Rampage
Date: August 25, 2023
Location: Rupp Arena, Lexington, Kentucky
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone

We are less than two days away from All In and you can feel how important the show is going to be. With just this show and Collision left, there is not much that needs to be covered before we get to London. Odds are this will be the lighter of the remaining shows but there could be a surprise. Let’s get to it.

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

I was in attendance for this show, sitting about ten rows back in the first section off the floor with the entrance on my right.

In Memory of Windham Rotunda.

Opening sequence.

Excalibur: “It’s Friday!” Liar. This was filmed on Saturday and you know it. Granted by the time it was done it was also Sunday so he’s lying twice.

International Title: Orange Cassidy vs. Aaron Solo

Solo (with a singing Harley Cameron) is challenging and this show is airing out of order from how it was taped. Cassidy takes him down with a headlock to start before putting his hands in his pockets for a toss to the floor. Cameron gets in between then so Cassidy gives her the lazy kicks before ducking Solo’s forearm. A big dive drops Solo but he takes Cassidy down back inside as we take a break.

Back with Cassidy ramming him into some buckles, followed by Stundog Millionaire. There’s the spinning DDT for two but Cameron starts singing….about how Cassidy is stupid for looking at him. The distraction lets Solo hit Trouble In Paradise before nearly dropping Cassidy on his head (that looked bad live and worse on TV). A top rope double stomp gets two so Cameron offers a distraction, allowing Solo to get in a boot (I think) shot for two more. Back up and the Orange Punch into the Beach Break retains at 9:13.

Rating: C+. This was for the sake of getting Cassidy in the ring as there was no reason to believe that Solo was going to end the forever reign. Solo is little more than a midcard villain with long hair and a loud singing manager, making him fine for a slightly difficult foil to Cassidy. At the very least though, Cassidy got a strong reaction and that’s why he was on the show.

Jim Ross gets a sitdown interview with QT Marshall, the new AAA Latin American Champion. Marshall says it is time to get the new respect that he deserves, because people have incorrectly thought that he kept latching on to people. The reality is that those people have come to him because he has put the pro in professional wrestling. Why is it taking a foreign promotion to see how great he is? He’s not on AEW posters or trucks? There is an Excalibur action figure but nothing of him! Starting now, he’s getting his respect. This didn’t air in the arena.

Video on CM Punk vs. Samoa Joe.

AAA Latin American Title: QT Marshall vs. Gravity

Gravity is challenging and Johnny TV is on commentary. This is the match that was taped before Collision started. Before the match, Marshall speaks some Spanish that sounds like he’s doing his best high school impression. Gravity starts fast with a handspring armdrag and then another one out of the corner.

A dropkick sends Marshall out to the floor and there’s a rather scary looking flip dive. Back in and Marshall knocks him out of the air so they’re right back on the floor. Gravity tries a hurricanrana but gets caught in a toss apron powerbomb instead. We take a break and come back with Gravity getting two off some rollups, plus a Canadian Destroyer.

Marshall grabs a backbreaker into a Downward Spiral, only to get hurricanranaed down for two. Gravity grabs a 21 Plex for two more but Marshall catches him on top. Something like a snapmare sends Gravity flying but he lands on his feet. A super Samoan drop gives Gravity two, only to have QT hit a pop up cutter. That and the Dirt Sheet Driver retains the title at 9:55.

Rating: B-. You know, if Marshall didn’t have such a lame history in AEW, he could be just fine as a midcard villain (at best that is). He has a good look and is in better shape than I would have guessed. Apparently he’s doing something right in Mexico to get that kind of a push (or maybe it’s part of a deal with AEW) so why not do that instead of the QTV nonsense?

Video on the Dark Order being all violent. This includes a clip of them slamming someone onto Legos, which isn’t the most serious visual.

Luchasaurus vs. Ren Jones

Non-title. The fans want to know where Luchasaurus’ title is as he chokeslams Jones. A clothesline to the back of the head finishes Jones off at 1:12.

Video on Adam Cole vs. MJF.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Outcasts vs. Hikaru Shida/Britt Baker

Ruby Soho is the odd outcast out. Shida and Storm fight to the floor to start, leaving Baker to hit a quick Sling Blade. Soho grabs Baker’s leg though and Saraya scores with a forearm to take over. Baker gets taken into the corner and choked on the ropes, followed by Saraya’s knees to the chest. Soho gets in some more shots but cue Kris Statlander 9wearing the TBS Title) to carry her off.

We take a break and come back with the Outcasts taking turns taunting Shida with the title. Baker neckbreakers her way to freedom though and there’s the hot tag off to Shida. The fans are behind Shida as she torture racks Storm and then drops her backwards (she’s used that spot before and I don’t think it exactly works). Storm gets in a shot of her own so Shida scores with an enziguri before bringing Baker back in. Baker is taken into the wrong corner again but Saraya throws her over to Shida.

With Baker put on the apron, Saraya makes her slap Shida’s hand….which somehow counts, but Baker tags herself back in anyway. A hip attack in the corner hits Baker and a double powerbomb gets two with Shida making the save. Shida hits the Falcon Arrow and Baker adds the fisherman’s neckbreaker but Storm makes the save this time. Saraya grabs the referee though, allowing Storm to spray paint Shida. The blind Shida hits Baker, knocking her into the Nightcap (Rampage) for the pin at 11:57.

Rating: C+. This was a not exactly veiled preview for the Women’s Title match and there isn’t much of a better way to go about it. Shida is getting her first title defense but couldn’t stop one of the Outcasts from getting a pin, which shows how vulnerable she is going into London. That’s a smart way to go about things as it’s a simple way to tell the story.

Saraya and Storm hold up the title to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. They weren’t trying to do anything special here and that is what a pre-major event Rampage should be. Don’t screw anything up and get through with this show before we get on to the one that matters. The women’s match was the only one that had any bearing on the pay per view and it went well enough, so we’ll call this a success despite it not exactly being must see TV.

Results
Orange Cassidy b. Aaron Solo
QT Marshall b. Gravity – Dirt Sheet Driver
Luchasaurus b. Ren Jones – Clothesline to the back of the head
Outcasts b. Hikaru Shida/Britt Baker – Nightcap to Baker

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.

So I reviewed this as usual last week and then forgot to publish it for some reason.  I’m not sure what happened but I’m sorry about that.

Ring Of Honor
Date: August 17, 2023
Location: Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina
Commentators: Caprice Coleman, Ian Riccaboni

We continue our build towards…whenever the next big show is going to be around here, which might not be happening for a fairly good while. For now though, we have a new #1 contender to the TV Title as Shane Taylor won a tournament to earn the shot last week. As for this week, Joe is teaming up with Stokely Hathaway to face the Boys, as what feels like the build to Joe vs. Dalton Castle continues. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Gravity vs. Gringo Loco

Gravity starts fast with a springboard hurricanrana and an armdrag to frustrate Loco again. The frustration is alleviated by a right hand to the mask but Gravity snaps off a scoop powerslam but Loco shoves him off the top for a crash. The big flip dive takes Gravity down again, followed by a twisting senton for two back inside. Gravity sends him outside and runs up the corner, flips into a seat, and then flips forward into a hurricanrana (that was awesome).

Back in and Gravity hits a delayed top rope Vader Bomb for two but Loco’s standing Spanish Fly gets the same. Loco threatens to kill him but Gravity gets in a kick to the head. They both stand on top and flip over in….well they call it a torture rack superplex but it also looked like a flipping DDT. Either way it gives Loco two but Gravity catches him with a super Samoan drop. The top rope splash finishes for Gravity at 10:16.

Rating: B-. This was the “he lost last week so here’s a win to make sure the fans still care” match for Gravity and it worked well. Gravity is starting to put together better offense and is becoming a fun guy to watch so nice choice for an opening match. Loco is another person who has worked well in most of his appearances and he did well again here.

Silas Young vs. Josh Woods

Pure Rules and Mark Sterling is…not here with Woods for a change. Woods grabs a headlock to start before they both avoid an armdrag. Young’s handshake offer is turned down and Woods picks the ankle to take it to the mat. They fight over a wristlock until Young blocks a Chaos Theory attempt. The fight over the armbar doesn’t work for either of them so Woods snaps the arm over the rope. Back in and Woods sends the arm into the buckle before getting in some rather aggressive stomps. Young gets two off a sunset flip so Woods punches him in the face. The anarchist suplex into the corner finishes Young at 6:53.

Rating: C+. The match itself was fine enough but I’m getting tired of these Pure Rules matches. The rules don’t really change much about the match and they seem to just be there for the sake of setting up whoever gets to lose to Katsuyori Shibata next. Young knowing Woods so well made for a nice story, but it’s still just the Pure Rules division and that’s not the most interesting stuff. Oh and why are these the only matches that get on-screen clocks?

Maria Kanellis-Bennett talks about everything she has given to wrestling but she’s still here. Now she wants an army to protect the Kingdom. Leyla Hirsch is mentioned but comes in to rant about how she doesn’t like to be scouted. Maria has granted her request for more competition with a match against Rachael Ellering.

Athena vs. Brittany J

Non-title Proving Ground match, meaning if J can survive the ten minute time limit or win, she gets a future title shot. Athena poses to start and gets rolled up for two. Brittany sends her outside but Athena grabs a leg for a pull to the floor. For some reason Athena yells at Riccaboni before hitting a pop up powerbomb inside. The right hand finishes Brittany at 1:50. Of all of the Athena wins in Proving Ground matches, this was the most recent.

Post match the Renegades jump Athena but Billie Starkz runs in for the save.

Samoa Joe/Stokely Hathaway vs. The Boys

During the entrances, Stokely talks about how he’ll be right here on the apron if Joe needs him. The Boys jump Joe to start but he knocks them both down without much effort. Stokely comes in and gets punched in the face as the Boys take over without much effort. Back up and Stokely manages to get over to Joe, who quickly cleans house. The Muscle Buster is loaded up but instead Joe lets Stokely come off the top with an ax handle. Instead of connecting though, Joe turns away (taking Brandon with him) and lets Stokely crash in a funny spot. The Koquina Clutch finishes for Joe at 3:53.

Rating: C. Other than the step aside crash, there wasn’t much to see here. I’m assuming this is going to be setting up Joe vs. Dalton Castle, but beating up the Boys with the help (or close to it) from Stokely isn’t exactly a hot angle. At least they kept things moving here and Stokely was funny as usual.

Billie Starkz doesn’t know what is going on with Athena but the Renegades come in for a staredown.

Matt Sydal/Christopher Daniels vs. Gates of Agony

This is from a Dynamite taping. Daniels grabs a headlock on Toa to start before getting run over with a shoulder. Kaun comes in and gets taken down with a drop toehold. It’s off to Sydal for a kick to the head before Daniels comes back in. As was the case earlier, Daniels gets beaten down, including a running splash in the corner. The chinlock doesn’t last long so Kaun switches to a side slam for two instead.

Daniels has to bite his way out of a bearhug and there’s the STO, allowing the tag off to Sydal. Everything breaks down and Sydal gets caught with the stereo clotheslines. Daniels makes the save, allowing Sydal to dive over for the tag to bring Daniels back in. Angel’s Wings hits Kaun but Toa makes the save this time. Back up and Kaun hits a fireman’s carry gutbuster to finish Daniels at 10;12.

Rating: B-. They managed to take two less that interesting teams and get an engaging match out of them. That’s hard to do and it’s nice to see the Gates starting to actually win matches against some decent competition. Daniels and Sydal aren’t exactly on the all time list of great ROH tag teams, but they’re former champions and work well enough so this could have been worse.

Dani Mo vs. Madison Rayne

Still at Dynamite and Rayne is the hometown girl. Mo elbows her way out of a hammerlock to start before Rayne charges into a boot in the corner. A cartwheel sets up a kick to Rayne’s face but she’s back with a dropkick. Rayne hits a neckbreaker into a northern lights suplex for two, followed by CrossRayne for the pin at 3:22.

Rating: C. It’s nice to have Rayne back as she is someone with enough of a reputation to be able to put some people over. She’s not likely to tear up the mat in a classic most of the time but she’s a good enough steady hand. Mo was unique enough to get another look and I could go with having her back somewhere in the future.

Dark Order vs. Corey Calhoun/Isaiah Broner/Lord Crewe

Uno takes Broner into the corner for the rapid fire stomps to start before Reynolds comes in to hammer away. Silver is in for the kicks to the chest and a near fall, followed by Reynolds’ knee drop. Cue Stu Grayson to watch, allowing Calhoun to come in of the tag. Not that it matters as the Darker Realm finishes Calhoun at 3:49.

Rating: C. Yeah they’re still the Dark Order, meaning it’s John Silver and an ok Alex Reynolds plus the mostly useless Evil Uno. I still don’t get what is supposed to be so special about these guys but they aren’t likely to go away anytime soon. At least they kept it short here and didn’t bother doing anything too important here, but that’s probably coming.

Claudio Castagnoli says he’s always watching, even if he isn’t on the show. He won the title over a year ago and cared, but then he lost it to Chris Jericho, who didn’t care. Now he’s a two time champion and he won’t let go of something he has cared about for so many years. His job is to keep people like Eddie Kingston, Mark Briscoe and Pac away from the title. He will step in the ring with anyone and this is still just a job. Come be better than him. Not much from Castagnoli here, but then again he didn’t have anything or anyone to talk about.

