Tag: ROH

ROH TV live results: Athena vs. Vertvixen

Posted on by Jeff Moss

Ring of Honor presents its weekly show on HonorClub tonight.

Six matches are advertised for the broadcast.

Katsuyori Shibata of The Opps is scheduled to wrestle JD Drake of The Workhorsemen. ROH Women’s World Champion Athena will face Vertvixen in a Proving Ground match. Adam Priest vs. Anthony Henry has also been announced.

Additional matches set for the show include Viva Van & Lady Bird Monroe vs. Maya World & Hyan, Tony Nese vs. Mascara Dorada, and Tommy Billington vs. Aaron Solo.

Originally, tonight’s broadcast was planned as a Global Wars event featuring Ring of Honor and Metroplex Wrestling. However, it was announced on last week’s show that the ROH x Metroplex event has been postponed due to recent weather conditions in Texas. The show had been scheduled to be taped the same night as the January 24 live episode of AEW Collision, which was ultimately canceled.

Our live coverage, courtesy of our own Jeff Moss, begins at 7 p.m. Eastern.

*********************************

Welcome my friends to a snowy and cold edition of Ring of Honor where we ask the big questions:

  • Why did the girl keep her trumpet out in the snow?
    • She liked playing cool jazz.
  • What do you call a penguin in the Sahara Desert?
    • Lost.
  • Why do birds fly south for the winter?
    • Because it’s too far to walk.

Now, with that out of the way, this week’s show as a bit of a replacement as the ROH x Metroplex wrestling event that we were told about 2 weeks ago had to be postponed because of the frosty weather in Texas. So what do we have in it’s place? Let’s find out!

ROH Women’s World Championship Proving Ground Match: Athena [c] vs VertVixen

Vixen was Athena’s first challenger after winning the ROH Women’s world title all the way back in 1975. Currently, she’s 71-0 in her legendary run.

The two locked up off the top with Athena flipping through a wristlock. She grabbed a headlock and pulled Vixen down to the mat. Athena thumbed her nose at Vixen (literally) and Vixen dropped her with a shoulder tackle. She then threw some elbows at the Champ, befor hitting one hell of a kick.

Athena managed to kick Vixen in the face from the mat and that brought out the agression in her. She laid into Vixen with some hard strikes and then fishhooked her until the ref broke it up. She grabbed Vixen by the nose, dragged her up to her knees and then punched her in face, busting Vixen open.

Vixen tried to steal one with a rollup, but Athena kicked out of it and delivered a back suplex and then a few more hard strikes for a two count of her own. Vixen grabbed a wristlock take over and bought some time by throwing Athena into the turnbuckles headfirst.

Vixen powered up and hit a scoop slam, and a spingboard heel kick to Athena’s head. Vixen then hit a blue thunder bomb, but as we know, no one has ever won with that move, so Athena kicked out at two.

Vixen connected with a big knee to the head, sending her and Athena to the outside. It was all the Champion there though as Athena powebombed her onto the barricade, then threw her into the steps. Tossing Vixen back into the ring, Athena laid in some UFC style punches and locked on a Koji Clutch. Vixen was forced to tap out, giving the victory to Athena.

Match Result Athena defeated VertVixen

After the match, MiT, (Billie Starkz and Diamante) showed up and attacked Vixen. Before they could do much damage, Hyan and Maya World ran down to make the save and run off MiT and Athena.

-Backstage, the Infantry cut a promo. Dean wanted to introduce the mysterious lady he pulled out of the crowd a few days ago. She’s an athlete, model and forensic psychology major named Christian XO. He introduced her to Bravo and Adora and suggested that she join the Infantry. Bravo and Adora discussed this and said ok, but Adora seemed pretty reluctant.

Adam Priest vs Anthony Henry

Priest and Henry jostled off the bell with each man trying to get a headlock on. They moved to the ropes and Henry shoved Priest to the outside. He then sat in the ring all innocent like and waited for Priest to come back into the ring. Priest did, and tossed Henry out just to even the score.

Back in the ring, they chain wrestled until Henry was able to grab a wristlock. Priest countered into an Ankle lock, but Henry grabbed the ropes. Henry then straight up tackled Priest in the middle of the ring and the two fought to the corner.

Priest threw a bunch of chops and a picture perfect dropkick. Henry lured him into the corner and raked his eyes though. Then he hit a reverse neckbreaker over the steel joist that goes to the ropes. Priest’s neck wrapped around it.

Henry then started working Priest’s ankle, stomping it and then using his feet to wrench Priest’s neck harder. Priest slipped to the outside after a punch to the face and Henry threw him into the barricade and the ring apron (the priestiest part of the ring!).

Back in the ring, Henry set Priest up on the top turnbuckle. He yelled at him for a minute and Priest bit him before throwing a headbutt to send Henry to the mat.

