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 returned last night. History was certainly made, questions were left unanswered, and ROH’s potential near future seems a lot brighter than it did just a few months ago. Lets see what went down.
“Death Before Dishonor XIX” Review; July 23rd, 2022; Lowell, MA
Zero Hour Pre-Show: Colt Cabana vs. Anthony Henry w/ JD Drake
As expected, Colt Cabana utilized his British-based style to control the action early, focusing on the left wrist of his rather braggadocios opponent. Anthony Henry refused to break clean after backing Cabana into the corner. Colt made Henry pay by using a failed dropkick to roll up Henry for an early two count. Colt went for another pinning combination in the form of a sunset flip. Henry held is base, twisting his body to perform a neck wrench not once, but twice. The fans were rallying behind the former ROH World Tag Team champion, but Henry was in complete control as he gave Colt a taste of his own medicine by twisting up Cabana by his wrists. Colt attempted to make a comeback, only to feel a sick piledriver … that gave Henry a near fall!
Solid knee strikes topped by some self-adulation gave Henry a less likeable reception from the fans still rooting for “Boom Boom”. Belly to back suplexing his way out of a cravat, Cabana got up firing off jabs followed by a bionic elbow. Henry was getting lit up with chops until he was in position for a Flying Apple-lariat combination that almost ended this bout in Colt’s favor. Henry left the ring, using the chance to get the referee out of the eye-line sight of JD Drake so the latter could clobber Colt illegally. Henry performed a running leg lariat that left Colt prone to be frog splashed in the ring … to gain another near fall!
Colt avoided the missile dropkick, only for his set up for the Billy Goat’s Curse to be turned into a guillotine choke. Cabana countered the submission with the BGC when Drake jumped onto the apron. Cabana approached Drake, sidestepping an incoming Henry so the Work Horsemen collided. Henry got slammed in position for a beautiful moonsault that allowed Cabana to pick up the three count.
Winner: Colt Cabana (10:00)
Match Review: Fun overall opener to the show, though it was a little rough in the beginning and late portion thanks mostly in part to Henry’s footwork. Cabana winning with the moonsault was different, but his size makes it one of the most believable finishers in his arsenal. Here’s hoping the next time ROH is on PPV, Cabana is a part of the main card.
Zero Hour Pre-Show: Shinobi Shadow Squad (Cheeseburger & Eli Isom) vs. Trustbusters (Ari Daivari & Slim J)
Code of Honor adhered to before Ari Daivari locked up with fan favorite Cheeseburger. Backing ‘Burger into the corner quickly, Ari tagged out to the veteran after laying in some right hands. Slim J showed his athleticism early by turning a failed Irish whip into a head scissors that put Cheeseburger in prime position for Ari’s onslaught. Cheeseburger clotheslined his way out of a bad predicament, tagging out to Eli Isom who almost won off the sunset flip. Leg lariat almost the flying arm drag almost ended this one in Eli’s favor. Using a thumb to Isom’s eyes, Ari was able to tag out. Blind tag by Cheeseburger set up a bulldog on Slim after Eli slid through J’s legs as a way to capture his opponent. ‘Burger hitting the ropes on the wrong part of town resulted in him getting kicked illegally by Ari before Slim executed a wheelbarrow into the flatliner.
The crowd rallied behind Cheeseburger, giving him the energy to fight through Ari and tag out. Isom was a house of fire, staying in the ring’s middle to assault enemies coming from two directions. The illegal participants were going at it until Isom interceded and got pulled into sliced bread by Slim. Isom was prone for Ari’s frog splash that kept him down for those precious three seconds.
Winners: Trustbusters (5:30)
Match Review: Solid effort from everyone involved with Slim really shining. Though it’s hard to see the potential in the Trustbusters just yet, hopefully that changes soon especially if they’re going to be a part of ROH going forward.
– Prince Nana had some great news for interviewer Lexi Nair: he’s purchased Tully Blanchard Enterprises! Praise God! The Embassy is back!
