It’s a night of returns!

Tonight, The Kingdom, The Righteous, and ROH Women’s World Television Champion, Red Velvet, are all returning to Honor Club!

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• 8 Man Tag: The Premier Athletes & The Righteous VS The Kingdom & Spanish Announce Project; The Premier Athletes & The Righteous win.
• Lance Archer VS Crowbar; Archer wins.
• ROH Women’s World Television Championship Proving Ground: Red Velvet VS Ashley Vox; Velvet wins and denies Vox a title match.
• 8 Man Tag: Shane Taylor Promotions VS Mark Briscoe, AR Fox & Top Flight; Briscoe, Fox & Top Flight win.

PLAY BY PLAY

Mark Sterling interrupts the show’s introductions?!

“Smart” Mark issues a verbal cease and desist and says he will take it from here. “Everybody knows that this is Ariya Daivari & Tony Nese, The Premier Athletes! Folks, it took me 20 years of living in this town to realize that it was just East Albany. I gotta tell ya, nothing has ever sprung from this field for a very long time. Especially these losers right here.” Sterling is pointing at the Danhausen cosplayer and their friends. But Sterling says he’s going to let them be part of a winning team for once, unlike the Thunderbirds! So, when Sterling says, “Athletes,” you say, “Rule,” nothing else! Hands in, boys. Ohh… “ATHLETES!” “SUCK!”

The fans got Sterling again! But now they’re joined by their tag partners in tonight’s opening. It’s The Righteous! But it isn’t just good ol’ Dutch & Vincent making their returns to start the show. Matt Taven & Mike Bennett are back and standing alongside Angelico y Serpentico! Will Nese & Daivari be feeling very self-righteous with a win tonight? Or will the fans be justified in saying “Athletes Suck?”

8 Man Tag: The Premier Athletes & The Righteous VS The Kingdom & Spanish Announce Project!

The teams sort out and Angelico starts against Daivari. Nese tries to get the fans to play along again, “ATHLETES!” “SUCK!” Still not learning their lesson… The bell rings, Daivari and Angelico circle, and Angelico still offers the Code of Honor. Daivari says sure, why not. He shakes hands, but then kicks low! Daivari bumps Angelico off buckles, tags in Nese, and the Athletes mug Angelico. “ATHLETES!” “SUCK!!” The Athletes double whip but Angelico grabs ropes. Angelico TOSSES Daivari, BOOTS Nese, then wrenches Nese to tag in #SNAKEMAN! Serpentico goes up, and he DOUBLE STOMPS Nese’s arm!

Sterling protests but SAP double whip, double drop down, and then HIP TOSS for the HIP TOSS SENTON! Serpentico adds a SPLASH! Cover, TWO! Serpentico wrenches Nese, tags in Taven, and the fans cheer Taven as he wrenches Nese to a wristlock. Nese takes a swing, Taven ducks to waistlock, but Nese bucks the O’Conner. But Taven arm-drags Nese! Nese powers up, whips Taven to a corner, but Taven goes up and over. Taven comes back, slides under the hurdle, then DROPKICKS Nese down! The fans fire up, because “IIIII’M! MATT TAVEN!” Taven storms up on Nese, wrenches, and he tags in Bennett.

The fans fire up as Bennett whips Nese into Taven’s BOOT, then ROCKS Nese so Taven can LARIAT! Cover, TWO! Daivari and Sterling protest, “One in, one out!” Bennett keeps Nese from his corner and CHOPS him against the ropes! Bennett whips Nese but Nese grabs the ropes to bail out! The fans boo but Bennett pursues! Bennett pushes Nese back into the ring but Daivari eggs Bennett on. Bennett gives back the trash talk, but then he dodges Nese’s baseball slide dropkick! Bennett DECKS Nese, then he DECKS Daivari! Sterling steps up but Bennett asks, “You want some, too?!” Sterling backs off, but Nese BLINDSIDES Bennett!

