By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Ring of Honor “Death Before Dishonor”
Streamed live July 26, 2024 on HonorClub
Arlington, Texas at Esports Stadium Arlington
ROH Death Before Dishonor Zero Hour Pre-Show
Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman provided commentary…
1. “MxM Collection” Mason Madden and Mansoor defeated Angelico and Serpentico at 9:07. Madden has grown a thin mustache. They touched the tip of their fingers, which I guess is their version of a handshake. MxM hit a team legdrop and they posed. Serpentico mocked the pose, so Mansoor caught him with a dropkick at 5:30. Madden caved in Serpentico with some LOUD chops. Mansoor hit a German Suplex as Madden was hitting a chokeslam. Serpentico hit a frogsplash on Mansoor for a nearfall. Madden made the hot tag and he punched both opponents and hit some running back elbows, then a spear on Serpentico. MxM hit The Centerfold (team DDT move) for the pin. Good way to open the show.
2. Marina Shafir defeated Angelica Risk at 1:00. Marina has a several inch height advantage. Angelica hit some hard chops that Marina no-sold. Angelica went for a crossbody block but Marina caught her, locked in the Mother’s Milk submission hold, and Risk passed out!
3. “The Infantry” Carlie Bravo and Shawn Dean (w/Trish Adora) defeated Griff Garrison and Anthony Henry (w/Maria Kanellis) at 9:17. Interesting to see Griff and Anthony as a makeshift tag team, as both of their regular partners are injured. Henry and Bravo opened, and Carlie dropped him with a punch to the jaw. Dean entered and hit a rolling cannonball at 1:00. Henry tied up Bravo on the mat and cranked back on his head, then he switched to a Rings of Saturn; Carlie bit the ropes at 3:00 to break the hold. Henry hit a stiff kick to the spine and they kept Bravo in their corner.
Griff applied a bearhug to cut off Bravo from making the tag. Dean finally got the hot tag at 6:30 and he hit some clotheslines. Bravo hit a plancha to the floor. Griff accidentally hit Henry on a dive to the floor; Dean dove onto them both. Henry was pushed into Maria, who fell off the apron and into Griff’s arms! The Infantry hit their team Stroke move to pin Henry. Griff and Maria stormed to the back, clearly upset at Henry for the confusion.
* Top Flight and Action Andretti met them on the stage and they shook hands as they passed each other. It doesn’t appear Andretti joined them at ringside.
4. “Top Flight” Dante Martin and Darius Martin defeated “The Outrunners” Turbo Floyd and Truth Magnum (w/Erica Leigh) at 8:43. Ian said Dalton Castle has a torn bicep; so now we know why he’ll be out the remainder of the year. Turbo hit a shoulder tackle and posed. Dante hit a dropkick to Magnum’s jaw for a nearfall at 1:30. Darius hit a springboard back elbow on Magnum. The Outunners began working over Darius. Turbo applied a sleeper. Darius hit a back suplex at 7:00. Dante got the hot tag and traded punches with Magnum, and Dante hit a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall. Dante hit a buzzsaw kick and a jumping knee. Darius hit an F5 Slam to pin Turbo.
ROH Death Before Dishonor Main Card
1. The Beast Mortos defeated Komander (w/Alex Abrahantes) at 13:31. Mortos (f/k/a Black Taurus) is one of those great hands that always makes other luchadors look stellar. Ian said they are tied 1-1 in singles matches. Komander hit some quick kicks to the thighs. Komander went for a dive to the floor but Mortos caught him and powerbombed Komander onto Alex at 2:00, and that popped the crowd. Mortos whipped him into the ring post. They got in the ring and traded slaps to the face, and Mortos dropped Komander. Komander hit a head0scissors takedown at 4:00. Mortos did a Gorilla Press onto the top turnbuckle! Ouch!
