ROH Supercard of Honor 2025 Review – 07.11.25

Presented LIVE via Honor Club on WatchROH.com, it’s the 18th Supercard of Honor, from the Esports Stadium Arlington in Arlington, TX. Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman are here to call all the action, unless otherwise noted. If you’ve missed ROH TV in recent weeks (and judging from the number of people who talk about ROH that’s most of you), don’t worry, pretty much everything is set up from Global Wars or with the most minimal of effort.

Jay Lethal vs. “Vanilla Baby” Blake Christian (w/ Lee Johnson):
Zero Hour Match #1. Vanilla Baby looks like he’s bought his robe second-hand from Pretty Peter Avalon. Lethal’s list of ROH credentials is impressive, but that was decades ago. VANILLA BABY IS THE FUTURE. Christian kicks away the offered handshake. Christian flashes some quickness and spams his taunt. Not to be outdone, Lethal shows off the Fargo strut and pops Christian with a right hand. Lethal counters a springboard DDT and sets up for the Figure-Four, but Christian counters with a small package for a two-count. Johnson hops on the apron for a quick distraction and gets nailed with a tope suicida. Christian isn’t too far behind with a fosbury flop that sees him land awkwardly. Back inside, more shenanigans from Christian before taking Lethal out of the corner with a tornado DDT. Vanilla Baby walks the ropes and hits a springboard rana, but Lethal comes right back with a downward spiral. Lethal starts working the leg and applies the Figure-Four, but Christian is able to get to the ropes. Lethal Injection is blocked and Christian takes Lethal over with a back-slide for two. Lethal pops up with a straight boot, knocking Christian out of the ring, but Christian rushes in to catch Lethal off the ropes with a Spanish Fly for a near-fall. The knee continues to bother Christian, keeping the door open for Lethal to make a comeback. Lee Johnson gets involved again, allowing Christian to suplex Lethal from the top turnbuckle and Vanilla Choke Zero forces Lethal to tap at 8:09. I think Christian still does too many fancy babyface spots, but I did appreciate him slowing it down and working the crowd a little more with heel schtick. **½

The Dark Order vs. The Frat House (w/ Jacked Jameson):
Zero Hour Match #2. You might find it hard to believe, but the saga of the Dark Order and Frat House has probably had more time dedicated to it than every Championship Match on the Supercard combined, and it’s relegated to the ZERO HOUR. If you’ve stepped away from ROH and don’t remember what is left of Dark Order, it’s Evil Uno, Alex Reynolds, and John Silver, and the Frat House are represented by Preston Vance (formerly 10 of the Dark Order), Cole Karter, and Griff Garrison (WHO THE F*CK IS GRIFF GARRISON?!).

Dark Order with a black and gold color scheme tonight. They lay out all the pledges and we get a big brawl to start. Karter is left alone and is a victim of some triple-team offense before powdering. Unfortunately, all the Frat House guys stand next to each other, allowing Reynolds to get launched over the rope to take out the pile. The Frat House take control back inside the ring, keeping Reynolds in their corner. Vance with some help from the apron to keep Reynolds from building momentum. Frat House with quick tags to take advantage of the extra men in the ring. Griff takes a shot at Silver on the apron and keeps Reynolds from his corner by blasting him with a lariat. Reynolds fights out of the enemy corner and FINALLY tags in Uno. He runs wild on Karter and Garrison with running elbows and clotheslines, followed by a combo leg sweep and DDT. Vance blocks Uno from hitting a super-plex and quickly falls victim to a 3-on-1 assault. Karter with a 450 splash but Uno is up at 2.99. Uno clears the ring and uses the referee for an assisted neck breaker on Garrison.

