Welcome to another edition of The ROHbot Report – the only article you need for all the Ring of Honor news you have to know. One of ROH’s original big events returns after a very tumultuous and downright opaque year for ROH following its purchase by Tony Khan with the only event the company hosting thus far in 2022 was “Supercard of Honor” three months ago. With the return of “Death Before Dishonor” also marks ROH’s first show in Lowell since 2019. Lets find out what will happen when the grapplers of honor look to showcase their skills like never before.
“Death Before Dishonor XIX” Preview; July 22nd, 2022; Lowell, MA
ROH World Championship: Jonathan Gresham defends against Claudio Castagnoli
Jonathan Gresham’s goal since debuting in ROH has been larger than himself. The golden days of ROH, in Gresham’s opinion, were during a time when Pure Rules matches were the norm and a division housing the best grapplers in the world reigned supreme – men like Bryan Danielson, Nigel McGuinness, Doug Williams, and John Walters. For Gresham, pure wrestling was ROH; and so it should be again. Campaigning for the restoration of the Pure Championship and thus the Pure division, Gresham fought tooth & nail to become the first ROH Pure champion in nearly fifteen years; doing so for the world to see on ROH TV in 2020.
For the next year, “The Octopus” reigned supreme on the top of the Pure division mountain until he was finally dethroned by Josh Woods. Instead of ranting & raving about the loss, Gresham stepped back and accepted defeat while setting his sights on a new goal: become the most powerful man in ROH by winning the World title. As successful as men like Nigel McGuinness were as Pure champion, the ultimate goal for any ROH competitor is to become synonymous with the ROH World Championship.
On the pay-per-view prior to “Final Battle” 2021, Gresham overcame perennial title challenger Brody King to earn a shot at Bandido’s title for “Final Battle”. Then the unexpected happened. Literally days before “Final Battle”, Bandido tested positive for Covid-19 and couldn’t compete. In Bandido’s place was Gresham’s rival-turned-ally Jay Lethal to fight for the original version of the ROH World Championship belt – the same title held by Low Ki, Xavier, Samoa Joe, CM Punk, Austin Aries, James “Jamie Noble” Gibson, Bryan Danielson, Homicide, Takeshi Morishima, Nigel McGuinness, Jerry Lynn, and Tyler Black.
“The Octopus” submitted Lethal in the “Final Battle” main event and began a new journey to establish his title as the only ROH World Championship. Recovered from his sickness, Bandido also defended his version of the ROH World title – the championship he never lost. Both have proven why they are top-level talents in a variety of promotions including GCW, Progress, and Impact. Bandido actually confronted his fellow ROH champion at the inaugural TERMINUS show to set the stage for this match; a match where the titles will be unified with one man standing tall as the undisputed ROH World champion. Ring of Honor’s first event under the Tony Kahn umbrella finally saw the undisputed ROH World champion crowned as Bandido fell to Gresham in a trues clash of styles. But Gresham’s glorious moment felt unremarkable in the end; not because of him as a talent, but due to ROH’s return to a status of hiatus after “Supercard of Honor”.
Gresham’s sporadic appearances on AEW programing left something to be desired. The ROH World champion was playing second fiddle to wrestlers who haven’t reached the same levels of success as him. Something needed to change for “The Foundation” and it had to happen soon. Gresham saw his chance to make a statement in a tag team bout on AEW “Rampage” by abandoning his partner for the night Lee Moriarty and aligning with Tully Blanchard & Tully Blanchard’s Enterprises. Gresham topped himself a week later by actually defeating Moriarty to successfully defend his ROH World Championship. After the bout, Gresham made his declaration that he would no longer be overlooked – a feeling Claudio Castagnoli knows all too well.
Everyone who’s watched WWE programming for the past five years or more have seen the former “Cesaro” in action. Claudio’s accomplishments in the biggest wrestling promotion in the world felt less than his talents warranted. A man of superhuman strength housed in remarkable size, “Cesaro” had a special intangible in WWE that allowed him to connect with fans on a distinct level and had the people clamoring for more – more TV time, more World title opportunities, more main event matches.
