By Sam Robinson, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@altaine)
ROH and Action Wrestling “Action Dean 3”
Taped September 6, 2025, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at 2300 Arena
Streamed September 11, 2025, on HonorClub
Johnny Mosely was on commentary, and Bobby Cruise was the ring announcer…
The show by going right to the ring…
1. Hechicero Xelhua and Dr Cerebro vs. Blue Panther, El Pantera, and Virus in a Trios best-of-three falls, submission-only match. Virus got an ankle pick, but Herchicero slid out and worked an ankle for a second before going for a pin, but Virus slid out and tried a pin of his own. Virus backflipped out of a top wristlock and hit an arm drag and held on. Virus got a boot up in the corner and tried a wheelbarrow move, but Hechicero rolled through. Hechicero locked in an arm crucifix and rolled Virus all around the ring with it. Hechicero hit a jumping kick to the face of Virus, and Pantera came in. We got a breakdown where everyone was hitting big moves knocking each other out of the ring. Panther hit a huracanrana off the apron, and Xelhua locked Virus in an arm crucifix move and Virus tapped out for the first fall. Score is 1-0 for the rudos.
After a long reset moment, Pantera and Xelhau started again. Pantera hit a headstand dropkick off of the turnbuckle. Virus and Cerebro came in and hit shoulder blocks and leg trips. Virus slipped out of a leg lock and flipped away from Cerebro. Panther and Hechicero came in. Panther got a “Yes” chant going. Hechicero hit a dropkick to the face and a huge chop. {another hit a springboard crossbody out of the corner. Hechicero locked in a hold and Panther stood up out of it on the legs of Hechicero. Panther hit a handstand, head-scissors out of the corner and then a powerbomb and locked in a cloverleaf, but it was broken up. Hechicero hit some knees to the gut but Panther came back with a bulldog. Panther hit a tilt-a-whirl arm drag that sent Hechicero out of the ring. Cerebro cut Panther off and hit a disaster kick to send Panther out. Pantera hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker on Cerebro. Cerebro hit Virus with a shoulder block but got hit with a chop block, dropkick, and a splash off the top from Pantera. Xelhua used his speed to avoid the older men and hit back breakers on them, but Panther hit a spinebuster and locked in a rocking horse style clover leaf for the second fall. Score tied 1-1.
Xulhau hit a spinning arm drag and a back elbow on Virus. Virus came back with an arm drag and locked in a bow and arrow style move, but Hechicero tried to break it up, but Virus just rolled through the kick. Hechicero hit a pop-up flapjack and locked in a hold and Pantera broke it up. Pantera locked in a clover leaf, but Cerebro broke it up. Cerebro locked in a kneeling arm hold, but Panther broke it up. Panther locked in a full cloverleaf but Xelhau broke it up. Xelhau locked in a standing hold, but Pantera broke it. Pantera locked in one, and Hechicero broke it. Hechicero hit a dragonscrew through the ropes and hit a top rope clothesline on Pantera. Hechicero hit the hammerlock backbreaker on Panther and locked in a leg hold on Virus, but let it go when he had to roll up Pantera. Panther got put on the top rope, but he leaped off and hit a headscissors on Hechicero and hit a springboard crossbody on him on the floor. Cerebro locked in a leg hold on Pantera but he got to the ropes. Pantera hit an arm drag and then dove onto Cerebro in a scary move. Virus hit Xelhau with some arm drags and missed a springboard dropkick but hit a wall walking arm drag off the ring post. Pantera hit a sunset flip but no pinfalls. Hechicero hit a running knee and then locked in a really gnarly locking arm lock with his legs and pulled on the legs with his own hands to get the tap out. Score 2-1 for the rudos.
Hechicero, Dr Cerebro, and Xelhau defeated Blue Panther, Pantera, and Virus 2-1 in a submissions-only match.
Robinson’s Ruminations: That was nearly twenty minutes of fun. While there were some clunky points in the match, the lucha rules really helped draw the focus away from them. Lots of interesting hold variations and action that just kept going at all times with no lulls.
2. Nicole Matthews vs. Billie Starkz. Late in the match, Billie stomped on Matthews and argued with the ref. Billie hit some kicks to the face with wrist control, but celebrated too long. The women traded forearms in the middle until Billie poked the eyes of Matthews. Matthews hit a short-arm clothesline that sounded nasty! Matthews hit a corner dropkick and went to the middle and hit a dropkick from there too. The women jockeyed for position until Billie hit a neckbreaker suplex on the knee. Billie went to the top, but Matthews cut her off and dropped her off the turnbuckle. Matthews hit a really good-looking brainbuster for a 2.75 count. Matthews went to the top rope and missed the moonsault when Billie rolled out of the way. Billie put Matthews on her shoulders and hit a driver out of hit and got the pinfall.