John Silver with the REAL hot tag, and JOHNNY HUNGIE. He runs the train at ringside, laying out every member of the Frat House before sliding back in the ring and folding Garrison in half with a snap German suplex. The Dark Order with the numbers game now. The pendulum crucifix connects but Jameson pulls out the referee! Instead of a DQ, it’s just an ejection. The distraction allows Vance to whack everyone with the pledge paddle. He pays tribute to Brodie Lee, but suddenly the music plays and out comes NEGATIVE ONE! Wow, that kid grew, but to be fair, we haven’t seen him in a few years. Vance gets his clock cleaned via tandem offense from Silver and Reynolds. Uno with the Brodie tribute this time, hitting Vance with the discus lariat for three at 10:30. This was a lot of fun and a well structured trios match that told a simple story and gave us a satisfying finish. ***

MxMxTV is here to waste time. Remember when they announced that Taya Valkyrie was going to be part of the ROH Women’s Pure Championship? Johnny TV insists everyone show the proper respect. Mansoor says they shouldn’t expect much from ignorant gaijin like the people here, and shows off his Ribera Steak House jacket. This leads to a fake ad for an MxM Collection perfume called Seed. “Let it grow inside you.” Is Vince Russo booking?

Diamante vs. Lady Frost:
Zero Hour Match #3. HOW MUCH PADDING DOES THIS ZERO HOUR NEED?! Code of Honor adhered to… but then Diamante threw a right forearm, leading to an exchange of blows. Lady Frost with some Flip-a-Dip before going for a waist-lock. Diamante counters a handspring with a well-placed kick to the midsection. Diamante goes to work on Frosty Lady in the corner. Frost cartwheels across Diamante’s back and nails a basement dropkick. The offensive flurry is short-lived, as Diamante regains control and drops an elbow for a two-count. Frost with the real comeback, doing more flips and hitting a cannonball. Corkscrew body press from the top rope gets two. Diamante with a release German suplex for two. Frost cartwheels into a slam. Diamante interrupts her climb to the top rope and uses a rope-assisted face-buster to score the victory at 5:58. This was stuff happening with spotty selling. *½

Marshall and Ross Von Erich vs. The Premier Athletes (w/ Smart Mark Sterling):
Zero Hour Match #4, and the last one before we move on to the main card. We’re in Texas, which means we get to break the glass and unleash the Von Erich boys on the World! They’re part of the Trios Champions with Dustin Rhodes, but those titles are beyond worthless. I’m surprised they didn’t do a gimmick where they are defended 3-on-2 with Sterling involved as a participant.

Marshall offers a handshake and Nese flexes. We haven’t had one clean handshake all pre-show! NO HONOR! Marshall with a slam and elbow drop, followed by some tandem offense for a two-count. Ross gets caught on the wrong side of town, but it’s the 205 Live Geek Squad, so you never have to worry too much. Nese gets the blind tag and tags Ross across the back of the head with a forearm. Ross fights out of the corner with a missile dropkick, but Nese prevents a tag to Marshall. Ross with a buffer mode Sling Blade on Nese but referee Rick Knox missed the tag! Ross surprises Daivari with a school-boy, but Knox is playing (playing?) dumb again. Ross turns Nese inside-out with a lariat, but now Marshall is down on the floor. Man, they’re using EVERY gimmick in the tag team playbook. Daivari misses the Carpet Ride (…) to set up the hot tag to Marshall. He unloads with right hands and clotheslines. Daivari gets popped off the top with a dropkick and Marshall charges into the opposite corner with a cannonball for two. Nese with the cut-off and a top rope hurricanrana. Daivari has the actual carpet this time and connects with the Carpet Ride, but Marshall kicks out. Ross helps clear Daivari and Marshall drives Nese into the canvas with a spine-buster. Sterling hops in the ring and gets CLAWED while Marshall finishes Nese with a moonsault at 8:43. Ross was mostly worthless out there, and Marshall had a very rough, raw execution in everything, but Nese and Daivari used every trick they could to make it watchable. **

