Cook’s ROH TV Review 7.30.21

Hey kids! This week sees the beginning of ROH’s Women’s Championship Tournament. I’m not going to lie to you, this company’s women’s division hasn’t had the best of histories. Some talented women have come through the company’s doors, like Daizee Haze, Lacey, Sara Del Rey, Allison Danger & countless others. It’s never really stuck though. Will this be the time & place? We shall find out. Let’s hook em up!

<b.Cook's ROH TV Review 7.30.21

A clip from Best in the World features Maria Kanellis-Bennett introducing Lenny Leonard, who will be announcing the Women’s Championship Tournament. Chelsea Green came out to enter her name in the running when her arm cast comes off in a month.

Quinn McKay welcomes us to Ring of Honor Wrestling, which will feature the Women’s Championship Tournament. Quinn points out that her name has been added to the bracket thanks to a fan vote. She promises to not let the fans down. Today we’ll see three first round matches. The main event pits Sumie Sakai against Rok-C. Mazzerati takes on Nicole Savoy, and we open with Miranda Alize & Alex Gracia.

Miranda Alize is the lucha baddie from Houston, while Alex Gracia is the Pink Dream. Different personalities, Alex likes to slow it down & Miranda goes quick. Alex has let too much slip through her fingers. Miranda has more confidence & is fighting for so much more than a championship.

Ian Riccaboni is joined by Lenny Leonard & Chelsea Green on commentary.

Womens Championship Tournament First Round Match: Alex Gracia vs. Miranda Alize: Alex has a 2-0 advantage over Miranda in matches outside ROH, and according to Chelsea is very cute. Miranda is 2-0 in ROH. Code of Honor is followed. 9:!2 Miranda with a quick go-behind takes Alex down. She shrugs & takes a bow. Some chain wrestling, Alex gets the advantage, takes Miranda down and slaps her head a little bit. Some lucha from the Texans, big chops from Alex. Some headscissors, flips & flies. Extended handshake, then back to the headlock. Miranda sent outside, Alex goes for a springboard dive and completely eats it. Miranda takes advantage, sending Alex into the barricade. Another barricade shot on the other side, Miranda has a chat with the camera as we go to the Ric Flair Carshield commercial.

(not expecting him to turn up in ROH proper, but ya never know.)

Gracia fights back with a backstabber while Green tries to get her Chik-Fil-A references over. Pink Press & piston-like right hands from Alex, back elbow. “Pink Dream!” Alex kicks Miranda in the head. Two count. Gracia goes to the high rent district, kind of hits a blockbuster on Alize for two. Small package from Alize for two. Back & forth, big knee strike from Alize gets 2.89. Big kick & an Ace crusher from Miranda, followed by the Drive-By knee strike for the three count.

Winner: Miranda Alize (8:43 via pinfall)
Match Rating: *1/2

This one was kinda rough. In fairness, neither woman has a ton of experience, and you can see some potential. Here, some of the stuff they were trying wasn’t working. Lucha style can be very tough to perfect, and hopefully they’ll get there. All part of the learning process.

Hug afterwards, and they raise hands because they’re still friends. Miranda tells us nobody is more confident than she is, and she’s ready for everybody in the back.

Allysin Kay’s first round match with Willow will be on YouTube this week because all of AK’s matches seem to be on YouTube. Maybe she has a contract with them.

Mazzerati is all about her attitude. She’s gonna build this division from the ground up. Nicole Savoy is known for her suplexes, and you can’t talk crap with her. The half-nelson suplex will finish Mazzerati off. Mazzerati says she’s smarter and will get things done by any means necessary. Savoy wants to prove she can get things done on her own. Mazzerati says that Savoy’s been left in the shadows, and should just stay there.

Caprice Coleman joins Ian & Lenny on commentary.

Women’s Championship Tournament First Round Match: Mazzerati vs. Nicole Savoy: Lenny talks about Mazzerati’s background & how she grew up surrounded by drugs & violence, but has been clean for thirteen years now, using wrestling to change her life. You would think that’d be a good story for a fiery babyface. At least I’d think so. Savoy was SHIMMER Champion for 721 days & Heart of SHIMMER Champion for 462 days. That sounds good, especially since they were both pre-pandemic. Code of Honor followed with some trash talk. Mazzerati steps on Savoy’s shoe. Some shoving. Savoy wins the tieup and takes Mazzerati down into a double wristlock. Another tieup, and the momentum shifts between the two. Mazzerati avoids some submissions as we go to commercial.