The fans boo and Bennett’s team protests, but the ref keeping them back allows Sterling, Daivari & The Righteous the chance to mug Bennett on the outside! The fans boo more, but the ref misses all of this, and Dutch puts Bennett in the ring. Nese covers, TWO! Bennett is tougher than that but Nese tags in Vincent. They mug Bennett, and Vincent DECKS Bennett. Vincent then puts Bennett in the corner to ROCK him, and he tags Dutch. Dutch fires body shot after body shot, then an UPPERCUT! Bennett sits down, Dutch taunts Taven, and Vincent CHOKES Bennett behind the ref’s back! The fans boo but Dutch drags Bennett up to bump him off buckles.

Dutch whips Bennett corner to corner, LARIATS him down, and then covers, TWO! Dutch clamps onto Bennett with a chinlock and he squeezes tight. Bennett endures, the Premier Athletes soak up the heat, and then the fans rally. Bennet fights to his feet, and he JAWBREAKERS free! Dutch staggers, Nese tags in! Nese STOMPS Bennett down, then taunts Taven and SAP! Nese drags Bennett back to have a chinlock of his own. Nese grinds Bennett down but fans chant, “Athletes Suck!” Bennett fights up, fires body shots, and is free! Only for Nese to pick him up and RAM him into the corner! Nese fires off, but Bennett fires back!

Bennett DECKS Nese, then he ROCKS Dutch, ROCKS Vincent, and ROCKS Daivari! Bennett runs up, but DOUBLE LARIATS take him and Nese down! The fans fire back up while Taven and SAP coach Bennett on! Sterling shouts to Nese, both men crawl, and the fans rally up more. Hot tags to Daivari and Taven! The fans fire up as Taven dodges Daivari to SPLASH Nese! Then Taven BOOTS Daivari, and he GAMANGIRIS Nese! HEEL KICK for Daivari! BACKDROP for Nese! The fans fire up and Taven runs to LION- NO, Daivari moves! Taven lands out, and he dodges to SUPERKICK! Then the LIONSAULT! Cover, Dutch breaks it!

The fans boo but Taven and Dutch brawl! Vincent tags in, and The Righteous double whip, only for Serpentico to tag in! Taven stops himself at the ropes, then bails out! Serpentico eggs Dutch on, Dutch runs up, but SAP DUMP Dutch out! Vincent runs up, Angelico GAMANGIRIS! Then Angelico FLYING LARIATS Dutch down! Serpentico arm-drags Vincent, then SUPERKICKS! Then BASEMENT FLATLINER! The fans fire up, but Daivari is back to clinch and URENAGE! But The Kingdom is in, Taven pops Daivari up for the BOSTON BAYONET! Sterling gets on the apron to yell at them, but The Kingdom DOUBLE SUPERKICK him down!

The fans fire up more and Bennett tells Sterling to “SUCK IT!” but The Righteous are back! They CLOBBER The Kingdom from behind! The fans boo, but Serpentico shoves Vincent into Dutch, O’Conner Roll, TWO! BLACKHOLE SLAM!! And then ORANGE SUNSHINE!! Cover, Righteous & Athletes win!

Winners: The Premier Athletes & The Righteous, by pinfall

Sterling celebrates like he and his guys actually did something there. But then the way The Righteous look at them, the Premier Athletes get outta there. Now that they are back, will death walk through ROH, Dutch & Vincent following behind?

Nick Wayne speaks.

It was after Spring Breakthru Collision that the Prodigy said, “When you normally see me, I’m always with the family, I’m always with The Patriarchy. But tonight, I did this on my own. I won this on my own! I didn’t need Kip Sabian, I didn’t need Christian Cage, and I sure didn’t need my mother ringside to do things like this! It’s reasons like this why they call me The Prodigy. It’s reasons like this why I’m the future of professional wrestling. ROH just became Wayne’s World, and you’re all just living in it.” Nick did make history all on his own, but we saw last night on Dynamite that Christian Cage is trying to take that from him. Will Nick Wayne finally be his own man?

