Ring of Honor
Death Before Dishonor XIV
Friday, August 19
Sam’s Town – Las Vegas, NV
9:00PM EST

Watch: PPV, PlayStation Network & FITE TV

Meet our previewers:

Sean Sedor: Voices of Wrestling’s resident Ring of Honor expert, author of the This Week on ROH column and reviewer/previewer of ROH shows. Follow him on Twitter @SASedor2994 check out his work on VOW at voicesofwrestling.com/author/sasedor2994

Kelly Harrass: Newcomer to the Voices of Wrestling staff, Kelly specializes in columns and show previews/reviews. Follow him on Twitter @ComicGeekKelly and check out his work on VOW at voicesofwrestling.com/author/kellyharrass

#1 Contender for TV Title Four Corner Survival
Kamaitachi vs. Jay White vs. Lio Rush vs. Donovan Dijak

Sean Sedor: In a preview of the ROH/NJPW crossover event in NYC back in May, I made mention of a Four-Corner Survival Match that had the potential to steal the show, and it would to do so in spectacular fashion. I feel like history is repeating itself, as we have another Four-Corner Survival Match on a ROH/NJPW crossover event that legitimately has the potential to steal the show. All four of these guys are great, and if this match gets time, it really could end up being the best match on this show. I’m sure Jay While, Lio Rush, & Kamaitachi will be flying all over place, while Dijak will be tossing them every which way (to be fair, don’t be surprised if Dijak does some high flying of his own). As for the winner, while I’ve seen most people favoring Dijak, I have to go with Jay White here. He’s really been pushed hard since his debut with ROH, and it wouldn’t shock me at all if he holds the ROH World TV Title by year’s end. Prediction: Jay White

Kelly Harrass: Oh man, this one could be great! Kamaitachi, White, and Rush will be bouncing all over the place while Dijak tosses them around like ragdolls. It would be one of the biggest mistakes of the night to not treat Dijak like an absolutely monster in this match. I’m expecting that this one will be a ton of fun and will be the spotfest of the show. One of the best parts about it is that whoever wins is totally up in the air. I want to say that Dijak will win in dominating fashion, but it’s equally as likely that any of the other three could roll him up and take home the win and the TV title shot. I wouldn’t mind seeing Kamaitachi pick up the win and face off against Bobby Fish somewhere down the road. That being said, I think the big guy has this one wrapped up. Prediction: Donovan Dijak

Kelly Klein vs. Sumie Sakai

Sean Sedor: This match is going to be taped prior to the actual PPV, and will probably show up on ROH’s YouTube at some point. I’m honestly not expecting much from this, Sumie Sakai is a solid hand, but I haven’t found Kelly Klein to be that interesting in the matches I’ve seen of her (though I did here her recent match with Candice LeRae on the first Women of Honor event last month was really good). Prediction: Kelly Klein

Kelly Harrass: It’s nice to see ROH actually putting a Women of Honor match on the show, even if it’ll be used simply for their YouTube channel. I’m not super familiar with either woman, but it does seem that ROH wants to make Kelly Klein a pillar of their women’s division. It makes sense that they would want to give her a strong win when a lot of eyes will be on the show. I’ll be backing a fellow Kelly in this one. Prediction: Kelly Klein

Hangman Page vs. Jay Briscoe

Sean Sedor: These two had a feud last year that culminated in a great No DQ Match on ROH TV (probably one of Adam Page’s best matches in ROH). Even though Jay Briscoe was the first person that Page attacked when he joined The Bullet Club—and even though The Briscoes are just coming off a successful defense of the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Titles against Page & Yujiro at the G1 Finals—this match just feels like it was thrown together to give Jay Briscoe something to do while his brother is challenging for the ROH World TV Title. I know some people aren’t that into Adam Page, but I think he’s fine. I’ve always seen him as a pretty solid midcard hand. Given that they did have a great match last year, and given that this match is No Holds Barred (a stipulation that was added just recently) I’m sure they’ll want to deliver a similar match this time around. Jay Briscoe doesn’t take that many pinfalls, so I don’t expect him to lose here to a guy who I’d also consider to be part of The Bullet Club B-Team. Prediction: Jay Briscoe

Kelly Harrass: This rivalry is a fascinating one. Adam Page is still relatively early into his ROH tenure and he’s spent a good amount of his time there trying to prove himself to Jay Briscoe. Last September, Page threw everything he had at Briscoe in a No DQ match, but he came up short. A little less than a year later Page is back at it again, but this time he’s got a new bad attitude, a rope, and Bullet Club backing. At the G1 Finals, these two met when the Briscoe Brothers successfully defended the IWGP Tag Team Championships against Page and Yujiro. The match was very physical, especially the exchanges between Page and Jay Briscoe in which Briscoe was busted open and Page ended up with a black eye. Page has stepped up his game ever since being added to Bullet Club and getting a shot in New Japan. This match should be hard hitting and could be the sleeper of the show. Don’t be shocked to see an upset here. Prediction: Hangman Page

