Ring of Honor: A Whole World of Wrestling... [July 2019-]

20LEgend · July 21, 2019

In response to a PWInsider.com request for an update on their investigation into the Portland incident and the ongoing review of organizational practises, Ring of Honor issued the following statement:

We have now concluded our internal investigation into the events that occurred in Portland on June 2nd and have taken appropriate actions with all parties involved. Our Code of Honor, which calls for sportsmanship, respect and honor in- and outside of the ring is a core value of this company and one we will continue to strive to uphold. To all of our loyal and dedicated fans, we apologize for the incident that transpired and we encourage all of our fans to continue attending our events. Furthermore, we promise to continue delivering the best wrestling and the best live experience on the planet.

Following a separate meeting during the week, prior to our Manhattan Mayhem television taping, Ring of Honor has come to the terms on the release of Hunter Johnson (Delirious) and Mark LoMonaco (Bully Ray), after a mutual agreement was reached between both parties. Ring of Honor would like to thank both men for their work with the company, as we move into this new chapter.

PWInsider.com has since learned that Women of Honor competitors Velvet Sky and Mandy Leon have also left the company, leaving the already scarce division severely depleted. It is currently unknown whether Angelina Love will remain with the company, with ROH said to be open to her staying. It is thought that Joey Mercury will take a more prominent role at the Manhattan Mayhem taping, as the company continues to restructure their "creative process".

A Sinclair Broadcast Group representative is also expected to be present at the show, as the company looks to drastically change the way their television show is produced going forward.

Levinux · July 21, 2019

christmas_ape · July 21, 2019

Looks interesting. Current RoH are a good pick in that their pretty much the least relevant they have ever been, so the whole drastically changes story makes perfect sense.

Must say though it would be a real shame if this is the end of ECW as it's my favourite thing you've put out for along time. Either way I'll be following!

Kijar · July 21, 2019

Woo! Keep making diaries of companies I love!

ROH getting a bad rep as of late, but their in-ring talent still shines above most promotions. Potential is there. I'm playing a game starting at this point myself. <img alt="" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/biggrin.png.929299b4c121f473b0026f3d6e74d189.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" />

Hashasheen · July 22, 2019

Okay, this could be cool. A lot of the roster needs an overhaul and ROH badly needs to move away from NJPW, but a back-to-basics story would be refreshing.

EBEZA · July 22, 2019

Nooooo, not Bully Ray and Velvet Sky! <img alt="

" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/eek.png.0e09df00fa222c85760b9bc1700b5405.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" />

20LEgend · July 24, 2019

ROH Manhattan Mayhem - Television Taping

Manhattan Mayhem - Television Taping

Saturday 20th July saw Ring of Honor record four weeks of ROH TV, the first since Bully Ray and Delirious left the company. With little time to implement significant changes, there were no surprise appearances or shocking turns of events, but the desire to present the show differently as it aired on television was immediate. This was behind several changes made to the format of the shows, following input from the Sinclair Broadcasting Group’s representative who will be at all ROH events going forward.

The first notable change was seen as Manhattan Mayhem aired on Honor Club, and as the show debuted on Charge!, with a new opening to the show. After the opening titles of each episode, a graphic showed the following:

Ring of Honor Wrestling - Proudly in association with…

A Whole World of Wrestling…

From the way those various working agreements were spoken of on commentary, it appears that a large part of the new regime’s focus will be on extending and strengthening their relationships with other promotions. It is said that particular focus will be placed on reestablishing the company’s agreement with SHIMMER, as they look to strengthen the “Women of Honor” division.

As for the in-ring action, there were changes made to the card prior to the taping, with reports that Matt Taven was forced out of action with an injury. The following are the results from the taping, as they aired weekly on Charge!:

Episode #1

Shane Taylor bt. Ryan Nova - a straightforward victory, allowing promotion for Mass Hysteria on Honor Club, where Taylor defended the ROH World Television Championship against Eli Isom.
Footage aired of a conversation between Alex Shelley and Jay Lethal, with both men frustrated by Taven’s absence. The two also spoke about the possibility of them facing off for the ROH World Championship down the line.
Maria Manic bt. Local Talent - a complete destruction designed to put over Manic, following a profile on the newcomer prior to the match.
Select footage aired from the Street Fight between The Briscoes vs. G.O.D for the ROH World Tag Team Championship. That match would air later in the month, but was already available for Honor Club members...
Nick Aldis joined commentary for the Main Event, with his match against a member of Villain Enterprises scheduled for Summer Supercard.
Villain Enterprises (Brody King, Flip Gordon, Marty Scurll & PCO) bt. Lifeblood (Bandido, Mark Haskins & Tracy Williams) and PJ Black - Bandido appeared to have Marty Scurll finished, only for Flip Gordon to save the Villain Enterprise leader and pick up the victory. This drew comment from Nick Aldis on commentary, who suggested that he would be interested to see how Flip Gordon would match up to the NWA World Heavyweight Champion. Enjoying stirring the pot, Nick Aldis made this clear to the two men after the match, with Scurll still yet to choose who will face Aldis at Summer Supercard.

<hr color=black>Episode #2

Following on from the moment that last week’s episode ended, ROH TV came back with a continuation of that segment. Entering the ring, Nick Aldis invited Marty Scurll and Flip Gordon join him, putting over the potential challenge of the latter. This understandably got under the skin of Marty Scurll, with a backstage reaction to this airing following the opening angle of the show. Scurll said that he still hadn’t made a decision on who would face Aldis at Summer Supercard, but made it clear that the NWA World Heavyweight Championship had pissed him off!
Kelly Klein © bt. Tasha Steelz to retain the Women of Honor World Championship - showing respect to the challenger, it was a fairly straightforward victory for Kelly Klein, despite Tasha Steelz giving a good account of herself.
Jay Lethal cut a promo on Matt Taven pulling out of the ROH World Championship match, promising to put things right in Ring of Honor. Jay Lethal said sooner rather than later, Taven would have to put up or shut up… and he’d be there waiting!
Footage was shown of James Storm’s promo following his NWA National Heavyweight title victory over Colt Cabana, with Cabana on commentary offering his thoughts on what went down.
The Bouncers bt. The Tate Boys - making their ROH return, “The Tate Boys” came up short against The Bouncers, who are the Number One Contenders to the ROH World Tag Team Championships.
After the match, Dalton Castle came out, looking disgusted at his former “Boys”. Castle wasn’t out to speak to them however, as he cut a promo on Rush. He mocked Dragon Lee, while promoting his rematch with Rush which is available on Honor Club. He mocked “El Toro Blanco”, producing a Rush mask and saying that he knew exactly why “that family” cover their faces.
James Storm © bt. Silas Young to retain the NWA National Heavyweight Championship - Silas Young took Storm to his limit, but was defeated by the Champion. On commentary, Colt Cabana put over the fact that when he was fit and healthy again, he would be coming for the NWA National Heavyweight Championship!

