Welcome to Ring of Honor’s Death Before Dishonor 2021! Live coverage will begin at 8:00pm EST. Tonight’s matches include:
- ROH World Championship: Bandido (c) vs. Brody King vs. Demonic Flamita vs. EC3
- ROH Pure Championship: Jonathan Gresham vs. Josh Woods
- ROH Women’s Championship: Rok-C vs. Miranda Alize
- ROH Six Man World Championship: Shane Taylor Promotions vs. LFI
- The OGK (Mike Bennett & Matt Taven) vs. The Briscoe Brothers
- Violence Unlimited (Chris Dickinson, Homicide, and Tony Deppen) vs. John Walters, LSG, and Lee Moriarty.
- Jake Atlas vs. Taylor Rust
- Eli Isom vs. Dalton Castle
Coverage starts… NOW!
The Honor Rumble took place on the preshow, and was headlined by the returning Alex Zayne. Zayne eliminated Flip Gordon to win and secure himself a future Ring of Honor World Title shot, on Ring of Honor TV!
Caprice Coleman, Ian Riccaboni, and Dak Draper are on commentary. We are LIVE from the INFAMOUS ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania!
Match #1 – Dalton Castle vs Eli Isom
Dalton Castle is a busy man. Beach wrestling champion, shrimp connoisseur, and Family Feud contestant. Isom starts hot and hits a tope to the outside. Isom outwrestling Castle early, and as I say that Castle gets the go behind and Isom nearly no sells a vicious German suplex. The cameras awkwardly pan to the commentators mid match. Castle working over Isom on it’s CHIN LOCK CITY, BAY BAY. Castle snatches a quick single leg and hits a high crotch throw. Another takedown by Castle and a sliding knee to the face. Two count. Isom fights back with an enziguiri and the crowd is behind him. Big forearm by Isom following by the HHH face buster to the knee and a twisting Bossman Slam for a two count. LETS GO DALTON. LETS GO ELI. Dueling chants. Now we’re slugging it out in the middle of the ring. Dalton gets dumped outside and the fans don’t seem thrilled. Dalton hits the out of the ring whirly bird head scissors and he’s back in. Isom takes control with a lariat and a neck breaker, and Draper leaves commentary to help his buddy Dalton. Isom takes out Dalton’s *chickens* but misses Draper and Castle. Draper in the ring with Eli but Eli hits him with a yambag special. Castle is in and sneaks up on Isom, but Isom counters the BangARang the first time, but a Judas Effect looking elbow from Castle allows him to hit the BangARang on his second attempt for the three count. **. Interesting choice for an opener here, seems a little slower and plodding than I would have liked in the spot.
Winner: Dalton Castle.
Match #2 – Jake Atlas vs Taylor Rust
This match was announced as two “recently released” talents and now we know we’ve got Atlas and Rust, as well as a returning Alex Zayne in the Honor Rumble. Pretty impressive few guys for ROH here. These guys are fast. Catch as catch can start with Rust finding some success with a standing ankle lock. Rust picking Atlas apart systematically until Atlas hits a super kick and brutal elbow to a draped Rust on the outside. As I watch this I wonder how in the hell NXT let these guys go? Awkward few moments in the middle but Rust catches Atlas with a Eat Da Feet and a CLOSE two count. The awkward moments continue and I’m wondering if Atlas got his bell rung here. Rust able to catch Atlas and roll through in a Ring of Saturn-esque submission, but using his legs to trap Atlas’ arms instead. Todd Sinclair calls for the bell pretty quickly and that’s it. **1/2. Seems like it was on it’s way to something special but was cut short.
Winner: Taylor Rust
Ian Riccaboni tells us we’ll see Atlas and Rust on TV sooner rather than later.
