ROH Death Before Dishonor 2025 Review – 08.29.25

Presented LIVE on Honor Club at WatchROH.com, from the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA. Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman are ringside to call the action, unless otherwise noted. No, I am not recapping Zero Hour. I hate to disappoint everyone, but here are the results… Jay Lethal tapped out Jordan Oliver (it was fine), MxM Collection beat The Dark Order and Frat House in a clusterf*ck of a triple threat match, Billie Starkz pinned Ashley Vox in a Pure Rules Match (not good), and Dralistico won a 4-Way featuring Angelico, AR Fox, and Adam Priest that was also fine.

Tomohiro Ishii & Hologram vs. The Premier Athletes (w/ Smart Mark Sterling):
One of the matches thrown on the card at the last minute. Sterling gets his cheap heat by making reference to several famous ECW characters. At least he’s not going on about having losses removed from the record books. Ishii is the reigning NJPW Strong Openweight Champion, for anyone wondering what belt he carries around with him on ROH appearances.

Ishii and Daivari start, and Ishii doesn’t fall for Daivari’s halfhearted offer for the code of honor. Ishii stands his ground on a pair of shoulder blocks. Daivari makes the mistake of pointing his finger at Ishii and pays for it. Ishii no-sells Daivari’s flurry of chops and Daivari goes down like being hit by a shotgun blast. I’m not used to seeing female representation in the crowd of the old ECW arena, but there’s a babe sitting in the center of the hard-cam. Oh, sorry, back to the action, Hologram tags in for some tandem offense on the former leader of the Trustbusters (pour one out for Slim J). Nese in for a showcase of running the ropes and quick counters that highlight Hologram’s style. Nese goes for a body press but Hologram rolls through the impact and lands on top for a two-count. Sterling with a distraction, allowing Nese to sweep the legs. Daivari with the Magic Carpet Ride and Nese covers for a near-fall. Ishii accidentally causes a distraction, hindering his partner. Nese with a springboard guillotine leg drop, but Hologram is under the ropes on the cover. Ishii with the hot tag, running wild on both men. He runs through Daivari and hits Nese with a suplex. Double reversal and Ishii with a Saito suplex for two. Heck breaks loose with all four men in the ring. Ishii and Hologram with synchronized German suplexes. Brain-buster and body press combo on Nese gets two. Ishii gets taken out and Hologram eats a pump-handle piledriver for two. Sterling hops on the apron for some heel miscommunication. Daivari is sent to the floor and Hologram follows with a springboard senton. Ishii takes Nese’s head off with a lariat and the brain buster finishes at 12:33. Perfectly fine prelim match that really kicked it up a notch in the last few minutes. This blew away anything you would see on Zero Hour. ***

ROH Trios Tag Team Championship Match:
Sammy Guevara & The Von Erich Boys vs. The Infantry & Shane Taylor (w/ Trish Adora & Anthony Ogogo):
We’re reminded that the titles are VACANT, and if Guevara and the Von Erich’s are to be victorious, this would be a second reign, not a continuous one, for Marshall and Ross. Guevara is credited with a 22-2 record in his last 24 matches in ROH. I still don’t understand why we needed to overcomplicate things by NOT having Dustin and Friends job the belts BEFORE his surgical procedure.

Guevara and Bravo start, and of course, there’s no code of honor, even though STP barely works like heels. Sammy takes a shot at Dean on the apron, allowing Bravo to get the jump on him. Sammy survives a 3-on-1 assault and shows off some fancy moves that the crowd doesn’t appreciate. Is Sammy heeling on the crowd or the Infantry? Ross sends Bravo to the corner and charges in with a boot to the face. This crowd is not into the babyface team. Double-team powerslam on Bravo for a two-count. Adora distracts the referee for a STP triple-team while Sammy distracts the crowd by wearing a cowboy hat. WHY IS OGOGO STILL EMPLOYED? Taylor knocks Ross into reasonable tag range and neither Sammy or Marshall try to reach out and make it feel like they aren’t waiting a few minutes for their next spot. The Captain busts out the Bronco Buster, automatically deducting ¼* from the final rating. STP takes turns beating the Ram’s piss out of Ross, including a modified decapitation knee drop for two. Marshall with the hot tag, running wild with elbows and some crummy spine-busters. Taylor tags in and Marshall with a clean slam, followed by a moonsault for a near-fall. CLAW applied, but Bravo saves. Guevara (STILL WEARING THE HAT) comes in and gets laid out by Taylor. Bravo with a scissors kick, Taylor drops a splash, and Dean hits a flying splash on Marshall, but Ross saves. Marshall with his own comeback, laying out Dean with a discus clothesline. Sammy with a flying body press to the Infantry. Step-up enzuigiri to the back of the head of Dean, followed by a springboard cutter. Marshall gets wiped out by accident on a Fosbury Flop. Sammy’s cutter is countered on the second try. Taylor lands the KO right hand, and a double stomp from the Infantry secures STP the Trios Titles at 13:06. This was ALL STP, and the low rating is mostly due to the crowd throwing off the face/heel dynamic and the Von Erich’s being cheeks. **¼