<hr color=black>Episode #3

The episode began with Matt Taven taking ROH cameras to his doctor’s appointment, looking to prove those who doubted the legitimacy of his injury wrong. This was followed by the in-ring segment from the taping, where Matt Taven confirmed he wouldn’t be cleared to compete at Manhattan Mayhem or Summer SuperCard. Understandably frustrated, Jay Lethal and the ROH fans were offered an alternative by Nick Aldis, who said that since a World Championship match had been promised to the fans, then the NWA would honour that. This led to Nick Aldis offering an NWA World Heavyweight Championship match to Jay Lethal, which was later confirmed to air the following week!
Rush bt. Josh Woods - Woods gave a great showing of himself against one of the most revered members of the ROH roster, but was defeated by “El Toro Blanco”.
Following the match, Dalton Castle came out and got in Rush’s face, a week after mocking him. However, Rush was prevented from getting any revenge on Castle, as Dalton was in action immediately after.
Dalton Castle bt. Cheeseburger - ignoring his pre-match mind games, Dalton Castle was completely focussed during the match, showing his more vicious side to pick up a decisive victory. When the match seemed beyond Cheeseburger, Castle began to once again mock Rush and his brother Dragon Lee.
Footage was shown from a pre-recorded confrontation between Jay Lethal and Matt Taven, with Alex Shelley between the two. Ian Riccoboni confirmed that both men would get their title shots down the line. Alex Shelley would still compete at Summer Supercard, facing Jay Lethal in an exhibition match.
Kelly Klein issued a statement on behalf of Women of Honor, calling on the female competitors from around the world to come and test themselves against the World Champion!
The G.O.D © bt. The Briscoes in a Street Fight to retain the ROH World Tag Team Championships - despite a belief that Manhattan Mayhem could be G.O.D’s final appearance in Ring of Honor, the Bullet Club members picked up a hard fought victory in a brutal contest. After the match, with all four men struggling to stand, the commentators wondered where The Briscoes go from this latest defeat...

<hr color=black>Episode #4

Dragon Lee bt. Jonathon Gresham - a back and forth contest opened the episode, with both competitors coming close on a number of occasions. Dragon Lee managed to pick up the victory however, the second time he has bested Gresham.
Dalton Castle came out to once again mock the victorious Dragon Lee, only to be jumped by a furious Rush. The two men brawled around the ringside area, before Rush challenged Castle to face him one last time!
A promo aired from directly after their match with G.O.D, showing an expletive laden rant from The Briscoes. They were furious to have lost, but made it clear they still wanted the ROH World Tag Team Championships!
Kenny King bt. Rhett Titus - having explained his issue with Rhett Titus’ attitude before the match, Kenny King made easy work of his former tag team partner. After the match, King seemed almost disappointed at how easy he’d found the win, before going over to Titus’ wife to question what is going on with him.
Before the Main Event, Matt Taven spoke about the NWA World Championship match, stating that since it wasn’t for his title… he wasn’t interested!
Nick Aldis © and Jay Lethal went to a No Contest; Nick Aldis retains the NWA World Heavyweight Championship - Matt Taven’s words proved to be false, as the match appeared to be drawing to a conclusion. With both men coming close, fans were robbed of a decisive finish, as The Kingdom came down to the ring. TK O’Ryan and Vinny Marseglia were the first to get involved, taking out both competitors. This left the referee no choice but to call for the bell. When the match was over, Matt Taven’s injury appeared to have vanished, as he was all too happy to join in the attack. ROH TV ended with The Kingdom standing tall, Matt Taven holding his Championship above Jay Lethal in the ring, and Nick Aldis thrown to the outside.

<hr color=black>Matt Taven wasn’t the only one coming out of Manhattan Mayhem with a doctor’s note, as Bandido suffered an injury during the Villain Enterprises vs. Lifeblood match during the show. The injury kept him out of the following night’s Mass Hysteria, and is expected to sideline him for up to two months. No titles changed hands at Mass Hysteria, with the follow up to that event coming at the next taping.

There is hope that Bandido will be available for ROH’s next pay-per-view event, which was also announced during the month.

Death Before Dishonor will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada, with a television taping scheduled for the following night. Before then, ROH heads to Atlanta, Georgia, for the Saturday Night at Center Stage TV taping, and Nashville, Tennessee for Honor For All. At Honor For All, the newly renamed “Honor Club” Championship (previously TV Championship) will be defended, with Shane Taylor facing the winner of a one night tournament. Ahead of those shows, ROH is expected to make one or two signings, with reports that NWA World Women’s Champion Allysin Kay may join the company. It is also expected that a couple of local based talents will work the taping, and that Jeff Cobb will return to the company, having missed recent shows due to NJPW commitments.

Hashasheen · July 24, 2019

> TV Championship to Honor Club Championship

Bah, humbug.

On a more serious note, I'm guessing there's two NWA's in the database, with one being Billy Corgan's company and the other being the actual alliance?

20LEgend · July 28, 2019

ROH Saturday Night At Center Stage - Television Taping

Saturday Night At Center Stage - Television Taping

On the 24th of August 2019, ROH recorded four more episodes of television from Center Stage in Atlanta Georgia, the night before an Honor Club exclusive show, Honor For All. That show, which would air prior to any of the episodes of the taping, saw a one night tournament to find a challenger for Shane Taylor, the current TV Champion. When Jonathan Gresham defeated Dragon Lee (who had defeated Gresham in their two previous meetings) in the final, he went on to do the unthinkable and defeat Shane Taylor to win the renamed “Honor Club” Championship. This title will be largely reserved for Honor Club one-off special show, and is unlikely to be defended on ROH TV. The hope is to build the title up to be a draw for the stand alone special shows which air on Honor Club, but that don’t fit in with the chronology of taped episodes. Jonathan Gresham and Shane Taylor were given the night off from the TV taping the previous night, in order to be 100% for Honor For All.

As well as the reported use of the NWA’s Allysin Kay, ROH also brought in Fred Yehi for the taping. Yehi is from Georgia, and is probably best known for his time in EVOLVE.

