Even ROH prepares for Forbidden Door!

With just 10 days left before Forbidden Door, ROH invites CMLL for another big crossover! But will Xelhua survive the Proving Ground with Lee Moriarty?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• 8 Man Tag: Hechicero, The Beast Mortos, Volador Jr. & Difunto VS AR Fox, Alex Zayne & Spanish Announce Project; Hechicero, Mortos, Volador Jr. & Difunto win.
• El Gringo Loco VS Willie Mack; Mack wins.
• Lance Archer VS Ren Jones; Archer wins.
• Leila Grey w/ Christopher Daniels VS Taya Valkyrie w/ Johnny TV; Leila wins.
• Tomohiro Ishii VS “Main Man” Oro Mensah; Ishii wins.
• ROH Pure Championship Proving Ground: Lee Moriarty VS Xelhua; Time Limit Draw, Xelhua will challenge Lee for the title at Death Before Dishonor.

PLAY BY PLAY

8 Man Tag: Hechicero, The Beast Mortos, Volador Jr. & Difunto VS AR Fox, Alex Zayne & Spanish Announce Project!

While The Alchemist of Lucha prepares for his ROH World Championship match at Death Before Dishonor, he is teaming up with the menacing minotaur, The Predator of the Skies, and The Undead to bring some CMLL to ROH! Will Team Hechicero come out on top? Or will the Whole Fox’n Show, The Sauce, Angelico y Serpentico defend their homefield?

The teams sort out and Hechi starts against Angelico, giving us a rematch from just a few weeks ago. Angelico offers but Hechi rejects the Code of Honor, and the bell rings. The fans rally behind Hechi while the two circle. They tie up, Hechi waistlocks, but Angelico switches. Hechi reaches back to headlock, but Angelico wrenches out to wristlock. Hechi spins, slips free, and mocks Angelico’s Bernie Lean. The two reset, feel out a knuckle lock, but then Hechi trips Angelico, rolls him, wheelbarrows and victory rolls him, but Angelico fights out of the monkey flip to arm-drag! Hechi avoids the sweep kick but Angelico victory rolls, ONE!

Both men stand, Angelico sweeps the legs to cover, ONE! Hechi sweeps the legs to cover, ONE! Both men handspring up, and Hechi shows off his alchemy. Angelico hops up, spins, and show show to do the Bernie Lean right! The fans cheer, both men back off, and tag to Difunto and Fox. The fans rally, and there are fans out there cheering on “DI-FUN-TO! DI-FUN-TO!” The two tie up, Difunto has a Head ‘n’ Arm Triangle, then he throws Fox and slips around to wrangle Fox. Fox fights up to wrench, but Difunto arm-drags. Fox kips up, arm-drags, but Difunto ELBOWS him down! Spin and ELBOW DROP! Cover, TWO!

The fans rally, Difunto brings Fox up and reels him in, only for Fox to suplex and ANARCHY! The fans fire up and Fox tags Zayne. Difunto tags Mortos and the fans rally up again. Zayne and Mortos circle, Mortos runs up but Zayne dodges. Zayne waistlocks, Mortos switches and he shoves Zayne to a corner. Mortos runs in, Zayne dodges, and Mortos hits buckles! Zayne runs back in, ELBOWS Mortos, then goes out to the apron for a slingshot RANA! Zayne keeps going, he redirects Mortos, but Mortos hurdles! Zayne handsprings, and the fans fire up as Zayne twirls his hair. Mortos twirls his beard to mock Zayne, and the two go again.

Mortos dodges Zayne to drop down, but Zayne springboards for an IMPLODER KNEE DROP! Zayne then runs back up, MARIPOSA! The fans fire up and Mortos tags Volador. The fans cheer Volador on, and Fox tags in Serpentico. The fans cheer as #SNAKEMAN offers the Code of Honor, but Volador leaves him hanging. Volador gets the fans to cheer him, but then Serpentico gets the fans to cheer, too. They go back and forth like that, but then Volador kicks low! Volador whips, Serpentico goes up and over to arm-drag! And arm-drag again! Volador avoids the third, drags Serpentico up, but Serpentico arm-drags again!

Volador ends up in a corner, Serpentico runs in and UPPERCUTS! Serpentico rallies the fans, he whips corner to corner, but Volador reverses. Serpentico dodges to ENZIGIRI then RANA! Oklahoma Roll, TWO! Volador bails out and the fans rally up. Serpentico builds speed, but Archer trips him! The ref reprimands and the fans boo, but Volador’s team rushes Serpentico’s to BLAST them off the apron! The fans boo more but Archer just shows off how he has either hair or a tassel from someone. The rudos whip Serpentico to a corner, Mortos whips Volador in and he LARIATS! Volador feeds Serpentico to Mortos and Mortos trips Serpentico up.