Zero Hour Pre-Show: The Embassy (Brian Cage & The Gates Of Agony [Kaun & Toa Liona] (w/Prince Nana) vs. Alex Zayne, Blake Christian & Tony Deppen
Alex Zayne found himself in the ring with “The Machine” Brian Cage until former ROH Television champion Tony Deppen decided he wanted to take on the big man. Deppen wisely hit Cage & moved, landing kicks & forearms until he ran into a gorilla press slam. Sick Irish whip actually sent Deppen out of the ring. Deppen could only make it to Zayne when Kaun made the mistake of mouthing off. Somersault leg drop to the back of Kaun’s head after he was bent over put him in position for a head scissors off the ropes by Zayne. Kaun avoided Alex’s follow up attack, leading him into a chase so Toa Liona could almost take “The Sauce’s” head off with a clothesline when they reentered the ring.
Deppen attempted to help when Toa knocked him out of the ring. The GOA were decimating Zayne on the right part of town for The Embassy. Placing Zayne on the top rope, Kaun executed a sidewalk slam across the top turnbuckle. Zayne rolled onto the apron for a breather when Liona senton splashed him. As if that wasn’t enough, Cage performed a dead-lift superplex on Zayne from the apron. Alex exploded with a forearm off the pop-up by Cage, only for Brian to wheelbarrow slam Zayne. Alex flipped out of another suplex attempt, tagging out to Blake Christian.
Cleaning house, Christian knocked The GOA off the apron before executing a tornado DDT on Cage. When Blake dove on The GOA on the floor, they caught him. Thankfully for Blake, Deppen used a tope to wipe them all out. Zayne used an asai moonsault on Cage to put Brian in potion for Blake’s springboard 450 splash into Deppen knee trembler. Cage somehow kicked out of Blake’s follow-up pin, setting off an exchange of gigantic maneuvers until The GOA were ready to throw down with Blake & Zayne – a fruitless endeavor for Christian & Alex as they ran into Samoan drops from Kaun & Liona. Deppen went to fight off The GOA, but took a pop-up power bomb from Cage for his trouble. As if that wasn’t enough, Deppen felt Kaun’s double knee gut-buster, and a double team dominator-sick kick comb. Deppen couldn’t kick out of the subsequent pin fall.
Winners: The Embassy (11:34)
Match Review: A fine way to (re)introduce Prince Nana to the viewing audience alongside three men who put on a show against another trio of standouts on the indie scene and in ROH’s recent history. Easily one of the best ROH pre-show matches of all time and, hopefully, a strong beginning to this new version of The Embassy.
Zero Hour Pre-Show: Willow Nightingale vs. Allysin Kay
Willow Nightingale took control early, landing that low cross body off the snap mare. Booty splash in the corner not once, but twice on Allysin Kay. Willow got a little too cute with her offense in the corner, getting caught by a neck breaker in the ropes. Big knife-edge chop from Kay fired up Willow so she could unleash some chops of her own. Kay exploded out of the corner with the clothesline to gain a two count. Willow, though stuck on her stomach in a modified STF, fought to her feet while the fans chanted in favor of Nightingale. Allysin missed a running shoulder ram in the corner, weakening her left arm. Ducking a roundhouse kick, Kay landed one of her own that knocked Willow into the ropes. Nightingale propelled off, hitting a clothesline that reset the action.
Willow got up throwing bombs including a missile dropkick that had Nightingale questioning how she only got a two count off the follow-up pin. Willow avoided the Koji clutch, only to be swept into an arm bar after slamming her opposition. Willow used a DDT to free herself from the submission, going for that gut-wrench power bomb. Kay countered with the Dude Buster … to attain a near fall!
Kay wanted to pounce Willow, but Nightingale wasn’t having it as she kicked “AK-47” in position for a pounce of her own. Kay was out of it as Willow shoulder rammed Allysin in position for Babe With the Power Bomb for the pin.
Winner: Willow Nightingale (7:50)
Match Review: Solid end to the pre-show, they it seemed they were rushing to get everything done before their time ran out. Willow definitely needed a win here and, hopefully, is getting closer to another show at the ROH Women’s World Championship.
ROH World Championship: Jonathan Gresham defends against Claudio Castagnoli
Code of Honor not only followed, but a huge ovation garnered. Claudio Castagnoli went for the European uppercut immediately, but the champ was ready; avoiding the maneuver and quickly trying to out-wrestle the much larger opposition. Trying to hyper-extend the challenger’s left elbow, but Claudio distanced himself and recovered to trip Gresham into the big swing! Prince Nana was furious as Gresham couldn’t do anything to stop the swing. Gresham avoided the subsequent pin, rolling onto the apron to grab Claudio’s incoming leg for a dragon screw on Castagnoli’s left knee.
