Hall’s Ring Of Honor Review – 7.23.26

Ring Of Honor
Date: July 23, 2026
Location: WJCT Studios, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re getting closer and closer to Death Before Dishonor and it would be nice to see some of the matches announced for the show. While there are a few matches that can probably be guessed, it’s time to start making some of them official. That wasn’t the case with the hour plus bonus show this week so maybe we’ll get it on this two hour show. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

TV Title: Main Man Oro vs. Lio Rush

Rush is defending and Oro is getting his shot after winning a match last week. Psh. Like that concept has any legs. Oro isn’t pleased with the extended handshake and yells a lot, earning himself a bite to the finger. We pause for Oro to bail to the floor, where he decides to grab the title. Back in and Rush gets the title back, along with a kick to the head. Rush bites the head but gets sent outside, with Oro slowly taking over again.

Back in and a hard whip into the corner has Rush in more trouble but he escapes an Iconoclasm. They knock each other down until Rush nails a spinning kick to the head but Oro gets in his own head kick. Rush bites the hand again and grabs a Stunner, setting up the big suicide dive to the floor. Black Thunder retains the title at 8:39.

Rating: C+. Rush is one of those guys who is so odd and unique that his opponents have to adapt to him. The good thing is that Oro was able to hang with him for a bit, even in a losing effort. Odds are Action Andretti is next for Rush, because despite Cru being next to nothing as a team, they need a months long build to a title match.

Post match Action Andretti jumps Rush, likely setting up their match at Death Before Dishonor. Andretti chokes him out, with the black goo coming out of Rush’s mouth.

Redemption rundown.

Alan Angels vs. Bryan Keith

Keith jumps him to start fast and chops away but an exploder is blocked. A high crossbody gives Angels two but Keith catches him on top. A butterfly backbreaker has Angels down again and Keith is frustrated at the kickout. Back up and Angels fires off some clotheslines, followed by a Rings Of Saturn. That doesn’t last long either as Keith bails outside and gets in a headbutt from the floor. Angels fights back, allowing himself to miss a splash, which sets up Keith’s tiger driver for the pin at 7:31.

Rating: C+. Angels is the latest name added to the seemingly never ending roster around here and he hasn’t exactly done much thus far. It’s nice to see him away from the Dark Order, but there are way too many good hands around here who don’t have much in the way of success. In other words, Angels isn’t likely to go anywhere anytime soon, like so many others around here.

Billie Starkz vs. B3cca

Starkz strikes away to start but misses a charge into the corner. B3cca gets chopped and Downward Spiraled into the buckle though and things slow down. A suplex doesn’t work for Starkz so B3cca kicks her in the face. That just earns B3cca a Last Shot but she’s back with an enziguri for two of her own. They take turns throwing each other off the top until Starkz avoids a 450. The arm trap faceplant finishes B3cca at 6:07.

Rating: C. I’m still not getting the appeal of Starkz, who has been around here for the better part of ever and still feels like she is at about the same level she’s been the entire time. Thankfully the idea of her defeating Athena seems to have been dropped, though I’m not sure what that leaves her to do. Then again, there very well might not be much else for her to do.

Adam Brooks talks about the pandemic taking away his ROH career but now it’s time for ROH to get loose.

Premiere Athletes vs. Dark Order

Uno shoulders Nese to start and everything breaks down, with the Order taking over. Daivari offers a distraction but Reynolds is right back with a clothesline for two on Nese. Cue Beef to watch (though he doesn’t look thrilled) and a cheap shot lets the villains take over on Reynolds. Mark Sterling gets in some choking from the floor but Beef won’t get involved, leaving Reynolds to hit an enziguri.

Uno comes back in for the running corner clothesline, followed by the double DDT. Everything breaks down again and Daivari shoulders Nese by mistake. That’s shrugged off and the Athletes take over on Uno, including a slingshot dive. Sterling goes after Reynolds but gets decked, only for Beef to hit a running crossbody. Back in and Nese’s running knee in the corner finishes Reynolds at 9:00.

Rating: C+. Earlier this week, I made a joke about the Premiere Athletes being on every ROH show and it’s starting to feel completely accurate. They’re around so often and do just about the exact same thing so often. The stuff with Beef is at least a bit different, but it feels like something else that is just going to come and go without meaning much.

Post match Beef reluctantly gets in the ring with the Athletes.

Here is RPG Vice to issue an open challenge for one of those “easy Ring Of Honor wins”. Now play some generic music!

RPG Vice vs. Alex Zayne/Mance Warner

Warner backs Romero into the corner to start and then bites his finger. Zayne comes in to work on the arm before blocking a tornado DDT. Everything breaks down and Vice is sent outside for a double poke to the eye. Back in and Zayne’s springboard moonsault is cut off, setting up a Burning Hammer/top rope double stomp combination for two. Zayne gets back over to Warner anyway and it’s time for some rather quick jabs. A blind tag brings Zayne back in and a quick Nightmare On Helm Street gets two. Romero goes low on Zayne though and Strong Zero finishes him off at 7:15.

Rating: C+. Warner is a breath of fresh air on this show as he had something of a personality. Unfortunately he doesn’t get to win much but at least having him around is a nice boost. Then you have Vice, who I’m guessing is here as something of a troll job on the audience, because I can’t imagine they’re supposed to be seen as worth having around.

Post match Warner goes for the save but gets beaten down. Ortiz and Eddie Kingston run in for the save.

Nathan Cruz doesn’t think much of Adam Brooks and is tired of hearing him whine.

Satnam Singh vs. Jacked Jameson

Jameson escapes an early chokeslam attempt and strikes away but gets chopped in the corner. Singh loads up a slam so Jameson demands he get put down, which is exactly what Singh does. Jameson gets in a neck snap across the top rope so he goes up, only to dive into a cutter for the surprise pin at 2:35.

