Ring of Honor Death Before Dishonor 2025 8/29/2025

Ring of Honor Death Before Dishonor 2025 8/29/2025

Note - I didn't see the TV leading up to this and I promise I would have a completely different looking review if I did.

We are in Philadelphia, PA at the former ECW Arena. This is running against Smackdown and CMLL's Grand Prix show with a bunch of AEW stars. This show ended up being free to watch due to technical issues.

Pre-show:

$50,000 Four-Way - Dralistico vs Adam Priest vs Angelico vs AR Fox

Ang and AR hit stereo dropkicks through the ropes. They then do stereo plancha's out of the ring. Ang throws him down by the arm then ties up his legs and his right arm. Ange then does a submission on Dral and Adam breaks it up.

Ang does a figure four variation on Adam. Dral chops Ang. Drak superkicks Ang in the corner. AR springboard flip dives Adam and Dral. He enzugiri's Dral then corner clotheslines him. AR skins the cat into a dropkick on Dral then backroll cutters Adam.

AR does rope tricks and does a diving headscissors + armdrag combo. AR then does a double cutter. AR suicide dives on Adam and Dral. AR cutters Ang on the floor. AR runs the rail top and legdrops Ang on the apron. AR and Dral trade shots on the buckles. AR is crotched up top by Adam. Adam sunset bombs Dral off the buckles for 2. Dral 2nd rope brainbusters AR for 2.

Adam dumps AR over the top. Dral spinebusters Adam then top rope swantons him for 2. AR and Dral shove each other then chop each other. Dral springboard canadian destroyers AR for 2. Dral corkscrew kicks Ang. Dral top rope diving codebreakers Ang and pins him.

Thoughts: It was your usual 4-way. It was fine. They kept things moving and didn't overdo it too much while keeping a fast pace and coming up with some creative spots.

The Conglomeration (Hologram and Tomohiro Ishii) vs. Premier Athletes (Ariya Daivari and Tony Nese)

Mark Sterling talks before the match and says Ari and Nese are the extreme innovators who made this building what it is. He then gives them ECW themed nicknames. He says he was asked if they wanted to hang their names in the rafters and he said no way as the people don't deserve people of this caliber.

Ari side headlocks TI and they shoulder battle. TI grabs him by the finger and Ari slaps the back of his head. TI no sells Ari's chops then chops him down. Ari hits forearms then is dropped with one. TI shoulders Ari over.

TI shoulders Ari over and Holo standing moonsaults Ari. Holo side headlocks Nese. Nese hits shots in the corner. Nese spinning headscissors Holo then Holo headscissors him. Nese is monkey flipped but lands on his feet. Nese crossbodies him but Holo standing spanish flies him for 2.

Holo is distracted by Mark then tripped. Ari does his magic carpet ride splash on Holo for 2. Ari chinlocks Holo. Mark chokes Holo over the 2nd rope. Holo is on the 2nd rope and Nese climbs the top rope and legdrops him.

Holo is held for punches. Holo flips over the heels' back and TI gets in. TI hits shtos on the heels then shoulders Ari over. TI brainbusters Nese.

TI hits chops and forearms on Nese then he backdrops him. The heels are sent into each other and take stereo germans. Nese takes a top rope crossbody + suplex for 2. TI takes kicks from the heels. Holo does a springboard double back elbow on the heels. Nese hits a pumphandle fire thunder driver on Holo for 2.

Holo hits shots on Nese. Holo pushes off Mark in mid-arm and armdrags one of the heels. Holo then walks up the buckles and top rope swantons outside. Holo then topes Nese. TI lariats Nese. Nese takes a spinning heel kick + brainbuster and is pinned.

Thoughts: It went a little long and that pumphandle fire thunder shouldn't have been kicked out of but it was alright enough otherwise and an okay choice for the opener.

ROH World Six Man Tag Titles - The Sons of Texas (Marshall Von Erich, Ross Von Erich, and Sammy Guevara) (c) vs. Shane Taylor Promotions (Shane Taylor, Carlie Bravo, and Capt. Shawn Dean)

Bravo and SG fight. SG hits Dean on the apron then is stomped on by Bravo. SG flips over Bravo then dropkicks him. SG suplexes him for 1. Ross bangs Bravo's head off the buckles then flying corner facekicks him. Bravo boots him out of the corner, comes off the 2nd rope and is dropkicked. The VE's double dropkick Shane.

