Ring of Honor
Date: December 22, 2021
Location: UMBC Event Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We continue the final shows of the original era of the promotion and that means we are in for a bunch of one off matches. Thankfully that is what Ring of Honor has a tendency to do time after time so it isn’t like this is going to be much different. I’m not sure what to expect here as usual and again, that’s kind of a nice feeling. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Quinn McKay gives us the welcome and opening rundown. This week even has a theme, in the form of the Top Prospect Special.

Eric Martin vs. Adrian Soriano vs. Rayo vs. Joe Keys

One fall to a finish, Martin has Will Ferrara with him and Soriano has the rest of Primal Fear with him. Keys gets kicked outside to start and it’s Soriano getting to clean house early on. Martin is sent outside as well but Keys is back in for some rolling German suplexes on Soriano. That’s broken up by Martin, who chops it out with Keys and then plants him with a powerbomb.

A sitout powerbomb gets two on Rayo but Soriano is back in with a neckbreaker for two on Keys. We take a break and come back with Rayo hitting a sitout bulldog on Soriano. Primal Fear offers a distraction though and Soriano takes Rayo off the top in the crash. Keys is back in with a spinning faceplant on Soriano as momentum changes again.

Rayo and Martin fight over a backslide but Keys breaks that up as well. Soriano comes back in but misses a frog splash. Everyone but Rayo is sent outside so he can dive onto them from the apron. Martin runs Rayo over and sends him back inside, where Rayo gets a knee up in the corner. The springboard tornado DDT plants Martin and a top rope elbow gives Rayo the pin at 7:57.

Rating: C+. This was one of those matches that had everyone flying around doing all kinds of big spots and getting in as many spots as possible. It was nice to get these guys some focus, but there was nothing that makes them stand out in any way. In other words, it felt like an independent match with everyone cramming in everything that they can as fast as they can with no one getting to stand out.

We look at various stars winning the Top Prospect Tournament over the years.

Dante Caballero vs. Matt Makowski

Makowski has a rather New York manager named Rocco, who has never been seen before but has an entrance video suggesting he has been around for a bit. Either way, Makowski is treated as a big deal due to his mixed martial arts days, with commentary freaking out over his mere presence. Makowski takes him down to start with Caballero not being able to get very far. A front facelock suplex drops Caballero and he has to block a cross armbreaker attempt.

We take a break and come back with Caballero hitting some shoulders for two. You don’t do that to Makowski, who kicks him down and busts out the Pentagon arm snap. Another cross armbreaker attempt is blocked so Makowski grabs an Omoplata. The rope is grabbed in a hurry and it’s a Falcon Arrow for two on Makowski. A spinebuster gets the same and Makowski is sent to the apron so Caballero can elbow away.

Back in and Makowski hammers away, setting up a springboard kick to the face for two. Rocco: “YOU CAN’T WIN TONIGHT! MAYBE TOMORROW OR MAYBE NEXT WEEK BUT NOT TONIGHT!” Caballero comes back with a running boot to the face but Rocco offers a distraction. Makowski is back up with a kick to the head and something like a Wasteland into a cross armbreaker to make Caballero tap at 12:06.

Rating: C+. This was a bit of a strange one as Makowski felt like a monster but took his time beating a dojo student. Makowski looked like a killer at times but there were parts where he looked like a prospect as well. The good thing is that the parts that worked worked very well and I could go for more Makowski down the line…whenever that is.

More people have won the Top Prospect Tournament.

Dak Draper vs. Josh Woods

Non-title and these are the two most recent Top Prospect Tournament winners. Hold on though as here is Dalton Castle with the Baby Chickens, but for some reason he is carrying hot dogs. Castle wants some risk involved here so Woods should put the Pure Title on the line. That isn’t happening so Castle calls it boring and Draper leaves. That’s enough to get the title match made.

Pure Title: Dak Draper vs. Josh Woods

Woods is defending and lists Draper up to start, sending him into the ropes for an early first break. They go with the grappling on the mat with Draper working on the ankle until Woods makes him spin out for a standoff. More grappling doesn’t go anywhere as they get up to strike it out. Draper hits a right hand to the face for the first illegal shot, setting up an apron superplex.

We take a break and come back with Woods in trouble in the corner and Draper down to one rope break. Draper hits a gutwrench suplex but Woods scores with a springboard kick to the face for a double knockdown. Woods hits the running strikes in the corner but Draper powerslams him for two.

Back up and Draper tries coming off the top, only to get kneed out of the air. Woods’ running knee connects, meaning Draper has to use his last rope break. A cross armbreaker goes on, with Draper powerbombing his way to freedom and a near fall. Draper gets up and gets caught in the Gorilla Slam out of nowhere to retain Woods’ title at 13:45.

Rating: B. These are guys who are tailor made for a match like this and they made it work as a result. The Castle stuff at the beginning was a big unnecessary but at least they turned the stakes up a bit. One of the best things about the show coming to an end is you don’t know what you’re going to see, and that was the case again here. Good match between two talented people.

Overall Rating: B. Another solid show, but they have to be running out of first run material. Odds are the Christmas show will be the big finale and that should be enough to carry us into the new year. That’s a shame as they have stayed on a roll for a long time now, but there is only so much that you can do with no fans and almost no income. Anyway, good stuff, as you should expect around here.

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Ring of Honor
Date: October 20, 2021
Location: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re still in the post Death Before Dishonor TV taping and that means we still have no crowd. I know Ring of Honor likes to do their marathon tapings but isn’t there some way we could get some fans in there for a change? It has made a world of difference for everyone else and the fans not being there makes Ring of Honor seem like a promotion from another universe. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Quinn McKay (hey she’s back) welcomes us to the show and gives us the preview.

Tag Team Titles: Soldiers of Savagery vs. Dragon Lee/Kenny King

Lee and King are defending. The fact that Lee is also the TV Champion and the Soldiers are part of the Six Man Tag Team Champions might make you think Ring of Honor needs to spread out its titles a bit more. The Soldiers jump them to start so the champs bail to the floor for an early breather. We settle down to Lee getting in Moses’ face for no effect. It’s the Soldiers being sent outside for a change and that means the champs get to hit the Tranquilo pose. Back in and Khan runs King over for two as we take a break.