Michael Oku (w/ Amira) vs. Hechicero (w/ Rocky Romero):
This is my first exposure to Oku, and this feels random for a spot on the “main” portion of the card. He’s the Revpro Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion. They go nose-to-nose and trade some pie-faces. Oku picks the leg and transitions to a side headlock. Hechicero escapes but is quickly brushed off with a jumping mule kick. Hechicero traps the arms, but Oku is able to return to a neutral position. They jockey for control and Oku wins the battle for a back-slide, taking Hechicero over for a two-count. We get a rapid-fire sequence of pinning predicaments and another return to the neutral. Hechicero buries a knee to the midsection and Oku fires back with a snap hurricanrana and dropkick. Hechicero with an incredible throw into a rear choke that transitions to a cross arm bar. He continues punishing the arm and hits a hammer-lock swinging back breaker for a near-fall. Oku cuts Hechicero off with an elbow and springs off the top rope with a missile dropkick. Oku lays in a series of right forearms and bounces off the ropes with a corkscrew clothesline.

They take turns throwing heavy blows and both men miss dives into the ropes. Hechicero is up first, but Oku quickly interrupts him running the ropes. Oku sends Hechicero to the floor, rallies the crowd, and hits a fosbury flop, landing on his feet! Back inside, Oku with a flying body press for a two-count. Oku counters Hechicero’s attempt at going for the rear choke, but meets knees springing off the ropes. Hechicero goes for the arm but Oku counters with a single-leg crab, forcing Hechicero to the ropes for a break. Hechicero comes back in trapping the arms and cranking on the ankle, transitioning into a pinning combination for a near-fall. Running knee strike in the corner and Hechicero spikes Oku with a spinning head-scissors for the three-count at 11:30. Wow, that was quite the opener, showing the competitive nature of both men and Hechicero digging deep into his bag to overcome Oku’s resilience. ***½

Adam Priest vs. AR Fox vs. Atlantis Jr vs. Lee Johnson:
The winner of this geek-fest gets a fictional $50,000 purse. OK, I shouldn’t call them all geeks. Atlantis Jr gets plenty of shine, Lee Johnson is part of a decent mid-level push with Blake Christian, and Adam Priest is coming off an upset victory over Aaron Solo (insert laughing gif here). Four-way feeling out process. Priest gets dumped and Fox follows with a dive. Atlantis sends Johnson to the floor and gets cut off with a knee to the face from AR Fox. Fox with a double stomp on the apron, followed by a senton to Johnson. Meanwhile, Priest is waiting around the corner and takes out the unsuspecting Fox, but Fox is running hot, hitting Priest with a spinning heel kick and a post-assisted moonsault to the floor. Back inside, Fox continues showing off and pays for it, caught in the face with a basement dropkick while attempting to skin the cat. Priest with a snap brain buster but Atlantis makes the save.

Big Shotty is back in the action, but Caprice Coleman calls him Lee Moriarty. WRONG LEE, MAN. He doesn’t make the mistake once, he says it like FOUR times. Atlantis Jr sends Priest into Johnson and hits a Slind Blade/DDT combo. Priest cuts off a dive attempt and taunts the crowd, teasing a dive before settling on a thumb to the eye. Out of nowhere comes Atlantis Jr with a tope con hilo and Johnson takes Fox off the apron with a hurricanrana to the floor. Johnson sends Fox back in the ring but dives into an empty pool. It’s a wild run of all four men in the ring trading big blows. Johnson with a Spicolli Driver and standing moonsault on Fox for a near-fall. Atlantis interrupts a tower of doom by dumping Johnson out of the ring. Priest drops Fox across the turnbuckle and turns him over with a single-leg crab. Atlantis saves, then gets dumped by Johnson. He hits a frog splash and gets dumped by Priest. Atlantis with a frog splash and Priest tries to steal the fall, but Fox has the will of the warrior, kicking out at two. Fox with a rope-assisted Canadian Destroyer and Priest is DONE at 9:14. I was ready to say they’re doing a great job of making Fox the man to beat before doing a finish with two different participants, but nope, he looked strong from the start and went over in a strong showcase. ***

ROH Pure Championship Match:
Lee Moriarty (c) vs. Blue Panther:
Blue Panther tapped out Moriarty at Global Wars in a Non-Title Match to earn this Championship opportunity™. Moriarty is just two-weeks shy of reigning for one year as the Pure Champion, winning the belt in Arlington from Wheeler Yuta at Death Before Dishonor. If you’re unfamiliar with Pure Rules, you’re allowed three rope breaks (after that, getting to the ropes means nothing) and one warning for a closed-fist. If the match goes the distance, three judges will determine the winner.

