Last year, I made a pro wrestling pilgrimage to the mecca of hardcore wrestling, the 2300 Arena, in Philadelphia, for a dual taping of Saturday Night “Collision” and “ACTION / DEAN~!!!3.”
The experience was extraordinary, which included (but certainly was not limited to) watching six really good-to-great matches, saying hello to Tony Schiavone, and meeting Papa Briscoe.
This past weekend, I returned to Philly for Ring of Honor’s “Death Before Dishonor” pay-per-view, live from the 2300 Arena.
Once again, I was fortunate to receive media credentials from All Elite Wrestling. I’m not ashamed to admit that I much prefer visiting a city for “business,” rather than “pleasure,” when I’m attending a pro wrestling event.
This time, however, the scope of my involvement had greatly expanded. Not only was I attending the show, but I’d be interviewing the ROH Men’s Pure Champion, Lee Moriarty, and attending the pay-per-view’s post-show media scrum on behalf of Augusta Free Press.
As a young and hungry writer, the significance of this unique opportunity wasn’t lost on me. My appetite is voracious. I crave these opportunities.
For lack of a more coherent way to summarize all my thoughts, I’m filing this away as a travel itinerary.
I have Chris to thank for the format. I promise I read your columns, too.
12:24 AM EST – Friday, Aug. 21
I arrived in Philadelphia shortly after midnight.
I wasn’t notified that I’d be attending “Death Before Dishonor” as a credentialed media member until less than a week before the show. The exact details of my interview with Lee Moriarty weren’t ironed out until several days after that. So, I had to make my travel plans posthaste.
That meant reserving a hostel, instead of a hotel or Airbnb. What I didn’t consider was the time of night, or morning rather, that I’d be arriving.
My co-ed dorm accommodated six people. When I arrived, all five of them were fast asleep. The only bed was a top bunk, overlooking a young lady. I didn’t have the heart to climb up and make my bed in the middle of the night, so I decided to hunker down in the lobby.
03:48 AM EST – Friday Aug. 21
Between the bright lights, loud music playing over the intercoms, and the nocturnal staff fraternizing, I couldn’t sleep. So, I decided to visit Geno’s Steaks for a Philly Cheesesteak.
The Philadelphia institution is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week; as is their rival, Pat’s King of Steaks.
“You’ve had the best, now here’s the rest.”
In all seriousness, the cheesesteak was fine. Aggressively fine. Grilled onions and whiz are the only way to go in the “City of Brotherly Love.”
Rating: ***¾
04:28 AM EST – Friday, Aug. 21
I returned to the hotel and finished editing episode three of my podcast, “Pillar to Post Pro-Wrestling.”
After that, I prepared for my interview with Lee Moriarty. That entailed listening to previous interviews with Renee Paquette and Caprice Coleman, and doing my homework on the Ring of Honor Men’s Pure Championship.
Moriarty was scheduled to face Nigel McGuinness, but the latter was forced to withdraw from the match due to an injury he sustained last Saturday on “Collision.” In McGuinness’ absence, Katsuyori Shibata emerged as Moriarty’s number one contender. That wrinkle only further complicated matters.
Just when you have all the answers, the questions change.
07:47 AM EST – Friday, Aug. 21
Sleep is for the weak-willed. The early worm avoids the bird.
I ventured out into the city once more, in search of caffeine. I happened to find the worst coffee shop that I’ve ever had the misfortune of visiting. I won’t name names, but it’s somewhere on the corner of Market and N 3rd. Do with that what you will.
Rating: *¾
08:22 AM EST – Friday, Aug. 21
I returned to the hostel to shower and continue preparing for my interview.
11:30 AM EST – Friday, Aug. 21
I received a call from Adam Hopkins, a senior member of AEW’s public relations team.
Mr. Hopkins and I met last year, when I interviewed Tony Schiavone. In short, he’s AEW’s chief liaison to members of the media. Lee Moriarty was ready for his interview.