We come back with Lee getting stomped down but King pulls Khan’s leg to break up a suplex. Back in and King pounds away on Khan for two, setting up a double basement dropkick to the back of the head. Moses gets drawn in, allowing the champs to kick away at Khan even more. A half crab sends Khan over to the ropes in a hurry but King puts it on again.

We take another break and come back again with Khan hitting a quick belly to back suplex. That’s enough for Moses to come in and clean house, including a powerbomb for two on Lee. King is back up with a clothesline to Khan and Lee counters a superplex into the Alberto double stomp on Moses. Cue Bestia del Ring as Khan kicks Lee down without much effort. The assisted elevated DDT plants Khan but Bestia has the referee. That’s enough of a distraction for King to rake Khan’s eyes and hit the Royal Flush. Lee adds the Incinerator to retain the titles at 12:53.

Rating: B-. These guys work well together and while having another stable is not the most exciting thing, it is nice to have some fresh names involved. Shane Taylor Promotions at least offers something new, even if that just made for another stable on a long list of them. The match was rather entertaining, though I’m kind of over all of these teams trading wins.

Next week: Violence vs. Pure, as the stables continue to take over the company.

World Famous CB/Joe Keys/Taylor Rust/Eli Isom vs. Foundation

The Foundation is Tracy Williams/Rhett Titus/Jonathan Gresham/Jay Lethal and their opponents were all at ringside for Lethal’s speech about the greatness of pure wrestling at Death Before Dishonor. Williams and Rust get things going and they take their time to start. They go with the technical rolling until Williams takes him into the corner for a double suplex from Titus.

Back up and Rust takes Titus into the corner so CB can hammer away. Titus is bleeding from the eye as CB reverses a headlock into one of his own. A shot to the eye and the Fuji Splash (which is a headbutt) gets two more on Titus and it’s Isom coming in for a waistlock. For some reason Isom lets him go though and Lethal comes in for a change. Lethal gets serious by taking the straps down but Isom dropkicks him anyway.

A tilt-a-whirl backbreaker drops Lethal and we take a break. Back with Lethal and Isom staring at each other until Gresham and Keys come in (meaning teacher vs. student). They waste no time in striking away until Keys kicks him in the back and drops him hard onto the top rope. Gresham is back with a running dropkick to send Keys outside and it’s off to Williams to work on the arm. The Foundation starts taking turns on the arm but Keys gets over for the tag to Rust to pick up the pace.

Rust can’t suplex Lethal out to the floor but he can throw Lethal out there, meaning the Foundation surrounds their partner. Back in and Lethal’s arm is worked over and we take a break. We come back with Lethal shrugging off Isom’s beating and hitting the Lethal Combination. The hot tag brings Williams back in to work on CB’s leg. Titus gives up the tag over to Rust though and the Perfect Circle connects, with Williams having to make the save.

A double tag brings in Lethal and Isom, with the latter hitting his own cutter. Everything breaks down and it’s Keys uppercutting Williams to little avail. Gresham comes in for an enziguri and German suplex but Keys plants Gresham for two. That’s enough from Keys, as Gresham pulls him into a kneebar for the tap at 17:50.

Rating: B. This was pretty awesome and that’s about all you could expect. The Foundation can work well with anyone and Ring of Honor has the kind of roster that can be tossed together into any combination for a solid match. Good stuff here and the Foundation continues to roll, which has been quite the fun part over the last several months.

Vincent, in a white robe and a crown, says he has been cleansed and is ready to win the World Title. Dig what he is saying?

Overall Rating: B. And that’s why Ring of Honor puts on a good show almost every week. This was a two match show and both matches worked very well. That’s about all you can ask for out of a wrestling show and this was more good stuff. I’m almost wondering if they have to run the stable stuff because they’re the only people around though, and that isn’t a good sign for the future.

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Ring of Honor
Date: September 22, 2021
Location: UMBC Event Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We are firmly away from Death Before Dishonor and in theory this should be the tapings where we see some fallout. That being said, last week we got some pre-fallout (Fall-in?) with the Tag Team Titles changing hands. Not that it makes much of a difference given how often they have been swapped as of late, but it’s certainly an event. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Quinn McKay welcomes us to the show and runs down the card, with a focus on the Pure Rules division.

Pure Rules Gauntlet Match

No word on how many entrants and lost rope breaks carry over from one fall to another. Eric Martin is in at #1 and World Famous CB is in at #2 with Brian Milonas on commentary. They trade the grappling to start with Martin going to the ropes to avoid a drop toehold, which seems a little dumb. Then he uses the next two in rapid fashion and is out of breaks after less than a minute and a half. Martin kicks CB off the top for a crash to the floor and it’s a running corner clothesline back inside. CB is right back with a kick to the face and a choke with knees in the back for the tap at 3:14.

Delirious is in at #3 and it’s time for more grappling to get things going. They hit the mat with both guys tripping the other for some short form control. CB’s headscissors sends Delirious over to the ropes for a break and it’s time to run the ropes in an awkward manner. A dragon suplex sends Delirious flying but he twists around into a cobra clutch. That’s broken up as well so CB tries a bunch of rollups to no avail. Delirious is right back with a cobra clutch backbreaker into a triangle choke while bending the arm the wrong way (GEEZ) for the tap at 13:23.

LSG is in at #4 and after a break, Delirious’ headlock doesn’t work very well. Instead they just hit each other in the face until Delirious grabs a neckbreaker for two. LSG blocks a suplex though and strikes away, including some running forearms. With Delirious rocked, LSG pulls him into a Muta Lock for the tap at 21:13.

Joe Keys is in at #5 and, after a break, gets taken down by a headlock takeover (popular way to start). Keys snaps off a backbreaker but gets sent into the corner, only to come out with an abdominal stretch. A tilt-a-whirl backbreaker keeps LSG’s back in trouble and we hit a half crab. That means LSG needs to use his second rope break so Keys rolls some German suplexes, meaning LSG needs his third and final break. Keys takes him up top for a superplex but LSG turns it into a crossbody for the pin at 30:28.