Komander snapped Mortos’s throat over the top rope. He shoved Mortos into a corner, then he hit a tornado DDT on the floor at 6:30. In a great spot, Komander ran on the apron, leapt onto Mortos’ shoulders, and hit a huracanrana to the floor! Komander ran the ropes and hit his twisting splash to the floor on Mortos at 8:30, drawing a “holy shit!” chant. In the ring, Komander hit a Poison Rana for a nearfall. He went or a top-rope Phoenix Splash but Mortos got his feet up. Mortos then nailed his pop-up Samoan Drop for a believable nearfall. Komander fired back with a Crucifix Driver at 10:30, then a Canadian Destroyer. Mortos hopped up and hit a spear and they were both down.
They fought on the top rope, and Mortos bodyslammed him to the mat for a believable nearfall at 12:30. Komander hit a second Canadian Destroyer. Komander missed the springboard Shooting Star Press, and Mortos immediately hit a backbreaker over his knee, then a swinging piledriver for the clean pin. That was stellar, absolutely stellar. These guys did a lot of moves that could have looked bad, but they hit all of them smoothly. Ian said Mortos will now face Hologram on Collision on Saturday.
* Melissa Santos introduced MxM Collection. They spelled out some words, and they made a challenge to FTR! They started to walk away, but they turned and posed. FTR vs. MxM Collection also is slated for Collision!
* A video package aired to set up the next match.
2. “The Kingdom” Matt Taven and Mike Bennett defeated Kyle O’Reilly and Tomohiro Ishii to retain the ROH Tag Team Titles at 19:41. Ishii and Bennett opened with an intense lockup, and they switched to chops. Ishii dropped him with a shoulder tackle at 1:30; the camera focused on Ishii’s chest, which has a bloody trickle. Taven and Kyle tagged in, and O’Reilly immediately applied a headlock and tied Matt up. Kyle applied a cross-armbreaker but Taven quickly got to the ropes. Ishii got back in and hit more loud chops on Taven. He hit a shoulder tackle on Taven at 5:30. Bennett distracted Ishii, allowing Taven to hit a roundhouse kick, and the heels began working over Ishii.
Bennett hit some forearm strikes that ticked off Ishii, so Mike raked the eyes and tagged out. Kyle tagged back in and hit some quick kicks on Taven. Kylle hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip on Bennett. Taven dove through the ropes onto Ishii at 8:00. In the ring, Kyle applied an anklelock on Taven. Bennett pulled Kyle to the floor, and Taven hit a plancha onto Kyle! Nice spot. Back in the ring, Bennett hit a series of chops on Kyle. Taven hit a missile dropkick for a nearfall at 11:00, and the Kingdom worked over Kyle in their corner. They hit the Proton Pack (backpack stunner & running knee combo) for a nearfall, and the crowd rallied for Kyle.
Ishii made the hot tag and hit some shoulder tackles at 13:30, then a German Suplex on Bennett, then one on Taven, then a Saito Suplex on Taven for a nearfall. Taven hit a springboard spin kick on Ishii for a nearfall. The Kingdom hit their team spike piledriver but Ishii popped to his feet and that popped the crowd! Taven nailed Just the Tip knee strike for a believable nearfall at 15:30. Ishii nailed a brainbuster. O’Reilly hit a kneedrop on Bennett’s leg. Taven hit a frogsplash on O’Reilly. Ishii hit an enzuigiri on Taven and suddenly everyone was down, and the crow chanted “ROH!”
They got up and traded punches. Ishii clotheslined each opponent. Ishii nailed a second-rope brainbuster on Bennett. They hit the Chasing the Dragon brainbuster-and-kick combo for a nearfall, but Taven made the save. It appears Bennett injured his knee and collapsed. However, Kyle Fletcher and Don Callis walked to the ring and distracted the ref. Bennett hit a low blow uppercut on Kyle, rolled him up, and scored the cheap pin! A superb tag team match, even with the cheap finish. So glad we have Ishii here, rather than watching him go 2-7 in the G1 Climax.