Our conversation was brief. Moriarty was in between stops on his brisk media junket, so I didn’t want to inundate him. I had six questions, which he answered in less than 10 minutes. The benefit of all my preparation was that I could use what I’d learned to fill in the gaps.
After I transcribed our conversation, it was just a matter of connecting all the dots. Personally, I’m quite pleased with the finished product.
2:18 PM EST – Friday, Aug. 21
I took a break and played billiards in the hostel’s lobby for nearly an hour.
3:41 PM EST – Friday, Aug. 21
I arrived at the Olive Roots Cafe on 2nd St. to prepare for the post-show media scrum. The barista suggested the Iced Pistachio Roots Latte, and it was terrific.
Rating: ****
4:58 PM EST – Friday, Aug. 21
I arrived at Lucky’s Last Chance in Queen Village for a hot dog and a cold beverage before the show. The hot dog was sliced open, stuffed with cheese, wrapped in bacon, deep-fried, and served on a New England-style hot dog bun.
For those keeping score at home, that’s called a “Texas Tommy.”
While the beverage was Italian in origin, it paired quite well with the dog.
Rating: ****½
6:08 PM EST – Friday, Aug. 21
I arrived at the hallowed halls of the 2300 Arena to check in my equipment and receive both my media pass and requisite ticket.
I crossed paths with Mr. Hopkins again, who was the benefactor of that great bounty. Not only did Mr. Hopkins remember me, but he complimented my line of questioning with Lee Moriarty.
My seats were sandwiched in between Shad from Wrestling Republic and Max Dinenberg from BodySlam. Max and I became fast friends, spending the majority of the night together.
As a native Philadelphian, Max is a frequent flyer at the 2300 Arena, having attended the entirety of AEW’s residency and last year’s “Death Before Dishonor” pay-per-view.
7:00 PM EST – Friday, Aug. 21
The show kicked off with “Death Before Dishonor: Zero Hour,” featuring four matches:
1. Mina Shirakawa & Queen Aminata vs. Viva Van & VertVixen
Rating: ***¼
2. El Phantasmo vs. Adam Brooks
Rating: **¾
3. Komander vs. AR Fox vs. Soleil
Rating: ***
4. Brian Cage & Hechicero vs. Alec Price & Jordan Oliver
Rating: ***¼
Watch the Preshow
8:00 PM EST – Friday, Aug. 21
The pay-per-view began at eight o’clock sharp, featuring nine matches. Some of the highlights included:
1. Dalton Castle & The Outrunners [c] vs. Lethal Twist
This was an excellent six-man tag team match, grounded by The Outrunners’ exceptional psychology as the faces in peril. Dalton Castle continued to prove that he’s one of the best hot-tags in the business, even if his efforts didn’t materialize into a raucous comeback.
Rating: ***½
2. Deonna Purrazzo [c] vs. Steph De Lander
Deonna Purrazzo’s mastery over the format is befitting of her name, the “Virtuosa.” However, it was Steph De Lander’s unorthodox approach to the pure ruleset that resulted in an interesting clash of styles against the champion.
Rating: ***½
3. Lee Moriarty [c] vs. Katsuyori Shibata
This pure rules match accentuated the strengths of the champion, Lee Moriarty, who was forced to exhaust his three allotted rope breaks in the early proceedings.
Moriarty had not previously beaten Katsuyori Shibata in singles competition, which gave the challenger the allure of Sonny Liston.
In that desperate struggle for survival, Moriarty achieved something ephemeral; conveying his urgency through the physical game of chess.
Rating: ****
4. Daniel Garcia vs. Adam Priest
Not only was this a quiet triumph, but it proved to be one of the best AEW / Ring of Honor matches of 2026.
This match typified Daniel Garcia’s maturation under the Death Riders’ wings, while Adam Priest continued to prove why he might be the greatest professional wrestler alive.
