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

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

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

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

Opening sequence.

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

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

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

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

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

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

We recap the Dynamite Continental Classic matches.

Abadon vs. Jazmin Allure

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

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

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

International Title: Orange Cassidy vs. Bryan Keith

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kris Statlander/Willow Nightingale vs. Mercedes Martinez/Diamante

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

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

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

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

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

Brian Cage vs. Karl Wright

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

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

Continental Classic Blue League: Eddie Kingston vs. Daniel Garcia

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

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

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

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

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

Continental Classic Blue League: Bryan Danielson vs. Brody King

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Collision
Date: December 9, 2023
Location: Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Commentators: Kevin Kelly, Nigel McGuinness, Tony Schiavone

The road to Worlds End continues as we have more Continental Classic matches to cover. That should be enough to carry things through the week but some other things need to be set up for the pay per view aside from just one title match. There is a chance we could see something like that covered this week. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite you need a recap.

Ethan Page, Kenny Omega, Bryan Danielson, Andrade El Idolo, Claudio Castagnoli and Eddie Kingston are ready to fight.

Opening sequence.

Continental Classic Blue League: Eddie Kingston vs. Claudio Castagnoli

Kingston hits the spinning backfist and Saito suplex to send Castagnoli to the floor early. Back in and a northern lights bomb gives Kingston two but Castagnoli is right back with the Neutralizer for two of his own. A running double stomp hits Kingston and it’s the Swing into a Sharpshooter. With that broken up, Castagnoli unloads with some forearms in the corner for two before cutting off a comeback with a clothesline.

Boots to the face in the corner keep Kingston in trouble as the beating continues. A top rope superplex gives Castagnoli two as we take a break. Back with Castagnoli grabbing a suplex for two and telling Kingston to do more. Kingston does just that by nailing some suplexes for two. The rapid fire chops in the corner and a lariat give Kingston two more but he can’t get the stretch plum.

Something like a powerbomb gives Castagnoli two and we hit the crossface. Kingston makes the rope and escapes the Riccola Bomb as well, only to get blasted by an uppercut for two. Kingston gets in a hard shot of his own for a very close two with three minutes left in the time limit. The spinning backfist looks to set up a powerbomb but Castagnoli reverses into a hurricanrana, which is reversed into a sunset flip to give Kingston the upset pin at 18:03. Castagnoli’s stunned face is great.

Rating: B. These two work well together and that was on display again here, as they had a hard hitting match. The rollup finish makes sense as Castagnoli tried to use his better skills to escape, only to get caught by Kingston’s wrestling for once. That’s not something I would have expected and we wound up with a good ending to a very awesome match.

Blue League Standings
Bryan Danielson – 6 points (3 matches remaining)
Brody King – 6 points (3 matches remaining)
Andrade El Idolo – 3 points (5 matches remaining)
Eddie Kingston – 3 points (2 matches remaining)
Claudio Castagnoli – 3 points (2 matches remaining)
Daniel Garcia – 0 points (2 matches remaining)

Jon Moxley says he wasn’t scared of Rush. It was a hard match but no, he wasn’t scared. Swerve Strickland is going to be a hard match too but Strickland is going to be in over his head. Pack a lunch.

Hook is interrupted by Wheeler Yuta, who brags about beating Hook last week. Yuta says he can beat Hook under either set of rules so we’ll do it under FTW rules. Works for Hook.

Willow Nightingale vs. Mercedes Martinez

Martinez has Diamante with her. They take turns powering the others into the corner until Martinez stomps her down. Nightingale is back up for some clotheslines against the ropes and a backsplash sends Martinez outside. Diamante offers a distraction though, allowing Martinez to send Nightingale into the barricade. A DDT off the barricade plants Nightingale and takes us to a break.

Back with Nightingale rolling some suplexes and getting two off a bulldog. The cannonball gives Nightingale two but another Diamante distraction lets Martinez grab a fisherman’s buster for her own near falls. Some Saito suplexes plant Nightingale again and Martinez hits something like a Razor’s Edge Dominator…and is quickly small packaged to give Nightingale the pin at 9:47.

Rating: C+. Slightly ridiculous ending aside, Nightingale winning here was the right call. She needs a win to get her back to some prominence and Martinez can help make anyone look good. It might not have been a classic, but it did what it needed to accomplish with some good action at the same time. What more could you need?

Post match Martinez and Diamante stomp Nightingale down and it’s time for a small ladder. Diamante grabs a lead pipe but Kris Statlander makes the save with a chain.

Jake Hager interrupts Matt Menard and Angelo Parker (hometown boys) to rant about Danhausen putting Hager’s hat down his pants. With Hager gone, Parker and Menard go off about how they have always wanted to be here. Saraya, Anna Jay and Ruby Soho come in to yell at the guys, though Soho seems pleased with Parker. The guys leave so Saraya yells at Soho, who faces Riho next week.

Swerve Strickland says he is the leader of this company no matter what and he’ll be World Champion. First up though it’s the Continental Classic so he hopes Jon Moxley is ready. The level of confidence is rising and it’s pretty awesome.

Wardlow vs. Willie Mack

Mack goes for a double leg to start and is easily powered away. A dropkick staggers Mack but a missed charge puts him on the floor. Mack’s dive only bounces off of him but Mack trips him down inside. The standing moonsault gets two but Mack’s hurricanrana is countered into a powerbomb. The wind up clothesline sets up the powerbomb for the referee stoppage at 3:14.

Rating: C+. This is how you bring Wardlow up to the top level again, as he is still smashing people but he’s moving up the ladder with better competition. That is a story that has worked for years, but at the end of the day, it isn’t going to matter if AEW cuts his legs out again. For now, things are working, but we’ll have to see where it goes.

Video on the House of Black wanting FTR to join the team.

We look at Ricky Starks and Big Bill hurting Chris Jericho’s arm.

Kenny Omega vs. Ethan Page

Page has a banged up arm coming in. They shake hands to start with Omega hitting a running shoulder, only to have Page come back with some right hands in the corner. Omega knocks him to the floor but the dive takes way too long, allowing Page to come back in with a springboard cutter. They go outside again with Omega being whipped into the barricade, only to moonsault off of some barricade to take Page down.

The Kitaro Crusher gets two on Page back inside but he’s fine enough for a suplex over the top and out to the floor in a nasty crash. We take a break and come back with Omega hitting a powerbomb into the V Trigger for two. Page manages an Iconoclasm into a DDT for two of his own and they both need a breather.

Omega can’t quite hit You Can’t Escape but he can hit a pair of snapdragons (Schiavone: “Man he snaps those off.”). They head up top, where Page grabs a super powerslam for two more as things slow down a bit. The One Winged Angel is broken up and an exchange of rolls ups gets two each. Some V Triggers rock Page and the One Winged Angel gives Omega the pin at 12:38.

Rating: B-. Here’s a good example of Tony Khan doing self-inflicted damage (no this isn’t some game changer). One of the biggest matches at Final Battle is Ethan Page vs. Tony Nese. Page faces Kenny Omega six days prior on Collision and loses clean. Why did that need to happen? Of course Page shouldn’t be beating Omega, but why book someone set for a big pay per view match in a meaningless match here? Is a battle of two Canadians in Montreal that important? The match was good, but it had almost no build and just came and went, with Page’s status taking a hit on the way to Final Battle.

Post match here is Big Bill to boot Omega in the face. Page chases him off.

CJ Perry hypes up Andrade El Idolo against Bryan Danielson tonight. Miro comes in to ask when Perry last said so many good things about him. He is the breadwinner and she stays at home. When his father caught the fish, his mother cleaned them! Once the tournament is over, El Idolo is done. So Miro is now a full on heel and rather misogynistic. Got it.

Julia Hart is ready for Abadon.

Komander/Penta El Zero Miedo vs. Matt Menard/Angelo Parker

The fans go nuts for Menard and Parker in a nice moment. We get a DADDY MAGIC chant as he waits for Penta to take off his glove. Instead Penta takes him into the corner for a kick to the head and it’s off to Parker, who kicks Komander in the face. Komander fights up with the kicks to the face and it’s an assisted dropkick in the corner. The double dives are broken up though and we take a break.

Back with Penta cleaning house and sliding to the floor for stereo superkicks. Parker slugs away at Penta, who knocks him right back down. Menard is back in with a Boston crab but Penta makes the save. An assisted Codebreaker gets two on Komander but a shooting star spike Fear Factor finishes Parker at 10:01.

Rating: C+. The result doesn’t quite matter here as Menard and Parker just getting to show up at an event like this is a cool moment. Seeing them get that kind of a reaction was awesome and you could see how much it meant to them. I’m not quite sure how much Komander and Penta needed the win, but it’s hardly some terrible result.

Video on Keith Lee vs. Shane Taylor at Final Battle.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Video on the upcoming Continental Classic matches.

Continental Classic Blue League: Bryan Danielson vs. Andrade El Idolo

We get a handshake to start before they fight over a wristlock. A test of strength results in Danielson getting a monkey flip so Andrade grabs a headlock. Commentary points out that the forearm is going around the eye in a nice touch, even as Danielson fights up with some kicks. A few dragon screw legwhips take Danielson down but he sends Andrade to the floor as we take a break.

Back with Andrade hammering away at the eye but getting backdropped to the floor. Andrade is right back in with a Figure our. That’s broken up so Andrade puts Danielson (bleeding from the eye) on the top for a superplex. Danielson cuts it off with some headbutts (the man isn’t that bright) and a missile dropkick drops Andrade again. The YES Kicks rock Andrade but the LeBell Lock is broken up. Danielson blocks the Figure Four attempt and knocks Andrade down again for a needed breather.

They slug it out until Andrade gets him in an inverted Gory Stretch and drives Danielson into the corner. Danielson crotches him on top and grabs a belly to back superplex. The LeBell Lock sends Andrade to the ropes and the spinning back elbow gives Andrade two. They slug it out again with three minutes left and Andrade knocks him into the corner. The running knees to the back connect and Danielson is mostly out. The hammerlock DDT finishes clean for Andrade at 18:23.

Rating: B+. These guys beat the fire out of each other and the eye injury played into everything as well. Danielson is still the major star around here and the key player in the whole tournament but he had to lose at some point. Andrade continues his recent roll, which is likely going to come to a crashing end at the hands of Miro. For now though, heck of a match and the clean win is a big deal for Andrade.

Blue League Standings
Andrade El Idolo – 6 points (4 matches remaining)
Brody King – 6 points (3 matches remaining)
Bryan Danielson – 6 points (2 matches remaining)
Eddie Kingston – 3 points (2 matches remaining)
Claudio Castagnoli – 3 points (2 matches remaining)
Daniel Garcia – 0 points (2 matches remaining)

Medics come out to check on Danielson, with the Blackpool Combat Club coming in to get rid of Andrade (who was concerned) to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. This was one of the better AEW TV shows in a good while with a pair of rather awesome matches. You don’t get that kind of thing on free TV very often and the effort was clearly a bit higher tonight. The tournament matches are still holding strong and I want to see how they go, though having some other things get a bit more time would be nice. For now though, one of the best Collisions yet and a rather good night.

Results
Eddie Kingston b. Claudio Castagnoli – Sunset flip
Willow Nightingale b. Mercedes Martinez – Small package
Wardlow b. Willie Mack via referee stoppage
Kenny Omega b. Ethan Page – One Winged Angel
Komander/Penta El Zero Miedo b. Matt Menard/Angelo Parker – Spike Fear Factor to Parker
Andrade El Idolo b. Bryan Danielson – Hammerlock DDT

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

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

AND

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

Rampage
Date: November 25, 2023
Location: Petersen Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Kevin Kelly, Nigel McGuinness

It’s another back to back week this time around as Rampage is basically serving as the Collision Kickoff Show this week. That could make things a bit interesting, though AEW has not exactly announced much for this show. You never know what you’re going to get from Rampage so hopefully it works out. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Hook vs. Rocky Romero

Non-title and Hook takes him down for a front facelock to start. They fight over wrist control to no avail until Hook gutwrench suplexes him down. A German suplex drops Romero again and they head to the apron where Romero grabs a suplex of his own. We take a break and come back with the Forever Clotheslines until Hook suplexes him into the corner. A northern lights suplex gives Hook two but Romero drapes him over the rope for a middle rope dropkick. The running Sliced Bread gives Romero two but the version out of the corner is countered into Redrum for the clean win at 9:51.

Rating: C+. If AEW wants to make Hook look like a bigger deal, there are far worse ideas that putting him in the ring with Romero. While Romero might not be the next big thing in AEW, he is someone who can make almost anyone else look good. Hook is definitely a work in progress and putting him in there with Romero will make that progress go a good bit faster.

Video on Wheeler Yuta vs. Katsuyori Shibata over the latter’s Ring Of Honor Pure Rules Title.

Diamante vs. Kris Statlander

They fight over a test of strength to start with Diamante powering her down until Statlander manages to drive Diamante into the corner. Back up and Diamante snaps off a headscissors but Statlander’s powerslam gets two. Cue Diamante’s partner Mercedes Martinez for a distraction as we take a break. Back with Diamante having to roll out of Saturday Night Fever and grabbing a standing Sliced Bread for two. Statlander is back up with a heck of a discus lariat for the pin at 9:41.

Rating: C. This was Statlander’s rebound win after losing the TBS Title at Full Gear. The good thing is she had to work for this one as Diamante was game in defeat. Diamante is someone who has a good bit of charisma and fire in the ring but she’s never really won anything of note. At least she had a nice performance here, but if it doesn’t turn into something, it won’t matter much in the long run.

Post match Martinez jumps Statlander until Willow Nightingale makes the save.

Daniel Garcia is ready for his Continental Classic match. He’s on a losing streak and wishes his confidence was higher.