Ironically enough, Claudio Castagnoli met a similar fate in Ring of Honor during his runs in the promotion. Claudio seemed poised to be a bastion of honor on his own in 2006, but opted to side with his long-time friend & tag team partner Chris Hero; known as “The Kings of Wrestling”. The pair would win the ROH World Tag Team Championship, losing the gold before rumors of Claudio being signed to WWE began. With said reports came a cooling off for Castagnoli in ROH until he officially declared his staying in the honorable realm. For the next year, Claudio built his name as a singles competitor and, by the time ROH was ready to host its first event in the historic Hammerstein Ballroom, Castagnoli had his shot at the ROH World Championship lined up. In front of a very receptive New York crowd, Claudio took the fight to defending champion Nigel McGuinness; but the night was not “The Swiss Superman’s”.
What came from Claudio’s title loss was a downward spiral of bad decisions, tough losses, and a questioning of his potential as a World champion on his own. Instead of languishing in the doldrums of ROH mediocrity, Castagnoli found himself reunited with Hero and The Kings of Wrestling became one of the most talked about tandems in wrestling during the 2010s until a near four-year-long rumor finally became a reality: Claudio Castagnoli had signed with WWE.
No one could’ve believed when the rumors of Cesaro letting his WWE contract expire would result in him returning to the promotion that helped make his name on an independent level as his new home promotion’s owner had purchased Ring of Honor. With Gresham’s statement about proving himself as the best grappler in the world sounded out in the arena during “Rampage”, Castagnoli saw his chance to not only make a formal challenge to the champ, but also change a perception associated with him since that night in the Hammerstein Ballroom over fifteen years ago: Claudio Castagnoli isn’t good enough to be the ROH World champion.
Though this won’t be a significant clash of styles similar to Gresham’s match with Bandido at “Supercard of Honor”, the physical disparity is obvious. Gresham has added muscle to his frame, strength to his base, and loss little to no speed & flexibility. With that being stated, Claudio is nothing short of a genetic freak who has not diminished in any capacity in terms of his physical prowess while, somehow, growing as a wrestler after being one of the best in the world for years.
It’s hard to believe Gresham could overcome his bodily limitations against someone so fully capable in the same manner as himself – like fighting a fun-house mirror version of himself. But as Gresham has shown in his career including during his time in ROH, never count out “The Foundation”. Add that to the fact Gresham now has the backing of Tully Blanchard Enterprises – a faction consisting of Brian Cage, former ROH World Six-Man Tag Team champion Kaun, the massive Toa Liona, and, of course, Tully himself – the World champion’s success in this match may come down to strength in numbers rather than strength in his in-ring abilities.
ROH World Television Championship: Samoa Joe defends against Jay Lethal
Jay Lethal was considered “The Franchise of ROH” – the man who had done it all & then some from defeating ROH legends, to main eventing the biggest shows ROH had to offer, to having classic encounters with a variety of opponents, to being the only man in wrestling history to hold both the ROH World and Television Championships at the same time. But before those legacy-defining days, Lethal was a screw-up who had, obviously, all the potential in the world; but was squandering it until he came into contact with Samoa Joe. Before Lethal was seen as “The Franchise”, Samoa Joe was the man in Ring of Honor. “The Samoan Submission Machine” made the ROH Championship a World title. Joe’s matches with the likes of CM Punk, Homicide, and Bryan Danielson marked a time that signified the epitome of ROH’s “golden era”. Joe saw something in Lethal that meant Jay could be the eventual flag bearer of honor.
Joe took Lethal under his wing and, eventually, Jay proved his mentor correct. At ROH “Trios Tournament”, Lethal overcame John Walters to win the ROH Pure Championship and looked to go on a tear of successful title defenses similar to what Samoa Joe did in his twenty-one months as ROH World champion. Unfortunately for Lethal, Jay ran into a roadblock incredibly early during his reign, ironically enough, in the form of the same man who gave him the confidence to strike out and become the Pure titleholder in the first place: Samoa Joe.
At the inaugural “Manhattan Mayhem”, Joe pinned Lethal to end Jay’s Pure title reign and unintentionally planted the seeds for what would happen a few months later when the protege turned on his teacher. Sadly for ROH fans ready to settle into a long-running story/feud, the Joe-Lethal series only consisted of two singles matches where they split wins before both ended up in TNA Wrestling full-time. But there’s another major story connected to Lethal’s ROH career.
