No cold open tonight, as we dive right into a rundown of the card, which features a street fight for the ROH Women’s World TV Title, both teams in our (presumed) ROH Tag Title Match at Final Battle in action, and more. But first, we’re heading to the ring for more tag team action.
MATCH 1 – Gates of Agony vs. Dark Order vs. Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Undisputed Kingdom
I like Sammy Guevara and Dustin Rhodes as a matter of principle, but I don’t love them as Tag Team Champions, and would much rather any of these teams, or The Righteous, or The Infantry have those belts. Maybe we’ll resolve that at Final Battle. In any event, Taven and Kaun start. Ian clarifies that this is not an elimination style match, it is one fall to a finish. GYV is coming off a win over TMDK for the NJPW Strong Tag Team Titles, while Dark Order is still showing battle damage from their recent brawls with…honestly just about the entire tag division. The spiked piledriver finishes John Silver. You’re going to have these four teams, and give it just over five minutes? Post-match, we get a face-off with Undisputed Kingdom and Gates of Agony as the Kingdom offers the Code of Honor, and the Gates of Agony reciprocate. Okay, I’m on board with a short feud here.
Undisputed Kingdom def. Gates of Agony, Dark Order, and Grizzled Young Veterans (Bennett pins Silver) with the spike piledriver in 5:35.
A video package of last week’s mind games and subsequent brawl between Sammy Guevara and Dustin Rhodes and The Righteous. And apparently we’re going with The Sons of Texas for Sammy and Dustin. Sure, why not.
MATCH 2 – Sammy Guevara and Dustin Rhodes vs. TJ Crawford and Love Doug
Crawford and Doug are apparently called Shot Through The Heart, and they’re a big deal in the northeast independents, working Wrestling Open, Beyond, etc. I’m honestly disappointed that Ian and Caprice are not using this opportunity to rattle off as many Bon Jovi references as they can, because I doubt this lasts long. Sure enough, just as Caprice gets off a “Bad Medicine” joke, the champs finish their opponents with stereo finishers.
Sammy Guevara and Dustin Rhodes def. TJ Crawford and Love Doug (Guevara pins Crawford) after GTH in 2:42.
Post-match, The Righteous attack! Sammy saw them coming but Dustin didn’t, and The Righteous lay waste to the champs, culminating in a bullrope/cowbell shot to Dustin from Dutch. Ian and Caprice intimate that the rope and bell belonged to Dusty, as Dutch tells the fallen Dustin that “(you) weren’t good enough to have it.” As The Righteous leaves, Ian says one of the last men Dusty ever coached was Dutch. I feel like that’s a pretty fluid kind of term, as Dusty was pretty heavily involved well into the NXT days, and Dutch left the company in the summer of 2011, but a story is a story.
We look back to 8 days ago, as The Conglomeration and Jericho and his men clashed in a six man Fight Without Honor. Tomohiro Ishii got the pin on Jericho, and challenged him to an ROH World Title match. We air the interview that Jericho conducted last night on Dynamite, where he accepts. Is it set for Final Battle? Nope. A big, special episodes of ROH? Nope. Two weeks on the Thanksgiving Eve Dynamite, partially because it’s in Chicago, like their last ROH World Title match. Sure would be nice for the champion to actually appear on ROH programming, and not just in recaps and video packages of more important shows.
MATCH 3 – Griff Garrison & Preston Vance vs. Waves and Curls
Waves and Curls are Jaylen Brandyn and Traevon Jordan, another big time team from the northeast independents, for those unaware. Right off the bat, Vance follows the Code of Honor, while Garrison does not. Also interesting that we’re presumably playing this idea with Garrison experimenting with a new partner, when according to a recent report, Cole Karter is close to a return. Vance comes out as the big star in this match, as his power absolutely changes the complexion of the match any time he’s in. A hoss fight with him and Brian Cage would probably be a lot of fun.
Griff Garrison and Preston Vance def. Waves and Curls (Vance pins Brandyn) following a discus elbow/discus lariat combination in 4:19.
We get a video package detailing The Infantry joining up with Shane Taylor Promotions. I still maintain the ROH World Tag Team Titles are not that far away in their future, even if they may not be the next champs.
MATCH 4 – Aaron Solo vs. Katsuyori Shibata
Ian points out that early in Solo’s career, he went to the New Japan LA Dojo for some extra seasoning, where he trained under Shibata. This marks the first time they’ve met in a sanctioned bout. Solo jumps Shibata before the bell, so no Code of Honor here. After some brawling on the floor, Solo throws Shibata back into the ring. He pauses to jaw to the crowd, and Shibata boots him in the face back down to the floor to take over. Back in the ring, Shibata finishes off his former student in short order with an Octopus Hold.
Katsuyori Shibata def. Aaron Solo via Octopus Hold in 4:02.