Cole Karter vs. Griff Garrison

Back in North Carolina as Garrison gets driven into the corner to start. A big boot staggers Karter though and a Falcon Arrow gets two on Karter. Back up and a dropkick hits Garrison and the chinlock goes on. Karter snaps off some suplexes but Garrison scores with a discus forearm to knock him silly. A rake to the eyes gets Karter out of trouble though and the belly to back spinning faceplant finishes Garrison at 4:29.

Rating: C. Remember all those other matches where Karter was just a guy in tights not doing anything that made him stand out in the slightest? This was another one of those, but for some reason he is being presented with Maria Kanellis-Bennett. I guess this is trying to find a way to use him, but he’s still nothing special in the slightest.

Post match Maria Kanellis-Bennett comes out to leave with Karter.

Charlotte Renegade vs. Billie Starkz

Robyn Renegade is here with Charlotte, who takes Billie down and hammers away to start. Starkz is sent outside for a beating from Robyn, followed by a face pull and choking back inside. Charlotte grabs a suplex but Starkz reverses into a brainbuster onto the knee. Robyn offers a distraction though and Starkz misses a Swanton, allowing Charlotte to hit a Samoan driver for two. Back up and Starkz grabs an arm trap faceplant (like a Neutralizer) for the pin at 3:40.

Rating: C. Well they’re trying with Starkz, who is indeed someone new. It seems that they’re setting up something for her against Athena and I’ll take that over one more random match after another. That being said, I could also go with less of the Renegades losing, as they feel like a pair who could be something, either together or on their own.

Post match the beatdown is on with Athena making the save. Athena won’t shake her hand but does say “come on minion, let’s go”, with Starkz following her out.

Tony Nese, with Ari Daivari, is annoyed at his group training being interrupted every week.

Workhorsemen/Lee Moriarty vs. Action Andretti/Darius Martin/Lee Johnson

Well this is a 2023 ROH match if I’ve ever seen one. Moriarty and Johnson start things off with Moriarty cranking on the wrist but getting armdragged into an armbar. Andretti comes in and helps send the villains outside as the fast start continues. Back in and we settle down a bit with Moriarty bringing Drake in for a swinging Boss Man Slam on Johnson.

Kicks and chops keep Johnson in trouble but he rolls over for the tag off to Andretti to clean house. Everything breaks down and Andretti is tossed into Drake’s sitout powerbomb. Andretti is back up with a springboard spinning kick to Drake’s face. Henry tries an O’Connor roll but Andretti rolls through and sits down on it for the pin at 7:05.

Rating: C+. Commentary talked about how the winner of this might be in line for a Six Man Tag Team Title shot and I’m not sure why I should believe that. The tradition for determining title shots seems to be throwing random opponents at the Embassy, even if they have never wrestled here before. At least they did pick up the pace after a string of dull matches, but I’ve seen Andretti and Martin team together with a variety of partners more than once now and it’s not like this was anything new.

Athena brings in Billie Starkz to say how proud she is but Starkz wants to face the Renegade Twins next week. This has been another story that could have been stretched out over about a month but instead they blitzed through it in about an hour.

Lady Frost vs. Trish Adora

Feeling out process to start until Frost misses a charge in the corner and gets kicked in the head. They go outside with Frost doing a handstand on the apron and then kicking Adora down. Back in and Adora kicks her into a crossbody but the Lariat Tubman is countered into a rollup for two. Frost hits her own kick to the head and goes up top for a corkscrew moonsault (Frostbite) for a pretty big upset at 4:06.

Rating: C+. Ok they got me with the surprise there, as I wouldn’t have bet on Frost winning. Much like Starkz, it’s cool to see someone fresh getting a chance, though unfortunately it’s at the expense of Adora. I’ll take what I can get with the unexpected ending though, as those can be nice every so often.

Kiera Hogan wants Lady Frost. This was less than thirty seconds after the match was over, because again, everything must go as fast as possible.

Rachael Ellering vs. Leyla Hirsch

Hirsch kicks a hand away rather than shake before taking Ellering down. Back up and Ellering chops away in the corner, only to get taken down by the arm. Ellering has to block a Fujiwara armbar and powers out of another armbar. A spinning uppercut drops Hirsch but she gets on Ellering’s back for the third armbar in a row. Hirsch rolls her up for two, followed by a cross armbreaker for the win at 4:49.

Rating: C. Hirsch picks off another one and in theory that should impress Maria a bit more. I’m not sure what Maria is setting up but at least Hirsch is getting to do something that might matter in a bit. It’s not a great match or anything, but it might matter going forward and I’ll take that around here.

Dalton Castle vs. Peter Avalon

Avalon is rather impressed by Castle’s over the top entrance. Castle wrestles him down to start but Avalon grabs a headlock takeover. A t-bone suplex cuts Avalon down and the Bang A Rang finishes for Castle at 2:35.

Shane Taylor is tired of hearing about the old guard. Now it is his chance to fight one of them himself and he’s back to establishing his own legacy. Good promo.

Metalik vs. Tony Nese

Ari Daivari is here with Nese, who does his usual bit before Jerry Lynn cuts him off. He’s tired of hearing this too, so here is someone from Nese’s past. Commentary being surprised despite introducing the match is a bit odd but far from new around here. Metalik stars fast with his rope walk dropkick to knock Nese outside but Nese trips him down.

Back in and Metalik gets tied in the Tree of Woe for the rapid fire kicks to the chest before grabbing the bodyscissors. Metalik is sent to the apron where he avoids a charge and hits an Asai moonsault. Back in and Metalik hits a reverse Sling Blade into the rope walk dropkick for two. Nese sends him hard into the corner but walks into a superkick and the Metalik Driver for the pin at 7:09.

Rating: C+. Commentary mentioned that these two had wrestled 34 times before and if that is the case, I’m not sure it’s something you want to brag about. This was hardly a noteworthy main event, but they seem to think they have something with this YOU’RE ALL FAT thing. Nese is one of those people who is going to be here no matter what, and while that can get old, it doesn’t seem likely to change anytime soon.

Overall Rating: C-. Unless you will take any wrestling you can get, there is no point to watching this show. Between the match quality ranging from pretty good to incredibly dull, stories going either glacially slow or faster than anyone could need them to and the same wrestlers doing the same thing week after week, you could probably skip months of this show without missing anything.

At the end of the day, I just sat through almost two hours and fifteen minutes for a main event featuring a match that was played out when it was on 205 Live years ago. This show doesn’t build to anything most of the title, matches are just trotted out there for the sake of extending the show, and there is nothing to indicate that it is going to change because Tony Khan has decided that this show is A, good and B, necessary for some reason. Another complete waste of time, which might as well be ROH’s motto since its return.

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.

Collision
Date: August 19, 2023
Location: Rupp Arena, Lexington, Kentucky
Commentators: Kevin Kelly, Nigel McGuinness

We have less than two weeks to go before All In and that means it is time to boost up what we already have set for the show. That could make for some good television here as what has been (or practically has been) announced is looking rather good. Now just get it home before heading off to London. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

I was in the arena for this show, sitting with the big screen on my right about ten rows back in the first section off the floor.

Christian Cage, Luchasaurus, Darby Allin, Bullet Club Gold, Dalton Castle and the Boys and Samoa Joe are ready to go.

Opening sequence.

Samoa Joe vs. Golden Vampire

Non-title and the Vampire jumps him before the bell. Joe gets posted and hit with the running knee in the corner as fans seem to think something is up. The Vampire hits a GTS and yes it is CM Punk. He asks for a mic and says “I accept b****.” So there’s your next All In match.

Video on All In.

Jay White vs. Dalton Castle

The Bullet Club and the Boys are here too. Castle takes him down by the leg without much trouble but White powers Castle into the corner. That means some fanning from the Boys but White sends him outside anyway. The Boys toss Castle right back inside but a missed charge sends Castle crashing to the floor. The Club chases the Boys around and then into the ring, leaving White to drop Castle onto the apron.

We take a break and come back with Castle slugging away and throwing the German suplexes for two. They head outside with White chopping away but the Boys have to dive on the rest of the Club. Back in and both finishers are broken up, allowing White to hit the swinging Rock Bottom for two. The sleeper suplex sets up the Bladerunner for the pin at 12:12.

Rating: B-. For a White Castle match, there was very list Of Fear involved and that made it a little disappointing. Other than that, it was a bit too big/long and nowhere near greasy enough to make it a true White Castle showdown, but it left things feeling good enough that I’d like to see it again in a few years.

Post break White grabs the mic and says if Kenny Omega is paying attention in his hospital bed, he might want to think twice about All In. They’ve known the Elite for a long time now and they’ll prove their dominance again. Juice Robinson said they put Omega in the hospital in two minutes so imagine what they’ll do at All In. The Gunns are the best brother tag team ever and they’ll prove it again against the Bucks in a six man tag on Wednesday. For now though, they want a six man tag tonight, so get someone out here!

Jacked Jameson/Iron Savages vs. Bullet Club Gold

Bronson drives Austin into the corner to start and hammers away as well. Austin slips out of a slam though and Bronson is taken into the corner for the stomping from Robinson. Colten comes in for a knee lift into a heck of a lariat before handing it back to Robinson. Bronson is sent outside as White joins commentary and we take a break. Back with Boulder coming in to clean house, including pulling Robinson out of the air. Robinson is slammed onto the Gunns but Jameson comes in and gets sent outside. The left hand into the 3:10 To Yuma hits Boulder though and the layout forward DDT finishes for Robinson at 9:35.

Rating: C+. The Savages and Jameson are good enough for a fun act but having them come out here and lose again isn’t the best way to present them. The Club winning gives them some more momentum towards All In though and they seem to really be clicking as of late. Even the Gunns weren’t bad here and that’s a good sign for their futures.

We recap Billy Gunn retiring and the House Of Black stealing his boots.

The House Of Black have said boots and talk about Billy living as a shadow of himself and throwing the boots away.

Rush calls Jose The Assistant and isn’t happy with what he is seeing from La Faccion Ingobernable. He wants them in Mexico, so we see Dralistico in Mexico and picking up Preston Vance to go to a bar. Then they’re kidnapped, put in a van and taken away as Jose watches.

Ricky Starks is annoyed at being suspended but he’ll use the rest of his suspension to sow chaos, starting tonight. And here’s Big Bill, apparently Starks’ protege.

Big Bill vs. Derek Neal

Ricky Starks, with belt, is in Bill’s corner. Choking, big boot and chokeslam finish Neal at 1:09.

Video on Sting and Darby Allin invading AR Fox’s indy show and laying him out.

Nick Wayne wants revenge on the Mogul Embassy.

Willow Nightingale vs. Diamante

Diamante starts with the choking on the ropes but Nightingale fights up and hits a spinning faceplant. Nightingale knocks her off the apron but here is Mercedes Martinez to watch at ringside. Diamante’s shots to the face don’t do much so she kicks the knee out instead. Some forearms to the head have Nightingale in trouble and we take a break.

Back with Nightingale making a comeback and hitting a splash in the corner. There’s a big boot to put Diamante down again but she sends Nightingale into the corner for the running knees. An Asai DDT gets two on Nightingale but she pounds away in the corner. A middle rope dropkick hits Diamante so Martinez pulls her outside. Cue Kris Statlander to go after Martinez so Nightingale hits the Pounce. Back in and the Babe With The Powerbomb finishes for Nightingale at 11:06.

Rating: C. It’s always nice to see Nightingale win but at the same time, there wasn’t much to see here, with Diamante and Martinez being a rather new evil unit. Nightingale vs. Statlander down the line could go well but for now, it’s just Nightingale getting a win. That’s good to see, though eleven minutes to beat Diamante is a good bit too long.

Video on FTR vs. the Young Bucks. I guess this counts as FTR speaking after Cash Wheeler’s arrest?

Toni Storm is asked about an upcoming tag match on Rampage and complains about the interviewer being VERY rude. The Outcasts are a sisterhood so don’t worry about what they’re doing. A shoe is thrown.

Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Kevin Ku

Hobbs knocks a crossbody attempt out of the air and hammers away in the corner. A belly to back superplex and a standing clothesline set up the spinebuster to finish for Hobbs at 1:56.

Post match Hobbs puts Ku in Miro’s Game Over. Miro pops up on screen to say he and Hobbs have a lot in common, but now he walks alone. It’s time to destroy Hobbs at All Out. Pretty simple point there.

All In rundown.

Christian Cage vs. Darby Allin

Luchasaurus is here with Cage. They fight over a lockup to start with neither being able to get very far early on. Christian chops away but gets sent outside, where he has to hide from the threat of an Allin dive. Back in and Christian whips him hard into the corner and we take a break.

We come back with Cage working on the arm but Allin pulls him into some rollups for two each. They head back to the floor with Cage staying on the arm and taunting him with Luchasaurus’ TNT Title. Back in and a hammerlock slam sets up a reverse layout DDT but Allin blocks the spear. A Code Red lets Allin pull Christian’s turtleneck onto his head but they ram heads for a double knockdown.

We take another break and come back with Allin hitting a springboard Coffin Drop to a standing Cage. The shotgun dropkick sends Cage into the corner and they go outside again. This time Allin tries a standing Coffin Drop to Luchasaurus but can’t even knock him down. Instead Cage is knocked down again and sat in a chair, where a missile dropkick to the floor leaves them both laying (that could have been worse).

