Every championship in Ring of Honor was at stake Saturday night at the promotion's Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view, including the world title, defended by Jonathan Gresham against AEW and Blackpool Combat Club's Claudio Castagnoli.

An eagerly anticipated rematch of one of the year's best between tag champs FTR and The Briscoes and an intensely personal battle between Samoa Joe and Jay Lethal over the Television Championship rounded out the top of what promised to be a loaded card.

Who emerged as champion and what did the developments at Saturday's event tell us about the future of the Tony Khan-owned company?

Find out now with this recap of the July 23 extravaganza.

Match Card

Main Card (Begins 8:00 p.m.)

• ROH World Championship: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Jonathan Gresham (c)
• 2-Out-of-3 Falls for the ROH Tag Team Championship: FTR (c) vs. The Briscoes
• ROH Television Championship: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Jay Lethal
• ROH Pure Championship: Wheeler Yuta (c) vs. Daniel Garcia
• ROH Women's Championship: Mercedes Martinez (c) vs. Serena Deeb
• ROH Six-Man Tag Team Championship: The Righteous (c) vs. Dalton Castle and The Boys
• Battle of Brothers: Rush vs. Dragon Lee

Ring of Honor: Zero Hour (Begins 7:00 p.m.)

• Brian Cage and Gates of Agony vs. Tony Deppen, Alex Zayne and Blake Christian
• Allysin Kay vs. Willow Nightingale
• Shinobi Shadow Squad vs. Trustbusters
• Colt Cabana vs. Anthony Henry

Colt Cabana vs. Anthony Henry

In the first apropos booking decision of the night, ROH legend Colt Cabana kicked off the show against Anthony Henry, who was accompanied by his Workhorseman teammate JD Drake.

Henry dominated the match, focusing on the neck of his veteran opponent. Determined to earn his first win in a promotion he long dreamed of working for, he relentlessly worked over Boom Boom.

Cabana fought back, fended off repeated attempts at interference from Drake and scored the pinfall victory off a top-rope moonsault.

A solid, if unspectacular, opening match that popped the crowd and set the tone for the remainder of the night. Cabana is a beloved icon in ROH and will always bring energy to his performances.

Henry was clearly motivated to leave an impression on the fans. He and Drake might be the most underrated act in AEW and if there is a future for them as a regular part of this relaunched company's roster, ROH will be better for it.

Result

Cabana pinned Henry

Grade

C+

Top Moments

• The fans erupted for Cabana, proving that no lack of television time can affect their appreciation for the indie icon.
• Caban absolutely leveled Henry with a lariat clothesline as he mounted his comeback.
• Henry capitalized on interference from Drake and delivered a frog splash that earned him a great near-fall on the babyface.

Shinobi Shadow Squad vs. Trustbusters

Longtime ROH competitor and beloved underdog Cheesburger teamed with partner Eli Isom to battle Ari Daivari and Slim J as the Shinobi Shadow Squad battled the Trustbusters in the night's second bout.

The heels isolated Cheeseburger and cut the ring off from his partner. A hot tag to Isom sparked a momentary comeback but in the end, Daivari scored the win with a frog splash.

This match suffered considerably from a lack of crowd heat as the fans were largely unfamiliar with the heel team and thus, had no real reason to care about a match in which they controlled the pace and ultimately won.

It is unfortunate, too, because the commentary team did a great job of setting the stage for this one for the viewers at home but the lack of heat resulted in a rather flat tag match that did no favors for anyone involved.

Isom looked good in his short spark late, though.

Result

Trustbusters defeated Shinobi Shadow Squad

Grade

C

Top Moments

• Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman put over Cheeseburger's transformation, adding more bodyweight since ROH's last show in April.
• The commentary team also did a great job of putting over Slim J as an innovative competitor whose move set is far more expansive than even the most knowledgable fans realize.
• For the second match in a row, a heel used a frog splash as a signature move. For the first time, it actually earned the win.

Tony Deppen, Alex Zayne and Blake Christian vs. Brian Cage and The Gates of Agony

Tony Deppen, Alex Zayne and Blake Christian all have ties to Game Changer Wrestling but Saturday night, they appeared for Ring of Honor, faced with the unenviable task of battling The Embassy's Brian Cage and the Gates of Agony's Kaun and Toa Liona.

Cage dominated early, overpowering his Deppen and tossing him around the ring like The Machine he is. Zayne exploded into the match moments later, proving problematic for the opposition. The heels suckered him into a sneak attack by Linoa, though, and The Embassy regained control.

