• 3 months ago
Transcript
00:00UK's Aaliyah James.
00:04The following contest is a Ring of Honor Women's World
00:09Championship Proving Grounds match.
00:11Woo!
00:12Woo!
00:12Woo!
00:13Woo!
00:13Woo!
00:14Woo!
00:14Woo!
00:15Woo!
00:15Woo!
00:16The Valedictorian of MIT about to announce the champion.
00:22Making her way to the ring from Garland, Texas,
00:26she is the falling goddess, our minion overlord.
00:30She is your Ring of Honor Women's World Champion,
00:35Athena!
00:40For so many years, we had known a Jay Lethal, a nickname.
00:46Yeah.
00:47Something that was bigger than Jay Lethal himself,
00:50the franchise.
00:51On the women's side, over 600 days, record-breaking reign.
00:56And now, chasing down only one competitor, Samoa Joe's.
00:59Had any reign longer, Athena stands tall as a pillar,
01:03maybe the pillar of Ring of Honor.
01:05Will also be the greatest reign, because it would be
01:08the reign in time and defenses.
01:11Incredible.
01:11We take it out to Alexi Nair for her opponent.
01:15And her opponent from London, England, Aaliyah James.
01:20Aaliyah James with a great opportunity here.
01:25Coming all the way from London.
01:27And that's another thing.
01:28You know, I saw a great fan who made a graphic that
01:31had all of the defenses and proving grounds
01:33Athena's participated in.
01:36Athena has been willing to take on all competitors
01:39from all countries at all times.
01:42Just absolutely incredible.
01:43We kick things off, coat of honor here, too.
01:45She's going to have her hands full with Aaliyah James.
01:47Calls herself an all-arounder.
01:48She's been to a lot of countries,
01:49but she's adapted to those countries.
01:51So she has a lot of styles and genres
01:53she can pull from.
01:55So Athena's going to have to ground Aaliyah and probably
01:59try to take her out before she's able to show this stuff.
02:02And Billie starts helping lead the chant
02:05of forever on the outside.
02:07Why did Lexi have to do the introduction?
02:09I'm just curious.
02:10Last time I saw that.
02:12Right?
02:12Yeah.
02:13She cost, in my opinion, Queen Aminata
02:16of the Ring of Honor Women's Light Championship.
02:18Or at least a more time on the clock.
02:21Is this like an insurance policy
02:23to have Lexi to announce her matches,
02:25to have her on the outside?
02:26And Billie Starks is also a licensed manager.
02:29Did you see how dejected Billie was last week
02:31when she got demoted from MIT?
02:33Still there.
02:34Nice flip by the champ.
02:36Oh, come on.
02:37And I'll tell you what, man.
02:38No matter what you say about our champion,
02:41she's one of the greatest wrestlers in the world.
02:44Aaliyah fighting back.
02:46The eyes of Athena in disbelief.
02:52I'll tell you what, though, Caprice.
02:53It's a story in history that's as old as time.
02:56When you get power, you do anything to keep it.
02:59When you taste absolute dominance,
03:02which Athena has earned, you begin to do anything.
03:07And that is a left hand.
03:08Oh, my goodness.
03:09That might have been a knockout blow.
03:11Oh, come on.
03:12She has knocked out many.
03:13Athena to retain her championship with that.
03:16Even as the Proving Grounds match,
03:17the Proving Grounds keeps you from getting a title
03:19opportunity, Riccoboni.
03:20In my opinion, we've talked about it.
03:21It's just as good as a title defense
03:23because it sends young competitors right
03:25to the back of the line.
03:26Oh, goodness, form connects.
03:27And it keeps them from an opportunity at the title.
03:30And we have seen people lose in the Proving Grounds,
03:33Riccoboni.
03:33Certainly have.
03:35And around, waist lock.
03:36Nice misdirection from Aaliyah James.
03:38Around, head center, takeover.
03:40The misdirection had the champion off her feet.
03:42And Aaliyah on the chase.
03:44Charging in, big knees.
03:45Knees connect on Athena.