Brian Johnson is in at #6 and talks about how he is the best and about to rewrite everything around here. Johnson drives the beaten up LSG into the corner for some shoulders to the ribs but LSG is back with Rocket By Baby. A rope break gets Johnson out of trouble so he throws a right hand (one more and he’s disqualified) and throws his feet on the ropes (which is fine because LSG is out of breaks so it doesn’t count….which I think makes sense) to pin LSG and win the whole thing at 32:56.

Rating: C+. These things are always a little weird to grade because it’s a bunch of mini matches in a row. What we got here was good though, with the right person winning. Johnson coming in to beat a worn down LSG for the win is the perfect thing for him and I liked enough of this to make it work. Nothing great, but it wasn’t exactly supposed to be given the circumstances.

Post match Johnson insists on a handshake, because he’s good at being a villain.

Rhett Titus vs. Mike Bennett

Pure Rules again. They go with the grappling to start and try a test of strength to no avail, with both of them kicking the other away. That’s good for a standoff so Titus grabs a headlock to put Bennett in some trouble. The Cobra Twist makes it worse and we take a break. Back with Titus working on the leg and the threat of a Boston crab makes Bennett burn a rope break.

Bennett has to use a second to save himself from another hold so Bennett goes after the arm. That doesn’t work either so it’s time to chop it out instead. Bennett blasts him with a discus forearm to the jaw and Titus has to use his first break. Bennett pulls him back to the mat and snaps off a DDT onto the leg as we take a break.

We come back with Bennett having to use his third break before getting gutwrench suplexed for two. An ankle lock sends Titus going for the ropes again so Bennett ties up the legs again. That’s fine with Titus, who starts a slap fight from the mat. Back up and Titus’ leg gives out but he’s able to block the piledriver. Bennett kicks the leg out again but gets rolled up for two. They fight over a bunch of rollups and trade clotheslines until the time limit expires at 15:00. The judges give it to Bennett.

Rating: B-. They were doing a grappling exhibition here and that worked out rather well. Titus has come a long way over the last year and a lot of that is due to being in the ring so often. Put him in there against better wrestlers and he is going to get better as well. Bennett held his own here too and it was a good main event as a result.

Respect is shown to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a very wrestling focused show and it worked out fairly well. What mattered here was they focused on something and it was entertaining enough. It was certainly another show from before Death Before Dishonor and it’s nice to see something like this be able to fill in a week.

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Ring of Honor
Date: July 21, 2021
Location: UMBC Event Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We continue the post Best In The World stretch and for once I’m actually caught up on the show. I’m not sure if we are going to be in the actual fallout period just yet, but it is nice to have the pay per view out of the way. This show could go in a lot of directions and that is not a bad thing. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Dalton Castle doesn’t have time for an interview and leaves. After he is gone, the Foundation is ready for tonight’s eight man tag. Actually hold on a second though, as Jonathan Gresham has a banged up knee. Joe Keys, who is helping look at Gresham’s knee, gets the spot instead. Not quite thinking, Keys slaps the bad knee on the way out.

Brian Johnson is our host this week because Quinn McKay is in action. He begrudgingly runs down the card (while mocking the Foundation and Gresham as much as possible). Johnson doesn’t like Quinn McKay either, though he does think something of Mandy Leon.

Rey Horus vs. Fred Yehi

Horus goes for the hammerlock to start but Yehi pulls the leg to take him down into a standoff. Back up and Horus misses a dropkick, allowing Yehi to try the Koji Clutch, sending Horus bailing. Horus: “It’s too early for that.” We take a break and come back with Yehi missing a charge into the corner, allowing Horus to grab a middle rope armdrag to send Yehi outside. The big dive drops Yehi again in a spot that needed fans. Back in and Horus hits a high crossbody for two, followed by a spinning clothesline.

Yehi small packages him for two, with Horus’ shoulder WAY off the mat at around one. Horus sends him into the corner though and a twisting splash (Yehi: “Oh shoot!”) gets two. Yehi’s boot to the ribs is cut off so he twists Horus’ head for a pretty unique counter. A spinning backfist into a shot to the back of the head sets up the Koji Clutch to make Horus….get over to a rope. Yehi t-bone suplexes him into the corner but Horus runs the corner into a super victory roll for the pin at 9:53.

Rating: B-. These two had some good chemistry and I was having a good time with what they did. Horus can move as well as anyone and Yehi is right there with the technical stuff to balance it out. This is one of the areas where Ring of Honor shines: putting two people in a match and letting them have a bit of time to showcase themselves. Nice stuff here and I liked it more than I would have bet on.

Mandy Leon gets off the phone for an interview. She can’t believe that she has to talk about Quinn McKay, because Mandy is a grown woman who doesn’t need friendships or validation. That makes her different than McKay, who is always trying to prove that she is a good person. McKay talked about the Allure for year and then lost her chance to beat Angelina Love. That’s enough on McKay, and here is Love to agree.

Quinn McKay blames her loss to Angelina Love on inexperience and Mandy Leon. This is her last chance to make it into the Women’s Title tournament and she is tired of being told she will never be a wrestler. Yeah she has been an interviewer for two years, but she and Mandy Leon both started in the Ring of Honor Dojo. They were both backstage interviewers and they both lost their first match, just like McKay. But Leon won’t mention that, because she would rather be Love’s lapdog.

That’s the narrative Leon wants to spin but McKay knows what is under the hair and malice. Leon has a fighting spirit and they have both fought hard to be respected. McKay sees her as a glimmer of what she could be, and this is about who Leon is now vs. who she could be. Come back to the good side and give McKay a fair shot. This was a pretty emotional promo and McKay made it work far better than I would have expected. Not bad.

Mandy Leon vs. Quinn McKay

Angelina Love is with Leon, McKay is in the title tournament if she wins and Maria Kanellis-Bennett is on commentary. McKay actually offers a handshake, using the Genius left hand version. Leon punches her in the face though and knocks her down, allowing Leon to grab a mic and talk down to her a bit. A clothesline gives McKay a breather though and Leon is knocked out to the apron. That earns McKay another shot to the face though and choking on the ropes ensues.