Bravo is popped up into a powerslam for 2. Ross is tripped then cuttered on the apron edge. He then takes a guillotine legdrop there. Shane hits punches and headbutts on Ross. Bravo hits punches on Ross in the corner.

Bravo takes a corner bronco buster on Ross for 2. Ross hits punches on Shane and is dropped. Dean slams Ross then elbow drops him for 2. Ross takes a backbreaker + 2nd rope fist drop combo. Bravo chinlocks Ross.

Marsh is tagged in. he drops the heels multiple times and spinebusters Bravo then Dean. Marsh slams Shane then top rope moonsaults him for 2. Marsh claws Shane and it's broken up. SG comes in wearing a cowboy hat and is headbutted. Bravo scissors kicks Marsh, Shane splashes Marsh and Dean top rope splashes Marsh for 2.

Ross is sent into the steps. Marsh hits forearms on Dean then takes a jumping knee. Marsh spinning lariats Dean. SG hits a top rope crossbody on The Infantry. He enzugiri's Dean in the corner then hits a diving springboard cutter. SG fosbury flops Marsh on accident outside.

SG takes a backdrop + neckbreaker combo. Shane hits a big punch on SG then SG takes a double curbstomp. SG is pinned.

Thoughts: The crowd was super into Shane's crew for unknown reasons. It didn't get a ton of time but what we got was fine. Shane's crew finally wins something after years and years of jobbing.

ROH Women's Pure Title Tournament Quarterfinal Match - Taya Valkyrie vs. Queen Aminata 

They shake hands. Taya quickly uses a rope break. Queen waistlocks her and Taya uses a second rope break. Taya side headlocks her. Queen shakes her butt in Taya's face then snapmares her. Queen then bangs Taya's face off her butt. Queen running knees her.

Taya hits back elbows then high kicks her in the back of the head. Taya sliding germans her. Queen's legs are banged off the post. Taya legdrops Queen. Taya blue thunders her for 2.

Taya boots queen into the steps then kind of kicks her in the crotch. Taya does a la rosa driver variation for 2. Taya does something like an STF and Queen ropebreaks. Queen hits forearms. Taya superkicks her in the gut. Queen double chest chops her several times.

Queen suplexes Taya then russian legsweeps her. Queen then puts her legs behind her neck and pulls the arms. Taya uses her last rope break. Queen is near the ref and gets speared for 2. Taya tries to use a ropebreak on a hammerlock but has none.

Queen then headbutts her down and wins.

Thoughts: This was not a pure rules style match whatsoever. Taya looked like a fool here burning rope breaks for no real reason then lost over it. I didn't like this.

Deonna Purrazzo then comes out for some reason. She goes face to face with Queen and maybe piefaces her.

Blake Christian and Lee Johnson vs. The Kingdom (Matt Taven and Mike Bennett)

I think The Kingdom are supposed to be the faces here and I don't know how that's going to work. Blake and Lee hit kicks off the handshake and take back elbows and lariats. Lee and Blake take lariats over the top. Lee and Blake try to leave and get hit in the aisle.

Matt does a big suicide dive on the heels. Matt corner splashes Lee. Matt dropkicks Lee. Lee takes a pop-up punch. Mike hits machine gun chops on both. Mike misses a running back elbow in the corner. Lee backdrops Mike on the apron.

Mike is laid on top of the rail and Blake splashes him from the apron. Jay Lethal is watching in the back and Mike is double teamed in the corner. Blake springboard lariats Mike for 2.

Matt is tagged in. He corner splashes Lee and enzugiri's him in the corner. Matt spinning high kicks Blake then back body drops Lee. Matt ddt's Blake. Matt hits a rolling neckbreaker on Blake then asai moonsaults him for 2.Mike and Lee trade pin attempts. Lee superkicks him. Mike spinning forearms him. Blake and Lee are on their opponents backs and The Kingdom hits a double protonpack.