Code of honor adhered to (FINALLY). Moriarty targets the arm, but Panther picks the leg and transitions to a modified surfboard. Moriarty spins out, holding onto the arm the entire time, and grabs a front chancery. Panther counters with a rolling body-scissors but Moriarty quickly escapes and transitions from a surfboard into a full nelson. Whip to the corner, Moriarty scrambles between the legs of Blue Panther and traps the legs for our first pin attempt. Panther goes for the Fujiwara arm bar, sending Moriarty scrambling for the ropes, using his first break. Moriarty combines his athleticism with technical work, punishing both legs. Blue Panther frees himself and carries Moriarty around the ring on his back, but Tiger Style strikes and Moriarty has Blue Panther in trouble. Moriarty with a rolling arm bar, combining it with a neck crank AND joint manipulation, sending Blue Panther into the ropes.

Moriarty with a well placed palm strike while controlling with a side headlock. Moriarty pops him again and it’s questionable if the palm was open or not, but the referee lets it go. Blue Panther surprises Moriarty with a body press and applies a Figure-Four, and that’s rope break #2 for Moriarty. Panther survives a series of chops and runs through Moriarty with a lariat for a two-count. Whip to the ropes, Moriarty spins through to the apron and springs off the top with a forearm for two. More joint manipulation while working the arm. Blue Panther spends his second break and rolls to the floor to catch a breather, but Moriarty brings the pressure, hitting Panther with a pair of tope suicida. Panther beats the count back in the ring and is immediately caught in an Octopus Stretch. Moriarty transitions to the Border City Stretch, but Panther’s fighting spirit is strong and uses his final rope break.

Moriarty pursues aggressively, punishing Blue Panther in the corner. Panther avoids a charging attack and a series of clotheslines sends Moriarty to the floor. Blue Panther plays to the crowd before coming off the apron with a rolling senton. Back inside, Blue Panther climbs the ropes but Moriarty interrupts his progress and takes the legend down with a super-plex for a near-fall. Moriarty wastes no time applying the ankle lock. Panther gets under the ropes, but that means nothing. Moriarty uses the ropes to assist the Border City Stretch, and Blue Panther has no choice but to tap out at 13:17. That was a heck of a match and Blue Panther at his advanced age can still go. When done correctly, Pure Rules can be one of the best matches of the card. Post-match, they shake hands and Blue Panther puts the belt around the waist of Moriarty as a sign of respect. ****

ROH World Tag Team Championship Match:
The Sons of Texas (c) vs. The Infantry (w/ Trish Adora):
The Infantry (Shawn Dean and Carlie Bravo) defeated Top Flight to earn this title match. I’m sorry if I’m boring everyone with the retelling of all the wonderful build on this show (Spoilers: Don’t expect more in other matches). The Sons are the duo Dustin Rhodes and Sammy Guevara, entering their 11-month as Champions, defeating Matt Taven and Mike Bennett on an episode of Collision. We get a pre-tape crossover with Sammy Guevara doing the Superman gimmick, while Dustin has some Green Lantern looking gear.

The Champions don’t waste time getting the action started, quickly taking the fight to the floor. Back inside, the Infantry are both in position for Shattered Dreams, but Trish Adora jumps in the ring to shield Bravo and slaps Dustin across the face. The distraction allows Bravo to free himself and get the jump, but Dustin sends both men to the floor and we get a synchronized rolling senton from Dustin and flying body press from Sammy, with the Champions celebrating their dominance with some break-dancing moves. Sammy keeps the hot streak going, nailing Bravo off the ropes with a dropkick and laying in with chops. The Captain picks the ankle from the floor, allowing Bravo to knock Sammy through the ropes, allowing the challengers to finally get something going on offense. The referee is allowing a lot of leeway on the floor. Maybe he needs to stop harassing Dustin for an autograph and pay attention to his job.

