Spanish Announce Project (Angelico and Serpentico) defeated Midnight Heat (Ricky Gibson and Eddie Pearl via Submission (Negro Navarro Death Roll)
Angelico kicked things off against Pearl. Pearl wanted to show off his strength, while Angelico showed his agility. Pearl tagged Gibson in, and Angelico backed him into the corner for a tag to Serpentico. Gibson was so much taller than Serpentico, but it didn’t stop the luchadore from kicking him square in the face. Gibson tagged in Pearl. He locked a sleeper on Serpentico, but he battled out of it with a jawbreaker.
A hot tag was made to Angelico, who immediately started cleaning house. He used Pearl as a springboard to deliver a forearm to Robert Gibson. A little while later, Angelico locked on his death roll, causing Pearl to tap.
Pure Rules Match: Serena Deeb defeated B3CCA via Submission (Serenity Lock)
Serena Deeb started the match off by getting quick control. B3CCA was forced to use her first of her three rope breaks at just 53 seconds. Coming off the rope break, Deeb planted B3CCA with a stiff shoulder and then pulled her into a modified surfboard into a camel clutch. Deeb continued to try numerous submissions. She forced B3CCA to use her second rope break at 2 minutes and 35 seconds. B3CCA gave Serena some high European uppercuts. B3CCA then hit a dropkick on Deeb. She hit a double hammerlock facebuster in the middle of the ring. Deeb switched to her Serenity Lock. B3CCA was forced to tap out.
After this match, Trish Adora came out to the ramp with a notebook. She appeared to be scouting for a Women’s Pure Championship Tournament. I think they should have had her out there during the match and showed her taking notes.
The Infantry (Capt. Shawn Dean and Carlie Bravo) defeated Top Flight (Dante Martin and Darius Martin) in a Number One Contender’s match for the ROH World Tag Team Championships
Lee Moriarty, Shane Taylor, and Trish Adora were with The Infantry. While Leila Grey was with Top Flight as they came out. At the end of the match, Darius Martin and Shawn Dean were the legal wrestlers in the ring. Dean sent Darius into the ropes where Lee Moriarty to hit him with the Pure Championship. That gave Shawn Dean the chance to get a quick pin for the win.
The Infantry’s victory over Top Flight earned them a title shot against the reigning Ring of Honor World Tag Team Champions, Sons of Texas (Dustin Rhodes and Sammy Guevara), at Supercard of Honor XVIII. The match was competitive. It showcased the athleticism and teamwork of both teams. The Infantry’s win marks a significant moment for the duo, who have been building momentum as a fan-favorite act in ROH.
Analysis
This match solidified The Infantry as a credible challenger in the tag team division. Their victory over the high-flying Top Flight highlighted their versatility and put them in a spot as potential champions. Meanwhile, Top Flight’s loss may lead to a storyline of redemption given their popularity in ROH and potential.
Promos and Storyline Developments
Athena and Thunder Rosa Vignette
Athena started it out by saying, “Not everyone is destined for greatness. Not everyone is me. The brightest star ROH has ever seen.” But Thunder Rosa says that Athena has something that she wants in the ROH Women’s World Championship. La Mera Mera then says emphatically, “And in Texas, at Supercard of Honor, I get to beat your ass.” Athena says deep in the heart of Texas, her home state, the Lone Star IS Athena! But will the Minion Overlord, the American Joshi, and the ROH Gatekeeper still be our Forever Champion?
Fourth of July
The Infantry (Shawn Dean, Carlie Bravo, and Trish Adora) cut a promo wishing everyone a Happy Fourth of July. They said that these colors don’t run. Happy Independence Day! The patriotism is strong, but will The Infantry win their shot at the ROH World Tag Team Championships? Or will it be Top Flight with the fireworks tonight?
The Party
The Frat House (Jacked Jameson, Preston Vance, Cole Karter, and Griff Garrison) had a party at Seattle’s LariatMania bar. But they were interrupted by Dark Order (Evil Uno, John Silver, and Alex Reynolds). The Dark Order challenged them to a drinking contest with the loser being forced to pick up the tab. They both played Flip Cup. Frat House accused The Dark Order of cheating to win the game. John Silver said that they would pick up the tab anyway. Alex Reynolds told the bartender to charge everything to Griff Garrison, to which the bartender replied with Who the hell is Griff Garrison?
Conclusion
The July 3 episode advanced several key storylines, particularly those tied to Supercard of Honor XVIII. It was a jam-packed, exciting show at around 40-42 minutes. I think we will see a six-man tag coming out of this episode between The Dark Order and Frat House. Will that lead to a match with the Von Erichs and Dustin Rhodes? I’m not sure. I know that the PPV is in Texas, which is where the Von Erichs and Dustin are from, but can they get them to show up and actually do something with those championships?
Under Tony Khan’s ownership, ROH has faced criticism for inconsistent storytelling and underutilizing its talent. This episode, with its focus on building toward Supercard of Honor, suggests a strong effort to address these issues by delivering a cohesive narrative that spotlighted key wrestlers. However, the promotion must continue to refine its booking and presentation to compete with larger promotions like WWE, AEW, and TNA Wrestling. The success of Supercard of Honor will be a litmus test for ROH’s ability to carve out a distinct identity while leveraging its partnership with AEW.
Supercard of Honor XVIII Card (As of Now) for July 11th
ROH World Championship: Bandido (c) vs. Konosuke Takeshita
Ring of Honor Women’s World Championship: Athena (c) vs. Thunder Rosa
ROH World Tag Team Championships: Sons of Texas (Dustin Rhodes and Sammy Guevara) (C) vs. The Infantry (Capt. Shawn Dean and Carlie Bravo)
ROH Pure Championship: Lee Moriarty (c) vs. Blue Panther
Please make sure you are following The Unlocked Info for further recaps and analysis.