Blake hits a spanish fly off the apron on Mike then springboard 450's Matt for 2. Blake springboard spinning ddt's Matt. The Kingdom are put in stereo submissions and the submissions get broken up.
Blake takes a death valley driver and Taven running knees Blake. Matt says he wants to f*ckin kill Blake. Matt is pulled out. Mike takes a double stomp to the back + death valley driver on the floor.

Matt superkicks Blake then springbaord enzugiri's Lee. Matt goes for an asai moonsault and is low blowed. Matt takes a top rope double stomp on the back + rolling death valley driver and is pinned.

Thoughts: They definitely overdid it some here but they did go all out and had an action packed match. The Kingdom kind of were faces here but they weren't real face like. It was definitely an indy style match but I think I was okay with this.

ROH Pure Title - Lee Moriarty (c) vs Xelhua

Xel's dad SWAT is in the crowd.

They lock up and go to the ropees. Xel trips him, hooks his legs and stands on his arms before falling back. Lee ropebreaks. Lee shoulder throws Xel. Lee trips Xel then Xel headstand spinning headscissors him down twice. Lee armdrags Xel.

Xel ties the arms up. The ref gets between them and Lee punches him. Xel punches him and is warned. Lee jumps over the ref and dropkicks Xel. Lee boots and stomps him in the corner.

Lee cravates him then Xel flying headbutts him. Xel tilt-a-whirl backbreakers Lee. Lee flatliners him into the buckles. Lee splits Xel's fingers. Lee pulls Xel's wrist around his knee and Xel has to rope break. Lee rams Xel's arm into the rails then armbreakers it. Lee is pushed into the apron edge and Xel hits chops. Lee bangs Xel's hand off the mat. Xel cradles him then Lee dropkicks him out. Lee hits 2 hard tope's. Xel catches the 3rd tope and Xel armbars him on the floor.

Lee armbreakers Xel then springboard lariats him. Lee suplexes Xel. Xel hits chops. Xel top rope crossbodies him for 2. Xel then does an AT lock variation. Xel handstands in the corner and is booted. Lee alabama slams him for 2. Lee lifting flatliners Xel for 2. Xel ends up using his last rope break.

Lee border city stretches him. Xel cradles him for 2. Xel spinning backbreakers Lee then la rosa driver's him for 2. Lee does an octopus. Xel is out of ropebreaks and has to tap out while being tied up in the ropes to a border city stretch.

Thoughts: I liked it. It wasn't a limb work based match but it was a submissions based match. They traded some nice holds here, Xel was a bit stiffer than usual and they did a lot of cool moves as expected. Lee also won as expected. 

Fight Without Honor - Paul Walter Hauser vs. Q. T. Marshall

QT snapmares him and talk trash. Paul hammerlock slams QT. Paul ducks a lariat, atomic drops him and russian legsweeps him. Paul then headbutt drops him. Paul cannonballs him off the apron.

QT slides a chair at Paul and Paul ducks. Paul then boots a table into QT's legs. Paul suplexes QT on the floor. QT baseball slides a ladder into Paul. Paul hits punches and an elbow. QT spinebusters Paul on a ladder. QT catapults Paul into a ladder on the 2nd rope.

Paul is busted open. QT brings out a barbed wire chair and a barbed wire bat. He hits Paul with the bat. QT pushes the wire bat into Paul's head. Paul boots a chair into QT's face and then chairs him. Aaron Solo comes in and hits Paul with a kendo stick.

Solo tries to handcuff Paul then Hook comes out. Hook exploders Solo through a table in the corner ala Sabu/Taz. Hook then tazzmission's Solo and drags him to the back. Paul finlay rolls QT off the apron through a table.

Paul chairs QT in the head then fire thunder drivers him on an open chair for 2. Paul hits QT with a golden globe award. Paul pulls out a short box with broken glass. QT tries to cutter Paul through the glass but just ends up going into it alone. Paul AA's QT into the glass for 2. Paul pours tacks in the ring. QT superkicks him then powerbombs him on tacks.

QT scoops up glass and spreads it on a table. QT then gets on the mic. He says he told Paul he's not a pro wrestler. Paul low blows him and rolls him up for 2. QT punches Paul in the nuts. QT 2nd rope cutters PAul through the glass on the table and wins.

Thoughts: They did too much here especially since Paul isn't truly a wrestler. They had the right idea and both did what they were supposed to do but it went too far. 

QT rubs Paul on the head after.