Match #3 – Lee Moriarty, LSG, and John Walters vs. Violence Unlimited
First out is Lee Moriarty, which is interesting considering he literally just signed a deal with AEW not two days ago. Riccaboni actually brings that up and lets us know that ROH wishes they could have had him, but they understand you need to “secure the bag”. Classic. Everyone in the arena chanting TONY DEPPEN, which is interesting because just this morning I watched him shoot a snot rocket in Allie Kat’s face and then hit her with a low blow. Ahhh, wrestling. Homicide and Walters start us off and it’s 2005 and it rules. Snug wrestling to start, Walters grabs a side headlock and Homicide with a back suplex, Walters holds on. Action is fast and furious and it’s hard to keep up. We get Deppen and Moriarty in the ring and the crowd comes alive. You can tell these two guys have spent a lot of time in the ring together, Moriarty getting the better of the exchanges and taunts Deppen, goads him into an abdominal stretch. Dickinson having none of it and breaks it up, only to get stuck in an abdominal stretch himself. Homicide comes in and just rakes his back like an true OG. Homicide and Walters are the legal men and Walters looking for a sharpshooter. Deppen tries to break it up but it forced into an Indian Deathlock while Walters has a crossface on Homicide. Dickinsin in and just kicks him in the face. The dick strings are here though so it’s business time. Violence Unlimited has Walters cornered and they’re chopping him down. Literally. Homicide with a chin lock and he’s biting the fingers of Walters. Walters ducks a punch and hits a backstabber on Homicide. Hot tag to LSG and he cleans house. Pump kick to Dirty Daddy. Chops. Chops. More chops. Stunner as a transition move.. interesting choice. Not even a two count. Somewhere Stone Cold is PISSED. Moriarty in and they’re double teaming Dickinson. Homicide grabs Moriarty and that allows Deppen to nail LSG with a knee on the jaw. Moriarty in and hits a suicide dive followed by a slingshot clothesline to Dickinson. Deppen inand Walters tosses him outside. Walters and Dicksinson are the legal men somehow. Homicide in and gets DDT’d by Walters. Walters with a double Muta Lock on Homicide and Dickinson but Deppen with a double stomp from the top rope. Walters makes the hot tag to Moriarty and he slugs it out with the Dirty Daddy and takes out nearly everyone. Everyone’s on the outside and Homcide hits a diver on everyone. Deppen back in attacks Moriarty from behind, which allows Dickinson to hit the Death Valley Driver for the three count! ***. Fun sprint but I think it was clear that Moriarty would be taking the pin on his way out, but I do like Violence Unlimited being kept strong.
Winner: Violence Unlimited
Post match Jay Lethal comes out and says even though he doesn’t have a match tonight, he’s excited about the future of the company. Lethal puts over LSG, the ROH Women’s Division, John Walters, and says he wishes he could say Lee Moriarty was hanging around and that he was in the Pure Division. He loves Dean Milenko, Eddie Guerrero, etc. and puts over the Pure Division. The entire Pure division is at the ramp. Lethal says we studied guys like AJ Styles for hours. Lethal says certain guys were hard to match, like Reckless Youth, Alex Shelley, Lethal says we have someone in our company who is UNMATCHED, and his name is Jonathan Gresham. Lethal wraps up what is one of the best promos I’ve ever seen him cut saying it’s a great time in wrestling and the Pure Division might be fresh, but it’s not new, it’s the true professional wrestling we’ve all grown up on.