From the time he debuted as “Hydro” while goofing off in the faction known as “Special K”, Lethal has also figured out power comes in numbers. Lethal’s time in ROH has seen the former multi-time champion embrace being a part of a faction that, in his hope, becomes a dominant force. First there was Special K, then The House of Truth; The Foundation followed leading to the end of the Sinclair Broadcast era of ROH. Now, Lethal has his best friend by his side in Sonjay Dutt. Behind Jay and Dutt stands a monster of a man that dwarfs most people not just in wrestling, but also in his original sport of success in basketball, Satnam Singh.
Samoa Joe, who bested the legendary Minoru Suzuki to win the ROH World TV title held by Lethal all those years ago, returns to action with the intent of putting his old student back under the learning tree. Joe and Lethal have this immaculate chemistry that should produce a phenomenal encounter – a bout fitting of a rivalry that really never got the conclusion it should’ve almost two decades ago. The biggest question in regards to the match’s result is, easily, the biggest man involved in this situation: Singh. If Singh can interfere without getting caught, Joe will have so much more to deal with than Lethal’s skills alone. While it would be nice to just see a straight-up encounter with a clean finish between two ROH greats, there’s a good chance it won’t be the most honorable encounter with the definite probability of a title change thanks to the actions of Dutt, Singh, and, of course, “The Franchise”.
ROH World Tag Team Championship (Two Out of Three Falls): FTR defend against The Briscoes
“An End of an Era” was how Ring of Honor promoted “Final Battle 2021”. With so many questions floating around about what ROH would become by April 2022, there were few sureties in the honorable realm. One of those sureties was The Briscoes walking out twelve-time ROH World Tag Team champions as they defeated The OGK of Matt Taven & Mike Bennett. The celebratory moment to follow for The Briscoes in Philadelphia was interrupted by a loss of light. When the stadium illuminated again, Dax Hardwood & Cash Wheeler – FTR – stood on the ring apron; staring a hole through “Dem Boys”. What came next was also a surety: a fight between two of the best tag teams in the world today. What started off as a social media feud had now spilled into The Briscoes’ home turf without fear of FTR about entering hostile territory.
While FTR mocked Jay & Mark for not being up to their standard leading up to “Supercard of Honor” in April, The Briscoes went to war throughout the country while reaping the rewards. From headlining GCW’s debut in the Hammerstein Ballroom to winning the 2022 NWA Crockett Cup, the former ROH World Tag Team champions had been nothing short of busy leading up to their date with destiny in Dallas. That night was magical for everyone watching live and at home as “Dem Boys” and “The Top Guys” tore the house down and had, arguably, the best match of the busiest weekend in wrestling every year. Unfortunately for Jay and Mark, FTR did the near-unbelievable by defeating the ROH legends on their home turf. The momentum from that victory has catapulted FTR to a different level in both the wrestling world and the fans’ eyes.
Beyond entering as the defending ROH World Tag Team Championship, FTR also walk into Lowell as the AAA Tag Team titleholders and the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team champions; though those two titles won’t be on the line here. The Briscoes have been working hard as well including a run in Impact Wrestling that resulted in them becoming the only tag team to hold the Impact World, ROH World, and IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships at one point in their careers. During their face-to-face confrontation, the champions and challengers agreed that one fall isn’t enough to prove who is the better team.
With the two teams agreeing to a Two Out of Three Falls stipulation being added to their rematch, The Briscoes verbalized a hard truth that may mean the difference between FTR retaining or falling to the greatest tag team in ROH history. Though The Briscoes haven’t won every Two Out of Three Falls match they’ve been a part in, the fact remains no team in ROH history has ever won that type of match in two straight falls besides Dem Boys. There’s a high level of anticipation in regards to not only who walks out as the titleholders, but also if they can outdo the classic they had just a few months ago – a goal that will, most likely, be accomplished no matter the winning team.
ROH Women’s World Championship: Mercedes Martinez defends against Serena Deeb
Considered one of the greatest women’s wrestlers of her generation, Mercedes Martinez has done more than anyone could’ve imagined considering the early portion of her career went hand-in-hand during a time when models were being trained to wrestle instead of major promotions hiring actual wrestlers who happened to be women. Martinez’s first brush with national attention came courtesy of her series of matches with Sara Del Rey.