Here is the Kingdom to say Roderick Strong isn’t here but heroes wear neck braces. Action Andretti tried to KILL HIM last week and to make it clear, MJF is the Devil. They’re coming for the Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles.

Kingdom vs. Duke Davis/Danny Jones

The Kingdom jumps them, hits a bunch of stuff, and the Climax into Aurora Borealis finishes Jones at 1:10. Impressive squash.

Ring Of Honor Pure Rules Title: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Wheeler Yuta

Yuta is challenging and of course this is under Pure Rules. They go with the grappling to start as we talk about Shibata’s injury from a few years ago and how amazing it is for him to be in the ring. Shibata grabs a headlock to grind him down and puts on the bow and arrow to take over. Some leg cranking keeps Yuta in trouble and a leglock sends him to the ropes for his first break. Yuta hits him in the face for his official warning, which has Nigel complaining about Bryan Danielson.

We take a break and come back with Shibata firing up out of the corner. Shibata chops him into the corner and snaps off a suplex for two. The ankle lock goes on until Shibata switches into an STF. That’s good for Yuta’s second rope break before Yuta sends him outside for the suicide dive. Shibata is back up with the running boot against the barricade but the referee gets bumped back inside. A low blow into a DDT into the seat belt gives Yuta the pin and the title at 12:29.

Rating: C+. They had the technically sound match that you would expect, but Yuta regaining what might be the lowest level title AEW/ROH presents isn’t exactly some big milestone. Shibata’s time with the title wasn’t exactly thrilling either so giving it to someone who will be around on a regular basis makes sense. At least Yuta can brag about beating Shibata, but it only means so much all things considered.

Post match Yuta gives him another DDT but Hook makes the save to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. The wrestling was fine and the title match does mean a bit, but this couldn’t have felt more like a “we’re having this show because we have to” if they had set out to make it that way. It felt like the lowest stakes show imaginable and that makes for a very tedious hour. Almost nothing of consequence happened here as other than Hook vs. Yuta being furthered, I can’t imagine anything on here having much in the way of long term value. Perfectly fine match as far as wrestling goes, but this felt like a waste of time.

Results
Hook b. Rocky Romero – Redrum
Kris Statlander b. Diamante – Discus lariat
Kingdom b. Duke Davis/Danny Jones – Aurora Borealis to Jones
Wheeler Yuta b. Katsuyori Shibata – Seat belt

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

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AND

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

Ring Of Honor
Date; November 2, 2023
Location: Mohegan Sun Arena, Unvasvillee, Connecticut
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’ve had another Ring Of Honor title change on AEW TV and this time around it might actually matter. We might be seeing the new Six Man Tag Team Champions around here for once, though that will not be happening until next week at the earliest. Other than that, we have less than two months to go before Final Battle and that means it should be time to start getting things ready. Let’s get to it.

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

Stokely Hathaway announced that Eddie Kingston is suspended for attacking him. If he tries to touch Hathaway again, he’ll be fired. First: Kingston has wrestled two matches in Ring Of Honor since March so that’s not exactly a huge loss. Two: As long as Kingston has been away, Jerry Lynn has been away even longer and hasn’t been mentioned in the better part of ever.

Here’s a quick preview of what is coming.

Christopher Daniels/Matt Sydal vs. The Righteous

Daniels and Dutch start things off with Dutch taking him into the corner for an overly clean break. As Ian gets in the required “the winners of this might be in line for a title shot”, Daniels sends him into the ropes for a running hip attack and it’s off to Vincent vs. Sydal. Vincent is quickly taken down and Daniels adds a running clothesline to the back of the head for two.

Something like a slingshot Meteora gives Sydal two but Vincent sends him into the corner. Dutch gets in a cheap shot from the apron and the villains take over. Vincent’s basement Downward Spiral gets two but Sydal avoids a charge. That’s enough to get over to Daniels for the tag into the house cleaning, with a Death Valley Driver getting two on Vincent. Everything breaks down and Sydal is sent outside, leaving Daniels to get caught with Autumn Sunshine for the pin at 7:24.

Rating: C+. Daniels and Sydal are not the most successful team these days but they are always good for putting someone over in a good match. The Righteous continue to be the resident creepy guys but they aren’t exactly going anywhere at the moment. Granted it might help if they had champions around for them to go after but that isn’t likely to be the case for a good while.

Ethan Page is ready for Josh Woods tonight but he also wants to get his hands on Tony Nese again. The old Ethan Page would get more violent but he’s trying to be a different version. He wants Nese to be watching tonight though because he’ll be thinking of hurting him very badly.

Robyn Renegade vs. Leyla Hirsch

Charlette Renegade is here with Robyn. Hirsch takes her down without much effort to start but Robyn hits some chops in the corner. That’s reversed for some rather hard forearms to the face but Robyn gets two off a faceplant. A rolling German suplex sets up Hirsch’s armbar for the tap out of nowhere at 1:43.

Post match Charlette comes in to jump Leyla but Rachael Ellering makes the save.

Lee Moriarty vs. Darius Martin

No Shane Taylor here after he helped Moriarty beat Martin last week. Moriarty works on a headlock to start but Martin takes him down for an early two. An elbow to the face lets Moriarty send him to the apron and a kick to the ribs makes it worse. Back in and Moriarty starts working on the arm before switching to an abdominal stretch.

Another arm snap seems to wake Martin up and he hits a bulldog into a kick to the head. Martin gets caught up top but misses something, setting up an arm trap neckbreaker for two. The Border City Stretch is countered into some rollups to give Martin two. A release German suplex followed by a frog splash gives Martin the pin at 7:39.

Rating: C+. This is what Ring Of Honor has been needing to do more often: have a match that ties into what they did last week. Moriarty vs. Martin isn’t exactly a red hot feud but they’ve got a little story going, which is a lot better than just random matches that lead nowhere. I’ll take what I can get from these two and they had another perfectly fine match here.

Final Battle ad. They’re hammering home the idea that the show is available for free with an Honor Club subscription which is a very good idea.

Josh Woods vs. Ethan Page

Mark Sterling is here with Woods. They fight over wrist control to start and can be heard conversing in the process. Page armdrags him into an armbar but Woods is right back by sending the arm into the corner. A hammerlock slam gives Woods two but Page gets in a shot for a breather. Cue Tony Nese to watch as Page hammers away and hits a big boot. The Ego’s Edge is blocked though and Woods snaps the arm over the rope to cut Page off. Page is right back with another shot but this time it’s a Sterling distraction to break up Ego’s Edge. Page grabs a small package but Nese turns it over so Woods gets the pin at 5:55.

Rating: C. This didn’t have the time to go very far but it keeps the Page vs. Sterling N Pals feud going. That being said, Page felt like he was on a roll and now he’s fighting Nese and company, which doesn’t feel like that interesting. Nese hasn’t been presented as anything all that impressive (despite being on the show so frequently) and I’ve lost a good bit of interest in Page since this feud began. Hopefully things turn around, but at least there is a story here and that is a lot better than nothing.

We look at the Mogul Embassy winning the Six Man Tag Team Titles on Dynamite.

Slim J vs. Gringo Loco vs. Angelico vs. Metalik

So Slim J and Loco were in a four way last week while Angelico and Metalik had a singles match so this is kind of a merger of two matches. The fans are behind Loco to start and it’s a brawl early on with J and Loco clearing out the other two. Loco sends J outside though and there’s the big running flip dive. Metalik dives onto the pile but Angelico breaks up a springboard.

Back in and Angelico suplexes J for two before cranking on J’s arm. Angelico grabs a nasty looking bridging leglock on J but Metalik makes the save and hits a reverse Sling Blade for two. Loco comes back in and gets caught with Metalik’s rope walk hurricanrana for two more. A series of covers and saves leaves everyone down until J hits Loco with Zack Ryder’s old Zack Attack for another near fall. Everyone gets another two until Angelico and J are the only two left. Angelico rolls J out of the corner and gets a wacky crucifix variation for the pin at 5:45.

Rating: B-. This wasn’t as fun as last week’s insane four way but dang it was entertaining while it lasted. Angelico gets to showcase a bit of his submission prowess, but that might have been better suited in another singles match as he’s getting ready for his World Title shot. Other than that, very fast paced match here and that’s a good thing to put onto a show, especially with this kind of talent.

Sonjay Dutt has known Jay Lethal and Eddie Kingston for a long time and knows the talent Lethal has always had. Kingston on the other hand is a garbage wrestler and here is Stokely Hathaway to say he wants to be there with Lethal beats Kingston. Hathaway will look into when the title match takes place. He’ll email Dutt so look for the Angelfire address.

Rachael Ellering vs. LMK

LMK is Little Mean Kathleen, a popular local star. They fight over wrist control to start until LMK’s running shoulder has no effect. Ellering’s shoulder works just fine, though the fans are not pleased. A gutwrench suplex (LMK screams) gets two but LMK manages a headscissors into the corner. LMK misses a Cannonball though and it’s an uppercut into the Boss Woman Slam to give Ellering the pin at 2:41. LMK certainly had some fire in there.

Wingmen vs. Gates Of Agony vs. Infantry vs. Iron Savages

The Wingmen come out first and keep trying to talk but the other entrances cut them off in a funny bit. We get a nice save from commentary as we’re told the Six Man Tag Team Titles are off being cleaned and polished (as this was taped before the title change). Boulder runs Avalon over to start but misses an elbow, allowing Avalon to get three straight near falls. It’s off to Dean vs. Kaun with the former charging into an elbow in the corner.

Toa sends Dean outside though and it’s back to Avalon as these tags are rather rapid fire. Nemeth’s pendulum DDT gets two on Dean but a clothesline gets him out of trouble. The tag brings in Bravo to clean house as the Gates drop to the floor to avoid tagging Avalon. Bravo hits a wind up DDT on Avalon but the Gates are back in to clean house. Everything breaks down and there’s Boot Camp to Nemeth. The Savages come back in and wreck the Infantry but the Gates tag themselves in and Open The Gates finishes Avalon at 6:24.

Rating: C+. This was similar to the four way from earlier as it was pretty much all action throughout. That’s a lot of fun and the Gates continue their roll, though I do wonder if the Six Man Title win will dethrone the whole thing. Otherwise it would seem to be building to the Gates winning the regular Tag Team Titles, which would at least be an improvement for the division. Either way, fun match here, as ROH seems to want to get as many people on these shows as possible.

We look at Mark Briscoe returning at Rampage.

Nick Comoroto vs. Lee Johnson vs. Action Andretti

Johnson and Andretti go after Comoroto to start and a low bridge sends Comoroto to the floor. The other two trade rollups for two each until Comoroto is back in for the save. Comoroto hits a DDT to Andretti and a one armed gorilla press to Johnson at the same time for an impressive crash. A missed charge doesn’t slow Comoroto down as he suplexes both of them at once. Comoroto gets knocked down though, leaving the other two to slug it out. That’s broken up by a double crossbody but Johnson is back up with a middle rope forearm. Andretti makes the save with a springboard missile dropkick though and pins Comoroto at 5:00.

Rating: C+. That’s quite the choice as Comoroto was looking like a monster throughout this whole thing. I’d assume this was to get Andretti back on the winning ways after his loss to Miro but if you’re going to have Comoroto look that dominant, just let Johnson take the fall. Another action packed match, but the lack of time hurt it.

Charlette Renegade vs. Kiera Hogan

Robyn Renegade is here with her sister. Charlette works on a headlock to start and then runs Hogan over. A flapjack gives Charlette two and we hit the camel, uh, face pull. Hogan is back up with a hip attack and a running dropkick in the corner for two of her own. Charlette gets a rollup with feet on the ropes for two but Hogan grabs Face The Music for the pin at 3:23.

Rating: C. Another short match here as Hogan gets a win despite not doing much lately. The Renegades have not been doing so well lately and they could use a win or two to give them a bit more value. For now though, there wasn’t much to this one but Hogan has improved a bit in recent months.

Rachael Ellering checks on Leyla Hirsch, who doesn’t want to see her. Ellering says no one else was there to help her but Hirsch seems to insist that Maria Kanellis-Bennett has her back. Hirsch says Ellering was wrong and leaves.

Workhorsemen/Cole Karter/Griff Garrison vs. Dalton Castle/The Boys/Gravity

Well this is something and Maria Kanellis-Bennett is here with the villains. Gravity (in a peacock mask) avoids Henry’s charge to start and gets two off a slingshot rollup. Karter comes in and gets elbowed down by Brent, who is powered straight into the corner. A dropkick hits Brent and it’s off to Drake to hit some hard chops.

The Workhorsemen strike away until Drake’s DDT gives Henry two. Brent avoids a charge though and the diving tag brings Gravity back in to pick up the pace. Garrison sends Gravity into the corner though and it’s the Workhorsemen getting to beat Gravity up for a change. That’s escaped with a few rolls though and it’s Castle coming back in to pick up the pace.

Suplexes drop the Workhorsemen and Castle gets to throw some Boys around. Hold on though as Gravity wants Castle to throw him around too, only for Henry to break it up. Drake runs Castle over but the Boys make the save. NOW Gravity gets thrown onto the Workhorsemen, setting up the Bang A Rang to finish Drake at 7:25.

Rating: B-. This was another match where what we got was fun but there was too much going on for it to really work. That being said, I don’t quite get how this is the best use of Castle. He’s still good in the ring and the fans love him, so unless his injuries are still bugging him, he should be a heck of a lot higher than being stuck in this kind of match. Gravity being the willing and enthusiastic partner worked well for him, but Castle felt a level above everyone else here.

Women’s Title: Athena vs. Mercedes Martinez

Martinez, with Diamante, is challenging and there is no Billie Starkz to be found. Athena forearms away to start and they go outside, where Athena rips up a sign held by Martinez’s sister. They go back in, where Martinez hammers away in the corner but Athena flips out of a spider suplex. A baseball slide puts Martinez on the floor and there’s a suicide dive to send her into the announcers’ table.