Go-behinds reversed. Savoy with a takedown and an armbar. She bends Mazzerati’s arm like a pretzel. Mazzerati fights back with a hammerlock, Savoy twists her into a wristlock. Mazzerati rolls out of it, then delivers a shot to the face. They exchange shots off the ropes. A charge by Savoy met with a kick, then an Eat Defeat. Savoy fights back, hits a fallaway slam. Count gets two. Savoy goes for the weave, but Mazzerati drives her into the ropes. Shots in the corner, knee in the corner by Mazzerati. Savoy catches her on the double knees, sets her up, hits the Royal Butterfly! Sara Del Rey’s old finish gets two. Mazzerati fights back, hits a Northern Lights suplex for two. Misses two kicks, Savoy catches a third & Mazzerati just punches her in the face. Short DDT gets two. Mazzerati goes off the ropes, Savoy catches her and hits a TKO for two. Some reversals, Savoy hits that half nelson dragon suplex and gets the three count.

Winner: Nicole Savoy (8:45 via pinfall)
Match Rating: **

I would have preferred to see more suplexes from the Queen of Suplexes, but I guess you gotta save something for the later rounds. Like I said before recapping the match, I feel Mazzerati might be mis-cast in her current persona. Solid showing though.

Alize & Savoy will face off in approximately three weeks.

Rok-C is 19 years old, and says the people call her a Prodigy. They believe in her more than she believes in herself, and she’s grateful for that. Winning the tournament would make 10 year old her proud. Sumie Sakai has won a tournament for an ROH championship before, and will do it again. Rok-C respects Sumie but will do everything she can to become champion.

Women’s Championship Tournament First Round Match: Rok-C vs. Sumie Sakai: Sumie slapping hands with the invisible fans. Sumie gets the advantage early and gets Rok-C in a guard. Showing a lot of confidence here. Sumie works the arm and tries to get Rok-C in various holds, but Rok-C fights out. Chop, twisting arm drag by Rok-C, takes Sakai down in the corner and hits the double knees for two.

Back from commercial and Sakai works Rok-C into a half crab. Rok-C makes the ropes but the damage is done. Rok-C with a rollup out of a Boston Crab attempt, and they exchange strikes. Sakai has the advantage here. Sakai with a knee to the chin for two. Knee in the corner by Sakai, goes for the cloverleaf, then snaps Rok-C’s back by falling down with it. She goes to a liontamer and wrenches the back of Rok-C. Rok-C finally gets to the bottom rope. Sumie continues to target Rok-C’s back. Rok-C coming back, hits the Pie in the Sky! Russian leg sweep by Rok-C gets a close 2 count. Neckbreaker by Rok-C, but Sakai comes back with a side suplex. Places Rok-C up top, but Rok-C slips out. Kicks to Sakai while Sumie is seated on the top rope. Rok-C follows her up, hits the rana! Gets 2, then Sumie gets a 2 with a rollup out of it. Sakai with an elbow strike, then a fisherman buster. Cover gets 2.68. Another near fall for Sumie, then Rok-C traps her with a rollup! It gets the three count!

Winner: Rok-C (9:36 via pinfall)
Match Rating: **1/2

The former champion is out in the first round! Rok-C will take on the winner of the Mandy Leon/Quinn McKay first round match. Haven’t seen a lot of Rok-C, but she lived up to the hype of the announcers. Having a veteran in there like Sakai helped, but Rok-C was on point there.

Next Week: Bandido & Rey Horus vs. Brody King & Chris Dickinson, Marti Belle vs. Trish Adora, Mandy Leon vs. Quinn McKay

6.5

The final score: review Average

The 411

The jury's still out on ROH's new women's division, but it was nice to see some new faces on television. Some need a little work, but others are ready to go right now. Rok-C & Nicole Savoy in particular stand out as women that'd fit in any women's division on television. Interested to see where it all goes, and that men's tag team match next week looks pretty dope as well.