ROH TV recap & reactions (Aug. 3, 2023): Aussie Open kisses Tony Khan

Aussie Open are happy to be back as a team, and that was evident when Kyle Fletcher kissed Tony Khan in an act of joy. Aussie Open were celebrating their successful defense of the ROH tag titles in week twenty-three of the ROH TV revival (Aug. 3, 2023) on Honor Club.

Aussie Open had been cruising on the road of success when Mark Davis was sidelined with an injury. Upon return, Davis and Fletcher won the ROH World Tag Team Championship in their first match together again. Aussie Open isn’t shying away from challengers. They retained the titles against Hijo del Vikingo & Komander on Dynamite, then a hungry duo were chomping at the bit for the straps on ROH TV.

Dirty Bulk Bronson and Beefcake Boulder, led by Jacked Jameson, were Iron Savages with a taste for gold. They delivered a wild promo requesting a shot.

Aussie Open weren’t worried. They were so confident in retaining that they left the belts with Khan to pick up upon victory.

The title bout was a physical contest. The Iron Savages lived up to their new muscle moniker with a Samoan drop fallaway slam double dip from Boulder.

The tide turned when the Savages formed Voltron for an electric chair attack. Davis wisely rolled out of the danger zone to set up Fletcher for an impromptu Doomsday Device onto the bears.

Aussie Open pounced for the Coriolis teamwork finisher to win.

After the match, Aussie Open returned backstage for the spoils of victory. They retrieved the gold, and Fletcher planted a smooch on Khan’s head.

ROH TV quick results for the rest of the matches:

ROH TV title eliminator tournament semifinal: Shane Taylor defeated Christopher Daniels. Taylor’s power advantage was hefty, but Daniels sparked a comeback. Taylor raked the eyes to set up a package piledriver for victory.

Dalton Castle wanted another shot at Samoa Joe and the ROH TV title, so Joe forced Stokely Hathaway to use his board of director powers to give the peacock what he wanted. Sort of. Joe decided it would be a tag bout with Big Stoke versus The Boys. Everyone was befuddled by that arrangement, but it is official for two weeks time on ROH TV. (Full details here.)

ROH Pure Championship: Katsuyori Shibata retained against Josh Woods. Great match using the Pure mindset. Shibata escaped a fireman’s carry to cinch in a sleeper. Woods faded, then Shibata finished with the penalty kick. Backstage, Woods declared that he needs a change in direction to find championship success. (Full details here.)

Dalton Castle defeated Zack Clayton. Peacock power surged for suplexes and the Bang-a-rang to win.

Shawn Dean & Carlie Bravo defeated Nick Comoroto & Jora Johl. The Infantry smashed Comoroto out of the ring, then they combined forces for a big boot side Russian leg sweep combo on Johl to win.

Leyla Hirsch defeated Miranda Vionette. Legit mauled her opponent with aggression. Vionette rallied, but Hirsch snatched her limb for an armbar to win. Of note, Maria Kanellis was on stage scouting Hirsch.

ROH TV title eliminator tournament semifinal: Gravity defeated Tony Nese. Gravity overcame outside distractions from Mark Sterling to execute a single-arm powerbomb and win via flying splash.

ROH Women’s World Championship: Athena retained against Diamante. Competitive contest, however, the champ was just better on this evening. Athena was quicker to the draw for a thrust kick and a bridging roll-up to win. After the match, Athena declined to follow through on her customary celebration of violence. Backstage, Athena explained that she saw fire in Diamante’s eyes. The champ complimented Diamante but advised that she needs to find the missing ingredient to reach success. (Full details here.)

Gates of Agony defeated The Boys. Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona dominated with a double slam to win.

Cole Karter defeated LSG. Karter cut LSG’s rally short with a rising knee. The victor finished with a Dominator variation. Maria scouted Karter as well.

The Dark Order thanked Stu Grayson for opening their eyes to what they had become. Stu was happy at them recognizing their weakness then walked away with the Righteous.

Robyn Renegade defeated Christina Marie. Renegade handled business to win via submission. She hooked an abdominal stretch then dropped down for an octopus crank.

Hijo del Vikingo & Komander defeated the Workhorsemen. The luchadores rallied to win the main event. Rope-walking double moonsaults led to double 450 splashes for Vikingo to pin JD Drake.

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The cream of the crop watchlist for this episode are the three title matches. Katsuyori Shibata versus Josh Woods was the jewel of the evening. If you enjoy Pure stylings, be sure to seek out that contest. Woods stepped up for the big match to prove he is worthy of a larger role.

The rising talent standout nod goes to Cole Karter. He showed slick moves, but, more importantly, he demonstrated the ability to work boos from the crowd. Joining Maria Kanellis just might be the right move to build his career.

Share your thoughts on the latest ROH TV episode. Who were the standout performers?