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We join the Ring of Honor commentary trio of Schiavone, Callis and Strike at the desk inside the Wolstein Center (Cleveland, Ohio) for the first ROH pay per view of the year - Honor Reigns Supreme.
Matt Striker: We are sitting here in the Wolstein Center for Hour One of Honor Reigns Supreme - and with three matches scheduled to take part in this preshow feature I have no doubt that we are going to have a great first hour of wrestling.
Tony Schiavone: You are not lying about the match quality Striker. With the Six-Man Tag Team Titles and the Pure Title up for grabs, it almost feels as if this build up to the main-show is going to be on par with a lot of the other matches we have later on tonight.
Don Callis: Let's be real for a second gentlemen, these matches are bonus but they don’t come close to the quality of matches like Moose vs. Alexander, Gresham vs. Lethal or White vs. Cole. We are treading water in the minor leagues right now, and someone random called Josh Woods battling with a TNA reject by the name of Chris Bey? If you expect me to get excited by that, then think again.
Tony Schiavone: Those are some harsh words there Don.
Don Callis: I only say things how I see them. Woods is an NXT reject, and achieved next to nothing apart from his current title reign. Why am I meant to be excited about these sorts of matches?
Matt Striker: There is really no pleasing everyone in this business, and Don is a tough crowd but I think that is actually a good thing here. If we only had yes men at the desk then we would never get opposing opinions. Don is our measuring stick, and if he walks away impressed then I guess we will know for certain we were part of a great contest.
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00:02-00:05
Flip Gordon is standing in the interview area backstage, with a microphone in hand as he addresses the camera.
Flip Gordon: If you were uninformed then now you have been duly notified, that Flip Gordon has officially rejoined the Ring of Honor roster even if I have been grossly insulted by not even being included on the main-card. And to make matters worse, rather than being given a challenging opponent, I am expected to face some washed veteran who will be given the red carpet treatment and given a pay per view match as his debut. Seems Tajiri hasn’t been keeping up to date with what it means to stand toe-to-toe with Flip Gordon, because when you step into the ring with me you’ve always to be prepared to look up. Reason - the Air is my territory.
As Flip takes a moment, he finds himself being interrupted by Bullet Club’s Crown Jewel Chase Owens who had a dry smile on his face as he would enter the shot and place his arm around Gordon’s shoulder, who would shrug it off clearly unhappy with the physical contract.
Flip Gordon: What do you want, Chase?
Chase Owens: Just checking in with an old buddy.
Flip Gordon: We ain’t buddies Chase.
Chase Owens: If you say so Gordon, I just wanted to come out and wish you luck ahead of your match tonight.
Flip has a look on his face with it clear he isn’t buying anything that Owens is selling.
Flip Gordon: What do you really want, Chase?
Chase Owens: I just wanted to wish you luck that is all, and check in with regards to your relationship with The Elite.
Flip Gordon: The Elite? What are you talking about?
Chase however, has already walked off leaving a confused looking Flip Gordon who clearly is thrown back by his run in with the Bullet Club member.
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00:08-00:17
The first match of the evening would see Vincent leading the Righteous in what would be the groups first defense as the champions, which would prove to be no easy feat against a tricky trio in Togo, SHO and Takahashi who were not scared to cut corners in order to get results as the House of Torture would pull all the tricks out of the book in order to try and claim the win. The Righteous though, were no sticklers of the rules themselves and were also looking to cheat left, right and center which meant that Jessika Carr would spend large portions of the match making sure that both sides were following the laws of the match, as much as she could with only one set of eyes. A miscommunication by Togo and SHO would lead to them knocking each other over, that would allow Vincent to lay out Yujiro with the Acid Drop to win the match and retain the belts in the process.
Winner: The Righteous (Vincent, Bateman & Dutch)
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00:18-00:21
Lethal is in The Foundation’s locker-room with his eyes locked on the TV monitors, watching The Righteous finish up their celebrations in the ring as Gresham and Woods enter the room and close the door behind them.
Jonathan Gresham: Was it a good match, anything to be worried about in the future?
Jay shakes his head.
Jay Lethal: Nothing of any real concern, I think if we wanted to we could bring back honor to the six-man division. I don’t really know what exactly Vincent is up to, but it is my intention to get to the bottom of this situation and work out whatever he and his cronies are up to because that video footage was doctored and it is clear that deception is at play to damage The Foundation at its core.
Jonathan Gresham: Don’t worry yourself with the mad preacher and his propaganda, a serpent with a wicked tongue is good for nothing but lies - we have more important things to worry about tonight, like reminding the fans tonight what it meant to truly fight with honor.
Jay Lethal: I want to thank you for tonight, by the way Jon. It means a lot. Two brothers closing the show and putting on an exhibition to the rest of the world to remind everyone that Ring of Honor is an institution in the art of professional wrestling.
Jonathan Gresham: I wanted to say sorry in regards to what happened on Tuesday night with regards to Kross - that man is an animal.
Jay Lethal: There is nothing to apologize for Jon. The guy is a lunatic, and I have full faith that Rhett will get the job done tonight. Tonight though, tonight we fight with honor.
Lethal and Gresham would both smile and nod at each other, as they would shake hands ahead of their match before Lethal would grab his gear and exit the room.
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00:23-00:30
Tajiri would make his ROH debut and it was clear that the fans in the Wolstein Center were invested in seeing the Japanese veteran who was now in his 29th year of his career in professional wrestling at the age of 51 - but you wouldn’t know it from the tenacity and fire he brought to the match when he starting tangling with Gordon with it being clear from the get go that the fans were very much cheering for the villainous Tajiri, much to Flip’s clear frustration. Flip though would start to claim some ascendancy in the match, and would start to wear the veteran down and would drop Tajiri to the mat with a well placed Enzuiguri as Flip would take his opportunity and clamber up onto the turnbuckles.
Hikuleo would distract the referee on one side of the ring as he would leap up onto ring apron, as Chase Owens would vault the barricade and with full force push Flip off the ropes directly into the path of Tajiri who would catch Gordon in the mid-air with a perfectly timed Buzzsaw Kick before rolling Flip over and claiming the victory on his Ring of Honor debut.