Back inside, Bravo offers a rude gesture to The Natural while the Infantry continue putting a hurting on Guevara. Dean pops Dustin off the apron and dives off the second rope with a clothesline. Bravo unloads with right jabs and gives Guevara a receipt for the chops from earlier. Sammy doesn’t appreciate the disrespect and gets fired up, but Bravo quickly cuts him off and hits a slingshot cutter for a near-fall. Guevara fights to his corner but the referee conveniently misses the tag, allowing the Infantry to take advantage of the fatigued Guevara. Bravo is getting a little too confident in how things are playing out, and you know that is going to come back and bite him. He goes for the cutter again but Guevara counters with a cutter of his own. SEE?!

Dustin with the hot tag, running wild with clotheslines on both men. Whip is reversed and Dustin with the drop-down uppercut and snap powerslam. Cross Rhodes to Dean but Bravo makes the save. Guevara and Bravo get wiped out while Dustin positions Dean for the Shattered Dreams. The referee plays blind for the sake of yelling at Trish Adora, but here’s Shane Taylor blasting Dustin with one of the belts! Sammy takes out Taylor, but Dustin is still knocked out and Dean covers for… TWO?! Guevara made the save at the very last moment. Dustin is showing color and Bravo gets too carried away with it. Dustin surprises Dean with the Texas Destroyer and gives the tag to Sammy! He hits Taylor on the floor with an Asai Moonsault and springs off the ropes with a Cutter on Bravo. Dean tries to steal the fall, but it only gets two. Rotating suplex from Dustin and Sammy finishes with a swanton bomb to retain at 15:04. Post-match, Taylor attacks and the beat-down is on, and here’s ANTHONY OGOGO to add to the assault, BUT WAIT, HERE COMES MARSHALL AND ROSS VON ERICH TO MAKE THE SAVE. Dustin offers a challenge for AEW All In. Sure, why not. More matches, please. I thought this was going well with the Infantry playing comfortably in the heel role, cutting off the ring, but things got a little too overbooked for my taste. **¾

ROH TV Championship Match:
Nick Wayne (c) (w/ Mother Wayne) vs. Titan:
Back on ROH x CMLL Global Wars, Titan went the 10-minute time limit with Nick Wayne in a Proving Ground Match to earn this title shot. Wayne has reigned since April 17th, defeating Komander on a special edition of Collision. Titan offers the handshake and Wayne responds by spitting in his face. Titan opens with a shotgun dropkick and comes off the ropes with a spinning head-scissors. Wayne powders and slides back in the ring to avoid a dive. He catches Titan on the way back in, wrapping the knee around the ropes. Wayne follows Titan to the floor, using a dragon screw to send Titan crashing into the guardrail. Wayne sends Titan back in the ring, very confident in himself as he starts working on the left knee. He wraps up the leg and pounds the knee, sending Titan to the ropes to force a break. Little Nicky goes for the mask and shows little respect for his opponent as he plays to the crowd. Wayne with a figure-four leg lock and Titan goes to the ropes again. Imagine if this were Pure Rules, Titan would have blown through two of his three breaks already!

Titan finally manages to interrupt Wayne’s momentum, coming off the top with a body press and sending him out of the ring with a jumping heel kick. Titan’s still selling the knee as he dives through the ropes at a slower speed than we’d normally see. Wayne blocks Titan’s springboard off the top rope and the two trade blows on the apron. Titan with the better of the exchange, popping Wayne on the chin with a Super-Kick and hitting the double stomp across the apron! Titan sends Wayne back in the ring and misses a double stomp. Wayne with the dragon screw and Figure-Four, but Titan gets to the ropes again. Titan has another burst of offense to slow down Wayne, but Wayne takes out the leg. They run through a series of counters until Titan hits a sloppy tornado DDT. He drops Wayne face-first and connects with a Super-Kick. Wayne bails and Titan follows with a tope con hilo. So much for that bad knee.