Diamante offers the distraction though and Martinez scores with a right hand to take over. A chair is loaded up and Athena is laid on it, only to kick her way to freedom. Athena superplexes her off the barricade (that’s not something you see very often) and they both beat the count (after waiting around a bit so the referee can get to 19).

They strike it out with Athena getting the better of things until Martinez’s Saito suplex puts them both down. The O Face is broken up and the OG Drop gives Martinez two. Athena blocks the Brass City Sleeper with a bite of the arm though and one heck of a forearm puts Martinez down.

Now the O Face connects but Diamante offers a distraction. Athena takes her out as well and rips off a turnbuckle, only to have Martinez send her into the exposed steel. A fisherman’s driver gives Martinez two (that’s a bit much) but here is a woman in a hoodie to deck Martinez. That’s enough to set up the Wing Splitter to retain the title at 13:30.

Rating: B. Easily the match of the night here, even with the rather obvious Billie Starkz interference at the end. Other than that, the match was the kind of hard hitting fight you would expect from these two. Martinez is dangerous enough to feel like a threat to the title and that is what they needed here. This worked as a main event as the women steal another ROH show.

It’s Billie Starkz, who hands Athena the title as commentary treats this like a big heel turn to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This show had it usual ups and downs, including some rather odd choices. First of all, the main event was rather good and it feels like they are stringing more stories together from week to week. The latter is very good as there have been too many one off matches that don’t go anywhere and rarely feel like they matter when the next show airs. Fixing that would give you more of an incentive to watch the next week’s show and that has been lacking for a long time.

At the same time, I’m not sure what was with all of the multi-person matches but my goodness it was overload this week. This week’s show featured a four way, a four way tag, a triple threat and an eight man tag, plus all of the regular matches. That’s 23 wrestlers in four matches, none of which got a significant amount of time. It was a good bit too much and felt like they were trying to get as many people on the show as possible without doing a battle royal of some kind.

Overall, it was a good enough show, but the longstanding underlying problem continues: there is way too much going on in any given show. There were multiple matches that could have been trimmed off of this show without losing anything overly important. The shows are too long and it takes away from the impact some things can make. This week’s show was good and had some improvements, but after a few weeks of shorter shows, that near two hour run time was a bit of a punch to the stomach.

Results
The Righteous b. Matt Sydal/Christopher Danielson – Autumn Sunshine to Daniels
Leyla Hirsch b. Robyn Renegade – Cross armbreaker
Darius Martin b. Lee Moriarty – Frog splash
Josh Woods b. Ethan Page – Small package
Angelico b. Slim J, Gringo Loco and Metalik – Crucifix to Metalik
Rachael Ellering b. LMK – Boss Woman Slam
Gates Of Agony b. Infantry, Wingmen and Iron Savages – Open The Gates to Avalon
Action Andretti b. Lee Johnson and Nick Comoroto – Springboard missile dropkick to Comoroto
Kiera Hogan b. Charlette Renegade – Face The Music
Dalton Castle/The Boys/Gravity b. Workhorsemen/Cole Karter/Griff Garrison – Bang A Rang to Drake
Athena b. Mercedes Martinez – Wing Splitter

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

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Ring Of Honor
Date: October 26, 2023
Location: FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re about six weeks away from Final Battle and the card hasn’t really started to come into focus yet. At the moment Eddie Kingston is getting ready to defend his World Title against Angelico, likely in the next few weeks. Other than that, MJF is set to defend the Tag Team Titles against the Gunns. Ignore that neither the champion nor the challengers have ever wrestled on this show. Let’s get to it.

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

Angelico, with Serpentico, says he’s Eddie Kingston’s friend and it takes a good friend to tell Kingston that he has gone too far. Angelico is ready for his title shot.

Angelico vs. Metalik

Serpentico, with his arm in a sling, is here with Angelico. They fight over a wristlock to start until Metalik snaps off a headscissors to take over. The rope walk high crossbody takes Angelico down again but he’s right back up to dropkick Metalik out of the air. Angelico ties the legs up to send Metalik to the rope and he’s right back up with a reverse Sling Blade. That’s enough to send Angelico outside for the big rope walk flip dive and a springboard splash gets two back inside. Angelico gets the better of an exchange of kicks though and the leglock makes Metalik tap at 5:05.

Rating: C+. The match was another good use of Angelico, though he still doesn’t feel like a challenger for the World Title. Granted it doesn’t help when the World Champion isn’t here because he’s busy getting beaten up on Dynamite and setting up what feels like a far bigger title match with Jay Lethal. If there is a better example of what is wrong with ROH, I haven’t seen it, as the wrestling is still good but the setup is all wrong.

Kyle Fletcher is annoyed at his losses but he’ll be back.

Infantry vs. Hughes Brothers

The Brothers (the twin sons of D-Von Dudley) jump them to start and snap off an overhead belly to belly on Bravo. Dean comes in off the tag a few seconds later though and a high crossbody hits Terrance. Boot Camp finishes for the Infantry at 1:14.

Maria Kanellis-Bennett is happy that Cole Karter and Griff Garrison want the Tag Team Titles but Leyla Hirsch interrupts. Hirsch is willing to let Maria help her but Maria says earn it.

Anthony Henry vs. Dalton Castle

The Boys are here with Castle. Henry shoves him to start and Castle snaps a bit, only to have Henry score with a kick to the leg. The grappling goes to Castle as he drives Henry into the corner, only to get elbowed out to the floor. A run around the ring wakes Castle up and he throws Henry down back inside. Castle does it again and they head outside, with Henry’s back being rammed into various things.

Back in and Henry rolls away before Castle can come off the top, with Castle naturally following. This time Henry knocks him into the post but Castle hits his own elbow to the face. The reverse Sling Blade sets up a blocked Bang-A-Rang attempt so Castle starts throwing the suplexes. Now the Bang-A-Rang can finish for Castle at 8:53.

Rating: C+. It’s nice to see Castle back in the ring as his slightly unhinged (and I mean unhinged even for him) promos have been quite out there. This was more or less the same Castle though and that is not a bad thing to see. I’m not sure where this is leading, but Castle getting back into a title hunt could be rather nice.

Ethan Page interrupts a Mark Sterling and company interview. Page wants Josh Woods but Tony Nese says he’s done with them. Sterling seems to make Woods vs. Page for next week.

Mercedes Martinez/Diamante vs. Athena/Billie Starkz

Texas Tornado rules so Athena and Diamante head to the floor. Starkz sends Martinez into the barricade but Athena doesn’t offer her much praise. Back in and the villains take over on Athena, including a hanging anarchist suplex for two. Starkz comes in and gets dropped a few times before Athena gets planted for two more.

A running dropkick has Starkz down in the corner again as commentary talks about Fight Forever. Starkz flips Athena over to spear Martinez, followed by an electric chair faceplant for two. Diamante gets crushed in the corner and Martinez is kicked to the floor. A Rocket Launcher gets two but Martinez breaks up a double superplex. Diamante adds a Blockbuster to finish Starkz at 9:03.

Rating: C+. It was fun while it lasted, and it wouldn’t shock me to see that loss cause more issues between Starz and Athena. All signs would point to Starkz finally having enough of Athena and taking the title from her at Final Battle, though that felt like the case with Willow Nightingale earlier this year too. For now, Athena is going to have to deal with Martinez/Diamante, but Starkz almost has to be waiting in the wings.

Kyle Fletcher vs. Willie Mack

Mack works an armbar to start before snapping off a running hurricanrana for two. Fletcher is back with a few kicks to the ribs but Mack plants him with the swinging slam. The standing moonsault gets two but the Stunner is blocked. Fletcher hits a springboard cutter and a running knee to the back. A Tombstone finishes Mack at 5:21.

Rating: C. Well thank goodness we got our required Fletcher appearance in here as he’s currently filling the Daniel Garcia role of “he must be here no matter what”. As usual, Fletcher’s stuff in the ring works just fine, but there is very little reason to be interested in anything he does. Again at the same time, you have Mack losing, because that’s just what he does most of the time.

Athena screams at Billie Starkz for losing in the tag match, leaving Starkz in tears and Lexi Nair not sure what to do.

Slim J vs. Gringo Loco vs. Blake Christian vs. Gravity

Christian and Loco are left alone with Loco flipping around before being sent outside. Christian’s dive takes out Loco and J, followed by Gravity armdragging Loco back inside. J comes back in with a slingshot Blockbuster but Christian comes in to steal the cover. Gravity flips J to the floor and takes him down with a dive, leaving Loco to moonsault onto them.

Christian springboard flip dives onto a bunch of people but J kicks him down back inside. Back in and Loco catches J on top with a twisting sitout Razor’s Edge powerbomb (that was cool and they stuck the landing). Christian springboards in with a 450 for the save but Gravity comes in with a top rope splash to steal the pin on J at 5:38.

Rating: B-. Oh yeah this worked. This was ALL action from bell to bell and while they didn’t have a ton of time, the match was about packing as much in as they could. I’m not sure how much longer it could have gone at this pace but dang it was fun while it lasted. Good stuff here and a much needed energy boost for the show.

Leyla Hirsch vs. Nyxx

Hirsch grabs a suplex to start, runs her over a few times, and finishes with a cross armbreaker at 1:50.

Dante Martin vs. Lee Moriarty

Shane Taylor is here with Moriarty. Martin wastes no time in clotheslining him out to the floor but charges into an elbow to the face back inside. Moriarty puts on a seated abdominal stretch before hitting a dropkick. Martin fights up but Taylor drops him with a right hand, setting up the Border City Stretch to give Moriarty the win at 2:40. Well that was a waste of time.

Post match the hold stays on but Action Andretti runs in for the save.

Robyn Renegade vs. Rachael Ellering

Ellering chops away to start and hits a running backsplash but Renegade hits a faceplant on the apron. Back in and Ellering fishhooks Renegade for a rather painful looking visual. Ellering is back up and runs her over for two before hitting a hard discus forearm. A swinging Boss Woman Slam finishes for Ellering at 3:18.

Rating: C. Here we have two women who both feel like they should be doing something more but instead they’re just kind of here filling in time. The match wasn’t bad for the short time that it had and Renegade didn’t get squashed. That being said, it wasn’t much of a match and that is pretty normal for this show far too often.

Griff Garrison/Cole Karter vs. Gates Of Agony vs. Iron Savages

Maria Kanellis-Bennett, Prince Nana and Jacked Jameson are here too. Karter and Garrison double team Bronson to start but Boulder flapjacks both of them. A big boot/TKO combination puts Boulder down but the Gates come in with Open The Gates for the pin on Karter at 2:48. That’s back to back wins for the Gates in a three way tag. Shame they don’t just go and ask for title shots instead.

Overall Rating: C+. This was one heck of a mixed bag and I’m not sure where to start. First of all, the show was a good bit shorter at about 1:20 and that helped a lot. There wasn’t as much filler with matches just meandering along until an obvious winner won, which made the show a much easier sit. They also advanced a few things, as Angelico gets some momentum, Starkz slips up and Castle gets a win, among some other things.

Now all of that being said, this show still felt like it had a bunch of stuff there just to make it longer. Would anything have been lost without the Fletcher, Infantry, Moriarty or Ellering matches? Again: there is no requirement to meet for the show’s length and a lot of these shows feel like they’re being extended for the sake of being extended. It also doesn’t help that the show feels all the more worthless when the important title matches are being booked elsewhere. For now though, I will definitely take the shorter version of the show, as it goes from a chore to watch to just kind of dull in spots.

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Ring Of Honor
Date: October 19, 2023
Location: Huntington Center, Toledo, Ohio
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

Things changed the slightest bit last week as the World Champion actually showed up. Eddie Kingston defeated Serpentico and then gave Angelico a title shot for the sake of he felt like it. Other than that, it’s likely going to be the usual free for all around here, which is up and down at best most of the time. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Gravity vs. Angelico

Gravity’s headlock doesn’t get him very far to start so they go to the mat with Angelico working on the arm. With that broken up, Angelico switches to the leg but Gravity sends him outside. The big flip dive drops Angelico again but he’s fine enough to tie Gravity’s legs up back inside. Gravity gets some boots up in the corner though and plants Angelico again for a double knockdown. Some rollups give Gravity two and a powerbomb gets the same. Angelico is right back with a spinning faceplant before something like Konnan’s Tequila Sunrise makes Gravity tap at 8:19.

Rating: B-. This was the opening high lying match that has worked in wrestling forever. Gravity is one of those stars who still has enough status that a win gives Angelico some momentum towards his title shot. The match was entertaining as well and will probably get more time than most tonight, which is a good thing as it served a purpose.

The Righteous talk about how they tore about Adam Cole and MJF and now are coming for something else.

Shawn Dean vs. Peter Avalon

Trish Adora and Ryan Nemeth are here too. Dean grabs a headlock takeover to start and then snaps off some armdrags. Back up and Dean sends him into the buckle a few times but Nemeth grabs the ankle. Adora chases him off but Dean fights Avalon off and grabs a DDT for two. Avalon’s superkick into a Death Valley Driver gets two more but Dean knocks him off the top. A top rope splash finishes for Dean at 5:05.

Rating: C. It wasn’t a bad match but there is only so much you can get out of two people who are so low down on the totem pole around here. The action itself was fine but at the end of the day it’s two low level stars having a five minute match on the secondary show. At least Dean won, as he’s certainly a bigger star than Avalon.

Mercedes Martinez vs. Marti Belle

Martinez headlocks her over to start and bounces out of a headscissors to slap Belle in the face. Some stomping in the corner sets up a ripcord lariat for two on Belle and Martinez knees her in the face. An anarchist suplex gets two and Martinez rains down some right hands. Martinez kicks and stomps away but Belle grabs a jawbreaker. A running kick to the chest gives Belle two but Martinez gives her a chokebomb. The OG Lock makes Belle tap at 6:44.

