Ring Of Honor
Date: July 9, 2026
Location: WJCT Studios, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re done with Global Wars and that means it is time for a World Title match. Why you ask? Well there’s no particular reason for it but Bandido is defending the title against Bryan Keith. Why Keith? Well he just happens to be getting the shot. Other than that, we’ll have the usual shenanigans so let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks at Bandido vs. Keith, which doesn’t have much of a story.

Opening sequence.

Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Bang Bang Gang

Drake kicks away Robinson’s offer of a handshake to start and they go to the mat for some exchanges. Robinson threatens to raise his leg, sending Drake bailing over to the corner. We actually hear about Death Before Dishonor in August, which is better than nothing for a show to build towards.

The Veterans escape a suplex and kick Robinson down, only for Gibson to get kicked in the face. A backsplash/legdrop combination gives Austin two and he hits a slingshot ax handle to Gibson on the floor. Back in and Drake gets a blind tag for a double hot shot to take over. Gibson’s suplex sets up the chinlock and Drake gets one of his own. Austin fights out and brings Robinson back in for the snap jabs.

Everything breaks down and Gibson is drop toeholded into a low blow to Drake in the corner. Austin and Gibson slug it out but Drake is back in to help fire off some kicks to the Gang. An exchange of rollups give Austin and Drake two each but Robinson breaks up a Doomsday Device. Robinson’s forward DDT sets up the Fold to pin Drake at 11:17.

Rating: B-. This was fun stuff with all four of them working hard and having quite the fast paced effort. What matters the most though is Austin got a win and the Tag Team Titles are finally around for someone to win. Granted it doesn’t matter if these teams don’t actually get title shots, but at least the option is here again.

Frat House vs. Skyflight

Carter offers Sky a shot to start and then jumps him, with Dante coming in to headscissor Garrison. Dante gets sent into the corner for some rapid fire stomping from various villains and a double spinebuster gets two. With Dante in the Tree Of Woe, Garrison gets to stand on him for something of a low blow. That doesn’t seem to slow Dante down and it’s off to Darius to make the comeback. Everything breaks down and the TKO gives Sky the pin on Jameson at 5:49.

Rating: C+. This was about as good as a Frat House match was going to be as it has been nice to get a bit of a break from them. At the same time, Skyflight gets to do their usual fun match, with Sky’s TKO looking as good as ever. Now just get them closer to the Six Man Tag Team Titles already. Like they should have done a long time ago.

Lio Rush is all creepy with HIS TV Title.

Royce Isaacs vs. Bishop Kaun

They trade running shoulders to start with Isaacs grabbing a kneebar, sending Kaun right over to the ropes. Back up and Kaun chops him down but Isaacs gets in a throw for a breather. A Death Valley Driver gives Isaacs two so Kaun knees him in the face. They strike it out again until Kaun grabs a Wasteland and Pedigree for the pin at 5:22.

Rating: C+. They hit each other rather hard and that was fun to see, but it’s a bit much to get interested in a match featuring half of the Gates Of Agony on a show that is running over two hours. Isaacs is kind of a name from the independent circuit but it’s hardly some top star. It’s not bad, but this was one of those matches that felt like it was there to stretch the show out.

Mina Shirakawa/Queen Aminata vs. Kaci Lennox/Sahara Seven

Seven and Shirakawa lock up to start until Shirakawa avoids a charge in the corner. A kick to the head allows for the tag off to Aminata for the hips to the face, because that has to be in all of her matches. Lennox comes in to suplex Aminata and a Natural Selection gets two. It’s back to Shirakawa to knock Lennox down, followed by a Fujiwawa armbar to Seven. The Figure Four makes Seven tap at 4:58.

Rating: C. This was little more than a squash and it’s not like Shirakawa and Aminata have anything else to do. There isn’t much else for them to do so why not put them in a team? I still have no idea how someone as charismatic as Shirakawa can’t have something to do but here we are, yet again.

Action Andretti sits down with Caprice Coleman but doesn’t want to be here as this show kind of sucks. Granted that might be due to the bad guests so he’s here to save things. Andretti doesn’t like people like Lio Rush who turn on him to become some kind of a Blackheart with no signs. Rush has cut him off and Andretti thinks Lacey Lane probably feels the same. Andretti made call after call and isn’t going to sit on the sideline while Rush becomes this little monster.

