Ring Of Honor
Date: September 24 2026
Location: WJCT Studios, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

It’s an AEW PPV weekend and oddly enough we didn’t get a bonus episode of ROH. In this case that’s a good thing as it means we won’t be seeing as many matches that are there to fill in time on the card. As usual I have no idea what to expect on here, but I’m sure a bunch of wrestlers will be moving closer towards title matches which aren’t likely to wind up happening. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Lee Moriarty vs. Serpentico

Non-title Proving Ground Pure Rules match and we’re at a recent AEW show with AEW commentary because I guess that’s a thing we’re doing with this show now. They fight over arm control to start with Moriarty’s armbar making Serpentico burn his first rope break. A rollup gives Serpentico two and he armdrags Moriarty down, only for Moriarty to take out the leg.

Moriarty gets two off a bridging suplex and keeps the bridge after the kickout for some showing off. An abdominal stretch goes on and Serpentico has to fall into the ropes for the second break (with commentary not being sure who made the rope first, which actually matters here). Serpentico’s hurricanrana out of the corner gets two but Moriarty is back with a belly to belly suplex into a bridge (as it sounds) for two of his own. The Border City Stretch makes Serpentico tap out at 5:40.

Rating: C+. This was the most recent Moriarty match where he did just about the same thing he’s done for however many years it is now. Moriarty is good at them, but he’s run through the competition so many times now that there is no one left to come after the title. I hope we’re not waiting on Nigel McGuinness, because that could take some sweet time.

Post match Moriarty gives the downed Serpentico a handshake in a rather heelish move.

We recap Emi Sakura turning on Deonna Purrazzo all those minutes into their time as a team.

Deonna Purrazzo vs. Rebecca Scott

Non-title Proving Ground Pure Rules match. Purrazzo wastes no time in stacking her up for two and almost gets the Fujiwara armbar. An exchange of rollups gets two each so Scott snaps off a headscissors into the corner. Back up and Purrazzo cuts her off in the corner and goes after the arm. They hit stereo pump kicks to leave them both down before trading shots to the face. A Liger Bomb into the Venus de Milo finishes Scott at 4:15.

Rating: C. As usual, this was about making the newcomer look good while missing the bigger point. Purrazzo is the best Pure Rules wrestler in the history of the women’s division and she should be ticked off because of Sakura. Instead, she has trouble beating someone who isn’t a player around here. That’s missing the bigger point and it’s something that happens way too often on this show.

Post match we get a more respectful handshake.

And now, to Jacksonville.

Main Man Oro vs. Mark Davis

Davis misses an early backsplash but knocks him off the top. Oro’s leg is bent around the top rope and a chop off goes to Davis. A series of clotheslines gives Davis two and he crushes Oro in the corner for the same. The big clothesline is cut off by a rolling Liger kick so Davis forearms him in the face.

Oro’s neckbreaker gets two and they go to the apron for more striking. Davis is sent outside for a corkscrew dive from the top and a hard shot to the back of the head gets two back inside. Oro tries a rollup but gets pulled into the piledriver to give Davis the pin at 6:49.

Rating: B-. This was a nice back and forth match and that’s a lot better here because Davis doesn’t have anything going on around here. It also helps that Oro has been around for a pretty good while. While he hasn’t done much of anything, he’s at least a name and it’s good to see him getting a chance.

Caprice Coleman sits down with the IInspiration, who are busy talking about their nails. Coleman asks about their history and they talk about going to high school together in Australia. That’s a cool situation but the bigger detail is that Jesse is pregnant with a baby girl. They can’t wrestle together right now but they have a plan that involves Australia.

Vertvixen/Viva Van vs. Athena/Billie Starkz

Athena and Van fight over arm control to start so Athena sends her over to Vertvixen for the tag. Starkz comes in for a running knee to the head but Vertvixen is up for a running shoulder and two of her own. It’s back to Athena, who is sent into the corner for some running elbows. Starkz makes the save with a tornado DDT and it’s Vertvixen getting choked down in the corner. The chinlock goes on for a bit, followed by some running shots to knock Vertvixen even sillier.

Athena misses some running knees in the corner though and Van comes back in to chop away on Starkz. A rolling kick to the face gives Van two and she dropkicks Athena out to the floor. Vertvixen comes back in and gets dropkicked by Athena but Starkz’ Swanton hits raised knees. The string of strikes knocks everyone down until Starkz takes Vertvixen out on the floor. Athena’s flipping Downward Spiral pins Van at 10:52.

Rating: B-. Athena is like so many of the other champions around here, as she has no one to challenge her and nothing in particular to do. I would certainly hope that they aren’t building up Starkz as the challenger again, but that is always a chance. It’s almost like leaving her in Ring Of Honor for almost four years isn’t a great idea.

We look at Bandido and Komander winning last week’s main event over AR Fox/Soleil.

Alan Angels vs. Tommy Billington

Commentary thinks the winner might be in the TOP TEN for the TV Title. At this point, I’d almost take the rankings again. Billington shoulders and armdrags him down to start and scares Angels out to the floor as the audience is quiet. Not that they aren’t reacting, but it’s like you can hear a lot more in the arena.

A backdrop takes Angels down but he’s right back with a northern lights suplex for two. Back up and Billington monkey flips him to the floor, where Angels finds….a breadstick? Angels is able to grab a half nelson suplex for two but gets hits running powerbomb is countered into a hurricanrana. The Tombstone gives Billington the pin at 6:55.

Rating: C+. This was about what you would have expected as the two of them have shown what they can do before and did it again here. I’m not sure what was up with the breadstick but it’s more interesting than just having another basic match. I’m sure they’ll be in the title hunt any day now.

Deonna Purrazzo says Emi Sakura only had to ask for a match. She’ll see Sakura soon.

Preston Vance vs. Jarrett Diaz

Vance chops him in the corner but gets knocked down. Diaz’s moonsault misses though and Vance pulls him into a big spinebuster. The discus lariat and full nelson finish Diaz at 1:50.

Post match the Dark Order comes out for the main event but John Silver still doesn’t trust Vance.

Six Man Tag Team Titles: Dark Order vs. Lethal Twist

The Order is challenging. Lethal struts away from Reynolds to start so Reynolds struts right back. A dropkick puts Lethal down so the Swirl comes in and double teams Reynolds to cut him off just as fast. That’s fine with the Order, who are in as well to take over on Johnson. A triple basement dropkick has Johnson down again and he gets chopped in the corner.

Silver asks if the fans know how to count before he rains down the right hands but Christian comes in for the save. Everything breaks down and the Order gets in their rollup, with Christian making the save with a top rope double stomp. The Order gets in their triple superkick and the triple flipping slam gets two on Lethal with Johnson making the save.

The Big Shot Drop and a springboard splash combination gets two on Reynolds and it’s time for the parade of strikes to the face. Christian gives Uno the sliding German suplex out of the corner, leaving Silver alone against the champs. Silver suplexes Johnson and Christian at the same time and a brainbuster knocks Lethal silly. Reynolds hits Silver by mistake though and the top rope double stomp/Death Valley Driver combination pins Silver to retain the titles at 9:28.

Rating: B-. This was easily the biggest match of the show and felt good enough for the main event slot. It’s a problem when you have that many titles floating around but only having one of them on the line in the show makes it feel more important. The Order getting a quick title shot is fine as it’s not like they’re going to win or be a serious threat. Nice job here.

Post match the Order argues and Preston Vance comes in, which has Silver shoving people and leaving on his own.

Overall Rating: B-. While there’s still a lot of matches that feel like they don’t matter in the slightest, it’s so much easier to watch this at a more manageable hour and fifteen minutes (ish). If nothing else, getting to the main event that much faster had me more interested in it, especially the angle that was involved. This stuff really isn’t that complicated and it’s nice to see it done better, even if that’s as simple as cutting out thirty minutes of unnecessary content.

Results
Lee Moriarty b. Serpentico – Border City Stretch
Deonna Purrazzo b. Rebecca Scott – Venus de Milo
Mark Davis b. Main Man Oro – Piledriver
Athena/Billie Starkz b. Viva Van/Vertvixen – Flipping Downward Spiral to Van
Tommy Billington b. Alan Angels – Tombstone
Preston Vance b. Jarrett Diaz – Full nelson
Lethal Twist b. Dark Order – Top rope double stomp/Death Valley Driver combination to Silver

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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Collision
Date: September 12, 2026
Location: MassMutual Center, Springfield, Massachusetts
Commentators: Paul Wight, Nigel McGuinness, Tony Schiavone

So this is a different kind of show as the whole thing is a tribute to the Butcher, who passed away earlier this month at the far too early age of 48. While Butcher hadn’t wrestled here in a bit, he was certainly a part of the AEW family and deserves such an honor. I’m not sure what this is going to be but it should be emotional, so let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

In Memory Of Andy Williams.

There is a wreath and guitar in the ring. Tony Schiavone has the fans stand for a ten bell salute.

Various wrestlers and AEW personalities, including Brody King, Colt Cabana, Justin Roberts, Penelope Ford, Jeff Jarrett and Kip Sabian pay tribute to Butcher.

Commentary pays tribute as well and runs down the card.

Jon Moxley vs. Mike Bailey

Non-title Eliminator Match. They go with the grappling to start and it’s an early standoff. Bailey trips him down into a front facelock so Moxley gets in a takedown of his own to work on the arm. Bailey gets up and snaps off a hurricanrana to the floor, with Moxley already looking frustrated.

Back in and Moxley easily takes him down for a reverse chinlock and it’s time to work on Bailey’s fingers. That earns Moxley a missile dropkick but he sends Bailey flying out to the floor. Bailey is fine enough to start in on the leg, with some kicks setting up a dragon screw legwhip. A corkscrew Asai moonsault drops Moxley and we take a break.

We come back with Moxley getting in a butterfly superplex but Bailey scores with another kick. The standing moonsault knees give Bailey two and he sends Moxley to the apron to do it again. Back in and the Ultimate Weapon misses so Bailey kicks away, only for Moxley to pop up with a cutter. Moxley misses a boot in the corner and gets kicked in the back, with a shooting star giving Bailey two. Bailey gets a kneebar, with Moxley escaping and hitting a Stomp. The Death Rider finishes Bailey at 18:09.

Rating: B. This was your usual Moxley match, as he popped up after everything Bailey threw at him and survived in the end, which is hardly a surprise. At the same time, it was hard to believe that Bailey had much of a chance here as even the time limit almost expiring didn’t really build up much drama. Other than that, Paul Wight praising the continental wrestling with its lack of interference and weapons made me shake my head, as I remember that just being called a wrestling match.

Nick Wayne says youth is what matters and Chris Jericho is worried about him. If Jericho is so sure about himself, come prove it on Dynamite.

Rascalz vs. Aaron Solo/Griff Garrison/Nick Comoroto

Reed throws Garrison down to start and a double slingshot belly to back suplex does it again. Comoroto comes in and gets triple teamed to the floor and Reed cutters Solo. Reed hits a dive and the Hot Fire Flame finishes Solo at 2:01. Total squash.

Daniel Garcia, Willow Nightingale and Pac pay tribute to the Butcher.

Mina Shirakawa vs. Queen Aminata

Mercedes Mone is on commentary. Aminata grabs a quickly broken headlock to start and is taken down, allowing Shirakawa to dance. Back up and Aminata gets in a running shoulder block and we get the required Chocolate Kisses. Shirakawa knocks her down for the slingshot corkscrew dive and the big dive to the floor as we take a break. We come back with Aminata knocking her down and grabbing a snap suplex. Shirakawa grabs a quick Glamorous Driver for two so she puts on the Figure Four, with Aminata having to roll to the rope. A quick small package gives Aminata the pin at 10:19.

Rating: C+. So I guess Aminata is going to be the next victim for Mone and that’s perfectly fine for a quick Collision main event in a few weeks. That’s a weird way to go as Thekla and Willow Nightingale are already likely to come after the title, probably even at All Out. Other than that, Shirakawa loses again, because that’s all she does most of the time.

Post match respect is shown.

Pac says tonight is business as usual for the Death Riders but here are the Dogs to complain about the team stopping them from attacking Will Ospreay. Jon Moxley threatens them because he doesn’t do any favors for anyone. Tonight, the Dogs better go take care of the Bang Bang Gang.

Jay White vs. Adam Priest

They grapple to a standoff to start and White takes him down into a headlock. That’s broken up so Priest strikes away until White drops him again. A Muta Lock sends Priest over to the rope and he’s right back up with a dragon screw legwhip. Priest’s swinging neckbreaker gets two but an attempt at the half crab is reversed into the Blade Runner to give White the pin at 5:19.

Rating: C+. I was expecting this to get more time and it was nice to see White take him down with his finisher instead of going too long. White is someone who can be rather smooth in the ring and look good out there when he is given the chance. Now just let him win some matches that actually matter.

Post match White says the Bang Bang Gang is ready for the Death Riders.

Dogs/Pac vs. Bang Bang Gang

Jay White and Jon Moxley are on commentary. It’s a big brawl to start and the Gang is cleared out with Austin getting caught in the wrong corner for the running clotheslines. The Gang is right back in to do the same to Finlay and Austin loads him up in the fireman’s carry for the squats. We take a break and come back with Robinson fighting out of trouble with a side kick to Pac.

The Gunns come in to clean house with Austin’s full nelson slam getting two on Connors. Austin is in with a double missile dropkick and we get the parade of knockdowns. A German suplex/clothesline combination puts Austin down and Moxley approves. Everyone gets back up and slug it out until Austin hits a big flip dive to the floor. 3:10 To Yuma drops Connors with Finlay diving in for the save (Moxley is thrilled). Pac trips Austin and Connors hits a spear for the pin at 10:51.

