ROH TV results: Women of Honor

Ring of Honor television from this past week featured a special episode entirely devoted to women in ROH. Women of Honor was the theme for a show taped in Baltimore.

As reported in the latest issue of the Observer, the next year could see more emphasis on the Women of Honor brand as ROH offered contracts to several women wrestlers. Signing women talent was hardly ever a priority in the past with ROH. That is likely changing much like the landscape elsewhere in terms of women in wrestling.

This past week’s episode of TV could be a sign of the future direction with their women’s division. ROH also taped TV recently and spoilers indicate a greater emphasis on the women’s division including a no DQ match in the ongoing feud with Taeler Hendrix and Mandy Leon.

Episodes from that recent taping will begin airing this weekend in syndication with a new first-run show featuring fallout from Final Battle. The fresh episode becomes available throughout next week on various streaming platforms. The weeks ahead will indicate if several women’s matches taped most recently, like the no DQ match, will air on TV. Most of the matches from the WOH division are exclusive to the internet, with a new match released Wednesdays on their YouTube channel.

For this WOH special show though, it was all about the women’s division. Ian Riccaboni provided commentary alongside Nigel McGuinness. Of course, this was taped long before news broke that Nigel was leaving ROH for a job with WWE. Riccaboni is the regular commentator for Women of Honor matches, sharing the booth with various people at different tapings. Likely, this is his last time calling a match with Nigel.

Since the viewing audience would likely be unfamiliar with much of the women’s roster, sit-down interviews with the wrestlers were edited in before some matches to help establish their characters and storylines.

Deonna Purrazzo defeated Candice LeRae

They grappled at the outset with Purrazzo working an arm, which would play into the story of the match. LeRae fired up, leading to a tope to the outside. She followed that up with a near fall after a dropkick. Purrazzo cut her off by snapping her arm on the top rope.

Purrazzo continued to work an arm until LeRae made a comeback. LeRae jumped off the top rope with a double foot stomp. Purrazzo kicked out at two for another near fall. LeRae executed a groin suplex, but Purrazzo countered. Back to working the arm, Purrazzo applied a Fujiwara armbar and LeRae got a rope break.

Moments later, LeRae applied a submission hold using the Black Widow. Purrazzo escaped, countered a DDT, dodged some kicks, and finally applied a Fujiwara armbar in the middle of the ring. LeRae tapped out for the submission as she continued selling her arm afterwards.

Veda Scott & Kennadi Brink defeated Sumie Sakai & Faye Jackson (w/ Solo Darling)

The babyfaces, Sakai and Jackson, shined early on until Scott hit Sakai with a cheap shot. The heels then began to work over Sakai. When Scott made a blind tag, it irritated Brink. So she snatched Scott in a fireman’s carry and flung her into Sakai.

They continued to work over Sakai until a hot tag to Jackson. Solo Darling was at ringside with her magic sugar drink, which was apparently a PED she was giving to her friends in the match. Jackson cleaned house and got a near fall after using RVD’s Rolling Thunder. Jackson and Sakai later used The Quebecers old finisher, but the pin attempt was broken up. Brink then applied the Anaconda Vice and Jackson tapped out.

In a sit-down interview before the next match, Mandy Leon described her continuing feud with Taeler Hendrix and insisted Hendrix is sending Jessicka Havok to basically do her dirty work. Havok is tasked with eliminating the threat of Leon.

Mandy Leon defeated Jessicka Havok

Havok played the monster heel role and Leon was a female version of David battling Goliath. Havok pummeled Leon for some time before Leon applied a sleeper hold. Havok escaped and cut off the hope spot. Havok hoisted up Leon to execute her Beautiful Disaster finisher. Havok picked her up to break the count on Havok’s own pin attempt as she was not finished. 

Havok wanted to deliver more punishment so she grabbed a chair. Deonna Purrazzo ran down to the ring and jumped on the apron to make the save. Leon rolled up a distracted Havok with a schoolgirl for the pin.

Afterwards, a livid Havok laid out both Leon and Purrazzo to get her heat back.

Kelly Klein defeated ODB

The action spilled outside the ring early on. ODB posted Klein and also whipped her into a guardrail. Klein tried to make a quick comeback but ODB cut her off. Back in the ring, Klein eventually gained the advantage and started working over ODB.

Soon thereafter, ODB fired up and ran wild. ODB would almost finish off Klein, but she would fight back and counter. On the last near fall, Klein kicked out after a spear. A moment later and Klein countered her way into applying a guillotine choke. ODB slowly faded and referee Todd Sinclair stopped the match. With the ref stoppage and the win, Klein remains undefeated in her run with ROH.

From ROH on YouTube: