Note: While I typically pool all the week’s ROH match reviews into a single post, this match was so good I had to give it it’s own separate review.
In our MAIN EVENT! Uber-babyface Willow Nightingale takes on World Champion Athena for her title. Good pace to open the match which Athena tries to break-up with a flush forearm to Willow’s jaw. Willow absorbs it but doesn’t go down. Willow shows a lot of speed early on including a trio of suplexes, the third a Fisherman Suplex which she gets a 2-count with.
Athena takes over with kicks and strikes. Just pure aggression. Willow goes to her wrestling to tease a comeback but Athena’s dirty (but legal) tactics and strikes put her back on top. A highlight of this match is Athena baseball kicking Willow off the apron. Goddamn!
Athena begins working over Willow’s shoulder in this match pinning it between the ring and the steps before dropkicking the steps. Again, dirty but legal. Athena tries for a running Hurricanerana off the apron but Willow captures her and power bombs her on the apron, followed by a Death Valley Driver on the floor. Willow has picked up her aggression!
Athena starts slapping and yelling at Willow and Willow replies by opening a great big can of whoop ass. Excellent babyface fire-up spot. Athena though comes back with vicious arm attacks and a Fujiwara Armbar. Athena hits her Gutwrench Codebreaker-type move. Goddamn, how strong is this woman?!
Athena survives a pounce and a Babe Bomb. She escapes to the outside and starts to walk up the ramp but Willow catches up to her. Athena eye gouges her, drops her from a fireman carry onto the ramp, drives her head first into the steps and then hits the O-Face to win.
Goddamn, this was a PPV-quality match! It had everything you want in terms of back and forth and incredible action. Just a beautiful match between an immaculate babyface and a perfectly vicious heel champion. This is fucking pro wrestling.