The Women’s Pure Championship Tournament BEGINS TONIGHT! HERE ARE THE BRACKETS!!!!

Taya Valkyrie vs. Queen Aminata

Deonna Purrazzo vs. Trish Adora

Billie Starkz vs. Olympia

Yuka Sakazaki vs. Serena Deeb

Women’s Pure Championship Quarter-Finals Match:
Queen Aminata vs. Taya Valkyrie (w/ MxMxTV):
Glad to see Aminata back in the country after her belongings, including passport, were stolen while overseas for Forbidden Door. It only took FOUR MONTHS, but we’re finally moving forward in crowning our THIRD singles champion in the ROH Women’s Division. Aminata has seen plenty of time on AEW TV lately, so now it feels like ROH is beneath her standing in the company. Riccaboni notes that Aminata is working with a temporary passport. They better work that into storylines.

Taya half-heartedly accepts the code of honor. Aminata with a waist-lock and Taya immediately goes for the ropes, spending her first of three possible breaks. Aminta with another waist-lock, and there’s the second rope break for Taya. Aminata wastes time rubbing her buttocks on Taya and gets rolled up for two. Taya still can’t string anything together and is repeatedly slammed face-first into Aminata’s rear. Aminata misses a charge to the corner and Taya slides out of the ring, sweeping Aminata with a modified German suplex. Taya wraps the leg of Aminata around the post and hits a ring apron leg drop. Back inside, Taya imitates Thekla and hits a sit-out spine-buster for a two-count. The action spills to the floor and for the second time, we’re told by Ian and Caprice that this is very unlike what we’re used to from Pure Rules. Taya crosses the legs and applies a cross-face, but Aminata gets to the ropes (her first) for the break. Aminata gets the better of a strike exchange, lighting Taya up with double palms across the chest. Taya drops her head to avoid a third and gets caught with a snap suplex. Aminata stretches Taya out, forcing her to cash her last rope break. Taya explodes off the ropes with a spear for a near-fall. Taya uses the ropes to her advantage, but she wastes time playing to the crowd and Aminata KO’s her with a headbutt to advance at 8:25. Post-match, Deonna Purrazzo shows up to tease a potential Semi-Finals Match. Taya is all schtick, and thankfully, isn’t advancing in this tournament. This, like most of the matches on ROH Honor Club, was “just fine.” **

The Kingdom vs. Blake Christian & Lee Johnson:
Did we really need THIS added to the card?! The Kingdom, for those who forgot, are Mike Bennett and Matt Taven, and they seem to appear on ROH every 6-8 weeks. Christian and Johnson seem to be getting the strongest mid-card push of anyone in ROH, so the result here shouldn’t be a mystery, but never say never.

Vanilla Johnson with the cheap shots during the handshake, but the Kingdom quickly recover and clear the ring. Oh man, they’re really trying to get “The Swirl” over as the team name. They tease taking a walk, but Taven and Bennett hunt them down and Taven nearly eats sh*t on a tope over the top rope. Back in the ring, pop-up forearm from Bennett gets a two-count. He throws rapid-fire chops on both Christian and Johnson. Bennett is looking like Ciampa with that beard (back when Ciampa had his beard). Bennett’s luck runs out as the 2-on-1 finally catches up in favor of the Swirl. Johnson drapes Bennett across the barricade and Christian with a dive from the apron. Vanilly Shotty does a great job cutting off the ring and utilizing quick tags to their advantage. Taven with the hot tag, laying into Christian with a flurry of strikes and planting him with a DDT. Christian avoids a springboard moonsault but is caught with a swinging neck breaker. The crowd is NOT into Taven as he begs them for a reaction before hitting the moonsault on the second attempt. Proton-Pack connects but with a possibility of friendly fire. Johnson hits Taven with an Angle Slam and a springboard 450 from Christian gets a near-fall. Christian with a springboard DDT into Vanilla Choke Zero, but Taven just lays there looking at Johnson and Bennett, waiting for the spot where the hold is broken. More “epic” spots from a bunch of job guys. Bennett is taken out on the floor, and the combo Double Stomp/Spicolli Driver finishes Taven at 11:21. This went from perfectly fine to an overbooked mess. Not everything needs to feel epic, especially a bunch of job guys who are years past their best days. *½