Priest started running through Henry with lariats and running choips. He thew him with a back suplex and went up top. Henry saw it coming and rolled out. Priest kicked him through the ropes before Priest bounced his head off the steps.

Getting back in the ring, Henry turned the tables and went up top on Priest. Priest moved and Henry tried a pile driver but couldn’t get Priest up. Priest countered into one of his own, but Henry kicked out at two. At this point, commentary said the best thing I’ve ever heard:

“I think at the very least, his neck is in his own head now” – Ian Riccaboni

I’ll be thinking about that for weeks.

The two fought on the top turnbuckle and Henry seemed to get the better of a suplerplex, but upon landing, Priest rolled Henry up and got a 1-2-3 and the win.

Match Result: Adam Priest defeated Anthony Henry

Tommy Billington vs Aaron Solo

Next up, Priest’s tag team partner, Billington stomped down to the ring to see if it could make it two in a row for their team against Solo.

The two locked up and rolled around the ring trading wrist and waist locks. Solo transitioned into punches and Billington returned the favour, eventually dropping him with a shoulder block. Solo stayed sharp though, backdropping Billington over the ropes to the outside.

The two threw hands around the ring and Billington threw Solo back in. Solo got ahold of him though and whipped him into the corner. Solo threw a suplex and stomped Billington in the middle of the ring. He hit a back suplex then dropped a knee, keeping the momentum up.

Solo tried a sleeper, but Billington got out of it and landed a clothesline. He nailed Solo with a dropkick and then a scoop slam, heading to the top turnbuckle. They fought up there until Billington threw a headbutt sending Solo back. He then hit a dropkick from the turnbuckle.

Billington went for a pile driver, but Solo countered into a rollup for a two count. Solo hit a spinning kick after that, stunning Billington. Solo picked Billington up for a powerbomb, but Billington countered into another piledriver. He landed one more and then pinned Solo to get the win.

Match Result: Tommy Billington defeated Aaron Solo

-Backstage, Rocky Romero talked with Adam Priest. Romero heard that Priest told the locker room he could beat the Don Callis Family. Priest mentioned that they are losing a lot lately and he’s been winning so maybe he could get some of that Callis Family gold? Romero scoffed, assuming he was talking about Okada. Priest said that a match with Okada would be pretty great. So, Romero made the match Okada vs Priest for the AEW International Championship. Because apparently, he can do that. So that match will be on Collision.

Katsuyori Shibata vs JD Drake

Shibata has a 21-0 record in ROH, but Drake is really big.

Shibata kicked Drake in the gut off the Code of Honor and began stomping him in the corner. Drake exploded out of the corner with a clothesline, followed by a scoop slam. Drake thew himself at Shibata with a head butt. Shibata rolled out of the ring and Drake followed.

Drake chopped Shibata along the barricades and then threw him back into the ring. Shibata took the high ground and kicked Drake in the face, sending him back to the outside. Shibata threw Drake into the barricade and then grabbed a chair.

Shibata took a moment to high five a Jesus cosplayer at ringside, then set Drake up in the chair for a kick in the chest. Then he hugged Jesus and threw Drake back into the ring. Shibata set him up in the corner and chopped and dropkicked him before hitting a neckbreaker.

Shibata went for three pinning attempts but couldn’t get Drake to lay down, so he stood up and started kicking and throwing elbows. Drake got to his feet and the two traded no-sell chops. Drake dropped his straps and the chopping continued.

Drake shot Shibata off the ropes and hit a spinebuster and then a cannonball in the corner. He hit a modified Vader bomb, but Shibata kicked out at two. Shibata resorted to a low blow and then put on an arm bar. The ref, who fully saw it, didn’t disqualify him and the low blow resulted in Drake having to tap out to the arm bar for some reason.

Match Result: Katsuyori Shibata defeated JD Drake

Viva Van and Lady Bird Monroe vs Maya World and Hyan

Lady Bird is currently the Women’s Champion of Booker T’s Reality of Wrestling promotion. So that’s neat. World and Hyan had some nice Texas-themed matching gear and Van was also there.

Van and World started things off with Van using the ropes to counter a wristlock. Van matrixed her way out of a clothesline, but World rolled her up any ways. The two ran the ropes, leapfrogging over each other. They shook hands out of respect and tagged in their partners for a turn.

Bird fell victim to an alligator roll from Hyan and World joined her for a double team set of dropkicks. They whipped Bird off the ropes and hit a double clothesline. Hyan grabbed a facelock, but Bird countered and shoved her at Van in the corner.

Van and Bird traded quick tags with Van hitting spinning heel kick, then assisting Bird with a moonsault. Hyan fought back, whipping Bird into the corner with World, who hit a blockbuster. Van then broke up the pin attempt.

