By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Ring of Honor Wrestling TV (Episode 531)
Taped in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 2300 Arena
Aired November 20, 2021 in syndication and on SBG regional sports networks, available Mondays on FITE.TV
Quinn McKay checked in from the studio after the opening video package. She touted the three matches, including the ROH TV Title match that would headline the show… Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman were on commentary, and Bobby Cruise was the ring announcer…
Entrances for the opening match took place. A brief pre-tape aired with John Walters talking briefly about his past, then talking about his future that includes beating Brian Johnson in a Pure Rules match. Johnson cut a promo as he walked to the ring in the empty venue. He recalled saying bad things about Walters when he returned, and said he would continue to say bad things about him because he’s stuck in the past. Once in the ring, Johnson introduced himself…
1. John Walters vs. Brian Johnson in a Pure Rules match. There was a tense handshake prior to the match. The broadcast team noted that Johnson won the Pure Gauntlet match and then the show cut to break early in the match. [C] There was competitive action with no rope breaks heading into another break. [C]
Johnson dropped a fist on Walters. Referee issued a closed fist warning to Johnson, who would be disqualified for a second violation of the closed fist rule. A short time later, Walters applied an omoplata. Johnson used his first rope break to escape the hold. Johnson rolled up Walters and held the tights, but the referee caught him.
Walters applied a Sharpshooter around the ten-minute mark, causing Johnson to use his second rope break. Walters set up for another Sharpshooter, but Johnson used his final rope break before he could apply it. While the referee was passing along word of the rope break to the ring announcer, Johnson thumbed the eye of Walters. Johnson kicked the left knee of Walters, then hit Trust the Process for the win…
Brian Johnson defeated John Walters in 11:30 in a Pure Rules match.
A graphic listed the Triple Threat as coming up next… [C]
Powell’s POV: I have no doubt that these two bald, bearded wrestlers would have been a Russian tag team back in the eighties. Anyway, it was an entertaining match and I have enjoyed Johnson’s heel rule breaking in his Pure division matches.
2. Mandy Leon (w/Angelina Love) vs. Allysin Kay (w/Marti Belle) vs. Trish Adora in a Triple Threat to qualify for a number one contenders match for the ROH Women’s World Championship. Chelsea Green sat in on commentary. Kay and Belle brought the NWA Women’s Tag Titles to the ring with them. Leon had a rush of offense that included her shoving Adora in a way that caused her to spear Kay. [C]
There was a tower of doom spot that saw Leon powerbomb Kay, who superplexed Adora from the top. Leon went for covers on both opponents and only got two counts. Kay dumped Adora to ringside. Kay set up for a move on Leon, but Love entered the ring and hit Kay from behind while the referee was checking on Adora. Belle climbed onto the apron, but Leon knocked her back to ringside. Leon performed a pump-handle slam on Kay and pinned her…
Mandy Leon defeated Allysin Kay and Trish Adora in 6:58 in a Triple Threat to earn a spot in the No. 1 contenders match for the ROH Women’s World Championship match at Final Battle.
Leon will face Willow and the winner will advance to challenge Rok-C for the ROH Women’s World Championship at Final Battle…
Powell’s POV: That’s back to back matches that made the referees look incompetent. I don’t know that either would have bothered me had they not taken place in back to back matches.
A video package set up the main event. Dalton Castle spoke about his to-do list and said making magic with Dragon Lee was at the top of it. He said he wanted to feel the heat from Lee’s breath. “Breathe on me, Dragon Lee,” Castle said. “Breathe on me and give me everything that you’ve got”…
Castle made his entrance for the main event with a group of masked Boys. Lee’s entrance video played… [C] Lee was already in the ring coming out of the break, so his entrance wasn’t actually televised…
3. Dragon Lee vs. Dalton Castle (w/Boys) for the ROH TV Title. Dak Draper sat in on commentary. Castle took an early powder. The Boys gathered around him and applauded before head headed back to the ring. Castle was dominating the offense going into a break. [C]
Castle performed a nice German suplex and maintained offensive control. Castle went for a pin, but Lee grabbed the bottom rope. Castle performed another suplex. Lee rallied with a pendulum kick and dropkicked Castle in the corner. Lee covered Castle for a two count. Castle caught Lee with an elbow and turned him inside out with a clothesline, then covered him for a two count.
The wrestlers fought to ringside. Lee ducked a clothesline, which caused Castle to tumble over the barricade. Lee teased a dive, but the Boys stood in front of the barricade. Lee ran the ropes and dove onto the Boys, who were referred to as Baby Chickens by Draper on commentary. Back inside the ring, Lee got a near fall off a dragon suplex and a clothesline.
Lee lowered his kneepad and went for Incineration, but Castle cut him off with a clothesline. Both men traded forearms. Lee threw a knee to the head and then backed up for a move and charged Castle, who put him down with a Bangarang.
Kenny King and Bestia Del Ring ran out, but they were cut off Moses and Kaun. Shane Taylor and O’Shay Edwards also ran out to stop the LFI members from interfering. Castle went for his finisher again, but Lee countered into a pin and had it, but the referee was at ringside trying to clear out the various wrestlers. Lee connected with a knee to the head. Draper left the broadcast table and shoved Lee into Castle, who hit the Bangarang and scored the pin…
Dalton Castle defeated Dragon Lee in 11:34 to win the ROH TV Title.
Castle, Draper, and The Boys headed to the back. Meanwhile, graphics listed Rok-C vs. Gia Scott for the ROH Women’s World Championship, and Jay Lethal vs. EC3 for next week’s show…
An EC3 promo aired. He spoke about how the locker room leaders have failed. He said he heard Lethal’s speech and it was the biggest cliche he’s ever heard. EC3 said they so desperately need to move forward into the future, but they can’t because the upper echelon stays the same.
EC3 spoke about how Lethal leads a faction and coaches people up, then said that Lethal is so tired. EC3 the company and the industry desperately needs a new type of leadership. He spoke about controlling the narrative. EC3 said that when Lethal fights him, he will free himself to become the man he is supposed to be…
Powell’s POV: ROH is the last company that I would expect to deliver to deliver three straight matches where the referees were made to look bad, but that’s what happened on this show. Strange. I assume that Lee finished his run with the company at these tapings because he’s not advertised for Final Battle. Then again, neither is Castle yet, so I guess we’ll see what happens. The main event made the show feel somewhat newsworthy, but I just can’t get past the booking of the referees in these matches. I will have more to say in my weekly ROH Wrestling audio review for Dot Net Members.
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