Mortos y Volador hold Serpentico open while Difunto climbs up! QUE PASO with the FLYING DOUBLE STOMPS! The fans cheer Difunto and he SHOTGUNS Angelico to the corner! The rudos mug Angelico but the ref clears them out. Hechi brings Angelico up, he and Mortos whip Angelico corner to corner. Mortos runs up to UPPERCUT, LARIAT, then GAMANGIRI! Angelico wobbles but Mortos tags Volador in. Feed to the SUPERKICK! Angelico tumbles out, Zayne slides in, but the rudos mug Zayne! They whip Zayne to a corner, then Difunto runs up to SPLASH! Difunto DECKS Zayne, then Mortos stands on Zayne!

The ref reprimands, but Difunto is up top again! Tightrope walk DROPKICK! Mortos covers, TWO! Mortos drags Zayne up, tags Hechi, and Hechi UPPERCUTS Zayne’s arm! Hechi JABS and CHOPS Zayne, then snapmares for a basement dropkick! Zayne flounders away, Fox rolls in! Hechi BODY BLOWS, then Mortos SMACKS Fox! They whip Fox corner to corner, they send Hechi in, but Fox dodges! Hechi POSTS himself! Fox ELBOWS Volador, BOOTS Mortos, then BOOTS Difunto! Fox goes up, up, and CANNONBALLS! The fans fire up but Volador runs up, only for Fox to go Matrix! Fox kips up and PELES!

Fox runs to ELBOW Difunto in a corner! Then he runs to ELBOW Mortos in a corner! Back to Difunto, ELBOW, snapmare and CUTTER! Fox dodges Mortos to kip up and CUTTER! The fans fire up with Fox and he hurries up a corner. Hechi runs up, but Fox hops down to GAMANGIRI! Fox goes up again, and he SWANTON BOMBS! Zayne goes up while Fox bailis out, Zayne SWANTON BOMBS! Cover, TWO! SAP returns, they BLAST Difunto y Volador! The fans fire up as we get TRIPLE PLANCHAS! Fox & SAP wipe out their targets, Hechi gets a BAJA BLAST! Cover, TWO!! Hechi survives, but Archer THROWS Fox into barriers!

Zayne whips, Hechi reverses, and Hechi STEP-UP KNEES! Then a FLAPJACK! Hechi pushes Zayne over, hooks him up, roll and roll and ROLLING CRUCIFIX! Cover, Team Hechi wins!

Winners: Hechicero, The Beast Mortos, Volador Jr. & Difunto, by pinfall

The Alchemist tops this off for his team, and he looks right into the camera. Hechi warns Bandido that this is what’s coming for him in Philadelphia! Will Bandido have to be quick on the draw if he wants to retain the title?

Oh but then Hechi’s team keeps beating up on Fox, Zayne & SAP anyway! The fans boo, but here comes Bandido! The Most Wanted won’t stand for this, and he has Hologram, Brody King and Tomohiro Ishii! They all fight off Hechi’s teammates, then they go after Hechi! Hechi gets away, he tells Bandido in person that they’ll settle this soon enough! But will Hechi have to watch himself when it is Death Before Dishonor?

The Premier Athletes speak…?

Ariya Daivari is clearly wearing a golden lucha mask as he introduces himself: “Hola, yo soy Daivari Dorado.” And almost right away, he gives up. He takes the mask off and tells Mark Sterling that this is stupid, he can’t do it. Sterling says no, he was doing great! Exquisite Espanola! And if Sterling knows anything about marketing, he knows this will do wonders to promote the big CMLL match. Oh, wow, how about this for a promotion? Neon, Mascara Dorada, CMLL, Tony Nese, Ariya Daivari, Premier Athletes! They will kick your stupid asses! How was that? Nese says he likes that, and Sterling says that was pretty good.

But another thing Sterling realizes is that the Premier Athletes are “undefeated” in lucha rules matches. Nese says lucha rules, Pure Rules, tags, trios, when it comes to their “undefeated streak,” the rules don’t matter. What does matter is that #AthletesRule! Uh, sure… But will Nese & Daivari “finally” lose when they step into CMLL’s house?

El Gringo Loco VS Willie Mack!

The Crazy White Boy tried, but he could not go the ten minutes with Bandido on the Proving Grounds. Will he have better luck earning a title shot the old fashioned way? Or will the #ChocolateJuggalo show Gringo he can get loco, too?