Hyan dove onto Van through the ropes, while Bird hit some handsprings right into Worlds feet. World Hyan hoisted Bird up and World hit a big strike on her in a cool finishing combination. World made the pin and picked up the win.

Match Result: Maya World and Hyan defeated Viva Van and Lady Bird Monroe

After the match, Athena and the MiT appeared to beat up World and Hyan. Athena grabbed a mic and reminded everyone that Ring of Honor is HER show. She told everyone that Hyan and World used to be part of Athena’s Metroplex promotion, but turned their backs. So next week, Athena, Starkz and Diamante will take on Hyan, World and “whatever scaredy cat ho they can find in the back.” Her words, not mine.

Tony Nese vs Mascara Dorada

Just Nese and Mark Sterling came down to the ring, presumeably because Stori Denali and Ariya Daivari were caught in the weather that waas plaguing Texas at the time. Dorada entered to a big ovation and “lucha!” chants.

Dorada offered his hand for a Code of Honor and Nese returned the favour by posing. They locked up and ran a high speed chain of moves that led to flips and poses from both. Dorada finally got some momentum, walking the ropes and nailing Nese. He then did the world’s first set of mocking jumping jacks at Nese.

Nese rolled out to confer with Sterling and Dorada baseball slid out of the ring to break it up by punching Nese. Nese tried to escape through the crowd, but Dorada chopped him about it. Dorada charged Nese, but Sterling got in the way and gave Nese an opening to throw Dorada at the barricade.

Ref Aubrey Edwards started the loudest count I’ve ever heard, but Dorada rolled in and out to break it. Nese then distracted Edwards while Sterling used his arm brace to choke Dorada on the outside. Nese then bounced his head off the announce table and threw Dorada back into the ring.

Nese stomped Dorada in the corner, but Dorada started punching abs and Nese had a lot of them to work with. Nese blocked a satellite DDT and hit a northern lights suplex. They got to their feet and Nese countered a sunset flip into a two count.

Nese put on a waist leg lock, squeezing Dorada in the middle of the ring. Nese grabbed Dorada in a waistlock, but Dorada started throwing elbows. Nese whipped him into the corner. Dorada hit a heel kick through the ropes and then leapt off in a corckscrew wrist takedown, sending Nese to the outside.

Dorada shot over the ropes with a 720 Tornado and took out Nese. He threw him back in the ring and hit a springboard frog splash, but Nese kicked out at two. Dorada got Nese up in an electric chair position, but Nese got out of it. Dorada hit a German suplex, but Nese landed on his feet and kicked him in the gut about it.

Nese chopped Dorada into the ropes and Dorada exploded out with a dropkick. He went up top, but Sterling pulled Nese out of harms way. Dorada hopped down and Nese caught him with a spiked pumphandle slam for a two count.

The two got to their feet and started trading chops until Dorada hit a kick combo. Sterling then got up on the apron and Nese charged. Dorada moved and Nese knocked Sterling off the apron. Dorada went up for a shooting star press and landed it perfectly, getting the win over Nese.

Match Result: Mascara Dorada defeated Tony Nese

As the match ended, it was revealed that Deonna Purrazzo will team with Maya World and Hyan to take on MiT and Athena next week! See ya then!

TNA veteran wants Deonna Purrazzo as her potential return opponent

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

TNA Knockouts veteran Brooke Adams, aka Brooke Tessmacher, recently opened up about her return to pro-wrestling and possibly having it against Deonna Purrazzo.

Speaking to SoCal Val on The Velvet Rope, Adams expressed her interest in an in-ring comeback after being away from it for almost nine years.

“I feel like when I left, I left giving up the championship. I never had a rematch. I left unfinished business — I would love to go get myself ready, go do it one more time, one more ride, and finish out kind of the full story.”

When asked about a potential return opponent, she claimed, “Deonna [Purrazzo]. She is completely iconic. We got little things in our pockets that she might not be ready for. So [Deonna], watch out.”

Purrazzo was one of Adams’ last opponents during her time in Impact Wrestling, with the duo battling in January 2017. Purrazzo is the current reigning ROH Women’s Pure Champion, while Adams was known for her both non-wrestling and in-ring work in TNA, especially her three-time TNA Knockouts title win.

The Rascalz want to reunite with former ROH Champion in AEW

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

The Rascalz have arrived in AEW, and they want to reunite with former ROH champion Eddie Kingston.

During a recent appearance on Close Up w/ Renee Paquette, Dezmond Xavier and Zachary Wentz of The Rascalz opened up about their desire to get back with Kingston.