Gresham dropped down using his momentum to arm drag Claudio not once, but twice before clipping the challenger’s legs. The fans were about 80-20 Claudio as “The Octopus” showed his viciousness by grabbing at Claudio’s ears during an Indian deathlock. Claudio approached Gresham as the champ left the ring for something. Gresham found himself caught into a death grip as Claudio’s legs gave out on him while he stood on the second rope, only for Castagnoli to muscle Gresham over for a suplex.
Just when it seemed Claudio was turning the tides in his favor, “The Octopus” yanked Claudio leg-first into the ropes. Going for a follow-up flying attack, Gresham flew into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker that left the challenger stumbling even as he tried set up a sharpshooter. “The Swiss Superman” had to switch his gameplan by focusing on strikes to avoid getting caught in submissions. Gresham’s back was giving him trouble as he attempted to pull Claudio down after popping Claudio’s left knee backward.
Bayonet running forearm strike on the kneeling Castagnoli was accented by some knife-edge chops. Castagnoli fired himself up and responded with European uppercuts. UFO failed for Claudio due to his hurts legs, resulting in a moonsault from Gresham into the German suplex topped by running forearms. On the third Bayonet attempt, Gresham ran into the pop-up European uppercut. Gresham avoided the Neutralizer, only to take a big clothesline as the fans chanted, “This is awesome!”
Castagnoli had Gresham in position for those rapid elbow strikes. Gresham’s mouthpiece fell out as his body went limp. Castagnoli quickly picked up the champ, hitting the Ricola Bomb … for the three count! NEW CHAMP!
Winner: Claudio Castagnoli (11:30)
Match Review: A solid way to kick off the PPV with a crowd-pleasing moment. Considering who was involved, the overall physical differences, yet similar styles, and the title involved, this bout seemed poised to get at least twenty minutes with them delivering a near, if not true classic. Instead we got a strong opener where the moment of Claudio winning meant more than the match’s quality. With Gresham as a part of The Embassy now, it’ll be interesting to see how he’s handled and whether or not this is the first of a series between himself and the new champ.
– Lexi Nair was backstage with Daniel Garcia to get his thoughts on Wheeler Yuta’s comments about him not being worthy of the Pure Championship. Garcia didn’t want to be worthy of the championship. In Garcia’s mind, having more rules is stupid and his goal is to take the Pure title to the “big leagues” so the Jericho Appreciation Society could destroy the belt.
ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship: The Righteous (Vincent, Bateman & Dutch) w/ Vita Von Starr defend against Dalton Castle & The Boys
Dalton Castle and Vincent locked up at the sound of the bell, only for the champ to pull “The Peacock” down with a side Russian leg sweep. Castle left the ring to regroup as The Boys fanned him down. Bateman had tagged in during Castle’s recovery, only to feel an exploder suplex when he neared the former ROH World champion. Castle grabbed The Boys, slamming them across Bateman’s horizontal frame.
Blind tag by Dutch allowed him to run through both Boys. Boy Brent found himself getting yanked into clotheslines aplenty by Dutch. Quick tags by the champions had Brent on the wrong part of town. Running knee strike on the cornered Brent courtesy of Vincent set up the vicious attack of Bateman consisting of head-butts and full-body splashes. Spinning back elbow into a swinging fisherman’s buster didn’t help Bateman stop Brent. Instead, Brent rallied to his feet, avoided the subsequent attacks by Bateman and tagged out to Castle.
Dalton had suplexes ready for anyone in his path; allowing Castle to pitch his Boys over the top atop his opponents at ringside for a good minute. The crowd was on its feet as Dalton celebrated his Boys tossing expertise hasn’t waned. Vita Von Starr decided she wanted to dive, too, hitting her allies instead of The Boys at ringside. When The Boys went to grab Vita, Dutch somersaulted over the top to crush The Boys. Castle ran in, breaking up a sure pin on Brent when Vincent crushed the Boy with the Death From Above Swanton.