Match #4 – The OGK vs. The Briscoe Brothers
REACH FOR THE SKYYYY, BOYS! Man I love the Briscoes. These dudes just bring energy everywhere they go. Seems this might be a tornado tag? All four guys in the ring and this is exactly what I expected. Nope, Todd Sinclair is getting control again and it’s a standard tag match. Jay and Mike Bennett trading in the center. I love Mike Bennett but someone get the man some elbow pads. Briscoe with some European uppercuts, something I think he’s done better than anyone since Steven Regal. Briscoe’s isolate Bennett and tagging in and out, hard chops from Chicken. Red Neck Kung Fu is violence. Dropkick to Bennett’s face and Mark is targeting the neck. Mark looking for a t-bone suplex but Bennett makes the tag. Big boot, rolling elbow, missile dropkick combo from the OGK to Mark for a two count. Side Russian leg sweep for two. Taven talking some trash to Jay Briscoe, but Jay gets the tag and hits Taven with a big boot. Benett picks up Mark in an electric chair on the outside, Taven looks to hit a suicide dive clothesline a la the LOD but Jay cuts him off at the pass with a running hurricanrana. Jay now gets Bennett in the same position but Taven hits a moonsault off the top perfectly to prevent it. Mark Briscoe out of nowhere with a stage dive from the top on to everyone. Jay rolls Taven back in for Mark who htis a huge clothesline in the corner. Running leg lariat on Taven for two. Jay with the GOAT neck breaker for another two count. Jay positioning Taven up for the Death Valley Driver but Bennett with the blind tag, and hits a DVD of his own. JUST THE TIP by Taven and Bennett locks on the straight armbar. Mark makes the save with some Red Neck Kung Fu but gets a superkick and spear for his troubles. Bennett takes exception to someone in the crowd and points to his crotch AND gives them the finger. That seems excessive. Bennett looking for a piledriver but a back body drop by Jay and he makes the tag to Mark. Mark with a basement dropkick to Taven on the outside and a running blockbuster off the apron to Bennett. Jay throws Taven in and nails a lariat. Mark is up top and hits the Froggy Bow for a two until Bennett got the save. Jay ain’t happy and he’s throwing chairs in the ring. Mark opens it up in the middle of the ring and they’re looking for Red Neck Boogie but Bennett blocks with a spear. Bennett has Mark up but Mark wiggles out and hits a rolling DVD. Mark sets up the chair and hits an assisted tope to the outside taking out Bennett. Taven surprises Jay among the commotion and gets an inside cradle for the 1, 2… 3! Did not see that coming. ***1/2. That was fun as all hell, but I don’t think the Briscoe Brothers should be losing this quickly after reforming post Fight on the Farm.
Winner: The OGK
Match #5 ROH Pure Championship – Jonathan Gresham (c) vs. Josh Woods
Jonathan Gresham is an absolute UNIT. Dude it in otherworldly shape right now and needs to be commended for it. “Let’s go Gresham” vs. “Let’s go Woods” chants echo through the arena. Greco-Roman knuckle lock to start, monkey flip by Gresham and Woods rolls through holding the grip. Test of strength continues. We’re trading waist locks here and Woods shoves Gresham in the ropes. Neither guys lets go as the referee gets to 5, so he gets pissed and charges both guys with a rope break. Nice touch, respect the badge baby. “Can you guys fight already?” screams an inebriated Philadelphian who no doubt smells like outdoor cheese and cheap liquor. Woods controlling Gresham’s arm and working for the wrist lock and arm bar. Gresham returns the favor and focuses on Woods arm, hyperextending it. And again. Gresham clapped his feet together off of his back crushing Woods hands in between and I’ve never seen that in my life. Hilariously creative. Woods reverses the arm breaker into a front face lock and we’re both in the ropes again. Neither guy breaks by five so the referee is tired of this. Have I mentioned the level of disdain I have for Philly fans? Restart in the center and Woods with a double wrist lock. Gresham just gets mad and reverse into a Russian arm bar. Palm striking each other’s shoulders back and forth and we’re back in the ropes again. Neither guy let’s go again, and referee Joe Mandak is tired of everyone. That’s it, reset in the center, and everyone is charged a second rope break. Gresham looking for a spinning toe hold but it’s countered into a cradle, and we’re in a rolling cradle. Eventually the rolling cradle stops and Mandak counts three, but who’s shoulders are down? Bobby Cruise tells us that Mandak counted both guys down, so it’s a draw. Gresham takes the mic and says to hold on to that belt, because there’s no way he’s leaving on a draw. Restart