By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Ring of Honor Wrestling TV (Episode 518)
Taped in Baltimore, Maryland at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena
Aired August 21, 2021 in syndication and on SBG regional sports networks, available Mondays on FITE.TV
The opening video aired and then highlights aired of last week’s Champions vs. All Stars ten-man tag main event… Ian Riccaboni checked in from the studio and hyped the three matches that would air on the show…
Brian Zane interviewed Quinn McKay and Rok-C in the backstage area prior to their match. McKay took offense to Rok-C previously stating that she would prefer to face McKay than meet Mandy Leon in the quarterfinals. Rok-C tried to tell her that she didn’t mean any offense, but McKay was still upset…
The broadcast team of Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman, and Lenny Leonard checked in during the entrances for the opening match. Bobby Cruise was the ring announcer. They cut to the first break after the introductions… [C]
Powell’s POV: I really like the way the creative forces created some tension between McKay and Rok-C. It was a simple, yet believable situation with Rok-C offending McKay without trying to do so, and McKay’s character taking offense because she’s a little insecure due to her limited in-ring experience.
1. Quinn McKay vs. Rok-C in an ROH Women’s Championship tournament quarterfinal match. Both women adhered to the Code of Honor while Riccaboni noted that it was a battle of two fan favorites. The broadcast team played up the possibility that McKay had to prove that she could perform well in a match that wasn’t personal like her matches against Angelina Love and Mandy Leon were. McKay and Rok-C were fairly even heading into a break. [C]
McKay did a spot where she jumped up in the corner and allowed Rok-C to go under her. When McKay landed, she sold a knee injury. McKay charged at Rok-C and put her in a headlock as the match continued. Rok-C picked up McKay and slammed her bad knee on her own leg. The broadcast team said there was no shame in that and praised Rok-C for giving McKay space after she suffered the injury.
McKay avoided an elbow drop and went for her Tangerine Dream finisher, but Rok-C avoided it. Rok-C charged McKay in the corner, but she moved, causing Rok-C to crash and burn. McKay went for her finisher again, but Rok-C avoided it. A short time later, McKay rallied with a neckbreaker and covered her for a two count.
McKay caught Rok-C after she leapt off the second rope and then performed a belly-to-belly suplex. McKay performed a Natural Selection style neckbreaker and then picked up a couple of near falls. McKay went for a neckbreaker, but Rok-C countered into a backslide for a one count. McKay hoisted up Rok-C, but her knee gave out. Moments later, McKay went for a leapfrog spot and sold her knee when she landed. Rok-C performed a Code Red and scored the clean pin. They shook hands afterward…
Rok-C defeated Quinn McKay in 10:14 to advance to the semifinals of the tournament.
A graphic listed the other tournament match as coming up after the break… [C]
Powell’s POV: An entertaining match between two likable personalities. McKay was given an out for losing the match and she already got her big win over Mandy Leon in the previous round. She was competitive in this match and leaves the tournament in a better place. Rok-C continues to impress and I’m happy to see her going deep into the tournament.
The updated brackets showed that Rok-C will face the winner of Angelina Love vs. Max The Impaler, and the winner of the next match will face the winner of Allysin Kay vs. Trish Adora in the semifinals…
Miranda Alize made her entrance while her pre-taped promo aired. Alize said she felt she proved that she was the best that the tournament had to offer in her previous match. She said she likes Nicole Savoy, but business is business and it would not be Savoy’s night.
Nicole Savoy made her entrance while her promo aired. Savoy said she has history with Alize. She said they were training partners and roommates, and Alize is one of her good friends. She said it’s about winning the title, so she was putting their friendship aside…
2. Nicole Savoy vs. Miranda Alize in an ROH Women’s Championship tournament quarterfinal match. Chelsea Green replaced Coleman on commentary for the match. She and Riccaboni agreed that Alize was a bit of an underdog against Savoy. Leonard spoke about Savoy and Alize rooming together while they were in Japan’s Stardom promotion in 2018.
Alize bit the fingers of Savoy early in the match. Green said Alize has a sassy side and she loved seeing it come out, but she didn’t expect to see it come out so soon. A short time later, Alize dropkicked Savoy off the apron. Alize followed to ringside and ended up being suplexed on the floor. [C]
Savoy performed a nice fallaway slam. Alize came back briefly, but Savoy hit her with a spinning back fist. Savoy performed a series of suplexes and covered Alize for two. Savoy immediately applied a cross arm breaker. Alize rolled onto her and got a two count while breaking the hold.
