Match Predictions and Heat Index Anticipation Levels
Temperature Scale = Scorching > Hot > Lukewarm > Temperate > Chilly > Cold > Freezing
Heat Index is my assessment of how interesting the segment is, including how excited I am for the match and how intriguing the feud has been. The hotter, the better. Scorching translates to not being able to wait to see it, while Freezing means I couldn’t possibly care less and think it will be awful.
ROH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:
Jonathan Gresham (c) vs. Claudio Castagnoli
Heat Index = Hot
Prediction: Claudio Castagnoli wins.
Thoughts: This belt is 100% going to Claudio Castagnoli. Tony Khan has already said that he originally reached out to Castagnoli to be part of ROH, rather than AEW. Clearly, he had him in mind as a major star there. Winning the ROH World Championship isn’t the same as winning the WWE Universal Championship or the AEW World Championship, but it is still a world title Castagnoli can claim, and he’s never won it before. It seems like he’s a PERFECT fit to spearhead this division. Sorry, Gresham. You’re not leaving Death Before Dishonor with that belt.
ROH WORLD TELEVISION CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:
Samoa Joe (c) vs. Jay Lethal
Heat Index = Hot
Prediction: Jay Lethal wins.
Thoughts: I’m less confident about this prediction than anything else on this card. My thought process is that Samoa Joe is a better fit for being more of a regular on the Dynamite and Rampage shows, while Jay Lethal came into AEW and didn’t do all that much. Maybe Tony Khan looks at Lethal as someone who he wants to be on the team, but not as a star player, and can be a bigger fish in a smaller pond of ROH. Granted, losing this match doesn’t mean he can’t still be on ROH programming, but if he’s the TV champion, he keeps prominence. In any fashion, no matter who wins, I’m looking forward to the match.
ROH PURE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:
Wheeler Yuta (c) vs. Daniel Garcia
Heat Index = Lukewarm
Prediction: Wheeler Yuta wins.
Thoughts: I’m more Lukewarm on this, rather than Hot, despite how I can say it might be one of the best matches of the show. That’s mostly because I’m just not as familiar with the ROH Pure Championship rules. I can’t honestly say I’ve seen a single one of those ROH matches. Therefore, I’m mitigating my expectations in the hopes I’m pleasantly surprised, rather than a little disappointed. But if I’m more honest, I’m more Hot on this than Lukewarm. I expect Yuta to retain, as there are already two, if not three title reigns coming to an end.
ROH WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP 2-OUT-OF-3-FALLS MATCH:
FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood) (c) vs. The Briscoe Brothers (Jay Briscoe and Mark Briscoe)
Heat Index = Lukewarm
Prediction: FTR wins.
Thoughts: No way FTR loses those belts, particularly to The Briscoes, at this moment, when so much is being made about them holding all those tag titles. I’m expecting The Briscoes to get one of the three pinfalls so this ends 2-1, but to ultimately come up short. FTR not only are the in-house boys more so now that it is underneath the AEW umbrella, they’re also the more bankable stars in a general sense. There is enough speculation that The Briscoe Brothers are a potential problem for Warner and co that they might not even be factored into ROH going forward, so why give them the belts?
ROH WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:
Mercedes Martinez (c) vs. Serena Deeb
Heat Index = Hot
Prediction: Serena Deeb wins.
Thoughts: As much as I’m a fan of Mercedes Martinez, I feel like this is definitely Serena Deeb’s match. It just makes far more sense in my mind for her to be holding this title. Her entire gimmick revolves around her having been a wrestling coach and that she can school others with a thousand moves. She has been treated well and protected, but didn’t win the AEW Women’s World Championship. This is the next best thing, considering option B is the TBS Championship, and that’s not leaving Jade Cargill any time soon.
ROH WORLD SIX-MAN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:
The Righteous (c) vs. Dalton Castle & The Boys
Heat Index = Temperate
Prediction: The Righteous wins.
Thoughts: I know nothing about any of these guys except that I’ve seen Dalton Castle maybe once or twice, but can’t remember anything specific. I’m flying blind here. I’ll just assume the champions will retain and that the match will be decent, but nothing amazing.
PRE-SHOW MATCH:
Willow Nightingale vs. Allysin Kay
Heat Index = Chilly
Prediction: Allysin Kay wins.
Thoughts: I haven’t really seen much from Nightingale, but from what I’ve seen of Kay, I’ve never been super impressed. This is just a match to fill time, as far as I’m concerned. Let’s go with Kay winning because she’s the bigger name and more established star.
OVERALL PPV:
How excited am I for the event as a whole?
Heat Index = Hot
Thoughts: Interesting matches that I haven’t seen a million times? Potential title changes? The start of another promotion getting new ground? Yeah, I’m down.
What do you think is going to happen at ROH Death Before Dishonor? Which matches are you most excited to see? Keep the discussion going in the comments below!