Though Martinez found success early in the Chicago-based promotion SHIMMER, it wasn’t until she took a hiatus from wrestling before her inevitable return to the business that she loved that she reached a different level. With that return came a new attitude – one that Martinez would carry throughout SHIMMER, NXT, and, now, AEW where she entered the promotion as a hired gun for former AEW World Women’s champion Britt Baker. Martinez’s short time in AEW and rather inconsistent tenure in WWE doesn’t properly highlight what she can do and what she can accomplish when the lights are on brightest.
Martinez comes into any fight with credentials second to none including being one of the few two-time SHIMMER champions. SHIMMER’s sister promotion, SHINE, also has a title lineage associated with Mercedes. Both of the aforementioned companies have seen Mercedes win the Tag Team title. Going back further is a true testament to her abilities in the ring, her endurance, and tenacity to win as she had one of the longest title reigns in the last twenty years working for Women Superstars Uncensored (now Women’s Superstars United).
In her 1000-plus days as the WSU champion, Martinez participated in a match that went ninety-three minutes before she was victorious over Alisha “Lexxus” Edwards. Mercedes is a machine if there ever was one and someone who can grab victory from the jaws of defeat as she showed at “Supercard of Honor” where she overcame Willow Nightingale to become the interim ROH Women’s World champion. Martinez followed that up by defeating the second ROH World Women’s titleholder Deonna Purrazzo on AEW “Dynamite” to unify the titles and become an undisputed champion.
While Mercedes became a champion, Serena Deeb was attempting to do the same in AEW. “The Professor” Serena Deeb has nothing short of reinvented herself as a wrestler’s wrestler not unlike Bret Hart, Dean Malenko, and, interestingly enough, Mercedes Martinez before her. In AEW, Deeb’s shed the believed stink of failure from her time under a global spotlight that occurred after Serena become one of the most fiery fan favorites seen on the independent wrestling scene. Disgusted at how her career before AEW resulted in her talents being diminished even though she could’ve been one of the catalysts of what would become known as the “women’s revolution”.
Though Deeb came up short wresting the AEW World Women’s Championship from Thunder Rosa, Serena has been on a roll specifically as a tag team partner with Mercedes. Recently on AEW “Dynamite”, the two egos making up the tandem of Martinez & Deeb clashed and resulted in Serena attacking the ROH Women’s champion. In Martinez’s world, Deeb’s attack was a declaration for war. Deeb is perfectly fine with going to war as seen during his feud with Hikaru Shida. Though both competitors are known for their grappling acumen, they also can brawl like no one else. Of any match on the card, this one feels like anyone’s to win with either catching the other in a surprise finish featuring a submission that forces either the challenger to tap out or the champion to lose consciousness as her valiant nature isn’t one for physically quitting.
ROH Pure Championship: Wheeler Yuta defends against Daniel Garcia
A former CHIKARA Young Lions Cup trophy holder, Wheeler Yuta spent his fundamental years under the learning tree of current WWE Superstar Drew Gulak and a certain lackadaisical AEW standout who once wrestled as “Fire Ant”. Yuta’s time gaining an exceptional base as a great hold-for-hold wrestler gave him the perfect opportunity to show off his skills in any environment including his future home promotion AEW after his time in ROH was cut short upon losing in the opening round of the Pure Championship tournament to eventual tourney winner “The Octopus”. While his talents were greatly noticed after joining AEW, Yuta made a stand by confronting former ROH World champion Bryan Danielson, mega-star Jon Moxley, and one of the best to lace a pair of boots in William Regal.
This interaction between Yuta and Regal’s Blackpool Combat Club lit a fire underneath him that not only helped him become an official member of the BCC, but also saw him defeat Josh Woods for the ROH Pure Championship at “Supercard of Honor” over three months ago. Yuta’s scheduled picked up tremendously since that night in Dallas after winning the Pure title, allowing him to not only defend his title on AEW’s Youtube shows and wrestling alongside his other BCC allies, but also have an impressive showing in the 2022 Best of the Super Juniors tournament where he overcame BUSHI, TJP, DOUKI, and Titan.