Rating: C. This was an extended squash as Martinez mostly wrecked Belle and shrugged off her limited offense. As usual, Martinez seems to be built up towards a title shot but at some point it has to actually happen. On the other hand, Belle was treated as something of a special return, only to have her get destroyed in a slightly extended squash.

Athena yells at the Minions In Training and wants Billie Starkz to be more violent tonight. Lexi Nair still isn’t impressed.

Tony Nese vs. Ethan Page

Nese, with Mark Sterling, says he has to beat up Page and can’t do his group training. We pause for Nese to pose, allowing Page to lounge on the top. A chase lets Nese slide back inside and do some jumping jacks, followed by a headlock. Nese gets scared out to the floor and Page knocks him into the barricade, where he grabs a fan’s “TONY NESE SUCKS” sign.

Back in and a shoulder puts Nese down but Sterling’s distraction breaks up the slingshot cutter. Nese ties him in the Tree of Woe and stomps away, setting up the chinlock. Page fights up and hammers away, setting up a powerslam for two. The cradle belly to back suplex sets up the slingshot cutter for two, leaving Page surprised. The Ego’s Edge is loaded up but Sterling offers a distraction, allowing Nese to grab a rollup with feet on the ropes for the pin at 9:09.

Rating: C+. Sure. Page has been built up for the last month or so as he seemed ready to get a title shot and then he loses to TONY NESE, who has been doing the exact same stuff for so long that I don’t even hear him talking most of the time. I’m sure Page will come back and win later, but egads man. It’s TONY NESE.

Post match Nese wants the Code of Honor but Mocks Page instead. Page goes after both of them but the villains escape.

Billie Starkz vs. Diamante

Athena and Mercedes Martinez are here too. Starkz sends her outside and hits a dive but Martinez offers a distraction. Back in and Diamante hammers away before sending Starkz into the corner. A neckbreaker gives Diamante two and a running dropkick to the back gets the same. Starkz manages a kick to the face out of the corner and a rollup gets the pin at 5:14.

Rating: C. Starkz gets another win as what feels like the eternal build towards what is likely Athena vs. Starkz for the title continues. We’re probably going to get a tag match between these four as the big match on next week’s show and it should be good enough, but this was just two people having a match. At least it likely sets up the next step, but it would be nice to get to something that feels important.

Post match Martinez and Diamante jump Starkz and Athena until the latter clears the ring with a chair.

Cole Karter gives Maria Kanellis-Bennett a shirt, which she’ll wear during Karter and Griff Garrison’s tag match.

Josh Woods vs. Pat Buck

Pure Rules. Woods grabs a wristlock to start but Buck slips out. The threat of the Gorilla Lock sends Buck over to the ropes and Buck’s attempt at a leglock makes Woods do the same. A rollup is broken up with Woods’ second rope break so he punches Buck in the face for his official warning. Woods has had it and gutwrench powerbombs Buck, setting up the Gorilla Lock for the tap at 3:58.

Rating: C. It wasn’t quite a squash but Buck was brought into Woods’ world last week and then taps out in less than four minutes. This was the latest part of Woods’ incredible slow climb back to a Pure Title shot. Odds are that’s at Final Battle, so we only have to wait about two more months to actually get to the point.

Griff Garrison/Cole Karter vs. Myron Reed/Ren Jones

Karter knocks Jones down to start but he elbows Karter in the jaw. A brainbuster gives Jones a fast two but Garrison comes in with a discus forearm. Garrison decks Reed on the apron as Karter hits a spinning DDT so Garrison can get the pin at 2:07. Total squash.

Dalton Castle’s slow descent into madness continues as he wants to give the fans what he deserves.

Allysin Kay vs. Kiera Hogan

Hogan starts fast by sending her throat first into the ropes for a running hip attack. A kick to the head misses for Hogan so Kay takes her down and hammers away. Kay misses a charge though and Hogan kicks her into the corner for another hip attack. Now the kick connects for two but Kay is back with the AK47 for two. Not that it mattes as Hogan hits a shotgun dropkick into Face The Music for the pin at 4:02.

Rating: C. Here’s the latest match on the show that came and went rather quickly without much of note. Commentary was hyping up Hogan as a potential title challenger, even though we’ve done that multiple times and it was only ok. Kay is someone who could add a lot to the division if she was around full time, but maybe she is too busy elsewhere to do anything. Granted it won’t matter if she is added into the endless loop of people fighting for a title shot that they never get.

Righteous vs. Kevin Matthews/Rod Lee

Autumn Sunshine finishes Lee in 48 seconds.

Lady Frost vs. Zoey Lynn

Lynn rolls her up for two and is kneed in the ribs as a result. Frost unloads with stomps in the corner and a spinning kick to the face makes it worse. Frost Bite finishes at 1:37.

Komander vs. Metalik

Metalik starts fast with a boot to the mask in the corner and the reverse Sling Blade. The rope walk dropkick puts Komander down again and Metalik strikes away in the corner. Komander is back up with a rope walk anklescissors and Metalik is knocked to the floor. Back in and a Code Red gives Komander two, followed by a top rope hurricanrana for the same. Metalik snaps off a springboard hurricanrana into the Metalik Driver for two. Komander is right back with a fireman’s carry gutbuster, followed by the rope walk shooting star press for the pin at 4:50.

Rating: B. Yeah it was short but man alive did they pack a lot of stuff in there. This was the kind of match where they were told “you’ve got five minutes, go totally nuts”. It was entertaining, action packed and the kind of fun high flying stuff that is what you would want to see here. Awesome stuff.

Darius Martin/Action Andretti vs. Gates of Agony vs. Workhorsemen

Drake chops Martin to start but a dropkick gets Martin out of trouble. It’s off to Andretti for a high crossbody but some shots to the arm don’t work very well. Henry comes in but Toa runs Henry and Andretti over at the same time. Martin comes back in and hits a double DDT on the Gates. Andretti gets to forearm away at Henry, followed by a springboard Downward Spiral to give Martin two on Drake. Everything breaks down and the double standing clothesline gives Kaun the pin on Henry at 4:16.

Rating: C+. There’s only so much you can get out of a match with six people getting just over four minutes. What they did was fun and fast paced, but it was a three way match for the sake of having a three way match. There’s no feud here and nothing on the line, which doesn’t make for the most interesting match.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a show where two or three matches bailed out an otherwise uninteresting show. Final Battle has been officially set for December and all that means is we have two more months of this meandering show with one or two stories. The other problem is how many matches will be put on the Final Battle card with no major story from this show, making it feel all the more like a waste of time. Some of the matches were worth seeing here, but even cutting off about half an hour from the previous few weeks’ runtimes, the show had too many points where I was wondering why a match was taking place.

Results
Angelico b. Gravity – Arm trap half crab
Shawn Dean b. Peter Avalon – Top rope splash
Mercedes Martinez b. Marti Belle – OG Lock
Tony Nese b. Ethan Page – Rollup with feet on the ropes
Billie Starkz b. Diamante – Rollup
Josh Woods b. Pat Buck – Gorilla Lock
Griff Garrison/Cole Karter b. Myron Reed/Ren Jones – Spinning DDT to Jones
Kiera Hogan b. Allysin Kay – Face The Music
Righteous b. Kevin Matthews/Rod Lee – Autumn Sunshine to Lee
Lady Frost b. Zoey Lynn – Frost Bite
Komander b. Metalik – Rope walk shooting star press
Gates Of Agony b. Workhorsemen and Action Andretti/Darius Martin – Double standing clothesline to Henry

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Ring Of Honor
Date: October 12, 2023
Location: Maverik Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

This show continues to be searching for a purpose as there is very little going on around here. Maybe they can find something this week, but the easiest way to do it would have something feel like it matters. Outside of the Women’s Title, almost none of the champions are around here and it makes the show feel that much less important. Hopefully that changes this week so let’s get to it.

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

Serpentico is ready to survive ten minutes against Eddie Kingston because that’s all you have to do in a Proving Ground match.

Opening sequence.

Eddie Kingston vs. Serpentico

Non-title Proving Ground match, meaning if Serpentico wins or survives the ten minute time limit, he gets a future title shot. Kingston lets him fire off some chops to start but Serpentico grabs a jumping Downward Spiral. That’s too far for Kingston, who grabs a belly to back suplex for two. The Stretch Plum makes Serpentico tap at 2:50. Well at least the champ was here.

Post match Angelico comes in to check on Serpentico but Eddie tells him to move so he can shake Serpentico’s hand. Somehow this makes Eddie think Angelico wants a title shot so….yeah sure Angelico is in.

Gates Of Agony vs. Fresco/Watson

Prince Nana is here with the Gates and the other two are part of Lights, Camera, Faction. The Gates beat up Fresco to start and pull Watson in as well. Kaun blasts Fresco with a clothesline and the Gates knock them outside. Back in and the Gates beat up the rest of Lights, Camera, Faction, setting up the double standing clothesline to finish Fresco at 2:32.

Daga is ready to win the Latin American Title back.

Athena vs. Mazzerati

Another non-title Proving Ground match and Billie Starkz is in Athena’s corner. Mazzerati takes her down with a rollup for two as commentary explains the Proving Ground rules for the second time in less than fifteen minutes. Athena takes her into the corner for a running knee and grabs a release gordbuster.

They head outside where Mazzerati’s hurricanrana is countered into a heck of a powerbomb, leaving the referee to check on her. Back in and Athena unloads with hard shots to the face but Mazzerati cuts off a charge with a kick to the ribs. Athena ties her in the Tree of Woe and fires off some kicks, only to have Mazzerati strike away. She makes the mistake of turning her back on Athena though and gets choked out at 5:15.

Rating: C+. Mazzerati looked impressive here, which is about all you can hope to get out of a Proving Ground match. It’s not like you’re going to see the champ lose in something like this so this was as good as it was going to get. Athena continues to be the star of the show though and it’s nice to see her around, as it’s not like much else gets to stand out.

Post match Athena loads up the post match beating but Starkz steals Mazzerati and hides her underneath the ring.

Lee Johnson is cut off by a Shane Taylor Promotions recruitment pitch.

AAA Latin American Title: QT Marshall vs. Daga

Daga is challenging and gets trash talked by Marshall to start, though Marshall doesn’t get that fans are swearing at him in Spanish. Daga knocks him down to start but they head outside where Marshall fires off some chops. Marshall hits a dropkick and yells a lot but Daga is right back with a brainbuster. A running Backstabber gives Daga two but Marshall’s tornado DDT gets the same. Daga kicks him in the leg though and muscles Marshall up for a gutwrench powerbomb. That’s enough for Daga to go up, only to dive into a cutter. The Dirt Sheet Driver and la majistral retain the title at 7:11.

Rating: C+. It’s a shame that Marshall has such a lame reputation because he’s downright pretty good in this role. He’s always been good as a middle of the road heel and if he hadn’t been wedged into the wrong spots so many times, it could have worked. The match here was a pretty nice back and forth showcase, though Daga has always been just kind of there for me.

Video on Dalton Castle, who is losing his mind under the pressure of making the fans happy.

The Infantry vs. Shane Taylor Promotions

Moriarty headlocks Bravo down to start and grabs a hammerlock to hold him in place. Back up and Bravo hands it off to Dean for a double hiptoss into a double fist drop. Taylor comes in for the hard clotheslines to Dean as commentary brags about Taylor’s high level of awesome. Dean’s comeback is cut off by a release Rock Bottom and a splash for two. Moriarty misses a charge in the corner though and it’s back to Bravo to clean house. A rolling Downward Spiral gets two on Moriarty but Taylor breaks up Boot Camp. Taylor is back in with a release Rock Bottom to Bravo and the big right hand finishes for Taylor at 6:31.

Rating: C+. Another good enough match here as the Infantry kept the speed up but eventually got caught by Taylor’s pure power. Taylor is getting a rather strong push as of late and it’s cool to see him being treated as a monster. Moriarty did well too, as he makes a good contrast to Taylor’s size and strength.

Billie Starkz is ready for her match but didn’t think much of Lexi Nair saying she sucked at Minion Training. Diamante and Mercedes Martinez come in to mock Starkz.

Angelico vs. Martin Casaus

Casaus was Marty The Moth in Lucha Underground and gets quite the welcome. Angelico starts with some hip thrusting before punching him in the face. Casaus laughs a bit and gets dropped with a right hand to the head. Some face first rams into the buckle seem to please Casaus and he comes back with a hard elbow for two. The clothesline comeback gets Angelico out of trouble and a twisting leglock makes Casaus tap at 4:30.

Rating: C. Given that Angelico is somehow the new #1 contender for the World Title, it makes sense that he needs a win or two to build him up. That leglock looked good and as usual, the dancing was entertaining, but he might need something beyond that. Casaus popped the crowd and that’s more than you usually get from the guest stars on this show.

Mercedes Martinez vs. Lady Frost

Diamante is here with Martinez. Frost gets hit in the face a few times but comes back with some knees to the stomach. Martinez knocks her straight down and into the corner though, with some hard right hands keeping Frost in trouble. Ian thinks a shot to the eye might have been accidental and Caprice has to mock him for that. A butterfly suplex gives Martinez two but Frost kicks her in the face. Frost’s running kick in the corner sets up a twisting Vader Bomb for two more. Frostbite takes too long though and Martinez grabs a Razor’s Edge Dominator for the pin at 5:29.

Rating: C. Believe it or not, Martinez gets to look dominant again while not really moving up the ladder in the slightest. That’s just kind of what she does around here and while she’s good at what she does, it’s kind of hard to get interested in seeing the same running on a treadmill situation that she’s been in for months. See also Frost, who is talented enough to do something or be build up as a nice opponent for Athena but gets beaten like this over and over.