When asked by Paquette about the one star they want to get back with, Wentz answered instantly, “Eddie Kingston.” As the others joined in and claimed, “Uncle Eddie.“

Xavier continued and delivered a thoughtful answer, “He was one of the veterans that was still traveling around and bestowing knowledge, not only in ring, but backstage of life. Those are the blessings you get to have when you get to travel around. We were lucky enough to be on the live shows with him. We built a really great relationship with him.“

“He got the Rascalz dialed in a little bit. Someone there to give you that check, you know?” Wentz concluded.

Following the announcement of their signing a few weeks ago, The Rascalz are yet to make their AEW in-ring debut.

Madison Rayne reveals why she chose to retire

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

AEW/ROH wrestler Madison Rayne announced her retirement in a promo that was posted to social media on New Year’s Day. Now she’s explaining what went into her decision.

In a recent appearance on Boots to Boots (a podcast co-hosted by the husband-and-wife team of TNA’s Steve Maclin and ROH’s Deonna Purrazzo), Rayne explained that she had been juggling her roles as an agent/producer and as an active wrestler.

“You have to give 100 percent of yourself to both of them,” she said. “And giving 100 percent of myself to two separate things in one day was challenging. 

“But also, I’ve always had in the back of my mind this little voice telling me ‘Get out and retire and know when enough is enough.’ People do it all the time, they outstay their welcome in the wrestling business, and I didn’t want to be somebody that did that.”

“At this point, when my full-time job is coach/producer and I love it so much, it was like these two things both telling me it’s time to celebrate your career instead of trying to prolong it past what is necessary,” she contiued. “I’ve done everything that, for me, I needed to do to fill my cup and feel fulfilled.”

Rayne also acknowledged this was not the first time she had announced a retirement. “I semi-retired a few years ago because I thought it was the right thing during COVID,” she said. “I got my business degree, I got my job selling mortgages, I thought, ‘this was my career path now, this is my life, let me force myself to step away from wrestling.’ And it didn’t feel right, it wasn’t the right time.”

Rayne debuted with Ohio Valley Wrestling in 2005. She is probably best known for her time in TNA, where she wrestled off and on from 2009 to 2022 before joining AEW. She has also wrestled for WWE, ROH, and Shimmer, among other promotions. 

ROH and Maple Leaf Pro announce joint event for March

Posted on by Ian Carey

Maple Leaf Pro and Ring of Honor are set to partner for an upcoming two-night event.

On Friday March 27, ROH x MLP Global Wars will be held at St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The following night MLP Uprising will take place from the same venue. Both shows will stream live on Triller TV.

In addition to talent from ROH and MLP, wrestlers from AEW, NJPW, DDT, and CMLL are expected to take part. The main event of Global Wars will feature AEW National Champion Ricochet in the main event.

A press release announcing the news reads:

“GLOBAL WARS will take place Friday, March 27, and will showcase world-class competitors from MAPLE LEAF PRO and RING OF HONOR alongside international stars from across the global wrestling landscape. The event will be headlined by current AEW National Champion Ricochet, marking his first GLOBAL WARS main event appearance in Canada.”

Also announced for the weekend are Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows, Kaito Kiyomiya (NOAH), Daisuke Sasaki (DDT Pro), Mascara Dorada (CMLL/AEW), Barbaro Cavernario (CMLL), and Bishop Dyer, formerly Baron Corbin in WWE.

ROH and MLP announced the news on Friday:

“We are thrilled to partner Ring of Honor with MAPLE LEAF PRO Wrestling for GLOBAL WARS and MLP UPRISING on March 27 and March 28,” said AEW CEO, GM and Head of Creative Tony Khan. “Both events will spotlight incredible stars from around the world and deliver amazing wrestling action to fans over the course of two exciting nights.”

“Two nights, two distinct events, and championship-caliber talent across the board,” said Scott D’Amore, President of MAPLE LEAF PRO. “This Mega Event weekend showcases MAPLE LEAF PRO on the world stage while celebrating the global partnerships that define professional wrestling today.”

Also in recent news, MLP’s Scott D’Amore has taken on a new role for the Georgia-based promotion, 1 Fall Wrestling (1FW), run by QT Marshall. D’Amore will be the new co-executive producer and consultant for the show.

ROH and MLP’s announcement is below:

ROH x Metroplex Wrestling Global Wars announced for HonorClub

Posted on by Ian Carey

Ring of Honor and Athena’s Metroplex promotion are teaming up for a joint show.

In a backstage segment on tonight’s broadcast of ROH on HonorClub, Tony Khan revealed the news, saying ROH x Metroplex Wrestling Global Wars will take place at the Esports Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Saturday, January 24. The show will air on HonorClub on Thursday, January 29 and will feature wrestlers from both Ring of Honor and Metroplex.

Athena has been running Metroplex Wrestling since 2022. The promotion runs weekly shows on Friday in Bedford, Texas.

