ROH Death Before Dishonor 2023 Guide: Match Card, Predictions
Matthew Harrington Read update
- Two more matches have been added to the main card ahead of the show and all four bouts taking place during the Zero Hour pre-show have been revealed.
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- Lucha Bros vs. Aussie Open vs. The Kingdom vs. Best Friends for the ROH World Tag Team Championships
UPDATE: 2023/07/21 09:05 EST BY JOSH COULSON
Two more matches have been added to the main card ahead of the show and all four bouts taking place during the Zero Hour pre-show have been revealed.
Death Before Dishonor, arguably Ring of Honor's biggest show of the year, is almost upon us. Amazing to see where the promotion is now after the rocky period it went through a couple of years ago. Although Tony Khan had bought ROH by this time last year, what exactly the AEW owner had planned for the promotion remained unclear. Now, whether you like where it is or not, ROH has a weekly show and its present and future is far more stable.
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ROH also has a much more consistent roster of stars after it and AEW shared talent for a number of months. That still happens, but if you watch an ROH show, you're probably going to be familiar with the talent. Death Before Dishonor will feature all of its biggest stars and will air live this Friday, July 21, starting at 8 pm EST. Wherever you are in the world, the best way to watch Death Before Dishonor this Friday is through Fite TV, and every match announced for the card so far can be found below.
Claudio Castagnoli vs. Pac for the ROH World Championship
It will have been a full year since Claudio Castagnoli won the ROH Title for the first time, beating Jonathan Gresham for the championship at last year's Death Before Dishonor. Losing the title and winning it back again since that night, Castagnoli was supposed to defend it against Mark Briscoe this Friday, but unfortunately, that match isn't going to happen.
Had Briscoe not been sidelined with an injury, I'd have assumed he was definitely going to win this match. Now the new challenger has been confirmed to be Pac, I think Castagnoli retains. I personally hope that's the case and the champ eventually loses to Briscoe when he returns.
Samoa Joe Defends The ROH World Television Championship
Another champion without a challenger at the time of typing this, Samoa Joe's ROH TV Title will be on the line at Death Before Dishonor. Joe is on a hell of a run with the TV Championship, his 455 days with the title the third-longest reign in the belt's history. His challenger has technically already been decided but won't be announced until Thursday, so if you don't want the result to be spoiled, skip to the next match on the card now.
An eliminator tournament to decide Joe's challenger ended the night before the PPV, and Dalton Castle emerged victorious. Considering how long Joe has been champion, I'd be surprised to see his reign end to someone who earned their shot the night before, even if it is Castle.
Katsuyori Shibata vs. Daniel Garcia for the ROH Pure Championship
Daniel Garcia lost the Pure Title to Wheeler Yuta in 2022, and he has wanted it back ever since. Now held by Katsuyori Shibata, this match has been on the cards ever since Garcia pinned the champ in a tag match last month. Both have teasing it would happen ever since.
The first match on the card to be officially confirmed, and with less than a week to go until the PPV, no less. Since I'm fully expecting Castagnoli and Joe to retain in their title defenses, I'll go with a switch in this one. Garcia to win and take back the Pure Title.
Athena vs. Willow Nightingale for the ROH Women's World Championship
Willow Nightingale is having quite the 2023. Winning the NJPW Strong Women's Title, even though it seems likely she wasn't supposed to, and now laying claim to AEW's Owen Hart tournament, something she was definitely supposed to win. At Death Before Dishonor, she gets the chance to keep that momentum going when she challenges Athena.
Nightingale beat Athena in a hell of a match to progress to the final of the Owen Hart tournament, which is why I think she loses here. Athena gets her win back, keeps her title, and halts Nightingale's momentum, for the time being at least.
Lucha Bros vs. Aussie Open vs. The Kingdom vs. Best Friends for the ROH World Tag Team Championships
The fate of the ROH Tag Titles was uncertain at the start of 2023 due to the passing of Jay Briscoe. Still champion alongside his brother Mark when he died, it was Mark who eventually announced the next titleholders would be decided in a ladder match at Supercard of Honor.
Lucha Bros won that match but they've not really defended the titles much since. You might argue that has ensured the belts feel more special, and this match will certainly be that. Plenty of chaos predicted for this one, and I think the champions retain.
The Righteous vs. The Dark Order
The Dark Order needs a boost right now, and sticking to ROH for a little while might be the way to do it. No gold on the line in this one, but it should be a match well worth your time. Especially since it's a Fight Without Honor match, something you don't see all that often.
Despite Dark Order needing a boost, I think that begins with them losing in this one. A bitter loss that seems impossible for them to come back from is the perfect foundation on which to build the next era of the faction of it's going to have a future.
Mogul Embassy vs. Ryusuke Taguchi, Master Wato, and Leon Ruffin for the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championships
Speaking of AEW stars who have benefitted from switching to ROH, Brian Cage is really getting the attention he deserves right now. Holding the Six-Man Titles as a part of the Mogul Embassy, he and the rest of the group will defend their titles tonight on the PPV.
The Mogul Embassy has been doing just fine as Six-Man Champions, and I really can't see their run ending at the hands of a somewhat mismatched team tonight. Champions to retain in this one.
Komander vs. Gravity
This match might be near the bottom of the card, but it is absolutely not one anybody watching this show should be sleeping on. Two high fliers with something to prove that will likely put on an incredible showcase of their talents.
Komander is the one AEW and ROH are trying to build up here, so he is likely the one who will pick up the win. Especially since he shared a ring with Chris Jericho very recently.
Zero Hour
Death Before Dishonor will have a 60-minute pre-show loaded up with four big matches. Action Andretti and Darius Martin vs. The Workhorsemen, Leyla Hirsch vs. Trish Adora, AR Fox vs, Shane Taylor, and Josh Woods vs. Tracy Williams. My quick picks for all four matches are Team Andretti, Hirsch, Taylor, and Williams.