the match. Gresham with a slap to the face. Woods takes out his mouth piece and slaps the damn taste out of Gresham. And again. Gresham shoots for an ankle pick and turns it into a straight ankle lock. We’re in 50/50 position and both slapping and punching the daylights out of each other. Nobody is breaking at 5. Mandak says both guys have been charged with their third and final rope break. NO. MORE. ROPEBREAKS. Gresham attacking with pinning combinations but Woods counter with a rear naked choke and he has his hooks in. Gresham uses his own head as a fulcrum for the arm bar to release the choke. Gresham up and punts Woods arm. Gresham off the second rope and Woods hits a flying knee and Gresham looks like he’s out! Woods is looking for Chaos Theory but Gresham counters into a crucifix with downward elbows, Woods looks out, Gresham rolls through in a pin for a very close two. Woods counter to a standing ankle lock and Gresham gets to the ropes, but we’re both out of rope breaks here. Gresham fights out using kicks and Woods gets the waist lock from behind. Woods pushes Gresham into the corner, rolls through, Chaos Theory! 1.. 2… and.. 3? No! Well, maybe. Gresham clearly didn’t move his shoulders at all but Mandak says 2 count. Yikes. It’s quiet in here. Fans are unhappy. Seems like we’re resetting. Trading elbows in the center of the ring but Gresham with an enziguiri followed by a German suplex for a very close two. Gresham has a kimura locked in but Woods deadliflts him up in the air and maneuvers Gresham into a tombstone like position. Woods them hits an overhead belly to belly like maneuver, but from a tombstone position. Gresham hits the ground HARD. Woods goes for the cover. One, two, THREE! ***1/2. Love the Pure Division and this was as physical as you would expect. The awkward two count took the crowd out of it for a while but there was a huge pop when Woods won.
Winner and NEW ROH Pure Champion: Josh Woods
Match #6 ROH Six Man Tag Championship – Shane Taylor Promotions (Shane Taylor, Moses, and Kaun) (c) vs. LFI (Bestia Del Ring, Kenny King, Dragon Lee)
Before the bell rings, Kenny King attacks Shane Taylor with multiple chair shots, to the back and the knee. O’Shay Edwards saying he wants to take Shane Taylor’s place in the match, and Todd Sinclair okays it. Let’s do this. King and Edwards start and King pie faces him then tags out. Dragon Lee in and Kaun wants a piece of him. Dragon Lee is fast, but Kaun is keeping up with him. Kaun overpowers him and gets him down in the corner, but Lee follows him in with a corner dropkick. Kaun rolls to the outside and Moses is in, seemingly forgetting it is contested under Lucha rules. Bestia Del Ring (BDR going forward) is in and force meets force as Kaun and BDR exchange shoulder blocks. BDR with a corner clothesline. Not to be outdone Moses with a stinger splash. Both guys tag out and we have Edwards and King. King moving like a video game and avoiding all of Edwards strikes. Spinning heel kick by King caught in mid air, Edwards with an Oklahoma Stampede but King reverses, Edwards catches him with a STIFF spinebuster for a two. We’re breaking down here but Kaun is in and gets tripped up by Lee from the outside. King takes advantage with a Trouble in Paradise for two. LFI working on Kaun in the corner and cutting the ring in half. Kaun reverses an Irish whip and takes to Moses. Moses picks up Lee like a stuffed animal and nails a powerbomb. BDR breaks up the pin and Edwards is in throwing humans around. Edwards with another powerbomb on Lee but King breaks it up with a superkick. I can’t keep up with this. There’s feet, fists, powerslams. Capo kick from King to Kaun and Lee hits a flying knee for a close two. Kaun in the ring by himself with King but Moses sneaks in and they hit an elevated assisted double team DDT for two. Edwards in with a big splash from the middle rope for two. BDR with a plancha to Edwards on the outside. Kaun with a tope to the outside. Uh oh here comes Dragon Lee. He flies and he lands HARD but jumps up because he’s superhuman. King takes out his own partner with a dive. Moses goes bowling on the outside with a somersault off the apron on to everyone. The crowd is into it. Moses and King in the ring and Moses headbutts King’s hand. Moses eats a superkick and King plants him with a spinebuster. King goes up top and hits a blockbuster but SHANE TAYLOR is back and it’s going, going.. GONE as takes out Kenny King with a chair to the head that would have definitely cleared the short porch in right field in Yankee Stadium. Kaun rolls in and goes for the cover and gets the three. ***1/4. Really fun match and showcased O’Shay Edwards while furthering the Kenny King and Shane Taylor storyline.