“For the first time ever, ROH is going to collaborate, we’re going to team up with Metroplex Wrestling, which is run by the CEO of Metroplex and the match-maker of Metroplex, the ROH Women’s World Champion, the Fallen Goddess Athena.”

Athena said, “When my minions prove that we are the best in the entire world, we are going to continue this forever.”

Khan and Athena’s announcement is below:

Lacey Lane aligns with Lio Rush and Action Andretti in ROH

Posted on by Ian Carey

Lacey Lane has a new CRU.

The former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion accompanied Lio Rush and Action Andretti to the ring for their match on tonight’s ROH on HonorClub broadcast. Ongoing live coverage of the show, courtesy of Jeff Moss, is available here.

Rush and Andretti, who wrestle under the team name CRU, defeated Will Allday and Jay Alexander on the show.

Later in the show, the three were interviewed in the back.

“We’re not just back with Action Andretti, we’re not just back with Lio Rush, we’re back with new crew member Lacey Lane,” Dante Martin said backstage.

“I think I found my CRU,” Lane said.

Lane is coming off a loss to Red Velvet in a ROH Women’s TV title eliminator match at the December 6 tapings in Columbus. She also wrestled two matches for Ring of Honor in September when AEW/ROH ran its residency at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, losing to Mina Shirakawa and to Lena Kross in a dark match. Lane also dropped a TBS title match to Mercedes Mone on the October 7 episode of AEW Dynamite.

Lane was released from WWE in May 2025 after nearly seven years with the company.

New member of ROH faction revealed

Posted on by Ian Carey

There is a new member of Team SkyFlight.

Zayda Steel has joined the faction managed by Christopher Daniels. This comes after SkyFlight’s Leila Grey suffered a torn ACL against Mercedes Mone on the December 6 episode of AEW Collision.

Daniels revealed the news in a clip ROH posted to social media on Thursday, just hours before this week’s episode of ROH on HonorClub.

“Ever since SkyFlight started, Leila Grey has proved time and again that she is a warrior through and through,” Daniels said.

“Before that match happened, Leila and I met another warrior, someone very like-minded to the members of SkyFlight. I thought to myself that while Leila is out recovering, this was an opportunity for this warrior to come and show exactly what she’s all about. So with that in mind, I’d like to welcome to the SkyFly team, Zayda Steel.”

Grey defeated Steel in Steel’s ROH debut on the Final Battle pre-show on December 5.

Steel said in the video, “Christopher Daniels is a legend. When a legend calls and asks for a favor, it’d be real dumb not to show up and show out. And that’s exactly what the real deal Zayda Steel is going to do.”

Shortly after Steel was announced for SkyFlight, ROH revealed that she will team with stablemate Darius Martin against Trish Adora and Pure Champion Lee Moriarty of Shane Taylor Promotions on tonight’s episode on HonorClub.

Steven Borden Jr. works ROH tapings at AEW Collision

Posted on by Ian Carey

Steven Borden Jr. was part of AEW’s show at the Esports Arena in Arlington on Saturday night.

The son of Sting wrestled Jon Cruz on the Ring of Honor portion of the show. Full spoilers from last night’s ROH tapings are not yet available.

The match was Borden’s fifth on record and second under the AEW/ROH banner. Fightful Select reported last month that one source in AEW believes Borden will be “under an AEW contract before long if he’s not already.”

Borden Jr.’s in-ring debut took place on October 3 in New York at an art installation associated with Darby Allin, where he teamed with JD Drake in a loss to Allin and Killer Kross. His other three matches were singles bouts against Kiran Grey, who is listed as having been trained by both Allin and the Nightmare Factory in Georgia. Borden defeated Grey at DEFY’s November 21 show and again in a dark match at the December 10 AEW Winter Is Coming event, before losing to Grey at DEFY’s December 28 show.

Images and clips of Steven Borden Jr. vs. Jon Cruz courtesy of the Aaron Loves Wrestling podcast are available below:

ROH World title match part of updated AEW Dynamite lineup

Posted on by Bryan Rose

The ROH World Championship is on the line this coming Wednesday.

During AEW Collision, a segment took place where Sammy Guevara confronted Bandido, challenging him for Wednesday. Guevara promised he’d do something so heinous he’d take out the ROH Champion so he could face MJF and get the AEW Championship match Bandido earned. Bandido responded by asking Guevara why he was so angry and agreed to the Dynamite title match.

Bandido became the first person other than MJF to win the Dynamite Diamond Ring last month, defeating Ricochet to win the ring and the title match. After MJF won the title at Worlds End, the title match was confirmed for AEW Dynamite Maximum Carnage on January 14.