Lethal Twist vs. Los Colons/Serpentico

Serpentico runs around to start and gets Lethal to come outside for a chop. A kick to the chest gets two on Lethal back inside but a double kick drops Serpentico as well. Orlando comes in and gets knocked into the corner, with Lethal adding a running dropkick to the back of the head. That means the strut is on before he starts working on Orlando’s leg. The Figure Four is blocked and it’s off to Eddie to fire back. Everything breaks down and it’s time to rip off Serpentico’s mask so Johnson can get the pin at 6:52.

Rating: C. I still have no idea why the Colons are here as there has to be a more interesting team to have in their spot. At the same time, sweet goodness I could go for a break from the “luchador loses his mask for a rollup pin”. It’s certainly logical for a luchador but my goodness it’s been done to death. The Twist need to be on the way to the Six Man Tag Team Titles, as they’re kind of perfect for them right now.

We look back at the Premiere Athletes/Beef wanting a shot at the Six Man Tag Team Titles. See, this is what the titles has been needing. They’re actually building up some teams to come after the champions. That’s how titles work and they’re already feeling more interesting just because teams want them. Now granted they have to actually be defended, but the pieces are being set up.

Mance Warner vs. Matt Menard

Pure Rules so they get in a contest over who can shake the referee’s hand more. Then they go outside to shake hands with the fans and go back inside for a rather aggressive handshake to get things going. An exchange of lockups send them into the corner over and over and all six rope breaks are burned off in 47 seconds.

With that gone, they go to the apron for some chops from Warner and a Rock Bottom from Menard. They go outside where Warner’s chair shot is cut off so Warner brings it inside, sits down in it, and grabs a sleeper. Menard’s arm is up at two drops and he gets two off a cutter. Warner wins a forearm off though and the implant DDT finishes Menard at 5:30.

Rating: B-. This was fun! I had a better time with them messing with things instead of just doing the same basic match that you see time after time. Warner wouldn’t be someone who wants to follow all of the rules and it makes sense that he would turn it into something he would want to do. This was instantly more entertaining than most things on ROH, just because it broke up the show a bit. Nice job.

Kelsey Raegan vs. Isla Dawn

They fight over an armbar to start with Dawn powering her into the corner. A Saito suplex drops Raegan and Dawn knocks her into the corner for a hard kick to the ribs. The running knee gets two and Dawn grabs a cobra stretch. Raegan fights out and sends her into the corner for a running elbow, setting up a DDT for two. Dawn has had it with this and grabs a dragon sleeper for the tap at 5:07.

Rating: C+. This was little more than a squash with Dawn getting to run through Raegan, who only got in a bit of offense. If Raegan is supposed to be something (and she might not be), I’m not sure why you would have her in a match with Dawn as she makes her singles debut. Not much of a match but I’ve been a fan of Dawn for awhile so it’s nice to see her getting a chance.

Post match Dawn takes her time letting go.

We recap Bandido vs. Bryan Keith. They had a match on Collision in February of last year. End of recap.

Satnam Singh vs. Bruss Hamilton

Hamilton jumps him from behind to start and avoids a charge in the corner. That only gets him so far as Singh switches places with him to start firing off the chops. Hamilton can’t get in a slam but Singh certainly can, only for Hamilton to escape a chokeslam. The second attempt gives Singh the pin at 2:55.

Rosario Grillo introduces KJ Impala and Hayden Seal, his partners. They’re rather Italian and called Il Cartello Grillo.

Nathan Cruz/Il Cartello Grillo vs. The Rascalz/Von Erichs

Wentz rolls Cruz up to start and scores with a corkscrew crossbody out of the corner. Impala comes in to slug it out with Marshall and the Von Erichs get two off a double dropkick. Ross misses a running boot in the corner and it’s off to Cruz to strike away in the corner. An atomic drop/running boot combination gets two on Ross but he rolls over for the tag off to Wentz.

That means house can be cleaned, including a quick German suplex. The middle rope Meteora/backbreaker combination gets two on Grillo and everything breaks down. The good guys can hit a bunch of shots in the corner, setting up stereo claws. Hot Fire Flame finishes Seal at 7:25.

