ROH HITS & MISSES (1/22): Johnny TV vs. Ace Austin, Premiere Athletes vs. Tommy Billington & Adam Priest, Daddy Magic vs. Lee Moriarty, plus Dalton Castle, Satnam Singh, Big Bill & Bryan Keith

Premier Athletes vs. Tommy Billington & Adam Priest – Hit

There’s something about the Premier Athletes that gives them just the right amount of annoyance. If you combine that with a hard-hitting team like Billington and Priest, you’re going to have an entertaining match. The Premier Athletes have certainly found their place as the gatekeeper heels of the ROH tag divisions, and it gave their opponents plenty of time to shine. Adam Priest was the standout here, showing some impressive technical savvy as well as power. They definitely have something with them. Priest gets the win for his team after ten minutes, rolling up Tony Neese.

Satnam Singh vs. Josiah Jean & Dante Leon – Hit

There wasn’t much here, but this was a fun little two-on-one match. This match gets a bit of a bonus point for Dante Leon. I’ve watched him for some time, and it’s nice to see him on a potentially bigger stage. Having Singh in ROH as an unstoppable giant is a good place for him, but I do wonder what his ceiling will be. Singh won in about two minutes after a double chokeslam, stacking up Jean and Leon.

Alec Price & Jordan Oliver vs. CRU – Hit

Oh, boy, this was fun. This match featured a lot of high-speed, high-impact, and high-spot action. It might not have been everyone’s cup of tea, but the fans were all in on it, and so was I. Both teams played off of each other very well, which allowed for some great double-teams and near falls. Price and Oliver have already made quite the impact in ROH/AEW, and as a fan of their work prior to their arrival, I’m excited to see their next steps. Lio Rush and Action Andretti got the win after hitting a double falcon arrow on Price after about seven minutes.

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Dalton Castle & The Outrunners vs. Auzzy, Hitt, & Gino Medina – Hit

The match was basically an extended squash, but it was fun. This was such a squash that I think Hitt was the only member of his team who got any offense in. Considering that Hitt is an absolute mountain, that was the right call. Castle won after planting Medina with the bangarang.

Daddy Magic vs. Lee Moriarty – Hit

I’ve always been a fan of ROH Pure Rules matches, as they were something that set the promotion apart from others. One thing I always appreciated was that every once in a while, you’d get a wrestler who you wouldn’t expect to step up. Daddy Magic definitely stepped up. It’s easy to label him as a comedy wrestler, but he really showed up here. He might have lost, but Daddy Magic earned some respect here.

Diamante & Billie Starkz vs. London Dyor & Rachael Ellering – Hit

This match surprised me. It surprised me in two ways. One surprise was Diamante, and the other was Rachael Ellering. Ellering is becoming the powerhouse of the ROH Women’s Division, and she showed some impressive strength here. Diamante was right behind Rachael in terms of brute force. Billie Starkz was…well, Billie Starkz. I still think she needs something, be it a gimmick change or a face turn. Dyor made her ROH debut and got a little bit of shine in before tapping out to an ankle lock by Diamante in about five minutes.

Big Bill & Bryan Keith vs. KM & Will Allday – Hit

This was something I’m going to start calling the “ROH semi-squash”. KM impressed here, showing some nice athleticism despite being a giant human being. On any other night, KM would probably be the biggest guy on the card, unless that card had Big Bill. These two behemoths squared up, which was such a cool visual. Big Bill absolutely flattened Allday with a sidewalk slam in three minutes.

Ace Austin vs. Johnny TV – Miss

I expected a lot more from this match. On paper, this should have been a lot better. Johnny TV wrestling Ace Austin is essentially Johnny wrestling a younger version of himself. Both competitors have an eerily similar style that I thought was fun. Where the match lost me was the pacing. It never felt like it really clicked for either Austin or TV, which was disappointing considering what both men are capable of, especially Austin.