Ring of Honor Death Before Dishonor 2023 7/21/2023

Ring of Honor Death Before Dishonor 2023 7/21/2023

Komander vs Gravity

Kom = Komander
Grav= Gravity

Grav made one appearance for ROH a few months ago and hasn't been seen since. Grav flips and armdrag rolls him into a pin attempt. Kom rolls him up into a pin attempt and they stand off. Grav does his space walk taunt and crossbodies him while he is seated. Kom facekicks him off the apron then tope con hilos him. Kom top rope ssp's him for 2.

Grav does a weird roll-up onto the buckles and dives onto him. Grav slingshot sentons him for 2. I think they mess up an armdrag but turn it into a pin attempt anyway. Grav goes to splash him but eats double boots to the chest. Kom does a top rope moonsault but Grav gets his feet up. Grav then sitout powerbombs him for 2.

They trade shots and Grav deadlift sitout powerbombs him. Kom does a weird spinning superkick. Kom runs up the buckles and does a double jump corkscrew dive. Grav walks up the ropes and armdrags him off the top. Komander walks the top rope past him and then top rope moonsaults on him. Kom top rope hurricanrana's him off the top and pulls him then Grav rolls him up and wins it.

It was pretty much just all big dives and moves, though it wasn't horrible. Gravity botched a few things just as he did last time, though he looked better here than he did last time.  It could have been worse than it was.

They announce Pac vs Gravity for Dynamite.

ROH Television Title - Samoa Joe (c) vs Dalton Castle

Dalton goofs around outside early. Stokeley Hathaway is on commentary. Dalton spinning back elbows him and ddt's him. Dalton kind of misses a facekick and does some falling splashes. Dalton leapfrogs and then takes an atomic drop. Joe facekicks and sentons him.

Joe hits punches then hits a stiff running back elbow. Joe does a stiff elbow drop on him and enzugiri's him in the corner. Joe suplexes him and chinlocks him over the top rope. Dalton is thrown out by Joe and The Boys throw him back in. Joe and The Boys do the same thing again then Joe powerslams him for 2. Dalton almost falls off the apron but The Boys catch him. Joe then goes over the top. Dalton goes to tope him but Joe moves and The Boys catch him.

Dalton tiger feints under the bottom rope into a hurricanrana on Joe then he topes him. The Boys roll Joe into the ring and Dalton exploders him. Dalton slow germans Joe. Joe grabs Stokeley at the commentator's table and Stoke tells the ref to throw The Boys out. Joe low blows Dalton then chokes him out for the win.

This was just not the best match these two could have had. Dalton stalled early, tt was slow and the finish was lame. 

Stoke gives Joe the title after and Joe rubs his head.

ROH Tag Titles - The Lucha Bros (c) vs Aussie Open vs The Kingdom vs Best Friends

 

Taven hits a nice dropkick on Chuck then Bennett takes a double back elbow and double elbow from Best Friends. Mike eyepokes Trent and Taven drops an elbow on him. Taven step up enzugiri's Trent. Fenix and Kyle get in. They trade forearms and Kyle does a nasty spinning slam on him. Fenix takes a PK into a senton. FEnix jmps off of Mark's leg for a cutter on Kyle then Penta hits sling blades. Pena is rolled into a double ddt on Aussie Open. Chuck slams Mike then Trent slingshots in and rakes his eyes with his foot. Chuck then does a stupid roll over the top rope into a horrid senton.

Davis lariats Trent off the apron and all 4 teams are outside. Best Friends have their backs rammed into each other then Taven does a big tope con hilo onto AO that is missed. The Lucha Bros then tope con hilo everyone. Trent then superplexes Mike onto their opponents outside.

Taven top rope frog splashes Trent and 2nd rope dropkicks him. Taven springboard elbows Trent then Trent top rope dropkicks Taven. Trent tornado ddt's Mike off of Taven. Penta top rope crossbodies both Kingdom members. Penta superkicks Taven then Fenix walks the top rope and kicks him. Penta hits a made in japan on Taven for 2.

Penta is thrown into a kick then Aussie Open get offense in. Penta is flipped into a slam. Taven springboard kicks Mark on the apron then Kyle takes a powerbomb + reverse flatliner combo. Kyle is slammed then Trent gets on Chuck's shoulders and superplexes Taven. Mike takes a soul foot into a half-nelson suplex. Maria distracts Chuck on apron and wants a hug. Trent gets up on it too and Chuck hugs Trent. Chuck short piledrivers Taven then everyone starts hitting a move in sequence.

Mark takes a double stomp + package piledriver then Penta takes a spike piledriver. Penta is double superkicked. Taven spinning high kicks Penta then Taven takes a top rope double stomp + beachbreak. Fenix is thrown over the rails then Taven is back body dropped over the top rope. Trent takes a sandwich lariat and a coriolis. Aussie Open win it.