At the very end of Collision, a match was also made between Toni Storm and Marina Shafir. After the latter attempted to help Wheeler Yuta in his match against Darby Allin, Toni Storm came out for the save, attacking Shafir. 

AEW Dynamite lineup | January 7th, 2026 | Tulsa, Oklahoma

  • Lights Out match: The Opps (Hook & Powerhouse Hobbs) vs. Hangman Adam Page & Swerve Strickland
  • AEW Continental Champion Jon Moxley vs. Shelton Benjamin in a title eliminator match
  • ROH World Championship: Bandido defends against Sammy Guevara
  • Toni Storm vs. Marina Shafir
  • Jim Ross returns

Dave Meltzer’s top-rated matches of 2025

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: Ring of Honor

With the year officially wrapped up and with the posting of last week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, we now have Dave Meltzer’s complete set of match ratings for the entirety of 2025.

Of the thousands of matches that took place over the year, Dave rated 40 of them as either five stars or above — the full list of which can be found below. From AEW to NJPW to Ring of Honor to WWE, you’ll find them all here. (Big thanks to Cagematch for making them very sortable for exercises like this.)

And, as a personal editor’s note, ratings and reviews are subjective and shouldn’t affect your ability to enjoy what you like from wherever you like. Keep that in mind the next time you log into your social media platform of choice.

And now, Dave Meltzer’s top-rated pro wrestling matches of 2025:

5 stars:

40) Jon Moxley vs. Kyle Fletcher Continental Classic finals | AEW Worlds End | December 27

39) Komander vs. World Historic Welterweight Champion Mascara Dorada | CMLL Domingo Familiar | November 23

38) TNT Champion Kyle Fletcher vs. Mark Briscoe no DQ | AEW Full Gear | November 22

37) AEW World Tag Team Champions Brodido vs. FTR | AEW Full Gear | November 22

36) Men’s Blood & Guts match | AEW Dynamite | November 12

35) AEW World Tag Team Champions Brodido vs. Kazuchika Okada & Konosuke Takeshita | AEW WrestleDream | October 18

34) Torneo Cibernetico | CMLL Grand Prix International | August 29

33) Death Riders & Young Bucks vs. Darby Allin, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kenny Omega, Will Ospreay & Kota Ibushi Lights Out cage match | AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door | August 24

32) Cody Rhodes vs. WWE Champion John Cena street fight | WWE SummerSlam | August 3

31) TNT Champion Dustin Rhodes vs. Kyle Fletcher street fight | AEW Collision | July 31

30) Mascara Dorada vs. Neon Torneo La Leyenda De Plata finals | CMLL Viernes Espectacular | July 25

29) Bandido & Hologram vs. Mascara Dorada & Mistico | CMLL Fantastica Mania | June 20

28) ROH World Champion Bandido vs. Mascara Dorada | CMLL Martes Populares | June 17

27) Anarchy in the Arena | AEW Double or Nothing | May 25

26) Motor City Machine Guns vs. WWE Tag Team Champions Street Profits vs. DIY TLC match | WWE SmackDown | April 25

25) WWE Women’s Champion IYO SKY vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Bianca Belair | WWE WrestleMania 41 | April 20

24) Will Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher steel cage match | AEW Revolution | March 9

23) AEW International Champion Konosuke Takeshita vs. Kenny Omega | AEW Revolution | March 9

22) AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm vs. Mariah May Hollywood Ending match | AEW Revolution | March 9

21) Saya Kamitani vs. Tam Nakano loser leaves town | Stardom Nighter in Korakuen | March 3

20) Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn unsanctioned match | WWE Elimination Chamber | March 1

19) Kenny Omega & Will Ospreay vs. Konosuke Takeshita & Kyle Fletcher | AEW Grand Slam Australia | February 15

18) IWGP Global Champion Yota Tsuji vs. Gabe Kidd | NJPW New Beginning in Osaka | February 11

17) AZM, Miyu Amasaki & Starlight Kid vs. Natsupoi, Saori Anou & Tam Nakano | Stardom 14th Anniversary Supreme Fight | February 2 | *****

More than 5 stars:

16) Kyle Fletcher vs. Mike Bailey | AEW Dynamite: Winter is Coming | December 10 | ***** 1/4

15) AEW World Champion Hangman Page vs. Kyle Fletcher | AEW All Out | September 20 | ***** 1/4

14) AEW Unified Champion Kazuchika Okada vs. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Mascara Dorada | AEW All Out | September 20 | ***** 1/4

13) Sareee vs. IWGP Women’s Champion Syuri | Stardom The Conversion | June 21 | ***** 1/4

12) Swerve Strickland vs. Will Ospreay | AEW Dynamite: Summer Blockbuster | June 11 | ***** 1/4

11) Kosei Fujita vs. YOH | NJPW Best of the Super Juniors finals | June 1 | ***** 1/4