Rating: B-. Gah I was getting into this and hoping to see the Gang get a bigger win but why do that when you can have the freaking Dogs get a win? For the life of me I do not get the Dogs and they just keep going with one push after another. They do nothing for me and Kidd is the weakest of them all, so of course he gets the most attention.

Chuck Taylor, Darius Martin, Roderick Strong, Christopher Daniels, Lee Moriarty and Kyle O’Reilly pay tribute to the Butcher.

The Blade has sent in a statement on Butcher’s passing.

Tommaso Ciampa wants a title and is coming to All Out.

Lethal Twist vs. Conglomeration

New Level is on commentary and the Twist’s ROH Six Man Tag Team Titles aren’t on the line. Lethal and Cassidy start things off with Williams taking him up against the rope for a quick finger spin. Cassidy backs him to the floor where Lethal argues with New Level, earning himself a chop from Strong. Everything breaks down, including a barrage of chops, plus a backbreaker/middle rope knee combination to Lethal.

We take a break and come back with Cassidy fighting out of trouble and getting in a Stundog Millionaire. O’Reilly comes in to clean house and Strong throws Cassidy around as a weapon. Strong gets caught in a reverse DDT/high crossbody combination for two and Cassidy gets superkicked. He doesn’t actually fall down though as Strong shoves him back, with a double clothesline dropping the villains. O’Reilly and Cassidy hit a dive apiece, leaving Strong to hit the Sick Kick into the End Of Heartache to pin Lethal at 9:54.

Rating: B-. Yep, you knew how the match was going to go as soon as Ring Of Honor champions were involved. They were there to make the AEW stars look good and somehow this just keeps happening. I have no idea why that’s the case but for some reason Ring Of Honor is just used for jobbing. Just find someone else for this spot. It can’t be that hard with this roster.

Post match Conglomeration and New Level have a staredown.

Lena Kross and Megan Bayne are ticked off and promise to hurt the Brawling Birds.

All Out rundown.

Butcher Battle Royal

Lance Archer, Eddie Kingston, Ortiz, Claudio Castagnoli, Josh Alexander, Daniel Garcia, The Beast Mortos, Jake Doyle, Dante Martin, Darius Martin, AR Fox, Wheeler Yuta

For $100,000 to be donated to the charity of the winner’s choice in Butcher’s name. The brawl starts on the floor and the bell rings with no one actually in the ring. The Martins and Doyle come in to brawl, with Fox coming in to join the festivities. Ortiz gets tossed into a cutter and Mortos is back in to wreck various people.

Fox tries a tornado DDT but gets sent outside for the first elimination. The Death Riders get inside and Kingston and Ortiz are back in to take them out. Well down, not out, as in an elimination. A series of clotheslines against the ropes gets rid of Ortiz but Kingston backdrops Garcia out. The Martins backdrop Mortos out and we take a break.

We come back with the Martins cleaning house again and clotheslining Doyle out. Dante gets knocked out as well and Archer gets rid of Darius. Archer and Castagnoli trade clotheslines until Archer hits a crossbody. Castagnoli escapes the chokeslam and Swings Archer, setting up a clothesline for the elimination. Kingston and Castagnoli chop it out until Kingston gets the Swing as well.

Back up and Kingston is fine enough to spinning backfist Castagnoli out but gets dumped by Alexander. So I think that leaves Alexander and Garcia, with Garcia hitting a bunch of clotheslines but not being able to knock him out. A package piledriver plants Garcia, who holds onto the top rope for the save. Garcia pulls him over the top rope to the apron and gets back inside for a running dropkick and the win at 16:23.

Rating: B-. The quality of the match means absolutely nothing here as this was all about the special feelings. Garcia winning is fine as the actual result is pretty unimportant. It was a bunch of people who were friends with Butcher having a special match. Nothing wrong with that and it was nice to see.

Post match Garcia gets to hold up a Butcher sign and the guitar. The Death Riders have one more big hug.

We get a special tribute video to the Butcher and as usual, this was incredibly well done.

The roster comes to the stage/ramp for one more tribute to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This was a show where the wrestling itself was just kind of background noise. Instead it was about paying tribute to someone who seemed to be pretty awesome and passed away way too young. The show was perfectly fine and the opener was good, but this was all about the Butcher and that is perfectly fine. Good, emotional show here and something that needed to happen.

Results
Jon Moxley b. Mike Bailey – Death Rider
Rascalz b. Aaron Solo/Griff Garrison/Nick Comoroto – Hot Fire Flame to Solo
Queen Aminata b. Mina Shirakawa – Small package
Jay White b. Adam Priest – Blade Runner
Dogs/Pac b. Bang Bang Gang – Spear to Austin
Conglomeration b. Lethal Twist – End Of Heartache to Lethal
Daniel Garcia won the Butcher Battle Royal last eliminating Josh Alexander

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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Collision
Date: August 29, 2026
Location: OVO Hydro, Glasgow, Scotland
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Excalibur

We’re still in Scotland on the eve of tomorrow’s All In extravaganza, meaning tonight is likely going to be a hold the fort show. The main event is a twelve man tag, which should be a lot of stories getting their final push at once. Throw in a lot of promos and this could be a bit of a different kind of Collision. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

We start with an All In rundown.

Mercedes Mone vs. Isla Dawn

Dawn is the hometown star. Mone backs her into the corner to start and yells a lot but has to duck a running shot to the face. The Backstabber hits Dawn and Mone starts in on the arm. A hammerlock has Dawn fighting back so Mone quickly knocks her down. Dawn gets up for the running clotheslines and a suplex puts Mone down for two. A sunset bomb sends Dawn crashing into the corner and the Mone Maker and Statement Maker finish Dawn at 4:08.

Rating: C. This was a quick match to get Mone more ready for her big showdown against Nightingale tomorrow and it certainly took some of the energy away from the Glasgow crowd. That’s fine enough for this spot, though I’m still hoping that Mone doesn’t win tomorrow. Nightingale deserves a chance to win on the big stage and run with the title for a bit, while Mone is already treated as the biggest star in the world.

Post match here is Nightingale to chase Mone off and say that Mone is obsessed with Nightingale’s smile. The reality is Nightingale is the champion and she’s leaving All In with both the smile and the title.

Jon Moxley says Nigel McGuinness has lightning in a bottle but what is he going to do with it? This is the kind of thing that they make movies about and Moxley would watch that movie. In the real world though, Moxley is going to rip the leg off in front of McGuinness’ family and feed it to their dog. It’s the fourth quarter or third period or whatever and Moxley’s hand isn’t the one that’s shaking.

Tommaso Ciampa/Mark Davis/Nick Wayne vs. Chris Jericho/Mike Bailey/Komander

Ciampa bails away from Jericho to start, with Jericho pointing at Don Callis on commentary. Back in and everything breaks down with the good guys connecting with the big dives. We take a break and come back with Jericho fighting out of Wayne’s chinlock. Bailey gets the tag and comes in with a double missile dropkick as everything breaks down again.

The villains get pummeled in the corners and it’s a trio of super hurricanranas to bring them back down. Bailey’s shooting star press gets two on Wayne, who hammers away on Bailey to take over again. Ciampa starts in on the leg and we take another break. We come back again with Bailey hitting a dropkick and rolling over for the tag off to Komander.

House is quickly cleaned and everything breaks down with a springboard splash getting two on Ciampa. The Walls have Davis in trouble and we get a triple Walls until the other two villains break out and make the save. Bailey comes back in to clean house again and Ciampa hits Wayne by mistake. We get the parade of shots to the face until Bailey gives Wayne a flipping powerslam for the pin at 19:44.

Rating: B. This was rather fun and it was nice to see some unique combinations out there. The good thing is that the result here is something that could happen in the Casino Gauntlet match so it’s hardly some waste of time. I’m not sure I’d believe that Bailey is a favorite to win tomorrow, but that’s part of the appeal of such a match.

Video on the Brawling Birds vs. Lena Kross/Megan Bayne for the latter’s Women’s Tag Team Titles.

The Dogs vs. Ronan King/Landon Riley/Judas Grey

The Dogs jump them fast and the beating is on outside. Back in and King is caught with a spear, piledriver and knee to the face for the pin at 2:56. It was even more lopsided than it sounds.

Video on Willow Nightingale vs. Mercedes Mone.

Nigel McGuinness says it’s coming home because he’s coming to Wembley. He’s been against the odds over and over and he wants to do it again.

Lethal Twist/The Demand vs. Bang Bang Gang/Brodido/Hangman Page

The villains go with a jump start but gets cleared out to the floor, leaving Bandido to slug it out with Johnson. Bandido gets in a superkick and hands it off to Page, with White tagging himself in immediately. The Gang takes over on Johnson, with a DDT giving Austin two. Christian comes in to take over on Austin, with Lethal grabbing a cutter. That doesn’t last long as Austin jumps over Lethal and dives for the tag to King.

That means house can be cleaned, with Austin being dropped onto Lethal. White breaks up the five way Macarena before opting to join in, with the villains breaking up the six way version. Ricochet and Christian hit stereo dives to the floor and we take a break. We come back with King in trouble and Christian mocking the good guys, as he tends to do. Kaun grabs the chinlock as Ricochet is yelling at various people, including commentary.

King fights up and hits a clothesline, allowing Page to come in and wreck everyone. The dive and moonsault to the floor connect with the Twist and a Liger Bomb gets two on Christian. Back up and the villains take over with a rather nifty string of combinations, capped off by a springboard 450 to Page. Brodido is back up with their own dives and Page Buckshots Lethal into the Blade Runner for the pin at 13:40.

Rating: B-. It was fun while it lasted and I can go for getting as many trios onto this show as possible before they overrun the pre-show. I’m still not sure how necessary it is to have that many people involved in a single match but that has never stopped AEW before. Otherwise, good action here, which you probably expected given all of the people involved.

Post match the Dogs run in to beat the winners down, with a bunch of other trios getting involved with the brawl.

Skye Blue vs. Harley Cameron

Blue pulls her down by the hair to start and hammers away while mocking the crowd. That earns Blue a running clothesline, which is enough for Schiavone to say that Cameron is looking “spectacular”. That’s quite the reaction to a single clothesline but Schiavone is easily impressed. Blue is knocked outside for a dropkick through the ropes but sends Cameron into the steps to cut her off again.

We take a break and come back with Cameron joining her on top but getting powerbombed out for two. Blue: “WHAT DO YOU MEAN TWO???” A superkick catches Cameron and Blue gets in a running knee. Cue Julia Hart to throw in a belt, which the referee throws out. Another belt is thrown in and Blue knocks Cameron silly for the pin at 8:18.

Rating: C. Odds are that ending was designed to set up a Kickoff Show match, or one that was already announced but it was barely mentioned. Cameron continues to be one of the most entertaining and underutilized stars around here, so at least she is getting a chance. Then again it comes after another loss, so it might only mean so much.

Maya World is mad about Persephone pinning her on Dynamite and their title match is set for the Kickoff Show.

Here is Don Callis to give Kevin Knight a rather nice introduction. Knight talks about how far he is willing to go to beat Darby Allin and wonders where Allin is right now. Cue a masked man to go after Knight but the Don Callis Family cuts him off. It’s Steven Borden, who has had Callis’ interest.

Callis lists off some of Borden’s football stats and talks about his success with young stars like Borden. The offer is made but Borden says he’s looking forward to seeing Allin take the title. That earns him a beating and the villains stand tall. As the Family leaves, Kyle Fletcher comes out for commentary on the next match but Knight doesn’t seem happy.

Konosuke Takeshita vs. The Beast Mortos

Kyle Fletcher is on commentary. They trade shoulders to start until Takeshita hits a jumping elbow to take Mortos down. Mortos comes back with a reverse Sling Blade and headbutts him to the floor for the corkscrew suicide dive. A big backbreaker drops Takeshita inside and we take a break.

We come back with Takeshita hitting a running flip dive to the floor and glaring at Fletcher. They get back inside and slug it out with Takeshita getting the better of things. Mortos gets in a spear but runs into a knee to the face to leave them both down. A running crucifix bomb drops Takeshita but he gets in one of his own, setting up Raging Fire to pin Mortos at 10:11.

Rating: B-. It’s nice to have Takeshita back and hopefully he is able to get in one of his outstanding performances at All In. Takeshita can do just about anything with anyone and it was good to have Mortos back to have a good match with him. It was a good main event to help set up what could be a show stealer on Sunday and that’s a smart way to wrap up the show.

Post match Fletcher comes in and lays Takeshita out, including the brainbuster to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This was a show where they had to just get through two hours with a few minor adjustments before the pay per view. That’s all it should have been as the All In card is already set up. It had the usual good action and while nothing was must see, it did exactly its job before the biggest show of the year.

Results
Mercedes Mone b. Isla Dawn – Statement Maker
Mike Bailey/Chris Jericho/Komander b. Mark Davis/Nick Wayne/Tommaso Ciampa – Flipping powerslam to Wayne
The Dogs b. Ronan King/Landon Riley/Judas Grey – Knee to the face to King
Bang Bang Gang/Brodido/Hangman Page b. Lethal Twist/The Demand – Blade Runner to Lethal
Skye Blue b. Harley Cameron – Belt shot
Konosuke Takeshita b. The Beast Mortos – Raging Fire

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: August 27, 2026
Location: Santander Arena, Reading, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re done with Death Before Dishonor and that means it is time to start the rather long build towards Final Battle. Coming out of the show, Bandido and Athena are still the top champions around here and they need some fresh challengers. I’m not expecting us to find out who those people are anytime soon but they are boxes that need to be checked. Let’s get to it.

Here is Death Before Dishonor if you need a recap.

At Death Before Dishonor, Bandido thanked the fans for having his back and talked about how he had been told to drop the belt and go after something else. That’s not going to happen though and he’ll face anyone who wants to take the title from him.