Alize applied a crossface that Savoy eventually rolled out of. Savoy came back with a running knee and a Michinoku Driver for a near fall. Alize came back with a big boot. She caught Savoy on the ropes and then DDT’d her from the middle rope and then covered her for a near fall. Alize performed a Drive By running knee and scored the pin…
Miranda Alize defeated Nicole Savoy in 13:04 to advance to the semifinals of the tournament.
The updated brackets showed that Alize will face the winner of Allysin Kay vs. Trish Adora. In the ring, Alize raised Savoy’s arm and then went back to celebrating her win…
Powell’s POV: An entertaining back and forth match. The broadcast team framed it as an upset. Alize’s character shows some cockiness, but she hasn’t been an all out heel yet. I wonder if she will amp that up in the next round given that she’ll face a babyace opponent regardless of who wins between Kay and Adora. Alize continues to impress and I’m happy the company went with her Rok-C as semifinalists.
Beer City Bruiser, Brian Milonas, and Ken Dixon sat backstage. Bruiser said the locker room laughed at him and Milonas when they first became The Bouncers because they were different and the fun-loving drunk guys. Bruiser said now they have the attitude that they don’t care what people think of them and now they laugh at others. He mentioned bringing Dixon into the group. Dixon was going to speak, but Milonas cut him off and said Dixon has to earn his place. They bickered a bit, and then Bruiser stopped them and said their goal is to win. Milonas agreed. Bruiser said it would happen once they are on the same page…
A graphic listed The Bouncers vs. Joe Keys and Eric Martin for the ROH Week By Week episode that is available now on the ROH YouTube page… [C]
Demonic Flamita made his entrance for the main event while a pre-taped promo was shown. Flamita spoke in Spanish and subtitles were used while he said he would show again that he was the best of MexiSquad. He said he would bury Flamita (and Bandido) one by one. Rey Horus made his entrance. His pre-taped promo aired and said he doesn’t care if it’s Demonic or Flamita. He said he would speak in Spanish so that Flamita would understand. Horus said this is the moment that he would be better than Flamita in the ring…
Powell’s POV: Underwhelming mic work that failed to make me more excited about their match. Don’t get me wrong, they work well together and I am looking forward to it, but I was hoping that their mic work would add to my enthusiasm. Why is a “demonic” guy still hung up on being the best member of MexiSquad? I get that he’s probably being positioned as a challenger for Bandido, but he’s just not doing anything that plays into his “demonic” billing aside from wearing black (no, I don’t want him to start carrying around a possessed doll or something equally ridiculous). Meanwhile, Horus has previously shown more personality than he did in this generic promo.
3. Rey Horus vs. Demonic Flamita in a No DQ match. Riccaboni and Coleman called the match. Horus went for an early dive over the top at Flamita, who threw a chair that hit him in mid-air. Flamita set up a table on the floor before he brought Horus back to the ring. Flamita performed a running dropkick to the hip of a seated Horus. Flamita picked up a chair and wedged it between the ropes in a corner of the ring. They went back to ringside where Horus performed a while DDT on the floor. [C]
Horus and Flamita traded slaps and then Flamita superkicked Horus. Flamita followed up with a butterfly backbreaker for a two count. Flamita knelt over Horus and jawed at him. Horus rallied with a pair of Flamma Flames ( and a nice DDT that resulted with both men staying on the mat for a few seconds.
Both men ended up fighting for position while standing on the middle rope. Flamita got the better of the exchange and performed a Flamma Flame from the ropes and through the table that was set up at ringside. Flamita brought Horus back inside the ring and got a two count. Flamita followed up with a corkscrew moonsault and scored the clean pin.
Demonic Flamita defeated Rey Horus in 12:08 in a No DQ match.
After the match, Horus looked into the camera and called out Bandido… Graphics listed Angelina Love vs. Max The Impaler, and Allysin Kay vs. Trish Adora in the two remaining ROH Women’s Championship tournament quarterfinal matches, and Dragon Lee vs. Eli Isom for the ROH TV Title for next week’s show…
Powell’s POV: The usual strong match from Flamita and Horus. Flamita is clearly being built up for a title match with Bandido, which should be fun. But I really hope that ROH creative forces will start to do more character work with the luchadores. They don’t need to go as comic book-like as Lucha Underground did, but it feels more important than ever to really establish their personas now that Bandido is the ROH World Champion. Overall, this was a good episode with entertaining tournament matches and a quality main event. My weekly ROH Wrestling audio review will be available for Dot Net Members later today.
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