The final block of TV before Death Before Dishonor, the following are the results from the taping, as they aired weekly on Charge!:

Episode #1

Jay Lethal came down to the ring to open the episode, in a moment which was clearly not “scheduled” to open the taping. Lethal cut an impassioned promo, calling out the actions of Matt Taven, who claimed to be injured, only to attack Nick Aldis and himself during an NWA World Heavyweight Championship match at Manhattan Mayhem. Lethal vowed to “make things right”, and told Taven he’d made a “huge mistake”. That would happen tonight, as Matt Taven faced Jay Lethal… and Alex Shelley with the World title on the line. The commentators then discussed this change to the World Championship match, as a graphic confirmed it would air on this week’s episode.
Allysin Kay bt. Holidead - Following a pre-recorded promo which showed Allysin Kay answering the call of Kelly Klein, the NWA World Women’s Champion picked up a convincing victory.
After the match, Allysin Kay was joined in the ring by the Women of Honor World Champion Kelly Klein, with the two Champions going face to face. Kelly Klein cut a promo putting over Kay as one of the best in the world, and said that she’d love to prove which one of them was the best Women’s Champion on the planet. However, before the two could discuss a potential match, the SHIMMER Champion Nicole Savoy made a surprise appearance in Ring of Honor. With three hugely important Championship holders in the ring, the commentators put over a shocking moment, with the three clearly interested in finding out who the best woman really is.
A video package promoted the taping that this episode is from, as well as the Honor For All special, both of which are available now for members of Honor Club. A pre-show promo was then shown from then TV Champion Shane Taylor, further promoting Honor For All.
Josh Woods bt. Rhett Titus - In a shockingly short and one-sided match, Josh Woods embarrassed Rhett Titus, who had been joined at ringside by Kenny King. After the match, King couldn’t believe what he’d just seen, as Titus began to make excuses for the defeat.
Marty Scurll led Villain Enterprises to the ring, addressing his defeat to Nick Aldis at Summer Supercard for the first time. Scurll said that when he chose himself to be the Villain Enterprises representative, he was doing what he felt was best for the group. However, he feels like there must be changes to how he runs things, and he declares Villain Enterprises a “democracy”. From this day forward, every decision that is made by the group, will be made by all four members of the group - together!
A video package showed Matt Taven’s attack of Nick Aldis and Jay Lethal from last week’s episode. Next week, we will get Nick Aldis’ reaction to what happened in Manhattan.
Matt Taven bt. Alex Shelley and Jay Lethal to retain the ROH World Championship - Escaping with his Championship, as Jay Lethal appeared to be closing in on victory, Taven pinned the former Champion, after throwing Alex Shelley out of the ring. The Kingdom had once again been involved in Taven “escaping” with the Championship, but this time karma quickly came back around...
As Matt Taven was helped up the ramp by TK O’Ryan and Vinny Marseglia, he raised his Championship in the air, backing up to the top of the stage. However, the cocky Matt Taven was stopped in his tracks, when his back came into contact with something he didn’t expect. Turning around slowly, Matt Taven saw what the viewers already had… Jeff Cobb back in Ring of Honor! ROH TV went off the air, with the man last seen losing to Matt Taven at Best in the World face to face with the Champion. The fallout to this moment would happen immediately, but wouldn’t air until the following week...

<hr color=black>Episode #2

Starting with the recap of how last week’s episode ended, ROH TV began with the same image that closed the previous week. The rest of the scene then played out, with Jeff Cobb dropping TK O’Ryan and Vinny Marseglia, and leading Matt Taven back down the ramp. When Taven had nowhere to go but back in the ring, he was taken down by both Alex Shelley and Jay Lethal, before being thrown to the outside. The Kingdom regrouped on the outside, as Cobb showed respect to the other two men in the ring. Cobb then took a microphone, saying that The Kingdom better go and check the board in the back… and bring either TK O’Ryan or Vinny to the ring, because Cobb was in action - right now!
Jeff Cobb bt. TK O’Ryan - The returning Cobb made quick work of the unprepared O’Ryan, who was nowhere near ready for what Cobb had in store. Ending with a Tour of the Islands, Jeff Cobb made it clear that he was coming for the ROH World Championship.
A skit aired, showing Kenny King and Rhett Titus in the gym, watching the training that Josh Woods does for every match he is in. Trying to motivate Titus, King asked Rhett Titus if he put that much prep work in. Not just lifting weights in the gym, but preparing to fight!
Following a replay of last week’s huge three Champions meeting in the ring, Kelly Klein’s excited reaction to the moment was shown. Speaking to ROH cameras, Klein said she loved the fact that there is top level competition in Women of Honor, and she couldn’t wait to be tested.
Maria Manic bt. Tasha Steelz - Speaking of top level competition, Maria Manic once again proved her value, decisively defeating Steelz. Manic stood tall after the match, the commentators putting over her huge immediate impact in Ring of Honor.
Mark Haskins & Tracy Williams spoke about their Tag Team title and Six Man title ambitions, promoting a match next week where the winning team will be able to choose their shot at either title. As they spoke, the Lifeblood members were confronted by Villain Enterprises, who told them not to dare challenge them. Outnumbered, there was little Haskins & Williams could do, as Marty Scurll made light of the fact that V.E had injured their stablemate Bandido.
Nick Aldis was interviewed about Matt Taven’s actions from Manhattan Mayhem, condemning them in the strongest terms possible. He questioned ROH for being represented by a man like that, and said that the NWA certainly deserves better than what happened in his match with Jay Lethal.
Footage courtesy of SHIMMER put over their Champion Nicole Savoy, who would go one on one with Kelly Klein next week - in a non-title match.
Rush bt. Dalton Castle in a No Disqualifications Match - putting a decisive end to the rivalry between the two, Rush once again defeated Dalton Castle. Following the match, there was no doubt that Rush simply has Dalton Castle’s number, and the flamboyant competitor looked as if he’d finally reached rock bottom.

<hr color=black>Episode #3

Haskins & Williams bt. The Briscoes, The Bouncers and Shinobi Shadow Squad - making Brian Manolas tap out, Tracy Williams picked up a huge win for his team, securing them a shot at either the ROH Tag Team titles, or the Six Man. The frustration of The Briscoes was clear after the match.
Remaining in the ring, Haskins & Williams looked ready to reveal which title they had chosen to go for, but were preempted by Villain Enterprises. Marty Scurll told Haskins & Williams to think before they made a decision. And before they said anything, Scurll added that - as a democracy - Villain Enterprises have decided that at Death Before Dishonor, it will be PCO and Brody King and Flip Gordon who will defend the titles. Scurll will be at ringside. Before Haskins & Williams could speak, Villain Enterprises roughed them up, but stopped short of a beatdown, before leaving the ring...
Cutting away from the taped content, Ian Riccaboni gave an update on the situation in Ring of Honor since Saturday Night at Center Stage, leading into a promo from Bandido. Bandido spoke in Spanish, with English captions, and told Villain Enterprises that he would return to ROH at Death Before Dishonor… and he was coming for Marty Scurll! Going back to Ian, the voice of ROH confirmed that match, as well as an ROH World Championship match which would feature Matt Taven defending his title against Alex Shelley and Jeff Cobb!
Fred Yehi bt. Odinson - two talents local to the area, Fred Yehi picked up a debut victory against the much bigger competitor, an impressive beginning to his ROH career. On commentary, it was said that Fred Yehi had struck up a bond with PJ Black, and was seen taking advice from the veteran in the back before the show.
Leaving the commentary position, Colt Cabana introduced Nick Aldis to the stage, ready to interview the NWA World Heavyweight Champion. As Aldis looked to address the ROH and NWA relationship going forward, The Briscoes came out and jumped them from behind. Frustrated at their defeat from earlier, Jay & Mark laid a brutal attack on Aldis and Cabana, before looking straight down the barrel and saying “F*** THE NWA!”
Matt Taven and The Kingdom were asked for Taven’s reaction to the ROH World Championship match that will take place at Death Before Dishonor, with Taven losing his mind at the “injustice”. Taven said he’d already beaten both Alex Shelley and Jeff Cobb… and he was going to fight the decision!
Nicole Savoy bt. Kelly Klein - SHIMMER’s Champion managed to better ROH’s own Women of Honor Champion on the night, in a hard-fought, evenly contested match. After the match, Klein was clearly frustrated, but begrudgingly accepted the better woman had won. At Death Before Dishonor, Nicole Savoy would face Kelly Klein again, this time with the chance to win the Women of Honor Championship!