Back in and the Coffin Drop is loaded up but Cage rolls to the apron. That’s fine with Allin, who tries the Coffin Drop but only hits apron for the scary crash. Now the referee ejects Luchasaurus (weird timing), allowing Cage to get in a belt shot for two. Cage takes him up top for a sunset bomb into a spear for two and Cage is livid. A clothesline cuts off Allin’s comeback attempt but he flips over into a rollup for the pin at 20:28.

Rating: B. The match was a good bit longer than it needed to be, but what mattered here was Allin’s charisma. There is something about him that makes you want to watch him overcome the odds and win, which is exactly what he did here. It’s something that not a lot of wrestlers have and he knows how to make more out of his smaller stature than almost anyone else. Heck of a match here, but it could have been trimmed down considerably.

Post match Tony Schiavone gets in the ring to talk to Allin but Luchasaurus comes back for a distraction, allowing Cage to get in another belt shot. The beatdown is on, with Cage forcing Tony to count a three. Tony has to declare Cage STILL the TNT Champion so posing can ensue to end the show (with Swerve Strickland and AR Fox approving in the back).

Overall Rating: C+. Other than Punk vs. Joe being set up in a cool moment and a rather good (and rather long) main event, this show was a bunch of “Hey, that person who was awesome before? They’re still awesome.” Collision needs some fresh hands as they’re already running out of combinations with these people, and college football is looming big for the next few months. Not a bad show, but it’s a very skippable one. That’s not a good sign two and a half months into the series’ run and it could get worse in a hurry.

Results
Jay White b. Dalton Castle – Blade Runner
Bullet Club Gold b. Jacked Jameson/Iron Savages – Layout forward DDT to James
Big Bill b. Derek Neal – Chokeslam
Willow Nightingale b. Diamante – Babe With The Powerbomb
Powerhouse Hobbs bl Kevin Ku – Spinebuster
Darby Allin b. Christian Cage – Rollup

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: August 12, 2023
Location: Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, Coliseum
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We are about two weeks away from All In and the card has mostly started to come together. There are a lot of things that still need to be set up, so this week could be a mixture of new stuff plus building up what is already announced. On top of that, we also have the Trios Titles on the line with CM Punk/FTR challenging the House of Black. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Acclaimed, Christian Cage and Luchasaurus, FTR and CM Punk are all ready.

Opening sequence.

Tony Schiavone brings out Ricky Starks for a chat. Last week, Starks whipped Ricky Steamboat with a belt (which he has with him, because he’s a thief too) and as a result, he has been suspended from wrestling for thirty days. Starks doesn’t care because it had to be done. Steamboat did something wrong and had to be punished, so no it isn’t his fault. Instead, he has a manager’s license for the next thirty days because this is his house. CM Punk got the win last week but he isn’t bulletproof. Next week, the war begins.

Video on FTR vs. the Young Bucks.

Acclaimed vs. Iron Savages

Max does his rap but Bowens doesn’t have a daddy to scissor. The Savages on the other hand have Jacked Jameson with them. Bronson powers out of Bowens’ headlock so Bowens fires off some right hands in the corner. Caster comes in to hammer on Bronson before it’s off to Bounder. For some reason Caster tries a fireman’s carry, which goes rather badly. Bowens comes back in and kicks away but gets picked up, with Caster being pulled out of the air at the same time. The double drop sends us to an early break.

Back with Caster missing the top rope splash so Bowens can come back in to clean house. Boulder launches Bowens up for a faceplant though and a double spinebuster gets two. The electric chair splash is loaded up but Caster makes the save with a missile dropkick. Caster AA’s Boulder and Jameson gets Scissor Me Timbers. Stereo Fameassers finish for the Acclaimed at 8:47.

Rating: C+. The Savages are an intimidating looking power team and they made for some good opponents for the Acclaimed. With Billy Gunn gone, it would be nice to see Acclaimed getting back into the Tag Team Title hunt as it isn’t like they have anything else going on at the moment. Now can they please stop acting like Billy Gunn is dead?

Post match the Acclaimed say they’re back to being a two man team and they’ll be wrestling again on Dynamite. Gunn gets a tribute as well.

Bullet Club Gold says they’re on fire this week and the Gunns are ready to beat up the Young Bucks on Dynamite. Don’t bring superkicks to a gun fight.

Video on Adam Cole and/vs. MJF.

Mercedes Martinez/Diamante vs. Willow Nightingale/Kris Statlander

Statlander gets distracted by Martinez to start but manages to kick Diamante in the head anyway. Diamante snaps off a headscissors but it’s Nightingale coming in for a quick splash. The Pounds is blocked though and we get the Paradise Lock, allowing the villains to pose before hitting the double dropkick.

We take a break and come back with Nightingale fighting her way out of trouble. A spinebuster is enough to bring Statlander back in to clean house, including dropkicks all around. Nightingale comes back in but the villains get knocked outside. With Nightingale and Statlander outside, Martinez Razor’s Edge tosses Diamante onto them (and she almost left it short).

Back in and Nightingale Pounces Martinez but gets Sliced Breaded by Diamante. Statlander hits a fisherman’s driver on Diamante but gets decked by Martinez. Nightingale sits down on a sunset flip but Martinez turns her over and gets the pin (with an assist from Diamante) at 8:45.

Rating: C+. I get why it needed to be done but it’s annoying to see Nightingale take another pin. You don’t have Statlander lose in a tag match but hopefully this sets up Martinez as a challenger. She would be someone who can give Statlander a heck of a fight and that’s exactly what she needs.

Toni Storm is glad to have Saraya in the Women’s Title match at All In because they can keep things straight. Now if the interviewer will stop messing with Storm when she’s in a vulnerable state, things will be great. Storm promises to have her escorted out and throws a shoe.

Samoa Joe vs. Andrew Everett

Joe’s ROH TV Title isn’t on the line and he hammers Everett down in the corner. There’s the enziguri but Everett tries to flip around. That doesn’t work for Joe, who chokes him out at 1:17.

Post match Joe calls out CM Punk again, this time referring to him as a coward. Joe even gave Punk the courtesy of telling him what would happen but now it is time to convince him.

All In rundown.

Here are Christian Cage and Luchasaurus for a chat. Cage calls this the biggest family reunion he has ever been a part of, as everyone in North Carolina is related. North Carolina has its fair share of second bests, like Michael Jordan compared to LeBron James and Ric Flair compared to himself. No one respects him, but the one who disrespects him the most is Darby Allin.

Now Allin already says that he is half dead inside, but if he keeps coming after Cage’s TNT Title, he’ll make up the other half. Cue Arn Anderson with his son Brock (Arn: “This is Greensboro, North Carolina, they know us around here.”) and Arn reminds Cage that Luchasaurus is the REAL champion. Cage tells him to come in here right now but Arn says if this was twenty years ago, he’d hit the spinebuster and win the title. For now though, we’ll do this instead.

TNT Title: Luchasaurus vs. Brock Anderson

Luchasaurus is defending and he wastes no time in knocking Brock to the floor. A belly to back drop puts Brock down again and we take a break. Back with Luchasaurus hitting a chokeslam and a clothesline to the back of the head for the pin at 5:22. Not enough shown to rate but it was a squash.

Post match Darby Allin runs in for the save with the skateboard. Allin threatens to do something rather painful with the skateboard and then challenges Christian for a match next week. Cage is in, so Allin promises to beat them both.

Here is Powerhouse Hobbs for a chat. Last week, an opportunity presented itself for All Out. Hobbs has not found any peace for the last few months, so he went back home and found the one thing that means something to him: The Book Of Hobbs (which he has in his hands). The next chapter is called Redemption, so he wants the Redeemer here right now. Cue Miro, but QTV jumps him on the way. Hobbs doesn’t seem to have expected them, but Miro beats them down anyway. That leaves Hobbs to hit the spinebuster on Miro and leave him laying, complete with book (at least he has something to read).

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Jim Ross comes out to call the main event.

Trios Titles: CM Punk/FTR vs. House Of Black

The House, with Julia Hart, is defending. Punk and Matthews start things off and yes the fans are split again. A headlock doesn’t get Punk very far so it’s off to Cash for a headlock takeover. That’s broken up and they get to stare at each other for a bit. Some arm cranking works a bit better so it’s off to Harwood for the snap suplex. A legdrop gets two and it’s off to King for the power.

Harwood chops away at him and adds a basement dropkick. Punk goes up top but dives over King to clothesline Murphy. It’s back to Punk vs. black and they sit down to look at each other but everything breaks down. The three way slugout takes us to a break and we come back with Black knocking Harwood down and grabbing the chinlock. Harwood fights up but it’s back to King to take care of that.

Black misses the big spinning kick to the head and the DDT plants him. Punk gets the hot tag to pick up the pace as JR gives his usual lament about the DDT not finishing anyone. Matthews slips out of the GTS so Punk drops him again, but a Hart distraction lets Black get in the crotching. King hits a heck of a Cannonball to Punk in the corner and we take another break. Back again with Punk still in trouble as Matthews grabs the chinlock. Punk fights up and hits a quick GTS, allowing the tag off to Wheeler to pick up the pace.

Everything breaks down and the House is knocked outside, leaving Wheeler to hit a big dive. Back in and King suplexes FTR down but they manage to superplex King instead. Punk’s top rope elbow gets two and we need a breather. Harwood brainbusters Matthews and black and Punk kick each other in the head to leave everyone down. A top rope headbutt hits King….but here is Samoa Joe to choke Punk out. That and a Hart distraction lets King hit a lariat to retain the titles at 26:55.

Rating: B. They didn’t have much of another option for the finish as they don’t want to change the titles and you don’t want Punk taking a fall. Joe more or less said he was going to mess with Punk and this is as good of a way as you’re going to get to cover both of those things. The action was good as well and it made for the big fight feel, so this worked as a main event.

Overall Rating: B. Rather solid show up and down here, with matches that worked, both long and short. They pushed some things towards All In and All Out and that’s exactly what they needed to do. There was nothing on here that was an instant classic or anything close to it, but this was a very nice way to spend two hours on a Saturday night.

Results
Acclaimed b. Iron Savages – Fameasser to Bronson
Diamante/Mercedes Martinez b. Willow Nightingale/Kris Statlander – Assisted sunset flip to Nightingale
Samoa Joe b. Andrew Everett – Koquina Clutch
Luchasaurus b. Brock Anderson – Clothesline to the back of the head
House Of Black b. CM Punk/FTR – Lariat to Harwood

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

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Collision
Date: August 5, 2023
Location: Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, South Carolina
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Nigel McGuinness

It’s another big title night as FTR defends the Tag Team Titles against Big Bill/Brian Cage and Ricky Starks challenges CM Punk for….whatever we’re calling Punk’s title. Ricky Steamboat will be the guest referee, which sounds like a way to boost things up for the local crowd. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

CM Punk, Ricky Stark, Brian Cage, Big Bill, Prince Nana and FTR are all ready for tonight.

Opening sequence.

Tag Team Titles: Big Bill/Brian Cage vs. FTR

Bill and Cage, with Prince Nana, are challenging and Cash Wheeler’s mother is here for a bonus. Wheeler and Cage start things off with Cage being a bit too strong. Harwood comes in and gets clotheslined but reverses a gorilla press into a crossbody for two. Cage runs him over though and it’s Bill coming in (to quite the response) for a double shoulder. It’s already back to Wheeler, who is promptly slammed and elbowed for two.

Everything breaks down though and it’s a double clothesline to send Cage outside, but Bill blocks the Shatter Machine. Instead, Bill chokeslams Wheeler onto Harwood and then presses him out onto Harwood on the floor as we take a break. Back with Bill hammering on Wheeler in front of his mom, who is completely unfazed and even slaps Bill in the face. Cage plants Wheeler for two back inside but Wheeler slips out of Bill’s torture rack. That doesn’t work for Bill, who blasts him with a clothesline to cut off any comeback.

Bill misses a splash in the corner though and a German suplex drops Cage, allowing the big tag to Harwood. Right hands abound and Cage gets caught in a Steiner Bulldog for a rather near fall. Back up and Cage gets Harwood in a fireman’s carry before catching Wheeler in the air (geez) and dropping both of them.

A Jackhammer gives Cage two (as Bill chokeslams Harwood) and Bill sends both champs outside. Cage busts out his big no hands flip dive (because that’s something he can do), setting up a big boot to give Bill two on Wheeler. Back up and Wheeler sends Cage into Bill, who gets caught with a quick Shatter Machine to retain the titles at 15:03.

Rating: B. This was a heck of a match and Bill/Cage are a much better team than I was expecting. They did the power stuff well and looked impressive doing it while making FTR work to retain the titles here. I was getting into this one and it was a rather awesome match, especially given how new of a team the challengers are.

Post match FTR grabs the mic and says they’ve done a lot, but there is one more thing they need to do…..so how about they finish things with the Young Bucks at All In?

Video on CM Punk vs. Ricky Starks over the REAL World Title.

Juice Robinson, with Jay White cardboard cutout, says when you’re hot you’re hot. Cue the real White to chop the cutout (a distraught Robinson takes it away) and introduce the Gunns (now the TOP Gunns) to mock commentary in a bit of a weird bit.