Opening sequence.

We get a stills package on Death Before Dishonor.

Athena says it doesn’t matter who comes after her title, because she’s going to turn them back. No one can take the title from her and it’s time to get used to it.

Lacey Lane vs. Deonna Purrazzo

Non-title Proving Ground match. Purrazzo wastes no time in rolling out of a wristlock and grabs a backslide for a quick two. The chase is on, with Lane coming back inside for a springboard dropkick as Purrazzo comes back in. A kick to the head gives Lane two and she grabs a leglock, with Purrazzo using her first rope break.

Purrazzo is back with a powerbomb for two, setting up the Fujiwara armbar to send Lane to the ropes for a break of her own. Lane Regal Rolls her into the corner but gets knocked right back down. Another Fujiwara armbar is broken up without the rope and they trade superkicks. Purrazzo sends her flying with a German suplex and something like a snap suplex finishes Lane at 7:14.

Rating: C+. This was a nice job from Lane, who is one of the better and more underrated members of the women’s division. I can go with having her make Purrazzo sweat before losing and that’s exactly what we got here. At the same time, Purrazzo finishing with something new was a nice change of pace. Good match here with a bit of a different presentation.

New TV Champion Action Andretti celebrates with the Opps but Katsuyori Shibata doesn’t seem thrilled.

Action Andretti vs. Boom Harden

Non-title. Harden can’t get an O’Connor roll to start so Andretti sends him outside. Back in and a falcon arrow drops Harden again, setting up Lights Camera Action to give Andretti the pin at 1:40.

Post match the Rascalz come out and stare at the title.

Rascalz vs. Aaron Solo/Nick Comoroto/Tomo Filip

Solo gets kicked down to start and the Rascalz clear the ring, setting up a series of dives off the top, with Reed’s 450 getting the pin at 1:21.

Video on Preston Vance trying to get back into the Dark Order, with John Silver not accepting it.

The Beast Mortos vs. Rob Vegas

Sammy Guevara is here with Mortos. Pop up Samoan drop finishes Vegas at 23 seconds. Nice job.

Bryan Keith sits down with Caprice Coleman and talks about wrestling in Texas for the first ten years of his career. There have been some great wrestlers in Texas, like Terry Funk and Stan Hansen, and Keith sees himself on their level. He’s here to collect bounties of all kinds and Texas is here to stay. And he’s out because time is money. Not much to this one.

Don Callis Family vs. Kiran Grey/Joey Martinez/Oxx Adams

Trent Beretta thanks Don Callis for getting them such an easy win. Grey knocks Beretta outside to start but gets suplexed by Cage. Martinez gets powerbombed and it’s off to Adams, who towers over Cage. The chokeslam attempt is blocked though and Adams is sent into the corner for some running shots to the face. Lance Archer gets in a cheap shot on the floor and a chokeslam to the apron has Grey in trouble. Grey is thrown over the top onto Adams and it’s the Strong Zero to finish Grey at 3:44.

Rating: C. Why does the Don Callis Family need to be on this show? They’re all over Dynamite and Collision so why do they need to be here too? It’s not like they’re anything important and they just had another quick match here which hardly stood out in any way. Just get rid of them and cut off some of the dead weight of this roster.

Sammy Guevara and The Beast Mortos want a bunch of titles, including the World Title. The challenge is officially made for next week.

Viva Van/Vertvixen vs. Zayda Steel/Red Velvet

Steel headscissors Van into the corner to start and it’s off to Velvet for some double knees. Back up and Velvet is sent into the corner and fights out of trouble rather quickly. It’s back to Steel, who charges into a spinwheel kick to cut her right back down. Steel shrugs that off and grabs the spinning Unprettier for the pin on Van at 2:58.

New Six Man Tag Team Champions the Lethal Twist is happy to win the titles, as it makes Jay Lethal the only man to win all titles around here. And they’re just getting started.

Premiere Athletes vs. Bang Bang Gang

Beef is here with the Athletes. Robinson takes over on Daivari to start and it’s a backsplash for two. Austin comes in for an armbar and then kicks Nese in the back as the fast start continues. The Athletes get in a cheap shot to cut Austin off but he flips out of a belly to back suplex.

Robinson is right back in but is quickly taken down into a chinlock. Daivari hits a hammerlock DDT, only to miss the Magic Carpet Ride. Everything breaks down and Austin Samoan drops both of the Athletes, with the squats, because he can do that. Daivari is sent outside and it’s the big left hand into the Fold to finish Nese at 8:04.

Rating: C+. They kept this to the point here and the Gang is often worth at least a look. If nothing else, I’m rather glad to see Austin getting a win here as he has been more and more entertaining every time he’s in the ring. It’s a good way to wrap up the show, with the Athletes losing being a nice bonus.

Overall Rating: C+. The show was in a tough spot as it was fresh off of Death Before Dishonor, where a bunch of stuff happened, and they didn’t have time to set anything else up. The catch though is they had very little to say this week but they didn’t stretch it out forever. This show went on for just over and hour and that’s nowhere near too long. Keep the show around this long week to week (they won’t) and ROH would be in such a better place.

Results
Deonna Purrazzo b. Lacey Lane – Snap suplex
Action Andretti b. Boom Harden – Lights Camera Action
Rascalz b. Aaron Solo/Nick Comoroto/Tomo Filip – 450 to Solo
The Beast Mortos b. Rob Vegas – Pop up Samoan drop
Don Callis Family b. Kiran Grey/Joey Martinez/Oxx Adams – Strong Zero to Grey
Zayda Steel/Red Velvet b. Viva Van/Vertvixen – Spinning Unprettier to Van
Bang Bang Gang b. Premiere Athletes – Fold to Nese

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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Death Before Dishonor 2026
Date: August 21, 2026
Location: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

It’s time for a pay per view with some interesting choices on the top of the card. The two main events see Hazuki challenging Athena for the Women’s Title and Bandido defending the World Title against Nick Wayne. That’s certainly a pair of matches to have on top and hopefully they overcome their less than thrilling setups. Let’s get to it.

Zero Hour: Viva Van/Vertvixen vs. Mina Shirakawa/Queen Aminata

Shirakawa blocks a spin from Vertvixen to start and rolls her up for two. Back up and they both miss strikes, meaning it’s time to go chest to chest. Aminata and Van come in to trade the forearms until Aminata’s Chocolate Kisses are reversed into the same thing from Van. That doesn’t do much as Aminata is up for a running knee to the face and everything breaks down.

Van’s rolling kick to the head hits Shirakawa and she gets sent into the wrong corner. A spinning faceplant gets Shirakawa out of trouble and it’s back to Aminata to clean house. The top rope double stomp gets two as everything breaks down. Everyone hits someone else and they’re all down for a bit. Aminata takes Van out on the floor and Shirakawa’s top rope Sling Blade gets the pin on Vertvixen at 10:00.

Rating: C+. This was the third match from Shirakawa and Aminata in four days and it’s about the same as it’s been all three times. The match was pretty much what you would have seen on any given weekly ROH show and that’s all it needs to be on a show like this. Maybe Shirakawa and Aminata wind up doing well together, but please don’t do the stupid “here they are teaming on every single show” thing, as it pretty much never works.

Post match, respect is shown.

Zero Hour: El Phantasmo vs. Adam Brooks

Brooks goes after the arm to start and they’re quickly on the mat for the pinfall reversal sequence. Back up and they do shake hands before striking it out until Phantasmo grabs a rather springboardy hurricanrana. A suplex into the corner gives Phantasmo two but Brooks is back with a basement dropkick for the same. Brooks knees him to the floor for the suicide dive, followed by a Liger Bomb for two.

Phantasmo is right back up with a springboard spinning crossbody into a Lionsault for two more. Brooks’ brainbuster onto the knee gets another near fall and a middle rope Codebreaker gets him even closer. The Swanton hits raised knees though and Phantasmo’s spinning torture rack neckbreaker gives him two of his own. A frog splash finishes Brooks at 8:48.

Rating: B. This got rolling near the end and it was one big spot after another. That was a lot of fun and I wanted to see where they were going. Phantasmo has impressed me multiple times in a few different promotions and it’s nice to see him doing this kind of thing here. It’s hard to buy him as a big deal around here long term, but this was fun.

Post match respect is shown.

Zero Hour: AR Fox vs. Soleil vs. Komander

Fox springboards up to take them both down to start and then kicks Komander to the floor. Soleil is only sent to the apron for a running flipping double stomp but Soleil is right back in with a running Meteora to Fox. Komander is back in with a Spanish Fly to Soleil, who is taken down by Fox’s big dive.

Komander runs the corner for a springboard moonsault to Fox but it’s way too early for Cielito Lindo. Fox drops Soleil with a suplex and forearms Komander, who is back with a DDT for two. Komander is caught on top and Soleil suplexes Fox, only to get caught with Cielito Lindo to give Komander the pin at 6:33.

Rating: B-. It was exactly what you would have expected and that means it’s very fun, though it only had so much time to really go anywhere. At the same time, it’s another match just thrown out there that felt like it could have been on any given weekly show. That doesn’t really make this stand out, despite it being rather energetic.

Post match Fox gives Komander a handshake.

Video on the Don Callis Family.

Zero Hour: Don Callis Family vs. Bustah And The Brain

Oliver and Hechicero start things off, with Oliver tripping him down. Cage comes in to take over on Oliver in the corner, only to get clotheslined out to the floor. Back in and Hechicero takes over on Oliver with a snap of the arm, followed by Cage’s slam. That’s broken up and it’s off to Price, who is clotheslined down just as fast. Cage takes him up top but gets caught, allowing Price to hit a super sitout gordbuster. That just earns Price an F5 for two, followed by a toss over the top onto Oliver. The apron superplex into the headscissors driver gives Hechicero the pin at 7:41.

Rating: C+. Huh? Why in the world would you have Bustah And The Brain, who have become one of the hot new teams in ROH, lose here? Ah right: the Don Callis Family, who have to be featured on every single show no matter what. It doesn’t matter that this is the latest thrown together team, because we have to be reminded that ROH is worthless right before we’re asked to pay for their show.

And now, the show proper.

The opening video talks about how a career is defined by moments rather than wins and losses. Oh geez and I thought it was dumb when Summerslam had a similar opening last year.

Six Man Tag Team Titles: Dalton Castle/The Outrunners vs. Lethal Twist

The Twist is challenging and Magnum starts against Johnson. Magnum shoulders him to the mat and everything breaks down, with the champs quickly clearing the ring. Back in and the Outrunners take over on Johnson, with a knee lift into a belly to back suplex. Lethal comes in and gets taken down with a quick headscissors but Johnson is back in to break up the Mega Powers Elbow.

Magnum gets stomped down in the corner but he manages to send a charging Johnson out to the floor. That’s still not enough for the tag though as Christian gets to hammer on Magnum some more and does the Outrunners spinning pose. It’s back to Lethal for the strut (the fans do not approve) so Magnum knocks him down. Lethal is up to go after Floyd on the apron so Magnum goes over to Castle instead.

House is quickly cleaned with the barrage of suplexes and the Lethal Injection is countered into a German suplex to give Castle two. The Mega Powers Elbow is loaded up again but Christian pulls the belt off of Floyd to really go evil. A frog splash and Hail To The King connects, though Christian slips off the top and kind of legdrops Floyd, with Magnum having to make the save. The Lethal Injection drops Castle and Christian (limping) rolls Magnum up with an assist from Lethal for the pin and the titles at 14:02.

Rating: C+. The win might not be the most thrilling for the live crowd but it’s certainly historic, as Lethal becomes the first wrestler to win all five men’s titles. It was a hot opener as things got going near the end, though it’s still disheartening to see the champions lose. They were so fun and hopefully they get to do something else.

The Kingdom wants La Faccion Ingobernable to team up with them, perhaps with some AI inspired name changes. They’re actually in. And something about cheese.

We recap the Women’s Pure Rules Title match, with Steph de Lander not thinking much of the rules and coming after the title. Deonna Purrazzo doesn’t seem scared.

Women’s Pure Rules Title: Deonna Purrazzo vs. Steph de Lander

De Lander is challenging. The fans are split to start and Purrazzo takes her down by the arm for an early stomp. That’s enough for de Lander to burn through her first rope break so she grabs a chair, which is slid right back into her own ribs. De Lander gets in a cheap shot on the floor to take over and side slams Purrazzo for two.

Purrazzo’s side Russian legsweep is blocked with a grab of the rope and that’s actually a second rope break, despite it not breaking anything. Back up and they trade shots to the face, with de Lander getting warned for throwing a punch. Now Purrazzo’s Russian legsweep works and she floats right into the Fujiwara armbar, with de Lander using her last break.

Back up and de Lander is fine enough to pull her off the top for a superplex and the near fall. They trade forearms and the referee is almost bumped, allowing de Lander to hit her in the face again. De Lander plants Purrazzo for two, leaving Purrazzo to use the rope. Purrazzo is right back up with a powerbomb into the Fujiwara armbar, and then the Venus de Milo, to retain at 8:48.

Rating: C+. It was pretty much what you would have expected, as there was no reason to believe that Purrazzo was going to lose. The idea here was that de Lander was in over her head and that was pretty much the case, though I’ll take de Lander being all against the rules than trying to play by them. I’m not sure who is taking the title from Purrazzo, but it almost has to be a unification match, because who else is doing it?

Quick recap of the Women’s TV Title. The four of them have been facing each other in tags so now it’s a four way.

Women’s TV Title: Zayda Steel vs. Skye Blue vs. Marina Shafir vs. Red Velvet

Velvet is defending and Jon Moxley makes a cameo for Shafir’s entrance and sits in on commentary. They trade rollups to start fast until Velvet and Steel dropkick the other two outside. That means Steel and Velvet can fight over armdrags to no avail so they’re quickly on the apron. Steel Codebreakers her back inside for two but Shafir is back in to take over on Velvet.