ROH Women’s World Television Championship Proving Ground: Red Velvet VS Ashley Vox!

The Chef is back, and she’s ready to heat the kitchen up again. She knows La Catalina is waiting her turn for a shot at this title, but will Velvet owe another golden ticket? Or is the Reel Catch about to get cooked in ten minutes or less?

The Code of Honor is not upheld as Velvet leaves Vox hanging to smooth her hair. Velvet says sorry, sorry, she’s just kidding around. She offers the handshake again, but then pulls the same joke! The fans boo and Vox is annoyed. Velvet says for real this time, but then Vox grabs Velvet’s hand to make her shake. The bell rings, but Velvet doesn’t let go! She short arm LARIATS Vox and the fans boo! Velvet mocks them, and then she rains down furious forearms! Velvet soaks up the heat, but Vox rolls her up! TWO, and Velvet is annoyed. Velvet CLOBBERS Vox, talks trash, “You think you’re gonna beat me?”

Velvet puts Vox on ropes to CHOKE! The ref counts, Velvet steps off at 4, and then Velvet taunts the fans, and even mocks Vox’s fishhook finger. Velvet winds up, but Vox blocks the shot to HOTSHOT the arm! The fans rally for Vox and Vox ROCKS Velvet again and again! Velvet KNEES low, CLUBS her, then bumps her off buckles. Velvet runs Vox side to side, but Vox blocks and bumps Velvet! The fans rally, Vox whips, but Velvet reverses! Velvet dribbles Vox off buckles, then she lets off. Velvet storms back up to snapmare Vox, push her to a cover, ONE!! Vox shows some toughness, but Velvet kneels on her to CHOKE her!

The ref reprimands, Velvet steps off, and Velvet tells the fans to shut up. Velvet clamps onto Vox with a chinlock and grinds her down. The fans rally, Vox endures, and Vox fights up. Vox arm-drags free! The fans fire up, Vox runs in, but Velvet dodges! Velvet unloads the body shots! The ref counts, Velvet lets off, but then she stomps a mudhole into Vox! Velvet stops at 4, then she digs her boot into Vox! Velvet does the split, she taunts the fans, but she stops as the ref counts again. Velvet swaggers and stirs it up, to then run back in, only for Vox to ELBOW her! Velvet runs up, Vox BOOTS her! Vox goes up, Velvet staggers around, Vox MISSILE DROPKICKS!

Velvet flounders away and the fans rally up. Vox runs, dodges, and KNEES Velvet down! The fans fire up as Vox holds up the hook! But Velvet BOOTS the hook away! Vox dodges to HEADBUTT! And then she reels Velvet in, for the FISH HOOK! Vox ripcords and LARIATS! Cover, TWO!! Velvet survives and Vox can’t believe it! The fans rally, but time is on Vox’s side! Vox stalks Velvet, brings her around, fisherman, but Velvet wrenches out! Velvet dodges the lariat, and she DECKS Vox!! Cover, Velvet wins!

Winner: Red Velvet, by pinfall (denies Ashley Vox a title opportunity)

That punch might as well have been a knockout, but The Chef is- interrupted by La Diva del Ring! Catalina is here, and she signals that she’s gonna have that belt. The fans cheer as Catalina steps up to Velvet in the ring, and the two talk a bit of smack. When and where will Catalina be on the menu with Red Velvet?

ROH announces entrants for the Women’s Pure Championship Tournament!

Leila Grey says listen up, because she has some exciting news! The Last Baddie Standing is officially in the tournament! And it is about time she has her name added to the history books. Go ahead and underestimate her, but don’t get it twisted. A tournament means opportunity. And Deonna Purrazzo says this is the perfect opportunity for her. If we’re talking the inaugural ROH Women’s Pure Champion, who better than The Virtuosa? Because when you think women’s wrestling and ROH, you think Deonna Purrazzo. There is not another woman in this tournament who has done what she’s done!