Winner: Tajiri
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00:34-00:53
The match between Woods and Bey would prove to be a Pure Rules match that would leave the fans yearning for more matches contested under what was an original ROH match type, and Chris Bey would be thrown into the deep end and be forced to learn to swim in dangerous waters from the get go, with Bey losing one of his ropes breaks within the first minute of the contest as Woods would force Bey up against the ropes whilst holding him in a headlock with the cunning moving clearly frustrated newcomer Bey. The match would progress for another five minutes, with both men involved in a technical display doing their best to avoid the ropes only for Woods to hi Bey with Chaos Theory (Rolling German Suplex) for a pin-attempt with Bey grabbing the ropes to keep himself in the contest, but use his second rope break of the contest.
Bey would get back into the contest though, as he would steal a trick from Woods’ book by locking him in the Sharpshooter and then deliberately stepping towards the ropes forcing Woods to lose a rope break as soon he made contact with the ropes. This trickery though only seemed to motivate Woods, as it wouldn’t take long for Woods grab hold of Bey’s leg and lock him into an Ankle Lock with both men lying down on the mat and Bey would reach out in desperation to the bottom rope to break the submission and lose his final rope-break in the process.
The match would end just short of the twenty minute mark, when Woods would hit Bey with his second Chaos Theory of the evening and transition into the Knee Bar and lock in the hold and would show no signs of letting go. Bey would do his best to escape the hold, but without any means of escaping and no rope breaks remaining leaving "The Ultimate Finesser" with no option but to tap out, much to his frustration. Woods would help Bey back up to his feet and both men would shake hands with the code of honor being adhered to, as Bey would exit the ring and allow Woods to enjoy his moment of glory.
Winner: Josh Woods
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00:54-00:58
After having celebrated his victory and interacting with the fans at ringside, Josh Woods made his way towards the back and clambered up onto the entrance stage presenting his Pure Championship to the ring and signaling that he had done this for them. Out of the wings, Killer Kross would blindside Woods with a forearm smash to the back of the head before dragging Woods up to his feet to throw him into the half-sized titantron screen on the wall of the main stage with Woods bouncing off with a thud and unable to defend himself.
Rhett would run out from the back with a brawl breaking out between him and Kross with the pair set to do battle later on tonight, only for a massbody of security to come out from the back and pull both men apart as Kross would yell out.
Killer Kross: Tick tock. It’s not time yet, but soon.
Before we would cut away from the two men, and the main show would begin.
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Honor Reigns Supreme would kick off with a live performance by Avril Lavigne who performed the official Theme Tune for the PPV ‘Bite Me’.
01:03-01:08
After the live performance, Cody Rhodes would make his way out from the back and get a mixed reaction from the fans in attendance as Cody would grab a microphone and address the fans with it becoming apparent from the get go he was holding nothing back.
Cody Rhodes: Cleveland, Ohio. The home of Cavaliers, Browns and Guardians. Three teams that really represent this city, and more so this state - this state full of absolute losers.
Rhodes is meant with jeers and boos as he insults the crowd without any provocation.
Cody Rhodes: I am wrestling royalty and so you will all listen to what I have to say. My time is more valuable than yours, which means that everything I say is worth listening to. People have been asking me, why have I come back to Ring of Honor? Why would I give up my position in AEW, to climb back down the ladder and return to Ring of Honor? The first reason is simple - I want to be become the World Champion again and show the rest of the world that I still have what it takes to be the best in the business, without being shackled by corporations and big money men who are slaves to their own profit margins. The second reason is the most important, and that is that I came back to kill what I helped create.
Cody walks around the ring and leans back against the ropes as he carries on speaking.
Cody Rhodes: Back when me and Kenny wrestled in 2018 during the Civil War Era - I made a mistake. When I beat him at Supercard of Honor XII, I should have taken control of the Bullet Club in a positive manner. Instead, I had tunnel vision which led to the creation of the Elite into its own autonomous unit. And as soon as I embraced Kenny and ended the war, I created a monster in the process. For that reason I apologize to the Club OGs, The Fire Firing Squad and the G.O.D. for not helping you kill the Elite there and then when they were ripe for the taking. However, without a time machine there is little point in mulling over regrets. Especially now that Kenny wasn’t even aligned with The Elite and was a Lone Wolf on AEW, whilst Matt and Nick have run back to Japan like two scolded dogs. Young Bucks if you are listening now, or you watch back later - I have receipts and you have debts because you claim fame and fortune in AEW before you tossed me into the cold because I know longer had the online crowd that you desired. Not this day, but another day you will get your dues and I will shut down your new bullshit YouTube show Being Mount Rushmore.
Cody pauses for a moment, as he clambers up onto the turnbuckle and sits down on top of it as he continues to preach his sermon.
Cody Rhodes: I picked up the phone and I gave Jay a phone call, and I made it clear that I wanted to make sure that old mistakes don't repeat themselves when it comes to quarrels regarding leadership. Because for a long time the Bullet Club wasn’t fine, but now with the gracious permission of The Switchblade, I am back to ensure it will be again. And the first order of business is of course Adam Cole. Adam, Adam, Adam you realize that you even running around acting like you are part of the Elite is nothing short of embarrassing. You had nothing to do with the creation of AEW, and are nothing but a sell-sword who joined the promotion because you had nowhere else to go and hijacked the branding. You might be in the Undisputed Era, Future Shock or even Kingdom - but you are never Elite and after tonight - you will get what you deserve.
The camera focuses right on Cody's face.
Cody Rhodes: It just won’t be me who does that - but don’t worry, I will have a ringside view as I witness you falling from grace.
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1:11-1:21
The match for the Women of Honor Tag Team Championships would prove to be a great match to kickoff proceedings for the main-show, with Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne coming out to the ring with their NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship on their shoulders in a clear attempt to wind up the crowd and would as if they were the real champions going into the contest with their mind games seeming to get underneath the skins of The Hex with Marti Belle seeming the most affected. The match itself wouldn’t be anything special, but both teams would show their potential in what was a brand new division in its infancy in Ring of Honor. The match would end with Toxic Attraction for the second that week nailing Martin Belle with Toxic Shock, as Mandy Rose would grab hold of AK’s ankles preventing her from entering the ring - that would be all that Toxic Attraction need to win the contest and become the new champions in their ROH PPV debut.