McKay sweeps the legs though and hammers away, setting up a bodyscissors of all things. That’s reversed in a bit of an awkward sequence until Leon counters a neckbreaker. Some hair takedowns send us to a break with McKay in trouble again. Back with McKay being sent to the apron, with Love pulling her out to the floor. Mandy snaps off a running knee to the floor before elbowing her in the face back inside. McKay manages a powerslam but can’t cover so Love gives Leon a quick back rub.

A running seated Blockbuster sets up a trio of neckbreakers for two on Leon as McKay certainly has a target. With that not working, McKay grabs the Tangerine Dream (cobra clutch), drawing Love up for a distraction. That means the referee doesn’t see the tap, which means McKay lets go to yell at said referee. Love slips in the brass knuckles and McKay lifts Leon up for a belly to back suplex, only to get knocked cold for the pin at 7:44.

Rating: C-. The women’s division still isn’t all that great but McKay is someone you could see as a plucky underdog face for a good while. She might not be the future, but at least can be a star for a little while. I don’t believe for a second that this is the end of her chances at being in the tournament, as Ring of Honor seems to be a lot smarter than that.

Maria thinks she should do something about this.

Shane Taylor Promotions vs. Foundation/Joe Keys

This would be Shane Taylor/Soldiers of Savagery/O’Shay Edwards vs. Jay Lethal/Tracy Williams/Rhett Titus/Joe Keys. Before the match, Shane Taylor Promotions says the baddest just got better with Edwards joining up. On the other hand, Keys says he’s ready to step up and show the Foundation what he can do. Edwards takes Keys into the ropes to start and adds a running splash in the corner. Another charge misses though and Keys gets in a few shots to the leg.

A backdrop sends Keys to the apron but he manages a high crossbody for a fast two. Taylor comes in for a high crossbody and tells the Foundation to get their rookie out of here. We take a break and come back with Taylor shoving Lethal, who says he is so sick of Taylor’s mouth. A knee sends Lethal into the corner and Taylor’s eyes are rather scary. Williams comes in to slug it out with Moses, who wants some more.

That’s fine with Williams, who can’t get very far by charging at the monster. A cross armbreaker over the ropes works a bit better, with Williams letting go at four. Titus comes in for an atomic drop/running clothesline combination and it’s off to Lethal. Khan makes a save and gets shoved by Lethal, which has Coleman’s attention. Another Khan distraction lets Moses run Lethal over and it’s time for elbows in the corner.

It’s back to Taylor to hammer on Lethal, who comes back with some forearms. One HARD shot sends Lethal outside though and this time Coleman is singing about how bad that was. We take another break and come back again with Khan having to cut off a hot tag attempt. The Lethal Combination allows the hot tag to Titus, meaning house can be cleaned. Edwards gets belly to belly suplexed into the corner and a top rope knee drop gets two on Moses.

Keys comes back in and manages a heck of a German suplex to plant Moses for two more. Everything breaks down with the Foundation being sent outside, leaving Keys on his own. Keys manages to send Moses outside and tries to fight the other three, only to be taken down by a headbutt. Titus and Williams make the save and clothesline Taylor to the floor. Khan takes a double butterfly suplex (that’s a new one) and Lethal dives onto Moses. Keys dropkicks Taylor down but gets caught in Edwards’ Sky High for the pin at 16:54.

Rating: B. This was another one that was better than I was expecting as both sides worked out well. Keys was a nice surprise and held up well in a cameo role. At the same time, this was a great mini showcase for Edwards, who I’m very glad is finally getting a chance like this. Rather fun main event here and I’m glad to see Shane and pals get a big win.

Overall Rating: B. I’m not sure when it happened, but Ring of Honor might have become the best weekly wrestling show, at least for in-ring action. They still don’t have much in the way of storyline advancement most weeks, but the matches themselves are mostly good. They’re coming off a strong pay per view as well and the fans are going to make it even better. Nice job here, again.

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Ring of Honor
Date: July 14, 2021
Location: UMBC Event Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We are officially done with Best In The World, though I haven’t quite wrapped up the show itself. Thankfully Ring of Honor gives you a pretty nice cushion with the TV shows not meaning much for the next few weeks. Therefore, this show is likely going to be about taking care of some more minor stories that didn’t make the pay per view, so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Quinn McKay hypes up the pay per view, as the release date for this show can be a little confusing at times.

Dante Caballero/Joe Keys vs. Briscoes

Caballero and Keys are both terrified coming in, which is a nice change of pace. Keys: “We’re gonna get our a**** whipped.” Mark and Keys start things off with Mark taking it to the mat in a hurry. It’s already off to Jay and we take an early break. Back with Jay hitting a basement dropkick and snapping off a suplex to give Mark one.

Keys actually manages a belly to back on Jay, allowing the tag off to Caballero. Jay slips out of a slam though and snaps off a hurricanrana. It’s back to Mark to clean house as commentary is rather pleased with the idea of the fans being back. Redneck Boogie plants Keys for two so it’s a neckbreaker into the Froggy Bow to put him away at 9:36.

Rating: C-. Just a long squash here as the Briscoes are back on the same page and looking sharper than they have in a good while. That’s all they were going for here and it isn’t like the Briscoes should be having trouble with these guys. I’m not sure if I need to see them go after the Tag Team Titles again, but it isn’t like it would be the worst idea.

Flip Gordon vs. PJ Black

Brian Johnson is on commentary. Gordon doesn’t want to talk before the match. On the other hand, Black brags about how many places he has wrestled, earning a shrug from McKay. They trade some grappling and near falls to start, with Black bailing to the ropes. An armdrag into an armbar has Gordon down but he comes back up with a right hand. Black is fine enough to grab an anklescissors to the floor, setting up the slingshot dive.

Back in and Gordon rolls outside to avoid a dive and ties Black in the ring skirt to hammer away. The springboard missile dropkick puts Black on the floor again and a heck of a superkick puts him down as we take a break. We come back with Gordon hitting a suplex and chopping Black into the ropes.

Gordon’s tornado DDT is countered into a suplex but Gordon snaps off a reverse Regal Roll. The running shooting star press gets two and they chop it out again. Black faceplants him for two before winning an exchange of forearms. Gordon is back with a Blue Thunder Bomb for his own near fall so it’s a rake to Black’s face, setting up the Flip Five. Submit To Flip makes Black tap at 16:34.

