We open with a rundown of the events of Global Wars Australia this past Monday, where Bandido earned himself a future World Title shot by pinning Chris Jericho in trios action, Athena successfully defended the Women’s World Title against Alex Windsor, and Lee Moriarty defended the Pure Title against Robbie Eagles, among other action.
After the title sequence, Ian and Caprice run down the card. Tonight, Komander defends the ROH World TV Title against Lee Johnson after Johnson went the time limit in a Proving Ground match, a 12-man tag with the returning Von Erichs, and a LUCHA~! trios main event, with Hechicero, Soberano Jr. and Barbaro Cavernario taking on Fuego, Dark Panther, and Sammy Guevara!
MATCH 1 – Wheeler Yuta vs. Fuego Del Sol
Fuego makes his return to ROH, but this honestly doesn’t look good for him. Yuta pulls a bait and switch on the Code of Honor. Sigh. Yuta gets a nice fisherman suplex and maintains control of the leg afterward, but Fuego kicks out before we can see what Yuta was going to do with it. Yuta locks in a sort of Indian Deathlock, complete with a bridge, and when Fuego reaches the ropes, Yuta reminds Stephon Smith that I HAVE TILL FIVE, in classic Bryan Danielson ROH fashion. Fuego mounts a brief comeback but one missed move and a Busaiku knee, and that’s that.
Wheeler Yuta pins Fuego Del Sol with Busaiku knee in 3:54.
Post match, Yuta goes to use hammer and anvil elbows on Fuego but seems to think better of it. Instead, he retrieves a chain from under the ring and wraps it around Fuego’s neck before rocking backward into a Romero special, as Fuego coughs up blood. Solid visual there.
MATCH 2 – Rachael Ellering vs. Abadon
Great to see Abadon back. And they continue to evolve their look, which you love to see. Code of Honor is followed, but Abadon does not let go. That said, Ellering has more power, but the side headlock is countered with the Greco-Roman Bite. Abadon maintains control with a nice apron legdrop, but Ellering takes back over with a nice cross legged fisherman suplex, and a back senton. Abadon stops a charge with a back elbow and a cutter, before finishing with Black Dahlia.
Abadon pins Rachael Ellering with Black Dahlia in 4:08.
Earlier today, Jacked Jameson was backstage with Lexy Nair, and before he can officially explain what’s going on, Griff Garrison, Preston Vance, and Cole Karter interrupt to officially welcome Jacked Jameson to their new group, The Frat House. Complete with a “drink this” red solo cup challenge, which he does, much to Lexy’s horror. Meathead frat comedy stable? Sure, why not.
MATCH 3 – The Frat House (Griff Garrison, Preston Vance & Jacked Jameson) and The Premier Athletes (Tony Nese, Ariya Daivari & Mark Sterling) vs. Top Flight, The Outrunners, and The Von Erichs
First off, glad that Ross’s shoulder is good to go. He and his brother were missed. So does this mean that the ROH World Six Man Titles can be defended again sometime soon? Please? Darius and Tony Nese start. A few tags in and out on each side, the crowd wants Mark Sterling in, and once Truth Magnum is compromised, Sterling tags in and gets a few punches in before Vance tags in. He and Garrison double team Magnum as Ian theorizes about The Frat House getting a Six Man title shot. Magnum finally gets close to a tag, and the entire heel team pulls everyone off the apron and it’s a pier six brawl on the outside. Vance spears Magnum through the ropes onto the pile on the outside, and rolls him in for two. Floyd finally gets the tag and cleans house on the Premier Athletes and the Frat House. He flexes and Sterling attacks from behind. It goes about as well as you’d think. Jameson saves the day on Sterling and they go for YOU SON OF A BITCH, but Magnum breaks it up. The Von Erichs take out The Premier Athletes with stereo IRON CLAWS, and The Outrunners hit Total Recall on Sterling for the win.
Top Flight, The Outrunners & The Von Erichs def. The Premier Athletes and The Frat House (Magnum pins Sterling) with Total Recall in 8:51. (16:53 total)
Last week, MxM Collection celebrates because they are STILL the ROH World Tag Team Champion, because at the end of the day they RAN AWAY with that title. The delusion is strong and I love it.
MATCH 4 – Billie Starkz vs. Hyan
Athena is out with Billie who looks like she’s walking to the gallows. Regardless, Athena takes issue with Billie’s lack of enthusiasm, and lets her hear it before she heads to the back so Billie can handle it alone. Hyan uses some quickness to get a quick advantage, but Billie takes over with a straitjacket German suplex, and gets in referee Mike Posey’s face, in shades of Athena. But a charge meets post, and Hyan scores with a suplex and an avalanche. But Billie takes back over, elbowing Hyan down in the corner, and hitting a spin kick, before finishing with the Sugoi Driver(!).
Billie Starkz pins Hyan with the Sugoi Driver in 4:01.
