Ring of Honor Review - August 8, 2024

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Sammy Guevara and ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champion Dustin Rhodes def. The Dark Order (John Silver and Alex Reynolds)

Guevara came to Rhodes' aid last week and Rhodes told him on Rampage (or was it Collision? I can't remember) that he has to earn his trust. Well, apparently beating Dark Order was enough to earn his trust because they hugged afterward. Being in Ring of Honor is such a downgrade for Guevara compared to what he was involved in prior to his hiatus, but at least he has direction immediately upon returning.

Taya Valkyrie def. Hyan

These squashes for Valkyrie feel pointless if they're not actually leading anywhere. She'll beat local athletes but never actually win when it matters most. Worse yet, she hasn't had a matter that has mattered in quite a while. She received multiple title shots last year but has been floundering on ROH TV alongside her husband all year. This was a standard showcase for her, but it was difficult to care.

ROH World Tag Team Champions The Undisputed Kingdom (Matt Taven and Mike Bennett) def. The Infantry

I'm shocked the ROH World Tag Team Championship was on the line here and that it wasn't a Proving Ground match. Undisputed Kingdom typically reserve their title defenses for pay-per-view, so this was a pleasant surprise. Not only that, but it was a quality contest to boot. I appreciate that The Infantry are getting more opportunities to shine and look credible in defeat. I'm ready for Undisputed Kingdom's title reign to end, but who's left in the ROH tag team division that they haven't already beaten?

Rachael Ellering def. Brooke Havok

Ellering mentioned in a backstage interview later in the episode that she was out hurt, which explains her recent absence (I probably knew that but just forgot). I'm glad she's back and building momentum. Her interviews still come off as cringeworthy to me, but in the ring, there's no denying her talent. This was a fine first match back for her on ROH TV to get her a win.

The Outrunners def. Stephen Wolf and Barrett Brown

The Outrunners are back on their own (albeit with Erica Leigh as their manager) with Dalton Castle sidelined with an injury for the remainder of the year. They're glorified enhancement talent, so I'm curious if there's a plan in place for them or if they'll simply continue doing what they were already doing. Obviously, they lose far more than they win, so this was a rare victory for them.

Robbie Eagles def. Darian Bengston

I've heard a lot about Eagles over the years, but since I don't really watch New Japan Pro-Wrestling outside of Wrestle Kingdom and AEW's annual Forbidden Door show, I haven't seen many of his matches. That said, he's certainly impressed based on what I saw from him here. The question is why he's in ROH because he's a member of TMDK but was all alone. Hopefully this wasn't just a one-off for him.

Tomohiro Ishii def. Tony Nese

Tony Khan has said before that Ishii is sticking with AEW for at least the summer and those appearances have extended to ROH as of Death Before Dishonor. He is a former ROH World Television Champion, so I suppose it makes sense. Despite being skilled wrestlers, Premier Athletes do nothing for me, so I don't care about a majority of their matches. This was well wrestled, but it didn't need to last as long as it did.

Johnny TV def. Fuego Del Sol

This was along the same lines as Valkyrie's match from earlier in that it was designed to serve as a showcase for Johnny, though it was slightly more competitive with Fuego being a name most ROH reviews would know. Fuego scored a fair amount of offense, but Johnny went over decisively as he should have. It was a nice match for what it was. As I said earlier about Valkyrie, I'm doubtful these wins for them will actually amount to anything.

Billie Starkz and ROH Women's World Champion Athena def. ROH Women's World Television Champion Red Velvet and Queen Aminata

I really liked the backstage interaction with these four women from earlier in the episode that set this match up. Velvet and Aminata still have unresolved issues with Athena and Starkz after Aminata got screwed out of the ROH Women's World Championship, and Athena is unhappy with Starkz for losing the ROH Women's World Television Championship. The action was entertaining in this main event and the storytelling was well done with Starkz wanting to prove herself to Athena and ultimately cheating to win.

Overall Show

I was digging ROH TV being only around an hour long for a few months, but between last week and this week, it looks like it might be close to two hours again going forward, which would be unfortunate. Just cut out the filler (the squashes with The Outrunners, Valkyrie, Johnny, etc.) and call it a day. ​The more important stuff on this show delivered and they ended on a high note. There aren't too many stories at the moment, but the stories we are getting are solid.

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