TBS Title: Kris Statlander vs. Mercedes Martinez

Statlander is defending and they start fast, with Martinez slipping out of a suplex attempt. A running boot to the head misses for Martinez but Statlander misses a flipping splash. Martinez sends her into the corner and elbows her way out of another suplex as Statlander isn’t off to the best start. A chokebomb drops Statlander for two more and a hard forearm puts her down in the corner as we take a break.

Back with Statlander making a comeback and knocking Martinez to the floor. Statlander misses a crossbody off the apron but manages a backbreaker to slow Martinez down again. Martinez cages her on top though and a rather nasty looking release German superplex drops Statlander hard. A running knee gives Martinez two and a quick fisherman’s driver gives Martinez the same. Martinez drops her again but a running forearm to the back of the head is countered into a rollup to retain the title at 10:15 (Martinez’s shoulders looked to be up).

Rating: C+. This got better near the end but Martinez was dominating most of the match until the quick ending. Statlander working with a veteran like Martinez is a good thing and hopefully she got something out of it. Martinez is someone who has not gotten a ton of TV time in recent months and it would be nice for that to change.

Post match Martinez says her shoulders were up and jumps Statlander. Cue Diamante to help Martinez beat her down until Willow Nightingale makes the save.

Here’s the problem with that post match angle:

1. Diamante has not wrestled a match on AEW TV since last September (A loss to Jade Cargill which ran about two and a half minutes. Her most recent TV match before then was in 2020.).

2. This week on ROH TV, ROH Women’s Champion Athena told Diamante to find what she was missing and fix it.

3. The only thing mentioned about Diamante’s time on this week’s ROH TV was that she lost to Athena. No mention whatsoever of Athena’s comments to her.

Again: Tony Khan really needs to stop assuming that everyone is watching every show, because otherwise this was an unprovoked turn from someone who has had one match in AEW in about two and a half year. Show us a clip, tell us what happened or give us some reason why this is taking place.

Toni Storm seems to be on the verge of snapping over losing the Women’s Title last week. She goes into a rant about how she deserves better because she’s that good.

Samoa Joe vs. Serpentico

Non-title and the Koquina Clutch finishes Serpentico at 16 seconds (more than a fourth of which was spent in a staredown).

Post match Samoa Joe says we are coming up on All In and he has no one to face. He has had to deal with things over the years, while a certain REAL World Champion got to travel the world. Joe knows that man is nowhere near his level, but that REAL World Champion took something from him in the Owen Hart Foundation tournament. A rollup is not good enough for their legacy, so Joe wants to be given what he wants. One more time at Wembley Stadium. If Joe has to wait until next week, he’s coming for Punk (the only time Joe said the name).

Andrade El Idolo seems happy with getting his mask back last week over Buddy Matthews.

We get a sitdown interview with the Acclaimed, who have Billy Gunn’s boots. They have talked to him and he is confirming that he is retiring. Gunn was the only one who believed in them and helped them become champions. For now though, they are going to bring Gunn’s boots to the ring with him. Well that’s morbid.

Trios Titles: House Of Black vs. Action Andretti/Lee Johnson/Darius Martin

The House, with Julia Hart, is defending. Actually hold on as the House Rules are back and the Dealer’s Choice rule is Hart being banned from ringside. King runs Martin over with a shoulder to start but Martin knees him in the face, only to have his high crossbody bounce off. Black comes in to strike away at Andretti, who knocks him outside but gets kicked in the face.

Matthews jumps off the top to stomp on Andretti’s arm before tossing him ribs first onto the top rope for a good looking visual. Andretti is knocked into the barricade and we take a break. Back with Johnson hitting a moonsault into something resembling a double reverse DDT. Black kicks him into the corner though and everything breaks down. Andretti dives onto Black and Murphy before Martin’s top rope splash to King’s back gets two. Matthews and Black knee Martin out of the air though and the titles are retained at 9:10.

Rating: C+. This is one of those matches where the ending wasn’t in doubt but you got some cool moments before the inevitable. There was no way a thrown together team was going to win the titles here, even with the return of the not quite necessary House Rules. It’s a perfectly nice title defense though and they let the guys have some fun.

Next week: CM Punk and FTR get a Trios Titles match. Ok.

QTV throw out Tony Schiavone to talk to Will Hobbs. They offer him a gold chain and suggest that Hobbs get in the ring at All Out. Hobbs doesn’t want or need their help, but he’ll take the chain.

Christian Cage, with his daughter, and Luchasaurus are here with Christian talking about how he wants to be a good father to everyone. She asks to hold his title, but Christian says she didn’t win it so go find your mom and get out of here. Christian: “Security, she’s not credentialed. Have her removed from the building.” Well that was awesome.

Metalik vs. Jay White

The Gunns and Juice Robinson, with the cardboard Jay White (Cardblade) and the former join commentary. White knees Metalik in the ribs to start but gets a headscissors into the corner. A springboard doesn’t work so well for Metalik but he gets knocked back to the apron. White snaps him throat first across the top but misses a baseball slide, allowing Metalik to springboard moonsault onto him. White has had it with this though and grabs a cobra clutch suplex, setting up the Blade Runner for the pin at 5:10.

Rating: C. It was a nice way to get White in the ring and keep him hot as the Bullet Club gets to do their wacky antics. It wasn’t meant to be some competitive back and forth match and while Metalik got in some offense, he isn’t anywhere close to White’s level and everyone knows that. They stuck to the point here and that is nice to see.

Video on Anna Jay vs. Hikaru Shida.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Jim Ross is back for the main event.

Real World Title: Ricky Starks vs. CM Punk

Punk is defending and Ricky Steamboat is the outside referee. They start fast with Punk knocking him out to the floor but pausing to let him back in. Punk runs him over with a shoulder and steals Starks’ pose a few times for a cute spot. Starks is right back with the armdrag (you knew that was coming) to send Punk outside and there’s the mocking the go to sleep motion. Back in and Starks hammers away in the corner, setting up a Cactus Clothesline.

We take a break and come back with thinking picking way up, including Starks unloading with right hands in the corner. Punk strikes away as well (nowhere near as fast but he was trying) until Starks is sent outside. Back in and Starks manages to knock him outside for a change, followed by an elbow to the face back inside. The Steamboat style chop to the head lets Starks glare at Steamboat before grabbing a waistlock. Punk fights up and hits a spinning middle rope crossbody but can’t get a sunset flip (Starks grabbing the rope didn’t help).

We take another break and come back again with Punk hitting a top rope superplex. Some right hands into a swinging neckbreaker keeps Starks in trouble and there’s the running knee into the bulldog for two. Starks rolls through a high crossbody (not exactly smoothly) for two before countering another running knee in the corner with a powerbomb.

The GTS is broken up but Starks misses a charge into the corner and hits the buckle. Punk kicks him in the head for two but Starks’ Alabama Slam gets the same. The ref gets bumped (of course) so Starks goes to yell, allowing Punk to roll him up, with Steamboat (very eventually) counting the pin to retain Punk’s title at 22:20.

Rating: B. They took some time to get warmed up here but it was rolling once they got into the rhythm of things. Punk continues to be able to shift from good to bad in the blink of an eye and he was full on fan favorite this week. Starks continues to be someone who feels like a star, though the loss after that long of a wait on the count didn’t help him. Steamboat looks to be about twenty years younger than he is (if not for the hair color, you wouldn’t think he aged) but he didn’t get to do much here.

Post match Punk pays homage to Steamboat but Starks shoves Steamboat into him. Starks whips out a belt and whips the heck out of Steamboat (he can still sell) until Punk (also very eventually) makes the save. Punk glares at Starks and then chases him off to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. As tends to be the case with a lot of shows, the opener and main event were the best parts, with the stuff in the middle being mostly ok. What mattered here was setting things up for the future, as Punk vs. Starks isn’t done but Punk also has the House of Black and Samoa Joe to deal with coming up. Collision has really started to figure out what it wants to be and is turning into one of the best shows of the week as a result.

Results
FTR b. Big Bill/Brian Cage – Shatter Machine to Cage
Kris Statlander b. Mercedes Martinez – Rollup
Samoa Joe b. Serpentico – Koquina Clutch
House of Black b. Lee Johnson/Action Andretti/Darius Martin – Double knees to Martin
Jay White b. Metalik – Blade Runner
CM Punk b. Ricky Starks – Rollup

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.

Collision
Date: July 29, 2023
Location: XL Center, Hartford, Connecticut
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Nigel McGuinness

It’s another title match as FTR is defending the Tag Team Titles against MJF/Adam Cole. No matter what the outcome, the result is likely to have a big impact on All In/Out. Other than that, CM Punk is here and that should mean something is going down with Ricky Starks. That should be enough to carry the evening so let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Darby Allin, MJF/Adam Cole and FTR are ready.

Opening sequence.

Buddy Matthews vs. Andrade El Idolo

Ladder match for Andrade’s mask and Julia Hart is here with Matthews. They slug it out to start until Andrade knocks him outside, where Andrade jumps onto a ladder and moonsaults down onto Matthews. Back in and Andrade hits Two Amigos but takes too long on the third. Not that it matters as Matthews is hiptossed into the ladder in the corner. Andrade gets tossed down as well though and we take a break with Matthews’ shoulder in trouble.

Back with Andrade in trouble and Matthews (shoulder seems to be ok) pulling out the really big ladder. Said ladder is bridged between the apron and the announcers’ table and they fight over a suplex. Andrade tries a spear through the ropes but gets DDTed onto the ladder. The table is loaded up in the corner but Matthews takes too long, meaning it’s time to slug it out on the ladder outside. Andrade goes big with a sunset bomb to drive Matthews onto a bridged ladder for a terrifying crash and it’s time to climb.

Back in and Matthews (who should be like, down at least) pulls Andrade into a knee to the face as Hart pulls out some handcuffs. Andrade fights back though and ties Matthews up, only to have Hart climb on his back as he climbs up. That takes long enough that Matthews makes the save, only to be knocked down again. Hart slaps Andrade on the ladder, so he shoves her off and into Matthews, through the table in the corner. Andrade gets the mask (that he doesn’t wear in the ring) to win at 18:06.

Rating: B. It’s a ladder match. That’s about all there is to say on this one, as there is very little that can make something like this stand out. The huge sunset bomb onto the ladder with Matthews up in thirty seconds was stupid, but at this point you just kind of have to accept something like that in this kind of a match. Good enough, but this felt like a ladder match for the sake of having a ladder match.

Miro is asked about the upcoming battle he has promised when Aaron Solo (I believe at least, as he isn’t identified) jumps him with a chair. Miro fights him off and uses the chair on him without much trouble.

Here is Darby Allin with an open challenge.

Darby Allin vs. Minoru Suzuki

Allin wastes no time in dropkicking Suzuki off the apron during his entrance, setting up the suicide dive (with Allin nearly dying). A dropkick off the apron hits Suzuki and they head inside for an opening bell and two. Suzuki grabs a choke over the ropes and kicks Allin down to the floor. We take a break and come back with Allin standing up to start the chop off. This doesn’t go well for Allin so he picks up the pace and hits a springboard body block. The Coffin Drop is pulled into a rear naked choke but Allin backflips over to pin Suzuki at 8:12.

Rating: B-. Well that came out of nowhere and that’s a bit weird. I’m not sure why you would have a fan favorite like Suzuki out there with no notice but it was a fine enough one off match. Allin picks up a win on the way towards All Out, and for a surprise match it went about as well as could be expected.

Post match Christian Cage, with Luchasaurus, pops up on screen to say that Allin is no longer worthy of being the TNT Champion. Cage promises to send him back to Hot Topic.

Toni Storm is ready for Hikaru Shida, “the pandemic champion”, next week on Dynamite.

Samoa Joe vs. Gravity

Joe’s ROH TV Title isn’t on the line (as Gravity is still in the tournament to crown a new #1 contender). Gravity dodges him to start but gets knocked into the corner. Back up and Gravity manages a shot out of said corner, only to take too long going up. The MuscleBuster finishes for Joe at 2:05. So Gravity just got squashed by a champion who he could still earn a shot at later. I can’t wait to see how far he goes next week on ROH.

Here is CM Punk, with the bag, for a chat. He had a rough travel day but always makes his towns because he won’t disappoint his fans. Punk brings up All In, even referencing that the show has pretty much not been acknowledged. Maybe we’ll figure that out by the end of the night, but now he wants to talk about Ricky Starks. Ricky has beaten him twice, but he is more disappointed than anything else.

Now as for the bag, it isn’t that he’s carrying it, but rather he’s been left holding it. After a WHAT’S IN THE BAG chant, Punk pulls out the AEW World Title, which he has never been pinned or submitted for, which is why his name (and blood) are still on it. Punk whips out some spray paint and paints the X on the title. It has been his symbol since the 90s and it still is here.

Cue Ricky Starks, to say play his music because he wants to make an entrance. Starks’ music plays and Nigel loses it because WHAT A SURPRISE, RICKY STARKS IS HERE. Speaking in the third person, Starks says he’s focused on gold right about now. He bit Punk before Punk can bite him and that title belongs to him because he’s beaten Punk twice. Starks calls himself the face of collision but Punk calls him the face of cheating. Punk thinks Starks wants a title shot and says we can do it a third time….with a special referee.