Titan with the double stomp, but that darn knee is bothering him! He covers but Mother Wayne puts Nick’s foot on the ropes in clear view of Rick Knox, causing her ejection. Titan takes advantage of the distraction and applies the Muta Lock, but Wayne fights with everything inside of him to get to the ropes. Titan gets the best of Wayne in the corner, who crumples to the canvas in perfect position to shield himself with the referee. Suddenly, Kip Sabian shows up to straddle Titan across the top turnbuckle. Wayne’s World connects but the stack-up cover only gets two! Figure-Four attempt is countered with a small package for two! Wayne with the roundhouse kick and Fisherman Brain Buster and that’s finally enough to put Titan away at 16:10. Post-match, the celebration is complete as Christian Cage congratulates Wayne on his victory. I enjoyed Wayne’s heel work, but Titan’s selling was spotty at best, and I was enjoying it more when I thought they would keep it around 10-minutes. Running through the same spots several times with no difference in the result of them is a good sign we don’t need matches to go long for the sake of going long. **½

Interim ROH Women’s TV Championship Match:
Mina Shirakawa vs. Miyu Yamashita vs. Persephone vs. Yuka Sakazaki:
Advertised as a Worldwide Women’s Wild Card Four Way-Match. Red Velvet is the reigning Women’s TV Champion, but an injury has necessitated this interim nonsense. Wait… that’s not what necessitated means? OH, DAMMIT. That’s what I get for trying to use fancy words! Sorry, this is a completely meaningless interim situation for a title that has been defended on TV once all year. Red Velvet cuts a pre-match promo about the situation and gets an introduction for the live crowd because we need to add more minutes to a show that is way too long.

Yuka and Persephone look less than pleased with the idea of the Code of Honor. Persephone powders, letting Mina, Miyu and Yuka figure things out for themselves. Yuka pops Mina with an elbow and uses her momentum to send Yamashita through the ropes. Persephone seems ready to make her mark and has a little back-and-forth with Shirakawa. Persephone and Yuka aren’t amused by Mina’s antics. Miyu runs wild, clearing the ring. She rams a series of knees to the face of Shirakawa but gets sent to the floor. Mina with a dive from the top rope, followed by a tope con hilo from Persepohone, and finally a spinning hurricanrana from Yuka.

Back inside, Sakazaki with a missile dropkick on Yamashita, followed by a pair of suplexes for a two-count. Yuka with the hanging head-scissors, but that seems to have irritated Yamashita more than it hurt her. Miyu gets the better of a strike exchange and takes Yuka over with a snap German. They trade kicks, with Miyu’s roundhouse sending Yuka’s head into the 7th row. Mina takes advantage of their dilemma, and makes unsuccessful pin attempts on both women. Mina gives the people what they want before getting speared out of her boots by Persephone. Fallaway slam and arrogant cover from Persephone for a two-count.

Shirakawa surprises Persephone with a Sling Blade and comes off the top with a Super Sling Blade for two. Persephone ducks a back-fist and hits a Northern Lights Suplex. Miyu interrupts the ground-n-pound with a knee to the face. Persephone cuts Miyu off and turns a back-slide into a spider-bridge for a near-fall. Miyu escapes a Crucifix Slam and lights Persephone up with kicks. Death Valley Driver connects, but Mina and Yuka are back in to keep the match alive. Yuka interrupts the figure-four with a Magic Girl Splash. Yuka and Persephone take each other out on the apron. Meanwhile, Mina takes out the knee of Miyu and forces her to tap to a bridging Figure-Four at 13:48, crowning Mina Shirakawa as the INTERIM ROH Women’s TV Champion. Red Velvet taunts Mina with the real belt, but that doesn’t seem to bother her, as she taunts Velvet with the stir-it-up motion. I enjoyed this, but I’m getting burned out with so many matches using similar transition spots, making it all feel very samey, even if the execution of everything has been mostly solid. ***

ROH Women’s World Championship Match:
Athena (c) (w/ Billie Starkz) vs. Thunder Rosa:
The first of our two Main Events. You’re probably thinking that this one has decent build, but guess what… NOPE. Their interactions are limited to a short scuffle following a Proving Ground Match and mixing it up at Global Wars when Rosa and Persephone defeated Athena and Red Velvet, with Rosa pinning Velvet. Athena is approaching 1,000 days as Champion, having won the belt in Arlington at Final Battle 2022.

