By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Ring of Honor Wrestling TV (Episode 529)
Taped in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 2300 Arena
Aired November 6, 2021 in syndication and on SBG regional sports networks, available Mondays on FITE.TV
A video package touted this as the Championship Edition. A narrator questioned whether it was harder to win a title or keep a title once a wrestler wins it… The ROH opening aired… Quinn McKay checked in from the studio and recalled that Alex Zayne won the Honor Rumble to earn his title shot against Bandido. She also hyped the ROH Pure Championship match and noted that it was new champion Josh Woods’s first title defense…
The broadcast team of Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman checked in during the entrances for the first match. Brian Johnson sat in on commentary and hilariously called LSG “red rocket” rather than by his “Human Rocket” nickname (Red Rocket, Sparky!). An LSG pre-tape aired with him speaking about his passion and his love for ROH, which he said he’s had since he was 15 years-old. Woods made his entrance and a pre-taped promo aired. “Not today,” he said regarding LSG winning the title…
Ring announcer Bobby Cruise delivered in-ring introductions for the title match… [C]
1. Josh Woods vs. LSG for the ROH Pure Championship. Riccaboni listed the Pure Rules and noted that anyone who interferes will be fired from ROH. Woods went after the left arm of LSG. He went for a cravat, but LSG grabbed the ropes to use his first of three rope breaks. LSG came back and applied a Cobra Clutch Muta Lock that forced Woods to use his first rope break. [C]
LSG had an offensive flurry coming out of the break. Woods came back and put LSG in Tombstone position, then tossed him over his head. Woods applied his Gorilla Lock submission hold and forced LSG to tap out. The wrestlers adhered to the Code of Honor after the match…
Josh Woods defeated LSG in 10:37 to retain the ROH Pure Championship.
A graphic listed the ROH World Championship match as coming up next… [C]
Powell’s POV: A well worked match. Brian Johnson was a lot of fun on commentary. Johnson typically does a lot of yelling and while it can be fun, it can also be a bit too much. That wasn’t a problem with him on commentary, as he spoke in a normal voice and did a really nice job. By the way, ROH could get creative with the rule that anyone who interferes in a Pure Rules match is fired from the company. If they know someone is signing elsewhere once the deals expire at the end of the year, they actually could have that person interfere in a Pure Rules match and be fired. Just something to think about at Final Battle.
Highlights aired from the previous episode, which was a Halloween special…
Powell’s POV: I’m guessing that ROH aired the highlights because the Halloween special didn’t air on Sinclair owned stations due to a technical issue. Rather, the show streamed on the ROH YouTube page and is still available there now for anyone who may have missed it. I actually wish ROH would open their show with recaps from the previous show.
Backstage, McKay interviewed Josh Woods, who simply pointed out that he’s 1-0 as the ROH Pure Champion…
Riccaboni and Coleman were talking at their desk when Beer City Bruiser, Brian Milonas, and Ken Dixon approached them. Bruiser said he was illegally eliminated from the Honor Rumble by Coleman. Riccaboni tried to defend Coleman, but Bruiser grabbed him. Coleman stood up for Riccaboni. Bruiser and Coleman set up a future match. After the heel trio walked away, Coleman told Riccaboni that he was proud of him for standing up for himself. Riccaboni used a somber voice while hyping the main event… [C]
Powell’s POV: Good stuff. Bruiser told Coleman to have the ROH board of directors approve the match so that he wouldn’t be fined for punching him in the mouth. That was the key line here, as otherwise there was nothing stopping the trio from attacking Riccaboni and Coleman.
A video package included highlights of Bandido winning the ROH World Championship. Alex Zayne said that when Bandido won the title, he recalled beating him at Honor Reigns Supreme in January 2020. He said this time he would beat him for the title. Bandido spoke in a separate location and said Zayne beat him and has learned a lot of new things, but he doesn’t think that will be enough for Zayne to beat him this time…
Entrances for the main event took place. Jonathan Gresham joined the broadcast team for the main event. Bobby Cruise delivered in-ring introductions for the title match…
2. Bandido vs. Alex Zayne for the ROH World Championship. The wrestlers adhered to the Code of Honor. Bandido hit an early Code Red for a near fall. Zayn came back with a pendulum driver and got a two count on Bandido. [C]
Bandido pressed Zayne over his head and then only used one hand while holding him up. Bandido slammed him down with a super falcon arrow. Bandido followed up with a standing shooting star press and covered Zayne for a near fall.
Bandido performed a fallaway powerbomb. Zayne stood up and dropped Bandido with a kick and then both men stayed down temporarily. A short time later, both men ended up on the ropes. Bandido put Zayne on his shoulders in the torture rack position and then slammed him to the mat. Bandido covered Zayne for a two count and then showed frustration over not putting him away. [C]
Both men stood on the ropes and fought for position. Zayne got the better of it and performed a pendulum slam from the middle rope and then covered Bandido for a near fall. Zayne went up top again, but Bandido avoided whatever move he was going for. Bandido rolled Zayne into a pin for a two count. Zayne came right back with a running knee strike. Bandido hit the X-Knee and then hit the 21 Plex. Bandido powered up Zayne into a different version of the 21 Plex and then pinned him.
Bandido defeated Alex Zayne in 10:15 to retain the ROH World Championship.
After the match, Bandido and Zayne shook hands and hugged. Bandido looked at Gresham and held up his title belt. Gresham nodded back at him. Bandido pointed at him…
Graphics listed Beer City Bruiser vs. Caprice Coleman, PJ Black and Flip Gordon vs. Mike Bennett and Matt Taven, and Vincent, Bateman, and Dutch vs. Jonathan Gresham, Rhett Titus, and Tracy Williams for next week’s show…
Powell’s POV: A good main event. They never sold me on Zayne having a shot to win the title, but I did like the way they played up that beat Bandido in their previous encounter. Overall, a strong episode for the championship edition. It’s hard to complain about getting two good championship matches that both had clean finishes. My ROH Wrestling audio reviews are available exclusively for Dot Net Members. The latest edition will be available later today and will be a supersized edition that will cover this episode and the Halloween show from the previous week.
I found this episode a very bittersweet experience, knowing what now know about the company’s future. I found myself constantly thinking, I wonder where he is going to go next, I wonder what will happen to Quinn, and so on. Do we know if this taping would have been recorded before or after everyone would have been told about the impending “hiatus”?
I believe this was from the previous taping. I assume the new footage should start airing either this week or next week.
Thanks Jason.
One thing I will miss when ROH goes on “hiatus” (I’m too pessimistic to leave off the air quotes), I will miss reading your weekly tv taping reviews.
ROH hasn’t been as must-see tv for me since AEW started… recently I’ve enjoyed reading your recaps more than I did watching the actual episodes.
So thanks for that as well.