Mark Sterling offers Josh Woods Pat Buck as a coach, but Woods isn’t interested. They’ll have a match next week instead. It’ll even be a Pure Rules match for once!

Leyla Hirsch vs. Willow Nightingale

Nightingale blocks a drop toehold to start and grabs a hiptoss to put Hirsch down. Hirsch is able to pull her out of the corner for a crash into the turnbuckle though and it’s time to work on Nightingale’s arm. A Rock Bottom is countered into a basement dropkick from Hirsch and she grabs a Kimura. Nightingale reverses into a suplex and a spinebuster gets two. Back up and Hirsch snaps off a German suplex into a clothesline for two of her own. A release Rock Bottom puts Hirsch back down and the Pounce does it even worse. The Babe With The Powerbomb finishes for Nightingale at 6:54.

Rating: C+. Speaking of people on the treadmill, I give you Nightingale, who feels like she has been in the same spot for months now. Commentary mentioned the Owen Hart Tournament here and that feels like it was a lifetime ago. The fans go nuts for her, she’s good in the ring and feels different enough to stand out. Why not, I don’t know, do something with that???

Post match Leyla jumps Nightingale but Skye Blue runs in for the save.

Gringo Loco vs. Action Andretti

They go to the mat to start with Andretti getting a rollup for two and grabbing an armbar. With that broken up, they shake hands, only to have Loco hit him in the face. A seated arm/leg crank has Andretti in trouble before a hard suplex gives Loco two. Andretti is back up with a pop up dropkick to send him outside, where an Asai moonsault connects again. Back in and a Spanish Fly gives Andretti two but Loco nails a springboard cutter for two. It takes too long for Loco to go up though and he gets caught with a super hurricanrana. Andretti moonsaults him for the pin at 7:16.

Rating: C+. These two doing well isn’t a surprise but it’s another case of two people with talent who aren’t likely to do anything important in the near future having a match. It’s not a bad match by any means and the high flying was good, but it would be nice if these matches felt like they meant anything. Figure that out and this show gets so much better.

Eddie Kingston wants better competition and is happy to face Christopher Daniels. They’ll show respect afterwards, but he wants a win to show Eddie Kingston what he’s about.

Billie Starkz vs. Rachelle Riveter

They wrestle around to start with Starkz getting the better of things. A lifting double underhook facebuster sets up a Bank Statement to finish Riveter at 1:13.

Post match Diamante and Mercedes Martinez run in to beat down Athena and Starkz.

Kip Sabian vs. Anthony Henry

Penelope Ford and JD Drake are both here too. They fight over a test of strength to start until Henry tries a failed cross armbreaker attempt. Sabian sends him outside for an Arabian moonsault, which only hits Drake. Back in and Sabian scores with a reverse Cannonball in the corner, followed by a chop off for some skin slapping. A running kick to the chest puts Sabian down and Henry’s Michinoku Driver gets two. Sabian is right back with Deathly Hallows for the pin at 6:30.

Rating: C. If there is a better example of a match that felt like it was there to extend the show, I’ve yet to see it. There was no reason to have this match on here as the action wasn’t exactly great and it was Sabian, who doesn’t really mean anything beating half of a tag team. This is how you make a show longer for the sake of making it feel longer and that’s not a good thing.

Griff Garrison agrees that he hasn’t been pulling his weight in the team with Cole Karter but Maria Kanellis-Bennett tells them to figure it out. With Maria gone, Karter praises her skills and looks, with Garrison agreeing to work harder.

Christopher Daniels vs. Ethan Page

Page grabs a headlock to start but Daniels reverses into one of his own. A slam puts Daniels down but he drops Page and steps over his chest. Daniels whips him into the corner and grabs a waistlock, followed by the abdominal stretch. With that broken up, Daniels hits the STO but it’s too early for the BME. Page boots him in the face and slugs away, setting up a powerslam for two. Daniels low bridges him to the apron but has to block the springboard cutter. Angel’s Wings is countered as well and it’s the Ego’s Edge to finish Daniels at 7:18.

Rating: C+. As has been the case in recent weeks, Page looks good and now he gets his “I Beat Christopher Daniels” merit badge. That is only going to get him so far but it does seem like he is ready to move up the ladder a bit. I’ll believe it when I see it, but at least Page seems to have some kind of a story around here.

Post match Mark Sterling and Tony Nese come out, with the former offering Page a spot on the team. Page says no and, after some bickering, gets a match with Nese next week instead. With Sterling and Nese gone, Page shows respect to Daniels.

Scorpio Sky vs. Darius Martin

Commentary says they’re both on “absolute tears”. If Sky’s two straight wins and Martin’s four wins (two in tag matches) constitute tears, sure they are. Sky rolls out of a wristlock to start before some headlocks and headscissor counters don’t go anywhere. Martin armdrags him into an armbar but Sky slips out and kicks him in the ribs. Sky grabs the neck crank but Martin fights his way up and strikes away. A running bulldog sends Sky throat first into the middle rope but Sky’s Sky High gets two. The TKO finishes Martin at 6:10.

Rating: C+. Why was this the main event? The wrestling was fine, the wrestlers are both talented and they had a completely fine match. That being said, there was no build to this, there was no hype to this and it was just two people having a match. The show was just meandering along and then after one random match, it just ends. That’s not good structure, and having it be another perfectly fine match doesn’t help things.

Overall Rating: C+. That’s Ring Of Honor for the week and again, it’s just the same stuff we always see: a bunch of good enough matches with so many people who don’t feel like they’re going anywhere. We might hear some lip service about them moving up the card, but with Eddie Kingston making his first appearance and beating up Serpentico before moving on to Angelico, why should I buy any of these other people being elevated? The wrestling isn’t the problem around here, but if they don’t fix the way they set this show up, it’s going to get even less interesting and important, if that is somehow possible.

Results
Eddie Kingston b. Serpentico – Stretch Plum
Gates Of Agony b. Fresco/Watson – Double standing clothesline to Fresco
Athena b. Mazzerati – Choke
QT Marshall b. Daga – La majistral
Shane Taylor Promotions b. The Infantry – Right hand to Bravo
Angelico b. Martin Casaus – Twisting leglock
Mercedes Martinez b. Lady Frost – Razor’s Edge Dominator
Willow Nightingale b. Leyla Hirsch – Babe With The Powerbomb
Action Andretti b. Gringo Loco – Moonsault
Billie Starkz b. Rachelle Riveter – Bank Statement
Kip Sabian b. Anthony Henry – Deathly Hallows
Ethan Page b. Christopher Daniels – Ego’s Edge
Scorpio Sky b. Darius Martin – TKO

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

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WrestleDream 2023
Date: October 1, 2023
Location: Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, Washington
Commentators: Excalibur, Nigel McGuinness, Jim Ross

We’re back with the third pay per view in six weeks and this has a bit of a theme to it. The idea of this show is paying tribute to Japanese legend Antonio Inoki, who passed away a year ago to the day. As a result, there are some New Japan stars involved in the show, which does have a strong card. Let’s get to it.

We open with a long video tribute to Antonio Inoki, with wrestlers talking about what he meant to wrestling.

Tony Khan is in the ring with some other people, all with the Inoki scarves around their necks. Khan introduces the men as Rocky Romero, Katsuyori Shibata and Hiroto/Naroto Inoki, Antonio’s grandsons. We get Inoki’s signature phrase to wrap it up.

Zero Hour: Shane Taylor/Lee Moriarty/Diamante/Mercedes Martinez vs. Keith Lee/Satoshi Kojima/Athena/Billie Starkz

Fans: “WE WANT BREAD!” Excalibur: “Of course Satoshi Kojima the leader of Bread Club.” JR: “You might want to explain that.” Diamante and Starkz start but it’s quickly off to Athena for a suplex. JR wants Athena to go on a tear, apparently not realizing that she’s been on one for the better part of the last year. Taylor comes in to punch Keith in the face and manages to knock him down.

It’s off to Moriarty, who gets dropped rather quickly so Kojima can come in to run Moriarty over. A DDT gets two with Diamante making the save, earning her a beating from Starkz. Everything breaks down and Athena hits an O Face on Moriarty, with JR calling it illegal. The ring is cleared, leaving Kojima to lariat Moriarty for the pin at 5:38.

Rating: C. They didn’t have time to do much here as they had eight people with less than six minutes. Kojima is a star from New Japan and still does well despite having been around forever, while Keith is rarely in the ring anymore for whatever reasons. It wasn’t a great match or anything close to one, but it was a way to get a lot of people in the ring.

Zero Hour: Josh Barnett vs. Claudio Castagnoli

Jon Moxley is on commentary and talks about training with Barnett. They grapple to start with Barnett powering him down but Castagnoli manages to take over on the mat. Castagnoli gets in some elbows (Moxley: “ELBOW HIS D*** HEAD OFF CLAUDIO!”) but Barnett reverses into a dragon screw legwhip.

That’s broken up as well but Castagnoli can’t get the Swing. Back up and they slug it out until Barnett gets a quickly broken abdominal stretch. Castagnoli gets in the swing, setting up some kind of leglock. Barnett makes the rope and grabs a suplex before they strike it out. The Neutralizer is blocked so Castagnoli pulls him into an Octopus Hold on the mat. That and a rollup is enough to pin Barnett at 8:20.

Rating: B-. This was a different kind of match as it was more of a grappling exchange between two guys who know what they’re doing in that style. Barnett is someone who is a lot better known in mixed martial arts than in wrestling but he’s good enough to hang with someone like Castagnoli. Good stuff here and probably something different than anything else you’ll see on the show.

Post match Barnett shows respect and says Inoki would be a fan of Castagnoli. Barnett says Castagnoli owes him more time though so keep training. Sounds good to Castagnoli.

Zero Hour: Nick Wayne vs. Luchasaurus

Nigel says this is going to be like Luke Skywalker being dropped into the pin with the Rancor. Wayne fires off a dropkick to start but gets tossed with a nasty release German suplex. Luchasaurus pounds away but Wayne is back up with some kicks. A chokeslam sends Wayne to the floor….where he crawls to his mom in the front row. That earns him a face first swing into the barricade but Wayne scores with some kicks back inside. Wayne’s World is easily blocked and the forearm to the back of the head finishes for Luchasaurs at 4:51.

Rating: C. That went about as it should have, as Luchasaurus is a total monster and Wayne is someone who hasn’t proven himself to be on Luchasaurus’ level. There is something to be said about a smaller guy striking away with everything he has but not being able to overcome. The part with his mom was a nice bonus, making this go according to the logical plan.

Zero Hour: Trios Titles: TMDK vs. Acclaimed/Billy Gunn

TMDK (Shane Haste/Mikey Nichols/Bad Dude Tito) is challenging. Tito powers Caster down to start and hands it off to Haste. Caster punches his way out of the corner though and it’s Gunn coming in to quite the reaction. A running shoulder drops Haste and Gunn loads up Scissor Me Timbers, which connects for quite the reaction.

We settle down with Bowens getting caught in the wrong corner and Tito adding a slingshot hilo. Bowens fights out of a chinlock but gets knocked back again to keep up the beating. An attempt to get over to the corner is cut off as Gunn and Caster are knocked to the floor in a smart move. Bowens manages to duck around and get over to Gunn though and house is cleaned. Tito plants Gunn rather quickly and Caster has to make a save. A step up Cannonball hits Caster in the corner but Gunn is back in with the Fameasser. The Arrival into the Mic Drop retains the titles at 9:18.

Rating: C. That was your Rampage opener of the show and not much more. They had some time to do a bit more here than usual and that helped, but it’s another group of guest stars getting a title shot. That is only going to get you so far and they hit most of that limit here. Not a bad match by any means, but there wasn’t much in the way of drama.

And now, the show proper.

Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles: Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Righteous

MJF is defending on his own, but before the match, he accuses someone of stealing his devil mask and attacking Jay White. As for the Righteous, MJF promises a BODY SLAM. Dutch starts for the team and MJF asks who wants to see that body slam. Instead we get the handshake of sportsmanship before MJF pokes Dutch in the eye. MJF gets in a hip swivel and pulls Vincent in, only to get clotheslined by Dutch.

The chinlock doesn’t last long as MJF fights up….but realizes he doesn’t have a partner. Dutch powerbombs him down so Vincent can hit a Swanton for two. The Boss Man Slam gets two more and Autumn Sunshine gets the same, leaving the Righteous stunned. Vincent goes for a chair but MJF grabs him low to cut it off.

Back up and Vincent kicks him in the face but misses a second Swanton. Everything breaks down and Dutch is rammed into the corner over and over. The body slam connects and the fans are thrilled. With Dutch sent into the corner, MJF sends Vincent face first into the back of Dutch’s tights. The Kangaroo Kick sends the Righteous outside and the Heatseeker finishes Dutch (with feet on the ropes) at 9:35.

Rating: C+. Watching MJF do his goofy, almost parody of wrestling is hilarious and it’s great to see him having fun like this. At the same time, the Righteous being out of the title picture for the time being is nice to see. It still feels like the Kingdom will be the ones to win the titles, but at least we’re having a good time on the way there.

We recap Katsuyori Shibata vs. Eddie Kingston, with Kingston defending his two titles but Shibata not defending his.

Ring Of Honor World Title/New Japan Strong Openweight Title: Eddie Kingston vs. Katsuyori Shibata

Only Shibata is challenging and he goes to the mat to start. With that not working, they trade strikes until Shibata pulls him down into an ankle lock. The rope is reached so Shibata grabs a Figure Four to stay on the leg. That’s broken up as well so Shibata puts on a bow and arrow. Kingston fights up and fires off the chops in the corner but Shibata kicks him in the face. The running basement dropkick in the corner and the fans are behind Shibata.