Starks recommends Julio Dinero or Dave Prazak (or someone from Stamford) but Punk has already made a phone call to someone from his past. They shake hands and the match is made for next week….and Tony Schiavone announces Ricky Steamboat as guest referee. Cool reveal, though I’m wondering why MJF, the official World Champion, who is in the building tonight, didn’t storm the ring to say NOT SO FAST.

Video on MJF/Adam Cole.

Bullet Club Gold vs. Darius Martin/Action Andretti/El Hijo del Vikingo

Juice Robinson/The Gunns here but no Jay White. The Gunns get taken down by Martin and Andretti and we take a break less than thirty seconds in (it’s stupid when WWE does it and it’s stupid here). Back with Vikingo diving for a tag but the Gunns pull his partners away. A full nelson slam gets two as there is now a cardboard cutout of Jay White at ringside. The hot tag to Andretti goes through a few seconds later and a double Tajiri handspring elbow connects with the Gunns. Everything breaks down and the 3:10 To Yuma finishes Martin at 6:53.

Rating: C+. I guess this was the “Bullet Club Gold Gets Momentum Back” match, though the thing with the cardboard cutout was a little weird. What mattered here was having a fun enough match without going too far and it worked well enough. That being said, Robinson and White are a lot more interesting than the Gunns, who really don’t need to be involved in this thing.

Kiera Hogan vs. Mercedes Martinez

Martinez tags her in the face to start but charges into an elbow in the corner. A brainbuster gets two on Hogan, who comes back with a knee to the face for a breather. Martinez shrugs it off and hits a neckbreaker out of the corner for two more. We take a break and come back with Martinez suplexing her way out of trouble. The Brass City Sleeper (surfboard dragon sleeper) goes on to make Hogan tap at 7:03.

Rating: C. Not much to this one, but Hogan shouldn’t be any kind of a serious threat to Martinez anyway. Martinez hasn’t been around much lately so it’s nice to have her back in action. There aren’t many more polished stars in the women’s division so she could give anyone around a rather nice rub. That being said, this was also the third straight match to have a break in the middle without going ten minutes, and that isn’t helping anything.

Post match Martinez won’t let it go so here is Kris Statlander for the save. Martinez gets the TBS Title and knocks Statlander silly, saying she’s coming for the title. Willow Nightingale makes the real save. I’ve heard far worse ideas than Martinez vs. Statlander.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Tag Team Titles: FTR vs. Adam Cole/Maxwell Jacob Friedman

FTR is defending. Cole and Harwood exchange headlocks to start before it’s off to Wheeler for a headlock of his own. Everything breaks down and the threat of the double clothesline sends FTR to the ropes for a breather. Harwood slams MJF down but gets kicked away, only to have MJF hurt his knee on a leapfrog. They don’t even waste time with the gold bricking this time though as MJF is up with a poke to the eye. Some shoving causes everything to break down and we take a break.

Back with MJF in trouble but escaping a Sharpshooter attempt. That’s not enough for the tag so he crawls through some legs and hits a double DDT. Now it’s back to Cole to pick up the pace, including a rollup and superkick out of the air for two each. MJF comes back in but can’t hit the double clothesline, instead settling for a fight over a Tombstone with Wheeler.

Cole makes the save and MJF gets two off a rollup but the double clothesline is broken up again. A top rope PowerPlex gets two on Cole, followed by a heck of a slingshot powerbomb for two on MJF. Everything breaks down and MJF, after thinking about it, hits Shattered Dreams for two on Harwood. The Boom is broken up but MJF shoves Cole away from the Shatter Machine and blocks it himself. The Heatseeker is loaded up but MJF gets rolled up for the pin at 17:55.

Rating: B. This was a weird one as while the action was good, the focus was on whether or not Cole or MJF would turn on the other. I’m glad they didn’t change the title here as MJF/Cole can easily continue without the belts involved. FTR is on another planet of awesome right now among the tag teams and having them lose for a short term angle between Cole/MJF wouldn’t have been a good move. Solid main event here, but the angle (or lack thereof) was what mattered.

Post match FTR shows respect to Cole before leaving. Cole helps MJF up and turns his back on him, saying do what you have to do. MJF loads up the belt shot but throws the belt down and hugs Cole instead. They raise each others’ hands to end the show. I’m glad they didn’t pull a trigger here as Cole vs. MJF only has to be set for either All In or All Out and that means they still have time to milk a lot more out of this.

Overall Rating: B. This was a definite improvement over last week and felt a lot more energetic. It was a show that felt like it wrapped up some things while keeping some other stories moving and that is always great to see. While I really didn’t need a ladder match on this show, it felt more like the Collision we had been seeing and that is a very good thing.

Results
Andrade El Idolo b. Buddy Matthews – El Idolo pulled down the mask
Darby Allin b. Minoru Suzuki – Rollup
Samoa Joe b. Gravity – MuscleBuster
Bullet Club Gold b. Darius Martin/Action Andretti/El Hijo del Vikingo – 3:10 To Yuma to Martin
Mercedes Martinez b. Kiera Hogan – Brass City Sleeper
FTR b. Adam Cole/MJF – Rollup to MJF

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: July 27, 2023
Location: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re done with a high quality but mostly skippable pay per view with Death Before Dishonor. The biggest change from the show saw Aussie Open becoming the new Tag Team Champions while everyone else retained. That should lead to something interesting, though there is no word on when the next major show is going to be. Let’s get to it.

Here is Death Before Dishonor if you need a recap.

The show is back up to just shy of two hours, the longest in about a month. I’m sure what’s what was missing from the build towards Death Before Dishonor.

Josh Woods vs. Eli Isom

Pure Rules, with Pure Champion Katsuyori Shibata as a guest judge (alone with Jerry Lynn and Jimmy Jacobs). Mark Sterling is here with Woods (along with the rest of the Varsity Athletes), who would rather wrestle in front of real New Yorkers rather than fake ones in Newark. Woods wrestles him into the ropes to start and that’s Isom’s first break. Back up and Isom takes him down into an armbar, only to get kicked hard out of the corner.

Another running shot to the face rocks Isom and Woods sends him shoulder first into the buckle. Isom intentionally uses a rope to escape the beating before using some forearms to stagger Woods. A swinging belly to back suplex gives Isom two but Woods armbars him over to the ropes for the final rope. Woods grabs a sleeper into a PK into the Gorilla lock for the tap at 7:55.

Rating: C. This was more or less a pure rules squash as Woods would seem to be the next challenger for Shibata. That doesn’t make for the most interesting match but that is the case with a lot of the Pure Rules matches. They work well from a technical standpoint, but seeing a lot of the same people having not the most thrilling matches in the world doesn’t do a lot o good.

Post match Sterling challenges Shibata for a title match against Woods.

Trish Adora is ready to get back on track.

Trish Adora vs. Vita Vonstarr

Vita shoves her away to start so Adora grabs a headlock. The Air Raid Crash is loaded up but Adora switches into the kneeling stretch instead (that needs a name). Back up and Vita grabs a Black Widow but Adora isn’t having any of that and runs her over with ax handles for two. Vita’s Michinoku driver gets two, only to have Adora come back with the Lariat Tubman for the pin at 4:20.

Rating: C. Vonstarr got in some offense here, which isn’t a surprise as she used to be a regular for Ring Of Honor before everything changed. Adora gets some momentum back and still seems like someone who could be put into a heck of a title feud if given the chance. Granted it might be a bit with Leyla Hirsch back, but at least Adora didn’t lose again here.

Six Man Tag Team Titles: Mogul Embassy vs. Iron Savages/Jacked Jameson

The Embassy, with Prince Nana, is defending. Commentary points out that Cage has been on 17/22 episodes of ROH thus far, because I guess we just haven’t gotten the point already. Jameson and Boulder take turns being thrown at Cage in the corner but Jameson gets taken into the champs’ corner to start the chops. A fireman’s carry is escaped though and it’s Bronson coming in to clean house.

Kaun wastes no time in cutting him off though and it’s Loa coming in to elbow Braun in the face. A superplex drops Bronson for two but he’s back up with a shot to the face, allowing the tag off to Boulder. Everything breaks down and Boulder powerslams Kaun for two but Toa is back in to wreck things. Bronson chokebombs Cage for two but he’s back up to suplex Jameson. Kaun hits a Pedigree of all things to pin Jameson at 10:10.

Rating: B-. The match was the kind of mostly wild power brawl that made for an entertaining ten minutes. At the same time though, the fact that Cage has been around that often doesn’t exactly keep him feeling interesting. It feels like these titles are being defended almost every week against one thrown together team after another. It’s not like the matches are exactly great, so why put them on over and over?

Leyla Hirsch vs. B3cca

Hirsch runs her over without much trouble to start and then chokes with the boot in the corner. A gutwrench suplex sets up a waistlock on B3cca but she’s back up with a shotgun dropkick. B3cca’s running knee in the corner sets up a missed middle rope dropkick, allowing Leyla to hit a running knee for the pin at 3:37.

Rating: C. This was a rather Ring Of Honor match with Leyla mostly dominating and shrugging off almost whatever B3cca throws at her. Leyla continues to feel like one of the stars ready to break through to the other side but, much like Adora, you have to let her move up a bit. Leyla has been back in the ring for a few weeks now and her feet should be adequately watered. Let her do something other than squash people already.

Athena wants someone to step up already because she’s tired of beating “local jobbers”.

Renegades vs. Tiara James/JC

JC slugs away at Charlotte to start but makes sure to knock Robyn off the apron. Robyn is right back up for a double suplex and the double stomping is on in the corner. That’s broken up and the tag brings in James to clean house, including a bulldog to Charlotte. That doesn’t last long though and it’s a Sling Blade Hart Attack to finish James at 3:57.

Rating: C. I still like the Renegades but like many women’s tag teams, there isn’t much for them to do right now. There is no women’s tag division and while one of them can be fine on their own, it’s a little weird to see one without the other in the ring. Find something for them to do and let the talent play out, but that might be a little trickier than expected.

Athena vs. Christina Marie

Non-title Proving Ground match, meaning that if Marie either wins or survives the ten minute time limit, she gets a future title shot. Marie kicks her in the back to start and adds a Hennig necksnap for one. Athena gets up and blasts Marie with a forearm before hammering away on the mat.

As we hear about Tony Khan only giving title shots to people in the top five or top ten (like Aussie Open and the Best Friends, who hadn’t wrestled here in three months before getting a title shot last week), Athena knocks her outside and then chokes on the ropes. A bunch of forearms to the back set up a kick to the head, followed by the big right hand to finish Marie at 3:21.

Rating: C. Remember how Cage has been around for all but five Ring Of Honors? I’d be surprised if Athena didn’t have him beat. It’s getting really hard to get invested in Athena slaughtering someone else, especially after she beat her best challenger last week. It’s a good example of how leaving her off a show or two would help a lot, but for some reason she, and several others, are on almost every show. Marie’s minute or so looked good but what is she supposed to get out of that?

Post match Athena gives her the usual post match beatdown.

The Kingdom vs. Rhett Titus/Tracy Williams

Maria is here with the Kingdom. Bennett and Williams chop it out to start and it’s quickly off to Taven for a change. A quick middle rope dropkick takes Williams down but Titus comes in to pick up the pace. Titus gets caught in a backbreaker/middle rope elbow combination but he gets the knees up to block a Lionsault.

Williams comes back in and hits a reverse Death Valley Driver to slam Taven’s knees into the mat (that’s a new one). Bennett and Williams grab stereo holds and sit down on them, setting up the slap off. With those broken up, Titus comes in to knock Taven silly but picks him up instead of covering. The delay lets Taven hit Just The Tip, setting up the Proton Pack to finish for the Kingdom at 7:34.

Rating: B-. Another good match here as the Kingdom continues their roll, but why should I believe that this means anything? When you can get a title match at random, these matches lose the interest that they have. I still like the Kingdom a good bit, but for some reason they’re stuck either here or on Rampage while the tag division in both companies isn’t exactly deep.

Stokely Hathaway and Samoa Joe announced a new #1 contenders tournament for the TV Title. Like the one that ended last week?

#1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Christopher Daniels vs. JD Drake

Daniels flips him over into an armbar to start before hitting a dropkick to put Drake down. Back up and Drake hits a clothesline, setting up the chinlock with a knee in the back to keep Daniels in trouble. A swinging Boss Man Slam gives Drake two before it’s time for a chop off. Daniels kicks the knee out and hits a clothesline to the back of the head, setting up a top rope Downward Spiral for two. Drake crushes him with a cannonball in the corner for two of his own The moonsault misses though and the Best Moonsault Ever finishes for Daniels at 6:06.

Rating: C+. This was about what you would have expected from a match between these two and that means it was decent enough. What mattered here was having Daniels get a win after fighting from underneath a bit, which he can still do rather well. Him winning the whole thing isn’t out of the question and it wouldn’t surprise me at this point.

Big Bill/Lee Moriarty vs. Gabriel Hodder/Adrien Soriano

Moriarty takes over on Soriano to start but gets hit in the face for his efforts. Hodder comes in and is dropped just as quickly so it’s off to Bill for a double clothesline. The chokeslam finishes Hodder at 3:09.

