8/9 ROH TV RESULTS: Pageot’s alt-perspective on MexiSquad vs. Vlnce Unltd, Quinn McKay vs. Mandy Leon, and Trish Adora vs. Marti Belle

ROH TV REPORT
AUGUST 9, 2021
AIRED ON ROHWRESTLING.COM
REPORT BY HARLEY R. PAGEOT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Commentary: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

Opening theme.

-Ian Riccaboni was backstage in host mode as Quinn McKay was busy prepping for her match. Riccaboni threw to a YouTube highlight of Allysin Kay advancing in the women’s championship tournament over Willow Nightingale. She faces the winner of tonight’s Trish Adora-Marti Belle match.

-A video package recapped McKay’s multiple attempts to earn her way into the tournament only for The Allure to cheat her into two losses. Despite this, Maria Kanellis-Bennett added her into the tournament and has banned Many Leon and Angelina Love from being in each other’s corners. Leon accused Kanellis-Bennett of playing favorites and giving McKay three different opportunities. She referred to herself as the founding mother of the ROH women’s division. [C]

(Pageot’s Perspective: The problem is that Leon’s argument is pretty airtight. Sure, The Allure cheated in McKay’s previous two qualifying matches but that’s pro wrestling. It happens, you take it, and you vow revenge in the future. Losing both of those matches only to have Kanellis-Bennett then just hand her an entry into the tournament anyway makes McKay feel like a pity case. Then again, almost everyone else in the tournament was handed a golden ticket without needing to qualify at all so the entire McKay situation is a little convoluted.)

-Lenny Leonard was on commentary for the opening match.

(1) MANDY LEON vs. QUINN MCKAY – ROH WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT: OPENING ROUND

McKay speared Leon before the bell and went right for a submission move. Leon scrambled to the floor. McKay followed and drove Leon into the apron and tossed her into the barricade. Suplex to Leon on the floor. Back in the ring Leon hit a suplex and a kick to the head. Swinging neckbreaker. [C]

Leon was still in control out of the break. She talked some trash and hit a running knee. Leon took too long going up top so McKay cut her off. McKay wanted a superplex but Leon wanted a sunset bomb. Both were blocked and McKay’s head bounced off the turnbuckle instead. Leon with a running unprettier but McKay kicked out. McKay whipped Leon into the bottom turnbuckle. Backbreaker and side slam from McKay. Powerslam but Leon kicked out. McKay went for her Tangerine Dream submission but Leon hit a backpack stunner for a two-count. McKay caught her with a roll-up for the pin.

WINNER: Quinn McKay in 7:12.

-The commentary team lost their minds over their broadcast partner advancing. She ran up the rap and hugged the three of them. [C]

(Pageot’s Perspective: The expected victory and a fine match. Leon’s going to be surpassed by almost all of the new blood coming in when it comes to work rate but she was perfectly serviceable here. McKay faces Rok-C in the second round with the ultimate destination presumably her vs. Angelina Love again in the semi-finals. In order to get there, McKay has to beat Rok-C and Love has to beat either Holidead or Max The Impaler.

I think back to the first Women Of Honor Championship tournament, though, and how they shocked us all by having Sumie Sakai win the title over people like Deonna Purrazzo, Tenille Dashwood, and Kelly Klein. So let’s make a bold pick and have Rok-C go over McKay to face Love in a match where McKay can cancel out Leon’s presence and give Rok-C a clean match against Love. I mean there’s a reason Rok-C beat a former champion in the main event of last week’s show, isn’t there?)

-Video package on Marti Belle and Trish Adora. She spoke about being a tomboy as a kid and how she uses wrestling to merge her various loves. Adora spoke about playing rugby and joining the army. They both laid out some strategies for how they intend to gain victory. Belle said her strength over Adora was her experience. Adora got emotional as she spoke about doing this for her mom.

(Pageot’s Perspective: As of this weekend, PWI officially recognizes Adora’s Pan Afrikan World Diaspora Wrestling Championship as a world championship, making Adora the only world champion in this tournament.)

-Chelsea Green replaced Caprice Coleman on commentary.

