We are getting right to it this week! Making her ROH debut this week is Francesca Oliver, the voice of RevPro, standing in for Bobby Cruise. And no cold open, no title sequence, nothing, we’re just getting right to it as Rocky Romero is on his way to the ring for our opening match!
MATCH 1 – Rocky Romero vs. Michael Oku
In case it wasn’t obvious, Oku very much has the home field advantage here. Ian points out that a win here for Rocky could definitely set him up for a RevPro title shot. Romero stalls early and tries to lead a chant for himself. It goes about as well as you’d expect. Greco Roman knuckle lock goes both ways before Romero wrings the arm. Oku escapes and grabs an arm bar of his own. Shoulder tackle puts Oku down. Oku redirects off the ropes and scores with a Tijeras and a dropkick to put Romero down. Oku looked for the single leg crab and Romero kicks Oku off to the outside with a nasty thud. Romero follows him out, but makes the smarter choice of sending Oku back in rather than mess with Amira. Back in, Oku tries to fight back with overhand chops but Romero goes to the eyes to stop. One-ever clothesline, Two-ever clothesline, Three-ever clothesline, but a dropkick stops us from Fourever clotheslines. Oku fights back with some strikes and a DDT for two. He goes for the half crab and Romero kicks him off, but Oku follows with a PK and a triangle dropkick. With Romero down on the outside, Oku fires up the crowd and hits the Fosbury Flop to the outside. Oku sends Romero back in and goes up top, but Romero cuts him off. Forearm exchange up in the corner, and Oku sends Romero down. Romero is again able to trip up Oku to block a top rope move. Romero brings Oku down with an avalanche butterfly suplex for two, and then transitions into a cross arm breaker off the kickout. Oku counters it into the half crab, but Romero then counters into a victory roll for a long two. They criss-cross the ropes and Oku hits a running knee. Quebrada gets two for Oku, and NOW. WE. PLAY. Oku goes back to the half crab and Romero taps.
Michael Oku sub. Rocky Romero via single leg crab in 9:46.
Post-match, Oku and Amira celebrate, and Ian speculates that it may be the beginning of something special for him in ROH. We could only be so lucky.
MATCH 2 – Evil Uno vs. Mark Davis
Davis is, in case you’ve forgotten, a former ROH World Tag Team Champion. But don’t love that he doesn’t actually have his own music, just Don’s subwoofer-decimating brown note tone. Davis immediately backs Uno into the corner and just starts firing off chops. Davis just continues to dominate Uno inside and outside the ring. Even accidentally chopping the barricade doesn’t really slow him down. Back in, Davis just continues pouring it on. Davis kneels on Uno’s chest for two. Uno is able to recover and attempts a vertical suplex but can’t get Davis over. Uno clubbers the back and tries again, but Davis turns the tables. Uno dodges a running senton and is able to get a couple of near falls, then scores with a running boot and DDT for two as we reset. Uno goes for a top rope rolling senton but eats knees, and Davis finishes him with a lariat.
Mark Davis pins Evil Uno with a lariat in 6:36.
We go back to last week, when Athena put a pin in her three-year championship celebration to berate Billie Starkz for not winning the Women’s Pure Championship. This segues into a recap of the tag match featuring the return of Madison Rayne to ROH.
Then we head to Lexy Nair backstage with Madison Rayne. Lexy asks if there’s any unfinished business for her in the ring. Rayne says 2025 was her 20th year, and she’s closer to the end than the beginning. She’s enjoyed stepping back from being in the ring and coaching, and while she was happy to team with her friend Deonna Purrazzo, she felt like maybe she has something left in the tank. She says she isn’t sure how much she’s got left, but that she’s saving something for Athena and Diamante.
MATCH 3 – Nina Samuels vs. Alex Windsor
Samuels of course making her ROH debut here. She’s a former PROGRESS Women’s Champion, and a two-time EVE Champion to name a couple. Ian points out that historically Samuels has had Windsor’s number in big time matches. And Samuels had beaten Windsor four straight times from September 2023 to January 2025, and three of them were title matches. But Windsor got the monkey off her back and picked up a win in October in RevPro. Chain wrestling to start, but that soon gives way to striking when Windsor scores with a low dropkick. Samuels amps up the intensity and is able to take control with some hard strikes of her own. Windsor starts to try to come back but eats a drop toe hold into the corner. Windsor fights back again with some strikes, and a corner charge, then a misdirection into a clothesline and Windsor kips up to the delight of the crowd. Blue Thunder Bomb gets Windsor two. Samuels counters the sharpshooter into a roll-up for two. Samuels follows up with a scissor kick for another two. Windsor escapes a power bomb, but Samuels fires away and drops her with a clothesline. Windsor fights back with a headbutt but runs into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Samuels jams her knee on a cartwheel attack and Windsor scores with a lariat. A struggle on the ropes and Windsor scores with an avalanche anarchist suplex or two. Windsor locks in the sharpshooter and that’s that.
Alex Windsor sub. Nina Samuels with a Sharpshooter in 8:30.
MATCH 4 – Lee Johnson vs. Leo Rush
To my knowledge this is a first time singles match. This is also Rush’s first appearance in an ROH/AEW ring since the Forbidden Door Zero Hour in August. Ian points out that Lio earned his first professional contract in the ROH Top Prospect Tournament in 2016. He beat Brian Fury in the finals (who retired a few months later), but can anyone remember who he beat in the semifinals of that tournament? I’ll have it at the end of this match. Johnson attacks off the Code of Honor, but neither is able to really maintain an advantage because each is so agile and so quick. Christian helps Johnson take control, but Rush is able to send Johnson outside, and hits a low tope suicida. Johnson sends Rush into the corner with gusto, and then distracts the referee while Christian lands some cheap shots. They exchange high flying attacks and counters until Rush is able to land a satellite DDT to take over. Rush strings together a cutter, low stunner, waistlock takeover, and spinwheel kick for two. He goes for Rush Hour but Johnson counters. He’s able to hit it a second time, but Christian provides the distraction, allowing Johnson to roll up Rush for the win.