Vincent kept his composure, using Orange Sunshine on Brent. Before Vincent could go for the pin, Castle pulled Vincent out of the ring for a hurricarana on the floor. After using a German suplex on Dutch after the latter wiped out Boy Brandon with the Boss Man Slam, Castle found himself being confronted by an incoming Bateman. Dalton caught Bateman coming in with a mega Bang-A-Rang. Castle slammed Bateman against the canvas, pinning him … to become a NEW CHAMPION! NEW CHAMPIONS!
Winners: Dalton Castle & The Boys (9:40)
Match Review: Pretty much as expected with Castle & The Boys being a nice cooling down match after the historic PPV opener without being any less entertaining. The Righteous actually looked better than the new champs in terms of cohesion and offense and here’s hoping this isn’t the end for them in ROH.
– Sonjay Dutt stood with Jay Lethal & Satnam Singh. According to Dutt, in Indian culture people only wear all white is when there’s a funeral. Tonight’s funeral is for Samoa Joe with Lethal stating the Television champion’s choice between death or dishonor is already made for him.
ROH Pure Championship: Wheeler Yuta defends against Daniel Garcia
Ace Steel, and former ROH Pre champions John Walters & Josh Woods are the judges for this one.
The champion found himself winning an early forearm exchange, pulling Daniel Garcia into a straightjacket choke. Garcia countered the submission to cinch in his own version of the hold. They were trading chokes until the challenger landed a head-butt out of the nowhere. Yuta recovered quickly, grabbing at Daniel’s head. Garcia muscled his way off the mat, tossing the champion over the top rope so he landed on the floor at the three minute mark. The first pin fall attempt of the bout saw Yuta kicking out while clutching his neck after that fall and being thrown against the barricades soon after. Avoiding a running Garcia in the corner, Yuta knocked Daniel in position for a running senton splash.
As the fans rallied behind the titleholder, Wheeler wanted to submit Garcia with a modified STF converted into the bow & arrow. Garcia survived the submission, only to take a pair of German suplexes. Garcia found himself in a kimura. Daniel grabbed the referee with his free hand, leaning into Yuta so he could bite the champ’s left ear while the referee attempted to free himself from the challenger’s grip.
Yuta got up swinging, only to drop after each strike taken. Grabbing Yuta by his left ear, Garcia whipped the defending champion against the turnbuckles over & over again. Wheeler got tired of getting his ears tugged, giving Garcia a taste of his own medicine before missile dropkicking Daniel after knocking the JAS member off the ropes. Flying clothesline from Yuta set off a series of strike exchanges until they knocked each other down with flying tackles.
Eleven minutes had elapsed as they struggled to their knees to exchange chops & slaps. Garcia suddenly dropped, leading to a countdown. Garcia barely made it to his feet, taking a German suplex for another two count. Garcia countered the sleeper by elbowing Yuta’s neck in preparation for a sleeper of his own. Wheeler reversed the submission, only for his crossface to be swept into the sharpshooter. When Garcia lost his balance, Yuta attempted to pull off another submission. Garcia was ready, putting the champ in the Regal Stretch. Yuta crawled his way to the ropes, only for the challenger to pull him away. This movement allowed Yuta to counter the submission into a Walls of Jericho. Garcia had no choice but to use a rope break.
Garcia caught Yuta coming after him with a stump piledriver … that gave him a near fall!
The challenger wanted to use the capture stomps on Yuta a la Bryan Danielson. Yuta countered the stomps into the Chikara Special for the pin out of nowhere.
No Code of Honor as Garcia flipped off Yuta and the ROH sign.
Winner: Wheeler Yuta (15:55)
Match Review: Very good match that probably didn’t use the Pure Rules as much as they could’ve to educate new viewers of the importance of rope break usage and dirty tactics (though Garcia biting Yuta was a show highlight considering he has the dawg in him). They turned it up as the clock ticked down and had fantastic chemistry. This felt like the beginning of a long, career-synonymous rivalry for each man that, hopefully, produces a rematch.
