The ghost of the pandemic era returns to Daily's Place

Returning to Daily’s Place in Jacksonville feels like visiting your childhood home and realizing your parents turned your bedroom into a gym for a Peloton they never use. It’s familiar, it’s comfortable, and it smells like 2020 desperation. Last night’s Ring of Honor tapings were a reminder that Tony Khan treats this brand like a high-end storage unit for talent he hasn't figured out how to squeeze onto TBS yet.

We’re twelve days out from WrestleMania 41, and while the entire world is looking at Las Vegas, ROH is grinding away in an amphitheater that has seen more 450 splashes than actual paying customers lately. The Jacksonville crowd was vocal, sure, but there’s a ceiling on how much energy you can give for a show that feels like a fever dream directed by a guy with a spreadsheet and a massive caffeine addiction.

The match card was a bizarre blend of 'Where are they now?' and 'Why aren't they on Dynamite?' that has become the ROH signature. It’s technically proficient wrestling that exists in a vacuum. There are no stakes, just vibes and work rate. If you love wrestling for the sake of wrestling, it’s a goldmine. If you want a story that doesn't require a PhD in independent wrestling history, you might be out of luck.

The eternal youth of Dustin Rhodes and the Texas connection

Let’s talk about Dustin Rhodes. The man is 56 years old and he is still moving with a fluidity that makes half the roster look like they’re wrestling in a vat of cold molasses. He teamed up with Ross and Marshall Von Erich to take on the Dark Order, and honestly, it’s the most fun I’ve had watching a six-man tag in months. Dustin hitting a powerslam at his age is a glitch in the simulation that I hope never gets patched.

The Von Erichs bring a specific brand of Texas nostalgia that fits perfectly in the ROH environment. They aren't the most polished guys on the planet, but they have that 'it' factor that you can't teach in a warehouse in Orlando. Watching them use the Iron Claw on Evil Uno while the crowd chanted for their father was a nice touch of class in a show that usually moves too fast to acknowledge history.

The Dark Order, on the other hand, is a tragedy. Remember when they were the focal point of the most emotional storyline in AEW history? Now they’re the designated 'safe pair of hands' to lose to legends and newcomers. Alex Reynolds and John Silver are too good to be stuck in this holding pattern. They took the loss after a flurry of offense that reminded everyone why they were once a top-tier threat in the tag division.

High-flying chaos and the Hologram experience

If you wanted to see gravity get bullied for fifteen minutes, the triple threat between Hologram, Komander, and Action Andretti was your main course. This wasn't a wrestling match; it was a Cirque du Soleil audition where everyone forgot their safety harnesses. Hologram is still the shiny new toy in Tony Khan’s box, and while the gimmick is a bit 'Create-A-Wrestler' on a budget, his speed is undeniable.

Komander doing his rope-walk spot is impressive the first fifty times you see it, but it’s starting to feel like a loading screen in a video game. We know it’s coming, we know it’ll be clean, but we’ve seen the animation before. Action Andretti is the real wildcard here. The kid has a 95% success rate on spots that should realistically end in a hospital visit, yet he remains the most underutilized asset on the entire payroll.

The finish involved a series of counters that moved so fast I’m pretty sure the referee’s eyes started bleeding. It’s the kind of 'indie-rific' action that ROH fans live for, but it lacks the weight of a real feud. You won't remember who won this match by next Tuesday, but you’ll remember the way Andretti sold a poisonrana like he’d been shot out of a cannon.

Athena is the only thing keeping this ship from sinking

The ROH Women’s Championship is the only title in the company that feels like it belongs to someone who actually wants it. Athena has been the 'Forever Champ' for a reason. She is the final boss of Ring of Honor, and her Proving Ground match against Leyla Hirsch was another masterclass in how to be a despicable heel while being the best worker in the room.

Leyla Hirsch is a powerhouse who deserves more than the sporadic appearances she gets. She brings a legitimacy to the mat that balances out the 'spooky' characters and the high-flyers. Watching her trade suplexes with Athena was the highlight of the night. Athena’s character work is so far ahead of everyone else on this show that it’s almost distracting. She treats the ROH belt like it’s the only thing that matters in the world, and that belief is contagious.

Billie Starkz was at ringside, continuing the 'Minion' storyline that has been the slow-burn highlight of the last six months. The dynamic between the jaded veteran and the bright-eyed protégé is the only actual character development happening in Jacksonville. When that inevitable turn happens, it’s going to be the biggest moment this brand has seen since the buyout. If you aren't watching for Athena, you’re just watching for the backflips.

The midcard treadmill and the 'Proving Ground' problem

We need to talk about the Proving Ground format. It’s a lazy booking trope that needs to be retired. The concept is simple: if you beat the champ or last the time limit, you get a title shot. But when the champ wins 100% of the time, the stakes vanish. It becomes a glorified exhibition match where we’re just waiting for the finish we already know is coming. It’s the wrestling equivalent of a 'This could have been an email' meeting.

The Infantry (Carlie Bravo and Shawn Dean) took on the Iron Savages in a match that was... fine? The Iron Savages are entertaining in that 'we lift heavy things and yell' kind of way, but they’ve been stuck in the same gear for three years. The Infantry has potential, but they’re suffering from the ROH curse of being talented guys in a division that has no clear direction. They won, but does it move the needle? Probably not.

The Righteous (Dutch and Vincent) also appeared, doing their weird cult thing that feels like it’s waiting for a leader who isn't coming. They have a great look, especially Dutch who looks like he wandered off the set of a horror movie, but their matches always feel like they’re missing a final act. They beat a couple of local guys in a squash that lasted about three minutes, which is the standard 'get them on TV' booking that solves nothing.

The identity crisis of the honor brand

As F4WOnline reported, the tapings also featured Taya Valkyrie, Abadon, and Nick Comoroto. It’s a roster that feels like it was put together via a random name generator. There is no stylistic consistency. You go from a gritty technical match to a spooky supernatural gimmick to a lucha spot-fest without any connective tissue. It’s a buffet where the chef keeps adding more dishes instead of making one really good steak.

The problem with ROH in 2026 is that it doesn't know what it wants to be. Is it a developmental brand? If so, why are legends like Dustin Rhodes and Taya Valkyrie taking up TV time? Is it a work-rate brand? If so, why are there so many squash matches? It feels like a show produced for an audience of one—Tony Khan—and the rest of us are just lucky enough to be invited to the garage to see his toys.

Don't get me wrong, the wrestling is objectively good. You won't find a more technically sound hour of television. But without the heat of a real crowd or the weight of a meaningful story, it’s just noise. It’s loud, flashy, impressive noise, but noise nonetheless. Until ROH figures out how to make these matches matter beyond a three-count, it’s going to stay in the shadow of AEW, relegated to Thursday nights and the occasional trip down memory lane in Jacksonville.