The bell rings, the fans duel as the two circle, and both men soak that up. They keep the Code of Honor, the fans cheer “Both These Guys!” and both guys nod. They feel things out, tie up collar ‘n’ elbow, and Mack wrenches to a wristlock. Loco wrenches to wristlock back, and he keeps Mack from the ropes. Mack rolls, powers up, but he’s a little too close to Loco Pequeno! Loco backs off, the fans cheer, and the two reset. They tie up again, go around, and Mack puts Loco on the ropes. The ref counts, Mack CHOPS, then Mack whips. Loco jumps the dropdown, handsprings then rolls under a lariat! Things keep moving, Mack arm-drags but Loco handsprings through!

The fans cheer and they just keep going, Loco tilt-o-whirl RANAS but now Mack handsprings through! The fans fire up, Mack runs up but Loco dodges. Loco swings but Mack dodges! Both men show haymaker so they both stand down. The fans applaud and the two reset again. They feel things out, tie up again, and Mack puts Loco in a corner. The ref counts, Mack stops, but then he SLAPS Loco! The ref reprimands, he saw that. Mack whips, Loco goes up and over, then he says wait one second! Loco swivels the hips and the fans cheer! Mack runs up, Loco dodges, but Mack RUNS Loco over! And then Mack says this is how you hit it!

The fans cheer as Mack swivels his hips now, and Mack says it’s got that sizzle. The fans cheer for “MEAT! MEAT! MEAT!” Things speed up again, and Mack dodges to RANA Loco! Loco bails out, Mack builds speed, but Loco gets outta there! Mack rolls back, and he shows off his, uh, other skills. Loco is annoyed, but he dodges Mack as he slides out! Loco goes up to SUPERKICK from the apron! Loco goes up the corner, and ASAI MOONSAULTS! Direct hit on Mack and Loco lands on his feet! The fans fire up, Loco puts Mack in the ring, and then Loco goes up another corner. Loco steadies himself, then SWITCHFOOT MOONSAULTS!

Mack moves, Loco lands out! Mack runs back in, redirects Loco, and SHOULDER TACKLES! The fans fire up and Mack covers, TWO! Loco toughs it out but Mack just goes right to the corner. Mack climbs up, but Loco hurries to UPPERCUT! Loco goes outside, climbs the ropes, and he CLUBS Mack. Loco goes to the very top, SUPER SPANISH FLY! Cover, TWO! Mack survives and the fans fire up! Loco has a wild look in his eyes, and he goes back up the corner. He waits on Mack to stand, and Loco leaps, but into a kick! STUNNER! Loco wobbles, Mack runs the ropes, GAMANGIRI! Mack hurries right up top, and he FROG SPLASHES!! Cover, Mack wins!

Winner: Willie Mack, by pinfall

It was the Return of the Mack to ROH, and it was a victorious one! Will Willie Mack soon find himself headed for championships?

Mina Shirakawa speaks.

“Athena, at All In, all I wanted was to win the Casino Gauntlet so I could face my girlfriend, Toni Storm, for the AEW Women’s World Championship. But you hit me with The O-Face and you broke my hand! You broke my hand?! Okay, I will break your heart. You took my title shot, now I will take your title. Death Before Dishonor, whether you are AEW Women’s World Champion or not, it’ll be you and Mina for ROH Women’s World Championship. You have 68 wins? You cannot 69 Mina!” Just as the Fighting Gravure Idol said, she is coming for the Fallen Goddess’ gold! Will Mina become the DUAL ROH Women’s World and (Interim) Women’s World TV Champion?

Willie Mack speaks.

“Damn, it feels good to be back on ROH Television. I ain’t been here in a minute, folks. But I went up against the hometown hero, Gringo Loco, got the W because that’s part of my name. And I’m feeling the need for some gold up in this piece. And since we’re on ROH TV, maybe I go after that ROH World Television Championship somewhere down the line.” But then in steps Nick Wayne, accompanied by Mother Shayna and Kip Sabian, and he says, “Really? Really?” Mack says yeah. After everything Nick’s been up to nowadays, injuring people left and right, now is the time Mack wants to come after his title?

Mack doesn’t see why not. Nick tells Willie that Nick’s been TV Champion for 100 days, with multiple defenses under his belt. Nick dares Mack to take this off him. Whenever Mack wants it, it’s right here. Nick chuckles as he leads the way out, but Mother Shayna lingers. Mack isn’t sure what to make of all this, but will he show The Prodigy not to underestimate someone with Mack’s experience level?