Zayne tagged Christian in and the former Impact and NXT competitor fueled a comeback. The Gates of Agony cut them off and downed Zayne and Christian. A defiant Deppen chopped both men before falling prey to a three-on-one beatdown that ended with Cage scoring the pinfall victory.

This was the first really good match of the show but one cannot help but feel as though the unsigned babyfaces overshadowed the contracted heels. That is not to say Cage, Kaun and Linoa were not impressive because they were certainly physically dominant.

Christian, Deppen and Zayne brought unbridled energy, though, and the audience responded loudly and favorably to all of it.

Might they find further opportunities with the promotion or AEW based on their performances here? It remains to be seen.

Result

The Embassy defeated Deppen, Christian and Zayne

Grade

B

Top Moments

• Prior to the match, Prince Nana revealed to backstage interview Lexie Nair that he had purchased Tully Blanchard Enterprises from the Hall of Famer. The commentary team referred to the faction as The Embassy throughout the bout.
• Cage's feats of strength are never not impressive.
• The springboard 450 splash by Christian for the near-fall popped the audience and produced the first big, non-entrance pop of the night.

Willow Nightingale vs. Allysin Kay

Willow Nightingale and Allysin Kay wrapped up the Death Before Dishonor: Zero Hour kickoff show with some hard-fought women's wrestling action.

Kay worked her submission-based offense to great effect, stretching Nightingale in search of a tap-out victory. The babyface fought back but found herself repeatedly fighting out of kimura attempts.

She finally created separation by way of the pounce and delivered a gut-wrench sit-out powerbomb for the pinfall victory. After the match, Riccaboni and Coleman suggested that the win has put Nightingale in the ROH Women's Championship hunt.

That may be the case. Nightingale is a star in the making and Tony Khan would be wise to position her as the face of the women's division in either ROH or AEW sooner rather than later. Kay has long been a strong wrestler who has had some success on national television with Impact Wrestling and NWA, but has definitely earned a run in either WWE or AEW.

This was a solid wrestling match with some great mat wrestling from Kay and the explosive offense from Nightingale that makes her such a fan favorite. Good stuff and a taste of what is to come later in the show, when Mercedes Martinez defends the ROH women's title against Serena Deeb.

Result

Nightingale pinned Kay

Grade

C+

Top Moments

• The pop for Nightingale was great and reflective of a star on the rise.
• Kay moves so seamlessly in the ring. She is both a top-tier performer and, somehow, one of the most underrated.
• Nightingale's pounce is hella impressive and unlike anything that any other woman is doing on TV right now. 

Ring of Honor World Championship Match: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Jonathan Gresham

Death Before Dishonor dealt its first surprise Saturday night in the form of an opening contest for the Ring of Honor World Championship in which "The Foundation" Jonathan Gresham defended against Claudio Castagnoli.

An expertly wrestled and technically sound match, the contest saw Gresham seek to negate the size advantage of his opponent by taking his knee out from under him and keeping his assault mat-based.

Cesaro repeatedly powered his way out but Gresham systematically cut him off and dragged him back down to size. Until he could no longer neutralize that advantage. Castagnoli fought back into the match and delivered the Ricola Bomb to win the championship in a momentous start to the show.

The match was very, very good and showcased exactly what made Gresham such a worthy and deserving champion. An extraordinary technical wrestler, every single thing he does between the ropes matters and that was certainly the case here. He is, arguably, the most technically sound professional wrestler in the business and will have ample opportunity to regain the gold and resume his role as the face of ROH.

With that said, this was all about Castagnoli. One of the hottest wrestlers in the world off his AEW debut, there was no chance in hell he was losing this one. He is great in his own right and now, is world champion.

Something he should have been a long time ago, in a company far, far away.

Now, it will be on him to guide the renaissance of ROH and prove that those who denied him that spot in other promotions were wrong.

Could this have ramped up the physicality a bit and been hotter given more heat and a stronger backstory? Absolutely. For a world title opener, though, this was still far above average.