MATCH 5 – Josh Woods vs. Komander
Mark Sterling tries to get Athletes Rule over with this crowd, and wouldn’t you know it, it doesn’t work here either. One of these times, Mark. I have faith. Ian talks up Komander as a possible challenger for the ROH World TV Championship, even though Brian Cage beat him literally three weeks ago. Woods tries to ground Komander and use his power and technical acumen to maintain control, but Komander is able to continue to counter. Komander springboards in but eats a knee strike for a great near fall. Komander sets up for a big dive, only to be tripped up by Mark Sterling. Sterling flees into the ring, where he’s confronted by Alex Abrahantes, takes out Sterling with a spear! Woods then disposes of The Hype Man, but falls victim to a satellite DDT and the rope walk shooting star finishes.
Komander pins Josh Woods with the Rope Walk Shooting Star Press in 6:34.
We have a commercial with MXM Collection advertising their “fall line,” which is just their new merch on ShopAEW.com. Love it.
MATCH 6 – Abadon vs. Viva Van
Viva Van starts things off with no Code of Honor, and a slap to the face. Abadon takes control early, but Van is able to . Abadon escapes with an upkick and a swinging slam to take over, adding a low pendulum DDT for good measure. Haven’t seen that from them before. Van strikes back and hits a backfist but Abadon responds with a cutter before Black Dahlia finishes.
Abadon pins Viva Van following Black Dahlia in 3:03.
Backstage Billie Starkz is with Lexy Nair as the Emergency MEM as we’re waiting to see if Billie is ready to apologize to Athena. Athena criticizes Billie’s top, and starts talking up her World Tour again, before Leila Gray interrupts, suggesting that Top Flight is the kind of top talent that Athena has been looking for. That draws a laugh from the champion. Athena challenges Leila to a Proving Ground match next week, and leaves with Lexy, saying “forget the Minion.”
HISTORIC MATCH (MATCH 7) – Athena vs. Hyan
Stretching the definition of “historic” here. This was Athena’s first Proving Ground match, way back on Episode 3, in March of 2023. It also inadvertently serves as another reminder that the Universal tapings looked SO good and gave you such a better looking and sounding crowd for the viewer at home. Athena picked up the win with the .
Athena def Hyan via crossface in 4:44.
MATCH 8 – The Righteous vs. Sammy Diaz and Matt Raymond
No Code of Honor as Vincent boots Raymond in the face to get started. Looking up some more of his bio, Dutch did in fact train in FCW with Steve Keirn (and Dusty Rhodes too), and appeared on FCW TV and on their Florida loop from July of 2010 to August of 2011. In fact, his second to last match with the company, he teamed with Mack Hetfield (who would become Matthew Justice) against Richie Steamboat and Leakee (who would of course become Roman Reigns). Wild, huh? As to the match, Vincent and Raymond start. Vincent dominates and tags in Dutch. After being brutalized for a couple of minutes by Dutch, Raymond finally tags out. Diaz tries to use some speed and promptly gets planted with a Boss Man Slam by Dutch. He and Vincent hit Orange Sunshine on Raymond, and hit their double lifting Finlay Roll on Diaz for the win.
The Righteous def. Sammy Diaz and Matt Raymond (Vincent pins Diaz) in 2:55.
Vincent gets on the mic and says you have to push to get things done around here. And if he pushes and it doesn’t get done, then Dutch pushes and you don’t want that. You are looking at the ROH Tag Team Champions. Dutch says 14 years ago, Dusty took him under his wing, “because he saw in me what he never saw in you.” He says the cowbell was handed down to him, and that Dustin is “the weakest link in OUR family.”
MATCH 9 – Red Velvet vs. Diamante – ROH Women’s World TV Title Street Fight
Before Diamante’s entrance, we get a quick video package showing the attacks these two leveled on each other leading into this match. Diamante has a trash can with a couple of Singapore canes, and we’ve got chairs conveniently placed in all four corners. Diamante sticks Velvet in the Tree of Woe into the trash can, which she hits with a hesitation dropkick for two. Diamante chokes Velvet with a chain, but Velvet escapes, dodges a corner charge, and bulldogs Diamante into a chair for two. The crowd wants tables, but Velvet pulls out a ladder. Come on, “ladder” doesn’t sound anything like “table.” Nonetheless, Velvet leans the ladder on the second rope, and sets up Diamante on it, but misses a legdrop. Diamante returns the favor and goes for a splash which she’s able to hit. After it doesn’t get the three, Diamante goes for a table. She gets it set up, but by then Velvet is up and swings a chair at her. Diamante takes refuge under the ladder, but Velvet uses the chair to hammer away at the ladder with Diamante underneath. Velvet goes up top, but Diamante catches her and hits a superplex through the table. Delayed cover gets two. As they recover, Velvet ducks a belt shot, and hits Straight Outta Your Mama’s Kitchen (flipping cutter) onto the belt for the win.
Red Velvet pins Diamante following Straight Outta Your Mama’s Kitchen in 10:58.
As Red Velvet celebrates in the ring, we sign off as Ian wishes us HAPPY WRESTLING, EVERYBODY!
THE NUMBERS
Total Show Time: 1:24:28
Total Match Time: 44:52 (53.1%)
Average Match Time: 4:59
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