ROH Pure Championship Match:
Lee Moriarty (c) vs. Xelhua:
Well, this should be decent. Xelhua survived a 10-minute Proving Ground Match to earn this title match. Like the rest of Shane Taylor Promotions, Moriarty sometimes does heel work, but is pretty darn close to just being neutral, so when he does something shady during a title defense, it means a little bit more.

Moriarty and Xelhua adhere to the code of honor without controversy. Lockup and a series of quick transitions, looking for an advantage. Both men attempt to get the other to spend a rope break, but neither takes the bait and the referee forces them back to the center of the ring. Xelhua with a leg sweep and modified surfboard, sending Moriarty to the ropes for his first rope break. Xelhua locks up the hands and brings Moriarty to the canvas with a twisting head-scissors. Xelhua continues to frustrate Moriarty with quick transitions and slight modifications of each hold. They fight near the ropes again, and this time Moriarty sneaks in a closed fist! Zelhua returns fire, but the referee sees it and issues the warning. Xelhua pleads his case, which allows Moriarty to surprise him, launching over the referee with a dropkick. Both men miss some bombs and Xelhua catches Moriarty with a spinning back-breaker for a two-count.

Moriarty cuts off the momentum of Xelhua, sending him face-first into the middle turnbuckle and snaps back the fingers on Xelhua’s left hand. We get joint manipulation, sending Xelhua to the ropes. The fight spills to the floor, with referee Mike Posey being VERY generous with his count. Back inside, Moriarty keeps punishing the hand. Xelhua sneaks in a crucifix cradle, but Moriarty quickly regains control. Xelhua takes a spill through the ropes following a dropkick and Moriarty hits him at 90 mph with a basement tope suicida. Xelhua blocks a follow-up attempt and straight-jackets Moriarty into a cross arm bar! Back in the ring, Moriarty snaps the arm across the top rope and hits a springboard body press. Border City Stretch applied, sending Xelhua scrambling for the ropes for his second break. Xelhua blocks a suplex and counters with his own delayed version. Xelhua lights up Moriarty with palm strikes and comes off the top rope with a flying body press for a near-fall. Another human pretzel hold from Xelhua and Moriarty uses another rope break. Moriarty spins out of a wrist-lock, punting the damaged left hand of Xelhua. Moriarty with a face-first slam and Xelhua gets a foot on the ropes to spend his final break. Border City Stretch but Xelhua counters for a two-count. Xelhua spikes Moriarty on his tailbone. Moriarty rolls through a cradle and applies the Border City Stretch while in the ropes, getting the tap out from Xelhua to retain at 16:17. Moriarty always seems to do a great job constructing matches around the pure rules gimmick, and Xelhua brought his interesting arsenal of submission holds to keep him on his toes. I think they went to the finish a little too soon, but easily the best match of the card (so far). ***½

Fight Without Honor: Paul Walter Hauser vs. QT Marshall:
“Fight Without Honor” is fancy talk for “No Rules.” This one was set up way back in March when the two first interacted, and as Death Before Dishonor approached, we were getting more hype on ROH Honor Club, including the return of the wonderful QTV segment (SARCASM). Paul Walter Hauser is a Golden Globe winning actor, so he’s not a completely worthless get for the company, though sticking him on ROH seems like a waste of time.

Do I really need to suffer through a garbage match featuring QT Marshall? Yes, I’m more willing to watch this doughboy actor than the actual trained professional wrestler. Lockup and QT show off the basic fundamentals of pro wrestling. Oh God, I’M ALREADY CHECKING THE CLOCK. Can we NOT use the Skye Blue angle on Hauser? Hauser with a sloppy hammer-lock slam as I attempt to bleach my eyeballs. Hauser with an inverted atomic drop, Russian leg sweep, and Kokeshi headbutt, sending QT to the floor. Hauser isn’t going to let him get away that easily, and tumbles off the apron with a senton. We don’t waste too much time introducing a table and Hauser struggles getting it set up. QT unsuccessfully attempts to decapitate Hauser with a chair. They fight over a suplex, with Hauser winning that battle. Hauser pulls out a ladder and QT quickly knocks it into him.