Jay White would be standing backstage alongside interviewer Quinn McKay.
Quinn McKay: My name is Quinn McKay - the 5ft of Concrete and I am joined at this time by the leader of the Bullet Club, Jay White. Jay, as the leader of the Bullet Club you have a lot of weight on your shoulders. What are your thoughts of the show so far?
Jay wouldn’t look at all pleased with the line of questioning.
Jay White: I thought this was going to be a serious interview, but if you aren’t capable of doing one I am sure that nerd Ian is around.
Quinn would look flustered, and slightly thrown off by White’s words.
Quinn McKay: Perhaps if I worded it differently. The House of Torture and Chris Bey were both involved in separate matches during the preshow, but both missed out on chances to claim the gold. Despite this, were you impressed with their performances?
Jay White: The question is still stupid Quinn, and I know what you are getting at because this hasn’t been the fruitful start that we were hoping for The Club at this point to have two new set of champions, but I have every confidence that if all involved get a second chance they won’t let me down again. Any more questions?
Quinn readjusts her spectacles, before she follows up with another question.
Quinn McKay: Tonight is a big night for you, as you have a massive match that many have described as a dream match between yourself and Adam Cole.
Jay White looks annoyed as he gently, but firmly pulls the microphone out of Quinn's hand and pushes her out of shot.
Jay White: No more chances, looks like I need to do this myself. Tonight’s match between myself and Adam Cole is not a dream match, because after I dispose of Adam this evening the word elite is never going to cross anyone’s mind when they think of Adam Cole and that is why I want you to listen real close to what I have to say next Adam, because this is just for you.
Jay gets up close and personal and looks directly at the camera with a look of tenacity in his eyes as he sends a clear direct message to Cole.
Jay White: Adam. I don’t even want you to even think about me in the build up to our match. Instead, I want you to watch the match for the TNA World Tag Team Championships later on tonight - because the outcome of that match. That is your future Adam because for the rest of the night the Bullet Club will be the one standing tall when all is said and done. When you hear the sound of the trigger being pulled and the hammer striking, you will never forget that Bullet Club is for life!
Jay pushes the camera away from him as he walks out of shot, as we return to the ring once again.
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01:30-01:47
The match between Moose and Alexander would prove to be an exciting affair, with Moose seeking to end the the match as fast possible using brute strength and power to try and bully his way through the contest, but Alexander was a wily Fox and would use his technical prowess and pure wrestling skills to avoid hurting himself, whilst frustrating Moose at every turn. It was clear that Moose was not happy with the way in which the match was, and would reach for a steel chair with the knowledge that he had the ability to fight without honor and use all the elements available to his advantage. Moose would grab hold of his TNA title belt and it was clear that he had real intention to use it on Alexander, however he would swing and miss as Alexander would roll out of the way and instead flip Moose head over heel to lock Moose in an Ankle Lock, only for Moose to grab hold of the ropes and pull himself out of harm's way to keep the match alive in what would be standout moment and really turn the heat up in the contest.
As the match approached its final stages chairs would litter the ring with both men having smashed each other multiple times that had caused the steel to buckle and welts to appear on their bodies. A splintered table was also present in one of the corners of the ring, where Moose earlier in the contest that had sent Alexander straight through with the Hitstick (Spear) in what had nearly resulted in a pin-fall finish only for Alexander to have rolled his shoulder up to break the count at the last possible moment. Moose however, was bleeding from his forehead when Josh had dropped the champion down face onto an exposed turnbuckle which Moose had previously uncovered himself.
The match would come to a conclusion when Moose would look to finish off Alexander with the Go to Hell (Sitout chokebomb) only for Alexander to counter the move and instead wrap his legs around Moose’s neck and forcing him down onto the mat with the Gogoplata before perfectly transitioning his body whilst keeping Moose on the mat to lock in the Ankle Lock and would really stretch back, with Moose having a crazed look in his eyes as he realized he had no other choice other than to tap out, with the bell being called for as Alexander would throw his arms in pure jubilation at once again winning the championship.
Winner: Josh Alexander.
After the match, PAC would appear on ROH for the first time ever with the X-Division Championship slung over his shoulder with it being clear that he was reminding Alexander that he would be his first challenge for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in one week’s time at Destination-X.
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01:50-2:14
All six women knew that all they had to do was survive each other and they would earn a future shot at Women of Honor Championship against reigning champion Rok-C or her challenger Mandy Rose. The order of eliminations and how they occurred are listed below:
- Liv Morgan would be the first to be eliminated from the match, as she would be nailed with a driving Big Boot from Havok before Conti would take hold of Moran and nail her with the Tay-KO (Gory Lift Into Knee Lift) before rolling her over and covering her for the three count.
- The next to go would be Havok who would be left red faced after Bliss would nail Havok with Pure Bliss (Sister Abigail) before hooking Havok’s leg over and claiming a quick pin. Havok would lose her shit after the fact, and despite no longer being part of the contest would throw Alexa out of the ring and whip her into the ring barricade only to pick up Alexa and lay her out with the HavoKiller (Sitout powerbomb) before a team of referees and backstage officials would surround Havok and demand she head to the back.
- The next to go would be Conti, who would have been involved in a fiery exchange with Ivelisse with the firing off shots at each other and punching the crap out of each other before with Tay clearly winded Iveliise would bounce off the ropes to build momentum before connecting with Disdain (Wheelbarrow DDT) before forcing Conti to tap via a Guillotine Choke.
- At the almost exact same time on the other side of the ring, Alexa Bliss who was still suffering the effects from the punishment handed out by Havok would be nailed with a stiff armed Lariat from Hayter, who would eliminate Bliss from the match resulting in a final two of Jamie Hayter and Ivelisse.