ROH Tag Titles - Sammy Guevara and Rush (c) vs. The Outrunners (Turbo Floyd and Truth Magnum)

Rush is SG's opponent for some odd reason.

SG backs up Truth in the corner and taunts him. SG side headlocks him. SG avoids a dropkick and struts. Truth hiptosses and dropkicks him. Rush and Turbo lock up. Rush knees and chops him. Rush shoulders him overthne is shouldred over. Skipping ahead SG chinlocks Truth in the ropes then Rush sends Truth into the steps and rails.

Rush hits Truth with a drink. SG chops Truth. SG corner lariats Truth then Rush boots Truth in the face. SG misses a corner splash. SG chinlocks Truth. Truth backdrops him.

Turbo gets in and hits shots on the heels then slams both. Turbo slams his partner on Rush. The Runners are pushed into each other. The Runners hit shots on the heels then Turbo does a bulldog + flying lariat on the heels. The Runners hit a double elbow drop. 

Everyone gets a shot in and SG takes a total recall. Rush takes a double back elbow. Truth is pushed off the top. Rush powoerslams Turbo into the buckles. Rush does his corner dropkicks on Turbo. SG swantons Turbo and pins him.

Thoughts: The match was fine but SG choosing Rush as his partner is a weird one. Sammy has all kinds of friends in ROH yet chooses a heel to team with. I don't like The Runners losing but this promotion clearly sees them as nothing but a lower card face team.

Sammy hugs Dralistico and Rush after, seemingly joining LFI. The Von Erich's come down. Sammy hugs The VE's and turns on them with LFI. The VE's then get stomped. 

ROH Title - Bandido (c) vs Hechicero  

Don Callis interrupts the ring announcer and does his own intro. Band has silver metal Iron Man armor for his entrance.

They slap hands to start. Band leg kicks Hech and Hec leg kicks back. Hech backs up Band in the corner. Band wristlocks Hech and they stand off. Band headflips out of a wristlock and points at Hech. Hech rolling headscissors Band and Band ropebreaks.

Band headstand spinning headscissors Hech. Hech does a bow and arrow with the legs tied up on Band. They try pins on each other and stand off. Hech headscissors Band, Band headstands out. Hech shoulders him over. Hech crucifixes him then Band hurricanrana's him for 2.

Hech headflips out of a flying headscissors. Band tilt-a-whirl armdrags Hech then flips outside into a headscissors on him. Band flying corner elbows Hech. Band flies at him and runs into a knee. Hech hits a short ddt for 2. Hech rips at the mask then hits punches to the head.

Hech pumphandle suplexes him for 2. Hech crossbodies Band against the ropes. Hech hits punches on Band. Band leapfrogs and is pulled down. Hech surfboards Band. Band escapes and does his own surfboard. Hech then escapes and does a reverse figure four. Band ropebreaks.

Band is sent into the rails. Hech rolls Band into a sleeper and armbar. Hech cranks Band's arm back. Hech pop-up drops Band and basement dropkicks him. Hech rips up the mask of Band. Band hits shots and does a top rope tornillo. Band gorilla press slams him then superkicks him. Band fosbury flops him outside. Band top rope frogsplashes Hech. Band rips Hech's mask. Band legsweeps and superkicks Hech. Hech pushes him into the rails then enzugiri's him.

Band lays on the rail top and Hech elbow drops him from the apron. They fight on the rail top and Hech is suplexed on it. Hech is reverse monkey flipped on the apron. Band top rope crossbodies Hech outside.  

Band is dragon screwed over the 2nd rope and Hech stomps down on the leg as it hangs. Hech top rope flying elbows Band for 2. Band hits kicks on Hech then armbreakers him. Hech blocks a code red off the apron and spinning drops him off the apron, though he bangs right off of Hech's back.

Hech knees Band in the gut. Hech rolls him into a pin attempt and half-crab. Hech sunset bombs Band. Hech spinning lariats him then Band poisonrana's him. Band and Hech headbutt battle on their knees. They then chop and punch each other on their knees.

Hech jumping kicks Band. Band does a go to sleep variation from the rack position. Hech blocks a 21plex and gori specials him. Band reverses it and Hech victory rolls him for 2. They reverse each others holds and Hech rocking chairs him. Band slips out and Hech has to ropebreak.

