: nothing that happens around here matters because it’s just stuff being thrown together to make a card, with continuity having no impact.

Women’s Pure Rules Title Tournament First Round: Yuka Sakazaki vs. Serena Deeb

We’re told that the semifinals are taking place next week as Sakazaki starts in on the arm. Some armdrags send Deeb outside for a clothesline, followed by an ankle lock back inside. That means the first rope break from Deeb, who sends her hard into the ropes to take over. Something like a Black Widow on the mat has Sakazaki in trouble, only for her to reverse into an arm crank of her own.

Deeb uses the ropes again and crabs Sakazaki’s arm, making her use the rope for a break as well. Sakazaki hits a slingshot knee to the head and a suplex gets two. An STF makes Deeb use her third rope break so Sakazaki grabs a superplex. Sakazaki gets suckered into a slugout until it’s a Snowplow to drop Deeb. The Magic Girl Splash hits raised knees but it’s a spinning hammerlock faceplant to pin Deeb (whose foot on the rope doesn’t matter) at 10:31.

Rating: B-. Nice enough match here, even if it continues the tradition of this tournament feeling like nothing. It took about four months to complete the first round but it’s ok because we’ll have the last three matches in the span of two days. At least they had a good match on the way to the second round, though sweet goodness I lost any potential interest in the whole thing a long time ago.

Video on Persephone vs. Athena.

Premiere Athletes vs. Carrie King/Gino/Exodus Prime

Denali powers King into the corner to start and brings in Gino, with Nese hitting a quick dropkick. Prime gets the tag and is planted by Denali, setting up the Magic Carpet Splash (complete with carpet) for the pin at 3:03.

Rating: C-. It’s not a good sign when I have to figure out the jobbers’ names by listening to commentary as they didn’t even get a graphic. The match was the usual squash and therefore I have no reason to believe it changes anything for the Athletes. They’re one of the acts that gets on a lot of shows but doesn’t seem to go anywhere, which makes their continued use feel like nothing more than filler.

Main Man Oro/Beef vs. Swirl

So Christian is in a World Title match in a week and he’s in a tag match here. Right. Johnson and Oro start things off with Johnson taking it over. Christian comes in for a whip into the corner and a running dropkick to the back. It’s off to Beef, who is quickly beaten down, only to come back with a double crossbody. Oro gets the tag and is sent outside for a suicide dive, followed by a double superkick to Beef. Back in and the Swirl Stomp finishes Oro at 6:16.

Rating: C+. So again, the Swirl looks dominant here and continues their winning ways, but for some reason they’re nowhere near the Tag Team Title match. As usual, this promotion’s wins/losses have no impact on anything, which makes for quite the tedious show when there are so few storylines. It’s even more annoying when Swirl is getting better and are actually fun to watch most of the time.

We get Ricochet’s victory promo from Collision.

We run down the Final Battle card and….wait. Sammy Guevara and The Beast Mortos are in both the Tag Team and World Title matches? BUT THE REGULAR TEAMS HAVE NOTHING TO DO? If they can do that, why isn’t Swirl in the Tag Team Title match? Or the Von Erichs? Or ANYTHING THAT MAKES MORE SENSE???

Nigel McGuinness wants a thirty minute Iron Man match with Lee Moriarty at Final Battle.

Mansoor vs. Komander

The rest of MxM TV is here with Mansoor, who armdrags him down and poses in the corner. A quick rollup gives Komander two and he kicks Mansoor in the back of the trunks. Mansoor bails to the floor for a bit before his cheap shot is cut off. Instead Mansoor kicks him out to the floor and strikes a pose earning a trip out to the floor.

Valkyrie offers a distraction though and Johnny TV powerbombs her onto Komander. Back in and they slowly trade forearms until Komander grabs a middle rope facebuster. A DDT gives Komander two but TV offers a distraction. Komander uses him as a stepping stone to set up a moonsault to TV, followed by a satellite DDT to Mansoor. Cielito Lindo gives Komander the pin at 9:09.

Rating: B-. I guess this counts as building towards Komander in the World Title match. To their credit, there is something to be said about having him go through multiple people on his way to an elimination match. It’s not quite the same challenge, but you have to take what you can get around here.

Overall Rating: C+. Well it wasn’t boring and things were set up for Final Battle. If you can ignore how head scratch inducing some of those matches are, you can call this something of a success. The show still features WAY too much filler and is dying for something to break up the monotony, but at least the six man and women’s matches were good and they made Final Battle seem important. I’ll take that over the usual around here.

Results
Shane Taylor Promotions b. Dark Order – Border City Stretch to Uno
Von Erichs b. Zack Mason/Warren Johnson – Double pin
Adam Priest/Jay Lethal/Tommy Billington b. Frat House – Swan Dive to Karter
Yuka Sakazaki b. Serena Deeb – Spinning hammerlock faceplant
Premiere Athletes b. Carrie King/Gino/Exodus Prime – Magic Carpet Splash to Prime
Swirl b. Beef/Main Man Oro – Swirl Stomp to Oro
Komander b. Mansoor – Cielito Lindo

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