Rating: C-. I’m not sure what the deal is going to be for Big Bill, as he is suddenly in two teams, both of whom are treated as a threat to win something. At the moment though, the team with Brian Cage seems to be a bigger deal and that is likely a better place for him to go. The Moriarty team is fine, but there is something about a big power team that works rather well.

#1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Tony Nese vs. Cheeseburger

Before the match, Nese does the same “you people are fat so we’re going to do group training” speech he has been doing for the last few weeks. Nese whips him into the corner to start but Cheeseburger slides away and climbs on top of him for an arm crank. With that broken up, Cheeseburger is tied in the Tree of Woe for some rapid fire kicks to the ribs. Cheeseburger knees his way out of a suplex and grabs one of his own, setting up a bulldog. The Shotei palm strike gets two on Nese, followed by a DDT for two. Mark Sterling offers a distraction though and Nese grabs a pumphandle driver for the pin at 5:53.

Rating: C. Nese will be fine as a second round villain to be vanquished and that should be enough for him in the whole thing. The health nut/mocking others’ looks is a classic way to draw heat, but Nese needs something else to back it up in the ring. For now though, a win over Cheeseburger is a good way to go for him and should set him up for a better second round match.

#1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Anthony Henry vs. Gravity

Gravity takes him down to start and then does the rapid fire nipups to escape a wristlock. Henry is back up with some forearms only to be sent outside for the big dive over the top. Back in and Henry hits a Death Valley Driver, setting up some shots to the back to keep Gravity down.

Gravity is back up with a dropkick before pulling him into kind of a reverse Koji Clutch. That’s broken up and Henry hits a PK for two, followed by a Razor’s Edge spun into a DDT for the same. Gravity shrugs it off and hits a powerslam into a top rope splash for the pin at 8:00.

Rating: C+. Gravity seems to be Tony Khan’s Flavor of the Week now as he is around on quite a few shows as of late. He’s talented enough and it’s nice to see him getting a win here and there, though I could also see him pulling a miracle run here and winning the tournament. This wasn’t exactly a classic, but as a way to give Gravity a win, it worked well enough.

#1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Shane Taylor vs. Serpentico

Serpentico strikes away to start until a forearm knocks him silly. There’s a big toss to send Serpentico flying and then Taylor does it again. A big clothesline gives Taylor two but Serpentico flips him off. Taylor gets staggered by a kick but a release Rock Bottom puts Serpentico down again. The big splash finishes for Taylor at 4:21.

Rating: C-. Another match without any serious doubt for the winner and that isn’t exactly something that gets my interest up this late into a very, very long show. There was nothing to make me believe that Serpentico was going to win here and it felt like waiting around until Taylor beat on him enough before getting the win.

Trustbusters vs. Dalton Castle/The Boys

Ari Daivari is here with the Trustbusters. A double hiptoss takes Kay down to start so Kiss comes in to choke away in the corner. It’s off to Castle to take Kiss in the corner, where castle gets slapped in the face. They both miss clotheslines until Brent comes in and backflips out of a pair of belly to back suplexes, allowing the hot tag back to Castle. The Boys are thrown outside and onto the Trustbusters (that’s always a cool spot) and the Bang A Rang finishes Kay at 5:19.

Rating: C. I could watch Dalton Castle all day and he looked good here, but I’m not exactly going to get invested in the idea of Castle and the Boys going after the Six Man Tag Team Titles again. I can get the idea of sending the fans home happy with these guys though, as they are about as entertaining of a team as you’re going to get.

Overall Rating: D. Before I’m told that “a bunch of B’s and C’s doesn’t make a D”, that’s not the point of this show. The problem here is that this was not an entertaining wrestling show. It was a bunch of stuff that you get almost every week with the first round of a not exactly interesting tournament added in. Commentary even flat out said something to the effect of “yeah Brian Cage is here A LOT”. See also Athena, Tony Nese, the Workhorsemen and more.

This show was long, not interesting, and felt like it could have come from any point in Ring Of Honor’s history with almost no changes. There were probably three shows crammed into one here for no reason, as the pay per view card shows how little this show means for important shows down the road.

Ring Of Honor’s wrestling is usually pretty solid to good, but the structure, the presentation and everything else is about as bad and boring as you can get in wrestling. I could not stand this show and if not for some talented people on the card, it would have been one of the worst shows that I have seen in a long, long time. Dreadful stuff this week.

Results
Josh Woods b. Eli Isom – Gorilla lock
Trish Adora b. Vita Vonstarr – Lariat Tubman
Mogul Embassy b. Iron Savages/Jacked Jameson – Pedigree to James
Leyla Hirsch b. B3cca – Running knee
Renegades b. Tiana James/JC – Sling Blade hart Attack to James
Athena b. Christina Marie – Right hand
The Kingdom b. Rhett Titus/Tracy Williams – Proton Pack to Titus
Christopher Daniels b. JD Drake – Best Moonsault Ever
Big Bill/Lee Moriarty b. Gabriel Hodder/Adrien Soriano
Tony Nese b. Cheeseburger – Pumphandle driver
Gravity b. Anthony Henry – Top rope splash
Shane Taylor b. Serpentico – Big splash
Dalton Castle/The Boys b. Trustbusters – Bang A Rang to Kay

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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Death Before Dishonor 2023
Date: July 21, 2023
Location: CURE Insurance Arena, Trenton, New Jersey
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

Ring Of Honor is back on pay per view and the card has been tacked together rather quickly. The World, Television and Women’s Title matches were added in the last few days and the Tag Team Title match is a four way featuring two teams who haven’t been around in months. They’re going to need a heck of a show to make up for the build so let’s get to it.

Zero Hour: Tracy Williams vs. Josh Woods

Pure Rules and Woods has Mark Sterling and Tony Nese with him. They go with the grappling to start and Woods takes him to the mat for an arm crank. That sends Williams to the ropes for his first break but he makes the mistake of grabbing the rope to avoid an Irish whip, meaning that’s the second break.

Williams goes with a suplex to take over and hits a running shot in the corner for two. A piledriver gets two more, though Woods has to put his foot on the rope for a break. Woods is back up with a gutwrench suplex for two as Williams uses his last rope. They go to the apron with Woods snapping off a German suplex before tying him up in a guillotine in the ropes. With no more breaks, Williams has to tap at 8:40.

Rating: C. The match was fine enough but these matches just aren’t that interesting. It doesn’t help that so many of the same wrestlers are used in them over and over, but the bigger thing is nothing really makes them stand out. Other than the rope break, this was more or less the same match that you could see from almost anyone. Perfectly nice technical match, but Woods doesn’t feel like some breakout star.

Zero Hour: Workhorsemen vs. Action Andretti/Darius Martin

The Workhorsemen jump Andretti and Martin to start but the good guys fight back. We settle down to Martin getting beaten down in the corner, with Drake getting to stomp away. Henry grabs a front facelock to slow Martin down but he gets away and brings Andretti in to pick up the pace. House is cleaned but Martin gets taken down, allowing Henry to hit a moonsault. Andretti picks up Henry for a Death Valley Driver, with the referee being nice enough to stop and look at them before the save because they were quite late. Andretti muscles Henry up for the torture rack neckbreaker for the pin at 7:14.

Rating: C. That mistimed save in the middle was terrible but the rest was mostly just a power vs. speed match, which will work every time. I’m not sure why Andretti and Martin aren’t in the Tag Team Title match tonight as they work well together and have at least been around. They got a bit of a showcase here, though the Workhorsemen looked rather good as well.

Zero Hour: Trish Adora vs. Leyla Hirsch

Leyla wins the grapple off to start so Adora goes for the arm to take over with the power. That doesn’t work for Leyla, who slips to the floor for a breather and leaves Adora frustrated. Back in and Leyla goes after the legs to take over but Adora blocks a suplex attempt with straight power.

Leyla switches to the arm and cranks away but Adora manages a bridging German suplex from her knees in a rather awesome power display. Leyla knocks her into the corner for a running dropkick, only to have Adora come back with a backbreaker. The running kick misses for Leyla so they trade rollups for two each. Leyla pulls her into the cross armbreaker to make Adora tap at 8:32.

Rating: C+. This was a nice power vs. technical match and I was getting into seeing how Adora was going to deal with Hirsch. There is something awesome to seeing Hirsch pick someone apart like that and it worked well here. Ring Of Honor has something with either of them and if they get built up a little more, the division could get a very nice boost.

Zero Hour: Shane Taylor vs. AR Fox

Fox tries to grab the wrist to start and is quickly knocked silly by a single shot. Back up and Fox kicks away, including an enziguri into a dropkick to send Taylor outside. The big dive drops Taylor again and Fox adds another one for a bonus. Back in and Taylor unloads in the corner to knock Fox outside, where the beating can continue. Fox gets in a shot of his own and hits a springboard imploding 450 to take Taylor down for a change.

Some more kicks to the head set up a springboard Stunner but Taylor headbutts him in the chest. A release Rock Bottom sets up a splash to give Taylor two. The apron legdrop misses for Taylor though, allowing Fox to hit a running hanging DDT for two more. Back up and Taylor…at least tries to crotch Fox on top but Fox rolls through. Welcome To The Land gives Taylor two as Fox gets his hand on the rope. A middle rope Marcus Garvey Driver is broken up and Fox manages a Death Valley Driver. The 450 finishes Taylor at 10:22.

Rating: B-. Match of the Zero Hour by far as they traded one big shot after another until Fox won. It makes sense as Fox has the International Title shot coming up next week on Dynamite but at least he had to work to get the win here. Taylor is still a great monster and I was getting into this one by the end. Good stuff.

Komander vs. Gravity

Gravity flips out of a wristlock to start and then bridges back into a rollup for two. Back up and Gravity does his slow motion walk (because of gravity issues you see) before being sent outside for a big dive from Komander. One heck of a shooting star press gives Komander two but Gravity sends him outside. A big running dive is teased but Gravity flips onto the top turnbuckle instead, setting up the dive instead (that was cool).

Back in and Komander kicks him down but his moonsault hits raised boots. A sitout powerbomb gives Gravity two but Komander faceplants him down. With Gravity rolling to the floor, Komander hits the big multiple springboard spinning dive but Gravity crotches him back inside. Komander drops him ribs first on the top and hits the rope walk moonsault for two. Gravity gets planted again and tries to drag Komander to the middle of the ring, only to get small packed to give Gravity the pin at 10:02.

Rating: B-. This was on the weaker end for Komander, as he was taking a lot of time to set things up. The positive spin on that is that it played into the finish, with commentary pointing out that Komander was more worried about going for something cool rather than the pin. It’s a solid choice to open the show, as despite not having a ton of importance, it had a lot of energy and that’s a great thing.

TV Title: Dalton Castle vs. Samoa Joe

Castle, with the Boys, is challenging after winning a tournament. Stokely Hathaway joins commentary and Joe goes outside to glare at him to start. Back in and Castle takes a breather this time, meaning we get a lap around the ring. Castle comes inside again and starts striking away before tripping Joe down.

Some splashes to the back keep Joe down despite Castle’s ribs being banged up. Back up and Joe is sick of Castle so it’s a heck of a clothesline to put Joe in control. A chop to the back sets up the neck crank to keep Castle down. There’s a snap suplex for one and Joe sends Castle outside, only to have the Boys throw him back in.

Joe’s powerslam gets two but a Boys distraction lets Castle get in a hurricanrana on the floor. There’s the suicide dive to Joe, followed by a t-bone suplex. Joe is sent outside and tells Stokely to FIX THIS, which earns the Boys an ejection. The distraction lets Joe hit him low and grab the Koquina Clutch to retain at 11:40.

Rating: B-. Another good match but Joe’s title reign has reached the point where it’s probably time to take it from him. He doesn’t defend it often and it isn’t exactly changing much. Castle is such a ball of energy that it could have been interesting to see him get the title, though I can see why they’ve kept it on Joe here. Rather entertaining match, though some of that is Joe having to deal with Castle’s antics.

Tag Team Titles: The Kingdom vs. Aussie Open vs. Best Friends vs. Lucha Bros

The Bros are defending and it’s one fall to a finish. Chuck and Taven start things off but quickly hand it off to Bennett and Trent for the chop exchange. Fenix comes in and gets slammed by Fletcher, setting up a double Aussie elbow. We settle down to the Bros and the Aussies exchanging kicks to the head as everything breaks down. The Best Friends are sent outside but rent is back in to superplex Bennett onto the pile.

Back in and Taven hits Aurora Borealis for two on Trent but the Proton Pack is broken up. Trent gets in a tornado DDT and he reluctantly brings in Penta for a high crossbody to the Kingdom. The Fear Factor gets two on Taven but the Aussies kick Penta down. Fenix gets dropped into a cutter from the top and the Aussies kick people in the face. The Whirlybird gets two on Penta but the Kingdom is back in with the Rockstar Supernova for two, with Chuck making the save.

Hail Mary is broken up but the big hug is broken up as well. Soul Food into the dragon suplex drops Bennett but Maria gets on the apron and opens her jacket for a hug from Chuck. Trent gets said hug instead (Caprice: “BROS BEFORE MARIA!”) but Davis pulls him into a piledriver.

The Bros are back in with the spike Fear Factor to Davis for two, with Bennett making the save. Hail Mary and the Proton Pack are both broken up and Storm Zero hits Bennett, with the Bros having to pull the referee at two. Penta takes out Trent and Davis has to make a diving save. The Coriolis hits Trent to give the Aussies the pin and the titles at 17:13.

