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RING OF HONOR ON WATCHROH.COM REPORT

ROH TV Episode 41: The American Dragon Comes Home

Next week ROH will present its biggest show of the year next week in Final Battle. Throughout the episode, we have had most of the card shape out for the pay-per-view as well as the announcement of the American Dragon returning to ROH!

Billie Starkz vs Dani Mo

Starkz dominated this match as she moves on to her huge Final Battle match next week. After the match was over, Athena attacked her from behind. Starkz and Athena fought around the arena as security tried to hold them back, unfortunately, Athena attacked all the security members. Athena kept saying that this was her show and Starkz would not take the title from her, looks like this match may have a stipulation next week.

Winner: Billie Starkz

Wheeler Yuta Promo

Yuta says that he and Danielson are looking for a fight. Danielson says that Final Battle has meant a lot to his career and the only time he fought Jay Briscoe was at Final Battle. Danielson lays out the challenge where the BCC will face FTR and Mark Briscoe in tribute to Jay Briscoe.

Johnny TV vs. Dalton Castle

This match took a lot of time, almost too much time. I do like the idea of Johnny being in ROH now that QT is not in AEW anymore. Halfway through the match, Taya Valkyrie came out to help Morrison win the match, but Kiera Hogan came and stopped her. This led Dalton Castle to take advantage and get the win. Castle in my opinion should be the one to win the TV title next week, so this made perfect sense.

Winner: Dalton Castle 

Rachael Ellering vs. Nikki Victory

Maria Kanellis and Leyla Hersch accompanied Ellering to ringside to continue the storyline that has gone on throughout the last couple of weeks. Kanellis tried to cost Ellering the match by grabbing her foot, which did not make Ellering happy but she got the win nonetheless. I enjoy having Kanellis with two up-in-comers within the ROH Women’s Division and I am excited to see how this whole storyline plays out.

Winner: Rachael Ellering

Athena Interview

Athena says that Starkz betrayed all of the minions out there and that is why she attacked her after the match. She also says that she has great news for Lexy Nair which is that Athena vs. Billie Starkz will main event Final Battle and Lexy Nair will be the special guest ring announcer. Athena now becomes the only female to main event two ROH pay-per-views.

The WorkHorsemen (Anthony Henry and JD Drake) vs The Infantry (Carlie Bravo and Shawn Dean)

The biggest problem I have with all of these tag team matches is that we do not have tag team titles to fight over. The Infantry has grown on me in the past month and they are viable contenders for those titles. A miscommunication between Bravo and Dean cost them the match as The Workhorsemen keep making waves within the tag team division.

Winners: The WorkHorsemen (JD Drake and Anthony Henry)

The Renegades (Charlette and Robyn Renegade) vs. Lady Frost and Trish Adora:

This was The Renegade's best tag match in ROH in my opinion. Their heel work and constant banter towards the crowd made this more enjoyable. I would not mind seeing Frost and Adora team together more often within ROH. They made a fun partnership and won the match.

Winners: Lady Frost and Trish Adora

Maria Kanellis Promo

Maria said that she did not grab Ellering’s foot and she did not do anything wrong. Hersch takes Kanellis’s side and says that she has Ellering’s back since she has always had hers. Looks like Hersch has looked past her stubborn ways.

ROH TV Championship Survival of the Fittest: Josh Woods vs Lee Johnson:

ROH appears to have completely dropped the Lee Johnson joining Shane Taylor Promotions storyline that we have built up over the last month, which disappointed me. Also, Josh Woods going after the Pure title, whatever happened to that? Regardless, of storylines getting thrown out the window, inside the ring this match ruled. Johnson and Woods have found success within ROH, which is amazing to see. Johnson gets the upset win as he ends Woods's eight-match winning streak of Woods.

Winner: Lee Johnson

The Outrunners (Truth Magnum and Turbo Floyd) vs The Righteous (Vincent and Dutch):

Jake Roberts did not come out with The Righteous which confused me since they are newly aligned. Same problem I had with the last tag match on this show, these teams are not fighting for anything they are just wrestling to wrestle. The Righteous also dominated most of this match now we just have to hope ROH fixes the ROH Tag Team Title problem.