Hauser with the Dusty elbow as his trunks are struggling to stay on him. QT enters no-sell mode and catches Hauser with a spinebuster across the ladder. QT with a slingshot into the ladder, and I swear to God, I think Hauser was prepping himself for a blade job… AND YES, HE’S BLEEDING. Motherfucker thinks he’s Shawn Michaels out there. QT brings out a barbed wire baseball bat and chair. Hauser with a rally, hitting a Charmin soft avalanche, followed by a chair shot across the back. AARON SOLO RUNS IN AND LAYS INTO HAUSER WITH A KENDO STICK. I wish I saved the Charmin joke, because Solo with an even softer shot to Hauser with the ladder! Some of the worst music ever played and out comes HOOK. Solo takes a T-Bone suplex through the table and gets choked out to add insult to insult.

Hauser blocks a Powerbomb and hits a rolling senton through the table with QT across his shoulders. Hauser with a Lance Storm tribute chair shot and an ugly as sin sit-out driver onto the chair for two. We get more props, including Hauser’s Golden Globe award being used for a spot. There’s broken glass, too. QT just randomly stops selling 19 minutes of pain and torture to give a comical reaction to seeing the glass, by the way. QT misses a Diamond Cutter into the glass. Now we’ve got thumbtacks, which Hauser takes a bump on. I swear, he attempted to remove his shirt mid-spot, but couldn’t. 10 people chant “Fight Forever” for this garbage. QT scoops some glass with a dust pan and spreads it across a table, then decides to cut a promo. When he’s done yelling at the crowd chanting at him to shut up, he clearly tells Hauser “go ahead” before taking a low blow. QT returns fire and hits a Super-Sized Cutter through the table covered in glass for three at 20:33. PUTRID. One of the worst matches I’ve watched in years, and I remember the Jimmy vs Jey debacle from WrestleMania 40. Maybe, MAYBE, if you keep this at 8-10 minutes, you get your dumb spots in and we can walk away with a little bit of joy, but nope, this kept going and everything from Solo’s run-in onward was unbelievably bad. Matches like this don’t deserve a real rating, so call it -*******⅞.

ROH Tag Team Championship Match:
The Outrunners vs. Sammy Guevara & ???:
I’d normally dunk all over the Outrunners for their one-note gimmick that lost the luster months ago, but I’ll take anything over that abomination I suffered through. Sammy comes out a little extra smug, so we know he’s not picking Marshall or Ross Von Erich. Sammy’s partner turns out to be… RUSH. This motherf*cker is still under AEW contract?! Well, I fully expected a mid-show change of heart from Guevara, and here it is.

Guevara with a middle finger in the face of Magnum. It seems to be the only heel move Sammy can pull off, based on the last six years of AEW. They go International and Sammy hangs back to avoid a dropkick. He’s got the smug meter turned up to maximum. Magnum wins the battle for a hip toss and knocks Sammy into the corner with a dropkick. Rush and Turbo with an aggressive lockup and trading shoulder blocks. Rush seems to get the better of the strike exchange but isn’t as successful when caught in a double-team. Now it’s Sammy and Rush showing off some solid chemistry for guys who are teaming for the first time (at least in ROH canon). Magnum takes a beating on the floor, including having a drink thrown in his face. THAT BEER COST $18! Riccaboni and Coleman are unsure on if this means Sammy is part of LFI (or if LFI is still a thing, period).

Back inside, more punishment to Magnum while Sammy and Rush spam the taunt buttons on their controllers. Sammy wastes time playing to the crowd and misses a dive into the corner. Magnum can’t quite reach the corner as Sammy hops on his back with a sleeper. Magnum pounds the body for the break and drops Guevara with a back suplex. Floyd gets himself fired up and it’s HOT TAG TIME. He runs wild on Sammy and Rush with right hands and slams. The Outrunners send Rush and Sammy into each other and drop the Outrunner Elbow on Rush. Sammy saves Rush from Total Recall and takes the shot himself. All four men continue to brawl in the ring, with the Outrunners appearing to have the titles within grasp. Sammy pops up to shove Magnum off the top rope and Rush with a hip toss, sending Floyd into the corner. Running basement dropkick from Rush and Sammy finishes with the Swanton Bomb at 12:58 to win back the Tag Titles. Dralistico comes out to celebrate, further cementing that LFI alliance. Ross and Marshall Von Erich come out looking confused. Sammy tries to play nice, but NOPE, it’s a beat-down for the Von Erich boys. Another match that seemed a little overbooked, but at least they took it home within a reasonable time. Sammy going back to being a slimeball heel is better than generic babyface, but how much does he have left to offer at this point, rotting away on ROH with the same character he was doing in 2019? ***