Rating: B. This was all about the insanity and everyone making diving saves, so it was certainly not boring. At the very least, it ends the Bros’ completely nothing reign and if the Aussies are actually around, they could make quite the champs. The titles really needed to change hands here and while the Kingdom feel like the better option, I’ll take the Aussies over either the Bros or the Friends. Heck of an entertaining match here and they did what they should have done with it.

The Righteous and Stu Grayson threaten the Dark Order with pain, bruises and agony.

Six Man Tag Team Titles: Master Wato/Ryusuke Taguchi/Leon Ruffin vs. The Embassy

The Embassy is defending and Cage gets triple teamed to start, which is quickly broken up by Loa. Ruffin is suplexed hard into the corner and the champs take over in a hurry. Cage comes in to get in his own shots as we see Big Bill watching in the back. Kaun hits a running backsplash for two but Ruffin grabs a jawbreaker.

A clothesline drops Ruffin again though and the beating gets to continue. Ruffin manages to reverse a backbreaker onto the top turnbuckle into a DDT and it’s Wato coming in to clean house. Kaun has had it and grabs a suplex but Taguchi is back in with the Funky Weapon. The ankle lock has Kaun in big trouble until Toa makes the save.

Taguchi gives Cage a 619 but Kaun elbows Ruffin’s head off. There’s a low blow to stagger Kaun though and a small package gives Taguchi two. Back in and Ruffin hits a flipping cutter on Cage but Toa gives him a swinging backbreaker for two. The champs all grab Ruffin and throw him into the air for the crash to retain the titles at 11:38.

Rating: C+. And that’s a Six Man Tag Team Title match, as the action was fine but there is nothing resembling a division, meaning there is little reason to get behind the challengers. Ruffin can sell rather well and knows how to play his size. Wato and Taguchi were just there and there was little reason to believe the titles were changing hands. As has been the case for months. Ring Of Honor might want to work on that.

Pure Rules Title: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Daniel Garcia

Shibata is defending and takes Garcia to the mat to start for the stomp onto the fingers. A Figure Four has Garcia going straight to the ropes and taking a breather on the floor. That’s fine with Shibata, who sends Garcia into the barricade a few times to put Garcia down again. Garcia gets in a quick shot though and holds up the title for some showboating.

Back in and Garcia works on a nasty hammerlock but Shibata pops up for the standoff. Garcia dances so Shibata sits down and grabs the arms. There’s the slap to Garcia and Shibata takes him into the corner for the running basement dropkick. Garcia is right back with an STF but Shibata reverses into a bow and arrow.

An exchange of suplexed leave them both down and they slug it out from their knees. Garcia charges into a boot to the face and they trade clotheslines for another double knockdown. They slug it out until Garcia gets the Dragon Tamer. Shibata escapes as well and wins a chop off, setting up the sleeper. The PK retains the title at 14:34.

Rating: B. This felt like the time to give Garcia the title but keeping it on Shibata is certainly a logical choice as well. I can’t imagine Shibata holds the title that much longer, as it isn’t like he is anything more than a glorified special attraction. The Pure division isn’t much but I’ll take Shibata retaining over having to see even more Garcia. Good match here, as they were beating each other up while telling the silly vs. serious story.

Post match Shibata shakes his hand but Garcia pulls away.

Aussie Open is proud of their win and promise more.

Dark Order vs. Righteous/Stu Grayson

Fight Without Honor, meaning anything goes. Uno hammers on Grayson to start but Grayson sends him to the apron for a spear through a well placed table. Dutch brings in a barbed wire 2×4 and Reynolds is already busted open. Silver busted out the bag of thumb tacks but is quickly Boss Man Slammed onto them for two. Uno chairs Grayson in the back but Vincent makes the save.

Vincent tears the mask open and Uno is cut, with Vincent hammering at the gash. Reynolds is back in with a chair for the save and the finishing sequence gets two on Dutch. Now it’s Uno getting his own bag containing…..Legos. A triple flipping slam to Grayson is broken up, leaving Dutch to powerbomb Uno onto the Legos.

Vincent tries a Swanton to the floor onto Silver on the table, which doesn’t break at all. Back in and Uno gets powerbombed onto the Legos for two, meaning it’s time to head up to the stage. Dutch is slammed through a table off the stage, leaving Silver to kick away at Vincent inside. Grayson kicks Uno down and sets up a huge ladder but takes WAY too long to climb. Instead, Grayson crashes through a table, minus Uno. The Order triple slams Grayson for the pin at 15:36.

Rating: B-. It was your usual six man weapons match with the big ladder at the end being the high point. This was the big victory for Evil Uno over Stu Grayson, which in theory should set up a singles match to wrap everything up for them for good. It’s still not a very interesting feud as there hasn’t been an overly clear explanation for WHY Grayson walked out, but at least they got to the big team match here.

Ring Of Honor World Title: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Pac

Castagnoli is defending and hits a quick Swiss Death for an early two. They head outside with Castagnoli dropping him onto the barricade but the Swing is broken up inside. Back to the floor and up the ramp they go, with Castagnoli Swinging him on the stage. Castagnoli comes up favoring his knee though, allowing Pac to score with a top rope moonsault back at ringside.

A whip sends Castagnoli’s knee into the barricade again, setting up a missile dropkick for two back inside. The top rope superplex gives Pac two but Castagnoli is back up to send Pac crashing through a well placed ringside table. Back in and the seated elbows into the Neutralizer gives Castagnoli two. Pac fights up and starts striking away until Castagnoli blasts him with a clothesline to leave them both own.

With Pac on the apron, the apron superplex is blocked but a super hurricanrana is blocked as well. What looked to be a super Riccola Bomb is countered into a hurricanrana. The lack Arrow misses for Pac but the Riccola Bomb is once again countered, this time into the Brutalizer. Castagnoli has to climb the corner for a super Air Raid Crash to escape so Pac goes for the turnbuckle. Cue Wheeler Yuta to distract Pac, allowing Castagnoli to hit a running Riccola Bomb to retain ta 18:56.

Rating: B. You knew what you were going to get here and it still worked very well. These guys beat the figure out of each other, though suddenly having Wheeler come in to give us the lame distraction finish didn’t help. The good thing is that Pac can slug just as hard as Castagnoli, meaning Pac can hang with him the entire way. Best match on the show here, which was all but guaranteed given who was in there.

Post match the Lucha Bros come in for the beatdown but the Best Friends and Orange Cassidy make the save. Cassidy Orange Punches Castagnoli and stands tall.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Ring Of Honor Women’s Title: Athena vs. Willow Nightingale

Athena is defending in the rubber match and immediately bails to the floor. Back in and Willow powers her around before they forearm it out. Athena gets two off a crucifix but Willow’s fisherman’s buster gets the same. A crucifix gives Athena two and she sends Willow outside in a crash. Back in and the double knees connect in the corner, setting up the chinlock.

Willow powers her way up and hammers away, only to get dropped with a quick shot to the face for two. Willow is fine enough to try the Babe With The Powerbomb but Athena reverses into a snapmare driver for two. Willow’s swinging neckbreaker gets two but Athena is right back with Obliteration. She muscles Willow up and into a sitout powerbomb for two (that was impressive) before going up.

That takes too long as well though and Willow grabs a super Death Valley Driver for a rather near fall. They head outside and Athena posts her, setting up the O Face for a VERY near fall back inside. The Babe With The Powerbomb gets the same but Athena is back up with another O Face. The crossface goes on and Athena even grabs a leg. Willow passes out to retain Athena’s title at 20:28.

Rating: B-. Well. Ok then. I’m not sure what this weird obsession Ring Of Honor has lately with the heroes losing in the end but they did it again here. It also makes me wonder why the Owen Hart tournament wasn’t just for the title shot with someone else in Athena’s place, thereby giving us the same result and no Athena loss. They had a hard hitting fight, but that was one more deflating ending on a long list of them in Ring Of Honor’s recent history. Someone is going to have to beat Athena, and it’s going to have to be an AEW import at this point. Anyway, solid main event with a rather surprising result.

Post match respect is actually shown to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. As is usually the case with these shows, the action was good, but as is becoming the case with these shows, there is a grand total of nothing to really make you feel good. The biggest happy moment here was Evil Uno (a heel in AEW mind you) getting a pin over Stu Grayson. Willow doesn’t win the big one, the Best Friends don’t win the Tag Team Titles and Pac, who isn’t really a face but he could have beaten the villain, loses too. This had a bunch of mostly good matches with some strange decisions, but what do you expect from a slapped together pay per view?

Results
Josh Woods b. Tracy Williams – Guillotine choke
Action Andretti/Darius Martin b. Workhorsemen – Torture rack neckbreaker to Drake
Leyla Hirsch b. Trish Adora – Cross armbreaker
AR Fox b. Shane Taylor – 450
Gravity b. Komander – Small package
Samoa Joe b. Dalton Castle – Koquina Clutch
Aussie Open b. Best Friends, The Kingdom and Lucha Bros – Coriolis to Beretta
Mogul Embassy b. Leon Ruffin/Master Wato/Ryusuke Taguchi – Triple toss into the air to Ruffin
Katsuyori Shibata b. Daniel Garcia – PK
Dark Order b. Righteous/Stu Grayson – Triple slam to Grayson
Claudio Castagnoli b. Pac – Running sitout Riccola Bomb
Athena b. Willow Nightingale via referee stoppage

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: July 8, 2023
Location: Brandt Center, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Kevin Kelly

The Canadian tour continues, as do the Owen Hart Foundation tournaments. In this case, the main draw is Samoa Joe vs. CM Punk, which was the biggest feud on the independent circuit about twenty years ago and could be very interesting today. Other than that, FTR vs. Bullet Club Gold, which could be pretty great. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Ricky Starks, Powerhouse Hobbs, Samoa Joe and CM Punk are ready for their tournament matches tonight.

Opening sequence.

Here is CM Punk for a chat. He is ready for Samoa Joe and it is the biggest match of his career. It feels like it should be the final, but he isn’t looking past Ricky Starks and Powerhouse Hobbs. Joe is the reason Punk is missing teeth and has scars on his head, but the name Punk wants to hear tonight is Owen Hart. Owen is the reason a lot of people are here and while there is talent in that locker room, they aren’t here without Hart. Punk isn’t superstitious so he goes over to touch the trophy that he will earn. Win, lose or draw tonight, he will leave it all in the ring tonight.

We get a video on Punk vs. Joe, complete with old and new footage.

Men’s Owen Hart Foundation Semifinals: Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Ricky Starks

QTV is here with Hobbs, who shoves him around to start without much effort. Back up and Starks clotheslines him out to the floor, only to have Hobbs run him over with another clothesline back inside. The beating in the corner ensues and a delayed suplex drops Starks again as the dominance continues.

We take a break and come back with Starks fighting out of a bearhug. Hobbs shrugs it off and fires off some clotheslines in the corner. Some middle rope right hands are countered into a powerbomb and Starks kicks him in the head. A springboard tornado DDT doesn’t go so well and Hobbs is back with the spinebuster. For some reason QT Marshall distracts the referee, allowing Starks to ram Hobbs into him. The spear gives Starks the pin at 11:00.

Rating: C+. Hobbs’ bad luck continues, but at least in this case it might lead to the end of his association with QTV. At the same time, at least the loss was to someone like Starks, who could use the boost that would come with winning the tournament. That isn’t out of the question, though I could still go for having more than bragging rights on the line.

Post match Marshall goes to talk to Hobbs, who shoves him away. Aaron Solo tries to play peacemaker and gets planted with a spinebuster. Harley Cameron gets between Hobbs and Marshall so Hobbs finally leaves.

Miro is ready to hurt anyone because no one can hurt him. Nothing can tempt him. Not a shiny belt, a jealous god or a double jointed hot wife.

Willow Nightingale is upset about being injured when Athena interrupts her. Athena was looking forward to beating her, but Nightingale is ready for this match, which can happen on Rampage.

Video on Blood & Guts.

Julia Hart vs. Bambi Hall

Hart kicks away at the leg and avoids a charge in the corner. Hall runs her over but Hart starts firing off some kicks. Hall’s attempt at a backbreaker is pulled into something like the Rings of Saturn for the tap at 2:22. Hall felt like she could be something with some more time.

Malakai Black talks about how Andrade El Idolo has put too much value and faith in his mask. It’s like a child who can’t let go of his teddy bear but Black is willing to show him the truth.

Andrade says he is a businessman but the mask represents his family and culture. When he takes the mask off, it is time to fight and win.

Bullet Club Gold vs. FTR

Non-title Eliminator Match, so if the Club wins they get a title shot, but if they lose, they can never challenge FTR again. Dax and White start things off with Dax sending him into the corner and grabbing a headlock. With White not being able to get anywhere, he hands it off to Robinson to work on Wheeler’s arm. Everything breaks down and we wind up back in the ring for the four way brawl, with the fans rather approving. FTR get in a part of German suplexes and we take a break.