Rating: C+. So you introduce the team, put them with a random partner, and then have them lose to a team featuring the freaking Von Erichs. This is where Ring Of Honor manages to completely miss the point as Il Cartello isn’t a bad idea, but they’re bogged down early on with having so many people involved and, you know, losing. But at least those Von Erichs got to make their regular appearance to remind us how lame they can be.

Tehuti Miles vs. LSG

HOW MUCH FILLER DOES ONE SHOW NEED??? Miles dropkicks him at the start and grabs a powerslam for an early two. A big boot gets two more and LSG’s comeback is cut off with a clothesline. Miles grabs a Death Valley Driver to finish at 4:04.

Rating: C. Miles looked impressive here but he’s the what, fifth or so debuting/returning star on the show? In its tenth match? It’s another case of the interesting prospect being lost in the shuffle because there is so much going on. Maybe save this (which came from a big batch of taped matches so it can be put anywhere) for a place that stands out a bit better?

Post match Shane Taylor Promotions comes out to look at Miles, who seems interested.

Ring Of Honor World Title: Bandido vs. Bryan Keith

Bandido is defending and Keith kicks the handshake away before cranking on the arm. Back up and Bandido flips away for the gun pose, earning himself a trip out to the apron. Keith whips him into the barricade a few times before winning a chop off. Back in and Keith kicks away before reversing a 21 Plex attempt into a t-bone suplex. A second and third suplex just fire Bandido up and he gets in a suplex of his own for a double down.

The corkscrew crossbody connects for Bandido and he sends Keith outside for the suicide dive. The springboard high crossbody gets two more back inside but Keith grabs a front facelock. A helicopter bomb gets two and Bandido has to block a fork shot. Bandido’s X Knee gets two but Keith catches him with a t-bone superplex. Keith tries a tiger bomb but gets reversed into a hurricanrana to give Bandido the retaining pin at 13:40.

Rating: B-. This felt like another instance of Bandido being built back up after a loss because he is the designated jobber to the stars in AEW. It’s also another random World Title match for Keith, who barely wrestles in singles matches, while others are undefeated and never get title shots. In other words, it’s a good example of the problem with the title picture around here and that isn’t likely to get better.

Overall Rating: C. And thus we have one of Tony Khan’s favorite ideas in ROH: a card so loaded with people that no one gets to stand out, even when they had good ideas. This show had a whopping 40 wrestlers on it, which is just shy of Wrestlemania II’s 46 and that show included a 20 man battle royal.

As usual, just WAY too much stuff on one show, as apparently someone holds a gun to Khan’s head and makes him not only book these matches but film and air them, because there is no such thing as “nah we don’t need that”. I liked some of what they did with a few debuts and some of the six man stuff, but I’m almost scared to think of how much of this could have been cut out or just moved to another show. Just stop doing so much at these tapings. Why is that so complicated?

Results
Bang Bang Gang b. Grizzled Young Veterans – Fold to Drake
Skyflight b. Frat House – TKO to Jameson
Bishop Kaun b. Royce Isaacs – Pedigree
Mina Shirakawa/Queen Aminata b. Laci Lennox/Sahara Seven – Figure Four to Seven
Lethal Twist b. Serpentico/Los Colons – Rollup to Serpentico
Mance Warner b. Matt Menard – Implant DDT
Isla Dawn b. Kelsey Raegan – Dragon sleeper
Satnam Singh b. Bruss Hamilton – Chokeslam
Von Erichs/Rascalz b. Il Cartello Grillo/Nathan Cruz – Hot Fire Flame to Seal
Tehuti Miles b. LSG – Death Valley Driver
Bandido b. Bryan Keith – Hurricanrana

 

 

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: June 11, 2026
Location: WJCT Studios, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re a week away from Global Wars and that means Athena has a big time title defense set for next week against Syuri. Other than that, more guest stars are likely to show up though we’ll still need to get some names set. That’s good enough for a big show around here and hopefully it helps things out. Let’s get to it.

Here is Tuesday’s show if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Premiere Athletes vs. Top Flight

Darius and Daivari start things off with a battle over wrist control. Darius grabs a front facelock and switches to a wristlock, with Daivari’s spinning escape being countered into a rollup for a smart two. It’s off to Nese vs. Dante, with the former being bulldogged onto Dante’s knee. Daivari comes back in to grab Darius’ arms so Nese can get in a cheap shot and things slow back down.