RUSH vs. Dragon Lee
Collar & elbow tie-up saw RUSH muscle his brother around before giving him a big chop. When Dragon Lee attempted to take the former ROH World champion down, the masked man actually gained a two count on RUSH following a cradle. When RUSH attempted to big boy his brother, Lee responded in kind until he took a big shot to the jaw. Lee recovered quickly, tripping RUSH into a dropkick in the corner. Like his brother, RUSH returned to his feet hastily to knock Lee out of the ring for a big dive. RUSH hadn’t changed his approach, whipping Lee against the barricades immediately afterward while telling the referee to chill out with the count.
RUSH feigned Bull’s Horns, insultingly kicking his brother in the mouth. This act fired up Lee as he ran out of the corner, only to be power slammed and nonchalantly pinned. Lee took the chance to recover as RUSH lightly kicked him in the face. The former TV champ popped off the mat, using a hurricarana to propel RUSH out of the ring for a tope suicida. As if that wasn’t enough, Lee placed RUSH in front of the timekeeper’s table. Running like there was no tomorrow in the ring, Lee came sailing through the ropes to spear RUSH through the table at ringside!
Warrior’s Way double stomp in the ring by Lee only resulted in a two count for the masked man. RUSH motioned for his brother to keep the onslaught coming while throwing shots back in retaliation. An exchange of German suplexes ended with them colliding in the ring’s middle when they both wanted cross body blocks. RUSH pulled a Brian Cage by executing a dead-lift superplex from the apron after back dropping his brother over the top rope.
They ended up on the apron, chopping it out after Dragon kicked out of RUSH’s subsequent pin attempt. After kicking RUSH down, Lee ran across the apron. RUSH caught his brother, overhead belly-to-belly suplexing Lee to the floor! RUSH spent too much time both recovering & mouthing off at the fans so Lee could come sailing over the top rope with a hurricarana!
They struggled to make it back in before the twenty count, restarting this fight with a chop exchange. RUSH lured Lee into another overhead belly-to-belly suplex where Lee collided with the turnbuckles. Bull’s Horns connected for RUSH … only to give “El Toro Blanco” a near fall!
RUSH placed Lee on the top rope, only for Dragon to trip him for the tree of woe double stomp that only earned the masked man a one count. Lee positioned himself of a rising RUSH, hitting that Incinerator knee strike … to earn a near fall!
Lee’s body language was that of concern as RUSH seemingly suffered from some type of instability as he wobbled on the floor. But it was all a ruse as RUSH popped off the floor and clobbered Lee to put him in position for Bull’s Horns once again. RUSH made the cover to pin his little brother.
Winner: RUSH (15:50)
Match Review: Where in the world did that come from? RUSH and Lee obviously went out there with the intent of stealing the show and did just that up to this point. With no build, they delivered in grabbing the fans’ attention, never let up on the figurative octane, and produced a lucha style match unlike anything seen on AEW or ROH television. A fantastic outing from both that, hopefully, leads to more appearances for Dragon Lee in ROH or AEW.
ROH Women’s World Championship: Mercedes Martinez defends against Serena Deeb
The early going was that of two incredible grapplers searching for a weak point on the other; looking to lock in something that would disable their opponent. When that didn’t necessarily work for the champ, Mercedes Martinez picked up the pace; only to run into a deep arm drag topped by the arm bar. Martinez countered by hitting a spine buster that put Deeb in position for a running dropkick in the corner on her seated opponent. Martinez followed Deeb to the floor, only for the challenger to spear her when they started a forearm exchange on the apron.
Diamond Dust in the ring by Deeb gave her a two count as the fans chanted in favor of “The Professor”. The champion recovered, ducking a clothesline to half-nelson suplex Serena on her head. Placing Deeb on the top rope, Martinez had to pound Deeb’s back and even lock in a dragon sleeper to position her for whatever she had in mind.
Deeb elbowed her way out of the predicament, getting behind Mercedes to grab the champion’s arms & kick her in the back. Martinez was stuck in the tree of woe, prone to a dropkick to Mercedes’ abdomen. Abdominal stretch by Deeb saw her convert it into the Debb-tox. Martinez held on, pulling Deeb over before cinching in a cross arm bar. Serena refused to get caught in a submission, let alone submit when twisted up like a pretzel. The women were kicking each other mercilessly as they attempted to get up; leading to a double down.