For all the positives in Yuta’s career as of late, there’s been a looming black cloud as of late in the form of sports entertainment. Daniel Garcia prided himself early in his AEW tenure as a technician with a pitbull mentality. With 2Point0 by his side, Garcia talked a big game, but failed to really succeed in backing up his claims of beating any and everyone who crossed him. Like the Pure champion, it wasn’t until Garcia garnered the attention of a star beyond measure in the world of pro wrestling: Chris Jericho. Alongside the aforementioned 2Point0 and Jake Hager, Garcia accepted his new truth that with Jericho as their leader he is one of the best sports entertainers in the world today.
In Garcia’s mind, sports entertainment includes catch-as-catch-can wrestling. Attacking Yuta at various points after successful matches, Garcia staked his claim at being the next in line to face the champ for ROH’s most unique championship. These two have only met one time in singles competition that resulted in a sixty-minute time limit draw. With Pure Rules in effect (thirty-minute time limit with three judges declaring a winner if no fall occurs in the time limit, three rope breaks per competitor, no closed fists or illegal strikes that cause a warning/loss of a rope break/disqualification if no rope breaks remain, no interference) going to a draw is an impossibility. Though Garcia is a magnificent grappler, he’s rarely been in a Pure Rules match; something the champ has perfected in recent months. Though Garcia will give Wheeler an impressive fight, pure wrestling will overcome sports entertainment in this one.
ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship: The Righteous (Vincent, Bateman & Dutch) defend against Dalton Castle & The Boys
In 2016 when ROH instated the World Six-Man Tag Team Championship, Vincent fought alongside Matt Taven & TK O’Ryan under The Kingdom banner. In somewhat surprising fashion, The Kingdom ran through the competition before taking the crowns at “Final Battle” that same year. Their reign only lasted three months due to O’Ryan breaking his leg in a title defense featuring none other than Dalton Castle & The Boys. The flamboyant trio of “The Peacock of Pro Wrestling” & his loyal supporters who so happen to be wrestlers took advantage of The Kingdom’s fall in the Six-Man Tag division; attaining the championship a few months after TK’s injury. Like The Kingdom before them, Castle & The Boys didn’t have the longest of tenures as champions with the future ROH World champion Dalton being a big reason for their loss to The Bullet Club then-featuring The Young Bucks & Hangman Page as he suffered from a back injury.
The respective trios who once held ROH Six-Man silver eventually broke apart with Castle striking out on his own to become a ROH World champion while Vincent created his own faction after The Kingdom had another pair of reigns between 2018 and 2019. The Righteous formed during a time when the sadistic “Horror King” drew the blood of his former best friend Matt Taven. Featuring Bateman (Vincent’s first official follower with a chameleon-like ability in the ring that made him a standout during New Japan’s “Strong” TV/event series) and the gigantic Dutch (who has uncanny agility and, apparently, very little feeling in terms of registering pain) by Vincent’s side, The Righteous quietly became a force in the Six-Man division until they met then-champions Shane Taylor Promotions at last year’s “Final Battle”.
And just like that night in New York five years prior, Vincent exited “Final Battle” 2021 as one-third of the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team champions – the third man to hold the title twice with two different teams (behind The Young Bucks) while also becoming the only person to win the title four times. This bout will not only represent a clash of styles, but also personalities. This is another bout where the odds of seeing new champions crowned or a title retention are fifty-fifty. The only thing that is a surety about this encounter is it’ll be different from anything else on the card considering the personalities involved.
RUSH vs. Dragon Lee
For RUSH, wrestling is in his blood as he’s a second generation grappler who certainly reached a level of success expected of him including title wins that saw him hold CMLL’s Light Heavyweight, Tag Team & Trios championships as well as forming Los Ingobernables, earning the Most Hated Wrestler of the Year, and having a perfect record in Hair vs. Hair matches. RUSH added another credential to his impressive resume in Las Vegas when he defeated Matt Taven to become the new ROH World champion.
RUSH found great success in big title matches; becoming a two-time ROH World champion in less than a year after one hiccup cost him the goal at “Final Battle” ’19. ROH’s return during the pandemic saw RUSH & his faction La Faccion Ingobernable prove that their way was a path to success. Before last year’s “Final Battle”, LFI had once held the ROH World, Television and Tag Team Championships at the same time. The owner of the TV title was none other than RUSH’s brother, Dragon Lee.
