Ring of Honor Review - July 31, 2026

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

ROH Pure Champion Lee Moriarty def. Angelico

There was a video package that aired beforehand hyping up how Moriarty has been ROH Pure champ for over two years. That's a cool milestone and all, and he certainly defends his title more than Athena does these days, but I'm ready for something new. Of course, Angelico was no threat to Moriarty and he had zero chance of winning, but I did think they had a well-worked matchup.

Emi Sakura def. Viva Van

I don't think there has ever been a single point in the many years Sakura has been with AEW/Ring of Honor that I've cared about her character, and that isn't about to change. She's always been super skilled in the ring, but viewers have never been given a reason to care about her. She and Van had a decent match, but I would've rather seen Van go over since she's had more momentum as of late.

Diamante def. Allie Katch

Katch has made a handful of appearances on AEW TV and ROH TV in recent months, to the point where I don't think it'd be unrealistic to assume that she could be signed at some point if she hasn't been already. This was all about Diamante, but Katch held her own in what was a glorified squash. Diamante continued to attack Katch afterward before Queen Aminata made the save.

Caprice Coleman Hosted a Sit-Down Interview with Shane Taylor

Aside from Taylor talking about how no one has dominated Jon Moxley and The Death Riders in AEW more than Shane Taylor Promotions (which is blatantly false), Taylor came across extremely well here. It was the usual strong segment from Coleman. I'd like to see Taylor do more on his own as opposed to still being tied down to the six-man tag team division.

AR Fox def. Soleil

I know AEW and ROH are known for their spotfests, but this felt a little too choreographed for me liking. It felt like they were doing a dance number for most of the match. More power to those who enjoy this sort of stuff, but it's not my cup of tea, personally. On the bright side, I'm just happy Fox picked up a victory. He shouldn't be forgotten about after losing the ROH World Television Championship.

Steph De Lander def. Rachael Ellering in a Pure Rules Match

The fact this was a Pure Rules match seemed slightly random at first, but it made sense once we found out from her in a backstage promo later on that she wants the ROH Women's Pure Championship. Ellering does well in her role as a stepping stone and thus she was a fine person for De Lander to beat here. The match was what it needed to be and De Lander cheating was a nice touch since that isn't something we usually see in Pure Rules matches with the women.

Trish Adora def. Angelica Risk

It feels like Adora has been stuck in the same spot on the card for a while now. She'll win meaningless matches like this but never when it matters most, begging the question of what purpose this was supposed to serve. This was perfectly passable at only five or six minutes long, so if nothing else, it didn't waste a ton of time. It certainly wasn't necessary on a two-hour episode, though.

Julissa Mexa def. Vertvixen

Mexa is the former Yulisa Leon and she has competed on ROH TV before. The fact she won is a sign that a push might be in her future, but I can also totally see this going nowhere. I suppose time will tell. That said, she is talented from what I've seen and she did have a solid showing here. This wasn't that competitive, but it really shouldn't have been if it was intended to be a showcase for Mexa.

The Kingdom and Grizzled Young Veterans def. The Von Erichs and Bustah and the Brain

I believe The Kingdom have been undefeated since returning to ROH, so as much as I would have wanted Bustah and the Brain to win, it was logical to have the heels go over here. All four teams had quality chemistry and put together a fun match. Of course, the key is getting any of these teams into the ROH World Tag Team Championship picture instead of treading water.

Zayda Steel def. Sara Leon

Steel winning matches and slowly separating herself from SkyFlight is the right direction for her. Sure, Leon is a "local athlete," but it's better than Steel losing. The match was okay, but at least they told a story with Steel honing in on Leon's leg and that factoring into the finish. Steel is featured fairly regularly on ROH TV and she makes the most of every appearance she makes.

Juice Robinson def. Anthony Henry

What a match to end a two-hour episode with. I understand Robinson is more of a notable name compared to everyone else on this show, but it's not like we haven't seen him in the midcard on ROH TV before. He also doesn't have a personal issue with Henry, so this was an anticlimactic closer. It was an adequate match and all, but it had no business going on last.

Overall Show

These two-plus-hour editions of ROH TV have to end. So many matches are crammed into them that don't ultimately amount to anything. The atmosphere in the arena sucks because these fans are sitting through marathon tapings and the matches are hardly special. There was some build for Death Before Dishonor coming up in a few weeks, but that was about it.

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