Code of Honor adhered to, halfheartedly. The crowd seems split with dueling chants as the women lockup and take it around the ring, with neither gaining control of the other. Athena snaps on a side headlock, but Rosa escapes and works the arm. Athena counters a single-leg crab but soon finds herself fighting out of a cross arm bar. Rosa snaps the arm of Athena across the top rope and keeps the pressure on, following Athena to the apron. Athena takes advantage of that aggression, blocking a German suplex, driving Rosa into the post, and capping the sequence with a ring apron drop. The taped up back of Thunder Rosa becomes an easy target, as Athena rams the back into the guardrail.

Back inside, Athena repeatedly rams the knee into the back. Rosa throws a series of axe-handles to the midsection, but a suplex is blocked and Athena drops Rosa face-first for a two-count. Athena with a short reset, slowing things down with a chin-lock. Thunder Rosa avoids a charge into the corner and takes a shot at the arm. They trade kicks in one of those “I hit you, you hit me” sequences I’m hating more and more each match. Athena shuts it down with a super-Kick, but is sent with a whiplash-style bump into the turnbuckle. Whip across the ring, Rosa charges in with an elbow and follows with a running basement dropkick. Athena takes advantage of Rosa’s back giving out and hits a combo back breaker and leg sweep slam for two. Rosa won’t allow Athena to build momentum, snapping her off the top with a hurricanrana and sending her to the floor. Rosa follows her out with a flying body press and sends Athena crashing into the steps.

Rosa continues targeting the shoulder, putting Athena down with a shoulder breaker and coming off the top rope with a double stomp across the shoulders for a near-fall. Athena powders and leads the referee down the ramp, but the Billie Starkz interference backfires. Athena cuts Rosa off on the ramp and slams her through a well-conceiled table. She is OK with the count-out, but Thunder Rosa won’t let the referee call for the dreaded X. Athena takes advantage of Rosa’s intestinal fortitude and hits a back breaker for a two-count. Athena keeps throwing everything she’s got and Rosa somehow survives despite her limited mobility. Rosa cuts Athena off on her trip to the top rope and briefly applies a hanging arm bar. Rosa climbs up again and Athena brings her down with an avalanche Powerbomb for a near-fall. There’s no heroic comeback from that, as Athena traps the legs and grabs a rear choke to get Thunder Rosa to tap at 18:50. LOL Athena Wins is what people would say if anyone bothered to care about ROH. I liked the story they were telling, though some of the execution was a little clunky, and considering the insta-feud build, I never doubted Athena’s chances, which kind of took me out of the drama of the finish. ***

ROH World Championship Match:
Bandido (c) vs. Konosuke Takeshita (w/ Don Callis):
The second half of the double Main Event and final match of the card. Thrown together match via pre-tape challenge issued by Rocky Romero on behalf of Konosuke Takeshita and the Don Callis Family. Bandido won the belt at AEW Dynasty on April 6th, ending the 2nd reign of Chris Jericho. Don Callis sits in on commentary because we need him to poison ROH as well. Takeshita slaps the hand of Bandido’s, so I guess that’s adhering to the code of honor. The crowd is more interested in chanting at Don Callis while we get the preliminary feeling out process. They go back-and-forth with the arm, but neither man can build off it in the early minutes. Bandido taps into his lucha libre style to put Takeshita on skates. He takes Takeshita over with a spinning head-scissors and follows with a dropkick. Takeshita backs Bandido up with a forearm and calls for a test-of-strength. That doesn’t seem like a good strategy for Bandido to accept, and sure enough, Takeshita easily takes him to the canvas. Bandido shows that he’s one step ahead, hooking Takeshita around the head and taking him off his feet.