Result

Castagnoli pinned Gresham

Grade

B+

Top Moments

• Ring announcer Bobby Cruise announced the world title match would kick off the show to a thunderous ovation and the shock of the commentary team. Riccaboni and Coleman revealed that a coin toss was held earlier in the day to determine the main event and FTR vs. The Briscoes won.
• Gresham wisely scouted Castagnoli's opening uppercut and dodged it. 
• Castagnoli did a great job of selling his injured knee, except for the double stomp spot in which he failed to sell the effect it would have had on the joint.
• The look on Castagnoli's face after he realized his dream of winning the one title that eluded him over his career really put into perspective how much the moment meant to him.

Six-Man Tag Team Championship Match: Dalton Castle and The Boys vs. The Righteous

Dalton Castle and The Boys (now named Brandon and Brent) captured the ROH Six-Man Tag Team Championship for the second time, defeating The Righteous' Vincent, Dutch and Bateman in an action-packed match.

There was not an overwhelming amount of heat for the match early but the escalation of each spot all the way up until Castle pinned Bateman to win the titles helped bring the audience along.

Castle and The Boys winning really should not have been much of a surprise given Vincent's role in Impact Wrestling. What that means for Dutch, Bateman and VonStarr, all of whom can be assets to ROH as it continues to evolve from what it was to whatever Tony Khan wants it to be, remains to be seen.

For now, though, familiar face and former world champ Castle carries gold and the legacy of ROH.

Result

Castle, Brandon and Brent defeated The Righteous to win the titles

Grade

B

Top Moments

• Cruise oddly did not announce Vita VonStarr with The Righteous. Odd because she delivered a springboard moonsault that played into the match later on.
• Castle launched his partners, repeatedly, over the top rope and onto the opposition in a crowd-pleasing spot.
• Dutch flying over the ropes and squashing the boys was a great spot.

ROH Pure Championship Match: Wheeler Yuta vs. Daniel Garcia

Two of the most gifted young wrestlers in the industry squared off with the Ring of Honor Pure Championship up for grabs, each man hellbent on proving they are the better technician.

A hellacious battle saw each man trade punishing strikes, then transition seamlessly into submissions. There was a vicious exchange of slaps and a single rope break in 15 minutes before Yuta simply out-wrestled his opponent, stacking Garcia up for three and the successful title defense.

There was a ton of hype and lofty expectations entering this one and it did not disappoint. Yuta and Garcia looked every bit the future of professional wrestling, mastering the art of storytelling within the context of an athletic competition.

There was a decided lack of rope usage as the competitors opted, instead, to keep things on the mat for the most part. The result was a match unlike any other on the card to this point and one that generated overwhelming respect and support from the ROH faithful.

Yuta is having the year of his young career while Garcia consistently proves why Khan was so excited to sign him to AEW. They will be the foundation of the industry's future.

Result

Yuta pinned Garcia to retain

Grade

A

Top Moments

• Garcia wore maroon tights to taunt William Regal, who famously gave Bryan Danielson his similarly colored tights in a nice bit of pre-match psychology.
• Garcia bit the ear of his opponent, to which Regal stated on commentary is a move he would absolutely do if he was in there and suggested AEW Interim World champion Jon Moxley would have ordered Yuta to do, too. 
• Champion and challenger engaged in a brutal exchange of slaps that concluded with Garcia down on the mat and the referee potentially counting him down. 
• Chants of "this is wrestling!" poured from the stands as the combatants transitioned from submission to submission. 
• Garcia used his first of three rope breaks 14 minutes into the match.
• The defeated challenger reacted to his loss with the attitude one would expect from a heel, flipping Yuta off and walking all the way to the back with his middle finger extended.

Dragon Lee vs. Rush

For the first time ever, former Ring of Honor world champion Rush battled his brother, Dragon Lee, in a special clash of siblings.

The brothers predictably had each other's signature offense scouted, knowing exactly what they would pull out when and as a result, were able to counter effectively. The crowd came alive during this match, hanging on every spot.

Neither man enjoyed an extended advantage but both were left in disbelief when the other kicked out of their finisher. It was Rush, though, that was able to lure his loved one into a false sense of security, then deliver The Bull's Horns for the second time and secure the grueling win.

This was the best match of the show so far and that is saying something given the contest that preceded it. It was also the most well-received, with the fans genuinely invested in the story and action that unfolded before them.

Rush looked like the star AEW was fairly certain it was signing back around Double or Nothing and, hopefully, will build on the strength of this performance to bring that sort of excellence to Wednesday and Friday nights.

Lee was equally as excellent and may very well have been the best wrestler in a match that hugely over-delivered.