Running knee strike from the champ after countering a sunset flip didn’t stop Deeb from climbing the ropes when Serena got some distance. Martinez followed, grabbing her opposition in the corner. Mercedes used that spider German suplex that dropped Deeb on her head and left shoulder. It seemed like the challenger was prone for that Execution Forearm when Deeb just collapsed forward. So the champ opted for the Brass City Sleeper.
Deeb bit her way out of the submission, only for Mercedes to pounce her immediately after. Deeb was out on her feet as Martinez hoisted her up for the TKO. Deeb countered with Wax On Wax Off, topped by a tornado DDT. Deeb kept her grip, sweeping Martinez into the Serenity Lock. Mercedes was on the verge of tapping out when she was able to sweep the challenger into a pinning combination. “The Professor” kicked out, slamming Martinez’s left leg against the canvas as the fans chanted in approval. Mercedes countered a leg lock by rolling forward while sending Serena face first into the turnbuckles. Martinez rose with Deeb on her shoulders. A little Cheeky Nandos from Martinez set up the OG Drop … for a near fall!
Deeb looked to get up when Martinez put her in the dragon sleeper for the submission victory.
Winner: Mercedes Martinez (17:20)
Match Review: One of the longest matches of the show definitely didn’t feel that way as champion and challenger went from grappling to striking, back to grappling and hitting some big maneuvers. The crowd wasn’t fully invested early on, but rallied behind Deeb in one of the few “bizarro” moments. Like several matches from this show, a rematch down the road would be wonderful with them having more of a sprint similar to what happened during this bout’s tail-end.
ROH World Television Championship: Samoa Joe defends against Jay Lethal
Jay Lethal asked his crew to stay in the back for this one. Samoa Joe wasn’t waiting, coming out before the challenger could make it to the ring. Deys a clubberin’ in Massatoochus, Tony! Lethal attempted to out-chop Joe – you don’t out-chop Samoa Joe. Joe found himself getting his eyes raked after he almost decapitated Lethal with the clothesline. The match almost officially began when Lethal kicked Joe in position for a pair of topes. The third heat-seeking tope almost sent Joe into the front row. The fans gave Jay a, “Lethal sucks!” chant as he set up the ole kick – a Samoa Joe original.
Joe was ready, kicking Jay instead so Lethal was put in position for the ole kick. Joe wanted to put Lethal through the timekeeper’s table when Satnam Singh clubbed Joe from behind. The match hasn’t started yet and Lethal took advantage of it by wrapping the chair around Joe’s left arm and ramming the champion against the steel ring post. Rolling Joe into the ring, Lethal demanded the match start as the referee ordered Singh to the back.
Lethal was all over Joe’s left arm with the champion firing off chops & kicks in retaliation. Joe’s enzuguri in the corner resulted in a two count thanks to Lethal’s closeness to the ropes. The challenger rolled onto the apron, using the ropes to execute an arm breaker before using a missile dropkick aimed directly at that injured limb. Joe came out of the corner firing off chops with his right arm when he ran into another dropkick. Joe took an enzuguri after slapping the taste out of Lethal’s mouth, resetting this one. Lethal came off the ropes, taking a back elbow that put the challenger at ringside.
“The Samoan Submission Machine” came sailing through the ropes to forearm smash Lethal. Sick lariat from Joe didn’t put Lethal down for the three count as expected when the action return inside the ropes. Power bomb set up didn’t work for Joe as Lethal went after his left arm again with strikes. Instead, Lethal ran into a snap power slam for another two count in Joe’s favor. Joe wanted to knock his former protege out, only to feel the Lethal Combination. Lethal wanted to lock in the figure four, but Joe wasn’t having that tonight. So Lethal decided he wanted to use Joe’s muscle buster instead. Joe stopped his patented maneuver from happening to him, diving off the top with a leg lariat that gave Joe another two count.
Jay flipped out of the Muscle Buster, executing the Lethal Injection … for a near fall!
The fans were going wild as Joe struggled to get to his feet; taking another dropkick that put him in the corner. Lethal rushed a stunned champion, only to run into STJoe. Signaling for the Muscle Buster, Joe got distracted by Sonjay Dutt. Lethal clubbed Joe with the TV title belt as the referee tried to get rid of Dutt. Lethal made the cover … only to gain a near fall!