ROH World Championship Match:
Bandido (c) vs. Hechicero (w/ Don Callis):
Wow, they’re closing the show with Athena and Mina Shirakawa?! I didn’t expect that. Last month at Supercard of Honor, Bandido defeated Hechicero stablemate Kenosuke Takeshita. Since then, Hechicero has made a case as a legit threat, even getting the decisive fall over Bandido in a tag team match on Dynamite. Don Callis with an obnoxious introduction for Hechicero as the Don Callis Family continues to pursue Bandido for the ROH Championship.

Bandido offers the handshake and of course Hechicero slaps it away. Both men were cautious in the opening moments. Lockup into the corner and Hechicero surprisingly gives a clean break. Bandido picks up the pace to escape a wrist-lock and taunts with the bang-bang finger. Hechicero takes Bandido to the canvas with a twisting head-scissors, but they end up in the ropes. Hechicero fights through a head-scissors from Bandido, crosses the legs and combines a bow-and-arrow with an Indian Death Lock. Bandido with an escape and takes out the leg. We get a scramble for control leading to a pair of pinning combinations. The pace quickens again, with Hechicero bouncing off the ropes with a shoulder block and hooking a magistral cradle for two. Both men miss some heavy firepower and trade more cradles and roll-ups until Hechicero powders. Back inside, both men seem to be a step ahead of the other when it comes to executing their offensive playbook. Bandido finally breaks the stalemate, sending Hechicero to the floor and following with a tope con hilo. Bandido is up first, playing along with the chant of the crowd to taunt Don Callis. Bandido dives into the corner with an elbow. He goes for a second helping and is met halfway with a knee to the face. Hechicero stuns Bandido with a basement DDT and starts tearing at the mask.

Callis abandons the commentary table to start being a nuisance at ringside. YAY. Hechicero punishes Bandido in the ropes and lands a series of measured right hands. Bandido offers up a flurry of forearms, but the Alchemist cuts him off. Hechicero picks the ankle sliding under a leap-frog and traps Bandido in a surfboard. Bandido escapes the arm locks AND SITS STRAIGHT UP WHILE THE LEGS ARE STILL LOCKED. Bandido with a surfboard and Hechicero plays “Anything you can do, I can do better”, sitting out of the hold and transitioning to a leg lock. They bring the fight to the floor, with Hechicero throwing Bandido into the barricade. Back inside, Hechicero with a rear choke into a cross arm bar. Whip to the ropes, Hechicero pops Bandido into the air for a crash landing and goes for the mask again. Bandido creates separation and comes off the top with a corkscrew body press. Bandido with a press slam and Super Kick, knocking Hechicero through the ropes, where Bandido quickly meets him with a Fosbury flop. Bandido with a Frog Splash for a near-fall. Now it’s Bandido tearing away at the mask.

Hechicero has Bandido’s ringside playbook well scouted, avoiding another dive and straddling him across the guardrail. Bandido with the cut-off, hitting Hechicero with a suplex ACROSS THE BARRICADE. Bandido catapults Hechicero across the ring apron and flies off the top rope with a picture-perfect body press on the floor. Hechicero blocks a boot through the ropes and traps the leg for some hyperextension activity. Bandido fights off a sleeper attempt, repeatedly snapping the arm of Hechicero across the top rope. Hechicero blocks the inside-out Code Red and both men go crashing to the floor with a helicopter. Hechicero with a Sorcerer’s Roll into a modified single leg crab. Bandido spins through a hammer-lock swing and they trade bombs until both men are incapacitated following a poison-rana. Both men to their knees, ramming heads like two beasts. THE STRAPS ARE DOWN. Hechicero weaves out of danger as long as he can, but Bandido slows him with a modified GTS. Hechicero blocks the 21 Plex and counters with the Gory Special. Bandido slips out and has Hechicero in position for a Vertebreaker, but Hech counters with a victory roll. Both men sell exhaustion as neither can put the other away with submission holds. They bring the fight to the top rope, with Bandido sending Hech to the canvas with a somersault fallaway slam. Hechicero holds on for dear life to block the 21 Plex, but Bandido rolls over into a German suplex and Hechicero is finally finished at 36:27. Absolutely fantastic performance. This was two men going to war, displaying great resolve and fighting spirit, matching each other move for move, spacing out the big spots for maximum impact, and giving us a clean, conclusive result despite the threat of Callis at ringside. As good as a match you’ll see from ROH. *****