3. Leyla Hirsch defeated Diamante in a Texas Death Match at 15:42. Leyla sat down on a chair on the ramp and waited for Diamante to come out. Both are wearing street clothes, not wrestling gear. They clanged chairs against each other, and Diamante immediately tossed Leyla off the stage and through a table on the floor! Diamante dropped an ‘f-bomb’ telling the ref to go count. However, Leyla got to her feet at 1:30 and they headed into the ring. Diamante slammed Leyla head-first into the middle turnbuckle and stayed in charge. She tied Hirsch in the Tree of Woe and placed several chairs over her face, then hit a sliding dropkick onto the chairs at 3:30.
Leyla sat up and she had a bloody forehead; the ref put on gloves as Diamante punched at the cut. Leyla shoved Diamante head-first into a chair wedged into the corner at 5:30. Leyla dumped a bag of thumbtacks on the mat. Leyla hit a German Suplex, dropping Diamante into the tacks and earning a “holy shit!” chant. Leyla dumped a second bag of tacks onto Diamante’s stomach! However, Leyla missed a top-rope moonsault and landed stomach-first on a LOT of tacks at 7:30. Diamante used duct tape to tie Leyla to the ropes and she spanked Leyla’s lower back with a hard flipflop! Diamante got a shoe that had tacks on the bottom and she shoved it into Leyla’s head at 9:30! Gross but it sure popped the crowd.
Leyla finally got herself free; Diamante was making a door bridge on the floor with barbed-wire boards. They fought on the ring apron, above the board bridge. Leyla put Diamante on her shoulders and hit a Samoan Drop, with them both crashing through the board bridge at 11:30! They both got to their feet before the 10-count. Leyla got a table from under the ring and set it up in the ring; she also opened a ladder in the ring, and she tossed Diamante into it. She used the duct tape to tie Diamante to the table! Leyla stood on the top of the ladder and hit a moonsault onto Diamante on the table! Leyla barely got to her feet at the nine-count to win. Leyla grabbed her left elbow and she may legit have injured it upon landing. What a violent match.
* Paul Wight, Jerry Lynn, and Christopher Daniels are at ringside to be judges for the Pure Title match. We have a clock on the screen counting up.
4. Lee Moriarty defeated Wheeler Yuta to win the Pure Title at 19:52. They worked each other’s arm at the bell. Moriarty used his first rope break at 1:30! He regrouped on the floor. In the ring, Lee applied a Border City Stretch, and Yuta put his foot on the ropes at 3:30 for his first rope break. Yuta applied a Cobra Twist. They traded rollups. Yuta was warned for a closed fist but the ref missed Lee hitting a punch with a closed fist! Yuta tied Lee up on the mat, and Moriarty used his second rope break at 7:00. Lee snapped Wheeler’s left arm over the top rope.
They got up and traded forearms at 10:00. Wheeler hit an enzuigiri and a Stinger Splash, then a top-rope flying forearm. Lee twisted Yuta’s fingers and they fought on the top rope, with Lee hitting a superplex, and they were both down at 12:30. Lee hit a punch and was issued a warning. He again applied a Border City Stretch and the crowd taunted Yuta to tap out. Yuta finally got to the ropes at 14:00 for his second rope break. Wheeler dove through the ropes onto Lee. In the ring, Wheeler hit a frogsplash for a nearfall. Lee hit a swinging slam to the mat and he tied a leg lock around the shoulders! Wheeler used his last rope break at 17:00.
Yuta hit a German Suplex for a nearfall as Ian and Caprice agreed Lee is ahead on points. Yuta applied a Cattle Mutilation, and Lee used his final rope break! While standing in the ring, Lee slammed Yuta onto the ring apron, with Wheeler rolling to the floor at 18:30. In the ring, Lee hit a Flatliner for a believable nearfall. Wheeler slapped on a Fujiwara Armbar! In a neat spot, Lee grabbed the ropes, used the leverage to flip himself over, roll up Yuta, and score the pin! I loved this finish. New champion! These two put together a really smart match and they kept the crowd throughout. The crowd chanted “You deserve it!” at Lee. Wheeler snatched the title from the ref and was booed, but then he put it on Lee’s waist and shook his hand.