Kingston is back with a t-bone suplex but Shibata grabs an STO, with Taz being at his best by explaining the leverage and science. The Octopus Hold on the mat has Kingston in trouble but he makes it over to the rope. Kingston knocks him away again but Shibata comes back with the running kick to the chest. They strike it out until Kingston’s spinning backfist gets one. The northern lights bomb gets the same, followed by another backfist and the powerbomb to retain the titles at 10:58.

Rating: B-. This was Kingston striking away and gritting through someone more polished and skilled. It made for a nice story to the match and served as Kingston’s latest fantasy match come to life. Kingston needs some wins to establish himself as a star and wins like this one are going to get him a long way.

Post match Shibata gets the big show of respect.

We recap Julia Hart challenging Kris Statlander for the TBS Title. Hart is on a roll but Statlander was the last person to beat her. Now the title is on the line.

TBS Title: Kris Statlander vs. Julia Hart

Hart, with Brody King, is challenging. Statlander powers her into the corner to start and hits some shoulders to the ribs. The running knee misses but she runs Hart over again without much trouble. Hart manages a hurricanrana but Statlander muscles her over with a suplex for two. They go outside, where Statlander grabs her in a fireman’s carry and carries her back up the steps. It’s right back to the floor, with Hart sending her into the barricade this time.

A backsplash gives Hart two back inside and we hit the quickly broken abdominal stretch. Now Statlander’s running knee in the corner sets up the Blue Thunder Bomb for two. Statlander trips so King yells at her, allowing Hart to load up the mist. That takes too long though and Statlander grabs a fisherman’s driver for two more. Hart pulls her off the top and goes up, meaning it’s the moonsault for a rather close two. Hartless goes on but Statlander muscles her up into a Tombstone, followed by Sunday Night Fever to retain at 8:54.

Rating: B-. I was a bit surprised by the result as it stops Hart’s run cold, but Statlander has been on a roll since getting the title. Having her get another pay per view win is not a bad thing whatsoever, but she needs to start fighting some of the bigger names. The division has the depth to have some stronger challengers come after her, though Hart did rather well here in her biggest match ever.

We recap the four way tag match for the #1 contendership to the Tag Team Titles. There are four teams and they’re fighting for a title shot, end of story.

The Gunns vs. Hook/Orange Cassidy vs. Lucha Bros vs. Young Bucks

One fall to a finish for a future AEW Tag Team Title shot. Fenix and Nick strike away at each other before popping up for a staredown. Cassidy tags himself in but the Gunns pull Fenix outside for a ram into the barricade. Back in and Austin dropkicks Cassidy into the corner before trying to cover Colten. The referee isn’t having that and it’s the Bucks’ turn to clean house.

Hook comes in and gets to clear the ring as well, leaving Cassidy to hit a dive onto both Bucks. Apparently Fenix is down so Penta comes in to kick at the Bucks. We settle down to Colten punching Hook down for two but Penta is back in. Made In Japan gets two on Austin as everything breaks down again. Matt hits a superkick and Nick adds the slingshot X Factor to Austin.

Penta’s big running flip dive connects though Hook tags himself in. Redrum is blocked so Cassidy Orange Punches Austin into Redrum to put him in trouble. Nick tags himself in though and hits a 450 for two with Cassidy making a save. The Bucks double superkick Hook but Penta superkicks the Bucks. Not that it matters as the BTE Trigger finishes Penta at 12:10 to give the Bucks the title shot.

Rating: B-. The Bucks are 2/3 of the Six Man Tag Team Champions, #1 contender to the Tag Team Titles and Nick is getting an International Title shot this week. I know it’s All ELITE Wrestling but this might be taking things a bit too literally. Anyway, this was your usual insane display of people jumping and flipping all over the place, though Fenix being down isn’t a good sign. I’m not sure if they’re going to run FTR vs. the Bucks again, but it would certainly be a big deal if they did. I’m just not sure how big.

We recap Hangman Page vs. Swerve Strickland. Page can’t break through to be a star and Swerve wants to prove what he really is. Then Page stabbed him in the hand with a pen.

Hangman Page vs. Swerve Strickland

The Mogul Embassy, complete with dancing Prince Nana, is here with Strickland (the home area boy). Feeling out process to start until Page knocks him into the corner for a loud chop. The fans are WAY behind Swerve here, even as Page knocks him down into the corner. Swerve is right back with a kick to the face and the middle rope elbow to the back lets him dance a bit.

Page manages a quick suplex and they’re both down again. With Swerve on the floor, Page hits a big moonsault to take him down on the floor. The dive drops Swerve again but they go back inside where he grabs a rolling Downward Spiral. The Brainbuster gives Swerve two but Page catches him on top. That’s fine with Swerve, who knocks him backwards for the Swerve Stomp (the fans approve again).

Swerve’s House Call gets two more and they head to the apron. The Deadeye on the apron is blocked so Page hits it on the steps instead. Page doesn’t cover, instead sending him inside and kicking away, only to get caught in the ropes. They slap it out until the Buckshot Lariat is countered into a rather nasty arm crank. We pause for the doctor to check on Page but Swerve hits a Swerve Stomp onto the apron.

A 450 onto the arm gives Swerve two and he grabs the armbar. Page makes the rope and scores with a left arm lariat. Swerve’s armbar is broken up and Page hammers on the bad hand. Swerve gets in a suplex but misses another Stomp. The Buckshot Lariat connects for a rather delayed two, as Prince Nana puts the foot on the rope. Page chases Nana off, allowing Swerve to hit him in the face with Nana’s crown for two. Back to back House Calls set up the JML Driver for the pin on Page at 20:06.

Rating: B+. That’s the Swerve match that the fans have been waiting to see and it worked very well throughout. These guys beat the fire out of each other and it felt like a big slugout. If Swerve becomes a breakout star around here, there is a good chance that this is what starts it off for him. Awesome match here and the best thing on the card so far.

We recap Ricky Starks vs. Wheeler Yuta. Starks wasn’t happy with losing to Bryan Danielson back to back so he’ll fight Danielson’s teammate instead.

Wheeler Yuta vs. Ricky Starks

Jon Moxley is back on commentary. They go with the grappling to start before opting to punch each other in the face instead. Starks gets the better of things and knocks Yuta up against the ropes, allowing him to stare at the crowd a bit. Yuta slips out of a fireman’s carry and rolls him up for two, only to have Starks get in another shot. Moxley thinks Starks is talented but runs his mouth too much, meaning he isn’t sure if he should fight Starks or take him on a date. Yuta is back with something like a Samoan drop and an armbar goes on.

Cue Big Bill as Starks makes the rope and spikes Yuta for two. Starks hits his own hammer and anvil elbows, which just make Yuta mad. That’s fine with Starks, who takes Yuta’s head off but gets shoved off the rope for a crash onto Bill. Yuta posts Bill to get rid of him and fires off the real hammer and anvil elbows. The Seatbelt gives Yuta two but Starks is back up with the spear. The Roshambo finishes Yuta at 9:54.

Rating: C+. The match wasn’t bad, but I’m not sure if it needed to be on the pay per view. This felt like a Rampage main event or a big match on Collision rather than needing to be on here. What matters here though is that Starks got his big win and regains some momentum so things should be getting a bit better for him going forward. Odds are it sets up Moxley vs. Starks as well and that’s not a bad thing.

We recap Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre Jr. and….yeah I think that’s all you need to know here.

Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

Sabre’s New Japan TV Title isn’t on the line. Feeling out process to start as they both seem nervous about going too far. Danielson suplexes him down and Sabre pauses for a standoff. Sabre pulls him into the abdominal stretch but Danielson pulls him into a leglock. That’s broken up and they stay on the mat with neither being able to get control. Instead Danielson pulls him into the surfboard but Sabre slips out again.

Sabre starts going after the arm and gives it a shoulder before adding a nasty stomp. The arm gets twisted around and Sabre is starting to get cocky. Sabre stays on the arm but he takes too long going up, allowing Danielson to cut him off. The arm is snapped over Sabre’s shoulder though and the armbar goes on up top. Danielson headbutts his way out of trouble and a top rope butterfly superplex lets him…not get the LeBell Lock.

Instead Danielson goes with a half crab but Sabre is right over to the ropes. The YES Kicks rock Sabre and Danielson stomps him in the head. The running knee is countered and Sabre pulls him into the European Clutch for two. Moxley (on commentary) is on his feet as they both need a breather. Cattle Mutilation goes on but Sabre rolls out, only to get caught with the elbows to the face.

Danielson gets a leglock but Sabre reverses into one of his own. That earns him a spit in the face and they strike it out, with Danielson getting the better of things. Back up and Sabre goes for the arm while Danielson kicks at the leg. Sabre gets the better of things this time and pulls Danielson into the double arm crank. Nigel: “THINK ABOUT YOUR KIDS! THINK ABOUT YOUR WIFE! RETIRE NOW!”

Danielson makes the rope (Nigel: “You coward!”) so they trade kicks, with Danielson nailing a big one to the head. The stomp to the head misses so Sabre pulls him into the cross armbreaker. That’s reverses into a leg trap belly to back suplex into the running knee for the very near fall. Another running knee finishes Sabre at 23:13.

Rating: A-. Like I said before the match, this was going to work because of the talent involved and then they were allowed to have all the time they needed to tear the house down. You could see two masters in there trying to take the other apart and it worked about as well as expected. Awesome stuff here and as usual, it felt like a clinic from two of the best ever with this style.

Post match respect is offered but Sabre turns it down. Naturally Nigel says that wasn’t technical wrestling so Danielson is NOT the best in the world.

We recap Chris Jericho/Kenny Omega/Kota Ibushi vs. the Don Callis Family. All three hate Callis so they’re fighting his team.

Chris Jericho/Kenny Omega/Kota Ibushi vs. Don Callis Family

Omega and Will Ospreay start things off but it’s quickly off to Sammy Guevara, who lounges on the top rope. They start running the ropes until Sammy flips over him and scores with a dropkick. Ospreay comes back in to get suplexed by Jericho as Sammy shouts at commentary. Jericho punches Ospreay and we get the big standoff. The good guys clear the house, pay tribute to Inoki (oh yeah that’s a thing with this show) and hit stereo dives.

Back in and Omega slugs away at Takeshita, who rakes the eyes to cut him off. Takeshita hits a clothesline but Ibushi comes in for a save. Ospreay puts on an abdominal stretch, with the rest of the Family adding leverage like villains should. The Blue Thunder Bomb gets two on Omega but he gets over for the tag back to Omega. That means an abdominal stretch to Sammy, with the rest of Omega’s partners pulling as well.

Ibushi comes in with a double back elbow and we get an Ibushi/Jericho Sex Gods pose. Omega and Jericho hit stereo moonsaults to the floor, leaving Jericho to hit the Lionsault for two on Sammy. Takeshita breaks up the Walls and drops Omega on his head with a release German suplex. Jericho has to fight Ospreay and Takeshita at the same time but Takeshita knees Ospreay by mistake.

Omega is back up with the big running flip dive to take out Takeshita and Ospreay. Back in and Sammy Spanish Flies Jericho for two, followed by the shooting star to the floor. Omega and Ospreay slug it out back inside but Takeshita is back in with a running knee to put Omega down.

Sammy Codebreakers Jericho for one so Jericho fights up, only to get beaten down again. Ibushi is back up to strike away but Ospreay saves Takeshita from the big boot. The Golden Trigger is cut off by Sammy’s high crossbody. Jericho is back up with the Judas Effect to Ospreay but Sammy superkicks Jericho in the face. Jericho tries to pull him into the Walls but Callis comes in with a baseball bat shot to give Sammy the pin at 22:17.

Rating: B+. This was the match I was expecting to be the best on the card and it came pretty close. The match started with the regular wrestling but then broke down into the wild fight that it was destined to be. The Callis Family stuff isn’t exactly thrilling but the matches have worked so well and that’s what matters most.

We recap Aussie Open challenging FTR for the Tag Team Titles. FTR beat them for the New Japan Tag Team Titles a year ago and now the Aussies want to even things up.

AEW Tag Team Titles: Aussie Open vs. FTR

FTR is defending. Harwood and Fletcher lock up to start with neither being able to get very far. Wheeler comes in and this time Fletcher bails to the floor. Harwood sends him back in, where Wheeler hits a backdrop to take over. It’s off to Davis for a chop off with Harwood, who gets slammed down. Davis hits a backsplash so it’s back to Fletcher, who gets caught with a snap suplex.

Everything breaks down and FTR is rammed into each other on the floor. Back in and Fletcher forearms away at Wheeler before Davis grabs a chinlock. Wheeler fights up and catches Fletcher on top, meaning it’s a belly to back superplex for a big crash. Fletcher is able to grab a brainbuster but Wheeler is up again, this time getting over to Harwood. Rolling German suplexes drop Fletcher as Wheeler and Davis fight on the floor.

Harwood gets two off a Liger Bomb but Davis is back in to break up the PowerPlex. A Doomsday kick to the face gets two on Wheeler but Harwood is back in for the save. Now the PowerPlex can connect, leaving Fletcher to high crossbody Harwood into the cover to break it up.

Wheeler rolls Davis (who appears to have hurt his wrist) up for two, only to walk into a Shatter Machine from the Aussies. The Coriolis gets two with Harwood making the save this time. They head outside again and it’s a spike piledriver on the floor to drop Davis. Back in and a super Shatter Machine finishes Fletcher to retain the titles at 20:23.

Rating: B. It was a good match but this might have been better if they had cut out about four minutes. The problem here came down to the fact that this went long in the semi-main event spot on a show that is going to run over four and a half hours. The Aussies winning felt like a long shot in the first place and while the match was good, it wasn’t able to completely overcome those circumstances.

We recap Darby Allin vs. Christian Cage for the latter’s TBS Title. Allin wants to prove he belongs in the main event in his hometown and the title is on the line.