They go up top and Band top rope moonsault fallaway slams him. Hech blocks a 21 plex and Band wins with a chaos theory german to win.

Thoughts: This got a ton of time at 37:12 and could have went half as long as it did without losing anything. It wasn't the usual spotfest due to Hech being here which was good. If you were looking for a great story, this wasn't really it. The match was fine just far from the classic they shot for.

ROH Women's Title - Athena (c) vs Mina Shirakawa

Athena's minions do like a soul train style dance off for her entrance. Ath has Billie Starkz with her and The Blue Meanie is also with Athena for unknown reasons. They dance in the aisle. The crowd sings "Fly Eagles Fly" and Mina dances along with it.

They lock up and trade holds quickly. Mina ducks a lariat and shimmies. Ath cartwheels out of a headscissors and Ath goes to the ropes. Mina dances and spin kicks her in the gut. Mina headscissors into a russian legsweep. Mina walks up the buckles and knee drops her arm for 2. Mina drives both of Ath's legs into the mat.

Mina chops Ath outside. Mina forearms the post when Ath moves. Mina's hand is banged off the commentary table then she is sent into the steps. Mina's arm is between the steps and post and Ath dropkicks the steps. 

Ath knee drops Mina's arm. Mina rolls her up for 2 then boots her. Ath legdrops and keylocks Mina's arm. Mina's head is banged off the rope connector. Mina's hand is put in the 2nd buckle and Ath kicks it. Ath then baseball slides her.

Ath tries a knee on Mina but knees the chair outside. Ath is then pushed into the rails. Mina dropkicks her in the knee then slingblades her. Mina texas cloverleafs Ath's legs and cranks bank, driving Ath into her knees. Mia bangs Ath's leg off the post then figure fours the legs around the post. Billie Starkz gets in Mina's face. Ath goes for a tope and nails her own partner when Mina moves. Mina rolls over Billie's back and corkscrew splashes Ath.

Ath swings Mina into the rails. Mina dragon screws Ath around the 2nd rope then figure fours her. Mina figure fours her and Ath ropebreaks. Ath rebound germans Mina. Mina no sells it and flying knees her. Ath no sells it and low diving forearms her.

They trade forearms on their knees then get up and trade. Mina hits leg kicks and Ath does a tombstone for 2. Ath has her laying on her shoulders and Mina spinning ddt's her. Mina top rope diving slingblades her for 2.

Ath does a neckbreaker and high knees her. Ath then koji clutches her. Ath then superkicks her. Both go down. Mina does an electric chair spinning flapjack on her then figure fours her. They slap each other while the hold is on. Ath reverses it then Mina rolls her over.

Mina is up top and gets forearmed. Ath 2nd rope superplexes her. Ath tries a pop-up but Mina sits down on her. Mina hits spinning forearms then urakens her. Mina lifting reverse ddt's her for 2. Ath does a bubba bomb and armbars her. Mina tries a pin out of it. Ath does a nasty straightjacket sitout powerbomb. Ath top rope diving o-face's her and wins.

Thoughts: Ath won as expected at 26:01 to continue her neverending reign. Mina worked the leg and did a pretty good job of following up on it. Ath worked the hand early and forgot about it until the finish. It was better than I expected and all things considered it was an okay main event.

Overall thoughts: This went 3 hours and 48 minutes. The first two matches were fine. Queen vs Taya wasn't good with Taya looking like a fool for using her rope breaks quickly. The Kingdom returned and lost like they always do but it was an okay indy style match. I liked Lee vx Xelhua and it was a submissions based match as expected. Paul/QT had the right idea but it went too far. Sammy Guevara turned heel and beat The Outrunners with Rush. The story didn't make much sense but the match was fine. Band/Hech went 37 minutes for some reason and it was an okay wrestling match but it had no great story to it. The main could have been a bit better if Ath had followed up on the hand work a little more but it was a good enough main event.

I would give this a 7 out of 10 overall. AEW/ROH shows are so long and have so many matches that you can usually find something you like. Similar to poker, the three of kind with all 2's is still better than a pair of aces and having a bunch of decent matches helps get a higher rating with me than a card where they go all out but end up doing too much and bring down the match.