<hr color=black>Episode #4

Opening the final episode of ROH TV before Death Before Dishonor, Ian Riccaboni ran down the confirmed matches for the show, wishing “Happy Wrestling” before introducing the confirmation of another match.
Mark Haskins & Tracy Williams were shown giving reaction to their victory which aired last week, from backstage in Atlanta. At the time, they were unsure of Bandido’s status for Death Before Dishonor, but said that they had a “Plan B”. They talked about Flip Gordon and Marty Scurll being in action later, and said that was the perfect time to introduce their partner… who will join them in challenging for the ROH World Six Man Tag Team Championships!
Villain Enterprises’ Brody King & PCO bt. Coast 2 Coast - Opening the show, PCO & Brody King picked up a solid victory against the challenge of Coast 2 Coast. After the match, Marty Scurll led the group in a united front, saying that they’d heard what Haskins & Williams had planned, but laughed off the idea that anybody in ROH is good enough to bridge the gap between Lifeblood and Villain Enterprises!
A fired up reaction promo from The Briscoes saw them asked about their attack on Colt Cabana and Nick Aldis. The two were still just as furious as they had been during the attack, and said that at Death Before Dishonor, they wanted the match that should have happened at Best In The World...
Dragon Lee bt. Kenny King - while Kenny King gave a much better showing than Rhett Titus did in his match two weeks ago, he still fell to defeat against the talented Luchador, Dragon Lee. After the match, Titus wasn’t too impressed with King’s defeat, annoying the man who is trying to help him get his career back on track. It was also confirmed that at Death Before Dishonor, Dragon Lee & Rush would challenge The Guerillas of Destiny for the ROH World Tag Team Championships.
Following the announcement of an open challenge by Jonathan Gresham for Death Before Dishonor, footage was shown highlighting the rivalry between Matt Taven and his two challengers Alex Shelley and Jeff Cobb. This led into a promo from Jeff Cobb, who made it clear that he didn’t respect Matt Taven. He told Taven that a Champion is supposed to represent a company, but when he sees Taven, he doesn’t see “ROH” he sees “R.I.P”.
Villain Enterprises’ Flip Gordon & Marty Scurll bt. Fred Yehi & PJ Black - having quickly formed a bond, Fred Yehi & PJ Black worked well together, but were defeated when Flip pinned Yehi. Brody King & PCO at ringside undoubtedly helped V.E to their victory, their presence alone enough to provide a distraction.
As Villain Enterprises stood tall to end the night, following a very productive evening for the group, Mark Haskins & Tracy Williams came to the top of the ramp. At Death Before Dishonor, Brody King, Flip Gordon and PCO will defend the World Six Man Tag Team Championships against Haskins & Williams, and a partner of their choosing. With Bandido out of action, Mark Haskins introduced the third man… Jay Lethal! Lethal took the microphone from Haskins as he joined them on the stage, saying that months ago he stood in that ring and called these men two of the best wrestlers on the planet. In Las Vegas, at Death Before Dishonor, they stand side by side… and they’re coming for Villain Enterprises’ Championships!

<hr color=black>With a good amount of time between shows, there is always a chance of an injury occurring in between, or a recovery taking longer than expected. Luckily, there has been no such incidents between Saturday Night at Center Stage and Death Before Dishonor, with all but long-term absentees Chris Sabin and David Finlay cleared to compete. The pay-per-view, and the Las Vegas TV taping that follows aren’t expected to see any major moves in terms of talent into the company, but it is reported that several contracted talents have been told they won’t be needed for the dates. This calls into question the future of those roster members, with the company apparently making it known that they wish to streamline the talent pool going into 2020.

This doesn’t bode well for the number of competitors who have fallen from prominence since Bully Ray and Delirious departed the company, with names like Shane Taylor and The Bouncers said to be far from impressed with the new regime. That remains to be seen, but with ROH looking to set a “fresh start” via the mantra of “show, don’t tell”, Death Before Dishonor will likely be the clearest indication yet of what to expect from the company going forward.

hailthebulldog · July 28, 2019

Awesome so far man super excited to see what you do going into 2020. My only question is how do you simulate the bulk tv tapings?

20LEgend · July 29, 2019

Death Before Dishonor Match Card

<hr color=black>Ring of Honor World Championship Match

<hr color=black>Ring of Honor World Six Man Tag Team Championship Match

<hr color=black>Ring of Honor World Tag Team Championship Match

<hr color=black>Women of Honor World Championship Match

<hr color =black>Honor Club Championship Open Challenge

<hr color=black><hr color=black>NWA vs. Ring of Honor - Cross Promotional Grudge Match

<hr color=black>Death Before Dishonor Match Card

ROH World Championship

Matt Taven © vs. Alex Shelley vs. Jeff Cobb

ROH World Six Man Championship

Villain Enterprises' Brody King, Flip Gordon & PCO © vs. Jay Lethal and Lifeblood's Haskins & Williams

ROH World Tag Team Championship

The G.O.D © vs. Dragon Lee & Rush

WOH World Championship

Kelly Klein © vs. SHIMMER's Nicole Savoy

Honor Club Championship Open Challenge

Jonathan Gresham © vs. ?????? ??????

Lifeblood vs. Villain Enterprises

Bandido vs. Marty Scurll

NWA vs. ROH - Cross Promotional Grudge Match

Colt Cabana & Nick Aldis vs. The Briscoes

christmas_ape · July 29, 2019

ROH World Championship

Matt Taven © vs. Alex Shelley vs. Jeff Cobb

ROH World Six Man Championship

Villain Enterprises' Brody King, Flip Gordon & PCO vs. Jay Lethal and Lifeblood's Haskins & Williams

ROH World Tag Team Championship

The G.O.D © vs. Dragon Lee & Rush

WOH World Championship

Kelly Klein © vs. SHIMMER's Nicole Savoy

Honor Club Championship Open Challenge

Jonathan Gresham © vs. ?????? ??????