CHAOS (Barretta, Rocky Romero, & Toru Yano) vs. Bullet Club (Yujiro Takahashi, Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa)

Sean Sedor: I honestly have no idea why someone thought that booking this match was a good idea. Granted, a Six-Man Tag is probably the best use of four of the six guys in this match, but still, WHY?! We’re people really clamoring for Toru Yano & Yujiro Takahashi to come over (I would actually give a slight yes to the former, only if he’s bringing his DVDs with him). The only thing about Yujiro I’m looking forward to is to see how many ladies he comes out with (it’s Las Vegas, after all), especially after seeing him at G1 Finals. As for The Guerrillas of Destiny, I still don’t get why they didn’t just pair Bad Luck Fale with Tama Tonga in the tag division in New Japan. I would much rather see Bad Luck Fale over Tanga Loa! I’m sure Roppongi Vice will try, but this has the potential to be a real stinker. Hopefully it’s kept short. Prediction: CHAOS

Kelly Harrass: I would really like to meet the person that looked at the announcement that Yujiro was being brought to ROH and got excited about it. I like a bunch of the guys involved in this one, but whoo boy does it have a chance to be a train wreck. This is the definition of a New Japan undercard match and we all just spent the past month skipping over those matches in the G1. I don’t understand why this match is happening and I don’t care who wins. Prediction: Bullet Club

Silas Young vs. Katsuyori Shibata

Sean Sedor: While I’m really excited to finally see Katsuyori Shibata in ROH, we all know that he’s coming into this match injured, as he spent the majority of the G1 with a shoulder and a knee all taped up. I’m sure he’ll tough it out, just because that’s who he is, but I just hope he makes it through this weekend in one piece (mainly because he’s got a much more exciting match with Kyle O’Reilly at Field of Honor next weekend). As for this match, I know there was this huge uproar when it was first announced, but I actually don’t mind it that much. I’m sure Silas Young will want to prove everyone wrong, and that he does deserve this match. I have some reservations, since Young had a match with KUSHIDA back in May that fell below my expectations, but maybe Shibata will be a better matchup for Young, stylistically. Again, this is another match where the outcome really isn’t in question, but I hope Young impresses here. Prediction: Katsuyori Shibata

Kelly Harrass: This should be an interesting match looking at the state of each man going into this. Katsuyori Shibata is coming off of a grueling G1 tour and from what I’ve been hearing, his shoulder is legitimately injured. The Shibata that we all know and love would be able to tough that out, but it can’t be downplayed that he’s probably tired and he’ll be on a plane for a very long time prior to this match. That being said, with Shibata making his US debut in this match, I would expect him to deliver. Another man that I would expect to deliver is Silas Young. The online reaction to the announcement of this match was not the greatest. I saw many people upset that Young would be the person stepping into the ring with Shibata. Assuming that Young saw all of that, he’s going to come into this match with something to prove. Don’t be surprised to see the Last Real Man take the best that Shibata has to offer and then ask for more. Personally, I really hope that this match is great and silences the critics of Silas Young. Prediction: Katsuyori Shibata

ROH Tag Team Championship Match
Tetsuya Naito & EVIL vs. Michael Elgin & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. The Addiction (Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian)(c)

Sean Sedor: When I first saw this match, my immediate reaction was “who’s going to take the fall here?” Honestly, even though people would see one of the two New Japan teams winning the ROH World Tag Team Titles here as a further validation of ROH’s position in its relationship with New Japan, I really wouldn’t mind either Los Ingobernables de Japon or Elgin & Tanahashi won. Part of that is because I’ve just grown so tired of The Addiction holding the titles. They’re a good team, but their shtick just doesn’t interest me anymore, and new champions (regardless of who they are) would be a breath of fresh air. The other thing to consider is that there’s another ROH PPV with New Japan talents—All-Star Extravaganza VIII—at the end of September. So one of the two New Japan teams could easily win here, and drop the titles back to a ROH team next month. Sadly, the likelihood of that happening dropped significantly when Michael Elgin announced a few days ago that he’ll be challenging for the ROH World Title at All-Star Extravaganza VIII. With that news, I think the chances of The Addiction retaining here are very likely, probably with EVIL taking the fall. Prediction: The Addiction

Kelly Harrass: Quite honestly, I could see this match being more important down the road for New Japan than for ROH. After the G1 finals it seems as though the next in line for a shot at Elgin’s Intercontinental Championship is Naito. I wouldn’t be surprised in the least to see this match help that feud along with Naito keeping Elgin from adding another belt to his collection. With those two teams occupied with each other, that gives the Addiction the opportunity to capitalize and retain their titles. Maybe this could be the beginning of a course correct in the relationship between ROH and NJPW. It would do wonders for their tag champs to score a big win over these two teams of New Japan stars. Any other outcome would make ROH look worse than ever. Prediction: The Addiction