Back up and Velvet actually pounds her into the corner until Shafir gets in a shot of her own. Blue tries a backslide on Shafir, who is not pleased (likely because Blue is wearing black). Steel is back in to go after Blue so Shafir half crabs Velvet, with Steel making the save. Steel’s tornado DDT plants Shafir and she hits a suicide dive for quite the crash.

Back in and everyone but Shafir goes up in the same corner so it’s a Tower Of Doom to put everyone but Shafir down. That leaves the other three to go after Shafir with running clotheslines in the corner, only for Velvet to be powerbombed onto Blue. Steel makes the save and half crabs Velvet, with Blue making the save this time. Blue uses a belt to break up Shafir’s choke, earning herself a leglock. Velvet frog splashes Shafir for both the save and the pin at 10:53.

Rating: B. This was all action from bell to bell and it’s nice to see that kind of a match. At the same time, pointing out that she’s lapped the field for the title reigns throughout history takes away a bit of her impact. She’s been champion for so long that it doesn’t really mean much anymore so it might be time for her to go after Athena or just go back to the main roster.

We recap the Pure Wrestling Title match. Nigel McGuinness was set for the match but got hurt and is focusing on the AEW Continental Title (fair) so Katsuyori Shibata won a match to get the shot. Fair enough.

Pure Rules Title: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Lee Moriarty

Moriarty is defending under Pure Rules. Shockingly they go to the mat and fight over arm control to start, with Shibata taking over for an early near fall. The armbar has Moriarty in some trouble and a kneebar has Moriarty using an early rope break. Moriarty is right back up so Shibata gets a headlock to maintain control.

With that broken up, Shibata offers a handshake and then elbows away in quite the cheap shot. Shibata sends him upside down into the ropes a few times, followed by a Figure Four. Moriarty has to use the rope again, leaving him to fire off some completely ineffectual chops. Instead Moriarty hits a dropkick but hurts his own leg, which is fine enough for a bridging suplex for two. Shibata is back up with a running boot to the apron, where he plants Moriarty with a painful looking DDT.

The Figure Four, with an ankle lock, has Moriarty using his last rope break so Shibata strikes away in the corner. A suplex gives Shibata some near falls so he chops Moriarty in the back, which seems to wake him up. Moriarty knocks him down and tries the Border City Stretch but Shibata reverses into a sleeper. That’s broken up as Moriarty sends him into the ropes and gets one off a dropkick. They go to a pinfall reversal sequence until Moriarty gets a European Clutch for the pin at 13:18.

Rating: B+. Yeah this was a lot of fun and very good, mainly because Shibata actually made Moriarty sweat. That hasn’t been the case in any title defense over the last few months and it was nice to see for a change. I’m not sure who is taking the title from Moriarty, but it was a heck of a match here.

The Dark Order argues over whether or not Preston Vance should be back in. This is the same thing they did earlier this week.

We get a quick video on the Tag Team Title match.

Tag Team Titles: Sky Team vs. La Faccion Ingobernable vs. Top Flight vs. The Kingdom

Sky Team is defending. The villains jump the champions and Top Flight before the bell and the brawl goes to the floor for the big dives. Back in and the bell actually rings, with Taven getting caught in the wrong corner. Top Flight takes over on Taven as this is already moving in fast forward. Mortos makes the save and continues the alliance with the Kingdom as Darius is in trouble for a change.

A rather dramatic tag brings in Guevara, who is not the most popular with the crowd. Darius cuts him off with a dropkick and a pose so Guevara tags Mistico, much to the fans’ approval. Mistico and Darius wrestle to a standoff so they shake hands and tag off to their respective partners. Dante and Dorada trade kicks and shake hands as well before taking out the invading LFI.

Mortos runs Top Flight over with a double clothesline and Guevara makes Dante DDT Darius. Guevara shooting stars onto the pile at ringside, leaving Mortos to backbreaker Dante for two. The Kingdom is back in with a pop up right hand for two on Dante but we pause for the team to argue with the AI on their phone. That lets Mortos give Dante a good looking pop up Samoan drop for two.

Taven comes in to miss a Lionsault and it’s back to Mistico with a springboard high crossbody. It’s back to Dorada to clean house, with Mistico adding a nice springboard hurricanrana. Mortos plants Dorada for two more so he’s back up with a spinning headscissors to take Mortos down as well. Taven low bridges Dorada to the floor and busts out Flight Of The Conqueror for the big knockdown.

Darius gets dropped on the floor and a Death Valley Driver into Just The Tip hits Dorada for another near fall. Dorada gets quadruple teamed as Riccaboni rants about people being too reliant on AI. Dorada is over for the tag to Guevara, who gets quite the negative reaction again. The villains are sent to the floor for some dives, leaving Top Flight and the champs to trade their own takedowns. Mistico’s super Spanish Fly takes care of Darius to retain the titles at 19:23.

Rating: A-. They were just going nuts out there in this one and that made for a heck of a match. You know Mistico and Dorado are going to show off incredibly well and Top Flight can more than hang with them. That leaves the Kingdom and their AI thing, which is fine, and LFI, who are….well Guevara’s only going to be so interesting. Still though, awesome stuff here.

Post match RPG Vice runs in to go after the champs but a bunch of teams run out for the save. COOL! NOW DO SOMETHING WITH YOUR DIVISION ON THE REGULAR SHOW! STOP TALKING ABOUT IT AND ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING WITH IT!

Eddie Kingston is out of the Continental Challenge Cup so we’re having a match to determine his replacement. Therefore, we run down the rules for the ENTIRE TOURNAMENT, because this show isn’t going to be long enough already.

Daniel Garcia vs. Adam Priest

For a spot in the second round of the Continental Challenge Cup. Priest backs him up against the rope to start so Garcia gets in a shove. That’s fine with Priest, who kicks him in the shin in a smart move. Priest goes after the leg and the half crab sends Garcia over to the rope. Garcia isn’t going to stand for that and wraps Priest’s leg around the post to even things up a bit.

Some right hands in the corner have Priest in more trouble but Garcia stops due to being a wrestler, allowing Priest to get in a suplex. Priest’s DDT gives him a breather and they head to the apron, where Priest gets in a dragon screw legwhip onto the rope. A big top rope superplex drops Garcia hard and another dragon screw legwhip has him in more trouble. Garcia is right back with a leglock and steps on Priest’s head, which sends him over to the rope.

Back up and some chops just fire Priest up even more so they trade the forearms, as is required. Garcia’s knee gives out though and Priest drills him with a clothesline. The Figure Four goes onto the bad leg but Garcia turns it over, sending them into an exchange of rolling. They even roll to the floor, with the hold not breaking up.

The hold has to be broken so they can limp back inside to beat the count. They both kick at the leg until Priest gets in a piledriver for two. The half crab has Garcia in more trouble but he slips out and kicks Priest in the knee. Some elbows to the knee set up the Dragontamer to make Priest give up at 16:55.

Rating: B+. Gah I was hoping Priest would win here as he has been on something of a roll. I get why they wouldn’t want to have him go over Garcia to cut off the Death Riders showdown on Collision, but dang it would have been cool to see Priest pull off the upset. Hopefully he gets the chance to do something sooner than later, because he has earned the chance in recent weeks.

Shane Taylor Promotions is rather pleased with Lee Moriarty, who is one of the great fighters of his generation. With the Hurt Syndicate in their pocket, they are unstoppable.

We recap Action Andretti challenging Lio Rush for the TV Title. They were a nothing team, then Rush became a human wolf/dog creature thing (it’s weird) and now it’s a Fight Without Honor.

TV Title: Lio Rush vs. Action Andretti

Rush is defending in a Fight Without Honor, basically meaning a street fight. Therefore, Rush brings out a cart full of weapons and his umbrella hat is wrapped in barbed wire. How festive. Rush, who looks like he’s in Sabu cosplay, goes to the mat to start and Andretti is frustrated early on. They head outside with Rush getting sent into the post but blocking a broom shot.

The broom shots do get through though but Rush takes said broom away for some shots of his own. Back in and Andretti chokes with the broom and does a Sabu finger point. That means Andretti can throw in some more toys, many of which hit Rush on the way in. Rush fights back and whips out an umbrella for a Mary Poppins (and yes the fans chant that) dive onto Andretti.

Naturally it’s table time, which allows Andretti to get in a superkick. Rush is back with a spear through the table for two back inside, so let’s bring in a shovel and some trashcan lids. One of them is pelted at Andretti’s head and Rush puts a chair in the corner over Andretti, and then pelts another chair at the two of them. Andretti of course pops back up to send him into a chair for two, followed by a whip through the chair in the corner to send Rush crashing out to the floor.

Rush (bleeding) goes to the eyes and sets up another table, followed by one heck of a suicide dive over said table. It’s time for a black box (uh oh) and some barbed wire (less uh oh), but Rush would rather load up a door in the corner. Rush pours out a bag of…I think glass, which he uses to carve up Andretti’s head. That being said, at least Rush is nice enough to clean up the mess.

Rush uses a chair to crush Andretti on the table at ringside but Andretti is up to throw the chair at Rush’s face. A trashcan lid goes upside Andretti’s head and the cravate choke goes on….and the lights go out. Hook is in the ring (because we’re redoing the Taz/Sabu staredown in 1995, because ECW is not allowed to die for whatever reasons that I do not want to understand).

Rush clears him out and plants Andretti for two, meaning it’s time to go after the box. Cue Anthony Bowens to stop Rush though and Hook grabs Redrum. Rush is laid on the glass on the table and Andretti hits a springboard 450 for one. Ah yeah I forgot this is a Tony Khan promotion. They slug it out and Rush misses a charge into the barbed wire chair. Lights Camera Action gives Andretti the title at 23:58.

Rating: B-. I was digging the match and then everything fell apart. Ignoring having to sit through yet another ECW moment (Yes I’m aware we’re in their arena. NOW LET THE STUPID THING DIE ALREADY! Good grief has nothing else happened in wrestling in twenty five years?) but ANDRETTI? He’s the most generic of the generic heels so let’s put him over Rush for the sake of the Opps, because Hook hasn’t gotten a chance to get over by association in recent weeks. This was just annoying in large quantities, despite them having a heck of a fight for a good while.

Post match Rush opens the box, finds a black heart, and drinks whatever is inside of it. Black good emerges from his mouth.

We recap the World Title match. Bandido has been champion for a long time and Nick Wayne is getting a title shot for no adequately explained reason. Go.

Ring Of Honor World Title: Nick Wayne vs. Bandido

Bandido is defending. Wayne won’t shake hands and backs Bandido into the corner to start. A waistlock is broken up and Wayne mocks the finger gun pose before they fight over wrist control. They both miss some shots to the face and Bandido does the real gun pose. A dropkick puts Wayne on the floor and Bandido is right there with a dive. Another dive has the same result but Wayne is ready for a third attempt.

Bandido misses a charge into the barricade and Wayne sets up the steps in a manner other than intended. Back in and Wayne rips at the mask before suplexing him into the corner. Naturally Bandido is right back up with the one handed gorilla press into a frog splash for two of his own. A reverse gorilla press into a Shining Wizard knocks Wayne silly again and Bandido backdrops him to the floor.

Bandido gets tied up in the ropes though and that means a Swanton can bring him back down. Back in and a standing Sliced Bread gives Wayne two so he gets cocky (for some reason) and offers his chest for a chop. Instead Bandido kicks away to take over but Wayne grabs a pop up cutter. That earns him a knockdown, only for Wayne to snap off a driver and they’re both down.

They trade shots to the face, then agree to continue the fisticuffs on the apron. Wayne gets tripped down and faceplanted onto the steps to bust him open and they both get a breather. The shooting star press hits raised knees though and they both hit clotheslines to collapse onto each other.

Wayne reverses a powerbomb into a Code Red for two but Bandido kicks him in the head. The 21 Plex is countered into the poisonrana and the ProdigyPlex gets two. Bandido is right back with the X Knee into the 21 Plex for a rather near fall but the referee almost gets dropped. The low blow sets up Wayne’s World and Wayne hits the ProdigyPlex, only for Bandido to reverse into a cradle to retain at 23:49.

Rating: B+. This was presented as a star making performance for Wayne, which it pretty much was. Granted it would have been a lot better if there was any reason to believe that he was going to take the title, which wasn’t going to happen based on the rather non-existent build. That being said, they beat the fire out of each other and I got into it, which is a lot more than I was expecting.

Jon Moxley talks about how injuries can give you an opening. Daniel Garcia now has such an opening and he doesn’t want anything less than Garcia’s best. Garcia wants to know where Claudio Castagnoli is, but he’s ready for Collision. This is all Garcia has but this is a love story instead of a sob story. He loves Castagnoli and he’s going after the title for the love of the game. This didn’t need to be on this show.

We recap the Women’s Title match. Hazuki gave Athena some trouble in a match so it’s time for the match. That’s a good idea, though having this as the main event is quite the stretch, as Hazuki doesn’t feel like a threat at all. Naturally this was built up by not having Hazuki wrestle in ROH whatsoever, basically leaving the build as Athena ranting about Hazuki and beating people up. Nice job ROH.

Women’s Title: Hazuki vs. Athena

Athena is defending and has to avoid a charge to start. Athena is right back up for a standoff and the fans get in their chants. Hazuki knocks her to the floor and Athena is already having a breather. Back in and Athena grabs a headscissor choke before switching to a leglock. That’s broken up and Athena hits her in the face, which doesn’t go well with Hazuki.

Cue the Minions for a distraction, allowing Athena to knock her into the corner. Billie Starkz gets in some choking from the floor with Athena grabbing something like a lifting abdominal stretch. Back up and they lock hands to trade forearms, with Hazuki getting the better of things. Athena is back with a fireman’s carry and they actually go outside, where Hazuki escapes and takes over again.