Billie Starkz defeated Nicole Matthews by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: That’s how you design a match to make the “hometown” star look good in defeat. Matthews dished out a ton of punishment, and Billie looked like a weasel but got the victory in the end. It’s nice to see Billie working with a woman her own size instead of towering over the competition.
Backstage, Lexi Nair interviewed LFI. Lexi tried to ask about Sammy betraying The Von Erichs at Death before Dishonor. Sammy told her to be quiet and sent her off. Rush said this is the beginning of LFI. Rush spoke angrily in Spanish. Rush said they are the best in the world. Mess with the bull, get the horns. Mortos growls at the camera.
3. Matt Mako vs. Wheeler Yuta. “F— you, Yuta” the crowd chanted as he slapped Mako in the face. Later, Mako hit a superplex, rolled through, and hit a powerbomb for a two count. The men traded strikes in the middle until Yuta hit a knee lift and bit the head of Mako. Mako hit a pump kick, but Yuta skinned the cat, slid around, and hit a German suplex with a bridge for a two count. “F— you, Yuta” chanted the crowd as Yuta went to the top. Mako cut him off, and they stood up on the top turnbuckle, and Mako threw Yuta off the top and locked in a cross arm breaker in mid air. Yuta rolled Mako up for a two count, but Mako held on. Shafir got on the apron, and Yuta raked his eyes. Yuta hit the big running knee to get the pinfall.
Wheeler Yuta defeated Matt Mako by pinfall.
After the match, Yuta argued with a fan, pulled him over the barricade, and mounted him with punches. Turns out that was the son of the Dean Rasmussen, who the inspiration for the show.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Good match, and that throw off the top at the end was crazy cool. Good heat attacking the son of the guy the show is named after.
We went to a parking garage, looking over the shoulder of Stori Denali as “Smart” Mark Sterling asked her if she had what it takes. He asked what makes her great enough to be a premier athlete. He ran down the accolades of his athletes. She choked Sterling, and everyone agreed that was good enough…
4. “LFI” Sammy Guevara, Dralistico, and The Beast Mortos (w/Rush) vs. Cheeseburger, Eli Isom, and Rhett Titus. Interestingly, Sammy made an entrance separate from the rest of LFI. Sammy avoided Titus by ducking under the ropes and tagged in Dralistico. Titus hit a huge boot, but got trapped in the corner and hit with a running superkick, and Dralistico went Tranquillo in the ropes. Mortos and Cheeseburger tagged in. Burger tried headscissors and got planted with a powerbomb and a clothesline. LFI all mugged Isom in the corner and hit a triple corner splashes and a triple dropkick, and Sammy went Tranquillo. Isom and Mortos traded forearms until Mortos hit a headbutt. Dralistico hit a springboard codebreaker. Dralistico threw Titus hard into the barricade on the outside. Mortos hit Isom with a pop-up Samoan Drop. Sammy hit a swanton from the top for the pinfall.
“LFI” Sammy Guevara, Dralistico, and The Beast Mortos defeated Cheesburger, Rhett Titus, and Eil Isom by pinfall.
After the match, LFI stacked up the others in the ring. Sammy grabbed the mic, “Sammy Sucks” chants, but Sammy told them Philly sucks. He told the crowd they had the ability to move. “Texas Sucks,” chanted the crowd. Sammy said he moved to Orlando. “Florida Sucks” chanted the crowd. Sammy shushed them and said everyone’s favorite pillar is talking. Sammy said he was one of Dean’s favorite wrestlers, and then said all of LFI were his favorites. Sammy said #4 would be Rush, and he looked a little annoyed to be #4. Sammy said LFI is stronger than ever, and everyone with a title has a problem. Rush said ROH is going to become their empire. LFI stomped on the other wrestlers who were still in the ring…
Robinson’s Ruminations: Good squash match for LFI to establish their dynamic with Sammy. Sammy is such a natural, smug asshole and fits in very well with LFI. Dralistico really laid in his shots on these guys tonight. Does he always work so stiff?
In the parking lot, Swirl cut a promo. Johnson said he came up short with Bandido. He said Swirl is always one step ahead. Christian said he’s the flavor of inevitability. Christian said Bandido set a standard, but he was an old chapter, just like Jay Lethal. Christian said he was the flavor of the future.