Once again the crowd was in full support of Joe as he stopped another Lethal Injection with the Choke. Lethal prevented Joe’s arms from wrapping around his throat, yanking the champ into an O’Connor roll up. Before the referee could count Joe down, the champ pulled Lethal backward into the Choke. Lethal attempted to hold on, but had no choice but to tap out.
Winner: Samoa Joe (12:20)
Match Review: Not to be surprised, a very well-done encounter featuring wonderful storytelling and poise from everyone involved. While the interference, though expected, was a little obnoxious, at least a majority of it happened before the match officially began (the pre-opening bell stuff was masterful by the way). It’ll be interesting to see where Lethal & crew go from here, as well as if this story is over for now.
ROH World Tag Team Championship (Two Out of Three Falls): FTR defend against The Briscoes
1st Fall: The crowd was more favorable of the champs as they came face-to-face with the greatest tag team in ROH history. Mark Briscoe opted to start off with Dax Hardwood. Stern collar & elbow tie-up saw both struggling for an advantage until they ended in a stalemate. The pace quickened off the failed side headlock from Dax resulted in him being shoulder blocked. Mark Briscoe showcased his grappling acumen early, only to feel a shoulder block that temporarily put him on his back. Cash Wheeler tagged in as Dax brought his opposition to the champions’ corner.
Backing Cash into the corner, Mark picked up the pace to land some strikes courtesy of “The Sussex County Chicken’s” patented Redneck Kung Fu. Jay Briscoe tagged in as Dax did the same. Dax had a death grip on the side headlock after they tied up. When Jay got free, he exploded with shoulder tackles and a hurricarana. Dax was looking for the headlock at all costs, but ended up taking a high-angle belly-to-back suplex. Hardwood rolled out of the ring, getting some medical attention as it seemed he lost a little feeling in his hands or fingers.
Jay chopped the new legal man in Cash, only for Wheeler to stop short during his run to shoulder ram Jay out of the ring. Mark tagged in after Jay took a breather, leading to a big chop exchange until Jay blind tagged in. Cash rushed backward into FTR’s corner so Dax could become the legal man for a double team drop toe hold-elbow drop combo. FTR had taken control while keeping Jay away from the challengers’ corner.
Letting Jay get some distance cost Cash as Briscoe exploded out of the corner with a big boot. Mark tagged in, setting up a double team of their own in the form of that double team shoulder tackle. The Briscoes had cut the ring off by keeping Cash stuck in their corner or the adjacent turnbuckles. Jay gave Dax a little bit of mouth while pulling at Cash’s face. Working over the neck and attacking the stomach was the gameplan of The Briscoes. Everything was going Briscoes when Mark jumped into a power slam.
Dax tagged in, jabbing Mark before doing the same to big brother Jay. Dax tried to snatch Mark in a pinning combination. Mark continuously kicked out, luring Dax to the floor for the Cactus elbow. Cash interrupted the elbow drop by knocking Mark down across the apron. In the ring, Dax faked a punch that Jay was ready for until Hardwood revealed his plan by executing a DDT. Dax seemingly wanted to lock in the sharpshooter when Jay countered by using the slingshot into the top turnbuckle. Dax hit the top of the steel ring post and was completely out. Jay hoisted Dax up as Mark came off the top with the Doomsday Device for the three count and the first fall.
2nd Fall: Jay seemed a little confused as to why a ROH crowd would be chanting in favor of FTR over Dem Boys. So Mark just chopped the life out of Dax on the floor. Dax’s chest was actually bleeding now. A forty-minute warning rang out as The Briscoes landed chop after chop on Dax’s chest. Dax used a belly-to-back suplex to free himself of Mark’s grip before using a slew of suplexes on Jay after he tagged in including a belly-to-back superplex. Before Dax could tag out, Mark yanked Cash off the apron. The fans booed vehemently over the rather dishonorable act from Briscoe. Dax was prone to Redneck Boogie … kicking out right before the three count!