Lifeblood vs. Villain Enterprises

Bandido vs. Marty Scurll

NWA vs. ROH - Cross Promotional Grudge Match

Colt Cabana & Nick Aldis vs. The Briscoes

DGenerationMC · July 29, 2019

ROH World Championship

Matt Taven © vs. Alex Shelley vs. Jeff Cobb

ROH World Six Man Championship

Villain Enterprises' Brody King, Flip Gordon & PCO vs. Jay Lethal and Lifeblood's Haskins & Williams

ROH World Tag Team Championship

The G.O.D © vs. Dragon Lee & Rush

WOH World Championship

Kelly Klein © vs. SHIMMER's Nicole Savoy

Honor Club Championship Open Challenge

Jonathan Gresham © vs. Dalton Castle

Lifeblood vs. Villain Enterprises

Bandido vs. Marty Scurll

NWA vs. ROH - Cross Promotional Grudge Match

Colt Cabana & Nick Aldis vs. The Briscoes

EBEZA · July 30, 2019

<hr color=black>Ring of Honor World Championship Match
<hr color=black>Ring of Honor World Six Man Tag Team Championship Match

<hr color=black>Ring of Honor World Tag Team Championship Match
<hr color=black>Women of Honor World Championship Match
<hr color =black>Honor Club Championship Open Challenge
<hr color=black><hr color=black>NWA vs. Ring of Honor - Cross Promotional Grudge Match
<hr color=black>

I love this artwork!

Death Before Dishonor Match Card

ROH World Championship

Matt Taven © vs. Alex Shelley vs. Jeff Cobb

ROH World Six Man Championship

Villain Enterprises' Brody King, Flip Gordon & PCO vs. Jay Lethal and Lifeblood's Haskins & Williams

ROH World Tag Team Championship

The G.O.D © vs. Dragon Lee & Rush

WOH World Championship

Kelly Klein © vs. SHIMMER's Nicole Savoy

Honor Club Championship Open Challenge

Jonathan Gresham © vs. ?????? ??????

Lifeblood vs. Villain Enterprises

Bandido vs. Marty Scurll

NWA vs. ROH - Cross Promotional Grudge Match

Colt Cabana & Nick Aldis vs. The Briscoes

Hashasheen · July 30, 2019

Death Before Dishonor Match Card

My mentality would be to get rid of everyone from the Bully / Delirious Era. With that in mind…

Honor Club Championship Open Challenge – Jonathan Gresham © vs. ?????? ??????

The Honor Club Championship just got renamed. I’d have Gresham run with it for a while as a centerpiece while you get the company into shape. Everybody on the way out is jobbing to Gresham at some point.

Lifeblood vs. Villain Enterprises – Bandido vs. Marty Scurll

Ugh, Marty. Let him go off to party in AEW. Bandido is the future.

NWA vs. ROH – Colt Cabana & Nick Aldis vs. The Briscoes

The Briscoes are the Originals. I know Colt is too, but I’ve never liked his in-ring work. Plus the NWA reps are best known as commentators in ROH.

WOH World Championship – Kelly Klein © vs. Nicole Savoy

Kelly is the Delirious mark on the Women of Honor. Going with Nicole is going back to the SHIMMER Era of Sara Del Ray, in my head.

ROH World Six Man – Brody King, Flip Gordon & PCO vs. Jay Lethal. Mark Haskins & Tracy Williams

Brody, Flip and PCO can walk. Jay Lethal can too. But Mark and Tracey are the future.

ROH World Tag Team – Tama Tonga & Tonga Loa © vs. Dragon Lee & Rush

GOD is good, but GOD is not yours. The ROH Lucha Bros take the titles.

ROH World Championship – Matt Taven © vs. Alex Shelley vs. Jeff Cobb

Jeff Cobb is the man you need right now. Shelley and Taven should never have been in this kind of position.

Kijar · July 30, 2019

This will be good.

ROH World Championship

Matt Taven © vs. Alex Shelley vs. Jeff Cobb

I think this changes when Shelley gets the 1 on 1.

ROH World Six Man Championship

Villain Enterprises' Brody King, Flip Gordon & PCO vs. Jay Lethal and Lifeblood's Haskins & Williams

ROH World Tag Team Championship

The G.O.D © vs. Dragon Lee & Rush

WOH World Championship

Kelly Klein © vs. SHIMMER's Nicole Savoy

Honor Club Championship Open Challenge

Jonathan Gresham © vs. ?????? ??????

Lifeblood vs. Villain Enterprises

Bandido vs. Marty Scurll

NWA vs. ROH - Cross Promotional Grudge Match

Colt Cabana & Nick Aldis vs. The Briscoes

hailthebulldog · July 31, 2019

ROH World Championship

Matt Taven © vs. Alex Shelley vs. Jeff Cobb

ROH World Six Man Championship

Villain Enterprises' Brody King, Flip Gordon & PCO vs. Jay Lethal and Lifeblood's Haskins & Williams

ROH World Tag Team Championship

The G.O.D © vs. Dragon Lee & Rush

WOH World Championship

Kelly Klein © vs. SHIMMER's Nicole Savoy

Honor Club Championship Open Challenge

Jonathan Gresham © vs. ?????? ??????

Lifeblood vs. Villain Enterprises

Bandido vs. Marty Scurll

NWA vs. ROH - Cross Promotional Grudge Match

Colt Cabana & Nick Aldis vs. The Briscoes

Frenchy_Tweest · July 31, 2019

ROH World Championship

Matt Taven © vs. Alex Shelley vs. Jeff Cobb

ROH World Six Man Championship

Villain Enterprises' Brody King, Flip Gordon & PCO vs. Jay Lethal and Lifeblood's Haskins & Williams

ROH World Tag Team Championship

The G.O.D © vs. Dragon Lee & Rush

WOH World Championship

Kelly Klein © vs. SHIMMER's Nicole Savoy

Honor Club Championship Open Challenge

Jonathan Gresham © vs. ?????? ??????

Lifeblood vs. Villain Enterprises

Bandido vs. Marty Scurll

NWA vs. ROH - Cross Promotional Grudge Match

Colt Cabana & Nick Aldis vs. The Briscoes

20LEgend · August 1, 2019

Looks interesting. Current RoH are a good pick in that their pretty much the least relevant they have ever been, so the whole drastically changes story makes perfect sense.

Must say though it would be a real shame if this is the end of ECW as it's my favourite thing you've put out for along time. Either way I'll be following!

Have wanted to book them since the start of the year, with the rebuild that was required, and given how it's gone, now felt like an even better time to start. Hopefully the upcoming ppv gets my changes into motion. As you've seen since, ECW is far from over (and knowing that TEW 2020 is still some way off, I'm more motivated by these two saves than before).

Woo! Keep making diaries of companies I love!

ROH getting a bad rep as of late, but their in-ring talent still shines above most promotions. Potential is there. I'm playing a game starting at this point myself.