Winners: The Righteous (Vincent and Dutch)

ROH TV Championship Survival of the Fittest: Tracy Williams vs Lee Moriarty:

This match ruled. Moriarty is so good at what he does and his work within ROH proves that. Ever since this new era of ROH has taken place Williams has yet to get a win on the program, but he continues to put on amazing performances. This was a match that got a lot of time and we saw that technical style that ROH so famously is known for.

Winner: Lee Moriarty

Dalton Castle Promo

Castle said that he is officially on the road to Final Battle and he is made for TV. Johnny TV interrupts and says that he is more TV-ready than Castle. They shouted out different TV shows until Taya Valkryie interrupted. She said that the only reason Castle won earlier in the night was because Castle had an army in Kiera Hogan and The Boys. Johnny says that there is no one better than him and he is ready to become TV Champion.

The Butcher and Blade vs The Boys (Brent and Brandon Tate):

Tag teams fighting for no reason because of no titles… sigh. Butcher and Blade dominated most of this match-up as they began to start a winning streak within ROH. I would not mind if they had all the winners in tonight’s tag team matches to compete in a triple threat match at Final Battle to crown new champions, but unfortunately, I do not see that happening.

Winners: Butcher and Blade

Griff Garrison, Maria Kanellis, and Cole Karter Promo

Garrison said that since he and Karter have begun hanging out outside wrestling they are brothers now. Karter says they have been waiting for matching gear and they do not know what else to do. Kanellis says that they should change their entrance song and begins singing a song that she came up with as Karter and Garrison just looked on stunned that Kanellis can sing.

Christopher Daniels vs. Angelico

Since challenging for the ROH World title Angelico has fallen down the card a lot, which I found shocking since he was on such a good run before he lost to Kingston. Serpentico grabs Daniels's leg for Angelico to get the advantage and get the win. After the match, Daniels beat down Serpentico but the numbers game caught up to Daniels. Danhausen and Orange Cassidy come to the aid of Daniels as Angelico takes a shot at Cassidy.

Winner: Angelico

Tony Nese and Ethan Page Contract Signing

Tony Khan was here for this contract signing, which is the first time we have done this on the Tony Khan version of ROH. Mark Sterling says that since Page made sure Sterling was going to be handcuffed to the post they made sure this match was going to be an I Quit match. Sterling brings up old photos of Page saying that he has quit throughout everything he has done in life and next week will be no different. Page says that he came to ROH because he promised his daughter that he would become a champion. He says that Nese is one of the best professional wrestlers in ROH, but after Sterling messed with his undefeated streak this became personal. He swears that after he makes Nese says "I Quit", he will go back on the path of winning gold. Page wants to win gold to add to the legacy of Ethan Page, where Nese will always have to thank Sterling for everything he has accomplished in ROH. Nese says that Page will always be a quitter and a loser as Sterling tries to come up with a solution by helping Page, but he just creates a problem. Nese says he is going to give Page one last piece of advice and that is to always take your protein as he throws protein powder in his face. as the two begin to fight. Nese puts Page through a table as Nese stands tall and proud.

ROH TV Championship Survival of the Fittest: Gravity vs Kyle Fletcher

This match felt rushed, as this match was only four to five minutes long. Fletcher has been making the most of his singles run on ROH and it shows how determined he is to leave a good mark on ROH. Since the match was rushed you really couldn’t enjoy what this match could have been so I do hope they run this one back. Fletcher punches his ticket to Texas next week.

Winner: Kyle Fletcher

Overall:

Ring of Honor seems to be getting back on track heading into this show next week. Besides the main event all of these matches got a lot of time and we have storylines back on the show. The only problem I had with this episode is that we still do not have an answer for what we are doing with the ROH Tag Team titles, but hopefully, we get more answers next week.

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