The chinlock goes on for a bit, followed by a neckbreaker for two. Darius fights up and gets back to Dante, who fights up at his usual fast pace. A tornado DDT drops Nese but it’s already back to Darius. That means an assisted swinging neckbreaker for two on Darius so Dante comes back in with a high crossbody. Top Flight’s double lifting DDT finishes Daivari at 13:03.

Rating: B-. It’s a fine match and the perfect example of a match between two teams who feel like they have been in the same place for years now. Neither have anything going on and Top Flight happened to win the match. It’s not like they can get a title match in the United States at the moment anyway so enjoy their continuing time on the Ring Of Honor treadmill.

Angelico is ready to face Bandido and insists he is a very dangerous man.

Los Colons/Serpentico vs. Shane Taylor Promotions

Serpentico and Bravo start things off and walk around a bit to start. Serpentico picks up the pace and sends Bravo flying so it’s Taylor tagging himself in to send Orlando straight to the apron. Back in and Taylor gets taken down, only to grab a hanging Stunner on Orlando. Bravo comes back in and hammers on Orlando in the corner, even hurting his own hand in the process.

Orlando is suplexed into the corner and a Bronco Buster hits him again. That just wakes Orlando up and it’s off to Eddie to pick up the pace. Serpentico adds a Swanton for two and takes out the Infantry, only to run into Taylor. The Marcus Garvey Driver finishes Serpentico at 8:52.

Rating: C. I still have no idea why the Colons are here but thankfully it doesn’t seem like their team with Serpentico is going to be a thing. The Promotions are at least doing something in AEW at the moment, though it’s still hard to get overly interested in them when they’ve been around here in the same spot for such a long time. This wasn’t anything all that interesting but Taylor smashing Serpentico at the end was nice.

Mason Madden vs. Terry Yaki

Madden shoves him down to start and hits some elbows in the corner. The big side kick has Yaki in trouble but he’s back up with a missile dropkick. Madden isn’t having this and plants him on the floor, setting up a middle rope elbow for the pin at 2:13.

Post match Mansoor gets on the mic and says he’ll be dessert.

Mansoor vs. Ace Austin

Mansoor throws a jacket at him to start fast but gets knocked down for his efforts. Austin loads up the squatting fireman’s carry but gets raked in the eyes for the break. That lets Mansoor go after the leg in the corner and then does it again in another corner. Austin is back up with some chops but Mansoor goes right back to the leg. A running dropkick to the knee misses though and Austin strikes away. The knee is fine enough for a springboard crossbody and a squatting powerbomb, followed by the Fold for the pin at 6:54.

Rating: C+. It’s nice to see Austin win a match, even if it isn’t likely to mean much. Mansoor running his mouth and then getting beaten clean is a good thing, though Austin has a history of losing any match that matters. At least he’s getting in the ring regularly though, which should help the fans take notice of his rather abundant talents.

Zayda Steel and Red Velvet are ready to team together. Velvet even gives Steel her own apron.

IInspiration vs. Zayda Steel/Red Velvet

Steel rolls Lee up to start and everything breaks down with Steel and Velvet cleaning house. They even mock the Iinspiration’s poses before Velvet gets in a posing choke in the corner. That’s broken up and Velvet is knocked down for an IInspiration pose. It works so well that they kick Velvet down again for more posing. Velvet gets up and kicks her way to freedom, allowing Steel to come in and clean house. A spinning Unprettier drops Lee onto McKay for the pin at 6:32.

Rating: C-. Yeah fine. What else is there to say here? The IInspiration are little more than a comedy act who lose all the time while Steel and Velvet aren’t a team. The point here was more about the posing, which isn’t exactly a big surprise. There’s nothing to be seen here, making the match just something that extended the show. As usual.

We look at AR Fox retaining the TV Title on Tuesday. Fox is defending against Lio Rush and Action Andretti next week.

Soleil vs. Action Andretti

Andretti flips out of a headscissors to start and gets stomped down, only to kick him into the corner. Back up and Soleil chops away in the corner, with Andretti going to the floor for a breather. That doesn’t last long as Andretti takes him down and hammers away back inside. Soleil knocks him down again and goes up top, only to get pulled down.