ROH Women’s Championship Match:
Athena (c) (w/ Billie Starkz) vs. Mina Shirakawa:
Final match of the card. I don’t know if I buy labeling THIS the “Main Event” just because it goes last, but Athena is approaching 1,000 days as the ROH Women’s Champion, so sure, I’ll accept it on this day. Athena was given credit for the short-term injury that Shirakawa suffered at All In, so there’s the insta-feud reasoning for this match. The Blue Meanie makes a surprise appearance as the Minion Meanie, but pisses off Athena by dancing with Mina, too. HE JUST WANTS TO HAVE A GOOD TIME, DAMMIT. Oh, did I mention Shirakawa is the Interim Women’s TV Champion? Yeah, who knows how long Red Velvet will be out of action.

There’s some words exchanged during the code of honor. Mina immediately goes for the spinning back fist as they go around the ring with a lockup. Whip to the ropes and Athena pumps the brakes to catch Mina mid-leap frog for a roll-up attempt. Shirakawa wastes time showing off the goods to the crowd, giving Athena an open invitation to her previously injured hand that she cannot take full advantage of. More dancing from Mina to frustrate Athena. Mina hits the ropes for some sexy dance time and comes off with a knee across the shoulder. The fight spills to the outside, with Mina accidentally punching the post, AND WITH HER BAD HAND. Athena doesn’t waste a second, slamming the hand into anything within reasonable range, including a ring-step sandwich spot. Back inside, Athena with calculated attacks of the hand and arm and cashing in some receipts for all the taunting from earlier. Mina tries getting too cute with her comeback attempt and Athena repeatedly punts the hand while it’s trapped in the turnbuckle. Athena’s aggressive approach finally catches up, as she rams her own knee into a chair and gets sent crashing into the barricade.

Back inside, Mina clips the knee with a basement dropkick and follows with a sling-blade for two. Mina with a clover-leaf into a back breaker. Starkz wanders over as Mina attempts a ring-post Figure-Four, but the distraction backfires, as Athena hits Starkz with a tope suicida. During the confusion, Mina rolls across the back of Starkz and hits Athena with a splash. Athena recovers, catching and swinging Mina into the barricade. Mina catches the leg of Athena in the ropes upon re-entry and immediately goes for the Figure-Four, but Athena gets to the ropes for the break. We get the strong style exchange of bombs, with both women laid out with all said and done. They trade forearms until Athena busts out a Tombstone piledriver for two. Mina fights off the shoulders and plants Athena with a Tornado DDT for two. Super sling-blade from Mina for a near-fall. She signals for the Glamorous Driver, but Athena counters with a hangman’s neck breaker. Athena with a knee to the face and Koji Clutch applied, but a stack-up pin attempt saves Mina from certain defeat. Mina with a spin-out flapjack and Figure-Four, but Athena turns it over to reverse the pressure. Mina repositions, and this time Athena survives long enough to get to the ropes. Athena with the cut-off on the top rope. Mina keeps bringing the pressure on Athena and hits the driver for a near-fall. Athena flips through another attempt and grabs the arm bar. Straight-jacket powerbomb from Athena and the O-Face finishes at 25:27. This felt like it would have benefited from being about 5-minutes shorter. They were telling a great story and had Athena in a believable position to possibly lose the chance of cracking 1,000 days as Champion, but everything after that long spot of Athena fighting for the ropes while trapped in the Figure-Four seemed like padding. Still a great match, but peaking at the right time would have made it better. ****

Final Thoughts: OK, ignore Zero Hour and cut out QT Marshall vs. P.W. Hauser and the junk with The Kingdom, and this is a solid card, with a fantastic double Main Event. Unfortunately, if you want the FULL EXPERIENCE, it’s another case of bloated nonsense, where we cram a bunch of people into matches for the sake of doing it. With that said, I could not recommend enough for everyone to check out Bandido vs Hechicero. Athena/Mina and Moriarty/Xelhua are worth checking out as well, if you’re pressed for time or don’t care much for the ROH prelim stuff which is basically Dark leftovers from 4-5 years ago.