Hazuki drops her and goes back in, with the Minions throwing Athena inside again, which doesn’t seem to be the best use of lackeys. They’re quickly on the apron, with Hazuki charging into a powerslam for a unique crash. Athena takes her up top but Hazuki is right back with a super crucifix driver for a rather near fall. Hazuki’s pop up hurricanrana drops Athena again and they strike it out, with Hazuki being sent to the apron.

That means a DDT to Athena, followed by a Codebreaker out of the corner for two. Hazuki misses a dive off the top and gets flipped into a Koji Clutch. That’s reversed into a crossface, but Athena escapes to the floor, where she cuts off a dive with a kick to the head. They go up the ramp and Hazuki gets her up for a suplex, followed by a heck of a posting. A top rope backsplash gives Hazuki two back inside so Starkz comes in to deck the referee.

The Minions beat up Hazuki, who escapes a double suplex and sends them outside for a dive. Athena gets in a knockdown for two and it’s time to load up the announcers’ table. Hazuki is back up with a hanging DDT off the apron and the top rope splash puts Athena through the table. Back in and a brainbuster gives Hazuki two but Athena cutters her over the top. An O Face to the floor sets up another O Face to retain the title at 30:21.

Rating: B+. It was a heck of a match and the ending looked good, but again it just never felt like the title was in jeopardy. Hazuki means nothing in Ring Of Honor (where she hasn’t wrestled since 2019) so this was a rather long path to the only realistic result. Now, it was an excellent match and the two of them beat the fire out of each other, but I never had any drama about the result and that hurt things a bit.

Post match Athena actually shows respect to end the show.

Overall Rating: A-. Yeah this was outstanding, with one of the best ROH shows I’ve seen since the comeback. Nothing on here is anywhere close to bad (some frustrating results, but that’s not the wrestlers’ fault) and some of the matches were outstanding. If you have some drama in the main events, this is even better, especially if you swap the last two matches.

If nothing else though, this showed how utterly useless the weekly show is most of the time. With a better build, this is an AEW level PPV and that’s not something you reach very often. As it is, it’s rather good, and another illustration of how much talent there is around here, which is held down by a bunch of awful presentations and booking choices. Check this out, but skip the pre-show, which just adds time to an already really long show.

Results
Mina Shirakawa/Queen Aminata b. Vertvixen/Viva Van – Top rope Sling Blade to Vertvixen
El Phantasmo b. Adam Brooks – Frog splash
Komander b. AR Fox and Soleil – Cielito Lindo to Soleil
Don Callis Family b. Bustah And The Brain – Headscissors driver to Oliver
Lethal Twist b. Dalton Castle/The Outrunners – Assisted rollup to Magnum
Deonna Purrazzo b. Steph de Lander – Venus de Milo
Red Velvet b. Marina Shafir, Zayda Steel and Skye Blue – Frog splash to Shafir
Lee Moriarty b. Katsuyori Shibata – European Clutch
Sky Team b. La Faccion Ingobernable, The Kingdom and Top Flight – Super Spanish Fly to Darius
Daniel Garcia b. Adam Priest – Dragontamer
Action Andretti b. Lio Rush – Lights Camera Action
Bandido b. Nick Wayne – Cradle
Athena b. Hazuki – O Face

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: August 20, 2026
Location: Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

It’s the night before Death Before Dishonor and in that case it means we need to have the big final push towards the show. That’s the best case scenario of course though, as you never know what you might get around here. If nothing else, Nick Wayne vs. Bandido could use some more attention so let’s get to it.

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

Dark Order says they have had a hard road but it’s time to move forward. Preston Vance is back on the team, but John Silver isn’t happy with that. Silver brings up all of the things that Vance did, with Evil Uno saying Silver will come around.

Opening sequence.

Athena vs. Gia Scott

Non-title Proving Ground match. Riccaboni says that Athena’s 1,350 day reign is the longest in modern wrestling and you have to look back to Bruno Sammartino for a longer reign, which is such nonsense that I don’t even know where to start. Athena doesn’t seem impressed to start and gets kicked in the face to give Scott an early two. That just earns her a beating and the quick curb stomp to give Athena the rather fast pin at 2:53.

Post match Athena keeps up the beating and mocks Hazuki, who doesn’t show up for the save.

Video on Athena vs. Hazuki.

Preston Vance vs. Danny Grandview

Grandview kicks him in the ribs before the bell, earning himself a running boot in the corner. A spinebuster and the discus lariat finish Grandview off at 59 seconds.

Post match the Dark Order (sans John Silver) come out for their match and hug Vance on the way out.

Dark Order vs. Action Andretti/Hook

Andretti shoves Uno around to start and poses a bit. Some flips have Uno frustrated so it’s off to Reynolds, who gets his eyes raked. Hook comes in and is quickly caught in an abdominal stretch, which doesn’t last long either. Hook’s gutwrench suplex sends Reynolds back into the corner but some uppercuts just seem to annoy Reynolds. Said annoyed Reynolds is taken down with pumphandle slam for two and his high crossbody misses for a crash.

Uno finally comes in for the save and Reynolds sends the villains into each other. That’s enough for the tag back to Uno so house can be cleaned, including a brainbuster onto the knee for two on Andretti. Reynolds tries a rollup but gets caught in Redrum, which is broken up thanks to Hook being less than legal. Andretti drops a 450 on the out cold Reynolds for the pin at 9:10.

Rating: C+. The only thing that mattered here was Andretti getting the pin as he needs all of the momentum that he can get on the way to the TV Title shot against Lio Rush. Hook and Andretti as a team feels like a case of “they have nothing else to do”, and the battle of Cru still isn’t the most interesting. Perfectly fine match here and at least it gave Andretti some momentum.

Video on Action Andretti vs. Lio Rush.

Alec Price vs. Daniel Garcia

They actually shake hands to start and Garcia grabs a wristlock, with Price running around for the flipping escape. Garcia sends him outside for a fisherman’s neckbreaker and we hit the chinlock with a knee in the back back inside. The running corner clotheslines hit Garcia but Price fights out of the corner for a breather.

Some running knees in the corner have Garcia in trouble but he pulls Price into a choke. That’s broken up rather quickly and they yell at each other before trading right hands. Price gets the better of things and sends him to the floor for the big dive, followed by a springboard Blockbuster for two back inside. Back in and Garcia fires off some chops to set up a choke, setting up a piledriver to pin Price at 8:38.

Rating: C+. This was another basic match and I’m not entirely sure why it was happening. These two are both usually tag wrestlers around here and it’s not like they’re in a feud. It’s also not like they’re challenging for the Tag Team Titles on Friday, or doing anything else on the show for that matter, so this was kind of a weird choice for the show.

Post match we do get another handshake.

Jordan Oliver talks about his history as a team with Nick Wayne, but then Wayne left him on the indies. They’re facing off tonight and it’s more than just a test for Wayne.

Lio Rush vs. Joe Keys

Non-title Proving Ground match. Rush kicks him in the head to start and hits the suicide dive to the floor. Back in and the Stunner into the cravate choke finishes for Rush at 1:09.

Post match Action Andretti runs in to take Rush out. Andretti goes after keys though and gets taken down by Rush, who grabs a barbed wire chair.

Dalton Castle and the Outrunners are sick of the Lethal Twists, who are going to melt in their title match.

The Lethal Twist seems to see things differently.

Mina Shirakawa/Queen Aminata vs. Erica Leigh/Brittany Blake

Aminata backs Blake up against the ropes to start and gets hit in the stomach for her efforts. That earns Blake a side slam and a snap suplex and it’s off to Leigh. A facebuster staggers Shirakawa, who quickly takes the leg out. Aminata gets in the hips to the face and the full nelson with lets, with Blake having to make a save. Blake’s chinlock doesn’t last long Shirakawa comes back in to strike away, with Aminata getting two off a top rope double stomp. Everything breaks down and Aminata headbutts Blake into the ropes, with the running knee connecting for the pin on Blake at 7:15.

Rating: C+. This got more interesting at the pin, though I’m not sure what Shirakawa and Aminata are going to do together around here. Maybe it leads to something in AEW, but for now it’s just a pair of women teaming together with nothing else going on. I’ll take more Shirakawa though, as she deserves more than what she’s been getting around here lately.

Deonna Purrazzo isn’t scared of Steph de Lander, who doesn’t follow the rules, including the Pure Rules.

Video on Deonna Purrazzo vs. Steph de Lander, which uses audio from the promo we saw 30 seconds earlier.

Jordan Oliver vs. Nick Wayne

We do get a handshake to start, with Oliver backing him into the corner to start and suggesting some intelligence. Wayne tries a drop doe and Oliver calmly steps over him as this is getting into the mind games. Back up and Wayne stomps away in the corner, setting up the seated abdominal stretch. Oliver gets up and crossbodies him out of the air, which earns Oliver a suplex into the corner.

They yell and slap at each other until Oliver grabs a sitout gordbuster. Wayne is back up with a poisonrana but his handspring is countered into a bridging German suplex for two. Riccaboni: “Jordan Oliver going move for move with the #1 contender. Shows you how big Jordan Oliver is and can be.” Or how Wayne has no business as #1 contender and was a ridiculous choice. Oliver hits a heck of a superkick in the corner but an Iconoclasm is countered. Wayne kicks him in the head and grabs a fisherman’s buster for the pin at 10:28.

Rating: B. This started slowly but them went from zero to sixty out of nowhere, with the last few minutes being good stuff. Wayne still feels like a ridiculous #1 contender and having that waiting for him tomorrow took something away from this match. This could have been a good feud and a grudge match at Death Before Dishonor but instead it’s a weird pit stop.

Post match Wayne loads up a Conchairto but Bandido makes the save.

Video on Bandido vs. Nick Wayne, focusing on Bandido’s really long title reign.

Death Before Dishonor rundown.

Nigel McGuinness is injured and can’t compete at Death Before Dishonor. He’s still focusing on All In and the Continental Challenge Cup. This has been the “Hey, make sure you remember that Ring Of Honor and it’s titles mean nothing. Wouldn’t want you to think otherwise.” moment of the show.

Wheeler Yuta vs. Katsuyori Shibata

Pure Rules and the winner gets a Pure Rules Title shot on Friday. They fight over a lockup to start and Shibata uses his first rope break, possibly not on purpose. Shibata pulls him into a Figure Four to even up the rope breaks, followed by Yuta using a second to get out of a sleeper. Naturally Shibata uses the rope to get out of a rollup, leaving them with one left each, so Yuta punches him in the face.

A middle rope elbow gives Yuta one and he hits something like an Angle Slam for twice that much. Back up and Shibata strikes away in the corner and they trade forearms in the corner. Yuta is chased to the ropes for the last break and Shibata suplexes him on the apron. Back in and the sleeper sets up an Octopus on Yuta for the tap at 7:11.

Rating: B-. It’s not the most thrilling result but they were backed into a corner here and this was as good as any other choice they had. Shibata is someone who can have a great technical match against Lee Moriarty and that should be fine. It’s also nice to see Yuta get beaten up so we’ll call that a bonus.

Nick Wayne says that was a message to Bandido.

We look at Zayda Steel and Red Velvet winning a tag match on Tuesday.

Zayda Steel/Red Velvet vs. Skye Blue/Marina Shafir

Tornado Tag. Steel and Velvet charge into the ring to start fast and Velvet kicks Blue down for an early two. A Codebreaker and double suplex get two on Blue but Shafir is back in to take over. Steel is slammed and let’s get a table set up on the floor. Christopher Daniels isn’t having that at all and gets beaten up, only for Steel and Velvet to hit a pair of dives.

Back in and a pair of Thesz presses let the heroines hammer away, with Steel using a kendo stick. Shafir and Blue send Steel into the corner though and some running clotheslines connect. We get an exchange of kicks to the face and everyone is down. They slug it out from their knees until Shafir is knocked onto the apron. Velvet misses a charge though and gets choked, with the two of them crashing through a table. That leaves Blue to knee Steel in the face, setting up Code Blue for the pin on Steel at 10:45.

Rating: C+. This really didn’t need to have any special rules and it’s weird to see them splitting a two match series. That should be setting up a rematch but I don’t particularly need to see them do this again, especially not with an even bigger stipulation. It’s a weird choice for a main event, but at least it was playing off of something else.

Post match the winners get in another beatdown and argue over the Women’s Title Title. As it turns out, a four way for the Women’s TV Title is announced for Friday. Well that’s better than nothing.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a mixed bag, but they did focus on the pay per view, with most of the matches getting at least a look. It still had all kinds of things that had nothing to do with Friday and likely won’t mean much going forward, but I’ll take a bit of a good result over nothing. Friday’s show is still likely to be a hot one, but hopefully they have a nice follow up to go along with that.

Results
Athena b. Gia Scott – Curb stomp
Preston Vance b. Danny Grandview – Discus lariat
Daniel Garcia b. Alec Price – Piledriver
Lio Rush b. Joe Keys – Cravate choke
Queen Aminata/Mina Shirakawa b. Brittany Blake/Erica Leigh – Running knee to Blake
Nick Wayne b. Jordan Oliver – Fisherman’s buster
Katsuyori Shibata b. Wheeler Yuta – Octopus
Skye Blue/Marina Shafir b. Zayda Steel/Red Velvet – Code Blue to Steel

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: August 18, 2026
Location: The Broadmoor World Arena, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re coming up on Death Before Dishonor later this week and that means we have a bonus show which is likely going to be little more than leftovers. That tends to be the norm with these things, though they have some specials which actually focused on the pay per view. Hopefully that’s the case as the card could use the help. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Komander vs. Ariya Daivari

Beef and Mark Sterling are here too. Komander jumps him on the floor to start fast and hammers away in the corner. A snapmare gets Komander out of a snapmare attempt but he gets sent outside. Beef won’t jump Komander though and gets tossed by the rest of the Athletes, as insubordination isn’t tolerated in this stable.