A kind of pumphandle Side Effect gets two, as does Andretti’s falcon arrow. Soleil kicks him down again but misses a frog splash, allowing Andretti to come back with a Spanish Fly. Soleil flips over into a neckbreaker for two but Andretti flips over for a Stunner. The torture rack neckbreaker finishes Soleil at 10:25.

Rating: C+. This is a perfect example of a match that showcases the issues with this show. Andretti is getting a title match next week. Fine, cool, as long as you ignore his hit and miss win/loss record in recent weeks (including a loss a few months ago to the champion himself). That being said, there was no reason whatsoever for him to go out and go 50/50 with someone like Soleil. All I saw here was Andretti having trouble winning a match, which doesn’t make me interested in seeing him get a shot at a title. He would have been better off with a thirty second promo, but the ROH way is to give him a ten minute match instead.

Top Flight thinks they’re treading water in the tag division. NO! IMPOSSIBLE! Anyway they want the Tag Team Titles.

The ROH Tag Team Titles will be defended tomorrow in CMLL against a CMLL team. That’s obviously the best way to deal with Mortos’ visa issues than stripping the titles or having them face an ROH team anywhere else. This means we’ll be coming up on four months since the titles have been defended in ROH.

Billie Starkz vs. Robyn Renegade

Renegade rolls her up for an early two so Starkz is back up with the stomping in the corner. Starkz’s powerbomb is countered into a backdrop and a reverse Sling Blade out of the corner drops Starkz again. Back up and Starkz drives her into the corner, setting up the pancake for the pin at 5:25.

Rating: C. The more I see of Starkz, the less interested I am in anything she’s doing. She’s not bad for the most part, but I have absolutely no idea why she is anywhere near the Women’s Title picture. Renegade continues to feel like she could be something if she was given the chance, but that hasn’t happened in any way whatsoever and doesn’t seem likely anytime soon.

Action Andretti brags about proving himself out there and has no problem being the bad guy in next week’s title match.

Video on Eddie Kingston/Ortiz vs. the Workhorsemen. If there has ever been a match that did not need a hype video, this was it.

Eddie Kingston/Ortiz vs. Workhorsemen

Drake and Kingston trade shoulders to start before an exchange of chops takes Kingston down. Henry comes in and gets taken into a chinlock, which doesn’t last long for a change. It’s back to Drake, who fires off some chops but gets knocked down as well. Ortiz comes back in and gets Vader Bombed for a trip to the floor, with Henry staying on the ribs. Back in and a falling headbutt sets up a chinlock, which stays on for longer than expected.

Back up and Ortiz fights out, allowing Kingston to come back in. House is quickly cleaned and it’s already back to Ortiz, who avoids a moonsault. Kingston comes back in to fire off the chops in the corner but Henry gives him the Kawada kicks. Those are shrugged off for a shot to Henry’s face but he knocks Kingston right back down. A top rope double stomp connects with Ortiz making the save and Kingston’s DDT finishes Henry at 12:08.

Rating: B-. It was a hard hitting match but forgive me for not getting interested in anything involving a tag team around here. You’ve seen that the champs are gone and have been for months, but the solution is to have a match in Mexico for CMLL, leaving these matches feeling even more useless. That’s been the case forever around here, dating all the way back to the Sons Of Texas days, so why should I be interested here?

Bandido vs. Angelico

Non-title Proving Ground match. They take their time to start with neither of them getting anywhere until Bandido takes him down by the arm. Angelico switches places to take him down by the arm instead so Bandido tries a sunset flip. That’s reversed into a double stomp and Angelico keeps the pace slow as we get to the halfway point.

A choke with the leg sends Bandido over to the rope and a leglock does the same. Bandido gets up and hits a spinning high crossbody for two but Angelico is back with a kick to the head. Angelico goes after the arm but gets taken down with a headscissors. The 21 Plex is blocked but Bandido pops back up with a standing hurricanrana for the pin at 8:55.

Rating: B-. It’s another match that had nice enough action but it was also another match that had no particular reason for taking place and was just thrown out there. Angelico never wins important singles matches but now he’s possibly in line for a #1 contendership? It’s something Ring Of Honor does on a regular basis, even if it doesn’t exactly make sense.