(2) TRISH ADORA vs. “THE DOMINICAN DYNAMITE” MARTI BELLE – ROH WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT: OPENING ROUND

Lock-up. Wristlocks exchanged. Side headlock from Belle. Back and forth holds exchanged in the opening minutes. [C]

Belle was in charge, wearing Adora down in the corner. Belle remained aggressive, leaning heel with some delayed breaks in the ropes. Elbows from Adora. Crossbody. Splash in the corner and a kick to Belle’s left arm. Judo throw. Crucifix pin for two. Cattle mutilation and Belle taps.

WINNER: Trish Adora in 7:13. [C]

(Pageot’s Perspective: The champ moves on. Good match and a nice dichotomy presenting this alongside our opening contest. They were very different styles of wrestling and that variety is important to draw attention to when building a new division from scratch. Adora vs. Nicole Savoy in a pure rules match could be a marquee match for ROH down the line. In the meantime, Adora faces Belle’s best friend Allysin Kay in the next round with the winner of that one facing the winner of Savoy vs. Miranda Alize. Our only opening round match left is Holidead vs. Max.)

-Footage from last month’s Best In The World of Rush unmasking Bandido in the main event but Bandido rolling him up anyway to capture the ROH World Championship.

-Silas Young replaced Chelsea Green on commentary as he’s facing Rey Horus at Glory By Honor on August 20.

-Brody King & Chris Dickinson had a backstage promo. King put over Dickinson winning the tag titles with Homicide at Best In The World but they both had their eyes set on Bandido and his world championship.

-A subtitled backstage encounter aired between Bandido and Rey Horus. In Spanish, Horus congratulated Bandido on winning the title. In English, Bandido said this is a new era and patted his championship.

(3) MEXISQUAD (ROH World Champion Bandido & Rey Horus) vs. VLNCE UNLTD (ROH World Tag Team Champion Chris Dickinson & Brody King)

King stood at least a foot over Bandido. The heels put the boots to the luchadors and went to work on Horus. Dickinson grounded him with a crossface. Quick tags in and out from Vlnce as they wore down Horus. [C]

Dickinson clubbed Bandido off the apron as King kept Horus trapped in his corner. Horus ducked a clothesline and King took out Dickinson. A tornado DDT dropped King. Hot tag to Bandido at 4:45. He hit a flurry of offense on Dickinson and dropkicked King off the apron. Bandido press-slammed Dickinson over the top rope onto King at ringside. A Fosbury flop left Bandido landing beside the heels on the floor but they sold it. Horus followed by flipping onto all three of them.

Bandido with a running shooting star press to Dickinson but King broke up the pin. The heels took over again. Boston crab from King to Bandido. Horus tried to break it up but King no-sold his kicks. Dickinson put Horus in a crossface too but Bandido made it to the ropes. Brainbuster from Dickinson. Horus took out King on the floor with a hurricanrana. Dickinson blocked a 21plex from Bandido but Horus assisted on a second attempt and Bandido hit it to pin Dickinson.

WINNERS: Bandido & Horus in 10:49.

-Immediately Rush, Dragon Lee, Kenny King, and La Bestia Del Ring hit the ring. Rush unmasked Bandido again and went after with him a steel chair. Homicide ran out to even the odds. Everybody brawled but La Facción Ingobernable stood tall to close the show.

(Pageot’s Perspective: This was my first time seeing King since the Villain Enterprises days and he definitely comes across as a top star now. As I mentioned last week, I haven’t watched ROH in over a year and a half so I still have some catching up to do. It seems they’ve really embraced the faction approach like NJPW and AEW and there are some people floating around like Bestia that I’m straight-up not familiar with. Next week’s main event look like the proverbial clusterf—. Are Gordon, EC3, and Woods really three of ROH’s top stars right now? If so, I truly do have some catching up to do.)

-Next week: it’s Holidead vs. Max The Impaler in the final first round Women’s Championship tournament match plus a Champions (Bandido, Dickinson, Homicide, Lee, & Jonathan Gresham) vs. All-Stars (EC3, Flip Gordon, Josh Woods, & The Briscoes) ten-man tag.