Winners and STILL ROH Six Man Tag Champions: Shane Taylor Promotions
Ian Riccaboni says one of the two women in the next match will leave the City of Sisterly Love as a champion. Hmm. That’s uh, that’s not a thing, Ian.
Match #7 Vacant ROH Women’s Championship: Rok-C vs. Miranda Alize
So the entire play by play of this match has been deleted into the multiverse, or, ahem “timed out” and nothing saved. Which is a shame because these two women put on a show. They got plenty of time and told a great story of Alize bullying Rok-C the entire match, and Rok-C fighting from underneath. At only 19 years old, Rok-C was easily the crowd’s favorite and honestly got one of the best reactions of the night. The ROH Women’s Division has more talent in there now than I can ever remember, and I think they’re in good hands for quite some time. ***3/4 for the match. Rok-C celebrated in the ring with her mother and her stepdad in a great moment, and is your first ever ROH Women’s Champion as well as the winner of the Quest for Gold Tournament.
Winners and NEW ROH Women’s Champion: Rok-C
Match #8 ROH World Championship: Bandido (c) vs. Demonic Flamita vs. Brody King vs. EC3
I’m going to do my absolute best on this one, but it’s going to be balls to the wall action so bare with me. This is an elimination match, which I prefer in multi man matches. EC3 and Bandido in the ring and EC3 lands a SNAP brainbuster for a two count. Riccaboni makes a great point, why are we breaking up pinfalls? Flamita in and wiggles out of EC3’s suplex but EC3 with a Steinerline for two. Big back body drop to Bandido followed by a t-bone suplex. No cover attempt here. Be better, EC3. EC3 slowing down the pace to damn near a halt, Brody King back in the ring as EC3 sets Bandido up on the top rope. Brody following up for a suplex but EC3 lands a powerbomb on Brody King, then a rocket launcher using Bandido. EC3 powerbombs Bandido on to Brody King, and still no count. Flamita hits EC3 from behind with a chair, which EC3 no sells. EC3 then takes the chair from Flamita and hits him in the back, but Todd Sinclair sees it and disqualifies EC3. I’ll be the first to admit I did not know there were disqualifications in this match, so there’s that. Flamita tries to reunite with Bandido but Brody doesn’t care and he’s ready for war. MexiBlood DO work together to take out Brody and then do the floss dance. Hilarious. Assisted wheelbarrow backflip by MexiBlood on King for two. Brody King is up and he’s chopping people down with frying pan hands. King puts Bandido on the top rope and Flamita saves Bandido by putting King on his shoulders and hitting a Doomsday Mexican Destroyer but that landing was not pleasant for Brody, but he seems okay. Bandido using Flamita as a weapon as he helps him springboard to the outside. Bandido up top with a moonsault from the top on to King and Flamita. Flamita has Bandido up in Muscle Buster position but King boots Flamita, causing him to finish the move on Bandido. King picks up Flamita and hits his old finisher All Seeying Eye for a three count! Flamita is eliminated! Brody King vs. the current champion Bandido for the title. King with a side slam on Bandido followed by a snap piledriver for a very close two count. I need better from this crowd, I really do. Maybe they are loud and just not mic’d properly? Bandido up top with a diving snap hurricanrana for a close two count. Bandido ducks a clothesline with a crucifix bomb for another close two. Bandido up top, shooting star press and Brody gets out at 1. King with a discuss larirat and knocks Bandido inside out. King looking for the Ganso Bomb but Bandido rolls out and Bandido traps Brody King’s arms in a magistral cradle for the clean three count in the center of the ring! ***3/4. The finish kind of came out of nowhere, but the hard work these guys put in was fantastic. Everyone worked super hard, they told a good story, and they are establishing Bandido as a legitimate champion who can win in different ways.
Winners and STILL ROH World Heavyweight Champion: Bandido.
Post match, the Foundation are walking to the ring to embrace Bandido. Gresham points to the title and makes it known he wants a shot . Vincent and The Righteous are out on the stage wearing all white, and we go off the air with more questions than answers.
Overall: 7.0/10.