ROH HITS & MISSES (5/29): Moriarty vs. Mako for Pure Title, Trish Adora vs. La Catalina, Frathouse vs. Hologram & Rhino, plus Taya Valkyria, Lance Archer, Athena, Satnam Singh

Trish Adora vs. La Catalina: MISS

These two just did not have chemistry. It wasn’t a flat out terrible match, but was by no means good either. La Catalina is one to watch as her work in CMLL has been impressive, but this match just wasn’t her best showing at all.

Taya Valkyrie promo: MISS

I’m sorry, this was cringey for me. She comes off like a want to be fashion model, not a Pure Division wrestler. We can only hope she’s there to be an early exit in the tournament, as this character just doesn’t fit there at all.

Lance Archer vs. Diego Hill: HIT

Archer’s return to ROH starts off with a quick submission win. This is a hit. Yes, it was a squash and yes, I’m critical at times of squash matches, but it was well executed, not too lengthy, and served its purpose well. Also, that finish with the moonsault catch into the submission leglock was unique from Archer. The post-match Blackout added a bit of extra heel heat for Archer which was good to see.

Athena video package: HIT

Hypes up her return next week, and does it well in a very short time that it was given. Almost everything she has touched has turned to gold since joining ROH; this was no exception.

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Pure Champion Lee Moriarty vs. Matt Mako from the Dean Show: HIT

So, they showed this match which I was so excited for. Mako, as I’ve said before, has so much potential going forward and is a rising talent in indie wrestling as a whole. Mako has seemingly wrestled everywhere this year and he keeps sharpening his game with each time he is on a show. While he didn’t win the title this time, I definitely look forward to him becoming Pure Champion someday soon. This match was great, and I would personally love to see them have a longer match at some point as the 10 minutes we got here flew by so fast. Fast-paced technical bout that was great, I just wish it had gone another 5-10 minutes. Match of the night for me this week.

Blue Panther & Hologram & Neon & Valiente & Virus vs. Averno & Dr. Cerebro & Euforia & Volador Jr. & Xelhua: HIT

This match was a bit of a Blue Panther showcase at times, but hey it’s Blue Panther, let him have a moment! Xelhua is already so good for being just 21 years old, not to mention the fact that he has been wrestling for less than 2 years. Get used to that name, I have a feeling we will be seeing and hearing it more and more over the years to come. He was the first eliminated, but looked great and he has been one of the most exciting technical Lucha talents to watch over the last year, in my opinion. This was fun to watch.

Satnam Singh vs. Facade: HIT

Not much to talk about here, but it was a solid showcase for Satnam. That chokeslam finish was brutal, too. Short and well executed; it’s a hit. Satnam badly needs an actual feud or story, though; he just seems to be “there” when he has the ability for much more if used well by ROH.

Frat House (Griff Garrison & Cole Karter) vs. Hologram & Rhino: HIT

This match was pretty much the Hologram show, and damn was it a fun show when he was in the ring. Plus, Rhino hitting a Gore on a Frat House member is always fun to see. Despite his strong win record in AEW, Hologram still lacks a defined role or feud, which is surprising given his huge upside. Here’s to hoping his appearance in ROH means he gets a clear direction there, as he’s far too talented to be just another member of the roster.

Overall: HIT

It wasn’t as strong as last week’s, where I had little to nitpick, but was still an above average episode.