- Ivelisse and Hayter would battle it out amongst themselves, with both showing major signs of fatigue as the match would hit the twenty minute mark with the pair beating the crap out of each other with Jamie making the decisive move and bringing the match to a close as she would take Ivelisse off her feet with the Twist of Hayte to win the contest and earn the future shot at the Women of Honor Championship.
Winner: Jamie Hayter
After the match Hayter would offer Ivelisse her hand, but the Mexicana would slap Hayter hand away and instead the pair would break out into a fight in the middle of the ring. Hayter though would overpower Ivelisse and push her backwards only for Diamante and Alize to surge towards the ring with clear intention of laying a beatdown on Hayter, only for Rebel to chase after them with a kendo stick and thrash it around in a clear attempt to rep Las Sicarias, who would want no interest in a battle they couldn’t win as they would collect up Ivelisse with the trio climbing over the ring fence and escaping through the crowd by a hot headed and rage fuelled Rebel with Jamie Hayter not far behind her.
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02:18-02:32
The match for its main portion would actually prove to be a real entertaining contest with both teams having held the IWGP Tag Team Championship for a combined length of 1,356 days over ten different title reigns with both teams showing why they had become such sought after commodities in international markets and would certainly gauge the interests of everyone present in the Wolstein Center. To make the match even more interesting there was a clear split in who the fans were supporting with Bullet Club and Elite merchandise spread far and wide amongst the fan base in attendance
. It would be the ending of the contest that would prove to be the most memorable and be a key landmark moment in the entire wrestling community. With Gallows as the legal man, the Guerrillas of Destiny would have looked to set up for a finish as they would look to lay Doc with the Killshot although the move would be a misfire as Chris Bey would emerge from the back and leap up onto the ring apron that would distract Tanga Loa for the move to not be hit with full force, and that would allow for Doc to roll towards his corner and tag in Anderson. Bey would remain on the ring apron with the referee and Tanga Loa trying to chase Bey away, Jay White would slide into the ring and much to everyone shock would grab hold of Tama Tonga and lay him out with the Blade Runner before exiting the the ring and making a signal for Bey to jump down. As Loa would turn around Anderson and Gallows would be waiting for him and smash him in the face with twin Big Boots causing him to tumble out of the ring, as they would pick up the dazed Tonga and wipe him out with the Magic Killer before Anderson would drop down on top of Tonga to claim the pin victory.
Winners: The Good Brothers (Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows)
Everyone in attendance would be in shock at what had just taken place, as the Good Brothers would be handed back their TNA tag titles before the duo would stand alongside Jay White and Chris Bey and would pose as they would throw up the too sweet and hold them high in the air with their being no mistake that G.O.D. had been well and truly betrayed by the Bullet Club.
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02:34-02:36
Don Callis: Can i be the first to say, what just took place is not something I was expecting to take place tonight, but can I be the first to say that politics within factions and units is what makes the world go round. I don’t know what deals were made, but whatever was agreed to it looks like Gallows and Anderson are once again members of the Bullet Club, whilst G.O.D. are out. I suppose the next question is, will we see any more additions or subtractions from the group when the night is over?
Matt Striker: I have to agree with Don here, I don’t see this being the last big shock we see in regards to the Club. I know for sure that even some of their fans will be left confused, I know for one there is a lot of people wearing Guerrillas of Destiny with Bullet Club insignia emblazoned all over that will wonder who they should be cheering for, and I expect that there will be some members of the club will not be sure where their loyalties lie.
Tony Schiavone: Well I must admit that this is a really head scratcher.
Don Callis: It's really simple actually. Either you are in or you are out.
Matt Striker: It does look like The Elite might be looking for allies now that the Good Brothers have jumped ships though, so the balance and yin and yang of wrestling may come into play.
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02:40-03:00
The match for the Women of Honor Championship would be a first time meeting between Rok-C and Mandy and it would certainly prove to be a great contest between both men who were pushing themselves to be the face of all of the women in Ring of Honor. To everyone’s surprise it would be Mandy Rose who would show the champion some respect at the beginning of her contest by offering a hand, and there would be no funny business following the handshake with it almost seeming as if Mandy was trying to play mind games right from the get go.
The newly crowned Women of Honor Tag Team Champions Toxic Attraction would be at ringside during the contest, parading both sets of titles around with them whilst offering Mandy buckets of support with it clear that the unit were very much hoping for their leader to join them as a newly crowned champion. Gigi and Jacy would not be shy or even subtle though, as they would keep distracting the referee allowing Mandy to get various cheap shots and illegal attacks that were being done with clear intent of reducing Rok-C’s chances of a successful defense. Eventually though, Bryce Remsburg would make it clear that he had seen enough of their shenanigans and would eject Toxic Attraction from ringside and force them to the back - much to Mandy Rose’s clear annoyance.
Rok-C and Mandy would continue to put on a great battle in the ring and after Rok-C had connected with a beautifully placed Running Back Elbow it looked as if the advantage was very much in the champion’s favor as she would clamber up onto the ring apron with clear intentions of finishing the contest with an aerial assault. As Mandy would slowly get back up to his feet, Rok-C would launch off the turnbuckle and wipe her off with a Diving Crossbody but would show a bit too much gumption and force as rather than landing on top of Mandy, it would be Mandy who would be resting on top with the extra momentum and in the melee she would have the champion in a pinning situation and after an unexpected result - the match would come to an end with Mandy confirmed as the new face of the Women of Honor with a title to match her achievement.
Winner: Mandy Rose
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03:02-03:07
We would cut backstage, and the camera would stop in front of a locker-room door marked ‘BC Clubhouse’ as the cameras would enter the room.
Jay White: This is a very good moment for the Bullet Club.
Jay has a massive smile on his face as he points at Anderson and Gallows.
Jay White: This is a moment that everyone is going to remember as the night that the Bullet Club stamped their mark down on American soil once again.
There would be a grumble for Bad Luck Fale, that would be clearly heard by everyone.
Bad Luck Fale: Do you mind explaining to me what exactly is going on here? When was the decision made to bring in Karl and Doc?