There's a lot I don't like about the company at the minute, but the in-ring performance is still there. It's a great time to start, and hopefully the aforementioned talent will be able to help us steer the ship back in the right direction. I feel perception is a large part of the problems at the minute, so that's one battle I don't have to face

Okay, this could be cool. A lot of the roster needs an overhaul and ROH badly needs to move away from NJPW, but a back-to-basics story would be refreshing.

Back-to-basics describes it well I think. The write up on the Death Before Dishonor main event should hopefully give a good idea what I'm going for.

Nooooo, not Bully Ray and Velvet Sky!

Final nail in the ROH coffin?

> TV Championship to Honor Club Championship

Bah, humbug.

On a more serious note, I'm guessing there's two NWA's in the database, with one being Billy Corgan's company and the other being the actual alliance?

Changing the title name was one of those things I probably wouldn't have done if I'd have known I'd be doing write ups for this save when I started it. The idea was to kind of put it in the background as I'm not a fan of TV titles in general. The title could then be defended at Honor Club "specials" and not mess with the order of the TV shows (which I am presenting as if they were part of a taping). Now I have to type it out regularly, it does feel a bit naff, but we'll have to deal with it

As for the NWA, the titles are part of the alliance I am in with RevPro, NJPW and CMLL, and there is no stand alone NWA promotion. If I'm honest, it's not working out that well in game, but I don't know how to make it work better. Don't know if they're set to open in the database, but adding them might be something I consider doing. Not really sure yet.

By the way, I really liked the reasoning behind your choices for the ppv predictions, a lot of them are scarily close to my thought process going into the show.

Awesome so far man super excited to see what you do going into 2020. My only question is how do you simulate the bulk tv tapings?

There's no simulation of this in-game really (I thought about just doing TV shows as 3/4 hour "events" on Charge network and Honor Club, but decided against it). It's just a self-imposed rule really, where I'll write down the matches that happen at the "taping" before I book the four weeks, and think about and plot out the four 60 minute shows before putting any of them in game. Obviously the game can throw things up that make this not work 100% of the time, but I usually manage to work around it. It's a good way to make sure I use a lot of the roster, and don't "overuse" anybody either.

I love this artwork!

Thanks, it ended up looking a bit too big I thought, so the ppv images will be smaller, but I'm glad you like it.

franticloser · August 1, 2019

Death Before Dishonor Match Card

ROH World Championship

Matt Taven © vs. Alex Shelley vs. Jeff Cobb

ROH World Six Man Championship

Villain Enterprises' Brody King, Flip Gordon & PCO © vs. Jay Lethal and Lifeblood's Haskins & Williams

ROH World Tag Team Championship

The G.O.D © vs. Dragon Lee & Rush

WOH World Championship

Kelly Klein © vs. SHIMMER's Nicole Savoy

Honor Club Championship Open Challenge

Lifeblood vs. Villain Enterprises

Bandido vs. Marty Scurll

NWA vs. ROH - Cross Promotional Grudge Match

Colt Cabana & Nick Aldis vs. The Briscoes

Alex Shelley deserves this, he has been one of the most underrated guys around. He has talent and charisma and should get a Lynn/Daniels style run at the very least.

20LEgend · August 1, 2019

Ring of Honor: Death Before Dishonor 2019

Pre-Show: Fred Yehi & PJ Black bt. Kenny King & Rhett Titus, with Black pinning Titus for the victory.<hr color=black>

Announcers: Ian Riccaboni & Caprice Coleman - Venue: Sam’s Town Live! - Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

ROH World Tag Team Championship Match

The Background: G.O.D have been absent Champions since winning the titles, and have on a number of occasions crossed the line into outright disrespect of ROH. Dragon Lee and Rush, albeit primarily CMLL guys, have come to ROH with a completely different attitude, showing a desire to prove themselves to the US audience. Their victory over The Briscoes, during the Manhattan Mayhem TV taping is probably what secured their position as Number One Contenders, and they are ready to challenge Tama Loa and Tama Tonga.

The Result: Dragon Lee & Rush defeated The G.O.D in an evenly contested match, picking up the victory when Rush pinned Tama Loa in 14:28. Dragon Lee & Rush are the NEW Ring of Honor World Tag Team Champions!

The Reasoning: With The Guilleras of Destiny seemingly having zero interest in ROH, and only being here “on loan” from NJPW, I wanted the titles on a team that could be relied on to be around more often. While Lee & Rush won’t be around forever, I am keen to make the most of having them here, and putting the Tag Team titles on two of the most talented members of the roster is a good move for the division. Their match with - and victory over - The Briscoes secured them as the best choice to take the titles from G.O.D, with Haskins & Williams the only other team seriously considered. Jay & Mark Briscoe were the other team “credible” enough to take the titles, but that felt like at best a sideways move, if not a step backwards.

The Aftermath: Following their victory, Dragon Lee & Rush were handed the titles, the commentators putting over two of the fastest rising stars in Ring of Honor. Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman didn’t expect G.O.D to be back in the company any time soon, nor did they believe the pair would be invited back again!<hr color=black>

ROH Honor Club Championship Match

The Background: The recently renamed Television Championship became the Honor Club Championship, to be defended exclusively on the streaming platform of the same name. Winning a one night tournament to earn a shot at then Champion, Shane Taylor, Jonathan Gresham became the first Champion of the rechristened title. Looking to make his first defence at Death Before Dishonor, Gresham issued an open challenge. Putting this over before the match, Gresham was answered by Dalton Castle.

The Result: Jonathan Gresham defeated Dalton Castle in 11:50 by submission with an Octopus Hold, to retain the Honor Club Championship.

The Reasoning: While another defeat for Dalton Castle isn’t ideal, I felt that Jonathan Gresham needed a credible opponent for his first defence, and of those left over and currently unbooked, Castle stood out. Gresham picks up a victory over a former World Champion, and we further the fall of Dalton Castle, who has had nothing but bad luck since dropping “The Boys”. Jonathan Gresham is somebody I feel can be a central figure of building a new group of competitors who can truly be called “ROH guys”. That is a theme that will continue throughout the night, as this show lays down the marker of what I want from the athletes of Ring of Honor.

The Aftermath: Jonathan Gresham raised his Championship in air, as commentary put over his fairly decisive victory. Dalton Castle threw a tantrum on the outside, but was not the focus of the post-match.<hr color=black>After a look back at the rivalry between The Briscoes and The NWA, Colt Cabana made his entrance. However, as walked towards the ring, he was taken out by The Briscoes from behind. While the attack was quick and sloppy, it did cause serious harm to Colt Cabana. Nick Aldis ran straight down to the ring, but after an exhaustive assessment of Cabana’s condition, it was decided that he could not compete in the match. Undeterred, and refusing to let the match be cancelled, Nick Aldis insisted he would face both men… on his own!

[Note: Colt Cabana’s ROH contract prevents him from competing in-ring, and as such I was blocked from doing the tag team match at the booking screen. This should be fixed shortly, but as of the PPV, I was forced to improvise. It’s not ideal, but it was all I could think to do at the time.]<hr color=black>

NWA vs. ROH - Cross Promotional Grudge Match!