03:46Bulldog.
03:47Plants the champ.
03:48Spike Bulldog.
03:49Hooks the leg.
03:50Two.
03:51Two count only.
03:53And that had to have woken Athena up there.
03:55Yeah, and you see Aaliyah right here
03:56trying to recover from the damage that Athena has done.
03:59But approaching gingerly the champ
04:02because she doesn't want to rush it
04:03because you're putting the thing on the outside.
04:05Athena can set you up, man.
04:06Very sneaky.
04:07Now holding the neck is Athena.
04:09Yep.
04:10She's planting.
04:11Yep.
04:12Oh, goodness.
04:12Right there could have pulled a shoulder out of joint.
04:14Yeah, and you don't see any limp anymore, do you?
04:16Nope.
04:17That boot is gone.
04:18Smart, man.
04:21Maniacal.
04:22And Athena on the apron.
04:24Descending, James crashing down.
04:27Oh, my God.
04:30And is she yelling ability there?
04:32No, she's getting the crowd going.
04:34She's saying, let's go.
04:35You know, Athena doesn't live too far from here.
04:37A native of Dallas, Texas herself.
04:41Caprice, I don't know.
04:42There was something there.
04:43What?
04:45That was the way she's been treating
04:47Billy Starks lately, man.
04:48She talks to Billy Starks in any way she feels like it.
04:51And it's almost like Billy Stark takes it,
04:53but doesn't want to, but takes it.
04:55Shocks me as Athena now with Aaliyah James on the inside,
04:59pie facing Aaliyah.
05:02Nice kick to the thigh.
05:04Aaliyah staying alive.
05:05Oh, my God.
05:07Smack to the face will change any thoughts you have.
05:10Ha, you think this is a game?
05:12Oh.
05:13It's intimidating and imposing.
05:15Paintbrush there.
05:18Aaliyah back to her feet.
05:20Trying to at least run the clock out.
05:21These proving grounds bouts, if you run out the 10 minutes
05:24or get a victory over the champ, you earn a title shot.
05:26Whoa.
05:27Arcimona.
05:28One, two.
05:29My goodness.
05:30Almost for Aaliyah James there.
05:31That was out of nowhere as well.
05:33That's exactly what Aaliyah's going to have to continue to do.
05:35Champion cutting her off, putting her head in the turnbuckle.
05:38Now looking for the Irish whip.
05:39Gets it.
05:40Following James in is Athena, the world champion.
05:43No space to breathe.
05:45Chasing down 646.
05:47The amount of days Samoa Joe had as world champion.
05:51On the men's side, Athena could become the longest reigning
05:55champion of any title in Ring of Honor history.
05:58Like you said, Caprice, doubly impressive
06:00considering the proving grounds and the title defenses.
06:03You have to admit it, man.
06:04You can't underline it.
06:05You have to say it'd be the greatest championship reign
06:08in Ring of Honor history, men and women.
06:10She's held down.
06:11She's fought on TV almost every week.
06:15No other champion has done that, Riccoboni.
06:17Provided.
06:18Oh, my goodness.
06:19Oh, look at this.
06:20Driving through.
06:21Aaliyah's arm is almost limp there.
06:24Nothing you could do to this kabat, man.
06:25It's turn your neck.
06:26You could turn your neck now, and it's
06:27going to make your arm involuntarily move.
06:30Imagine having it locked in and getting kicked in the face.
06:35Aaliyah trying to fight out.
06:36Definitely in pain here.
06:37Needs to do something.
06:38Vertical base established.
06:39Taking some of the pressure off the neck.
06:41Separation created.
06:42Aaliyah swinging to miss.
06:43Athena, the world champ, up and over.
06:46With the Proving Ground challenger.
06:47Sector!
06:48Oh!
06:49Sector!
06:50And another!
06:52And Aaliyah!
06:53Mm!
06:56Flank kick.
06:57That's a champion to corner.
06:59Well, the Proving Ground challenger now sent to the apron.
07:02Swinging to miss.
07:03Oh!