TBS Title: Darby Allin vs. Christian Cage

Allin is challenging (and bleeding before the match for some reason) and this is 2/3 falls. Feeling out process to start with Cage bailing into the corner and spitting into Allin’s face. Allin is calm enough to pull him into an armbar, followed by a headlock to keep him down. Back up and Christian chops him against the ropes, meaning we get the double bicep pose. It’s too early for the Unprettier though as Allin pulls the turtleneck over Christian’s face and rolls him up for the first fall at 4:55.

We pause for a bit as Cage stops to look at Nick Wayne’s mom in the front row before taking Allin down again. Cage pounds away at the back and cranks on his neck to keep things slow. Allin gets back up for some rapid fire rollups but gets sent outside in a crash. Cage whips him into the barricade but goes after Wayne’s mom again, allowing Allin to hit a suicide dive. Back in and the Coffin Drop hits raised knees, allowing Cage to send him into the announcers’ table. Something like a powerslam off the apron hits sends Allin back first into the steps. That’s enough for a countout to tie it up at 15:18 total.

A stretcher is brought out as Cage is doing something with the ring skirt. He peels the entire mat back and exposes the wood….before hitting a frog splash onto Allin on the stretcher. That’s good for two back inside and Cage grabs a Scorpion Deathlock. Allin makes the rope (the fans approve) and it’s a Scorpion Death Drop for two, followed by the Coffin Drop for the same.

Cage loads up a superplex onto the steps on the floor but gets reversed into a sunset bomb. The spear hits the referee though, leaving Cage to hit Allin low. The title is brought in but Nick Wayne runs in to take it away. Then Wayne hits Allin with the title (his mom is NOT happy) and Cage retains at 25:13.

Rating: B+. This was a smartly worked match as Christian didn’t have to go insane but rather set things up for Allin to go nuts instead. It made for some very good drama and action, with Allin getting the first fall to save some face. I liked the match rather well, though having it as the main event (yes they had to with the ring deal) might have been a stretch.

Post match Cage hugs Wayne, who destroys Allin while yelling about family. Sting comes in for the save but Luchasaurus is here to beat him down as well. The Conchairto is loaded up….and the lights go out. A video of someone driving a car to the arena plays and the lights come up. And yeah EDGE debuts (complete with Metalingus theme), with the villains handing him the chair. He cracks Wayne with it instead and spears Luchasaurus to clear out the villains. Edge and Sting shake hands to end the show. That’s the big deal of the show and while we’ll have to see where it goes, the moment was there.

Overall Rating: B+. As tends to be the case with AEW shows, they wind up being good in the end through the hard work and effort put in from the wrestlers. That was the case again here, with a few awesome matches being more than enough to keep me interested. The show got better as it went on and thankfully they didn’t have some of the lesser matches eat up too much time.

That being said, this was they could be that much more enjoyable with some time trimmed off. There is just SO MUCH STUFF on here and some of it could easily be dropped (like the bonus Rampage described as Zero Hour) and probably Starks vs. Yuta. At some point the energy is going to go away and that isn’t good for the main event matches. That being said, the show was still quite the blast to watch and if they can keep it up, they’re not going to change anything.

Results
Satoshi Kojima/Keith Lee/Athena/Billie Starkz b. Shane Taylor/Diamante/Lee Moriarty/Mercedes Martinez – Lariat to Moriarty
Claudio Castagnoli b. Josh Barnett – Rollup
Luchasaurus b. Nick Wayne – Forearm to the back of the head
Billy Gunn/Acclaimed b. TMDK – Mic Drop to Haste
Maxwell Jacob Friedman b. The Righteous – Rollup with feet on the ropes to Dutch
Eddie Kingston b. Katsuyori Shibata – Powerbomb
Kris Statlander b. Julia Hart – Sunday Night Fever
Young Bucks b. Lucha Bros, Gunns and Orange Cassidy/Hook – BTE Trigger to Penta
Swerve Strickland b. Hangman Page – JML Driver
Ricky Starkz b. Wheeler Yuta – Roshambo
Bryan Danielson b. Zack Sabre Jr. – Running knee
Don Callis Family b. Chris Jericho/Kenny Omega/Kota Ibushi – Baseball bat shot to Jericho
FTR b. Aussie Open – Super Shatter Machine to Fletcher
Christian Cage b. Darby Allin 2-1

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So here we have WrestleDream, which is a show designed to honor the passing of Antonio Inoki one year ago. Therefore it’s another AEW show with New Japan guest stars, though New Japan is running a big show of its own on the same day so the visiting stars are limited. There is some good stuff on the card though and hopefully that’s enough to carry it. Let’s get to it.

Zero Hour: Nick Wayne vs. Luchasaurus

This is a side story from Darby Allin vs. Christian Cage as both have interfered in the other feud. It’s a speed vs. power match and that is something that can work under almost any circumstances. AEW really seems interested in pushing Wayne every chance they can these days but at some point he is going to need to win something. I’m just not sure he gets to do it here.

I’ll go with Luchasaurus to win here as he’s coming off the TNT Title reign and isn’t likely to lose to someone with so little experience on this level. I’m sure Wayne will get a bunch of stuff in and get to showcase himself again but that doesn’t mean he’s going to win. Hopefully Wayne gets to throw everything he has at Luchasaurus, but he’ll fall short in the end.

Zero Hour: Trios Titles: Acclaimed/Billy Gunn(c) vs. TMDK

This is the first New Japan match on the show and in this case it was built up as “whoever wins the title match on Rampage defends against TMDK tomorrow night”. That’s not exactly a thrilling story but it’s a way to get the titles on the show. Thankfully in this case it’s just on Zero Hour, meaning it won’t extend the show with a match that has very little in the way of drama.

Of course the champions retain here, as a group of guest stars aren’t going to be the ones to end the reign that is bringing the Acclaimed and the Gunns back to prominence. The (arguably) good thing about these titles is you can throw any three challenges out there and have a title match. That’s more or less what they’ve done here, though at least it’s a regular team from New Japan.

Zero Hour: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Josh Barnett

So this was added the night before the show as the result of a Castagnoli open challenge. Barnett has never wrestled for AEW before but does have experience in Japan so here we are. That makes for a tricky preview because there isn’t any kind of a story going into the match, and Barnett being a complete stranger around here makes it even more complicated.

Since Barnett is not likely to stick around, I’ll go with Castagnoli to win as there isn’t much of a reason to do anything else. Castagnoli needs a big win coming off his loss to Eddie Kingston and while this won’t be some kind of a game changer for him, it should be enough to give him a boost. I’m not sure why this match needed to be added, though more Castagnoli is often a good thing.

Zero Hour: Shane Taylor/Lee Moriarty/Diamante/Mercedes Martinez vs. Satoshi Kojima/Keith Lee/Athena/Billie Starkz

This is another match added during the Collision because MORE MEANS GOOD. There are a few people with some history here but a good chunk of it has been in Ring Of Honor. Taylor seems to be one of the new flavors of the month for AEW and it makes sense that they would want to get him out there in front of people as often as possible. Throw in Lee and this could be a lot worse.

Give me Lee and company to win, as Moriarty being thrown half a mile by Lee would be a good way to get the show going. Other than that, there is always the chance of Athena beating Martinez or Diamante. Either way, there are going to be a bunch of people in this match and there is a good chance that a lot of them are not going to be able to get in that much ring time.

TBS Title: Kris Statlander(c) vs. Julia Hart

Statlander has been a mostly dominant champion in her still relatively short title reign, but Hart has caught fire in recent weeks and suddenly feels like she could be a major threat to the title. The good thing here is that you are seeing two mostly fresh women in the title scene, which is what AEW has been needing for a very long time now. In other words, there isn’t a bad option for a winner here.

I think I’ll actually take hart to win the title, as it would be very deflating for her to lose after the big push that she has gotten in the last few weeks. Granted that might have been just to make her feel like a threat, but the House of Black needs to get something back after losing the Trios Titles, so this would be a nice fit to help get them on track. I’m not sure what is next for Statlander, but I’m thinking she should lose here.

Ricky Starks vs. Wheeler Yuta

This was thrown onto the card earlier in the week as Yuta doesn’t like how Starks has been going after Bryan Danielson. Starks has been on a roll as of late without winning much of anything, which leaves him in a weird place. Granted that is kind of why you put someone like Yuta in this spot as he could go a long way with making Starks look like a bigger deal after his losses.

I’ll go with Starks to win here, as there is little reason for Yuta to win. His role in the Blackpool Combat Club is to put up a good fight in defeat and that is what he’ll be doing here. Starks is red hot and for someone who keeps losing so giving him a win here would be the right way to go. They’ll have a good match, but at the end of the day, Starks needs this way more than Yuta.

Young Bucks vs. The Gunns vs. Lucha Bros vs. Orange Cassidy/Hook

For a future AEW Tag Team Title shot, which sounds a bit like a Money In The Bank deal. We’ll start with getting rid of Cassidy and Hook, who are a fun team, but I can’t imagine they actually get put into the title picture so soon. That leaves a few options, and I could picture any of the three getting the shot. It’s nice to have options here, and unfortunately none of them really stand out.

While the Bucks would be the interesting way to go, I’ll take the Gunns getting the win here. FTR vs. the Lucha Bros doesn’t sound like it would be the most engaging match and the Bucks vs. FTR has been done so many times now. Go with FTR vs. the Gunns, which does have a history but hasn’t been hammered into the ground. This is going to be the “everyone flies all over the place” match and it should be entertaining enough. Just don’t do the Money In The Bank deal, please.

AEW Tag Team Titles: FTR(c) vs. Aussie Open

This one is a little more interesting as I could see the titles changing hands. Aussie Open has come a long way and established themselves as one of the better teams in AEW at the moment. That means they can be put into this spot for a shot at the best team around without much trouble. The teams have even traded some promos to hype things up even more and so far, they’ve done their jobs.

With that being said, for the life of me I can’t imagine FTR losing the belts They can have good to great matches with just about any team and it would feel like a waste to take away that option, especially with them frequenting Collision. The Aussies will give them one heck of a run for their money, but FTR comes out on top of this by retaining the titles, and that’s the right choice.

Chris Jericho/Kenny Omega/Kota Ibushi vs. Konosuke Takeshita/Sammy Guevara/Will Ospreay

This is the Don Callis Family match, which has seen two feuds combined into one for the sake of taking away some of Callis’ television time. Ignoring that aspect though, we should be in for a heck of a match here, especially if Ibushi is able to wrestle more like his old self than the version we have seen in AEW so far. Everything else should work well and I’m wanting to see how this goes.

After dominating for a good while, this should be the match where Callis and company can drop a match to the conquering heroes. Guevara taking a fall from Omega or even Jericho won’t ruin him as they can get set up for another singles showdown in the future. Either way, this has the potential to steal the show and if they can get to that higher level, it very well may be the best thing on the show.

Ring Of Honor World Title/New Japan Strong Openweight Title: Eddie Kingston(c) vs. Katsuyori Shibata

It’s a double title match with Shibata’s ROH Pure Title not on the line, meaning commentary has said that Shibata can become a triple crown champion. At least Shibata is someone who has wrestled in Ring Of Honor more than once, as there is far too much of a tendency for random people to get title shots (like earlier in the show or example). Shibata is also someone Kingston is going to respect so there is a real chance he’ll bring the work here.

As for a winner, much like the Trios Titles, there isn’t much of a reason to believe the title is going to change hands, especially so soon after Kingston won the ROH title in the first place. Kingston needs to rack up some wins to make him feel like a bigger deal and this would be a nice addition. It should be a hard hitting match as well and that should take them far enough, but yeah Kingston retains.

Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles: Maxwell Jacob Friedman(c) vs. Righteous

So this was supposed to be a tag match with Adam Cole included but he’s basically destroyed his ankle, leaving us with a handicap match instead. That puts them in a tough spot and again I’m not sure where this is going to go. On one hand, MJF doesn’t need to have the titles anymore if Cole is injured, but the titles changing hands would involve the Righteous beating the AEW World Champion.

As little sense as it might make, I’ll go with MJF retaining, as I can’t imagine either Vincent or Dutch pinning him or making him give up. There is always the chance of some kind of screwy finish and that is probably coming later, but it is still hard to fathom that anyone but the Kingdom is taking the titles from Cole and MJF. Or is it just MJF these days? Either way, the Righteous don’t win here.

Hangman Page vs. Swerve Strickland

This is the match that has felt the most interesting throughout the build to the show and the contract signing this week kept that interest high. Both guys need a big win and they have me wanting to see them fight, which is a great sign for one of them. Hopefully the loser isn’t going to be hurt that badly but there is a good chance that this is going to continue beyond this match.

Give me Swerve here, as a Page win would seem to wrap things up between them with a tighter bow. As much as Page could use a win, he’s had success before and is a much more accomplished star in AEW. Let Swerve get his win and move up the card a bit, as a win over a former World Champion is going to do a lot of good no matter what. Page should be fine, but either way, this match should rock.

Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

What we have here is the kind of match that sells itself on name value alone. The idea of Danielson vs. Sabre Jr. is going to get hardcore fans interested and there is a very real chance that they could live up to or even exceed their expectations. That might be a very hard task to pull off, but these are the kind of stars who might be able to pull that kind of a miracle off.

As has been a trend here, there isn’t much of a reason for the star who is going to be going away after this show winning, so I’ll take Danielson to win here. Yes he did it in a pay per view main event against a guest star this year and that should cover him for well over a year, but I can’t imagine Sabre winning here. Danielson has things to do in AEW and downgrading him (as much as that can be done) with a loss to a one off guest star doesn’t make sense.