Overall Rating: C. This was a shining example of why ROH’s bonus shows are more trouble than they seem to be worth. After seeing ROH for an hour and a half on Tuesday, I really did not need to see a show that went almost twenty minutes longer on Thursday. It’s clear that they do not have the storyline depth to make the double shot idea work and yet here we are, with matches being thrown out there to fill time and even more of the nonsense of “the tag division is hot right now”, which they’ve been trying to convince us of for over a year. As usual, ROH has no concept of “leave them wanting more”, as this just dragged on. Again.

Results
Top Flight b. Premiere Athletes – Double lifting DDT to Daivari
Shane Taylor Promotions b. Los Colons/Serpentico – Marcus Garvey Driver to Serpentico
Mason Madden b. Terry Yaki – Middle rope elbow
Ace Austin b. Mansoor – Fold
Zayda Steel/Red Velvet b. IInspiration – Spinning Unprettier onto McKay
Action Andretti b. Soleil – Torture rack neckbreaker
Billie Starkz b. Robyn Renegade – Pancake
Eddie Kingston/Ortiz b. Workhorsemen – DDT to Henry
Bandido b. Angelico – Standing hurricanrana

 

 

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: June 4, 2026
Location: WJCT Studios, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Caprice Coleman, Ian Riccaboni

It’s a rare case where we have something coming up as Global wars is taking place in a few weeks. That’s more than we get most of the time and hopefully it is enough to give this show something of a focus. That could go all kinds of ways though and you never know what you’ll be getting around here. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Grizzled Young Veterans vs. The Rascalz

It’s Myron Reed/Zachary Wentz for the Rascalz here with Wentz starting against Drake. Wentz gets distracted and sent into the wrong corner but fights out rather quickly. Everything breaks down and the Rascalz are there with the stereo dives. We settle down to Reed headscissoring Gibson but Wentz is sent outside.

That leaves Reed to get caught in a Michinoku Driver and choked in the corner as things slow back down. Reed fights up and bounces around into an enziguri to catch Gibson. It’s back to Wentz to clean house, including a Blockbuster to put Gibson down again. A Swanton hits Drake but he gets his knees up to counter a splash into a cradle for two. Reed gets out of an electric chair though and superkicks Drake to the floor.

Wentz superkicks Gibson into a backbreaker and then dives outside onto Drake. Gibson is back up with a middle rope Codebreaker for two on Wentz and Drake’s Coast To Coast gets the same. Grit Your Teeth is broken up and the UFO Cutter plants Gibson. Reed’s diving cutter to the floor takes Drake down again, meaning it’s Reed’s 450 to finish Gibson at 9:21.

Rating: B-. This was certainly a fast paced match and while I don’t quite believe commentary saying this moves the Rascalz closer to a Tag Team Title shot, at least it was a fun opener. Tag wrestling is often a good way to start the show and it worked well here. The Rascalz don’t get to do much that matters but they know how to do this kind of match rather well, with the tags being mostly unnecessary making it more entertaining.

Athena brags about retaining the Women’s Title at Supercard Of Honor but now she has to get through Global Wars where she has some unfinished business. That means getting to face Syuri.

Lacey Lane vs. Queen Aminata

Aminata wants a test of strength to start but settles for a headlock takeover instead. Lane is back up with something of a dancing abdominal stretch, which doesn’t last long either. They go outside with Lane hitting a quick crossbody but Aminata whips her into the barricade. Back in and a swinging neckbreaker gives Aminata two and a side slam gets the same.

A Rings Of Saturn is broken up as Lane rolls out, allowing her to kick Aminata’s legs out. Lane’s springboard elbow gets two and she goes after the ribs. A big headbutt gives Aminata two and she kicks away in the ropes. Lane is back up with a swinging Downward Spiral for two and gets to stomp her down as well. Aminata suplexes her into the ropes though and a running knee finishes Lane at 8:30.

Rating: B. These women beat the fire out of each other and I’ll take that as a nice surprise. Lane has shown a great charisma and some in-ring abilities to back it up. Aminata was doing her thing rather well here too and I could go for more of this version of her. Solid match here and a lot better than I would have bet on seeing.

We look back at the Kingdom returning at Supercard Of Honor.

Bustah And The Brain are ready to take the Kingdom out again. They don’t like being talked down to and they’re after the Tag Team Titles. I can go with more of these two in a serious role. Or just a role that matters.