But then Taya Valkyrie says, “Pure class, pure perfection, pure style. I just knew this championship was made for me. And when you think of ‘pure,’ you think of Taya! I am the epitome of a rule follower. I will be an awfully good girl and take myself all the way to the end.” Taya does note that her partner, Deonna, will be in the tournament, too. How amazing it would be for a perfectly Pure Vendetta finals? That sounds absolutely delicious. But Deonna warns Taya. The best pure technical women’s wrestler will win this, and we all know who that will be. The Virtuosa clearly thinks herself ahead of La Wera Loca, but who will be the very first ROH Women’s Pure Champion?

8 Man Tag: Shane Taylor Promotions VS Mark Briscoe, AR Fox & Top Flight!

Speaking of Pure Championship titles, Lee Moriarty still has his, but he, The Infantry and Shane Taylor himself want all the gold! Will they finally get closer to dominating ROH? Or will the Sussex County Chicken, the Whole Fox’n Show and the Martin Brothers all #ManUp and get themselves some title opportunities?

The fans cheer on Top Flight, and then the teams sort out. Mark starts against Shane, but Shane SPITS on the Code of Honor! The fans boo, the bell rings, and Mark asks, “It’s like that?” Shane says yeah, it’s like that! The forearms start flying! They go back and forth, faster and faster, and the fans fire up! Mark ROCKS Shane, then bobs ‘n’ weaves to fire more forearms! Mark runs, but Shane swings! Mark ducks ‘n’ dodges, then CROSSBODIES, but Shane catches him! Shane shakes his head, pops Mark up, but Mark slips free! REDNECK KUNG-FU UPPERCUT! Then a ROLLING ELBOW! Mark runs, but Shane CLOBBERS him!

Lee tags in, but so does Fox. Fox kicks, Lee blocks and KICKS, but Fox ENZIGIRIS! Fox runs, but Lee GAMANGIRIS! Lee fires up and the fans are torn. Lee wrenches Fox, tags Carlie Bravo, they double whip. Fox holds ropes, DUMPS Lee out, then TOSSES Carlie! Fox sweeps the legs! Fox runs and SLINGSHOT STOMPS Carlie, to then CROSSBODY Lee! The fans fire up for Fox and he goes back to the ring. Fox trips Carlie up, then MOONSAULTS onto Lee! Fox goes back up the corner, and he SWANTON BOMBS onto knees! Carlie saves himself, then gets Fox into the corner. Tag to Dean and Carlie feeds Fox to a clinch!

Dean lifts, Carlie helps out, BOOSTED URENAGE! Cover, TWO! Fox is tougher than that, but Dean stays between him and his team. Dean stalks Fox, then he RAMS Fox into the STP corner again. The whole team mugs Fox! The fans boo, Carlie says that’s how it is! Dean tags Carlie, and Carlie stands Fox up for more shots! Carlie tells the fans to shut up, then he CHOPS! And CHOPS again! Carlie fireman’s carries, then he spins to GUT BUSTER DROP! Cover, TWO! Fox survives but Carlie keep shim down with a chinlock. Fox endures, the fans rally, and Fox fights around. Fox fires body shots, but Bravo CLUBS him!

Fox reaches for his corner, Bravo kicks Fox, but Fox still fights! Bravo ROCKS Fox, kicks and reels him in, but Fox suplexes first! ANARCHY! Both men are down and the fans fire up again! Fox and Bravo crawl, hot tags to Dean and Darius! Darius CLOBBERS Dean, BLASTS Lee, then fires hands on Dean! Darius whips, Dean reverses, but Darius atomic drops! Then he BULLDOG HOTSHOTS! BOOT for Bravo! GAMANGIRI for Dean! Lee lurks and grabs a foot! Darius kicks free, Shane tags in, and Darius steps in, into a HAYMAKER! Shane hauls Darius up, and he URENAGES! Shane talks trash, then SPLASHES DOWN! Cover, TWO!!