Oh, and the guy that Leo beat in the semi-finals of the 2016 Top Prospect Tournament? A guy who would go on to be ROH World TV Champion, 2017 Survival of the Fittest winner, multiple time tag team champion, US Champion and World Champion in WWE, Damian Priest, then known as Punishment Martinez.
Lee Johnson pins Lio Rush with a roll-up in 7:00.
After the match, Blake Christian gets on the mic to gloat that this is how The Swirl plans to start Global Wars. He says Bandido is missing, though. Christian says Bandido isn’t here because he snapped his arm at Final Battle and put him on the shelf. Christian feels like snapping someone else’s arm tonight, so he calls out anyone in the back. And is answered by ANGELICO.
MATCH 5 – Blake Christian vs. Angelico
No Code of Honor as Blake simply flips off Angelico. Ian points out how Blake Christian is still looking for his one-on-one shot at Bandido. Chain wrestling to start, and Angelico is getting the better of it, including a very smooth transition from kickout to arm bar. Christian sends Angelico to the outside, but Angelico dodges a baseball slide. He tries to send Christian into the steps, but Christian backflips off and hits a shotgun dropkick, sending Angelico into the steps. Christian rolls back in and hits the Swirl Screwdriver (corkscrew tope) to the outside. On the apron, Christian uses an arm wringer and drives Angelico’s shoulder into the apron. Back in, he continues the arm work. Angelico is able to hit a lariat to put down Blake and buy himself some time to recover. Angelico starts having some more success with striking and capoeira style offense. A back suplex gets two for Angelico. Christian is able to hit a 450 for two, then snaps the arm Pentagon Jr. style and adds the Lethal Injection for the win.
Blake Christian pins Angelico with Lethal Injection in 6:42.
Post-match, The Swirl beat down the Spanish Announce Project.
We look ahead to Boxing Day Brawl, where Lee Moriarty will defend the Pure Title against Komander at Hammerstein Ballroom. It’ll be December 26 on Honor Club, so make sure you’re subscribed!
MATCH 6 – Session Moth Martina vs. Red Velvet – ROH Women’s World TV Title Proving Ground Match
EVERYONE FANCIES MARTINA. This is her first ROH match in nearly 5 years. Velvet grabs a side headlock, but Martina puts her down with a shoulder tackle. Martina hits the ropes but Velvet scores with a heel kick for two. Velvet adds a low boot choke in the corner but runs into a boot. Martina catches her in the corner with a running spin kick, and a second rope dropkick for two. Velvet tries for an axe kick but Martina dodges and hits an anarchist suplex for two. She goes up to the second turnbuckle on the inside but Velvet stops her with a forearm and hits an iconoclasm for two. Velvet hits a drop toe hold into the ropes and hits shotgun knees. Martina dodges the Stir It Up kick, but Velvet is able to hit Straight Outta Yo Mama’s Kitchen for the win.
Red Velvet pins Session Moth Martina with Straight Outta Yo Mama’s Kitchen in 3:57.
MATCH 7 – Wheeler Yuta vs. ???
Yuta gets on the mic and calls himself the best Pure Champion of all time and brags about ending Bryan Danielson’s career. He’s having an open challenge, so let’s see who answers and IT’S NIGEL MCGUINNESS. Oh Wheeler. Oh, poor Wheeler. This is going to end so badly for you. Nigel gets on the mic himself and says while he’s had his issues with Bryan Danielson, he’s going to take umbrage with Yuta ending his career. Yuta killed the Batman to Nigel’s joker and Nigel says this is his chance for a little revenge. Armwork early and Yuta dodges the Jawbreaker lariat. Nigel continues getting the best of him but is able to catch up Nigel in the ropes and deliver a cheap shot to take over. Second rope elbow gets two for Yuta. Nigel goes back to the arm to retake control, hyperextending the arm and more. Yuta starts delivering chops and Nigel, ever the villain, goes to the eyes. Nigel captures the left arm in a leg capture hammerlock and bridges back with the right shoulder caught. Yuta is able to spin out of the move and escape to the corner, where Nigel adds a chop and a European uppercut. Nigel tries to go corner to corner and Yuta hits a shotgun dropkick and LOCKS IN CATTLE MUTILATION. If anyone would know their way out of it, it’s Nigel. He’s able to roll over and turn it into a pin combination forcing Yuta to bail. Yuta goes to the hammer and anvil elbows for two. Nigel backs Yuta into a corner but Yuta again dodges a charge and hits a gamengiri for two. The third corner charging European uppercut scores though. Nigel goes for the Tower of London but Yuta goes to the eyes. Yuta tries for the Busaiku knee, but Nigel hits a lariat. Nigel goes for the London Dungeon, but Yuta escapes and goes for the seatbelt but Nigel’s shoder is off the mat. Nigel goes back to the shoulderbreaker, and Nigel locks in the London Dungeon with the knee in the back, but Yuta reaches the ropes. Nigel goes to roll Yuta up, but Yuta counters into the LeBell Lock, only for Nigel to counter into his own. Yuta reaches the ropes again. The two men collide in the center of the ring, and Nigel hits the Jawbreaker lariat for the win.
Nigel McGuinness pins Wheeler Yuta with the Jawbreaker Lariat in 10:47.
Post-match, Nigel celebrates as Ian wishes us HAPPY WRESTLING, EVERYBODY!
THE NUMBERS
Total Episode Time: 1:21:25
Total Match Time: 53:18 (65.4%)
Average Match Time: 7:37