Lee is one of the most explosive wrestlers in the world with an incredible penchant for being one of the best high-fliers in the wrestling world today. As noted, Lee comes into this bout with two Television title reigns under his belt. Lee’s successes in ROH rivals his brother’s, but the two never saw themselves as enemies; not going after what the other owned because they were obviously proud of the other because titles rule the wrestling world. They’ve also found themselves on the same side of the ring in ROH and elsewhere; gaining multiple wins as a part of a duo & a trio with RUSH’s last ROH appearance occurring in a six-man tag that ended with “El Toro Blanco” getting injured. Though they’ve never fought in a singles match, they have been on opposing teams; so they know what it feels like to punch their brother in the mouth.
Though it would’ve been nice to see some type of build to a first-time match like this considering how important these figures were to ROH’s recent past, the fact fans will get to see what should be a masterful clash of two very similar styles is nothing short of a treat. Beyond the result is the question of what this means for Lee’s future in ROH and/or AEW. With RUSH reuniting with former Los Ingobernables member Andrade El Idolo, could this match, no matter the outcome, be Lee’s initiation into the faction?
Willow Nightingale vs. Allysin Kay
One of the most revered stars on the independent wrestling scene, Allysin Kay has battled many and won championships in almost every promotion she’s been a part of including Impact Wrestling and the NWA. Interestingly enough it was when Allysin Kay reigned as the NWA World Women’s champion that she made an important ROH appearance pre-pandemic; besting frequent tag team partner and fellow future tag team titleholder Marti Belle.
Kay returned to ROH for the inaugural Women’s World Championship tournament; making it through the first round before falling in the quarterfinals. “The AK-47” is nothing short of a marvel in the ring with her ability to match up against almost any talent stylistically and make them work at her pace before taking them down with a devastating discus lariat or locking in a variety of submissions including a cobra clutch, Muta Lock, or Koji clutch for a tap out victory.
Opposing Kay is someone who doesn’t have the same level experience as her, but an individual who too has left a lasting impression everywhere she goes, Willow Nightingale. As seen on AEW and, most importantly in regards to this event, ROH, Willow is the type of wrestler that shouldn’t be judged simply by physical appearances or how care-free she is during her entrance where she’ll dance her way to the ring. Willow is a hard-hitting bruiser who has the agility of someone half her size – something many bear witnessed to when she finally made her ROH debut last year. Facing off with Alex Gracia, Willow fought through the pain dished out by “The Pink Dream” and gave it back in kind before finishing her off with a super kick that allowed Willow to hit her devastating “Babe Bomb” gut-wrench sit-out power bomb.
As noted, Kay overcame her first-round opponent in the Women’s Championship tournament – that opponent just so happened to be Nightingale. Though Willow fought valiantly, she wasn’t able to overcome Kay’s submission abilities. Willow did redeem herself on a certain level, earning not one, but two shots at the title post-last year’s “Death Before Dishonor”. Unfortunately for Willow, both opportunities ended in losses.
“The Girl With the Power” is back on the grind, looking to make third times the charm if she can earn another championship opportunity. Though Kay hasn’t been a consistent figure on ROH TV before the hiatus or since Tony Khan purchased ROH, she does know the answer to the question, “How do you beat Willow?” Considering their history, this should be Allysin’s match to win; but never underestimate someone with heart & determination as big as her smile backed up by a tremendous amount of talent.
Shinobi Shadow Squad (Cheeseburger & Eli Isom) vs. Trustbusters (Ari Daivari & Slim J)
Over the last few weeks on AEW television and their Youtube shows, Ari Daivari has proclaimed himself as the richest man in pro wrestling; giving him a chance to hire the services of wrestlers to be a part of his intended-growing faction. One of those people Daivari saw as a viable ally is a person who hasn’t been seen in a ROH ring in years, Slim J. Though once a groovy, low-end indie wrestler in the early 2000s, Slim has grown into one of the most consistent performers south of the Mississippi. Though not the biggest or the baddest, Slim can’t be underestimated as a ferocious competitor; a yang to Daivari’s rather flashy yin.
Also familiar with ROH fans is two-thirds of the Shinobi Shadow Squad. Long-time ROH competitor Cheeseburger attempted to reinvent himself during the pandemic, but has opted to return to what helped him become embraced by the fans when he wanted to become a Six-Man Tag Team champion. Eli Isom joined his trainer in ‘Burger and fellow ROH Dojo graduate Ryan Nova to form their faction. Isom, however, reached another level of being an in-ring athlete during the pandemic as well. Isom came oh-so-close to winning the ROH World Television Championship, setting a precedent for himself that, hopefully, will play out in the new ROH in the future.