5. Demus el Demonico vs. Mad Dog Connelly in a Hair vs Hair match. Man, the crowd is vacant for this match, no ability to hide it. Down the stretch, Demonico hit Connelly in the back with the chair. Demonico hit a fireman’s carry slam and went to the middle and missed a senton splash. Connelly hit a Gotch piledriver for a two count. The small crowd was really behind Connelly here as he tried to go up top, but Demonico hit him in the back with the chair. Demonico hit a Muscle Buster-style move for a two count. Demonico grabbed a dog collar chain and locked it around the neck of Connelly. Demonico tossed Connelly over the ropes with the chain and choked him, but Connelly was able to get to his feet and throw a punch before he started snoring, and the ref called the match for Demonico.
Demos el Demonico defeated Mad Dog Connelly by submission in a Hair vs. Hair match.
After the match, Demonico went and got the hair clippers, but Connelly knocked him down and shaved his own head…
Robinson’s Ruminations:This one was rough. I understand Connelly was trying to show that his eye was injured, but it made him look like a clown with two left feet rather than someone with limited sight. Both men just barely qualify for the term “athletic,” and it was a sloppy fight.
A video package narrated by John Woods showed off his moveset…
6. Lee Moriarty vs. Josh Woods for the ROH Pure Rules Championship. All of STP made the entrance with Moriarty before retreating to the back. After a chain wrestling feeling out process, Woods got an ankle pick, but Moriarty rolled him up, and they rolled all around, and someone got a two count nearfall. Moriarty tipped up and danced to taunt. Moriarty hit an arm drag, a kick trip, and kick to the arm. Moriarty tried for Border City, but Moriarty rolled through and put Woods in the ropes, and Woods called for his first rope break.
Moriarty did a shoulder arm breaker, but Woods rolled through and locked in a deathlock with his arms, but Moriarty got to the ropes to break it, using his first rope break.
Moriarty hit an arm drag and held the arm, but Woods stood up and reversed it. The men traded arm bars until Moriarty tried a kip-up and got hung out to dry. Woods hit a gut-wrench suplex while Moriarty was hung out and got a two count. Woods hit a suplex drop and then put him in the ropes and pulled him into the ropes with a fisherman’s hold, and got Moriarty to use his second rope break. Woods pulled him in and got a two count.
Woods hit a series of gut-wrench suplexes, but Moriarty was able to roll through one and hit a huracanrana style move to send Woods outside. Woods came right back in, and Moriarty went to the arm with a stump puller-style move. Moriarty locked in a hammer lock in the ropes and made Woods use his second rope break.
Moriarty did an arm snap and hit a springboard clothesline for a one count. “This is awesome,” the crowd chanted lightly. Woods went over the top and tried an arm breaker, we got two nearfalls, and Moriarty was able to fully extend before Woods rolled through and Moriarty locked in a triangle choke. Woods pulled Moriarty up and powerbombed him and hit a huge running knee and then his Archanist suplex in the corner for a “three”count, but the ref noticed Moriarty’s foot in the ropes and called it the third rope break.
Woods hit some stump pullers and locked in an ankle lock. Woods tried a suplex, but got rolled up and they exchanged nearfalls until Moriarty got a superman pin for the three count.
Lee Moriarty defeated Josh Woods by pinfall to retain the ROH Pure Rules Championship.
After the match, STP came out to celebrate, and there was a Code of Honor handshake…
Robinson’s Ruminations: That was a fun Pure Rules match. Not too much technical wrestling without big moves in between. The holds inside the ropes to get rope breaks feel silly to me, but it’s a thing that you just have to live with.
“STP,” chanted the Philly crowd. Taylor said they’re whooping ass like the Eagles. Taylor said Philly are the smartest fans. Taylor called out management for not having all of “STP” on the card. Taylor said he was a problem solver and was going to stay here until Action Wrestling gave him an opponent. AR Fox’s music played…
7. AR Fox vs. Shane Taylor (w/ STP). No Code of Honor, Taylor spat on the feet of Fox. Taylor avoided a rewind kick, tried to stomp on Fox, but got kicked in his ass. Later, Taylor missed a leg drop. The men exchanged forearms in the middle until Taylor hit a knee lift to the face. Fox hit a matrix avoid and a step up enzuigiri. Fox hit a corner clothesline and some elbows and then his skin the cat dropkick. On the apron, Fox tried a cutter but Taylor stopped him with a chop. Taylor tossed Fox, who landed on the barricade on his feet and leaped over and hit a cutter on the apron. In the ring, Fox hit a swanton off the top for a two count. Fox went up top again for another swanton, but Taylor moved. Taylor hit his huge right hand and got the pinfall.
Shane Taylor defeated AR Fox by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Taylor is criminally overlooked in my opinion. He’s a big man who works like a big man, sells well even while looking strong, and can keep up with just about anyone. Maybe he’s not a singles star, but STP is a great faction, and he’s a really good leader. He’s got Kingpin vibes to me. This match was really good, really fun, and got the crowd going.
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