Jay White would smile as he answered.
Jay White: This has always been the plane Fale. I said when we came to Ring of Honor that I was putting together the absolute best version of Bullet Club that I could, and as I said the best tag team in the world would end the night in possession of the TNA World Tag Team Championships - and that is exactly what has happened. These two men are the best tag team in the fucking world, and they are once again part of our family. We rinse and repeat, again and again and again doing our best to bring down the Good Brothers - and that, that was a mistake. We should have brought Karl and Doc back into the fold months ago, and now the club is stronger than ever.
Karl would pipe in.
Karl Anderson: Has it ever really been the Bullet Club, without the Machine Gun not being part of it? When you have an original returning to the fold, you know you are already on to a good thing. Don’t you remember the start of all of this Fale? It was me, you and Fergal - when we came up with this idea on May 3rd 2013 and back then we agreed it was 4-life.
Bad Luck Fale looks like he is about to say something, perhaps the fact that Tama Tonga was also there during the group's inception only for Gallows to interject.
Doc Gallows: 4-Life!
With Gallows raising his arms in the air to make the ‘Too Sweet’ hand gesture, with Anderson following suit, and Jay would join, as would Bey but Fale and Owens would look uncomfortable with the pair remaining in the room, but showing a form of dissent by not involving themselves in the club’s official handshake before the camera footage would return to the ring.
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03:10-03:18
Rhett Titus would come into the match, with the clear intent of restoring honor and also getting revenge for his Foundation member Tracy Williams who had been on the wrong end of a brutal beating from Killer Kross and was looking to get some exacted revenge on the man responsible, who just happened to be his opponent. It seemed that Kross had received the memo in that regard though, as he would end up handing down an absolute beating with no signs of letting up. Rhett would be on the defensive for most of the match, and Kross was like a shark in the water and could smell Titus’ blood and would clamp down on his opponent. Kross would end up propping Rhett up in the corner and nailing him five times in a row with heavy hitting Running Forearms Smashes that would end up breaking Rhett’s nose with blood spurting everywhere and spilling out onto the canvas. Rhett would stumble out of the corner and looky woozy, as Kross would hoist him up and slam him down onto the matt with an evil looking Doomsday Saito before locking Rhett in a head vice and proceeding to begin punching Titus repeatedly in the head shot after shot until Titus would seem to go limp with the referee calling for the bell seeming to signal that Titus had been knocked out cold.
Winner: Killer Kross
After the contest, Kross would add insult to injury by forcefully grabbing Rhett hand and shake it - thus adhering to the Code of Honor before standing over Rhett and standing defiantly with the World Television Championship being held in the air, as he would be joined in the ring by Scarlett Bordeaux who would kiss her partner on the cheek and have a wicked smile on her face whilst doing it before crouching down and wipe some of Titus’ blood of his face and wiping it onto Kross’s chest as if she was painting a warrior after a battle.
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03:20-03:22
Adam Cole would be standing next to Ian Riccabonni, in the backstage interview area with his match against Jay White set to take place immediately after the match for the ROH Tag Titles.
Ian Riccabonni: Adam, I am sure you weren’t expecting the Good Brothers to jump across the aisle and rejoin the Bullet Club?
Adam Cole: Well it certainly wasn’t something I was betting on Ian, especially considering everything that the Bullet Club have been putting Doc and Karl through in recent months - but I’m not going to be left annoyed by it. Clearly there is some exchanging of funds and monetary gains going on that led to this change of allegiance, and I expect the fallout of the situation to backfire. The Good Brothers were certainly an important part of me going into tonight, but the Elite always goes into every situation with more than one option and it looks like I am going to have to go with Plan B tonight. When the dust settles after my match with Jay, it will be the Elite who will be next in line for a World Title Shot, baybay!
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03:25-03:41
The Briscoes and Lucha Bros would feature in what could only be described as a technically brilliant tag team match between two five star tag teams, who would earn their time in the spotlight when a lot of the attention during the night had been elsewhere. Both teams would utilize quick tags and dynamic tag team maneuvers to put on an exhibition to the rest of the roster of just how the standard of tag team wrestling a team had to bring to the table, if they were going to challenge for the ROH World Tag Team Championships. Penta and Rey would both put on exceptional performances and nearly claim the belts after hitting Mark with the Package piledriver/Diving double foot stomp combo only for Jay to make the save at the last possible moments. The match would come to an end with the Briscoes taking out Pentagon with Springboard Doomsday Device whilst he wasn’t even the legal man - that would then lead to Mark Briscoe nailing Fenix with the Cut-Throat Driver (Inverted Death Valley driver) to bring the came to a conclusion. After Jay and Mark had recovered their title belts, they would stand toe to toe and shake hands adhering to the Code of Honor.
Winners: The Briscoe Brothers
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03:41-03:45
Following the handshake between The Briscoes and the Luchas Bros - the familiar theme music of LAX would blast throughout the Wolstein Center as Santana, Ortiz and Konnan would come out dressed in the LAX colors with the flags of Mexico and Puerto Rico draped over themselves as they would slide into the ring joining the two teams in the ring with Konnan demanding a microphone as he would walk right up to Penta and Fenix and start shouting in their faces.
Konnan: Shaking hands with these animales? Are you crazy! You shouldn’t be selling your souls to these racist southern pigs - they don’t care about you, they don’t care about you. If you had approached this match with a little more aggression you could have taken their titles by force but instead you chose the route of respect and that ended in failure. Santana and Ortiz, we don’t have a problem with you though - so if you don’t mind clearing the ring because we have something we want to say two these two gringos.
Pentagon and Fenix didn’t fight the request, as they would nod their heads towards the Briscoes before climbing through the ropes and would start walking towards the back. Konnan would walk up towards Jay, and have a smile on his face as he would tap the microphone before raising it up to his lips only to catch Jay off guard by smashing the microphone into his head. With Konnan pummeling Jay in the face, Santana and Ortiz would jump Mark before wrapping their flags around his throat and proceeding to choke him out in a two-on-one assault. Upon realization of what was taking place in the ring, the Lucha Bros would sprint back down towards the ring and end up pushing LAX off the Briscoes, with Konnan looking furious at their interjection as he would request another microphone with the original broken after being used as a weapon.