10) Saya Kamitani vs. Tam Nakano career vs. career | Stardom All-Star Grand Queendom | April 27 | ***** 1/4

9) Kenny Omega vs. Gabe Kidd | NJPW Wrestle Dynasty | January 5 | ***** 1/4

8) IWGP World Champion Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Konosuke Takeshita | NJPW King of Pro Wrestling | October 13 | ***** 1/2

7) Mistico vs. MJF mask vs. title | CMLL 92nd Anniversario | September 19 | ***** 1/2

6) ROH World Champion Bandido vs. Hechicero | ROH Death Before Dishonor | August 29 | ***** 1/2

5) AEW World Champion Jon Moxley vs. Hangman Page Texas Death Match | AEW All In | July 12 | ***** 1/2

4) Young Bucks vs. Swerve Strickland & Will Ospreay | AEW All In | July 12 | ***** 1/2

3) Hangman Page vs. Will Ospreay Owen Hart tournament finals | AEW Double or Nothing | May 25 | ***** 1/2

2) Konosuke Takeshita vs. Will Ospreay Owen Hart tournament semifinals | AEW Dynamite: Spring BreakThru | April 16 | ***** 1/2

And Dave Meltzer’s top-rated match of 2025 is…

ROH World Champion Bandido vs. Konosuke Takeshita | July 11 | ROH Supercard of Honor | ***** 3/4

From that week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

“With all the great wrestling from this past weekend in the U.S., which had two other very legit match of the year contenders, the match of the weekend was Bandido retaining his ROH title over Konosuke Takeshita on the 7/11 Supercard of Honor show.

The show wasn’t going to have a lot of impact given all the other higher profile events, but that match was among the best bouts I’ve ever seen. Takeshita is always great and the two showed excellent chemistry in their television tag match. I do worry about Takeshita working a harder schedule than most, especially with G-1 coming, and with all the stuff he does at his size. Bandido clearly got his confidence back working as a headliner in Mexico and it’s transferred to the U.S. He lost prime years of his career with a broken wrist that required two surgeries, and then got a concussion as soon as he was cleared.

It was great from start-to-finish, built well and the last few minutes were unreal. This was basically the ultimate in the modern style with everything fans who like that style love and everything people who hate the style complain about.”

    Mercedes Martinez announces ‘one final run’ as a full-time wrestler

    Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

    45-year-old Mercedes Martinez is now all set to close her chapter as a full-time active pro-wrestler. After spending nearly 25 years in the grind, Martinez recently announced her ‘one final run’ in 2026.

    Sharing a thoughtful message and reflecting on her two-decade-long career, Martinez announced the surprising decision on social media.

    “2026. Different mindset. Different fire. This is my last year as a full-time ACTIVE professional wrestler. No contracts. No agents. No creative. Just me – and everything I’ve earned over 25 damn years in this business. Wrestling gave me everything,” Martinez continued. “It broke me. Built me. Tested me. Somehow still made me fall in love with it again. 2025 wasn’t about being showcased. It was about going back to the indies, back to the grind, back to the reason I started -and remembering exactly who the hell I am.”

    Hoping to give it back to the industry and the next generation, Martinez opened up about her goals.

    “Giving back. Teaching. Helping the next generation. Passing on what was given to me the hard way.
    That part means everything. So 20z6 gets one more year of my body, my heart, and my fight. One more year of scars, sweat, pain, and pride. One more year of showing up and giving everything I’ve got because that’s the only way I’ve ever done this,    ” she wrote. “The last few years flew by. I don’t know what’s next. All I’ve ever known is wrestling, grinding, and hustling. And for one more year…that’s exactly what I’m going to do. I trust the universe to meet me where I’m at – like it always has. Goodbye 2025. One last run.“

    Martinez’s career began in the late 2000s, but she had her first recorded match (as per Cagematch) in 2001. Throughout her long and celebrated career, Martinez wrestled across multiple promotions, including WWE, AEW, ROH, and many more, spanning the independent scene. Close to beginning her final year as a full-time wrestler, her last match dates back to November 29th, 2025, where she won over Rachael Ellering at the NHPW Final Chapter 16 event.

    AEW/ROH wrestler Diamante gets engaged to girlfriend Kiera Hogan

    Posted on by Joseph Currier

    New Year’s Eve was an extra special night for wrestling couple Diamante and Kiera Hogan.

    The two announced their engagement on December 31 with Diamante (Priscilla Zuniga) showing off her new ring on social media. She and Hogan have been dating since 2019. They were formerly co-workers in both TNA and AEW. Diamante is still under contract with AEW and competes on the ROH brand, while Hogan departed the company in 2025.

    TNA wrestler KC Navarro wrote that he was blessed to be there for the proposal.