For now, this is, hopefully, a chance for the SSS to get back on track after they were decimated by The Gates of Agony during the “Supercard of Honor” pre-show. But similar to other matches on this card, The Trustbusters have someone backing them that could make a big difference in who wins or who loses, former NXT star Parker Boudreaux. The imposing figure of Boudreaux potentially lurking could mean the difference between Cheeseburger & Isom winning in this new version of ROH, or the AEW “Dark” guys succeeding in their second outing as a unit.
Brian Cage & The Gates Of Agony (Kaun & Toa Liona) (w/Tully Blanchard) vs. Alex Zayne, Blake Christian & Tony Deppen
When Tully Blanchard announced he had a client for his recently announced “Tully Blanchard Enterprises” before “Supercard of Honor” in April, it wasn’t a shock when Brian Cage appeared. “The Weapon” in Cage hadn’t be on AEW TV for quite a while and this was his chance to restart his on-screen career. Cage, who decimated the debuting Ninja Mack (a talent that, hopefully, comes back to ROH in the near future).
But Blanchard wasn’t done with the announcements. By Blanchard’s sides later in the night was another ROH debut in Toa Liona and the former Six-Man Tag Team champion Kaun of Shane Taylor Promotions. Like Cage, Kaun & Liona dominated the competition in Dallas that night; setting the stage for an era of dominance to come. Unlike TBE, their opponents aren’t an onscreen contingent; but they do have a lot of history against and with each other.
Tony Deppen returns to ROH having become a standout on the indie scene including his talents being showcased in companies like GCW. But in ROH, Deppen was one-fourth of VLNCE UNLTD alongside Homicide, Brody King & Chris Dickinson. During that time as a member of VU, Deppen won the ROH World Television Championship. Though Deppen’s reign wasn’t the longest because of the timing alongside the pandemic, it did set a standard for his career and even a movement as fans declared, “Sign Tony Deppen,” before ROH’s initial hiatus.
Blake Christian, like Deppen and their mutual partner for the evening in Alex Zayne, is a man who has used the recent indie boom to his advantage by working hard in the best smaller promotions possible. Christian topped himself in a great showing during “Supercard of Honor” where he came up short against Colt Cabana in a match that resonated with the fans and wanted him signed just like Deppen last year.
Zayne, as redundant as it may come across, is another indie wrestling standout who worked some of the best wrestlers around him in various promotions including his own partner in Deppen as recently as last week. Unlike his allies, Zayne has come close to winning the biggest prize in ROH as he unsuccessfully challenged then-ROH World champion Bandido for the gold pre-“Final Battle” 2021. Zayne also appeared at “Supercard of Honor”, falling to future AEW Tag Team champion Swerve Strickland in a banger of an opener. While not on the actual pay-per-view, expect the indie stars go all out against Tully’s proteges even if it means getting destroyed in the end by Tully Blanchard Enterprises.
Colt Cabana vs. Anthony Henry
When Colt Cabana made his ROH return at “Supercard of Honor” three months ago, it felt like a true homecoming. The former multi-time ROH World Tag Team champion had been an unessential part of The Dark Order on AEW programming. Like so many others in ROH’s illustrious history, Colt had journeyed out to find more success, bigger challenges, and championships to attain beyond ROH. But the call to honor was always there and Colt would be up to the challenge any time his smiling face appeared on a show under the ROH banner.
Unlike Cabana, Anthony Henry is an unfamiliar face in the realm of Honor. One-half of the Work Horsemen alongside JD Drake, Henry is an intense technician who has all the makings of taking his team to a different level if they have the true opportunity on prime time. With AEW being loaded with teams, ROH may be the chance for the Work Horsemen to truly succeed. But this isn’t about duos and, with Henry being a more serious competitor, may find himself flustered by Colt’s British style of trickery, flash pins, and Cabana being on his home turf. Expect this one to either open the pre-show – “Zero Hour” – or close it strong with a “Boom Boom” victory.
And there you have it. Show that love, or like, for The ROHbot Report on its Facebook page. Here’s to a great week for you and yours; and as always, thanks for reading.