Konnan: What do you two think you are doing, have you forgotten where you even come from?
Konnan would proceed to slap Penta square across the face, but before he could respond Las Sicarias would enter the ring with Alize, Diamante and Ivelisse fashioning a protective wall in front of LAX with it clear that Penta wasn’t going to lay hands on them as Konnan would smile before continuing to speak.
Konnan: You have both forgotten your routes, perhaps if you actually had Alex Abrahantes coming to ring with you you might actually have a bit more common sense. You have until Elite this Tuesday to decide if you want to live or die in LAX. You stand with us or against us - that choice is up to you.
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03:48-03:50
Mandy Rose who would be in the backstage area with the ROH Women of Honor Championship strapped around her waist, but the NXT Women’s Championship still hanging off her shoulder.
Mandy Rose: If you were ignorant enough to not know why Toxic Attraction were the hottest flavor in pro wrestling, well tonight should be proof enough why Gigi, Jacy and myself are the hottest commodities in women’s wrestling at this very point in time. In less than a month we have claimed all the gold and become the three most important women in Ring of Honor. We hold six belts between the three of us, and I don’t see why that should stop us from not looking to adding more gold to our pile. And on the same note, if someone wants to have a shot at either of my belts then all they need to is…
Jamie Hayter would enter the shot and cut Mandy off, and proceed to firmly pat the Women of Honor Championship.
Jamie Hayter: I’ve already earned the right to challenge for this belt, so you just sit tight princess because I am going to take that belt straight out of your hands at the first chance I get.
Before Mandy can offer an answer, Jamie would proceed to walk out of shot but not before winking at the camera.
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03:53-04:30
Cody Rhodes would prove to be impartial from the get go, with Cole and White would put on a great contest in what would no doubt prove to be the best match of the night so far with both men pushing the other to their utmost limit with a number of key moments take place in the contest that would help define it as being such a memorable contest:
- The first standout moment would occur when White would nail Cole in the back with a heavy hitting lariat, spinning him around with a knife edge chop to the chest before sending him into the turnbuckle with a dangerous looking Snap Suplex that would leave Adam clutching his neck and it was clear he was feeling the a significant amount of pain from the nasty bump.
- With Cole grabbing onto his neck and continuing to show discomfort, White wouldn’t even hide the fact that this was the area of Cole that he was targeting whether it was with kicks or strikes before he would lay out Cole with a Running Death Valley Driver that would keep him grounded as White would clamber onto the turnbuckle before launching off and land square on Cole back with a Double Foot Stomp that would nearly result in a pin-fall, it Cole hadn’t just manage to grab hold of the bottom rope leading to a rope break.
- Cole though wouldn’t allow for White to walk all over him, and would claim an advantage as he would nail White with the Ushigoroshi and after failing the claim the pin-fall would only be more motivated as he would go on the real offensive and nail White with a Bicycle Kick before grabbing hold of White and looking to end the match as he would connect with the Panama Sunrise, but White would show his wrestling survival instincts by rolling out of the ring preventing Cole from capitalizing on the situation.
- The match would reach the reach the twenty five minute mark when reDRagon would emerge from the back with the clear intention of influencing the match - although KOR and Fish would quickly discover that Cody Rhodes was going to enforce the match right down the middle and would make it clear that neither men were coming any closer and would eject them from ringside. With Cole distracted, White would take the opportunity to nail Cole with the Kiwi Krusher (Outside leghook fisherman driver) with Cole managing to kick out of the pin at the very last moment possible - much to White absolute disbelief as he would proceed to start arguing with match official Bryce Remsburg.
- It wouldn’t be the only interruption, as about five minute later the Good Brothers would emerge from the back - but just like the previous attempt of interference Cody Rhodes would stand true and also eject Anderson and Gallows making it clear that he wasn’t going to allow any outside interference to affect the outcome of the contest - as Melissa Santos would announce that the match had reached the thirty minutes mark.
- The light in the Wolstein Center would suddenly go out, as Marty Scurll would make his return to Ring of Honor for the first time in two years, as he would make his way out from the back much to everyone's surprise. In the confusion of the light going out, the referee had somehow been knocked over in the confusion with Cody Rhodes sliding into the ring and checking on the welfare of the referee. Scurll would slide into the ring and would walk straight up to Cole and would square up to him with both men looking heated, when out of nowhere he would turn around and end up cracking over White with his signature umbrella shot that would cause White to drop to the mat like a sack of potatoes.
- Cody realizing what had just happened would leave the referee and instead would move towards Scurll and grab him by his chest and push him towards the ropes but instead of ejecting him from the ring would end up embracing Scurll in the middle ring much to everyone's confusion - as Cole would have a massive grin on his face as he would clap his hands together and creep around White waiting him to get up before charging forward and finishing off White with the Boom Wizard before rolling White over for the cover. Cody would drag Remsburg and dump down, with the semi conscious referee making the three count whilst clearly still out of it.
Winner: Adam Cole
After the bell, with Cole looking incredibly pleased with himself - Cody would drag a limp looking White back up to his feet only to sending him back down to the mat with the Cross Rhodes only for Scurll to add insult to injury by leaning over White and proceeding to choke him out with the umbrella before the trio would exit the ring as the Good Brothers and Chris Bey would run out from the back coming to the aid of White, with both units looking at each other from opposites sides of the ring with sheer hate in their eyes although it was clear that this was not the time or the place for another battle.
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04:32-04:34
Lethal and Gresham would be standing in the gorilla position, with the pair set to battle in only a couple of minutes - but it was clear that the both of the leading members of The Foundation had something to say prior to their match for the ROH World Championship.
Jay Lethal: Tonight has been a bad night for The Foundation - because tonight has seen a total lack of honor present during this pay per view. This show is called Honor Reigns Supreme, but honor has been severely lacking tonight. Whether it be the nonsense that took place between White & Cole, the arrival of LAX or the manner in which the match for the TNA tag team titles ended - and don’t even get me started on what took place between Titus and Kross. That is why me and Jon have come to a decision about our match tonight.