Rating: ****½
5. Lio Rush [c] vs. Action Andretti
This “fight without honor” proved to be the perfect interlude, rendered in stark contrast by 12 other matches that were decidedly less violent. Rife with plunder, Lio Rush and Action Andretti submitted their entry into the annals of 2300 Arena’s extreme history.
Rating: ***¾
6. Bandido [c] vs. Nick Wayne
There’s a joke in more discerning circles that AEW and Ring of Honor are “PWG with a budget.” The conceit being that PWG, an independent wrestling promotion from Los Angeles, lived and died by pushing the tempo of professional wrestling to its illogical limit. This match certainly didn’t disprove that criticism, but it was still an exciting fireworks extravaganza of a contest.
Rating: ***¼
7. Athena [c] vs. Hazuki
There’s an electricity in the air when you watch someone operate at the pinnacle of their craft. Michael Jordan in the NBA Finals. Tiger Woods at Augusta National. That’s how it feels when Athena steps into the squared circle to defend the ROH Women’s World Championship. She’s a maestra, possessing both the allure of a colossus and the vulnerability that compels her to resort to subterfuge. Flanked by her minions, Athena has become the modern-day Ric Flair, complete with her own horsemen.
Rating: ****
12:06 AM EST – Saturday, Aug. 22
The press conference began shortly after midnight.
I was afforded an incredible opportunity to speak with Ring of Honor’s longtime play-by-play commentator, Ian Riccaboni, before the proceedings. We talked about his favorite matches to call on the evening and his brief stint as Saturday Night “Collisions” lead announcer in 2023.
Once Tony Khan arrived, the press conference kicked off with Deonna Purrazzo, followed by Red Velvet, Action Andretti, and Athena. The media scrum ended with Tony Khan fielding questions from every reporter in attendance.
I asked the following questions:
Question for Deonna Purrazzo: “I’m sure you were watching the main event. How do you feel Athena would fare in a pure rules match against you?”
A Pure Rules match between Deonna Purrazzo and Athena? There is only person that can make that happen.
(ROH Death Before Dishonor Media Scrum) pic.twitter.com/IGsX8rcTAK
— gifadamus (@istomatoafruit) August 24, 2026
Question for Action Andretti: “Have you heard from Samoa Joe?”
Question for Tony Khan: “Jay Lethal, for the better part of two decades, has been ‘Mr. ROH.’ Tonight, he won the [ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championships]. What does that mean to you?”
01:31 AM EST – Saturday, Aug. 22
The press conference ended in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Have you ever heard Hulk Hogan say he wrestled 400 days in a single year, because of how many times he crossed the international dateline? That’s how I felt after this press conference.
Unfortunately, it was time to head home and get ready for work later that afternoon.
02:12 AM EST – Saturday, Aug. 22
I was browsing Twitter on my way home when I discovered someone had paraphrased Deonna Purrazzo’s answer to my question. I’ve been a fan of Deonna Purrazzo for nearly a decade now, dating back to her work on NXT and Ring of Honor. So, I retweeted it, admitting that I was a little nervous.
So, imagine my surprise when Purrazzo retweeted me and thanked me for my question.
Thanks for a great question! 🤍 https://t.co/E6ZMKVV9dA
— The Virtuosa (@DeonnaPurrazzo) August 22, 2026
I took pride in the fact that I didn’t see any reporters who were quite as animated or excited to watch professional wrestling as I was. I’ll always be a fan first and a writer second. So, while I may have left Philadelphia with a touch of delirium, I also felt a wave of gratitude wash over me.
How can you not romanticize professional wrestling? It’s f*ck*ng beautiful.
Tag Yourself™ Simpsons’ Newspaper Headline Edition.
I’m Local Man Thinks Wrestling is Real. pic.twitter.com/Up8ZqT9RDS
— Ripley Matthews 🇵🇸 (@a_queer_wizard) October 16, 2019
Share