5. Red Velvet defeated Billie Starkz to win the ROH Women’s TV Title at 14:55. They shook hands and slapped each other in the face! Billie immediately rolled to the floor. In the ring, Billie hit a massive snake-eyes on the top turnbuckle at 1:30. Billie hit some stiff kicks to the spine. She tied Red Velvet in the Tree of Woe and stomped on her. Billie hit some chops and was in charge. Velvet hit a crossbody block for a nearfall at 5:30. She hit a back suplex and was fired up, and she hit a running stunner. She hit a DDT for a nearfall at 7:00, then a running Meteora double knees to the back of the head. Red Velvet hit a sunset flip bomb out of the corner for a nearfall at 9:00. Billie applied a Cobra Clutch-type sleeper on the mat, then she hit a backbreaker over the knee for a nearfall.
Red Velvet hit a Poison Rana and a spin kick to the head for a nearfall at 11:00. In the ropes, Billie re-applied the sleeper, but Velvet hit a stunner to escape. Billie fell to the mat and sold an injury. Caprice said this is like ‘Lucy and the football’ and he’s not falling for a fake injury again. Red Velvet stood in the ring and waited while Billie regrouped and rolled into the ring. Billie charged but Red Velvet avoided the first blow, but then Billie hit an enzuigiri. Velvet hopped to her feet but then collapsed to trick Billie. Billie went to the top rope but Velvet threw her to the mat! Velvet then hit her Snapmare Driver for the pin. New champion!
6. Dustin Rhodes, Marshall Von Erich, and Ross Von Erich defeated “The Dark Order” Evil Uno, John Silver, and Alex Reynolds at 14:29 to earn a shot in the match for the vacant ROH Six-Man Tag Team Titles. The Dark Order attacked before the customary ROH handshakes and were booed. All six immediately brawled to the floor. In the ring, Marshall hit a dropkick. On the floor, Reynolds tossed Dustin into the ring stairs at 2:00. Uno struck Ross from behind with a cow bell and was LOUDLY booed. The Dark Order began working over dark-haired Ross in their corner. Marshall made the hot tag at 4:30 and hit some bodyslams and a backbody drop, then a hard clothesline in the corner on Silver, then a cannonball for a nearfall.
Marshall put a Claw on Evil Uno but Reynolds made the save. Reynolds dove through the ropes onto Marshall, and now the heels worked over Marshall. Silver hit a LOUD Yes Kick to the chest. The camera panned over and showed Dustin still out on the floor from striking those ring steps; right on cue, Reynolds pushed Rhodes into the stairs again. This crowd is insanely hot for some pretty standard tag action. Uno hit a piledriver for a nearfall at 9:00. Dustin pushed Uno into the stairs and it got a big pop. Marshall hit a spinebuster on Reynolds. Rhodes got on the corner and got a hot tag at 10:30 and he hit some clotheslines on Reynolds, then a snap powerslam. He hit powerslam on all three Dark Order members.
Reynolds got pushed into Silver. Dustin nailed the Cross Rhodes on Reynolds for a nearfall, but Uno made the save. The action again spilled to the floor. Silver and Reynolds hit some quick team offense on Dustin in the ring for a nearfall. Rhodes hit a Canadian Destroyer; he set up for a Shattered Dreams but was cut off. Ross and Marshall each applied Claws, allowing Dustin to hit the Shattered Dreams low blow kick on Reynolds. Dustin then hit a twisting suplex to pin Reynolds. Solid match but made so much better than it was by a hot, hot crowd.
* Katsuyori Shibata came to the ring to celebrate with the Von Erichs and Rhodes; Ian said that Shibata has asked them to teach him how to apply the Claw.
