ROH: New Beginnings

[Just Juice]

Episode Nine

Honor 101 would begin with custom video package showing a highlight reel of some of the best and fast paced action that had featured on previous episodes as well as over major shows in the promotion's short history as 'My Last Serenade' by Killswitch Engage. The camera would then cut to Dave Prazak who would talk about the second year of Ring of Honor having officially begun with the first round of matches in the X-Division Championship Tournament. Dave Prazak would hype up the tournament and talk about the strong potential that this second singles championship would offer in raising the overall prestige of the promotion. Jeff Gorman would add that considering how competitive ROH was proving to be, it was very possible that the winner of the tournament would one day become a ROH World Champion.

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- Match One - X-Division Tournament -
| Sterling James Keenan vs. Petey Williams |
The early going was a masterclass in pace control. Williams tried to quicken things with fluid arm drags and headscissor takeovers, while Keenan slowed the rhythm down, grounding his opponent with precision strikes and methodical holds. Keenan repeatedly used the ropes and corners to his advantage, keeping Williams trapped and frustrated. Williams fought back with his trademark explosiveness ducking a clothesline and springboarding into a dropkick that sent Keenan reeling. The momentum swung back and forth, with Keenan landing a nasty short-arm lariat for a close near fall, followed by a series of knees to the midsection that nearly took the wind out of the smaller man. As the 15-minute time limit began to approach, the crowd grew restless, sensing urgency. Williams avoided a MK Ultra DDT, countering it into a wheelbarrow facebuster, then signaled for the end. The fans rose as he connected with the Canadian Destroyer, stunning Keenan and earning the decisive three-count with just under two minutes left on the clock.

Winner: Petey Williams

After the match, Williams celebrated to a standing ovation and it was a big win consider SJK was a former tag team champion, Keenan, meanwhile, sat on the mat glaring at him no handshake offered, no words exchanged, just cold resentment for what was very much a terrible and unexpected start for a man who was considered by many as a hot prospect but had no find himself as the bottom of the pecking order.

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- Match Two - X-Division Tournament -
| Shane Helms vs. Tony Mamaluke |
From the opening bell, Mamaluke wrestled like a man with something to prove. He immediately targeted Helms’ arm, grounding the high-flyer with punishing armbars and joint manipulation. Helms, ever the resilient performer, tried to create distance with his speed hitting a basement dropkick and a flying neckbreaker that briefly swung momentum his way. But Mamaluke’s relentless mat game controlled the majority of the match. Every time Helms tried to go to the air, Mamaluke cut him off — first with a dragon screw, then with a beautifully executed northern lights suplex that nearly earned him the pin. As the minutes ticked down, the crowd grew louder, willing Helms to rally. He connected with a Shining Wizard in the final minute, but couldn’t make the cover in time. When the bell rang at the 15-minute mark, both men collapsed to the mat, completely spent.

Result: Time Limit Draw

While Shane Helms survived, Tony Mamaluke walked away looking like the more dominant competitor, clearly frustrating Helms. Jeff Gorman would make note that Mamaluke’s technical dominance had made a strong statement and surely he was someone to watch for the rest ouf tournament.

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Backstage Pamela Paulshock would be joined by Elix Skipper who not only was wrestling against Jerry Lynn tonight in the X-Division Tournament but was the man who had very much cost Christopher Daniels the ROH World Championship at the Anniversary Show. Elix Skipper would reveal that he had been made an offer he simply couldn't refuse and would confirm that money had exchanged hands and he was certainly richer for his involvement. Skipper would then reveal that he was no longer aligned with Triple X as he had no intention of playing third fiddle and instead was had joined 'The Franchise' as there was no one he could gain more insight and wisdom from then Shane Douglas.

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- Match Three - X-Division Tournament -
| Jerry Lynn vs. Elix Skipper |
The X-Division Tournament continued with a marquee matchup between two world-class athletes Jerry Lynn, the veteran technician currently leading his Best of Five series with AJ Styles, and Elix Skipper, the lightning-fast opportunist who recently shocked the wrestling world by betraying Christopher Daniels at the Anniversary Show. The crowd buzzed with anticipation, still hot from the fallout of Triple X’s implosion, and Lynn wasted no time setting the tone. From the opening lock-up, he grounded Skipper with textbook chain wrestling, forcing him into defensive positions and showcasing why he’s one of the most respected veterans in the sport. Skipper’s agility kept him alive walking the top rope with ease and dropping Lynn with a springboard spinning heel kick that drew audible gasps. He taunted the crowd a clearly relishing his newfound spotlight. But Lynn, composed and unflappable, waited for the right moment to strike back. The pace quickened halfway through as Lynn unleashed a flurry of offense a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, a flying crossbody, and a cradle DDT for a close two-count. Skipper tried to end it with his Play of the Day finisher, but Lynn countered mid-motion, rolling through into the Cradle Piledriver to score the decisive three-count.

Winner: Jerry Lynn

After the match, Lynn helped Skipper to his feet in a show of respect, only for Skipper to shove him away and roll out of the ring, glaring back angrily. The crowd applauded Lynn’s effort, who career still wasn't secure until his match series with AJ Styles came to a conclusion still needed just one more win. Skipper on the other hand clearly had been hoping to pick up a win now as a member of 'The Franchise'.

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- Main Event - X-Division Tournament -
| AJ Styles vs. Monty Brown |
The first week of the X-Division Tournament closed with a clash of styles literally and figurativel as the high-flying, innovative AJ Styles faced the powerhouse predator of The Kill Team, Monty Brown. The match was billed as “speed vs. strength,” and it delivered that and more in a hard-hitting main event that left the crowd buzzing. From the start, Styles played the smart game, using movement and misdirection to stay one step ahead of the heavier Brown. He opened with dropkicks, evasive counters, and lightning-quick forearms, trying to wear down the former NFL star before he could find his rhythm. Brown, however, only needed one shot to change everything every time he landed a strike, Styles felt it. Five minutes in, Brown caught Styles mid-springboard and launched him across the ring with a fallaway slam that sent shockwaves through the crowd. Styles regrouped, hitting a sudden Pele Kick to shift momentum, followed by a Springboard Moonsault DDT for a close two-count. The two men traded bursts of offense Styles dazzling with agility, Brown retaliating with raw power until both collapsed in exhaustion. The finish came when Styles attempted a Phenomenal Forearm, springboarding from the ropes with perfect height and precision only for Brown to explode forward and Pounce him clean out of the air. The collision drew a thunderous reaction as Brown covered Styles for the three-count.

Winner: Monty Brown

After the bell, Brown roared over his fallen opponent, shouting “Welcome to the Serengeti!” as the crowd erupted. Styles, clutching his ribs, nodded in grudging respect knowing he had been caught by a perfect strike. Gorman praised it as one of the defining moments declaring that Monty Brown’s mix of power and presence made him an instant favorite to win the entire competition. The show closed with Brown standing tall, pointing to the Kill Team insignia on his gear, while AJ limped from the ring, as he would be passed by Minoru Suzuki and Ronn Killings who would come to offer their support for Monty's victory.​