It was a four-way. Lots of double team moves here and some big spots. There was no more than 2-3 people in the ring at a time with everyone else watching outside. Aussie Open winning was odd since they haven't been around due to Mark's injury while a team like The Kingdom is out there every week. 

The Righteous do a promo. Vincent says he doesn't want a shell of the Dark Order tonight and says to do it for Stu, if no one else. Stu tells him not to be the last real member of Dark Order. He says to be the Dark Order they were meant to be. Stu says if they don't, they will end it once and for all. Dutch says something and Vincent asks if we dig what he's saying. The mics were not good here and it was hard to hear what they were saying.

ROH World 6-Man Championship - The Mogul Embassy vs Master Wato, Ryusuke Taguchi and Leon Ruffin

 

Leon's team earned this shot by never teaming together before. Cage is wearing long tights here. Toa has facepaint on.

Taguchi poses at Cage and kicks him from the crane position. Wato spin kicks Cage and Taguchi hip attacks him. The rest of the Embassy are taken down. Taguchi splashes his own partner on accident and they do the stupid double german spot where one partner germans the other. Leon dropkicks Cage off the top and is pulled over the top rope. Leon is pounced by Toa then takes a karelin's lift.

Prince Nana hits cheapshots on Leon then Toa hits a stiff lariat on him. Cage fallaway slams Leon and we see Big Bill watching on a TV in the back. Kaun sentons Leon then hits a big lariat on him. Leon does his rope evasions on Kaun then ddt's him. Wato hits forearms on Kaun then bulldogs him. Wato leg lariats Cage then zig zags Kaun. Wato puts a hold on Kaun then Cage and Toa belly to belly suplexes Wato. Taguchi top rope butt bumps Toa then butt bumps all three opponents.

The three heels run at Taguchi but end up crashing into each other. Taguchi ankle locks Kaun then Toa hits a big lariat on him. Wato top rope euros Toa then Cage 619's Wato. Taguchi 619's Cage and Leon top rope splashes Cage. Kaun running back elbows Leon and low blows Taguchi. Taguchi falls over and kicks him in the nuts and rolls him up for 2.

Cage hits a stiff lariat on someone then Leon 2nd rope cutters Cage. Leon superkicks and high kicks Toa. He springboard crossbodies him then takes a swinging backbreaker. Leon is pulled up by all 3 opponents then thrown up and dropped down hard. Toa picks up the win over him.

I liked this. It was exactly what you would want with the faces being good underdogs and the heels being big tough guys. Leon was good here like usual and Toa was a highlight as always.

ROH Pure Title - Katsuyori Shibata (c) vs Daniel Garcia

They mat wrestle and KS stomps his hands. KS figure fours him and DG ropebreaks. KS is thrown into the rails then DG is thrown into them. KS then facekicks him over the rail. KS gets his arm baned off the rail then he is pushed into the post. DG holds up the Pure title outside.

DG does a fujiwara armbar variation. They trade forearms and DG arm whips him down. DG dances around KS and ks sits down. DG keeps dancing down to the ground then sits. They trade chest slaps and KS faceweashes him. KS hits a corner dropkick then DG crabs him. KS hits upkicks and triangle chokes him.

DG and KS trade suplexes while holding onto each other and both fall down at the same time. They trade forearms on their knees then get up and trade. They take turns no selling then lariat each other and go down at the same time. KS pump kicks him in the face and hits Kawada kicks. Dg rolls him up into a sharpshooter.

KS backdrops him then takes an exploder. DG hits chest slaps then takes one back. KS chokes him then running PK's him for the win.

I liked this one and shockingly, Garcia carried it. Garcia did good with the dancing here an added a little personality to the usual lame pure title matches. Shibata also did a little more than usual and they got the time to try and make something of this.

Aussie Open are interviewed. Mark says we haven't been paying attention if we are suprised by this result. Kyle said they are back to doing what they do best - collecting gold. Kyle says we aren't stopping here and won't stop until we stop the whole "motherfreakin" world.

Fight Without Honor - The Dark Order vs The Righteous

 

Stu is now wearing White with The Righteous. The ref isn't sure what to do about the handshake and they don't do it anyway. Stu and Uno hockey fight and Uno stomps him. Stu spears Uno through a table off the apron. SIlver grabs a 2x4 while Dutch grabs a barbed wire 2x4. Silver hits him in the gut and the back with it then he dropkicks the barbed wire 2x4 into him. Uno puts the wire into Dutch's head.

Alex facekicks Vincent. Dutch corner clotheslines Alex and bangs his head off the wire. Alex gets the wire put into his head. Dutch accidentally splashes his partner then Silver pulls out thumbtacks. Silver takes a black hole slam on the tacks. Uno chairs Stu in the back then chairs Vincent. Uno's head is banged into the chair between the ropes then he is punched. Vincent rips open Uno's mask and he's bald. Silver has tacks in his back. Uno is held so Stu can punch him.