Back with Robinson getting elbowed and legdropped, setting up an atomic drop out of the corner. A White distraction lets Robinson hit a hot shot to Wheeler to take over. Some shoulders in the corner set up a backsplash to stay on the ribs and we hit the waistlock. White goes after the illegal Dax and sends him into the barricade before suplexing Wheeler into the corner for two. Robinson cuts Dax off again so we can’t have a hot tag, followed by White backdropping Wheeler to the floor as we take another break.

Back again with the hot tag bringing in Harwood to clean house, including a bunch of suplexes. Some rolling German suplexes have White in trouble before a brainbuster gets two. Wheeler and Robinson slug it out on the apron until a belly to back suplex puts Robinson down. The PowerPlex gets two on White but he’s back up with a sleeper suplex to Wheeler. Harwood breaks up the Blade Runner but the Shatter Machine doesn’t work.

White rolls Wheeler up for two but gets caught with the spike piledriver for two more, with Robinson having to make a diving save. Back up and White gets a very close two off a fisherman’s suplex and Wheeler breaks up a double suplex. White’s swinging Rock Bottom hits Wheeler but Harwood reverses another one into a slingshot sitout powerbomb for two.

Robinson comes back in with a leg lariat to Harwood but Wheeler powerslams him for two more. White grabs the Blade Runner though and everyone is down. Harwood and White chop it out but Robinson comes in off a blind tag. The forward DDT plants Harwood and Wheeler can’t break up the pin at 28:11.

Rating: A-. They had me wondering if the time limit draw was coming, which made the pin that much better. This was a heck of a match and they were going nuts with the near falls near the end. It’s hard to praise a match like this as it was one awesome piece after another and it was one of the best tag matches I’ve seen anywhere in a good while. Now how do they top it in a rematch?

Set for Battle Of The Belts: Shawn Spears challenges Luchasaurus for the TNT Title. And that’s why Battle Of The Belts is seen as a nothing show.

FTR is in the back when Bullet Club Gold comes up. They want their title shot next week and let’s make it 2/3 falls. That’s how they top it in a rematch.

Scorpio Sky vs. Action Andretti

Feeling out process to start with Andretti grabbing an armdrag into an armbar. Sky fights out without much trouble and we take a break. Back with Andretti hitting a backbreaker into a neckbreaker, followed by a Spanish Fly for two. Sky can’t get a backslide but he can block a split legged moonsault. Sky’s TKO finishes at 7:26.

Rating: C. So Sky is back after a year away and his match gets about three and a half minutes of TV time? That’s pretty hard to fathom, but it was only so good of a match in the first place. As usual, Sky is a good hand, but that doesn’t make him the most exciting. On the other hand, Andretti continues to be fine in his role as a jobber to the stars and can keep the pace up rather nicely.

Here’s what’s coming on various show, at a reasonable pace.

Men’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Semifinals: Samoa Joe vs. CM Punk

Non-title. Feeling out process to start with Punk looking to avoid the strikes. Joe wins a test of strength so Punk hits a chop of his own. You don’t do that to Joe, who runs Punk over without much effort and hits a big chop to the back. Joe snaps off the right hands in the corner and sends Punk outside as we take a break. Back with Joe working on a neck crank until Punk fights up and strikes away.

The leg lariat staggers Joe and Punk hits the running knee in the corner. The bulldog out of the corner is countered into a standing Koquina Clutch, which is countered into a belly to back suplex. Punk’s top rope elbow gets two but the GTS is countered into a crossface. With that broken up, Joe snaps off a powerslam for two and frustration/exhaustion are starting to set in. Punk kicks him in the head for two more but a tornado DDT is blocked. A swinging neckbreaker sets up a failed GTS attempt so Punk rolls him up for the pin at 15:32.

Rating: B-. This was never going to be some barn burner, as they’re both in their mid-40s and broken down from years of wear and tear. This match was build on the feeling and the atmosphere and in that sense, it worked very well. It felt like a big showdown and I was feeling some dread whenever either loaded up one of their finishers as it felt like it would be the end. What matters here is giving a huge feeling while also setting up Punk vs. Starks in what could be a great final. Well done here, though the action wasn’t the point.

Post match Punk offers a handshake but gets pulled into a Koquina Clutch. Joe grabs a chair but FTR makes the save. Ricky Starks comes out to stare at Punk but leaves to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. The tag match and the feeling of the main event make this a show worth seeing, as this is the much more by the book, wrestling focused series from AEW. I’m not sure how many people are going to be interested in watching it going forward, but for now it seems to be working. If nothing else, the Owen tournaments end next week so we don’t have much longer of them dominating shows. The tag match is absolutely worth going out of your way to see, and that is the kind of stuff Collision needs to put it on the map.

Results
Ricky Starks b. Powerhouse Hobbs – Spear
Julia Hart b. Bambi Hall – Rings of Saturn
Bullet Club Gold b. FTR – Forward DDT to Harwood
Scorpio Sky b. Action Andretti – TKO
CM Punk b. Samoa Joe – Rollup

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: July 1, 2023
Location: First Ontario Center, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Kevin Kelly, Nigel McGuinness

We’re taped this week and the focus is going to be on tournament matches. We have three Owen Hart Foundation Tournament matches and that should be enough to carry the show. Other than that, we have the Collision debut of MJF and some Forbidden Door fallout to cover. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

The Owen Hart Foundation Tournament participants are ready to win.

Opening sequence.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Kip Morst

Non-title, Morst is a hometown boy, and MJF is in USA flag colors on Canada Day. MJF jumps him to start and the Heatseeker gets two, with MJF pulling him up. A LeBell Lock makes Morst tap at 40 seconds.

Post match MJF wants a local star to come out here so here is a rather large man, only to have Ethan Page come out instead. Page talks about his father coming here as a laborer and being told he would never be anything more. Then he wound up being the president of several companies, which makes Page better than MJF, who is a bare minimum b****.

AEW calls Page when they need something done and his wife wants to know when he’ll get paid back for all the extra he does. Page told her in due time, and now it’s time. The challenge is on and let’s have a title match. This was straight fire from Page and the best thing he has ever done.

AEW World Title: Ethan Page vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman

MJF is defending and gets stomped down in the corner to start. The Ego’s Edge is escaped though and MJF starts in on the leg. Page tries a handstand in the corner but gets caught in an Alabama Slam. The half crab (ala Lance Storm) goes on until Page finally makes the rope. We take a break and come back with Page hammering away and hitting a Twist of Fate.

The Swanton takes too long though due to the leg, allowing MJF to crotch him on top. MJF goes up as well and it’s a super powerslam to plant MJF down again. The very delayed cover gets two and MJF sends him to the apron. A dragon screw legwhip on the apron sets up the Heatseeker to retain the title at 10:58.

Rating: B-. I get that Page couldn’t win the title here and that this was a one off moment, but dang that was a great promo to set him up really well. Page has never quite broken out around here so it was nice to see him getting to do something special. Good enough match too, as MJF did have to work to retain here.

Men’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament First Round: Dustin Rhodes vs. Powerhouse Hobbs

The QTV crew is here with Hobbs. Rhodes grabs a headlock to start and hammers away before going up, only to have Hobbs load up a gorilla press. That’s escaped but QT Marshall trips Rhodes up, allowing Hobbs to knock him down. A posting cuts Rhodes open and we take a break.

Back with Rhodes hitting a jumping clothesline into Cross Rhodes. A piledriver gets two on Hobbs and a Panama Sunrise gets the same. Rhodes has to deck Marshall off the apron though and Hobbs hits the spinebuster….for one? Back up and Rhodes’ powerslam gets two but Marshall gets in another cheap shot. The spinebuster finishes Rhodes at 11:07.

Rating: C+. Rhodes put up a nice fight here and it was a lot better than having Hobbs run through him. Hobbs is someone who has all kinds of potential, but it wasn’t a great sign when he was looking a good bit tired less than ten minutes into a match. If he can get that figured out, he should be in a great place for a long time to come.

Video on Roderick Strong vs. Samoa Joe.

Miro vs. Anthony Henry

Miro suplexes him down to start and then suplexes him a few more times for good measure. Henry gets a boot up in the corner and goes up top, only to get kicked in the head. The camel clutch finishes for Miro at 3:08.

Rating: C. What else is there to say here? Miro ran through him and finished with his hold in short order. Doing that again and again is going to make Miro into a star again as he does everything else needed to make it work for him. It’s a shame he has to start over, but he’s awesome enough that it shouldn’t take long.

Here is Bullet Club Gold, complete with official new members the Gunns. Jay White is happy with the team being at full strength and promises Juice Robinson is advancing in the tournament tonight. The Gunns brag about their success and everything that they have done. Tony Schiavone tells them that the Club is barred from ringside, which causes quite the freak out.

With that out of the way, White says he wanted what CM Punk brought back with him in that bag two weeks ago. Oh and they’ll take the Tag Team Titles too. CM Punk/FTR/Ricky Starks pop up on screen, with Punk saying he isn’t worried about White. Punk says he has friends instead of bodyguards and FTR could go for a piece of them too. Starks is ready for Robinson tonight. This version of White felt like a star and you can see why some people are so gung ho about him.

Men’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament First Round; Ricky Starks vs. Juice Robinson

They fight over arm control to start until Starks grabs a headlock takeover. Back up and Robinson takes out the knee, sending Starks face first into the rope. Robinson works on the leg for a bit until Starks fights up with some shots to the face. The leg is kicked out again though and we a break. Back with Robinson hitting a cannonball but Starks tells him to bring in.

A few shots to the face set up a DDT and Starks nips up, damaging his knee again in the process. Starks grabs a tornado DDT but a hanging DDT is countered into a hot shot. Robinson grabs the Texas Cloverleaf, with Starks finally making it to the rope. Robinson rolls him up for two but something like a spinebuster gives Starks two of his own. A super hurricanrana is blocked but Robinson hits his own spear for two. Starks hits a spear for two but a rollup gives Starks the pin at 15:44.

Rating: B-. What matters the most here is having Starks get the win, as that is something that hasn’t happened often enough. With this out of the way, there is a good chance that Starks can move on from Bullet Club Gold, who have taken his attention for months now. Starks seems to be coming up the ladder a bit in recent weeks and that is great or his future, assuming Hobbs doesn’t crush him in the next round.

Post match the Bullet Club runs in but CM Punk/FTR make the save.

Christian Cage is feeling nice on Canada Day but here is Shawn Spears to say he wants to talk to the champ. Cage gets in between them and says talk, only to say that Spears isn’t dangerous. Spears says he’ll see the champ soon.

TBS Title: Lady Frost vs. Kris Statlander

Frost is challenging and gets powered down to start. Statlander blocks a headlock takeover attempt and they trade missed flips. A backbreaker works a bit better for Statlander and we take a break. Back with Statlander planting her again but Frost grabs a German suplex. A tornado DDT plants Statlander for two but she flips out of a piledriver and hits a discus lariat. Saturday Night Fever retains at 7:56.

Rating: C. This match suffered from the same problem that so many women’s matches in AEW have to deal with: a break cutting out nearly half of the match. I know there’s picture in picture and all that jazz, but going to a break and hearing about where I can get a cheap pizza or what is coming up on TNT is a pretty easy way to take me out of the match. Statlander’s roll continues though and she is feeling like a star. If those knees can hold up, she could be going a long, long way around here.

Andrade El Idolo is annoyed at the House Of Black, who pop up on a monitor behind him. El Idolo turns over a camera.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows, including a video on Wheeler Yuta vs. Kenny Omega on Dynamite.

Men’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament First Round: Roderick Strong vs. Samoa Joe

CM Punk is on commentary. Feeling out process to start until Strong gets in a few strikes. Joe sends him outside but it’s too early for the dive, allowing Strong to switch places. Strong’s dive can connect just fine and they head back inside for the chinlock. Joe fights up and hits the release Rock Bottom out of the corner for two as we take a break.

Back with Strong hitting a running knee but Joe knocks him right back down. A knee drop sets up a neck crank but Strong fights up and hits another dropkick. Strong manages a backbreaker and the Sick Kick gets two. A middle rope dropkick gets two and a jumping knee rocks Joe again. End of Heartache is broken up and Strong gets pulled into the Koquina Clutch for the win at 13:27.

Rating: B-. These two know how to beat each other up very well and it can be very fun to hear those strikes landing. Eventually though, it’s hard to get away from Joe when he tries to choke you out and that is what happened to Strong here. It made for a good main event, though Joe vs. Punk is going to be the real attraction here.

Post match Punk and Joe have to be held apart, which lets Joe Emerald Flosion Strong onto a chair. Strong has to be taken out on a stretch with Adam Cole coming out to check on him too. Punk looks rather serious to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Maybe it was the emphasis on tournaments, but this didn’t feel anywhere near as big or important as the first two shows. The stuff they’re building towards should be good, but this wasn’t keeping my interest as well. I’m not the biggest tournament fan in the world and having so much of the show focus on them didn’t help. Not a bad show, but the weakest of the three episodes so far.

Results
Maxwell Jacob Friedman b. Kip Morst – LeBell Lock
Maxwell Jacob Friedman b. Ethan Page – Heatseeker
Powerhouse Hobbs b. Dustin Rhodes – Spinebuster
Miro b. Anthony Henry – Camel clutch
Ricky Starks b. Juice Robinson – Rollup
Kris Statlander b. Lady Frost – Saturday Night Fever
Samoa Joe b. Roderick Strong – Koquina Clutch

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.