Kazuchika Okada vs. Dalton Castle

Sean Sedor: Even though this match is incredibly predictable, in terms of the end result, I’m actually pretty excited for this one. Okada hasn’t had a lot of singles matches in ROH, but when he does have one, it usually ranges from pretty good to flat out fantastic (like his match with Roderick Strong at Field of Honor last year). This is obviously a huge opportunity for Dalton Castle, as it’s easily one of the biggest matches of his entire career. I honestly think Castle might be one of the best overall performers in ROH right now, in terms of a guy who’s not only got the wrestlings skills, but a great character as well (by the way, I can’t wait to see what Okada & Gedo think of The Boys). I’ll be intrigued to see how Castle’s style meshes with Okada, and hopefully a strong outing here will lead to Castle getting more opportunities in Japan. Prediction: Kazuchika Okada

Kelly Harrass: More than anything in this match, I’m really looking forward to the interactions between Gedo and the Boys. A year or so ago, Cedric Alexander had a chance to show what he could do against Okada and they delivered an awesome match. Now Castle gets that same chance. Not only is Castle great at his character work, he’s fantastic in the ring and has what I believe to be the best looking German suplex in the business. It’s a foregone conclusion that Okada is going to win the match, but what really matters is how Castle looks coming off of that loss. One thing that ROH hasn’t done very well with these New Japan crossover shows is elevating their own talent. Here’s hoping that tonight will turn that around because they really need it. Prediction: Kazuchika Okada

ROH World TV Title Match
Bobby Fish (c) vs. Mark Briscoe

Sean Sedor: For awhile, I thought this match was going to be a really hard one to call. Would taking the ROH World TV Title off of Bobby Fish now be too soon? Yes, but they’ve been teasing that Mark Briscoe has wanted to hold the ROH World TV Title for years now, with this being his highest profile opportunity. However, with the announcement of upcoming title defenses against Katsuyori Shibata (at the following day’s TV Tapings) and EVIL (at Field of Honor), I think Bobby Fish will retain his title here. Still, I’m sure this will be a very good match. Mark Briscoe had a really good outing against Roderick Strong at the last ROH PPV, and Bobby Fish always delivers nothing less than a solid singles match. Prediction: Bobby Fish

Kelly Harrass: In this clash between one half of reDRagon and one half of the Briscoe Brothers, the TV Title is on the line. More importantly, this is a match featuring one of the most consistently great wrestlers in the company and one of the most underrated wrestlers in the company. No matter their position on the card, Fish and Briscoe always bust their ass to put on a great show. In the past year or so of ROH, I’ve been much more interested in the TV Title than the World Title and that continues to be true. Fish/Briscoe has a real chance to be the best match of the night. Fish has had a great title reign so far and despite facing a formidable challenger, I don’t feel like his reign is in any danger of ending on this night. Prediction: Bobby Fish

ROH World Title Match
Jay Lethal (c) vs. Adam Cole

Sean Sedor: Despite criticisms of ROH TV as a whole this year, I actually think they’ve done a solid job building up this Jay Lethal vs. Bullet Club angle. Cole has always played a very good heel, and this new version of Lethal as this babyface who’s desperate for revenge has been an interesting character change. I have no doubts that this match will be really good. These two actually had a really good match in the quarterfinals of the ROH World Title Tournament several years ago (a tournament that Cole won), and with both wrestlers having gained more experience, it could be great. My only real concern is the potential for interference. We know The Bullet Club’s B-Team (Yujiro Takahashi & The Guerrillas of Destiny) will be in the house, so you know there’s a strong chance of shenanigans going down. As far as the result goes, I think Adam Cole is the easy pick to make here, as I think a scenario where Kyle O’Reilly wins the title from Adam Cole later this year (potentially Final Battle) is a strong possibility. I would love to see Lethal continue his historic reign (which already the fourth longest in the history of the ROH ), but I just don’t see Lethal retaining here. Prediction: Adam Cole

Kelly Harrass: I’m sad to see that this match won’t involve Satoshi Kojima as a newly crowned ROH World Champion. That being said, I do believe that this match could be the end of Jay Lethal’s lengthy title reign. The problem that goes with having a long title reign is finding the right person to end that reign. Outside of Adam Cole, I don’t feel like there is anybody else in the company that would be a satisfying choice as the next champ. At the same time, I don’t want to see the villainous Cole win. I want to see Lethal get his vengeance for being attacked by Bullet Club at Global Wars in Chicago and for having his head shaved by Cole and the Bucks. It all puts ROH in a strange booking predicament. Does Lethal win and get his revenge or does Cole win and become the fitting successor? This is a real toss up because it feels like even odds for both options. Gun to my head, I would guess that the Bullet Club are going to help decide who wins this one. Prediction: Adam Cole