Kiran Grey/Alex Kane/Bruss Hamilton vs. Los Colons/Serpentico

Kane and Eddie start things off with the rather muscular Colon getting dropkicked. The Colons double kick Kane down and it’s off to Serpentico for a chop. The even bigger Hamilton comes in to miss some clotheslines but sends Serpentico into the corner. Grey’s legsweep lets Kane come back in but Serpentico flips out of a double belly to back suplex

It’s back to Orlando to clean house and Serpentico hits a double suicide dive. Ignore that he basically slapped two far larger men and they went flying. A Backstabber and…something close to a frog splash which lands in the vicinity of Grey is enough for the pin at 5:16.

Rating: C. This had some ok moments and the three monsters looked intimidating but the good guys were a bit of a stretch. The Colons didn’t work very well, with that finish looking rather messed up. I wasn’t feeling this one, but at least it didn’t take up too much time after the rather hot start.

Isla Dawn isn’t happy and wants to take her frustrations out on Deonna Purrazzo.

Isla Dawn vs. Deonna Purrazzo

Non-title Proving Ground match under Pure Rules. Dawn’s wristlock is reversed into one from Purrazzo, sending Dawn over to the rope for the first time. A test of strength actually goes to Dawn and she sends Purrazzo into the corner for some shoulders to the ribs. Some running knees give Dawn two and she knees Purrazzo in the back as this is mostly one sided so far.

A boot to the head gives Dawn two and she grabs an arm as we’re at the halfway point. Purrazzo gets back up with a clothesline and a Russian legsweep connects, only for the Fujiwara armbar to be reversed into a rollup for two. Dawn’s Saito suplex gets two as they have three minutes left. They go into some grappling and Purrazzo gets the Fujiwara for the tap at 7:45.

Rating: B-. This was an upgrade as Dawn got in a lot of offense and mostly dominated until it got into the technical style. Dawn is someone who feels like she could be a bigger deal if she’s given the chance, though I’m not sure how likely that is to take place. She got in a good match here though and Purrazzo had to sweat a good bit to survive here.

Athena sits down with Caprice Coleman, who brings up Billie Starkz. Athena isn’t impressed with Starkz but knows the potential is there. That’s why Athena keeps her so close but she isn’t happy about the near throwing in the towel at Supercard Of Honor. Coleman suggests that Starkz could turn on her but Athena thinks Starkz is too emotional. No one would know who Starkz is without Athena and she brags about all of her success. Finally, she says she’s staying here because this place is her baby. I can’t believe they’re still building towards Starkz winning the title and my goodness I hope they don’t go there.

Bryan Keith vs. Tommy Billington

Billington starts fast by avoiding a charge into a German suplex but Keith sends him into the ropes. That doesn’t last long as Billington sends him to the floor and hits a dive. Keith grabs a DDT on the floor and tries an electric chair back inside. With that not working, Keith hits a big clothesline for two but Billington is back with a Tombstone for two. Keith knocks him back though and hits a running kick to the face. That just earns him a piledriver to give Billington two but Keith pulls a turnbuckle pad off. He also finds a well hidden spike to stab Billington, setting up a tiger driver for the pin at 7:59.

Rating: B-. Another good enough match here and it doesn’t seem like Keith and Big Bill have much going on at this point. That might mean more of Keith on his own, which isn’t a bad thing. He can do well enough with the cheating and this was a good look at what he has without Bill.

Queen Aminata and Lacey Lane respect each other and are willing to run it back.

Lee Moriarty vs. Mance Warner

Remember the non-title Proving Ground match? This is another one. Moriarty ties up the arm to start and gets hit in the chest for his efforts. They head outside with Moriarty being sent into the barricade and Warner grabs a crossface chickenwing. That’s broken up and Moriarty knocks him down, meaning it’s time to dance back inside.

Something like an Octopus on the mat sends Warner over to the rope so Warner punches him in the face for a warning and two. The big clothesline gets two on Moriarty and Warner’s crossface makes Moriarty use his first rope break. The Fang into a Border City Stretch…is broken up as Warner pokes him in the eyes. Moriarty gets the Stretch again though and Warner taps at 7:09.

Rating: C+. And this was another Pure Rules match featuring Moriarty. I’m not sure how this is supposed to really mean much, though we’re coming up on the Nigel McGuinness title shot. At least that is something to build towards, but I’m almost worried for how long we’ll have to wait to see it happen.