Back in and a clothesline has Komander in more trouble, with a chinlock making it works. Komander fights up and starts the comeback but has to dropkick Sterling to the floor (with Sterling landing on his head in a terrifying bump). That’s enough for Daivari to hit a hammerlock DDT into the Magic Carpet Ride for two more in a pretty effective near fall. Komander sends him outside for a suicide dive, setting up Cielito Lindo for the pin at 8:31.

Rating: C+. That near fall was rather good, but there was only so much to be gotten out of a match involving one of the Athletes. The team has long since been little more than a group who happens to be out here most weeks and are still in the same spot they’ve been in. Komander was his usual self, but he’s also in his usual spot of going almost nowhere.

Video on Lio Rush vs. Action Andretti. Again, the fact that there is a blowoff match from Cru tells you how out there ROH can be.

Action Andretti/Hook vs. Lio Rush/AR Fox

Fox flips away from Andretti to start and avoids a few stomps, meaning they can trade rollups for two. They both try dropkicks and flip up to a standoff so it’s off to Rush vs. Hook. Rush isn’t sure what to do with him and it’s right back to Fox, who takes Hook into the corner.

Hook wrestles him down and grabs a suplex but Fox rolls out of the corner. Rush comes back in to clean house on Hook, including a spinning kick to the head. Everything breaks down and Rush’s springboard Stunner hits Andretti, setting up the cravate choke. That’s enough for Hook to use the belt on Rush for the DQ at 8:00.

Rating: C+. I’m not sure if that’s the best way to go with Andretti on his way to the title shot in three days. Andretti doesn’t feel like he’s a real threat to Rush and having him need to be saved before tapping out didn’t help. At the same time, this won’t matter much if Rush beats him on Friday and hopefully that’s where this winds up.

Post match Hook chokes Rush out and Andretti hammers on him before holding up the title.

Video on Dalton Castle/The Outrunners vs. the Lethal Twist for the former’s Six Man Tag Team Titles.

Sky Flight vs. Manny Lemons/Tommy 2 Scoops/Dave Cole

Sky and Lemons start things off with Sky armdragging him into an early armbar. Darius comes in to take over on Scoops and everything breaks down, with Top Flight’s tornado DDT planting Cole. Sky’s TKO finishes Cole at 4:18.

Rating: C. This was little more than a squash, with Sky Flight running through a team involving lemons and what sounds like ice cream. Yeah I don’t get it either but modern wrestling can have some odd names. Anyway, Sky Flight continues to be fun, but it doesn’t matter if they don’t wind up doing anything.

Nigel McGuinness is injured but he’s going to wrestle at Death Before Dishonor and in the Continental Challenge Cup, hurt or not. It’s his last chance in ROH and he’s going no matter what.

Anthony Ogogo vs. Aaron Solo

Ogogo shoves him around to start but gets knocked out to the floor. Solo goes up but gets crotched down, allowing Ogogo to stomp him down into the corner. Solo gets to his feet for a running neckbreaker into a top rope double stomp for two on Ogogo. Back up and Ogogo hits some running strikes to the face but gets kicked in the head. Ogogo gives a German suplex and the right hand gets the knockout at 4:43.

Rating: C. Thrilling. Ogogo continues to be able to do one thing and pretty much one thing only, which has been the case since he debuted all the way back in the Cody Rhodes days. I have a grand total of no idea how he’s still seen as any kind of a prospect but here we go again, with Ogogo doing the same stuff he always does. He’s a good example of a person who doesn’t need to be around, as he hasn’t changed in any meaningful way and is just clogging up the massive roster.

The Hex vs. Mina Shirakawa/Queen Aminata

Shirakawa kicks away at Kay to start and stops to do her dance. Kay gets kicked down and it’s off to Aminata for the hips to the face. Belle doesn’t care for this and comes in for the running Meteora and Kay’s running boot hits Aminata in the corner. It’s right back to Shirakawa and everything breaks down, with the slingshot corkscrew drive connecting. Aminata kicks Kay in the ropes and Shirakawa Figure Fours Belle for the win at 5:33.

Rating: C. This was in fact a match that happened. I’m not particularly sure why when we’re three days away from a pay per view but they have to pad these shows out with something. As usual, Shirakawa feels like absolutely nothing these days and that’s a shame with how much charisma she has to spare.

Video on Deonna Purrazzo vs. Steph de Lander for the Women’s Pure Rules Title.

Video on Athena defending the Women’s Title against Hazuki.

El Phantasmo vs. Adam Priest

Priest takes him down by the arm to start but gets wristdragged into a dropkick. Back up and Phantasmo snaps off a hurricanrana but a rather bouncy springboard is broken up when Phantasmo tries a rope walk. Priest takes him down out of the corner but Phantasmo punches him in the face (keeping it simple has its merits).

Phantasmo misses a Lionsault so he sends Priest outside instead, setting up a suicide dive and a moonsault to the floor. Back in and the Lionsault connects and a tornado DDT sends Priest crashing back to the floor. Priest tries the half crab but gets reversed into some rollups for two. A Texas piledriver gets two on Phantasmo and sets up another half crab….to make Phantasmo tap at 10:31.

Rating: C+. Well I’m stunned. I would not have bet on Phantasmo tapping out here as he’s a much bigger name than Priest but odder things can happen. At the same time, it doesn’t mean much if this is just another match for Priest. He’s shown the potential before, but like everyone else, it doesn’t matter if that potential doesn’t go anywhere. For now though, heck of a surprise there.

Video on Bandido vs. Nick Wayne for the World Title. This would mean more if Wayne had meant anything in ROH in the last several months.

Zayda Steel/Red Velvet vs. Marina Shafir/Skye Blue

Shafir takes Velvet down to start so Velvet jumps on her back for a choke. It’s off to Blue to get caught in the wrong corner, with Steel taking her down for two. A Shafir distraction lets Blue get in a shot from behind for two and Shafir comes in for the right hands in the corner. That’s broken up and it’s back to Velvet to strike it out with Shafir.

A German suplex is shrugged off so Velvet and Shafir kick each other in the head for a double down. Steel comes in to hammer on Blue but the Unprettier is broken up. Instead Blue hits a DDT for two but Steel is right back up with another Unprettier for the rather sudden pin at 10:02.

Rating: C+. Well, I do like Steel getting a win, even if it’s in a match that has almost nothing to do with anything going on at the moment. I’m not sure what Velvet is supposed to be doing at the moment, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see her get thrown into a random title defense at the pay per view. If nothing else, at least there are a few names who could reasonably come after the belt. I mean they probably won’t, but the options are there.

Overall Rating: C+. As is so often the case, I don’t exactly know what they were going for here. You had one match that tied into the pay per view card and the rest could have taken place on any random Ring Of Honor show. This is just kind of what happens in Ring Of Honor as they throw stuff out there and most of it doesn’t seem to have any kind of particular reason. The action was fine and the wrestlers were doing their thing, but this pretty much did nothing for Friday, which isn’t much of a surprise.

Results
Komander b. Ariya Daivari – Cielito Lindo
Lio Rush/AR Fox b. Action Andretti/Hook via DQ when Hook used a title belt
Sky Flight b. Manny Lemons/Tommy 2 Scoops/Dave Cole – TKO to Cole
Anthony Ogogo b. Aaron Solo via knockout
Mina Shirakawa/Queen Aminata b. The Hex – Figure Four to Belle
Adam Priest b. El Phantasmo – Half crab
Zayda Steel/Red Velvet b. Marina Shafir/Skye Blue – Unprettier to Blue

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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Collision
Date: August 15, 2026
Location: Pearl Theater At Palms Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, Paul Wight

We are just over two weeks away from the biggest show of the year and that means it’s time to focus on the Continental Classic Cup, with a couple more first round matches. Hopefully the rest of the show gets some more attention, as it could use a bit more of a spark. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

We run down the card.

Trios Titles: Brodido/Hangman Page vs. Lethal Twist

The Twist is challenging. Page shoulders Christian down to start but is quickly cut off with a headscissors. Lethal tries to come in but only winds up helping Page moonsault onto Johnson. King drops a backsplash onto Johnson so Lethal makes a save before it’s off to Bandido. That earns Christian a handspring into the gun to the head pose so Johnson comes in to tie Bandido in the Tree Of Woe. The 619 and running dropkick hit Bandido and a moonsault takes Page down as we take a break.

We come back with Bandido’s corkscrew crossbody getting him out of trouble so King can come in to swat at the Twists like King Kong swatting at planes. The double Cannonball gives King two and Page is back in to clean house, including the slingshot dive to the floor (he looks pleased). King crushes Christian and Johnson against the barricade so Page can moonsault onto both of them.

We hit the parade of strikes so Christian can moonsault (popular move in this match) to King on the floor. Johnson adds a splash from the apron and a frog splash into a 450 gets two, with the kickout stunning Christian. Page is back in with the Buckshot though and an X Knee sets up a Ganso Bomb to pin Johnson and retain at 12:17.

Rating: B. These titles are a good choice to open a show and let the people go nuts and it helps that the champs are all rather popular. Bandido doing this is better than losing all the time in singles matches and that’s a relief after the absurd number of losses he’s had. Page needs something to do since he can’t go after the World Title so why not do this for a bit?

Post match Ricochet interrupts and here are the Gates Of Agony to jump the champs from behind. The Twist gets back up and the beatdown is even worse.

Don Callis is ready for Hechicero and Brian Cage to face off in the Continental Challenge Cup. Callis offers an interesting translation for Hechicero’s words of friendliness.

Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly say may the best man win in their match.

Continental Challenge Cup First Round: Hechicero vs. Brian Cage

Hechicero’s CMLL World Title isn’t on the line. Hechicero takes him down to start but gets chopped and forearmed in the corner. Back up and Hechicero’s running should doesn’t work so he kicks Cage’s leg out for a bit more success. Cage sends him hard into the corner though and it’s the apron superplex as we take a break.

We come back with Hechicero tying Cage’s arms up in the ropes until Cage swings him into a DDT for two of his own. The Drill Claw is broken up and a leglock sends Cage over to the ropes. A discus lariat gives Cage two so Hechicero is right back with the headscissor driver. Hechicero rolls him around and ties up the arms for the pin at 13:22.

Rating: B-. This was the power vs. technical match and they’re both good enough at their styles to make it work. At the same time, it’s also a heel vs. heel match between two of the lower stars in the massive Don Callis Family. It was only going to be so interesting, which is part of the problem with a lot of this tournament.

Darby Allin talks about how Sting taught him that he didn’t have to change a thing. Kevin Knight has changed everything to be a champion. What kind of a family is the Don Callis Family though? Allin gives Knight his word that he won’t jump him or attack him before All In, because Allin wants to beat him at his best. Was Allin next to a train for this? It wasn’t clear but that’s what it appeared to be.

The Rascalz are in a rather smoky room but Lio Rush pops in to talk about how everyone needs friends. That’s enough to scare the Rascalz away.

Lena Kross/Megan Bayne vs. Rachelle Riveter/Mazzerati

Non-title. Kross shoves Mazzerati around to start and cuts off a headscissors with a side slam. Riveter comes in for a few shots to Bayne, who drops her hard with a clothesline. Double suplexes set up the Divine Intervention to finish Mazzerati at 2:19. As expected.

Post match the Brawling Birds come in for a fight but Kross and Bayne bail.

Zayda Steel has been waiting to face Mercedes Mone, who comes in to interrupt. Steel says she has lost respect for Mone, who doesn’t care and knocks her down.

Continental Challenge Cup First Round: Nigel McGuinness vs. Katsuyori Shibata

We get a tentative handshake to start and we’re ready to go. They go technical to start and keep trading escapes on the mat with Shibata getting the better of things and working on the arm. McGuinness kicks the rope into Shibata’s face to escape and Shibata gets more serious, meaning it’s a bunch of kicks to put McGuinness down. A snapmare sends Shibata’s ankle into the ropes though and we take a break.

We come back with Shibata getting a guillotine and then a sleeper, with McGuinness leaning down onto the banged up ankle for a brilliant escape. The Tower Of London is broken up but Shibata’s PK is countered with a kick to the leg. An ankle lock goes on but Shibata gets out and connects with the PK for a delayed two. Shibata grabs a sleeper so McGuinness drops back and flips over for the pin at 12:24.

Rating: B. This was the technical off match and some of the stuff McGuinness was doing came off as so incredibly smart. It’s such a shame that he lost so much of his career due to injuries, as he was just so good at what he did. Him getting a Cinderella run to Wembley wouldn’t be crazy, but he’s a long way off from there.

Will Ospreay is going to call some friends in Japan to help him against the Don Callis Family.

Video on Adam Copeland/Christian Cage vs. the Young Bucks.

Rascalz/Lio Rush vs. Jeaux Braxton/Frescomatic/Watson/Ice Williams

The Rascalz are of course scared of Rush so he dives onto all four of the opponents before the bell. Williams gets clotheslined down to start and it’s off to Wentz to knee Braxton in the corner. Everything breaks down and the Rascalz still aren’t sure what to make of Rush. The Rascalz hit dives to the floor and a string of top rope dives hit Watson. Rush’s cravate choke makes him tap at 2:30.

Post match the Hurt Syndicate comes out and has a weird staredown with Rush.

Hurt Syndicate/Shane Taylor Promotions vs. Sonico/Jake Redondo/Ro Montana/Juli Montana

The Syndicate wreck the other team on their own to start and MVP uses his cane to conduct the WE HURT PEOPLE chants. Apparently the Syndicate’s retainer is up though and they leave, with Taylor’s Marcus Garvey Driver finishing Redondo at 2:10. Well that was different.