MATCH 5 – Komander(c) vs. Lee Johnson – ROH World TV Title
Johson earned this title shot with a 10-minute time limit draw in a Proving Ground match a few weeks back. Tonight is a 30-minute time limit, FYI. Chain wrestling, reversals, and dodges in the early going, and we get a face off. Komander grabs a knuckle lock and goes to climb the ropes and Johnson pulls him down. So Komander overhand chops him, and hits it anyway with an arm drag. Then he does what I can only describe as falling backwards over the top rope and catching Johnson in a flying headscissors on the outside. Nduka provides the distraction literally moments after Ian praised Komander for not paying attention to him, and Johnson attacks and takes back over. They fight on the apron for a bit, teasing a variety of moves before Komander escapes in the ring and hits Johnson with a hurricanrana driver. A series of kicks and a quebrada gets two for Komander. Johnson catches a hurricanrana, but Komander hits it anyway in counter to an attempted buckle bomb. Komander gets another good nearfall off a poison rana. Johson cuts off a top rope move and hits a superplex, and locomotion rolls to the outside with the front facelock and hits a brainbuster on the floor. They work their way up, and Johnson kicks out the ankle. Back in, Komander goes to loosen the boot, and Johnson attacks, ripping the boot off and stomping away on the ankle. Frog splash gets two for Johnson. Fisherman neckbreaker over the knee gets two for Johnson, as the title is very much in jeopardy approaching the halfway point of the time limit. Johnson sets Komander up for a suplerplex, and Komander pushes him down. He sets up for the ropewalk shooting star, but Nduka pulls Johnson out prompting Komander to dive onto both. Back in, Komander hits the ropewalk shooting star press for the win.
Komander pins Lee Johnson with the ropewalk shooting star press in 15:22.
As Komander celebrates, we take a special look at the ROH Women’s World Television Champion, Red Velvet, as we profile her turn to the dark side. She’s on the roll of her career, and she’s getting tired of hearing people ask why. She says she’s just getting started.
MATCH 6 – Gates of Agony vs. Exodus Prime and ???
The Gates of Agony attack before the opponents even get announced. Ian identifies one as Exodus Prime, and I didn’t catch the other name. Cagematch is also of zero help as the team identified there does not match either. But it likely won’t last long at this rate anyway. Toa catches Prime with a Samoan Drop, Kaun power bombs the other one onto Prime, they pick him back up, and hit Open The Gates (double team crucifix powerbomb) on him onto Prime and Kaun pins both.
Gates of Agony def. Exodus Prime & ??? (Kaun pins both) with Open The Gates in 1:16.
We officially announce on ROH that Chris Jericho will defend the ROH World Title against Bandido on Collision on Saturday. Because why would you want that on ROH TV? That’s just silly.
MATCH 7 – Hechicero, Soberano Jr. and Barbaro Cavernario vs. Fuego, Dark Panther, and Sammy Guevara
This is lucha rules, meaning if someone leaves the ring, one of their partners can enter and will become legal at that point. In other words, tags are not necessarily required but can still be used. MxM Collection are watching from the stage, and as we check in, Mansoor was feeding Madden…grapes? Bonbons? No idea. Sammy takes a beating and a triple team crucifix slam before rolling out. Fuego rolls in, and tries to see which of the opponents it’ll be, and gets kicked in the face for his trouble. Dark Panther comes in and quickly finds himself in a Romero special from Hechicero before eating a double facebuster from Barbaro Cavernario and Soberano. I never intended to play-by-play this, but I’m finding it hard to even pull out highlights with the speed at which things are happening. After a dive by Dark Panther, we get Sammy vs. Hechicero. Sammy hits his backflip leapfrog into a dropkick, sending Hechicero to the outside. He low bridges Soberano, hits a plancha onto Hechicero, and then back in scores with a tornillo onto Soberano. Cavernario hits a suplex and the Plancha Neandertal (running Vader Bomb). Sammy rolls out and Fuego is in. Hechicero maintains the advantage, and Dark Panther tries. He sends Hechicero out and Soberano takes over with a spinning top rope cross body. Soberano puts Dark Panther down on the outside, and Cavernario hits a TOP ROPE SPLASH TO THE OUTSIDE on Panther. After the smoke clears it’s Sammy and Hechicero back in. He sends Sammy into the corner but charges into a boot and eats a knee strike. Sammy sets up for GTH but MxM interferes and Sammy eats a belt shot to the back. Back in the ring, Hechicero rolls up Fuego for the win.
Hechicero, Soberano Jr. and Barbaro Cavernario def. Fuego, Dark Panther, and Sammy Guevara (Hechicero pins Fuego) with a rolling cradle in 12:12.
Post-match, MxM goes to attack Sammy again, but his partners save, and while Madden is able to escape with the belt, Mansoor eats GTH to the crowd’s delight. Sammy, Dark Panther, and Fuego celebrate as Ian wishes us HAPPY WRESTLING, EVERYBODY, and excuses himself to go check on Mansoor.
THE NUMBERS
Total Episode Time: 1:21:12
Total Match Time: 49:44 (61.2%)
Avg. Match Time: 7:06
