The video starts out with a couple of backstage promos that end up sounding more natural than most WWE women's promos at times, but then the scripted dialogue shines through.
Deonna Purrazzo joins Colt Cabana and Riccaboni on commentary. Mandy Rose looks like a star, but the concern has always been in the ring and with what the ROH dojo can produce. It's probably a good idea to put someone with her who has been wrestling for a couple of decades.
Leon taunts when she drops Rayne, which can be chalked up as a rookie mistake in from a kayfabe perspective in a championship tournament. The only thing is she's been wrestling for four years.
These two have to wait on each other for several spots. Mandy is doing a lot of speed-based spots, but just isn't moving that fast and you see Rayne waiting for the completion of the move. There was a nice bulldog spot out of the corner, but Mandy just isn't ready for this type of match. I went into it as optimistic as possible, but there just wasn't much good about it.
Where Leon did shine was commanding the crowd on the outside of the ring after a good cannonball from the apron and a missile dropkick. It was followed up by a poor looking pin attempt and Leon kicking out of the best looking move of the match in the short arm cutter. The same would happen after an equally good looking Rayne Check. Mandy Leon won the match after Astral Projection, which all went copasetic.
Match Rating: 3/10
The two didn't blow any spots, and I get the feeling this will be echoed in future matches featuring her, but Leon isn't ready to be featured in this spot in a company that is establishing a new division to compliment some of the best wrestling in the world. She's good at so many other things that ROH has her doing, but there are a lot of issues in ring -- like pinning an opponent with her knees to their ribs -- that should be picked up by an agent or a trainer. The match did get better as it went on, however.