Rating: C+. Another pretty good match with both guys working hard until Flip cheated to win. That’s how a match like this should go as you need someone to be cheating to make this work better. It was a fine choice for a TV match and it got some time, which is always going to help with something like this.

Post match Gordon goes after Black again but Brian Johnson runs in for the save.

Violence Unlimited vs. Foundation vs. La Faccion Ingobernable

Brian Zane joins commentary and that would be Brody King/Tony Deppen vs. Jonathan Gresham/Jay Lethal vs. Kenny King/Dragon Lee. Actually hang on a second as La Faccion has a seat at the timekeeper’s table before the opening bell, leaving it at two on two for the moment. Gresham and Deppen start things off with Deppen offering him the wrist, which does not seem to be so bright a move. They go to the mat for a standoff, with Gresham seeming rather confident. La Faccion pulls Gresham outside for a double suplex and we take a break.

Back with Lethal (now in a singlet) coming in to face King for a Best in the World preview. Now it’s La Faccion pulling Lethal outside for another double suplex, as one of the ring skirts has been pulled down as well. Back in and King drops Deppen onto Lethal for two and the chinlock goes on. That’s broken up and this time it’s Deppen being pulled outside for a double suplex of his own, leaving Brody as the odd man out.

Brody chases them away and Lethal uses the breather to bring Gresham in. Back in and Brody chokes Gresham on the rope but gets pulled outside….where he suplexes La Faccion for a change. The Foundation double teams Brody down for two but Lee makes the save, setting up a showdown with Gresham.

Lethal breaks that up and it’s Kenny coming back in for another showdown. After tossing Deppen outside, La Faccion double teams Gresham down for two. Brody comes back in for an attempted superplex on Lethal but Gresham breaks it up with a powerbomb. Deppen hits a Shining Wizard on Gresham but Kenny steals the pin at 17:43.

Rating: B-. The matches are fun but it feels like they are just putting together as many combinations of these guys as they can. That does not make for the most interesting set of matches, but at least they had some good action here. I get the idea behind the faction wars, though it would be nice if they seemed to be leading anywhere rather than merely trading wins and losses.

Best in the World rundown ends the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a weird show as it was good on its own but didn’t do a lot regarding the pay per view. The main event was not mentioned outside of a quick line or two on commentary, which hardly has me all that interested. Instead, it felt like a regular episode of the television show which happened to be taking place before the pah per view. Not bad, but it was hardly great or even worth watching.

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Ring of Honor
Date: June 2, 2021
Location: UMBC Events Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

It’s time to start getting ready for Best In The World and that means we need to put a few matches together. Granted Ring of Honor likes to take its time setting these up so you never know how the build is going to go. Hopefully they at least have something good on this show, as Ring of Honor can be all over the place. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of the Foundation retaining the Tag Team Titles over OGK last week.

Quinn McKay talks to the Foundation, who know that was a heck of a fight. It was great, but it wasn’t pure. Therefore, every title defense from now on will be under Pure Rules.

McKay welcomes us to the show and runs down the card.

LSG vs. Joe Keys

The winner gets to pick if they want to be ranked in the TV or Pure Rules division. During the entrances, Keys talks about working through the dojo to get here and LSG talks about how he is tired of hearing about the future when he is the present. They go with the grappling to start with neither being able to go anywhere. LSG goes up for a springboard but dives into a backslide for two in a pretty cool counter.

Things reset a bit and Keys’ chop in the corner seems to annoy LSG a bit. A running forearm connects with Keys in the corner but he comes back with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker as we take a break. Back with Keys cranking on the arms with a boot on LSG’s neck. LSG tries to roll up but gets caught in a German suplex for two.

Back up and LSG hits a springboard spinning forearm for a breather, followed by a neckbreaker for two of his own. The cravate stays on Keys’ neck and Rocket Bye Baby puts him down again. The Muta Lock goes on but Keys slips the hands off and grabs the rope. Keys manages to roll through a suplex for a double knockdown. They both get back up with Keys trying a rollup, only to get reversed into a cradle to give LSG the pin at 12:21.

Rating: C. This was a nice enough technical exchange and that’s what they needed to do. What matters here is having someone new getting a chance because the company can always use some fresh blood. LSG has been around for a long time now and it should be nice to see what he can do higher up the card. The match wasn’t anything great but the future is what matters here.

Post break LSG picks the Pure division.

We look at Silas Young turning on Josh Woods at the 19th Anniversary Show. Young talked about how it would be the last time Woods embarrassed him, because Young was teaching him to be a real man.

Then two weeks ago, Young cheated to beat Woods.

Young does not like the suggestion that he cheated but Woods came up to say not so fast. A Pure Rules match was made (they REALLY like those around here).

Survival of the Fittest is back next week.

Violence Unlimited is ready to destroy the Foundation because violence has honor.

The Foundation knows that Violence Unlimited is in over their heads in a wrestling match because they can’t cut it.

Violence Unlimited vs. Foundation

That would be Chris Dickinson/Homicide/Tony Deppen/Brody King vs. Jay Lethal/Tracy Williams/Rhett Titus/Silas Young. Kenny King is on commentary and we actually get some handshakes to start. Williams jumps Deppen to start and the beatdown is on in the corner. It’s too early for the piledriver though as Homicide makes the save, meaning it’s a quick history lesson on the CZW feud (from WAY back in the day).

It’s off to Dickinson vs. Lethal and we take a break. Back (after seemingly nothing changed) with Dickinson shoving Lethal down, followed by an exchange of chops. Lethal manages a quick dropkick to the floor but it’s too early for the suicide dive. Homicide gets in a cheap shot though and everyone comes in to glare at each other without actually fighting. We settle down to Homicide vs. Young, which is quite the battle of the generations.

Homicide sends him into the corner and hammers away but Titus comes in off a blind tag. A slam sends Homicide bailing to the floor but he comes back inside so the Foundation can take turns working him over. We take a break and come back with King coming in to blast the much smaller Gresham with a clothesline. The neck crank goes on for a bit before Unlimited gets a chance to take their own turns. Gresham shoves off Homicide’s tornado DDT attempt and it’s off to King vs. Titus.