Tommaso Ciampa is in the Casino Gauntlet and warns everyone else involved. Simple and to the point here.

Mercedes Mone vs. Zayda Steel

Mone fires off the forearms to start but gets taken down with a springboard wristdrag. Steel’s Codebreaker through the ropes gets two so Mone flips her up into a gutbuster. The chinlock goes on and we take a break. We come back with Steel Stunnering her way out of a double arm choke. Steel strikes away and gets two off a high crossbody but Mone is back with a Backstabber. The Mone Maker into the Statement Maker (with Mone pulling at the jaws) makes Steel tap at 8:09.

Rating: C+. Well thank goodness Mone got to beat her up this badly after knocking her down in the back. There was a full half hour or so where Mone didn’t look like the biggest star in the world. I’m holding out hope that Willow Nightingale gets to keep the title at Wembley but history would suggest that isn’t going to happen.

Post match Mone beats up both Steel and Christopher Daniels until Willow Nightingale runs in to chase her off.

At Dynamite, a rather bloody Jack Perry was ready to become World Champion and he knows what he has to do to get there. He wants to face former World Champions so here is Swerve Strickland to say Perry can’t beat him. Perry disagrees.

Video on Will Ospreay vs. Kenny Omega.

Omega can’t stand the Don Callis Family so he and the Young Bucks want to face three of them next week. Adam Copeland and Christian Cage come in to talk to the Bucks, with Omega leaving. The Bucks say Copeland and Cage are old enough to be their father. Cage: “Who says I’m not?” And the Bucks have nothing.

Continental Challenge Cup First Round: Kyle O’Reilly vs. Roderick Strong

They go to the mat to start with Strong bailing away as we’re told that Nigel McGuinness is hurt and may be out of the tournament. O’Reilly’s seated abdominal stretch is broken up so O’Reilly starts in on the arm. Strong’s backbreaker cuts that off in a hurry but he gets sent to the floor. That’s fine with Strong, who counters O’Reilly’s suicide dive into a drop onto the barricade.

We take a break and come back with Strong hitting another backbreaker but banging up his own ankle in the process. They trade kicks to the chest until O’Reilly ankle locks him to the ropes. Another backbreaker onto the turnbuckle gives Strong two so O’Reilly suplexes him down. The cross armbreaker is blocked and they strike it out, with Strong’s knee getting two. Back up and O’Reilly quickly pulls him into a small package for the pin at 13:00.

Rating: B. This was pretty much exactly the match I was expecting, with a heavy technical aspect that wasn’t as entertaining as Shibata vs. McGuinness. Both guys are rather technically sound so the match was far from boring, but having good guy partners face each other is only so interesting. It was kind of an odd choice for a main event, though I’m not sure if there was a great choice on the entire card.

Post match a frustrated Strong shoves him down but pulls him back up for the hug.

Overall Rating: B. As usual, Collision is a tricky show to watch. The action was good as always, with McGuinness vs. Shibata being a lot of fun. At the same time though, AEW doesn’t really try to hide the fact that this show is almost strictly for the midcard. Between the multiple long Continental Cup matches and the two eight man tags, it definitely felt like they were just putting as many things out there as they could. In other words, a perfectly good show and rather worthwhile if you’re more into the in-ring side of things, but not so thrilling if you want some storyline spice.

Results
Brodido/Hangman Page b. Lethal Twist – Ganso Bomb to Johnson
Hechicero b. Brian Cage – Arm trap crucifix
Lena Kross/Megan Bayne b. Rachelle Riveter/Mazzerati – Divine Intervention to Mazzerati
Nigel McGuinness b. Katsuyori Shibata – Flipping cradle
Rascalz/Lio Rush b. Jeaux Braxton/Frescomatic/Watson/Ice Williams – Cravate choke to Watson
Hurt Syndicate/Shane Taylor Promotions b. Sonico/Jake Redondo/Ro Montana/Juli Montana – Marcus Garvey Driver to Redondo
Mercedes Mone b. Zayda Steel – Statement Maker
Kyle O’Reilly b. Roderick Strong – Small package

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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Dynamite
Date: August 12, 2026
Location: The Pearl Theater At The Palms, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Paul Wight

We’re getting closer to All In and the card has been getting a nice boost in the last few weeks. Last week was Grand Slam, with MJF returning and he wants in the Casino Gauntlet Match later this month. Other than that, we have the continuing saga of Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay, which will likely get a lot of focus here. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Here is Will Ospreay to get things going. He was so glad to be back in Arena Mexico last week because the last time he was there, he found out that his grandfather had passed away. Ospreay wanted him to be there for some great moments of his life but that wasn’t going to happen. What he has learned though is that he has to do some things to be the biggest star in AEW. He is here to set an example and that’s why he was in a street fight last week.

One person was watching at home on his sofa and that was World Champion Kenny Omega. Last week, Omega probably said “oh s*** hes going to pull the trigger” and since Omega is actually here this week, why not grace us with your presence? Instead cue Don Callis, who talks about how he and Omega won the World Title in December 2020. Then Omega decided that he could do this on his own so Callis stabbed him in the head.

The reality is Ospreay owes him everything and the reality is the road to Wembley is paved in Ospreay’s blood. Cue the Don Callis Family for the beatdown but Omega makes the save with a pipe. Omega teases hitting Ospreay with the pipe but stops to say that Ospreay never thinks. Omega warned him about Callis and Jon Moxley and look what happened.

That’s why Ospreay will lose at All In, but that’s not the man Omega wants to face there. Omega helps him up but says that he can’t do this again. From now on, it’s the two of them. Ospreay appreciates the help, though he didn’t ask for it and he won’t need it. Please don’t have Callis be involved in this. It doesn’t seem like he will be, but please just leave him out of the thing.

We recap the Continental Challenge Cup.

We run down the card.

We look at MJF returning last week and attacking Andrade El Idolo.

Nick Wayne vs. MJF vs. Mike Bailey

For the #2 spot in the Casino Gauntlet match and MJF grabs Justin Roberts by the throat, insisting that he be introduced as “the one true champion”. MJF, with his heavily taped leg, drops to the floor to start and rants on commentary a bit before going to ringside. Wayne and Bailey trade missed kicks until Wayne knocks him outside for the big running flip dive. Bailey kicks him off the apron for the triangle moonsault, allowing MJF to run the ropes and flip the fans off.

MJF pulls Bailey off the ropes for a crash onto the turnbuckle but stops to yell at Wayne. That earns him a superkick but Bailey is back up to kick Wayne in the face. Bailey knocks both of them to the floor for a springboard moonsault and we take a break. We come back with Bailey missing the Ultimate Weapon but giving Wayne a Falcon Arrow instead. That means a shooting star press can give Bailey two before he has to save MJF Wayne. Now the Ultimate Weapon can hit Wayne, but MJF runs in to give Wayne the Salt Of The Earth for the tap at 12:02.

Rating: B-. As soon as Wayne, the #1 contender to the Ring Of Honor World Title, was announced for this match, it wasn’t a question of would he take the fall but rather how he would take the fall. This comes after his loss last month in his most recent AEW match and I don’t even know why I bother getting annoyed anymore. MJF winning in this way is right on note for him, with Bailey being there to make it a three way.

Post match MJF brags about his win but here is Andrade El Idolo……’s music, because he’s not here after MJF gave him a beating last week. Andrade is scared of him, just like Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay, who will find out that he is the one true champion.

Lena Kross and Megan Bayne are at the Brawling Birds bar and knock some beers over while making threats. That place is no Friendly Tap.

Mick Foley is with the Bang Bang Gang, with Jay White welcoming him to the team. Anyway, White threatens David Finlay about tonight’s Continental Challenge Cup match. Foley can’t quite get the pose right.

Continental Challenge Cup First Round: David Finlay vs. Jay White

They go outside to start fast with the brawling until Finlay takes over inside. Finlay stomps him down in the corner but gets clotheslined to the floor for the slingshot dive. Back in and Finlay’s neckbreaker gets him out of trouble and we take a break. We come back with White fighting up to chop away in the corner.

The Blade Runner is countered into a rollup for two but White grabs a German suplex…and we pause as White seems a bit shaken up. Finlay is right in with a DDT for two so White gives him a running double underhook facebuster. The Blade Runner is countered again, this time into a brainbuster onto Finlay’s knee for two more. White slips out of a suplex though and the Blade Runner connects for the pin at 13:20.

Rating: B-. This was treated as a big grudge match though I’m still not really caring about a feud that happened in Japan years ago. Since then, the Dogs vs. the Gang hasn’t exactly lit the place on fire and this didn’t make it better. At least White is back in the ring and not injured again, which you never can really bet on with him.

Here are Hangman Page and Brodido for a chat. Brodido get to be happy about their win but here is the returning Swerve Strickland to cut Page off. Prince Nana throws Tony Schiavone out, leaving Strickland to say these three have all had issues with him but now they’re friends. Strickland goes over his issues with Brodido and it all leaves him coming back to Page. Now Page can’t even challenge for the World Title, so he’s here with these two?

Page points out that Strickland has nothing to show for everything he’s done this year but here are the Demand/Lethal Twist to interrupt. Ricochet talks about how this is trio business and mocks Strickland for dropping the Gates Of Agony. Last week, Toa Liona’s shoulders weren’t down so the titles still belong to the Demand, so Strickland needs to get out of here. Strickland goes to leave but does stop to call Ricochet a b****. Ricochet turns down Page’s challenge and that’s it. I really could have gone with more of the Strickland stuff and less of the six people interrupting.

Earlier today, Willow Nightingale was sitting down for an interview but Mercedes Mone jumped her and called her a dumb b****.

TNT Title: Kevin Knight vs. Chris Jericho

Knight is defending and jumps him to start, only to get planted with a brainbuster. A backbreaker gives Jericho two and he sends Knight outside. The dive connects and Jericho stops to sit on Paul Wight’s lap. Knight gets in a knockdown of his own though and we take a break. We come back with Knight’s Lionsault hitting raised knees but being able to backdrop Jericho onto the ramp.

Jericho shrugs off some stomps and grabs an AA of all things before going after Don Callis. A diving Knight misses for a crash to the floor and they go back inside. An exchange of rollups gets two each and they trade rollups with feet on the ropes for the same so Knight gives him a running DDT. Knight’s super hurricanrana is countered into a superbomb and then the Walls in the middle of the ring.

That sounds good for Jericho, but he keeps nodding his head at Callis, who comes into the ring, but runs away as Jericho drags Knight from the middle to near the ropes….so Callis can stab Jericho with the screwdriver. Sweet goodness that was horrible. Knight goes up for a Coast To Coast, which somehow only gets two. Jericho Codebreakers him out of the air so Knight kicks him low, setting up the Crash Landing for the pin at 12:56.

Rating: C. Geez. Between the ridiculous botch from Jericho and Callis (the latter of whom at least tried to make it work by coming inside) and the usual nonsense of AEW not knowing when to end a match (there was zero reason to keep it going after the Coast To Coast), this was just a mess. I don’t know if it’s Jericho not having it any more or trying to do too much, but this didn’t work for the most part. Knight can do some good things in there, but this was a mess.

Claudio Castagnoli is ready for anyone in the Continental Cup Classic. Jon Moxley appears to be the same, with the grappling taking place while Castagnoli was talking apparently firing him up.

Kris Statlander vs. Viva Van

Van actually snaps off a hurricanrana to start and Statlander thinks about it for a second. That just earns her a spinwheel kick, plus a faceplant off the top into a missile dropkick. Statlander is back up with a superkick and discus lariat, setting up Staturday Night Fever for the pin at 3:09.

Rating: C. This was a weird match with Statlander getting beaten up for a good chunk of the thing, with Van getting in some snazzy offense. Van continues to be someone who feels like a potential project but it hasn’t really taken off yet. I’m not sure why Statlander got beaten up that much to start but it was an odd setup.

Post match here is Mick Foley, who announces a four way for the TBS Title, with Statlander, Hikaru Shida and Persephone challenging Maya World. Statlander is ready for some revenge but here are Shida and Persephone for their scheduled match.

Hikaru Shida/Persephone vs. Maya World/Thunder Rosa

World headlocks Persephone to start, sending her outside to escape. Rosa comes in for a running headscissors to Shida, plus a running clothesline. Rosa headscissors and headlocks them both down at once but gets sent throat first into the rope as we take a break. We come back with Rosa still in trouble but reversing a double suplex into a double DDT.

World is back in with a missile dropkick into a fall away slam to send Persephone outside. Shida kicks World outside but gets high crossbodied by Rosa. Shida’s Falcon Arrow gets two more with World making the save and getting jumped by Persephone. Rosa takes Persephone out and it’s the tabletop suplex to give World the pin on Shida at 10:34.

Rating: C+. World getting the pin was the right call here as she is still getting established as a real threat around here. At the same time, having her beat one of her challengers for next week might not have been the best way to get ready for the title match. Persephone is still getting better around here and it’s good to see her getting a chance to show what she can do. On the other hand you have Rosa and I have no idea what she has going on at the moment, but it doesn’t exactly feel like much.

Darby Allin talks about how he has no regrets from the World Title reign because he gambled and lost. Then he was attacked by Kevin Knight, so now Allin wants him in a Falls Count Anywhere match.

Kyle Fletcher wants to defend the International Title at All In. He wants to defend against Konosuke Takeshita but Don Callis suggests adding Kazuchika Okada so the Family keeps the title. Fletcher leaves without saying yes. It feels like these people have been doing this “we don’t like each other but have to work together because we all hate Takeshita” forever. Wrap it up already.