BREAKING NEWS!

ROH has a special bonus episode tomorrow on YouTube! Starting at 7 PM Eastern, we will see Premier Athletes VS Neon y Mascara Dorada, just as they advertised earlier tonight! Will Nese & Daivari prove once and for all that #AthletesRule? Or will they have to find a new reason to expunge a loss from their record? But furthermore, Mack decided why wait? ROH on YouTube will see Mack VS Nick for the ROH World TV Championship! Will the Chocolate Juggalo soon be golden?

ROH Pure Championship Proving Ground: Lee Moriarty VS Xelhua!

Speaking of gold, this may not be a title match but it is a golden opportunity for CMLL’s Young Giant! We saw #TAIGASTYLE defeat Blue Panther, but will he be able to topple Xelhua? Or will Xelhua finally push Lee to his limits?

The bell rings and we are on the clock. The fans rally as the two circle, and Lee puffs himself up to poke fun at Xelhua’s broad shoulders. The two tie up collar ‘n’ elbow, Xelhua wrenches and cording holds, then he grabs the other arm. Lee spins through and slips under to have a double wristlock. Xelhua powers through to wrench and top wristlock. Xelhua has both arms again, and he has a combination top wristlock and cording hold! Lee moves around, breaks free, and he reels Xelhua into the COBRA TWIST! The fans cheer, but Xelhua CLUBS the leg. Xelhua wrenches, then he traps both of Lee’s arms with just one arm in another wristlock-cording-hold combo!

The fans applaud while Xelhua flexes. Lee stomps a foot, gets free, and he arm-drags Xelhua. Lee runs but Xelhua trips him, then SPLASHES! Cover, ONE, and Lee sweeps to cover, TWO as Xelhua bridges! Xelhua stands up and poses while the fans cheer. Lee is annoyed but he resets with Xelhua. The fans rally up, the two feel things, then Lee rolls to pick a leg. Lee trips Xelhua, then has a spinning toehold. We’re already two minutes in as Lee rolls, but then Xelhua changes the toehold onto Lee, grabs Lee’s hands, and uses a headscissors to hold Lee down! The fans rally as Lee endures this unique hold, then kicks his way free!

Lee rolls, has Xelhua for a knuckle lock cover, TWO! Xelhua stands, they go shoulder to shoulder, and the fans rally for the Test of Strength. Xelhua jumps to MONKEY FLIP! Roll back, cover, ONE as Lee gets an arm up! Xelhua pushes it down, ONE as the other arm comes up! Xelhua pushes that arm down, cover, ONE as Lee bridges! Xelhua jumps, Lee traps him into a body scissors and KIMURA! Xelhua endures, the fans rally, and Xelhua drags Lee along to the ROPEBREAK! The fans cheer as that is just Xelhua’s first, and we’re already past three minutes. Lee struts around, the fans applaud, and the two reset.

Lee and Xelhua tie up again, Lee headlocks, but Xelhua powers up. Xelhua lifts, Lee holds on, but Xelhua powers up and out. Lee RAMS Xelhua, Xelhua flexes as he stays up. The fans cheer, things speed up, Xelhua hurdles and wrenches to UPPERCUT Lee down! Xelhua ties Lee up in a modified Paradise Lock, and he stands over Lee to keep him locked in! The fans cheer this innovation, then Xelhua falls back for a SNAP LOCK! Lee wriggles and crawls around despite being stuck in this chimera of holds, and he makes it to the ROPEBREAK! The fans applaud as Lee uses his first, and there’s still five minutes left!

Xelhua drags Lee up, but Lee CHOPS! Xelhua CHOPS back! Lee falls, Xelhua goes for a leg, but Lee moves around. Xelhua steps over, and TWISTS the leg! The fans fire up but Lee kicks Xelhua away. Lee hobbles, Xelhua kicks him, then Xelhua whips. Lee goes Spider-Man, he blocks a shot to wrench an arm, ELBOW HOTSHOT! Xelhua staggers away, Lee springboards, FLYING LARIAT! Cover, TWO! Lee clamps onto Xelhua with a SEATED COBRA TWIST! Xelhua endures but Lee grabs for a leg. Lee laces the legs together, then butterfly underhooks Xelhua, and rolls him for this modified Butterfly Stump Puller! Xelhua flails, powers his way around, and has the ROPEBREAK!