Jay would hand the microphone over to Gresham.
Jonathan Gresham: Tonight we enter the ring as family, as brothers, as The Foundation. And tonight we fight with honor. And honor truly lives when a match is contested under Pure Rules - and that is exactly what me and Jay are going to do. As we step into the ring and fight with honor.
Gresham and Lethal would shake hands, before Lethal would head towards the ring to begin entrance proceedings.
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04:40-04:57
The match would prove to be a great contest with both Lethal and Gresham fighting not on a basis of hatred, but rather with a large volume of respect that would be clear from the get so with no signs of anger or hatred towards each other that would be felt by the crowd and allow for the fans to be even more entrained by what they were witnessing. Both men would utilize a strong ground game, and show off their technical math skills and submissions which would lead to both men having expended all three of their rope breaks by the time the match reached double digits in match length. With nothing else to protect the other, both men would shake each other's hands once more and wish each other luck before they would be applauded by the fans with both men taking an interval to have a drink, with it being evidently clear that a lot of respect was held between both men.
The match would end in a fast paced fashion, with the pair exchanging fast paced move after fast paced move with Lethal picking up the pace by wailing into Gresham with a European Uppercut before Jonathan would counter with an arm that would be transitioned into a crucifix pin only for Lethal to cradle over and put Gresham in a pinning predicament that would force Jonathan to break the hold as both men would roll away from each other.
Gresham would show his high speed pace as he would leap upton to turnbuckle only to leap off and land on top of Lethal with the Phoenix Splash - only for Lethal to raise his knee and knock the wind right out of Gresham’s lungs. With Jonathan struggling to regain his breath, Lethal would spring forwards towards the back and spring backwards as he would bring Gresham down to the canvas with a perfectly placed Lethal Injection - but Gresham would raise his shoulders up off the mat just after the two count, with Jonathan being quick to claim Lethal’s back and tighten in a devastating Octopus Hold that have Jay locked in place and unable to move - with Lethal left with no option but to tap out.
The frustration on Lethal’s face would be clear, but he would have a smile on his face as the Code of Honor would be respected with both members of The Foundation shaking hands before the pair would embrace in the middle of the ring. Jay would then respectfully take the ROH World Championship from the referee and strap it around the waist of Gresham before taking his Foundation member’s arm and raising it into the air indicating him as the winner of the contest.
Winner: Jonathan Gresham
Without Gresham even having had time to enjoy the win, out from the back would emerge Bandido with his own version of the ROH World Title with the Mexican luchador walking towards the ring with what looked like a contract attached to a clipboard. Neither man would say a single word towards each other, but the camera would zoom in on the paper with it being a contract for a match between both men at Honor Rising with Bandido’s signature visible on the paper as he would hand the contract to Gresham before stand back and applauding Gresham as the show would come to a finish.
Finish: A total of twenty entrants took part in the Azteca Ranbo, which would feature as part of the Great Voyage’s pre show with Mr. Iguana and HAYATA being the final two men in the contest, with the accomplished Junior Heavyweight wrestler HAYATA claiming the victory by nailing Mr. Iguana with a Handspring Kick that would have enough power behind it to send the uniquely gimmicked luchador to be sent toppling over the ropes and out of the ring.
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SINGLES MATCH
Finish: The second match of the preshow would see Lady Shani take on Kimber Lee in an interesting contest, with Lady Shani proving to be massively popular in Osaka, in what was her match outside of Mexico since 2018 (this match taking place in Columbia) and would prove to be an instant hit as she was making her Japanese debut. Shani would pick up the win, by nailing Kimber with a Spinning Head-scissors.
- After the match, with the aid of a Japanese translator Lady Shani would make it clear that she would be watching the match between Santana Garrett and Dark Sheik later tonight, because if Dr. Wagner, Jr. had any sense he would place her in the match to face the winner for the Reina de Reinas Championship at the next Alianza Azteca Asiatica Supershow.
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MAIN SHOW
Dr. Wagner, Jr. would open the main show by making it clear that Alianza Azteca Asiatica (AAA) was not going to sit still and allow the “Rich Boys Club” to raid their roster and steal their talent and that the day of VKM were over. Wagner would make it clear that if anyone was looking to do business with Triple A then they were going to have to take a seat at the table and make serious offers - because like every club, eventually someone felt they were getting the shit end of the stick.
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GHC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Finish: Chris Ridgeway would make his first defense as the GHC National Champion, in a battle between two Brits with Oku offering Ridgeway a real challenge in what would be an exciting hard fought contest to open the main show. Ridgeway would win the contest by locking Oku in his signature Sleeper Holder with Oku tapping out and Ridgeway retaining the belt.
- After the match, Ridgeway would offer Oku his hand and the pair would shake hands in the middle of the ring - only to not release his grip and lay out Oku with a brutal short-arm lariat before flipping of the Osaka fans and exiting the ring with the National Championship still in his possession.
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ELIMINATION TAG
Perros Del Mal (Ikuta Hidaka, Eita, Kotaru Suzki & Super Crazy) Vs. Los Vipers (Psicosis II, Abismo Negro, Jr., Arez & Latigo)
Finish: The tag match would be an exciting affair with two units with very similar nature, now part of the same roster battling out amongst themselves with the clear intent of proving themselves as the top villain unit in Alianza Azteca Asiatica (AAA). Abismo Negro, Jr. would end up being the sole survivor and would claim the elimination by nailing Super Crazy with the Martinete (Tombstone Piledriver).
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AAA WORLD CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP & GHC JUNIOR HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP UNIFICATION MATCH
Finish: The match was seen as key to the future of the company as it would be the first unification match since the merge, with it being clear that both men were equally motivated for claim the win to prove their original promotion title was superior. Both men would push the other to their limit with the fans thrilled with the contest they were seeing, with the match ending with a perfect Flip DDT from Drago to win the contest.