Everything breaks down with Titus getting to clean house, including blocking Deppen’s tornado DDT. A top rope knee to the back gets two on King and we take another break. Back again with Williams and Lethal picking King up for a double fireman’s carry, with Titus adding a dropkick. The rest of Unlimited comes in for the save and Homicide hits a running flip dive to take out Gresham and Williams. Lethal kicks away at King back inside but the Lethal Injection is countered into the Ganso Bomb for the pin at 19:17.

Rating: B. This got some time and the ending made it even better, as the Ganso Bomb is one of the more devastating (as well as scary) looking finishers today. I can go with the idea of King getting a nice win and the new stable is getting a little momentum. The name still isn’t great, but at least you can get the idea right without having things be more confusing than they need to be.

Unlimited talks a lot of trash as Lethal is carried out.

One more Survival of the Fittest video wraps things up.

Overall Rating: C+. Another good show here as Ring of Honor manages to put things together and then make them work. That is where this show has been rather good in recent weeks as they don’t try to do anything ridiculous. I can go with the idea of setting up something simple and then making it work, which is what has worked well for Ring of Honor as of late. Nice stuff here, with a rather strong main event.

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Ring of Honor
Date: May 19, 2021
Location: UMBC Events Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

Last week’s main event was a bit of a bizarre booking decision with Angelina Love and Mandy Leon cutting off the Cinderella story of Quinn McKay, which didn’t exactly leave a lot of good feelings. We’re coming up on I believe Best In The World though so it’s time to start setting some things up. Let’s get to it.

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

Ian Riccaboni welcomes us to the show and runs down the card. Quinn is back next week.

Battle Royal

PCO, Mike Bennett, Bateman, LSG, Danhausen, O’Shay Edwards, Brian Mooney, Joe Keys, Dante Caballero, Ken Dixon, Mark Briscoe, Eric Martin, World Famous CB, Sledge

This is between everyone who is currently unranked. The final two will have a singles match later, with the winner getting to choose to be ranked in the Pure or TV Title division. Dalton Castle is on commentary and only a handful get entrances. The factoids about PCO say that he last wrestled in a two winner battle royal in 1993 (!) and he is the only person in the match to participate in the World War 3 battle royal. He’s old you see.

Bateman jumps Bennett in the aisle and the camera keeps jumping back to their fight. Cue Dutch (Bateman’s monster friend) to run Bennett over and choke him out as the match is going on in the background somewhere. Bennett gets planted on the floor with a Boss Man Slam and is dragged towards the back (Castle: “You can’t just walk off with a human!”) but security breaks it up.

We take a break and come back with Dixon being baseball slided out. Matt Taven is carrying Bennett out, as Bateman and Dutch (the latter of whom might not have been in this in the first place) are gone too. Briscoe puts Mooney (formerly Ryan Nova, which is a better name) out and PCO gets rid of Martin. That gives us a PCO vs. Briscoe showdown but Danhausen breaks it up with a double chokeslam attempt….and is tossed. Hold on though as Danhausen has an El Generico mask and gets back in, earning himself another elimination.

PCO and Briscoe get to chop it out as they have long wanted to as Caballero is put out. CB goes up for no logical reason and is knocked out by Keys (in a bit of an upset), leaving Briscoe to slug it out with Edwards. Keys actually tosses Briscoe (in a very big upset), leaving Sledge to hammer it out with Edwards for a change. Edwards misses a charge and gets tossed out, leaving us with Sledge, PCO, Keys and LSG for an interesting final four.

PCO…well they call it malfunctioning and dives through the ropes onto absolutely no one. That’s through the ropes though so he comes back in and suplexes LSG into the corner. Now we get PCO vs. Sledge for the slugout and a chokeoff (Castle: “This is good! When one of them stops breathing, the other wins!”). PCO shoves him out but LSG and Keys run up from behind for the elimination and the win at 13:40.

Rating: C-. Not much of a battle royal (as we skipped the opening few minutes to watch the fight) as about a third of the people were dojo students, but I like the ending quite a bit. This is a way to jump start some runs in the company so this is about as good of an idea as they had. I’m not sure if the winners are going to go anywhere, but this is a good move and the right call.

PCO is annoyed and leaves as the winners shake hands.

Six Man Tag Team Titles: Primal Fear vs. Shane Taylor Promotions

Shane Taylor Promotions (Taylor/Moses/Khan) are defending and Primal Fear is a trio who have been together for five years now. Before the match, Primal Fear say they want the titles and Taylor and company say they’re giving the new guys a chance. Moses and Matthew Omen start things off with the much bigger Moses shoving him down without much effort.

Some elbows to the face put Omen down and it’s off to Khan for a running backsplash. Adrian Soriano comes in and gets driven into the corner in a hurry. A slap to Shane’s face earns him a heck of a forearm as we take a break. Back with a headbutt sending Soriano into the corner but some double teaming lets Fear get Taylor into the corner. Gabriel Hodder comes in and stomps away with some choking mixed in for a bit of flavor. A belly to back suplex into a moonsault gives Hodder two but Shane blasts Soriano with a clothesline.

The hot tag brings in Moses to clean house and a clothesline sends Hodder outside. Khan’s gorilla press gutbuster drops Omen for two but it’s a backbreaker into a spear to give Soriano two. A step up flip dive takes Moses out on the floor but he’s fine enough to hit a fall away slam, sending Hodder over the barricade. Back in and a super Jackhammer (that’s a new one) hits Omen, setting up a 3D into a Downward Spiral (that’s a new one too) to give Moses the pin at 10:17.

Rating: C. I’m not sure what to think of Primal Fear, as they were three guys who worked well but there wasn’t anything that made them stand out. That being said, it kind of fits to have them as a unit instead of three individual people. The action was good enough and it was cool to see a pair of cool moves to wrap it up. I could go for more of Primal Fear too, which is a good result coming out of a match like this one.

Silas Young has been asked about why he turned on Josh Woods. Young is a successful star on his own so why did he take Woods under his wing? He taught Woods everything he knows about wrestling but then Woods blew him off. Everything has repercussions and this is his repercussion.

Josh Woods reluctantly sits down and is asked about Silas Young. After thinking for a good while, Woods walks off without saying anything.