Result

Rush pinned Lee

Grade

A+

Top Moments

• Lee delivered a tope through the ropes, torpedoing himself into his brother and through a table in a scary, awe-inspiring spot.
• The overhead suplex off the ring apron by Rush to a sprinting Lee was amazing and drew "oohs" from the crowd. 
• Rush again utilized the overhead suplex, this time sending Lee flipping into the corner. The Bulls Horns followed but Lee kicked out at two as chants of "this is awesome" rained down from the stands.
• Lee delivered the Incinerator but Rush kicked out at two. 

ROH Women's Championship: Mercedes Martinez vs. Serena Deeb

Mercedes Martinez had proven a fighting champion entering Saturday's show but to preserve her title reign, she would have to defeat one of the best professional wrestlers on the planet, "The Professor," Serena Deeb.

Martinez rocked her opponent with her trademark spinebuster but Deeb recovered and spent the majority of the match seeking submissions. She dominated the action, putting the champion on the defensive and forcing her to fight from underneath if she hoped to leave the event with her title reign intact.

She did, but Deeb bit her. The challenger applied the Serenity Lock but Martinez countered. The Professor repeatedly slammed her opponent's knee into the mat as the crowd chanted her name.

Martinez evaded the submission and delivered the OG Drop but Deeb kicked out. The champion followed with the surfboard dragon sleeper known as the Brass City Sleeper, leaving the challenger with no choice but to tap out.

The crowd was very much behind Deeb winning the title but reacted favorably when Martinez tapped her out for the win, suggesting the reaction was out of preference for Deeb rather than in rejection of the champion.

Another good, physical match in a line of them tonight, this felt every bit as intense as the men's matches on the same card. Deeb looked like a star, Martinez provided a gutsy performance and ROH had a women's title match that belonged right alongside the other superb in-ring offerings on this card.

Result

Martinez defeated Deeb to retain

Grade

B+

Top Moments

• Deeb, somewhat surprisingly, was the overwhelming favorite among the ROH faithful.
• The challenger transitioned from an abdominal stretch to the Deebtox, looking to submit Martinez and take the title. It was unsuccessful as the champion fought out and dumped her to the mat.
• Coleman sold the idea that Martinez cautiously approached everything she did in case Deeb was bating her, a great call from the commentary position that added exponentially to the production of the title bout.
• Deeb frantically tried to fight out of Martinez's finisher but her body was bent backward and contorted in a way that made it impossible.

Ring of Honor Television Championship Match: Samoa Joe vs. Jay Lethal

The intense hatred existing between ROH Television champion Samoa Joe and Jay Lethal resulted in a pre-match brawl that allowed Satnam Singh to interfere on behalf of the challenger and seemingly injure Joe's shoulder.

Once the bell rang, it appeared as though Lethal would wrestle his way to victory. He had Joe reeling on more than one occasion and, after the Lethal Injection, appeared to have the title and win in hand.

Until Joe kicked out.

Reverting to cheating did not help, either, as Joe proved resilient by kicking out of an undetected belt shot to the face. That resiliency, as well as a veteran ability to out-wrestle any opponent allowed Joe to catch Lethal with the Coquina Clutch and secure the win via submission.

The crowd was red-hot for this match, thanks in large part to their love for Joe. It was that adoration for the Samoan badass that allowed him and Lethal to construct great false finishes and build heat off of the early, and late, cheating.

Joe is still incredibly physical and has that ever-important explosiveness, but it is apparent that he is not the performer he once was. He and Lethal worked to his strengths and the result was a match that was better than even the staunchest of their fans could have expected.

Best of all, it was wholly different from anything else on the show, helping to separate it from the previous nine bouts on the card. That, as much as anything they accomplished from start to finish, is a testament to their skills.

Result

Joe submitted Lethal to retain

Grade

B+

Top Moments

• Lethal made good on his promise to go it alone, waving off Satnam Singh and Sonjay Dutt as he entered the arena.
• Champion and challenger brawled around the squared circle, before the bell had a chance to ring. When Joe appeared to be building momentum, Singh interfered and manhandled Joe, sending him into the ring post and injuring his shoulder.
• Joe drew a big pop for his trademark forearm-assisted tope suicida as Riccaboni dropped Impact Wrestling and NXT while running down the Samoan Submission Machine's championship success in the city of Lowell, Massachusetts, home of tonight's show.
• Lethal escaped the Muscle Buster and delivered the Lethal Injection, but Joe kicked out at two as the crowd bit on the near-fall. 
• Dutt provided a distraction, Lethal used the TV title as a weapon, and Joe still kicked out.