Darius survives but Shane drags Darius up. Shane puts Darius in a corner, and CHOPS! Dean says, “That’s a man right there! That’s a man!” Darius comes back to CHOP, CHOP, and CHOP! ROLLING- NO, Shane ducks, bobs ‘n’ weaves, then HEADBUTTS! Tag to Bravo and they stomp Darius. Tag to Dean, he sends Carlie in for a SPLASH! Then “Psyche!” Dean sends Carlie back in for another SPALSH! Dean runs, but into Darius’ SPANISH FLY! Both men are down, they flounder, hot tags to Lee and Dante! Dante ELBOWS Lee, DECKS him, then whips. Lee reverses, Dante slips to the outside to go up and over!

Dante KICKS Carlie, GAMANGIRIS Lee, then MOONSAULTS onto Carlie! Dante springboards and CROSSBODIES Lee! Dante keeps moving, he DIVES onto Shane! The fans fire up and Dante springboards again, CANNONBALL on Lee! Cover, TWO!! Lee survives but Dante stays focused. The fans rally, Dante drags Lee up, but Lee fights the half nelson! Lee slips around, wheelbarrows, victory roll! TWO, and Dante runs up, but Lee slips through to hammerlock and NECKBREAKER! Hot tags to Carlie and Mark! Mark dodges Dean, and then he fires off forearms and CHOPS on the Infantry! The fans fire up, Dean grabs Mark, but Mark BOOTS Carlie!

Mark breaks free to PELE Dean! Then he catches Carlie for an EXPLODER! But Shane storms in! Mark bobs ‘n’ weaves to RKF UPPERCUT! Shane blocks the whip to whip Mark, but Mark BOOTS Lee! Mark then DUMPS Shane out to the floor! Darius DIVES to take out Lee! Dante DIVES to take out Dean! Fox FLIES to take out Shane! Mark baits Carlie into a kick, underhook, and JAY DRILLER!! Cover, #DemBoys win!

Winners: Mark Briscoe, AR Fox & Top Flight, by pinfall

A big win for this rough ‘n’ tumble unit! Will this momentum help all four men head for titles? Will Top Flight at least be in good shape going into their Tornado Tag Match with The Cru?

My Thoughts:

A very good ROH that clocked in at about 46 minutes, a great runtime. Also, I like that for what was advertised, they lumped together the two returns of The Kingdom and The Righteous with that 8 Man Tag. It works especially given the history of The Kingdom VS The Righteous, which I kinda hope they revisit as both teams wait on the ROH World Tag Team Championships. Because as it stands, The Sons of Texas are going to continue their reign until ROH & AEW are back in Texas for both Supercard of Honor & All In.

Speaking of which, that schedule change has yet to be addressed in terms of the ROH Women’s Pure Championship, which was meant to start with Supercard of Honor, back when it was only going to be a couple weeks away in May. Now that it’s in July… Well, pfft, Tony Khan’s bad pacing of the women’s midcard might still work out where this tournament goes all the way from May into July and the inaugural champion is crowned for Supercard of Honor: Texas. Bad pacing aside, good promos from Leila, Taya and Deonna. It is rather interesting Taya and Deonna are both in this tournament, but I feel like they won’t even meet. Also, feels like TK ran out of ideas for The Vendetta, because again, the bad pacing and bad creative.

Velvet VS Vox was good, but of course Velvet won. Catalina showing up was a natural move, too, and who knows when her match with Velvet happens as they didn’t establish anything. As I just got through criticizing, the pacing of the women’s midcard is not the best, so it might be a few weeks before these two have their match. Not sure why, as I don’t exactly see Velvet losing the title. And very good 8 Man Tag main event with Briscoe, Fox & Top Flight getting a very good win. It’s a bit of a shame as I feel STP really should start moving up the ranks, but I suppose Shane Taylor can still get singles wins, or even just confront Bandido over the ROH World Championship.

My Score: 8.7/10