Lee lets go, that is Xelhua’s second, but time is ticking, we’re under four minutes left! Lee throat chops Xelhua, then whips, but Xelhua arm-drags! And arm-drags again! The fans fire up as Xelhua scoops to BACKBREAKER! Cover, TWO! But Xelhua turns Lee over, reels him in, and her hammerlocks an arm! Xelhua hooks the legs up again, SPLAYDLE CRADLE! TWO!! Lee escapes, Xelhua drags him around, and he steps over to full nelson using a leg! Then Xelhua has the legs tied up, INVERTED CLOVERLEAF! Lee endures being upside-down, kicks free, and has the ROPEBREAK! Lee uses his second and the fans rally up.

Xelhua stays cool as we just have two minutes and change! But Lee traps an arm to TWEAK it! Lee wrenches, straitjackets, and YOYOS Xelhua into THE FANG! Then BORDER CITY STRETCH!! Xelhua endures, rolls, cover, TWO!! Lee lets go in time, and we have our two minute warning! Lee wrenches, Xelhua wrenches back, and he ELBOWS Lee in the back! Xelhua has the legs again, FLOATING BOW ‘N’ ARROW! Lee fights to sunset flip, TWO!! Xelhua escapes, Lee hobbles, we have 90 seconds left! Lee winds up to ROCK Xelhua! Xelhua ROCKS Lee, Lee fires back, and repeat! Lee fires up and the fans are with him!

Lee CHOPS, Xelhua CHOPS, repeat! They CHOP, CHOP, CHOP, then Lee fires boxing elbows! Lee spins, but Xelhua BACK ELBOWS! The fans fire up as we hit one minute! Xelhua gets under Lee, Lee fights the Northern Lights to roll up and cover, TWO! BORDER CITY STRETCH!! Xelhua endures, he reaches out, and he powers his way into a top mount! THIRTY SECONDS! Xelhua hooks Lee up in double omoplatas! Lee fights as Xelhua laces the arm in a DOUBLE KIMURA!! TEN SECONDS! Lee endures, even as Xelhua thrashes around! Lee flails, kicks at Xelhua, TIME IS UP!!

Time Limit Draw; Xelhua earns a title opportunity

The fans are disappointed, as is Xelhua, but Xelhua still accomplishes his mission, he will face Lee for the title! Lee and Xelhua keep the Code of Honor by shaking hands, but then Lee rudely shoves the hand aside. These two will meet again at Death Before Dishonor, who will be THE definitive winner in Philadelphia?

My Thoughts:

A very good episode for ROH, clocking in at just over an hour. The bonus YouTube episode is surprising, and maybe just a touch annoying. But I’m thinking it is just because they don’t want to break kayfabe more than they already do with ROH, because AEW can’t be in Glasgow, Scotland and yet have some of their AEW-ROH crossover stars still stateside. They’re kinda just speedrunning Mack VS Nick for the title, but that’ll still be a very good match. I’m pretty sure given that promo, Shayna is gonna be a distraction to Willie Mack, helping Nick win and retain the title.

Great 8 Man Tag to open, great win for the rudos, aka the Heels, because Hechicero needs momentum going towards the ROH World Championship match with Bandido. Great save by Bandido, Brody & The Conglomeration, though, to also add to the math. I would think Bandido still retains the title, as I feel FTR beats #Brodido in the tag tournament and goes on to challenge The Hurt Syndicate. Archer of course squashed Ren Jones, I’m surprised they did this on the same night he was ringside for that 8 Man Tag. Leila VS Taya was really good, but clearly the ROH Women’s Division is in a holding pattern without that Women’s Pure Championship tournament happening.

Very good promo from Mina to call out Athena while also announcing their title match. And glad to hear they aren’t taking that interim Women’s TV title off Mina, her hand injury was only so bad to keep her out this long. Mina brought up the possibility of Athena having the AEW Women’s World Championship but I’m not sure Athena wins that. It would be wild if this was the time Tony Khan decided, “Let’s pull the trigger on Athena moving to AEW full time.” Athena beats Toni to win the top title, but drops the ROH title to Mina, I think that’d really spice things up.

And great Pure Rules Proving Grounds from Lee VS Xelhua. The crowd didn’t really help, but perhaps it was as Zack Sabre Jr. once said: Technical wrestling for an American crowd is like Shakespeare to a dog. But in defense of the live crowd, watching at home/online like me, you can see the moves these guys are doing much better than on a tron or with your own eyes. Xelhua and Lee had some truly creative holds, but I liked them going the ten minutes and granting Xelhua that title opportunity. The rematch at Death Before Dishonor having a bigger time limit, I’m sure they’ll make sure to keep the energy up before settling into some technical holds.

My Score: 8.7/10