Dutch licks the blood then Silver is triple stomped. Alex chairs Dutch in the back. Dutch nails Alex then takes a chair to the head and the Dark Order's usual combo that ends in a german. Uno hits opponents with the barbed wire bat then Uno pulls out legos - of course he does, he probably has a stack of them at home. Dutch powerbombs Uno on the legos and tacks. Vincent top rope swantons Silver through a table that doesn't break. Stu top rope frogsplashes Silver through a table then Dutch powerbombs Uno into the tacks and legos.

Stu chairs Alex and Dutch grabs a barbed wire table. Stu carries Alex onto the ramp and Alex ddt's him there. Dutch splashes Alex on the ramp. Dutch is pushed off the stage onto a barbed wire table. Silver puts tacks on his shin guard and kicks Vincent with it. Stu pumping knees Uno then pulls out a giant ladder. Stu climbs the ladder and Uno tips it over to send him through tables outside. Stu is lifted and takes a triple team slam onto the barbed wire and legs for the Dark Order win.

I don't know if The Dark Order winning works here. It kind of kills the storyline and makes it seem like Stu was wrong for joining The Righteous. The Righteous also needed to get a big win for the first time. The match was a hardcore match. It could have been better and worse from a storytelling perspective. It was fine but not a classic. The legos spot was too silly for this.

 Ring of Honor Title - Claudio Castagnoli (c) vs Pac

CC runs him over with a euro then pop up euros him. Pac moonsaults off the apron but is caught and thrown onto the rail. CC giant swings Pac on the stage. Pac back body drops him on the stage then top rope moonsaults outside. CC running euros him over a table then whips him into the rails. Pac top rope dropkicks him. Pac hits kicks and we see Gravity watching this. Pac hits a top rope brainbuster. CC gorilla presses him from inside of the ring through a table outside of the ring.

CC brings him in and hits a top rope elbow. CC rains down elbows on him then Pac step up enzugiri's him. Pac springboards, is caught with an alley oop then CC rolls back and neutralizers him. They trade forearms then Pac rebound germans him. CC flips him with a lariat. Pac superkicks CC and deadlift germans him for 2.

CC euros him on the buckles then Pac is caught in a top rope hurricanrana attempt. CC goes for a ricola bomb but is super hurricanrana'd. Pac misses a top rope black arrow. CC lariats him and Pac brutalizers him as he stands. CC walks up the ropes with him on and hits a top rope air raid crash. Wheeler Yuta comes out and distracts Pac. CC ricola bombs Pac and wins it.

I thought this was really bad. Come on, a gorilla press slam through a table on the outside is not enough to put out Pac? Really? It was a spot heavy match and had little wrestling when these two were expected to have a heavy wrestling match without a lot of spots. Yuta getting involved in the finish further hurt it and of course, the build to this was non-existent.

The Lucha Bros come out after and beat up CC and Yuta. Best Friends then come out and beat up Death Triangle and the BCC.  This was an odd angle that needed more explanation.

Ring of Honor Women's Title - Athena (c) vs Willow Nightingale

 

They armdrag each other and try to dropkick each other at the same time. Willow cartwheels out of an irish whip and step up enzugiri's her. Willow is cradle'd for 2. Willow is pushed into the buckles on the apron and takes a half-nelson slam on the apron. Athena beats up on her in the corner and Willow misses a senton. WIllow hits a bad pounce and then lariats.

Willow spinebusters her and they trade chest slaps. Athena hits spin kicks and a forearm. Athena puts her on her shoulder and does like a double knee to the face off of it. Willow crossbodies her off the apron then Athena shotgun dropkicks her on the floor. Athena rams her knees into the steps then Willow cannonballs her into the steps. Athena step up enzugiri's her then standing moonsaults her. Willow hits a twisting neckbreaker for 2.

Willow does a double underhook suplex for 2. Athena drivers her head into the mat then Willow spinning neckbreakers her. Athena forearms her and does some weird 2nd rope piledriver they call obliteration. Athena sitout powerbombs her for 2. Willow 2nd rope F-U's her. Athena drops her on the floor then throws her into the steps.

Athena diving cutters her off the top for 2. Athena gutwrench powerbombs her. Athena top rope diving cutters her and then crossfaces her. Athena then shockingly submits her to win it. 

So let me get this straight. They broke Athena's streak and gave Willow the Owen Hart Tournament Title just so Athena could win in the end. It makes little sense. Putting this in the main made even less sense since the face didn't have the big moment to close the show as I expected. And let's be real - this didn't deserve to be in the main and only was because of the sex of the wrestlers. That was a total charity case. It wasn't the worst match ever but Willow's offense was sloppy here as it is often is and there wasn't anything super special about it. It just got enough time and the right card placement.

Overall thoughts: Kind of all over the place quality wise. Dalton/Joe wasn't as good as it could have been. Garcia/Shibata was a lot better than I expected it to be. The tag title match was about what I expected. The two main events didn't deliver and the hardcore trios match was fine. I didn't like the women being in the main event and I was very disappointed by Claudio and Pac, who should have been able to put something smarter together.