A while back I wrote an article, 5 Dark Horses to become #AllElite, in which I identified 5 wrestlers that I thought could get signed by Tony Khan. Last week on ROH Episode 7, one of those five, Ashley D’Amboise, wrestled Athena. This week, another of those five, Heather Reckless, wrestles Athena. If next week we get Athena vs Queen Aminata, I’m going to think something is up!
Ian Riccaboni & Caprice Coleman destroy ‘Remix Jones’ (Taz) on this episode for Willow’s entrance. So funny! Willow dominates early just being so much more powerful and skilled but Robyn breaks that up capitalizing on a mistake from Willow on the outside. There’s a great spot from Robyn in this match where it looks like she’s going to do a running pump kick on Willow in the corner but instead she just slaps her. This pisses Willow off. She hits a Spinebuster and Pounce. Robyn and Charlette try to change places but neither Willow nor Mike Posey fall for it. At this point Ian and Caprice say that they’re not actually twins, they’re just sisters… This is news to me but if that’s true, that makes sense!
Robyn locks in a Saki Kashima-style Kishikaisei pinning combination but Willow reverses it into her own pinning combination and gets the win. After the match Willow goes to shake Robyn’s hand but Charlette throws a knee block on Willow from behind and they double team her hitting a Hart Attack. I’m assuming this sets up a tag match for next week and hopefully, since I’ll be there live, this match will take place in Sunrise, FL!
Winner: Willow Nightingale (4:54)
Athena gets down on her knees to shake Heather’s hand which is quite the statement because Athena isn’t exactly a giant. The bell rings and Athena changes up clocking her opponent with an elbow for a kick to the side of her head. She pats Heather on the head calling her “so adorable”. Heather avoids a clothesline with an impressive handspring and then hits like a Standing Sliced Bread. She pursues Athena to the outside but gets waffled into the barricades over and over for her troubles.
Back in the ring, Reckless tries for a Hurricanerana but Athena catches her. Heather tries to turn it into like a Sunset Flip Pin but Athena lifts her up it into a Powerbomb. And then another Powerbomb. And another. And another. And then she stalls for a second, holding Heather upside down before hitting a 5th Powerbomb! She could just pin her but Athena decides she wants the submission win with the Crossface. Athena drives Reckless’ face into the ROH World Title because, well, that’s what she does!
Winner: Athena (2:48)
For a sub-3-minute match, did these two ever get so much action in! I loved it! Athena can’t miss. She’s like AZM in that you give her 3-minutes, she’ll give you one of the best 3-minute match you’ve ever seen. Meanwhile Heather Reckless has me feeling vindicated in my take that she should be #AllElite, she’s a can’t miss talent in my opinion. She brings something very unique to AEW/ROH’s women’s divisions, she’s so fast and skilled and the attitude just feels baked in. Sign her Tony!