Josh Woods vs. Silas Young

Young jumps Woods during the entrance and hammers away, including sending Woods hard into the barricade. Woods kicks a chair into Young’s face and we take a break. Back with the opening bell (well done) and Woods being sent throat first into the top rope. The slow beating begins with Young talking trash and hitting a stomp to the ribs off the ropes. Young says he is going to clothesline him and then clotheslines him, setting up a knee to the back.

We hit the chinlock with a bodyscissors for a bit before Woods blocks a suplex attempt. His back gives out though and Young runs Woods over again. A big boot drops Woods and we take a break. Back with Woods reversing an abdominal stretch into one of his own but Young is out in a hurry. Somehow Woods manages to pick him up with a suplex to drive him into the corner, setting up the running forearms.

A butterfly suplex gives Woods two and a bridging German suplex gets two. The Gorilla Lock is broken up so Young nails the anarchist suplex for two of his own. Woods is sent out to the apron and pulls Young out with him for the slugout. They trade forearms and trash talk until Woods throws him back inside for a wacky armbar. That’s fine with Young, who puts his feet on the ropes and pushes into a rollup for the pin at 12:06.

Rating: C+. Woods is a heck of a prospect and Young is the kind of a guy who can make anything work against anyone. The mentor vs. student story has worked for years and it was working well enough here too. This felt like an important showdown and that is the kind of thing any show can use.

Overall Rating: C+. What made this show work so well is that it felt like a mixture of multiple things. You had stuff for the future, a title match and a grudge match. It is the kind of show that feels like you’re getting to see something and that is what weekly TV is often missing. Good show here, with the format making up for some hit and miss action.

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Ring of Honor
Date: February 3, 2021
Location: UMBC Events Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

I’m really not sure what to say around here as we keep going from week to week with not all that much really feeling like it changes. We don’t have a show to build towards and while we are probably going to have some good matches, odds are they’re going to come after the same format this show has used for months now. In other words, it’s going to be pretty good but not exactly inspiring. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Joe Keys talks about how hard it has been to get here and how hard he has worked in the Ring of Honor Dojo. Jonathan Gresham was his trainer, but he isn’t the first trainer he had. That trainer passed away and now Keys wishes he could tell his trainer that he’s getting a Pure Title shot. Now he’s going to get the title to get back at Gresham for what Gresham put him through.

Jonathan Gresham talks about how hard Final Battle was and Joe Keys isn’t ready for that. Keys has earned a title shot by winning a match against other Dojo students but now he is stepping up even higher. Tonight, Keys is going to learn that this isn’t the Dojo because he is up against the Foundation.

Now that we have your required two minute promos out of the way because we must have them before almost every match, we’re ready to go.

Pure Title: Jonathan Gresham vs. Joe Keys

Keys is challenging after winning a Dojo match, thereby making the rankings even less important than your run of the mill wrestling rankings. Gresham takes him to the mat with a headscissors to start and Keys can’t do much to power out. Eventually it means the first rope break and they’re back up. A waistlock has Gresham in trouble and Keys powers him over to the ropes, where Keys has to grab said rope to avoid falling. That’s good for a rope break and we take a break to keep pace with both guys.

Back with Keys winning a slugout so Gresham grabs the armdrags to put Keys in trouble again. A quick backbreaker gives Keys a breather, only to have Gresham crank on the arm again. Keys’ German suplex gets two and there’s another backbreaker to put Gresham down again. The Boston crab sends Gresham to the rope for the break, followed by a headbutt for a third and final rope break. Keys wins another slugout and gets two off a clothesline but misses a top rope headbutt. La Majistral gives Gresham two more and he rolls Keys down into a nasty hammerlock for the tap to retain at 12:41.

Rating: C+. Keys looked fine here and the teacher vs. student idea is always going to work. It helps that Keys got to show off a bit here before the only ending the match could have had. At the same time though, I’m not exactly thrilled with seeing Ring of Honor do their best New Japan impression with the Young Lions/students thing, even if they already had characters and personae before they came here.

Matt Taven comes up to Mike Bennett, who is getting his ankle fixed up. Bennett says he’ll be fine and needs this match tonight. Taven doesn’t seem convinced but goes along with it.

Danhausen…is confused about all the lights and cameras around him. He only cares about being rich and famous and wants to know where his blimp is, as he was promised one in his contract. If he swears, he gets thrown off the air and that means he can’t be rich and famous. Danhausen likes to kick people in the face, like Brian Johnson, who yells at internet people. There is no stopping Danhausen because Danhausen is not evil. This was one of those wacky characters but it was the kind that actually worked, which is not something you get to see very often. Not too bad here.

Brian Johnson talks about how he grew up loving wrestling, even if it meant taking your vitamins or drinking a beer. Now he loves real wrestlers and can’t stand someone who lives on his couch and thinks he’s funny. Danhausen is a joke and it took a bad referee to cost him their match at Ring of Honor. Everyone has overlooked him and that isn’t happening again….whenever this match takes place.

The Bouncers are ready to face the OGK (OG Kingdom) tonight. Things have changed since Mike Bennett left though and tonight, they are the first step on the Bouncers’ path to the Tag Team Titles.

Matt Taven and Mike Bennett are ready to get back to what worked, without having to think of Vincent and the Righteous.

OGK vs. Bouncers

Bennett and Milonas start things off and Bennett finds out that he can’t do things as usual against someone this big. The ankle flares up too, including as Milonas doesn’t move off a shoulder block. Taven comes in and loads up the dive but Bruiser stands in front of him for a good visual. We settle down to Taven getting caught in a side slam/dropkick combination. Taven manages an enziguri and brings Bennett back in, only to have Bruiser run him over.

Some double teaming manages to knock Milonas down though and Taven nails a superkick but Bennett’s ankle goes out again. The Bruiser goes after the ankle with some cranking on the mat, followed by Milonas sitting on him in the corner. We take a break and come back with Bennett getting over for the hot tag to Taven to pick up the pace. The Flight of the Conqueror takes out Milonas on the floor and Aurora Borealis hits Bruiser for two back inside.

Bruiser hits a Samoan drop and we cut to a shot of the video screen for some reason. With that out of the way, Milonas hits a Side Effect on Taven but Bennett is back in with a superkick. Bruiser is back up to run Taven over but the frog splash misses. Bennett catches Bruiser with a spear but falls to the floor. That leaves Taven to grab something like a Crossface to make Bruiser tap at 11:56.