Match #3 - Nick Aldis vs. The Briscoes

The Background: The Briscoe Brothers have made clear their disdain for the NWA, and for Ring of Honor’s working relationship with the organisation. Nick Aldis as the figurehead of that group, understandably took offence to the behaviour of Jay Briscoe in particular, and found backup from Colt Cabana. Originally scheduled to take place at Best in the World, the match couldn’t take place due to an injury to Colt Cabana, and was rescheduled for Death Before Dishonor. Of course when The Briscoes made it clear they wanted the match that “should” have happened at Best in the World, what they meant was for Nick Aldis to face them alone.

The Result: The NWA World Heavyweight Champion gave a great showing of himself, and somehow even managed to lock in the King’s Lynn Cloverleaf that would have made Mark Briscoe submit. Unfortunately for Aldis, there was always a Briscoe Brother around the corner, and when Jay hit him with the J-Driller, there was no coming back.

The Reasoning: The booking was originally going to see Colt Cabana pinned by Jay Briscoe, before the change was enforced. This would have led into a planned NWA World Heavyweight Championship match between Jay Briscoe and Nick Aldis. Coming out of the handicap match, Nick Aldis looks strong, while Jay Briscoe has an even stronger case to his name.

The Aftermath: The main reaction and talking point following the match was not only the “dishonorable” way that The Briscoes had won the match, but the fact that - like it or not - Jay Briscoe had pinned the current NWA World Heavyweight Champion.<hr color=black>Before the Women of Honor World Championship match between Kelly Klein and SHIMMER Champion Nicole Savoy, NWA Women’s World Champion Allysin Kay joined commentary.

ROH Women of Honor World Championship Match

The Background: After Kelly Klein made a challenge to the women of the wrestling world, looking to bring the best female competitors on the planet to Ring of Honor, SHIMMER Champion Nicole Savoy answered the call. In a Champion vs. Champion match airing two weeks before Death Before Dishonor, Nicole Savoy picked up a victory over Kelly Klein, securing her shot at the Women of Honor Champion at the pay-per-view.

The Result: Getting back the victory from two weeks ago, Kelly Klein defeated SHIMMER’s Nicole Savoy, pinning her following a K Power in 13:08. Kelly Klein retains the ROH Women of Honor World Championship.

The Reasoning: Nicole Savoy has only been brought in on a short-term contract, and having already beaten our Champion once on TV, Klein needed to get the win back. Both competitors won their matches cleanly, and the PPV victory gives Klein a strong defence against a credible competitor. This is an important victory for Klein’s momentum, with her next challenger already laid out.

The Aftermath: Having bested each other on once each, the two Champions stood with their respective titles in the ring, shaking hands as the commentators put over the SHIMMER Champion - and the rest of the SHIMMER roster - who ROH are proud to be partnered with. Allysin Kay also left her seat at the commentary position, staring down the two Champions in the ring, while making sure everybody was aware that she too held a title. <hr color=black>

Marty Scurll cut an in-ring promo before his match with Bandido, running down the returning competitor - who he claimed he would once again injure - as well as his Lifeblood stablemates. Scurll said tonight was Villain Enterprises’ opportunity to prove they were the undisputed top group in Ring of Honor, and they would show that in the next two matches!<hr color=black>

Match #5 - Bandido vs. Marty Scurll

The Background: While the rivalry between Villain Enterprises and Lifeblood has been going on for some time - and will likely exist in some form as long as both groups are active - things became personal between Bandido and Marty Scurll more recently. During a four on four match between the two sides, Bandido appeared to have Marty Scurll beaten, only for “The Villain” to be saved by Flip Gordon. Gordon’s actions not only secured his team’s victory, but resulted in Bandido missing two months of action with an injury. With Flip Gordon already scheduled to be in action, and with Marty Scurll leading the bad mouthing of Bandido through a number of promos, Bandido revealed that his return match would be against Marty Scurll… and would happen at Death Before Dishonor.

The Result: Showing a complacency throughout, Marty Scurll’s cocky attitude was what ultimately led him to defeat, in a relatively long match against Bandido. Caught off guard having thought he had done enough to keep Bandido down, the tables were turned on Scurll late on in the match. Bandido was then able to hit a 21Plex, scoring the victory.

The Reasoning: With Marty Scurll potentially having one foot out of the door, there is a hesitance to give him significant victories against competitors with longer commitments to the company than “The Villain”. That coupled with the match being the return of one of the most highly rated prospects in Ring of Honor, the choice for Bandido to pick up a big victory was fairly straight forward. Defeating one of the company’s marquee names, this win should catapulte the young Luchador to bigger and better things.

The Aftermath: Marty Scurll’s reaction was the focus of the post-match, as he refused to leave the ringside area. Despite being in a lot of pain, he stayed around for the entrance of Flip Gordon, Brody King and PCO, delivering an expectant message to the ROH World Six Man Tag Team Champions.<hr color=black>

ROH World Six Man Tag Team Championship Match

The Background: To look beyond the long-term rivalry between the two sides involved, this match came about as the result of Mark Haskins & Tracy Williams winning a multi-team match where the victors could choose to face either the World Tag Team or World Six Man Tag Team Champions at Death Before Dishonor. With Bandido potentially out of action, Haskins & Williams were expected to challenge G.O.D, until Villain Enterprises’ attempts to intimidate them into making that choice backfired. Once their decision was made, Haskins & Williams had just one question to answer, “who would be their partner?” Up stepped Jay Lethal. Having put over Lifeblood when they first arrived in ROH, calling Haskins & Williams two of the best wrestlers in the world, the mutual respect between Jay and the duo brought them together to challenge Villain Enterprises. Common enemies, and a shared ambition to hold ROH Championship gold, the match was confirmed on the final episode of ROH TV before this show.

The Result: Despite the words of Marty Scurll ringing in their ears, the night went from bad to worse for Villain Enterprises, as they lost their titles to Lethal & Lifeblood. A match which at times verged on becoming completely out of control, Jay Lethal was eventually able to isolate PCO, hitting first a Diving Elbow Drop, and then a Lethal Injection to pick up the victory. Jay Lethal & Lifeblood are the NEW Ring Of Honor World Six Man Tag Team Champions!

The Reasoning: The main aim of Death Before Dishonor was to create a feeling of change, and a fresh start within Ring of Honor. With bad feelings around the company for much of the last year, the first PPV “under new management” was the chance to kickstart the “new era”, without branding it as such, nor shouting it from the rooftops. While each member of Villain Enterprises will be important parts of the roster for as long as they’re still with us, Jay Lethal, Mark Haskins and Tracy Williams are competitors who - like Jonathan Gresham - “feel” like ROH guys. Going into an important main event, the second title switch of the evening continues the feeling that a change in direction is taking place, regardless of the World Championship match’s result...