7. Atlantis Jr. defeated Shane Taylor, Lee Johnson, Johnny TV (w/Taya Valkyrie), Brian Cage, and Lio Rush in a Survival of the Fittest match to retain the ROH TV Title at 19:12. Atlantis Jr. came out last and he wore the TV Title. Johnny rolled to the floor at the bell. Johnny went to kick Cage, but Brian re-directed the leg so it hit Shane, and Johnny looked like he knew he was in big trouble. Cage and Shane hit simultaneous clotheslines as the fans chanted “beef!” Cage hit a big bodyslam and flexed. Atlantis Jr. hit a huracanrana on Cage at 2:30. Atlantis and Lio traded some lucha reversals, and Lio hit a stunner for a nearfall. Johnson hit a neckbreaker and a standing moonsault on Lio for a nearfall.
Johnny hit some of his flipping offense on Lee. Johnson hit a Sky High powerbomb on Johnny for a believable nearfall at 5:00. Shane hit a Saito Suplex on Cage. Cage hit a tornado DDT on Shane. Lio did his misdirection offense on Cage. Johnny hit a backflip Samoan Drop on Lio and got a nearfall. Atlantis hit a superkick on Lee at 7:00, then a dive to the floor on Shane. Lio hit an Asai Moonsault. Lee hit a flip dive to the floor and landed on his feet! Johnny hit a twisting dive over the top rope. Cage hit a flip dive to the floor and that POPPED the crowd. Shane set up for a dive but Cage cut him off. Funny. Everyone ganged up on Shane! Shane hit a hard clothesline on Atlantis and took each man down, one at a time.
Lio hit a frogsplash to pin Shane Taylor at 9:56. “I did not see that coming!” Caprice shouted. Johnny got caught up on the ropes and Lee hit a doublestomp on him! Lio hit his dive to the floor. Lee superkicked Lio and hit a brainbuster move to pin Lio at 11:32! Johnny and Cage shook hands and decided to work together. Johnny hit a top-rope crossbody block on Lee for a believable nearfall; the crowd and Johnny thought it was a pin. Johnny hit a running knee on Atlantis Jr. for a nearfall at 13:30. Lee hit an enzuigiri on Cage. Johnny hit a springboard kick on Lee as Cage was slamming Lee, and they pinned Lee Johnson at 15:05.
So, the two heels kept working over Atlantis Jr., but of course, they began fighting each other, with Johnny hitting a swinging neckbreaker. Atlantis hit a Canadian Destroyer on Johnny for a nearfall at 17:00. Cage hit a second-rope Deadlift Superplex on Atlantis Jr. Taya jumped in the ring and she shoved Cage! Johnny hit a low blow on Cage and he kissed Taya. Johnny hit a Go To Sleep but Cage hit a discus clothesline, then the Drill Claw piledriver to pin Johnny at 18:39! He hit a discus lariat on Atlantis Jr. Brian went for another Drill Claw, but Atlantis got a forward roll into a pin out of nowhere.
8. Athena defeated Queen Aminata to retain the ROH Women’s Title at 20:15. Intense mat reversals early on. Ian and Caprice stressed that Athena has been a fighting champion for nearly two years. She hit a dive through the ropes onto Aminata at 2:30, and she whipped Aminata into the guardrail. Aminata’s butt crashed against the ring post. Athena suplexed Aminata stomach-first on the thin mat at ringside. In the ring, Aminata hit some hard strikes and a backbreaker over her knee at 6:00, then a decapitating clothesline and a swinging neckbreaker for a nearfall. Athena hit a huracanrana and a standing neckbreaker, then a powerbomb for a nearfall.
Aminata hit a snap suplex at 8:00, then a running kick as Athena was in the ropes, and Athena collapsed to the floor. In the ring, Aminata hit a top-rope doublestomp (it appeared she actually missed her) for a nearfall. Athena popped to her feet and hit a superkick and got a nearfall at 10:00. Aminata hit a German Suplex with Athena’s head hitting the bottom turnbuckle at 11:00. She then hit an Air Raid Crash for a nearfall. Athena suplexed Aminata into the corner pads and they were both down. They traded forearm strikes while on their knees, then while standing. They traded kicks to the spine. Athena applied a half-crab at 14:30, and they traded rollups.