Rating: C. I continue to be astounded at how much better Taven is as a face than the heel he was for years. Bennett still isn’t much more than a guy in trunks but he has already been treated as far more important here than he ever was in WWE. If this is what he wants to do then good for him, because there was little point to him being in WWE as far as career advancement went.

Post match the Bouncers are ready for the toast but here is the Righteous with Vincent saying Bruiser has no direction. Bennett was gone for five years and he’s right back like nothing ever changed. Or Milonas, who has been around for 18 years, and has been given nothing. Taven just bought a house but where is anything for the Bouncers? The Righteous leaves and Bruiser breaks a beer bottle over Taven’s head. A twisting DDT plants Bennett and Milonas is shocked to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. The ending helped the show a bit but the same problems continue around here: nothing to build towards and stories that move along at such a slow pace that they might as well not even be there. At the same time you have the same longer form promos, which work on some occasions but then there are people who have nothing to say and it shows pretty badly. The show isn’t terrible by any means but it’s often boring, which is a lot worse most of the time. That was slightly better this week, but they have a lot of things to fix.

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Ring of Honor
Date: December 30, 2020
Location: UMBC Events Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

It’s time for a Christmas special with the annual Christmas Surprise tag team match. In other words, there will be two captains (the Briscoes in this case) and they will draw four names to make a random ten man tag. That’s better than having some random singles matches to fill in time until we get to the Final Battle fallout. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

It’s time to pick some names, so Jay Briscoe picks….well we’ll find out later.

Eric Martin and Ken Dixon are rookies from the ROH Dojo and while they don’t have a ton of experience. Martin likes to take it to people but seems a bit low key. Dixon on the other hand is a bit of a good old boy who likes the idea of getting paid for something that would usually get you arrested.

Dante Caballero and Joe Keys are from the MCW Training Center and they know Dixon from training. They started wrestling together but found out that they were in over their head. Jonathan Gresham helped them take away everything else and get back to basics. Tonight they’re here to prove that they belong.

Dante Caballero/Joe Keys vs. Eric Martin/Ken Dixon

They’re all in the basic black trunks because Ring of Honor REALLY wants to be New Japan. Caballero and Dixon go to the mat to start with Caballero getting two off a hammerlock into a crucifix. Martin comes in and it’s some double teaming to put Caballero in trouble in the corner. A quick escape allows the tag to Keys, who is dropkicked down in a hurry. Dixon shoulders Keys down for two and a hard whip into the corner sends us to a break. Back with Dixon coming in again and letting Keys make the tag.

Keys slams Martin down and dives over for the tag to Caballero to start the comeback. The Crossface is broken up by Dixon, who snaps off a powerslam for two on Caballero. The hot tag brings Keys back in and a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker hits Dixon. There’s a Swan Dive to Dixon as well but it bangs Keys up at the same time. He’s fine enough to grab a half crab, which is broken up in a hurry too. Caballero comes back in with a spear though and a half crab makes Dixon tap at 12:14.

Rating: C. The match was your standard run of the mill low level tag match, but can we please drop the “we’ve stripped them of their identities deal?” I know it’s what New Japan does and ROH loves itself some New Japan, but these people have a history and Caballero was already in the Top Prospect Tournament with his full deal. It’s ok to do something of your own instead of copying someone else. Stop overthinking it.

Mark Briscoe doesn’t like that his older brother got first pick of the presents but he seems happy with his choices too.

Brian Johnson joins commentary and has Team Bozo shirts for Ian and Caprice.

Team Mark vs. Team Jay

Team Mark: Mark Briscoe, Beer City Bruiser, Dak Draper, Tracy Williams, Dalton Castle

Team Jay: Jay Briscoe, Flip Gordon, Brawler Milonas, John Walters, PCO

In a nice bonus, each wrestler’s stats are replaced with their Christmas wish list. I can always appreciate little touches like that as they show some thinking and effort. Walters and Williams go technical (stunning indeed) to start with Williams snapping off an armdrag for a standoff. Draper comes in and gets dropkicked by Gordon, who grabs a choke for a bonus. Milonas comes in and gets to face…..the Bruiser, as the Colossal Jostle is on. Bruiser gets knocked down but misses the legdrop, setting up the stereo crossbodies.

Castle, in a turtleneck, comes in to face PCO and I want these two in a buddy cop comedy. PCO doesn’t like being sent into the buckle as commentary brags about Jim Cornette’s endorsement. We take a break and come back with a fired up PCO saying bring it on. Castle thinks about it but hands it off to Mark instead. Jay comes in as well and it’s time to run the ropes. That doesn’t suit them though and the slugout is on, drawing in everyone else for more of the same.

Flip hits a big springboard flip dive onto Bruiser, followed by PCO diving onto just about everyone. Back in and Jay uppercuts Mark, followed by Walters getting two off an elbow to the face. PCO comes in to whip Mark into the corner but Mark elbows Walters down and hands it off to Bruiser as we take another break. Back again with Mark chopping at Walters as commentary wonders about a Briscoe Family Christmas. Ian: “Family matters to the Briscoes.” Johnson: “Family matters? Urkel wouldn’t even hang out with those two!” Ian: “Well Laura would.” And that’s why I smile at Ian Riccaboni’s commentary.

The nerve hold has Walters in trouble and a chokeslam into a cutter (cool) puts Walters down again. That makes everything break down and we hit the parade of secondary finishers. Walters triangle chokes Williams but Bruiser breaks it up with a frog splash. PCO runs Draper over and finishes with the PCOsault at 17:31.

Rating: B-. This was the usual fun, completely irrelevant and entertaining match that we always get out of the Christmas special. You don’t need to do anything more than have a laid back match here but there are enough people to set up some interesting matchups. It’s a fun tradition and they did well with it here so nice job.

Overall Rating: C+. It’s a Christmas special so it isn’t the kind of show you can complain about all that much. The main event was fun and the opener was fine (annoying visuals aside) and….well what else are you wanting on a show like this? They always take a break around Christmas and this was perfectly acceptable all around.

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