TNT Title: Christian Cage(c) vs. Darby Allin

This is the rumored main event for the show and with Allin as the hometown boy in a 2/3 falls match, that is not the worst idea. These two had a rather nice match a month or so ago on Collision and if they do that again with more time and on a bigger stage, we should be in for a pretty solid main event. That leaves a pair of questions though and I think I have the answer to at least one.

Of course I’ll take Allin winning here, as otherwise it would run a real threat of killing Seattle for AEW. Allin winning is the perfect way to go and it would be a great moment to end things on. Then again, there is also the chance that we get an Edge debut here to do something with Cage, though hopefully that doesn’t include giving him an assist to keep the title. Allin wins here, as he should.

Overall Thoughts

That’s a lot of matches. Once I get to the end of the card, I’ve already forgot a good few of the matches involved as there are too many for the show’s own good. Then again that is the case with almost every AEW show, which makes it all the more frustrating. The action will be rather good as it almost always is, but the way the show is presented is such a self imposed roadblock. It still feels like a B show, but now it feels like a rather bloated B show.

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

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AND

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

Ring Of Honor
Date: September 28, 2023
Location: Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re back to the weekly show and there have been a lot of changes around here. In addition to Eddie Kingston winning the World Title last week, there are also new Six Man Tag Team Champions to go with the new Tag Team Champions, who won the belts a month ago and haven’t been on the show yet. Maybe that will change with the other new champions. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Josh Woods vs. Brayden Erving

Mark Sterling is here with Woods, who drives Erving into the corner to start and hammers away. Erving misses an enziguri and gets German suplexed. The Tilt-A-Woods (Anarchist suplex) finishes Erving at 1:15.

Prince Nana is excited about the Gates of Agony and Brian Cage in separate matches tonight because they’re ready to be awesome again.

Scorpio Sky vs. Tony Nese

Mark Sterling is here with Tony Nese, because we need him in the first two matches of the show. Nese does his usual group training deal before we’re ready to go. Sky cuts him off so Nese is right there to jump start the beating, only to get knocked to the floor. Back in and Nese bails to the floor again but gets tossed back inside this time. Sterling offers a distraction though and Nese manages a whip into the steps.

Nese ties him in the Tree of Woe for some crunches kicks to the ribs. The neck snap over the top rope and we’re off to a bodyscissors. A belly to back suplex gets Sky out of trouble and a clothesline drops Nese as well. Sky hits Sky High for two but Nese kicks him in the head for two more. Back up and Nese grabs a suplex, followed by the TKO for the pin at 9:08.

Rating: B-. I’m still not sure why Sky keeps falling lower and lower. While the injuries are a problem, seeing him facing Nese on Ring Of Honor isn’t the best sign for his career. There almost has to be a better use for him somewhere across AEW or ROH. He can clearly still go in the ring, but it needs to be in another ring.

Gravity vs. Lee Johnson

The wrestling doesn’t go to either of them so we have an early standoff. Johnson has to flip out of a wristlock before Gravity runs him over with a shoulder. A flipping armdrag pulls Lee out of the corner but he drops Gravity without much effort. Johnson whips him into the corner, gets in some pushups, and grabs the chinlock.

Gravity fights up and sends him to the floor for a springboard dive, followed by a top rope armdrag for two back inside. A standing moonsault gets two more but Johnson is back with some superkicks. Gravity hits his own superkick though and the top rope splash finishes Johnson at 9:21.

Rating: C+. Gravity is another guy who seems like he could be something if given a chance and he’s getting some pretty significant TV time. I’m not sure if he’s ever going to move up to the next level, but he’s doing well with getting out of Bandido’s shadow. Granted it helps when Bandido isn’t here, but Gravity is doing well either way.

The Outrunners aren’t impressed with Action Andretti and Darius Martin.

Billie Starkz vs. Lady Frost

Athena is here with Starkz. Frost is sent to the floor to start where Athena offers a fast distraction, allowing Starkz to nail a dive. Athena yells at Starkz for a bit, allowing Frost to hit a cartwheel kick of the apron to put Starkz down. Back in and Frost stomps away in the corner before flipping over her back for a dropkick. Starkz is back up with a Death Valley Driver for two but Frost throws in another cartwheel into an Air Raid Crash. The moonsault connects for Frost but Athena offers a distraction to break it up. Said distraction lets Starks hit something like a Neutralizer for the pin at 6:59.

Rating: C+. The more I see of Frost, the more impressive she becomes. She has a unique look and the athleticism to back it up. In short, she feels different and that helps her stand out a lot. If she was able to string some wins together, I could see her having a nice run somewhere. This was still all about Athena and Starkz though, as their big match is coming one day.

Post match Athena takes Frost outside for a ram into the barricade as Starkz begs Athena to stop. Starkz takes the title away before Athena can slam Frost into it, which doesn’t sit well with Athena.

Allysin Kay is ready to face Mercedes Martinez because she wants to end her losing streak.

Outrunners vs. Darius Martin/Action Andretti

Andretti works on Magnum’s arm to start before Martin comes in to do the same. It’s off to Floyd, who gets headlocked rather quickly. Andretti takes both of them down at once and stereo dropkicks send the Outrunners outside. The stereo dives are broken up though and it’s Floyd hammering away on Andretti back inside. Magnum drops a knee on Andretti but he breaks up Total Recall. The tag brings Martin back in to clean house as everything breaks down. Floyd is sent outside and a double swinging slam finishes Magnum at 6:49.

Rating: C+. The Outrunners are the definition of goofy, harmless fun and I can always go for more of that. They aren’t out here getting wins over big teams but rather losing every time and giving the fans a bit of a laugh. Martin and Andretti aren’t going anywhere, but at least they’re filling in a nice spot around here while they aren’t.

Griff Garrison is interrupted by Maria Kanellis-Bennett and Cole Karter but says he believes the team can work. They agree to do it the right way.

Leyla Hirsch vs. Laynie Luck

Maria Kanellis-Bennett comes out to watch as Luck scores with some kicks to start. Hirsch shrugs those off though and snaps off a German suplex into the Fujiwara armbar for the tap at 1:12.

Post match Maria leaves and Hirsch says she wants Athena.

Mercedes Martinez, with Diamante, thinks Allysin Kay must be sick of losing.

Shane Taylor vs. Jimmy Jacobs

Lee Moriarty is here with Taylor and Jacobs is the hometown boy. Jacobs slugs away to start and it goes as well as you would expect. Taylor misses a charge and gets sent outside though, where Jacobs grabs a front facelock. That’s broken up as well and Taylor crushes him in the corner.

The splash gives Taylor two and he slowly forearms Jacobs down over and over. Jacobs actually scores with a clothesline but Taylor’s clothesline is a little bit better. Back up and Jacobs tries Sliced Bread but is easily reversed into Welcome To The Land to give Taylor the pin at 5:31.

Rating: C+. Jacobs is a name and Taylor beating him is better than a win over some nobody. It also helps when Jacobs was able to get in some offense of his own and turned it into a decent match. Taylor is still a monster though and ROH seems interested in turning him into a big deal, meaning a Jacobs win wasn’t exactly in the cards.

Maria Kanellis-Bennett is interrupted by Leyla Hirsch, who wants more competitive matches. That hasn’t happened, so Hirsch has gotten her Women’s Title shot against Athena next week.

Dalton Castle/The Boys vs. Ren Jones/Trenton Tormenta/Xavier Walker

Castle takes Jones down without much effort to start before the Boys come in for a dropkick. Jones drives Brent into the corner though and it’s Walker coming in to knock Brandon and Castle outside. Brent rolls over without much effort and Castle gets the tag to clean house. Everything breaks down and the Bang A Rang into a knee to the back (that’s a weird bonus) finishes Tormenta at 3:38.

Rating: C. Nothing much to see here, save for Castle adding a mostly unnecessary move after his big finisher. Castle and the Boys have absolutely nothing to do at the moment as the Six Man Tag Team Titles don’t mean much and for some reason Castle can’t get a singles run. Not quite a squash here, but the Boys squashing someone wouldn’t make sense anyway.

Griff Garrison/Cole Karter vs. The Infantry

Maria Kanellis-Bennett is here with Garrison and Karter. Garrison hiptosses Bravo to start and adds a boot to the face. Karter comes in and gets caught in the wrong corner, allowing Dean to come in for an elbow. The Infantry alternates on the beating until Karter hits a dropkick to take over on Bravo.

Garrison won’t listen to Maria’s orders to choke from the floor, leaving Bravo to roll over for the tag to Dean. A high crossbody gets two on Karter with Garrison having to make the save. Boot Camp hits Karter but Maria distracts the referee. Trish Adora chases Maria off, leaving Karter to roll Dean up (with feet on the ropes) for the pin at 7:02.

Rating: C. I’m still not sure why this Maria/Carter/Garrison story is supposed to be interesting but it’s falling pretty short. It feels like they have taken months to get very little accomplished and Karter/Garrison still aren’t exactly gelling. Maria is capable of so much more but here she is because….I have no idea really.

Ethan Page says if he wins tonight, he’s on a roll. Rohit Raju (Page’s opponent tonight) comes in to say you can’t spell Rohit without ROH, but Page promises a beating.

Mercedes Martinez vs. Allysin Kay

Diamante is here with Martinez. They fight to the floor rather quickly before Kay grabs a belly to back inside. Diamante breaks up a charge in the corner and Martinez gets in a cheap shot. After some posing inside, Martinez heads outside to beat Kay up on the floor. Kay manages a quick German suplex for a breather and a swinging neckbreaker takes Martinez down again. A missed charge sets up a Cheeky Nandos kick though and Diamante blasts Kay again. The fisherman’s buster finishes for Martinez at 5:38.

Rating: C. I’m not sure why they needed to go outside the ring that many times in a five minute match but it happened over and over. Other than that, Martinez is someone who can look good against anyone and she did it again here against a talented Kay. Again though, if you just keep winning matches and don’t move up the ladder into something more important, it doesn’t matter that much.

Lexi Nair and Billie Starkz aren’t happy with Athena’s interference early, but Athena pops up to say it’s time for some more minion training. Starkz can watch her beat up Leyla Hirsch next week.

Iron Savages vs. Gates Of Agony

Jacked Jameson and Prince Nana are here too. Kaun dropkicks Bronson to start before it’s off to Toa and Boulder for an exchange of clotheslines. Everything breaks down and Bronson’s dive is blocked, setting up a drop onto the apron. Back in and Bronson gets caught in the wrong corner, with the Gates getting to take turns. An elbow drop misses though and it’s Boulder coming in to clean house. Bronson hits a top rope elbow for two on Toa but Kaun shoves Boulder off the top. Nana steals Jameson’s Jacked Juice, leaving Bronson to take Open The Gates for the pin at 6:44.

Rating: C+. Nothing but a hoss fight here and that is something that will work most of the time. The Gates dominated the Six Man Tag Team Title scene for so long that it makes sense for them to be a successful two man team in their own right. Then you have the Savages, who are as over the top as you can get and it’s still entertaining, they aren’t likely to be getting a big win in the near future. Still though, pretty fun fight here.

Rohit Raju vs. Ethan Page

Raju jumps him to start but Page gets in a running shoulder. A delayed running suplex plants Raju and the capture belly to back suplex puts him down again. The Ego’s Edge is broken up though and Raju hits some running shots in the corner. A big boot cuts Raju right back off and it’s the slingshot cutter to give Page the pin at 2:37.

Brian Cage vs. Metalik

Prince Nana is here with Cage. Metalik starts fast and sends him outside but a dive is pulled out of the air. Back in and Cage snaps off a kick to the head in the corner, followed by a German suplex. There’s a 619 to drop Metalik again but a missed charge sends Cage into the corner.

Metalik snaps off a springboard hurricanrana, followed by the reverse Sling Blade. A big rope walk dive to the floor hits Cage again and a Code Red gives Metalik two. The rope walk Swanton misses though and Cage grabs a sitout powerbomb for two. Cage Drill Claws him for the pin at 8:01.

Rating: B-. Pretty nice power vs. speed match here and as usual, the formula worked well. What matters is getting Cage back on track after the surprising title loss and it isn’t like Metalik is going to be hurt by the loss. Cage has long since needed to get away from the Gates and if this is the start of that change, it is a good move for everyone involved.

Overall Rating: C. Within the last five weeks, Ring of Honor has crowned a new World Champion, Tag Team Champions and Six Man Tag Team Champions. None of them (or the TV/Pure Champions) were on this show, but I’m sure they’ll be on the upcoming AEW shows. In other words, ROH continues to be nothing more than a plot device for AEW and that is not making this show (the longest episode they’ve had in over a month) any easier to watch.

As for this show, it was exactly what you should expect from ROH: a bunch of mediocre to ok matches with so much stuff taking place that very little gets to stand out because it’s so bogged down by everything else. There was some minor storyline advancement, but as usual it takes either no time or the better part of forever to get anywhere. I’m running out of ways to make the same complaints every week but ROH keeps doing the same annoying things, making this show less and less interesting every single week.

Results
Josh Woods b. Brayden Erving – Tilt-A-Woods
Scorpio Sky b. Tony Nese – TKO
Gravity b. Lee Johnson – Top rope splash
Billie Starkz b. Lady Frost – Faceplant
Action Andretti/Darius Martin b. Outrunners – Double swinging slam to Magnum
Leyla Hirsch b. Laynie Luck – Fujiwara armbar
Shane Taylor b. Jimmy Jacobs – Welcome To The Land
Dalton Castle/The Boys b. Ren Jones/Trenton Tormenta/Xavier Walker – Knee to Tormenta’s back
Griff Garrison/Cole Karter b. The Infantry – Rollup with feet on the ropes to Dean
Mercedes Martinez b. Allysin Kay – Fisherman’s buster
Gates Of Agony b. Iron Savages – Open The Gates to Bronson
Ethan Page b. Rohit Raju – Slingshot cutter
Brian Cage b. Metalik – Drill Claw

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