Continental Challenge Cup First Round: Jon Moxley vs. Jack Perry

Moxley wrestles him down to start but Perry gets up for an actual clean break at the rope. Perry knocks him outside but the suicide dive is knocked out of the air. With his eye cut open, Perry tries to fight back but gets sent into the timekeeper’s area as we take a break. We come back with Moxley pounding on the cut and rubbing Perry’s face on the mat to make it worse.

Moxley ties up the leg and neck at the same time, with Perry having to make the rope. Perry finally manages to send him outside for a bunch of dives, including a moonsault out to the floor. Back in and Moxley hits a quick clothesline and piledriver for two, plus another two off another clothesline.

Moxley goes off with shots to the face, to the point where the referee stops him to check on Perry. That’s enough for Perry to get back up for the exchange of forearms (a Moxley signature) until Perry pulls him into the Snare Trap. Moxley rolls out of that and slaps on the bulldog choke for the win at 15:42.

Rating: B-. So Moxley beats him up to start, beats him up some more, shrugs off Perry’s offense, escapes Perry’s submission, and then chokes him out. What a great way to make Perry look like he’s in over his head as Moxley, again, gets to look like the most awesome thing ever. Hopefully he at least doesn’t win the tournament again, though it certainly wouldn’t surprise me.

Post match Moxley shakes Perry’s hand, because that saves some of Perry’s face I guess?

Overall Rating: C+. I really wasn’t feeling this one as much as I do most Dynamites, as it had a lot of stuff that felt like it was setting stuff up for the future rather than doing much here. That’s something you need at times, but between the horrible ending to Jericho vs. Knight and Moxley’s near squash of Perry (which of course took fifteen minutes), this was a long show that had a lot of tournament stuff and Don Callis. That’s not the best night and I wasn’t into this for the most part.

Results
Maxwell Jacob Friedman b. Mike Bailey and Nick Wayne – Salt Of The Earth to Wayne
Jay White b. David Finlay – Blade Runner
Kevin Knight b. Chris Jericho – Crash Landing
Kris Statlander b. Viva Van – Staturday Night Fever
Maya World/Thunder Rosa b. Hikaru Shida/Persephone – Tabletop suplex to Shida
Jon Moxley b. Jack Perry – Bulldog choke

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: August 6, 2026
Location: WJCT Studios, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re closing in on Death Before Dishonor with just over two weeks to go before the show. Last week, a few matches were confirmed for the event, including the rather random Bandido vs. Nick Wayne World Title match. There is every chance that we won’t get anything new added this week, as you never can tell what to expect around here. Let’s get to it.

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

Athena is now the longest reigning champion of the modern era but isn’t getting any kind of respect. She beat the Women’s Champion and the TBS Champion but hasn’t received any flowers. Tonight, she’s beating up Janai Kai to blow off some steam.

Athena vs. Janai Kai

Non-title Proving Ground match. Athena isn’t having any of the wristlocking but she has to run from the threat of some rapid fire kicks. Back in and Kai scores with the running kick in the corner but another kick gets caught in the ropes. That lets Athena kick at the leg and then knock her out to the floor.

The knee gets cranked back and Athena talks trash, as she tends to do. A half crab and ankle lock send Kai over to the rope and she kicks Athena down for a breather. Kai pump kicks her down for two but has to go after Billie Starkz, allowing Athena to get in the curb stomp for two more. They trade rollups for two each until Starkz gets in a belt shot from the floor. The O Face finishes for Athena at 7:42.

Rating: C+. Kai got in some offense here but it never felt like Athena was in any serious danger, as she shouldn’t have been. Instead, Athena got to use her minion to get by Kai and she’ll brag about her latest win. Hazuki is still waiting for her, which should be good, though it would be nice to have something from Hazuki to make it more interesting.

Last night, Brodido and Hangman Page talked about their abilities to speak Spanish. They also weren’t sure about the Good, the Bad and the Ugly thing, with Bandido lifting his mask to prove that he isn’t the ugly one.

Queen Aminata vs. Rachel Ley

Aminata takes her down for the kick to the back and the hips to the head. Back up and they trade some forearms in the corner, where Ley hits a pendulum Meteora. That earns her a headbutt and the fisherman’s neckbreaker, setting up the running knee in the ropes for the pin at at 3:54.

Rating: C. Ley is a former gymnast and got to show off her athleticism here, though that only makes her stand out so much. Aminata gets to run through another name on her way to…well pretty much nothing right now but the match didn’t take up much time. Commentary was certainly putting Aminata over though and that helps a good bit.

We look at the recent actions of Beef and the Premiere Athletes.

Beef vs. Matt Menard

Mark Sterling is here with Beef, who appears to be a full on Athlete now. After a less than trusting handshake, Menard backs him into the corner for a clean break. Beef clotheslines him down and jumps over him for a spank, followed by a bit of a dance. Menard is right back with a spank of his own so Beef gets knocked out to the floor.

Back in and Beef chops away out of the corner before running Menard over for two. Sterling gets in a choke but stops to talk to Beef, allowing Menard to fight up. A running forearm grounds Beef so here are the Premiere Athletes for a cheap shot. The top rope splash finishes for Beef at 7:58.

Rating: C-. That’s kind of a long time for what was at least somewhat a comedy match featuring Beef and the Premiere Athletes. I know they get a bunch of time on these shows and I still don’t quite get why. The story is hardly some top idea, but here it is again after a quick week off.

Post match Beef beats on Menard even more.

Janai Kai wants revenge on Billie Starkz.

RPG Vice vs. Eddie Kingston/Ortiz

Ortiz shoves Beretta away to start and they slug it out, with Ortiz grabbing a flapjack. Romero comes in to hammer Kingston down in the corner but he’s right back up for an STO/Russian legsweep combination. Ortiz comes back in and is quickly taken into the wrong corner. That doesn’t last long as it’s back to Kingston, who stretch plumbs Romero, with Beretta making the save.

Everything breaks down and Beretta’s tornado DDT gets two on Ortiz but he’s fine enough to block the Forever Lariats. Kingston comes back in for a neckbreaker but he gets draped onto the top rope for a kick to the head. Kingston fights up again and hits a double clothesline so Ortiz can drop a top rope splash for two. Back up and Ortiz makes a quick save, allowing Kingston to grab the exploder suplex. A rollup pins Romero at 13:28.

Rating: C+. The match got better near the end and that’s nice to see, though it went on a good bit longer than it needed to go. Kingston and Ortiz continue to be popular, though I’m not sure I get their appeal. They’re just kind of there and it doesn’t help that Ortiz just feels like ROH trying to copy Mike Santana’s success.

Post match RPG Vice jumps them again and lays the winners out. So this keeps going.

Earlier today, Caprice Coleman sat down with the newly Computerized Kingdom. They realized they needed something fresh to get them out of their rut so here they are with artificial intelligence. They completely trust it and hang on as AI says they need to switch which leg is crossed. That’s in addition to the great shirt designs they’re being offered! One more leg switch wraps up the interview. This gave you pretty much the whole explanation for the story thus far and I kind of like it.

Tehuti Miles vs. Dante Casanova

Before the match, Miles brags about his amazingness. Miles jumps him before the bell and knocks Casanova out to the floor, where Miles gets crotched on the barricade. Back in and a crossbody gives Casanova two but Miles gets in a knockdown of his own. A slap to the face wakes Casanova up but Miles knocks him right back into the ropes. The chinlock goes on for a bit until Casanova powers out, only to get dropped with a nice dropkick. Casanova’s comeback doesn’t work again as Miles superkicks him for the pin at 6:39.

Rating: C+. Casanova got in some offense here and looked ok in the process, but this was more about showcasing Miles. That went well enough, with Miles getting to show off his athleticism. I’m not sure what’s next for him, but putting him in another stable like Shane Taylor Promotions is only going to get so far.

Post match Miles officially joins Shane Taylor Promotions. Well that was quick.

Action Andretti vs. LJ Cleary

Andretti flips over Cleary to start and knocks him into the corner for some early stomping. A handspring elbow gives Andretti two but he misses a charge, allowing Cleary to stomp him in the back. Andretti’s Falcon Arrow gets two more and he plants Cleary with a super Spanish Fly. The cutter choke finishes for Andretti at 4:29.

Rating: C. This was a squash for Andretti and it means we’re likely on the way to Andretti vs. Lio Rush at Death Before Dishonor. That’s not the most thrilling match as Cru wasn’t exactly a top level team but it’s better than nothing. The match wasn’t exactly the point, as it was mainly about Andretti using Rush’s choke for the win, which makes perfect sense.

Mance Warner wants to give RPG Vice the violence, with Eddie Kingston and Ortiz being in as well. Kingston isn’t happy with being dropped on his head so find a third man.

Brandon Cutler/Teri Yaki/Jay Lucas vs. The Colons/Serpentico

Serpentico and Cutler start things off with Serpentico picking up the pace but getting taken to the mat. Cutler kicks him away so it’s off to Eddie to give Cutler a suplex. Yaki comes in to take over on Orlando, including jumping over Cutler for an elbow. The chinlock keeps Orlando in trouble and it’s back to Cutler for the same thing. Orlando gets up and sends Cutler outside, allowing the tag back to Eddie as everything breaks down. The bad guys are cleared out and it’s a Backstabber to pin Yaki at 6:49.

Rating: C. I still have no idea why the Colons are a thing around here. They feel like relics of the past and it’s not like they’re doing anything impressive in the ring. They’re perfectly fine as a filler team, but that isn’t the best thing to see on a show like this, which is already so full of filler. Just find someone else for this spot or let the show be a bit shorter.

Mark Sterling has his own action figure but Dalton Castle and the Outrunners want to beat him up. Both the figure and the real Sterling.

Nick Comoroto/Aaron Solo vs. MxM Collection

Mansoor headlocks Solo to start before it’s off to Madden to throw Solo down. Comoroto comes in and lines up the football pose, only for Mansoor to come back in instead. Madden breaks up Comoroto’s skinning the cat before hitting Comoroto in the face with the hips. The assisted abdominal stretch goes on, with Solo coming over for the save.

Solo gets the tag to clean house until we get the Comoroto vs. Madden three point standoff. Comoroto skins the cat and slams Madden before strutting into an elbow for two. A suplex into Solo’s top rope double stomp gives Solo two but it’s a Centerfold to put Solo away at 9:34.

Rating: B-. They actually got rocking there near the end and it wound up being an exciting match. Comoroto got a nice showcase here and it was cool to see him doing something other than losing in short order. At the same time, this was another match that went on for a good while on a show with a lot of that taking place. They might have stood out more if they had the chance but that wasn’t happening here.

Post match the Collection mocks Jacksonville and want the ultimate accessory.

Action Andretti wants the TV Title from Lio Rush. The lights go out and Rush’s laugh is heard, with Andretti not being scared.

Women’s TV Title: Isla Dawn vs. Red Velvet

Dawn is challenging and jumps her from behind to start fast. Some slams put Velvet down but she kicks her way to freedom and stomps away in the corner. Dawn is back with some right hands and a suplex before getting in her own corner choke. The reverse chinlock is broken up with a jawbreaker but Dawn is right back to stomp her in the corner again. Dawn knocks her outside for a change, including throwing Velvet into various hard objects.

Velvet is able to send her into the steps right back though, with a stomp making it worse for Dawn. Back in and a standing moonsault gives Velvet two but Dawn’s wheelbarrow suplex gets the same. Dawn goes up and gets Iconoclasmed back down so she snaps off a Saito suplex. The Shining Wizard gives Dawn two and she picks her up for a powerslam, only to be rolled up for the pin to retain Velvet’s title at 12:26.

Rating: B-. This went pretty well, with the two of them trading one big move after another in the end. Dawn continues to be one of the more underrated stars around here and I’m glad to see her getting a chance to do something like this. Velvet’s title reign has kind of stalled as she’s a champion but not really doing anything, as is so often the case around here.

Griff Garrison/Lethal Twist vs. Dalton Castle/Outrunners/Adam Priest

The brawl starts before the bell and Lethal gets punched down for a quick near fall. Magnum saves Castle from getting whipped into the corner but the bad guys take out the other three to take over. Garrison drops a knee for two on Castle and Johnson comes in to stomp away in the corner. Castle clotheslines his way over to the corner so Priest can get the tag to clean house. Garrison is right back with a torture rack powerbomb for two as everything breaks down again. Preston Vance clotheslines Garrison by mistake though and Priest gets a rollup for the pin at 6:32.

Rating: C+. And, again, it’s fine. Just like almost everything else on the show, the match is nothing memorable whatsoever and doesn’t really change much, but somehow, this is the main event. Nothing about this match makes it feel more important than the rest of the card and that’s been a problem around here for a very long time now.

Post match Garrison lays out Vance and apparently he’s out of the team. The Dark Order runs in for the save. We get the big reunion and Vance seems to be back on the team to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. That’s your weekly two hour plus edition of Ring Of Honor, giving us a third straight day of AEW stars going that long in a row. As usual around here, there was a bit of storyline progression and A LOT of filler that felt like it was just there to get people in the ring. It’s a bad sign when you could cut out about half of the show and not miss much and that’s the situation they were in here. In other words, it’s Ring Of Honor.

Results
Athena b. Janai Kai – O Face
Queen Aminata b. Rachel Ley – Running knee in the ropes
Beef b. Matt Menard – Top rope splash
Eddie Kingston/Ortiz b. RPG Vice – Rollup to Romero
Tehuti Miles b. Dante Casanova – Superkick
The Colons/Serpentico b. Brandon Cutler/Teri Yaki/Jay Lucas – Backstabber to Yaki
MxM Collection b. Nick Comoroto/Aaron Solo – Centerfold to Solo
Red Velvet b. Isla Dawn – Rollup
Dalton Castle/Outrunners/Adam Priest b. Griff Garrison/Lethal Twist – Rollup to Garrison

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

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