07:06And James on a roll here.
07:08Springboard!
07:09High cross body!
07:10Locked in!
07:11Cover!
07:12Two!
07:13What in the world?
07:14Wow.
07:15What a way to get out.
07:16You've got to be kidding me.
07:17Using the momentum.
07:18No way!
07:19To deadlift James out of the pin position!
07:22The power of our champion!
07:26Oh, my goodness!
07:27Sending James down!
07:29And the cover!
07:30Two!
07:31I don't think Athena's finished, Riccoboni.
07:33Oh!
07:34Powerball out of the stack!
07:35Two!
07:36No way!
07:37Oh, and Athena willingly bringing James back up!
07:40Drive down, James!
07:43Cross face hooks in!
07:46No way out of that.
07:47James got a tap.
07:48Yeah.
07:49In the pit.
07:50Yeah.
07:56And your winner, Ring of Honor Women's World Champion, Athena!
08:05Let her go!
08:07Let her out of this!
08:09And Mike Posey, able to break things up here.
08:22She is done.
08:23Let her go.
08:24That was a great effort.
08:25No.
08:26We don't need.
08:27We've been weeks, months without this.
08:28Yeah.
08:29We don't need to see this again.
08:30We don't need to see proving ground competitors.
08:33She's going to smash her face, Riccoboni.
08:35Wait a minute.
08:36Wait a second.
08:37They're here!
08:39They're here!
08:42Oh, here they come!
08:44Abaddon has arrived!
08:50And this is the first time we've ever seen any wrestler create the fear in the eyes of
08:57the world champion like Abaddon does.
08:59You can't disguise that.
09:00That was definitely fear in the eyes of the champion.
09:05And look at Abaddon staring down the world champion.
09:09This is spooky!
09:11Athena's speechless.
09:12Yeah.
09:13All the trash talk.
09:14Undecisive maneuver.
09:15This is spooky!
09:16This is spooky!
09:17It's like spooky!
09:18This is spooky!
09:19Yeah, they're scared, Abaddon.
09:20Oh, athena!
09:21Whoa!
09:22Oh, I'm across the chest.
09:23She's not scared.
09:24She's champion.
09:25Whoa!
09:26Okay.
09:27Snap!
09:28They're so scared.
09:29They're so scared.
09:30This is spooky.
09:31This is spooky!
09:32This is spooky!
09:33This is spooky!
09:34This is spooky!
09:35This is spooky!
09:36This is spooky!
09:37This is spooky!
09:38You saw it, you just can't do it.
09:41Look at this, Avedon chasing the world champion.
09:46Athena High, Taylor.
09:47No.
09:48She felt like somebody in the movies.
09:50You can't help it, man, when you're running in fear, trip yourself up.
09:53Get her, Avedon.
09:54And it's Avedon.
09:56Belly starts.
09:58Has laid on Avedon with the Women's World Championship.
10:04I don't care what's running your body when it still meets your head,
10:07it's turning you off.
10:10And Athena, who was cowering.
10:14Athena just woke up from a nightmare.
10:16And it looked- Lexi, my girl.
10:19She thinks Lexi did it.
10:22Oh, and she thinks Lexi knocked out- And then Lexi knocked out her.
10:25And Lexi- Wow.
10:30She really thinks Lexi- She's trying to tell us.
10:34Billy Stark showed the courage to stand up to Avedon.
10:40Avedon showed the courage to- Wow.
10:44And Avedon may have saved Aaliyah James' permanent injury.
10:49Yeah.
10:50It was- Oh, this is unreal.
10:53Avedon rises.
10:58This is unreal.
11:00And Athena's never going to go back and watch this.
11:01She's not going to relive-
11:03No, no, no.
11:04You're right.
11:05When Avedon, when they struck fear into Aaliyah James,
11:08she's not going to go.
11:09They nearly saved her.
11:11Oh, she knows she's escaped.
11:14Wow.
11:17Rika Bonner has some great representation this weekend
11:19at O-Land, including the tag team and six-man tag team champions.