The Aftermath: Jay Lethal, Haskins & Williams celebrated as the new Ring of Honor World Six Man Tag Team Champions, Lifeblood’s first title win since coming to the company. The victory is also put over as securing Lethal as one of the greatest Champions in company history, adding the Six Man titles to his collection of ROH World, TV and Pure title victories.<hr color=black>

ROH World Championship Match

The Background: Along with just about everybody else on the roster, Matt Taven has rubbed both Alex Shelley and Jeff Cobb up the wrong way, particularly since becoming the Ring Of Honor World Champion. These personal differences certainly add intrigue, but the title is of course the driving force behind this match. Despite coming out on the winning end of title matches involving Alex Shelley and Jeff Cobb since becoming Champion, doubts still remain as to whether Matt Taven is a worthy title holder. This match is his chance to put those doubts to bed. Returning from a brief hiatus from ROH, following his defeat to Taven at Best in the World, Jeff Cobb made his intention clear straight away. While a rematch seemed to be in the offing, Alex Shelley had something to say about the matter, having not been pinned or submitted when he finally got his shot at the ROH World title. Eventually a three-way match was confirmed for Death Before Dishonor, with Jeff Cobb making it clear just how important he believed this match to be. He told Matt Taven that a World Champion is supposed to be somebody who can represent a company, and carry them forward into the future. However, as far as Taven was concerned, Jeff Cobb saw it different…

“When I look at you Taven, I don’t see the letters R.O.H… I see R.I.P!”

The Result: Having to defend his title in another multi-person match, Matt Taven used his tried and tested method of avoiding conflict, allowing Alex Shelley and Jeff Cobb to fight it out between themselves. This worked briefly, before the two men turned towards Matt Taven, taking the Champion out of contention and once again going up against each other. Jeff Cobb would eventually take control, hitting a Tour of the Island, only for Matt Taven to break up the pin. Taven would then look to steal the victory from Cobb, only for Cobb to also break up the fall.

With Matt Taven now back in the thick of it, the match continued, a Climax to Alex Shelley taking one contender out of the match. It was now Jeff Cobb and Taven in the ring, and despite ending Cobb’s unbeaten run at Best In The World, the Champion couldn’t repeat the feat. Bringing extra fire and intensity, Jeff Cobb was able to drop Taven with the Tour of The Islands, pinning him for the 1… 2… 3! Jeff Cobb is the NEW Ring of Honor World Champion!

The Reasoning: One of the key short-term objectives when starting to book Ring of Honor was to get the World Championship from around the waist of Matt Taven and onto somebody else. Nothing personal, but like many others who follow the company, he doesn’t sit well with me as the “top guy” in Ring of Honor. Upon looking at the roster, I realised that there weren’t many suitable contenders, with Marty Scurll on his way out of the door, and Jay Lethal feeling too “been there, done that” for the new direction. Above anybody else, Jeff Cobb stood out as a clear contender, with others who fit the bill (for example Rush) needing more time to be built up as credible challengers. Not only does Jeff Cobb have the capability of putting on excellent, physically impressive contests, his background as an Olympic Athlete is something which gives him a legitimacy and credibility that very few in the business have.

This is where I feel Ring of Honor can be rediscover their niche. Impact Wrestling has become the home of unique, colourful characters, and often far-out storylines, AEW and PWG fill the superindie niche and the WWE is a completely different genre. Where I feel Ring of Honor can stand out is by putting credible, believable athletes on a platform to produce the best in-ring competition in North America. Relationships with CMLL, New Japan Pro Wrestling and RevPro open up a “whole world of wrestling” to Ring of Honor fans, but our own talent must form the “core” and the “heart” of the ROH roster. Death Before Dishonor was the chance to show that, with Rush and Dragon Lee (albeit primarily CMLL guys), Jay Lethal & Lifeblood and Jeff Cobb leaving as ROH Champions. All incredible athletes, all with their own unique qualities, and all representing the Ring of Honor brand to a level of performance that wouldn’t be out of place during any time in the company’s history. The “new era” kicked off not with radical changes, a huge announcement, or a self-congratulatory pat on the back, but by Ring of Honor doing what Ring of Honor has always done. Putting the best in-ring performers in matches for Championships that mean so much to them, and then sitting back as those men and women “Create Excellence”.

The Aftermath: Jeff Cobb stood tall in the ring with the ROH World Championship, the commentators signing off on a “night of change” at Death Before Dishonor! ROH returns to the same building for a Television Taping that will be shown live on Honor Club, and Thursdays on Charge!, with all the reaction to a momentumental night in Ring of Honor history.<hr color=black>

Quick Results:

[Pre-Show] Fred Yehi & PJ Black bt. Kenny King & Rhett Titus (D)

The Briscoes bt. Nick Aldis in a Handicap match (C-)

Bandido bt. Marty Scurll (D+)

Jay Lethal, Lifeblood (Haskins & Williams) bt. Villain Enterprises (Brody King, Flip Gordon & PCO) © to become the ROH World Six Man Tag Team Champions (D+)

Show Rating (D+)

CobheadJake · August 1, 2019

I don't follow ROH too much right now but I think Cobb being champion is overdue, great decision.

Awesome stuff, I love the detail you put in to everything and I really enjoyed your reasoning for results. Really looking forward to the core group of guys you build for ROH going forward as I agree they need to rediscover their identity.

EBEZA · August 2, 2019

Awesome show, and I love the "reasoning" sections, giving us insight into why certain decisions were made!

Out of curiosity, what sort of ratings were you getting for each match/segment and the show overall?

Hashasheen · August 2, 2019

Quick Results Response:

Rush & Dragon Lee - Dragon Lee will shine ROH up like nothing else. Rush as a World Champion is a little less certain, but he has the look of a title challenger if nothing else.

Jonathan Gresham & the ROH Honor Club Championship - You have a real chance to pay homage to the Pure Championship here. Shoot Style Forever.

The Briscoes - Jay Briscoe as the new NWA World Heavyweight Champion doesn't sound wrong to my ears... it's just that I'd rather ROH move on from the past that is NWA.

Kelly Klein & Women of Honor World Championship - You rename the Television Title, but not Women of Honor? Also boo, can't believe you're going with Klein. Or Allysin Kay, really. But at least IMPACT has a women's division and women's history worth existing.

Bandido - Big time prospect. Feed him all your pink slips.

Jay Lethal, Lifeblood & Villain Enterprises - A good start. VE must become ... EXTINCT.

Jeff Cobb - The Goliath of ROH just cleared the plate. Whose first to step up to the plate?

Frenchy_Tweest · August 5, 2019

I really liked Death before Dishonor. The format is excellent.

As some other users said before me, the "reasoning" section gives an insight on why you decided to book one thing that way and not the other, and as for now every result has been really well-thought.

Looking forward to read what's next.

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Ring of Honor: A Whole World of Wrestling... [July 2019-]

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