Aminata tied up Athena’s body between her legs, but Athena escaped and applied a crossface, but Aminata got a foot on the ropes at 16:00. Athena went for the O-Face top-rope flying stunner, but Aminata blocked it. Athena hit a piledriver off the apron and onto the ring steps, which had been turned sideways; it made an awful sound as Aminata’s head hit the stairs. In the ring, Athena got a nearfall at 18:30. Aminata hit a headbutt, then a Jay Driller. However, Billie Starkz ran to the ring! Red Velvet was right behind her and cut her off from interfering. Lexy Nair handed Athena a weapon! Athena struck Aminata with the weapon, then she nailed the O-Face for the pin. A stellar match.
* Added to Collision on Saturday are Maya World vs. Thunder Rosa, Lio Rush vs. Hologram, and Orange Cassidy vs. Johnny TV. CMLL Champion Willow Nightingale will face Deonna Purrazzo in an eliminator match during the Battle for the Belts hour as well. A video package aired to set up for the main event.
9. Mark Briscoe defeated Roderick Strong to retain the ROH Heavyweight Title at 19:35. An intense lockup to open. Ian said it is Strong’s first ROH match in eight years. Mark hit a spin kick to the head at 2:00. They fought to the floor and traded chops in front of the fans. Mark hit a flipping dive over the guardrail and onto Strong in the crowd! In the ring, Mark hit a rolling Death Valley Driver; he went for a Froggy Bow elbow drop but Strong got his knees up. Roderick immediately hit a backbreaker over his knees at 4:30 and some loud, hard chops. Briscoe fired up and hit a Mafia Kick. He hit a baseball slide dropkick through the ropes at 6:30, then the elbow drop from the apron to the floor.
In the ring, Briscoe hit a top-rope missile dropkick, then a fisherman’s brainbuster for a nearfall. He set up for the Jay Driller on the ring apron but Roddy blocked it. Strong slammed Briscoe back-first on the apron at 9:00, then tossed him into the ring post, and they traded forearms in front of the crowd. Mark collided with the ring post again; when he stood up, he was bleeding heavily from his forehead, and Roddy punched at the cut. They got in the ring, and Strong hit another backbreaker over his knee for a nearfall at 11:00. Mark was really bloody now, as Roddy applied a Camel Clutch. Ian talked about how they have met more than 50 times in a variety of matches (usually tags.)
Roderick hit another backbreaker over the knee and he applied a Boston Crab; Briscoe was leaving a puddle of blood on the mat, but he got to the ropes. Strong hit a Jay Driller and laughed, but Mark kicked out at the one-count at 13:30! The fans chanted “You f—ed up!” at Strong. Mark hit a flying forearm, then a Rude Awakening standing neckbreaker, then a vertical suplex for a nearfall. They fought on the ropes, and Strong hit a second-rope Angle Slam for a nearfall. They hit simultaneous clotheslines and were both down at 16:00.
They got up and traded LOUD chops and forearm strikes. Mark hit an Exploder Suplex. Matt Taven jumped in the ring but Mark tossed him to the floor. Mike Bennett hit Mark with a weapon and Strong got a nearfall. Strong hit a gutbuster over his knees and a running knee. Kyle O’Reilly and Tomohiro Ishii ran to the ring and fought Taven and Bennett to the back. Briscoe hit a hard clothesline. Mark nailed the top-rope Froggy Bow elbow drop for the pin. A superb match to close out an excellent show.
Final Thoughts: What a great show. The ROH matches are always treated like such an afterthought at AEW events, which is just too bad because this event showed what a top-notch roster of wrestlers are here. I’ll narrowly go with Athena-Aminata for best match, ahead of the main event, with O’Reilly/Ishii tag for third. So much good action here. This crowd was into everything; that Von Erich match was pretty standard stuff but had such great heat it really elevated it. That Leyla-Diamante match was violent and stiff and I really hope that Leyla isn’t seriously injured, but honestly, I would be more surprised if she was not hurt.
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