2-Out-of-3 Falls for the Ring of Honor Tag Team Championship: FTR vs. The Briscoes

With the eyes of the wrestling world on them, and expectations extremely high following their Match of the Year candidate back in April, Ring of Honor Tag Team champions FTR defended against The Briscoes in the main event of Death Before Dishonor.

A fantastic first fall saw the champs attempt to out-wrestle their opponents while The Briscoes instigated a physical fight. Jay and Mark's gameplan worked to perfection as they scored the first fall of the match, earning a pinfall over Dax Harwood just under 20 minutes in following the Doomsday Device despite every effort by Cash Wheeler to break up the count.

Briscoes led 1-0.

The Briscoes worked over Harwood, targeting the head and neck damaged by their high-impact finisher just moments earlier. Harwood created separation and looked to tag Wheeler in but the challengers had taken him off the apron seconds earlier, preventing the switch.

Wheeler finally tagged in, obliterated Mark with a clothesline and delivered a wicked brainbuster for a near-fall. Another close two resulted from a Gory Special to Mark. A shot to the face with the ring bell opened Wheeler's face up but did not keep him down for the count.

The close calls finally paid off moments later as FTR evened things up with The Big Rig for the pinfall on Jay.

Match tied at 1-1.

Late in the third fall, the referee bumped. With no official, Jay had a pinfall that should have won him the match but it went uncounted. Moments later, FTR hit the Big Rig, only for Jay to kick out and become the first to ever do so.

A table bump took Wheeler and Mark out of the equation moments later, leaving Harwood and Jay to battle for tag team supremacy. The Jay Driller failed to put Dax down for the count, but Harwood's spike piledriver from the middle rope did not. After 43:26, FTR retained the titles via the most minimal, exhausted pinfall ever.

FTR won 2-1.

After the instant classic in April, it would have been totally understandable if FTR and The Briscoes delivered an otherworldly match. There are not two teams that could have accomplished what they did, with the weight of the wrestling world on their shoulders and expectations through the roof.

Building on their previous classic and telling a story through physical combat, they took fans on a ride that went three-quarters of an hour and never once felt like it. The crowd was consistently on their feet and the history of Mark and Jay's dominance in this particular type of match really helped ramp up the heat, particularly in that second fall.

The third fall was full of balls-to-the-wall false finishes and a table spot that set up the finish which, ironically, featured two individuals wrapping up a tag team all-timer with a nice bow.

Anyone doubting whether tag team wrestling sells and can realistically be counted on to headline pay-per-views was silenced, emphatically, by this match. The Briscoes are already the greatest team in ROH history and one of the best of the last 20 years. FTR, based on their work in the last year alone, may lay stake to the label of greatest of all time before all is said and done.

Go out of your way to order the replay of this spectacular for the main event. Stay for the rest of what is an absurdly great show.

Result

FTR defeated The Briscoes, 2-1, to retain the titles

Grade

A+++++

Top Moments

• Dueling chants, the introduction by Cruise and the uptick in audible excitement from Riccaboni and Coleman were all indicative of a big-time championship clash.
• The trainer checked on Harwood at ringside as he appeared to be hampered by the torn labrum suffered prior to the Forbidden pay-per-view. 
• The commentators put over The Briscoes' history of sweeping these 2-Out-of-3 Falls matches, preferring to win quickly and decisively.
• The Briscoes bloodied Harwood's chest with a barrage of chops.
• "The ring bell took out Ricky Steamboat!" Coleman exclaimed in awe of Wheeler kicking out from a shot to the face with the weapon.
• "How tough do you have to be to have your head busted open and voluntarily headbutt someone?" Coleman asked what we were all thinking as Wheeler attacked Mark.
• "Riccaboni, I ain't gonna lie to you: I've never been in a war like this," Coleman said when asked about what goes through a competitor's mind in a hotly contested match such as this.
• Chants of "tag team wrestling!" rained down from the stands. Considering FTR's desire to bring that art form to the forefront of the industry dating back to their days in WWE, it had to be a rewarding moment for them.
• The Briscoes applied stereo clutches, leaving Wheeler and Harwood to hold hands and will each other not to tap. They did not.
• After multiple uses of the side suplex throughout the match, Wheeler delivered one to Mark, off the ropes and through a table at ringside.