Deonna Purrazzo sits down with Caprice Coleman and talks about being a former Ring Of Honor Women’s Champion. That was a long time ago though and now she’s proud to get to be the first Women’s Pure Champion. She’s a fan of Jay Lethal and talks about going back to school to build a life outside of wrestling. That means she can avoid the chatter about her on the internet, which doesn’t matter. Finally, she wants to boost the women’s pure division to another level. This was pretty cut and dry but it’s good to have Purrazzo back while she’s injured.

Hyan vs. Lacey Lane

Maya World is here with Hyan. They fight over a lockup to start until Lane rolls her up for a quick near fall. A running dropkick in the corner gives Lane two more but Hyan is back with a rollup for two of her own. That just earns her a chinlock, with Hyan fighting up for a side slam. The Falcon Arrow gives Hyan two, with Lane grabbing a quick cradle for two more. Lane twists the knee around and hits a hanging Pedigree for another near fall. Back up and Hyan knocks her away, setting up the Glam Slam for the pin at 7:24.

Rating: C+. I actually wasn’t sure who was going to win here and that’s always a nice feeling to have. Lane has something to her that makes her stand out and it’s cool to see her getting a chance. Hyan has also shown that she has some notable talent of her own, though she’s still being outshone by World.

Nathan Cruz vs. Adam Brooks

Cruz grabs a headscissors on the mat to start and they get up to fight over a wristlock. Back up and Cruz fires off the chops in the corner, followed by a slingshot belly to back suplex. The Hennig necksnap gets two and Cruz grabs a chinlock. Back up and Brooks hits a running boot against the ropes, setting up the suicide dive. Brooks’ crossface doesn’t last long and Cruz goes up top. Brooks runs the corner to superplex him right back down, followed by a Swanton for the pin at 7:38.

Rating: C+. This is where Ring Of Honor just makes me shake my head. They had two relatively unknowns (Cruz is a recurring jobber at best) but they had some promos to set up a reason to fight. That’s a lot more than you get around here most of the time and it felt different. That’s perfectly fine, but the whole thing began and ended in about an hour. It’s a prime example of a match that could have been saved for next week, just to let it be built up for a little bit. Why rush through everything like this?

RPG Vice want some revenge on Eddie Kingston and Ortiz, asking them to “bring their a**** down to Ring Of Honor.” Bring them down how? You’re all already here.

We get a video on Angelico challenging Lee Moriarty for the Pure Rules Title next week. This is a big rematch from the first time they fought….about two years ago.

Komander vs. Tommy Billington

They fight over a lockup to start as commentary talks about All In. Komander nips up to escape a wristlock and they crash out to the floor. Billington gets in a neck snap across the top and a missile dropkick gets two. A powerslam gives Billington two, followed by a snap suplex for the same as we get a nice British Bulldogs combination. They fight over a double arm crank until Komander superkicks him into a 619.

The rope walk running flip dive hits Billington on the floor as they crash again. Back in and Billington wins a battle over a Tombstone but misses a Swan Dive. They forearm it out with Komander getting the better of things, followed by a German suplex for two. Billington is sat on the rope for a springboard hurricanrana driver and the Cielito Lindo finishes for Komander at 10:11.

Rating: B. They were both working hard here and that’s not much of a surprise as it’s certainly their reputations. At the same time, Komander is pretty firmly in the same spot he’s always been in while Billington has lost the status he gained after teaming with Adam Priest. That being said, I’ll take a match like this after some of the dull stuff we’ve seen on this show thus far.

Shane Taylor Promotions vs. Skyflight

Eight man tag and their seconds are all here too. Bravo shoves Dante to start and gets shouldered down for his efforts. A dropkick has Bravo in trouble but he hits Dante in the face, meaning it’s off to Dean vs. Sky. They run the ropes as well and it’s already off to Darius, who gets stomped down by Ogogo. Taylor comes in for the big chop, followed by a legdrop for two.

We pause for the Promotions to rant about their airline but Darius fights up and gets the tag to Sydal. House is quickly cleaned by the Infantry cuts him off with a belly to back neckbreaker. Everything breaks down and Sky grabs a cutter, setting up Sydal’s top rope Meteora for the pin on Ogogo at 8:32.

Rating: B-. They had a lot of stuff going on at once here and that’s almost always going to make for a difficult situation. I do like Skyflight getting a win for a change as they tend to be there to do nothing but put others over. The Promotions got in their regular appearance, which tends to be the case almost every single week. Much like the Premiere Athletes, just give us a bit of a breather from them.

 

Results
Lio Rush b. Main Man Oro – Black Thunder
Bryan Keith b. Alan Angels – Tiger driver
Billie Starkz b. B3cca – Arm trap faceplant
Premiere Athletes b. Dark Order – Running knee in the corner to Reynolds,
RPG Vice b. Alex Zayne/Mance Warner – Strong Zero to Zayne
Hyan b. Lacey Lane – Glam Slam
Nathan Cruz b. Adam Brooks – Swanton
Komander b. Tommy Billington
Skyflight b. Shane Taylor Promotions – Top rope Meteora to Ogogo

 

 

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6.0

The final score: review Average

The 411

These two hour editions of the show are somehow making this show even harder to watch. As has been the case for the better part of ever around here, it isn’t that the wrestling is bad but the fact that there is so much of it. This was another very long show and it feels like almost everyone who was on the show was just doing their usual thing. It’s a case where not everyone needs to be on every show and my goodness it would do some wonders to let things breathe a bit. But that’s not going to happen because Tony Khan things more is better every chance he can. Lucky us.