- With both belts being presented to him, and with each one slung over either shoulder Drago would declare himself as the inaugural AAA World Junior Heavyweight Champion and would name drop Hiromu Takahashi, Josh Woods, Danny Garcia, KENTA and Robbie Eagles as just a handful of men who would be unworthy to challenge him for the belt because AAA was the single greatest promotion in pro-wrestling.
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AAA LATIN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP
Finish: Adonis and Taurus would battle in a brutal affair, with both men intent on beating the crap out of the other. Adonis would get some help from DMT Azul and Estrellita with both members of La Empresa doing their best to aid Adonis in claiming the belt. Taurus though, would overcome the odds and fight off both interlopers before finishing off Adonis with the Taurus Driver to retain the belt.
- In broken English, Black Taurus would grab a microphone and say ‘Fuck TNA’ before tossing the microphone away and celebrating his victory in the ring.
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AAA REINA DE REINAS CHAMPIONSHIP
Finish: Garrett and Sheik would feature in an epic match to crown the 30th Reina de Reinas Champion, with Deonna having been stripped of the title when she had signed with AEW. Santana would push Sheik to her limit, but Dark Sheik's more violent tendencies would pay dividends as she had a much higher threshold of pain and would end the contest and claim the gold by sending Garrett straight through a table via the Shia Crescent to finish the contest.
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GHC HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Finish: Psycho Clown would wrestle in Japan for the first time in 2017 (where he and Pagano and won Lucha Libre Victoria World Cup) although a match against Nakajima for the GHC Heavyweight Championship was a completely different ball game with both men battling for what had been NOAH’s biggest prize for over two decades. Psycho Clown and Katsuhiko would end up having the best match of the night up to this point in what would be an above board and clean match with it clear that both men wanted to win this contest fairly which would only thrill the Osaka even more in a contest that would go past the twenty five minute mark. The match would reach its conclusion when Nakajima would hit Psycho with the Diamond Bomb to claim the W and retain the GHC Heavyweight Championship.
- After savoring the victory, Nakajima would make it clear this was the start of the journey for Alianza Azteca Asiatica, but that eventually a decision was going to have to be made in regards to which championship was seen as the highest point in this new promotion and that if he had any say in the matter that peak would become the GHC Heavyweight Championship.
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AAA WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS
Kongo (Manabu Soya & Kenoh) vs. LFI (Dragon Lee & Dralistico)
Finish: Both teams were coming into the contest with aspirations of becoming the new champions, following titles having been vacated alongside a decision to retire both sets of NOAH’s tag team belts to create a singular men’s tag division. The match would be a hard fought contest, and would serve as a great contest in building up to the evening’s main-event. Both teams would help cement that Alianza Azteca Asiatica was more than capable of playing host to elite tag team matches with LFI winning the belts when Dragon Lee would nail Soya with the Desnucadora (Vertical suplex powerbomb) to win the contest.
- After the match Dragon Lee and Dralistico would be joined in the ring by La Bestia del Ring, Marco Corleone (Jindrak) and Amy Rose. Dragon Lee would make it clear that despite anything that Dr. Wagner, Jr. had to say that La Faccion Ingobernables transcended all of professional wrestling - but in order to prevent confusion this version of the group would now be referred to as Los Ingobernables de Azteca (LFIA). Dragon Lee would make it clear that LFIA were coming for all the belts, and that championships like the X-Division would be just one of many belts that he and his brothers would be happy to claim for the greatest faction in modern day wrestling.
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INTERIM AAA MEGA CHAMPIONSHIP
Finish: Great Voyage 2022 would end with a match for the interim AAA Mega Championship that would see Cibernetico and Marufuji looking to claim their fifth recognised world titles (with Cibernetico a previous champion as well as a three time AAA Campeón de Campeones, whilst Naomichi was a four time GHC Heavyweight Champion).and it was clear going into the match that both men were massively motivated going into the contest despite the fact it was for the interim championship.
In the mid-portion of the match, Los Vipers would come out from the back with the clear intent of trying to influence the outcome of the match. M’s Alliance though (Mochizuki, Miyamoto, Tanaka and Funaki) would exit from the back and proceed to result in a mass brawl taking place between both units on the entrance way and around the ring, whilst Cibernetico and Marafuji would continue to wage their battle in the ring. Marufuji would look to finish the match by connecting with the athletic Shiranui only for Cibernetico to get right back to his feet and grab hold of Naomichi and slam him down onto the canvas with the Apocaliptica (Chokeslam) before cradling Naomichi over to claim the three count and become the interim Alianza Azteca Asiatica Mega Champion.
- -Cibernetico would be joined in the ring by Los Vipers to celebrate the victory, only for the lights in Osaka Edison Arena to go out and the entire ring and audience to be left in total darkness. When the lights came back on, Nueva Generacion Dinamita, Go Shiozaki, Dr. Wagner, Jr. and Masa Kitamiya would be beating the crap out of Los Vipers with it being clear that Cibernetico was now associated with this new group and would aid in beating up his former faction members before tossing them out of the ring.
- Cibernetico would introduce the Osaka crowd to the newest unit in wrestling ‘Escalera Real’ translated as ‘The Royal Flush’ and make it clear that he and the six other men in the ring had one focus in mind going forward and that was making the rest of the wrestling word kneel at their feet and accept that Alianza Azteca Asiatica was the single greatest promotion of all time. Cibernetico would then go on to address Vikingo and make it clear that he was nothing but a fraud and that sooner rather than later he would come knocking to tear the title out of Vikingos’ hands and promise to make it as painful as possible.
- The show would end with Dr. Wagner, Jr. taking the microphone and announcing that the Alianza Azteca Asiatica event would take place in Mexico and would be Guerra de Titanes (the first edition since 2019) and that the event would take place in February and that if any members of the “Rich Boys Club” were looking to feature on the marquee event - then they were going to have to make an offer that was beneficial to both parties.
That is some brilliant work on my show. Thank you @Judge Juicy
That’s probably some of the most extensive notes I’ve ever written for a BTB or efed and Juice still managed to expand on it and make it better. I hope everyone enjoys the direction ROH is going in.