Deonna Purrazzo is happy with her win and is ready to keep the title.

Lio Rush vs. Griff Garrison

Rush crawls over to the corner to start and gets Garrison’s cup, which he throws out to the floor. The dodging frustrated Garrison and Rush knocks him down in the corner. It’s too early for the Final Hour though and Garrison hits a running clothesline for two. Rush is right back with a sleeper to take Garrison down but he slips out, only to be sent outside. A running kick to the head knocks Garrison off the apron but he’s back in with a powerbomb for two. Rush is back up to strike away and the springboard Stunner sets up a cravate choke to finish Garrison at 7:05.

Rating: C+. As usual Rush’s offense is entertaining and he can do stuff that no one else can pull off. It makes the whole weird/creepy thing all the less necessary as he can stand out on his own. Either way, at least he won something here, which is worth…whatever you can get out of beating Garrison in Ring Of Honor.

Los Colons and Serpentico want to face Shane Taylor Promotions and be a team going forward. I would hope this was taped in advance, as I can’t imagine how someone could see their first match and want to see more.

The Workhorsemen want to face Eddie Kingston/Ortiz.

The Kingdom vs. Bustah And The Brain

Price knocks Taven into the corner to start but gets caught with a dropkick. Bennett comes in with a knee to Price, who is right back up for the tag off to Oliver. It’s back to Taven, who kicks his way out of the corner without much trouble, allowing Bennett to fire off the chops. Taven’s neckbreaker gets two and his kick into the top rope elbow/backbreaker combination is good for the same.

Oliver manages to fire off some chops to Bennett and knocks him down, allowing the diving tag to Price. House is quickly cleaned and a springboard neckbreaker gets two on Taven as everything breaks down. Taven’s Just The Tip gets two on Taven but Price gives Bennett a super sitout gordbuster. Oliver hits a frog splash for two and loads up a Doomsday Device, only for Price to dive onto Bennett on the floor. That leaves Taven to roll Oliver up with tights for the pin at 11:06.

Rating: B. This feels like a way to keep Bustah And The Brain learning as commentary was pointing out how Price made a bad move by diving onto Bennett instead of going for the win. That makes sense and as long as they get to do something else, it’s fine. As for the Kingdom, they’re ok but it doesn’t work as well without Maria.

Athena vs. Hyan

Non-title Proving Ground match and Diamante is here with Athena. Hyan doesn’t seem impressed to start and they fight over a small package to no avail. Hyan’s knockdown gets two more so Athena hammers away. Athena sends her outside for a suicide dive into the barricade, followed by a choke in the corner.

The chinlock goes on but Hyan fights up and knocks her away from the ropes. A high crossbody gives Hyan two but Athena pops up for a headscissors. They trade some rollups until Athena’s curb stomp gets two more. Athena tries a springboard high crossbody but gets faceplanted for a near fall, with Hyan loading up her knee. The running knee misses so Athena flips her into a Koji Clutch for the tap at 8:20.

Rating: B-. That was a good way to make Athena look strong (again) on her way to her big showdown with Syuri in a few weeks. It helps that Hyan was built up over the last few months so this was hardly some nothing match. If nothing else, Athena deserves credit for keeping things fresh in the ring. It feels like she’s regularly adding in new stuff to her arsenal and it’s was working here.

Overall Rating: B. I’m not sure what was going on here but the wrestling was more energetic than usual. Maybe I just caught them on a good week or something but this worked rather well. Aminata and Lane had a heck of a match where they were putting in quite a bit of effort and Kingdom vs. Bustah And The Brain (which should have headlined) was a great bonus. Rather good show here and if you trim off about half an hour, it’s even better.

Results
Rascalz b. Grizzled Young Veterans – 450 to Gibson
Queen Aminata b. Lacey Lane – Running knee
Los Colons/Serpentico b. Kiran Grey/Bruss Hamilton/Alex Kane – Frog splash to Gray
Deonna Purrazzo b. Isla Dawn – Fujiwara armbar
Bryan Keith b. Tommy Billington – Tiger driver
Lee Moriarty b. Mance Warner – Border City Stretch
Lio Rush b. Griff Garrison – Cravate choke
The Kingdom b. Bustah And The Brain – Rollup with tights to Oliver
Athena b. Hyan – Koji Clutch

 

 

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