    “So blessed to be apart of this moment for my sister @diamantelax and @hoganknowsbest18,” Navarro posted to his Instagram stories.

    AEW’s Swerve Strickland, Willow Nightingale, Kris Statlander, Thunder Rosa, Aubrey Edwards, Kevin Knight, and Skye Blue were among those to congratulate the couple on the news.

    It was a busy night for Diamante with her engagement, but she still took a moment to send out a tweet celebrating Nightingale’s TBS Championship victory. Nightingale won the title from Mercedes Mone on the New Year’s Smash edition of AEW Dynamite.

    Hogan was featured on the reality show Joseline’s Cabaret: California that aired on the Zeus Network last year. Some controversy was generated clip where she called wrestling a “stepping stone,” but Hogan clarified that wrestling has always been her first love. She just has other ambitions as well.

    Deonna Purrazzo hoping to bring ROH Women’s Pure title to AEW programming

    Posted on by Joseph Currier

    One of Deonna Purrazzo’s goals for the new year is to have her ROH Women’s Pure Championship featured on AEW programming.

    While appearing on Gabby AF, Purrazzo was asked about potentially bringing her title to Dynamite to face off against some of the top stars in the AEW women’s division. Purrazzo said getting back on AEW television has long been a goal of hers — and she’s determined to put her Pure title on the map in 2026.

    “Oh my gosh, absolutely. I mean, it was a goal before I was the champion, right? To get back on Dynamite,” Purrazzo responded. “And I’ve talked endlessly about, I’ve never wrestled Kris Statlander ever, so that would be a first-time match up. I’ve never wrestled Mercedes [Mone], and I think that we’ve both established our careers on submission finishes. And how great would it be to wrestle Mercedes in a Pure Rules match where we can rely heavily on those submissions?

    “And so, absolutely, that’s something that I look forward to doing in 2026 is putting this Women’s Pure Championship on the map and saying there will be space for Deonna Purrazzo and Pure Rules on Dynamite. There will be space for me on Collision in a Pure Rules contest. And I know that I could get there. It’s just going to take some time, but I’m confident in that.”

    Purrazzo became the inaugural Women’s Pure Champion by defeating Billie Starkz in a tournament final at ROH Final Battle 2025. For Purrazzo, it was the perfect way to end a year that was “really crappy.” She questioned herself a lot in 2025 and didn’t know if there was a place for her in wrestling anymore. There were times where Purrazzo wasn’t getting reps in the ring. And when she was getting reps, she wasn’t confident in herself. Purrazzo went back to her roots by taking more indie bookings in addition to her AEW/ROH work. This title win made all of the trials and tribulations she went through worth it.

    ROH is a brand that Purrazzo has a strong connection with, going back to the days when the promotion was owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group. She’s proud to see how far the ROH women’s division has come.

    “We couldn’t even imagine a Women’s World Championship 10 years ago,” Purrazzo told Gabby AF. “And now we have a World Championship, a TV Championship, and a Pure Rules Championship. If you asked 20-year-old Deonna, like, her mind is blown, right? Like, no one believed in women in Ring of Honor that much. And to see that Athena has held the championship for over 1,000 days. She’s on Dynamite, on Collision, on pay-per-views now. She’s worked her way up to television with this championship and is putting women on the map. I want to do the same thing.”

    The men’s and women’s Pure titles in ROH are both geared toward technical wrestlers, with a unique ruleset that includes each competitor having a limited number of rope breaks. Lee Moriarty is the current men’s champion.

    Along with her title win, a highlight for Purrazzo in 2025 was launching her Boots to Boots podcast with husband Steve Maclin.

    ROH spoilers from the Hammerstein Ballroom

    Posted on by Ian Carey

    Spoilers are available for the Ring of Honor matches taped on Saturday.

    Four matches took place for future episodes of ROH TV on HonorClub at the Hammerstein Ballroom on the same night AEW taped this Wednesday’s Christmas on 34th Street edition of Dynamite.

    The Boom and Doom team of Big Boom AJ and QT Marshall appeared on the show, defeating The Frat House’s Cole Karter & Griff Garrison in tag team action. It was their first match as a team since the AEW Full Gear Tailgate Brawl on November 22 in New Jersey when they defeated The Don Callis Family’s Roppongi Vice team of Rocky Romero and Trent Beretta.

    The spoilers below are courtesy of Cagematch.net.

    Ring of Honor spoilers from Saturday, December 20 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York

    • Eddie Kingston defeated James Drake
    • Hook defeated Ortiz
    • Bryan Keith defeated Serpentico
    • Big Boom AJ & QT Marshall defeated The Frat House (Cole Karter & Griff Garrison) w/Jacked Jameson & Preston Vance