Mark stood between the champions as he fired off chops, but a simple mistake off the Irish whip cost Briscoe as Cash tagged in as Dax fell backward. Cash pulled off a Gory Special after executing the brain buster on Mark. Somehow, Mark kicked out as Jay sent Dax into the front row for a fistfight. On the other side of ringside was Mark and Cash slugging it out by the timekeeper’s table. Cash pushed Mark back in for a cross body block. When Mark kicked out, Cash fell into a bell shot to the head that split Cash’s skull. Death Valley driver by Jay set up Mark’s Froggy Bow. When Jay went for the pin, Dax pulled him out of the ring to stop the cover. Mark gave chase to Dax, only to take a flapjack into the steel ring steps.
Jay found himself in the ring, not realizing Dax had tagged in as Cash came off the ropes. Jay avoided a running Cash as he slipped through his legs, turning around into the Big Rig for the pin fall.
3rd Fall: Mark rose with blood coming from his face. Mark got into a slug-fest with Cash, winning the battle with a uranage on both Wheeler and Hardwood. Mark and Dax ended up on the apron with the prior thinking about another uranage. Dax blocked the maneuver, leading to another fistfight that Mark won by throat chopping Dax off the apron. Hardwood couldn’t avoid the blockbuster off the apron by Mark, but the damage sustained was significant for Mark as well. Jay reentered with the Jay Driller in mind for Dax. Hardwood countered with the piledriver … for a near fall!
Jay tried to fight his way in position so he could get Dax ready for another Doomsday Device. Cash was there to save his partner, only for the referee to get caught in the fistfight between Dax and Jay. Jay took advantage of the confusion, hitting the Jay Driller on Dax. The fans counted down Hardwood, but no official was there to count Dax down. The Briscoes refused to be denied, going for the Doomsday Device again. Cash had to save Dax again, only for Jay to jump into the Big Rig when he went to knock both men down. The referee made it back in as Cash covered Jay … only for Jay to kick out before the three count!
FTR had the Power Plex in mind when Jay got free and had Dax on his shoulders. Mark came off the top with the Doomsday Device … for another near fall thanks to Cash breaking up the pin!
Cash and Mark were the last men standing, throwing hands until Cash went to suplex Mark over the top rope. They got tangled up and fell to the floor after the awkward fall. With twenty minutes left, Jay and Dax slugged it out. Jay felt a clothesline, only to sweep Dax into the camel clutch. Cash went to save his partner, but got caught in a clutch by Mark. Wheeler grabbed Hardwood’s hand to prevent him from tapping out until he made it to the ropes. Jay Driller was on Jay’s mind when Cash yanked Mark off the top rope to belly-to-back suplex Mark through the timekeeper’s table!
Dax couldn’t stop the Jay Driller, but did kick out before the three count. Dax blocked a second Jay Driller, putting Jay on the top rope for an avalanche piledriver. FTR collapsed atop Jay upon impact as he rolled over, pinning Briscoe to retain.
Cash Wheeler grabbed the microphone to call The Briscoes back into the ring to take in the crowd’s adulation. Code of Honor was followed before Dax went on a tangent about how much he loves pro wrestling – top guys out. Suddenly, Blackpool Combat Club’s Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta came onto the stage while holding up their belts.
Winners: FTR
Match Review: Banger! BANGER! They took their time, teased the chance of a time limit draw, worked the fans into a frenzy, and, somehow produced a match completely different from what was seen the first time beyond the match stipulation. There have been several tag team classics in ROH and this may be in the top five of all time. Please see this match.
Overall Review: Absolutely fantastic event. First off there’s the main event that needs to be seen by any wrestling fan. Though, on a personal level, there’s a level of disappointment that The Briscoes lost, them being officially signed means that it won’t be the last time they’ll not only challenge for the gold, but also, potentially, will face FTR again. Joe-Lethal, Martinez-Deeb, and especially Yuta-Garcia warrant a viewing alongside the hard-hitting lucha battle that felt like something straight out of early days ROH.
Surprisingly, the ROH World Championship bout was one of the weaker main show offerings not because of the talent, but the time. Hopefully Gresham gets his rematch because it’s obvious their chemistry warrants a twenty to thirty-plus minute encounter. The other five bouts including everything from the pre-show was solid, though ultimately forgettable in a sea of title changes and a definitive classic in the main event. High recommendations for this show that, arguably, is the pay-per-view of the year from any promotion thus far in 2022.
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