Bandido gives Takeshita a little too much time to recuperate and meets the post when charging into the corner. Takeshita follows Bandido to the floor and gives him another trip to the steel post. Back inside, Takeshita slows things down, wrapping the arm of Bandido around the top rope. He transitions to the Fujiwara but Bandido forces a break. Bandido uses his speed to create separation and comes off the top rope with a corkscrew press. Takeshita survives a flurry of stomps, rattling Bandido with a kick from flat on his back. Takeshita with a german suplex and Blue Thunder Bomb for a two-count. Bandido strings together some more quick strikes and bounces off the ropes with a boot to the face. Takeshita blocks the 21 Plex and uses his momentum to send Bandido through the ropes. Step-up enzuigiri is blocked and Takeshita scrambles Bandido’s brains with a forearm. Takeshita tears at the mask of Bandido, because that’s a spot we needed to do earlier for a meaningless Nick Wayne/Titan match.

Meanwhile, Callis has abandoned commentary and is hovering at ringside. Bandido with a rally but Takeshita cuts off a tope by shielding himself with a steel chair. Bandido is showing color as Takeshita leads him up the ramp for a brain buster. Bandido pulls himself up and somehow beats the count because babyfaces fight to win, not take the easy road to retain, and Takeshita knows that his pride would bring him an easy target to pick apart. They fight for a suplex, with Bandido somehow muscling Takeshita over. Bandido avoids a running boot and hits the challenger with a poisonrana! Takeshita avoids 21 Plex but Bandido audibles and hits a tope con hilo. Back inside, Bandido’s Frog Splash only gets a two-count.

These two look like they’ve been through a war. Bandido with a butterfly face-buster for two. Cattle Mutilation transitioned to a crucifix cradle for two. Takeshita shrugs off a lariat and the two meet in the middle for a double-down. Takeshita wins the strike exchange, doing more with less. Bandido beats Takeshita to the punch with a backhand, dropping his larger opponent to his knees. Takeshita lands on his feet out of the 21 Plex. Bandido lands on his feet on a German, stuns Takeshita with the X Knee and the 21 Plex only gets two! Avalanche Moonsault Slam from Bandido is STILL not enough to keep Takeshita down. Takeshita brings up the knees to counter a Frog Splash and cradles for two. Pop-up Powerbomb countered into a hurricanrana countered into a sunset flip!!! Bandido lifts Takeshita across his shoulders and hits the X Knee to the midsection. Takeshita blocks the 21 Plex, hits the Strong Zero and follows with a wheelbarrow slam. Running knee strike and Bandido is up at ONE! Takeshita smashes Bandido across the face with a forearm and lifts him for a Falcon Arrow, but Bandido counters with a small package and that is finally enough for the count of three, allowing Bandido to survive as ROH Champion at 29:26. Post-match, Hechicero comes out to have words with Bandido, because we can’t let the man rest after that war. These guys were throwing everything but the kitchen sink at each other, and had me bite multiple times on those near-falls late in the contest. Ignoring a spot or two that I openly complain about every time, this was a fantastic match to wrap up the show, and well worth checking out if you skipped the show and have access to Honor Club. ****½

Final Thoughts: OK, first, I’m very much aware that Zero Hour is not required viewing, but I feel like if you’re offering me content, then I should try to enjoy all of what you are offering me. With that part said, I think they could have easily trimmed two matches from Zero Hour AND cut at least one match from the main show. If you’re someone who doesn’t bother with Zero Hour, I stand by my opinion that you could have trimmed at least one match to break up the feeling of too many matches using the same tropes and sequences repeatedly. There’s little else to complain about when the main portion of the card maintained a level of quality that would satisfy most reasonable fans. A couple of matches were just there for me, but I don’t need or expect every match to deliver some epic level storytelling (in fact, I’d appreciate it if the underneath stuff held back just a little, but that’s a conversation for another day). If you missed out and have access, I’d give the strongest recommendation to give a look to Bandido vs. Takeshita and Lee Moriarty vs. Blue Panther if you’re not going to invest several hours into the show.