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Dontay Khalifah took the first step toward getting his hands on SoBrino Ali at Bound by Honor, defeating The Drip's Tommy Okami in the opening match of his forced gauntlet.

The match was anything but straightforward. With The Drip surrounding the situation, Khalifah found himself battling both Okami and the faction that has made his life miserable since turning against him. In the end, however, an apparent miscommunication within The Drip proved to be the difference.

Okami believed he had scored the decisive pin, but referee Josh Cash did not see the three-count. As the match continued, Khalifah capitalized and secured the victory.

The loss immediately created friction within The Drip. Okami confronted Ben Grayson over the miscommunication, only for Khalifah to shove Okami into Grayson, adding insult to injury and leaving the faction to deal with its own internal problems.

The victory is particularly significant given the history between Khalifah and The Drip. Once closely associated with the group, Khalifah has spent months trying to get his hands on SoBrino Ali after the faction turned on him and Ali assumed control. After The Drip repeatedly interfered in Khalifah's matches, Ali finally agreed to give him his opportunity—but only if Khalifah could defeat every member of The Drip first.

Now, one obstacle is down.

Khalifah still has the rest of The Drip standing between him and SoBrino Ali. But after surviving Okami, the former champion has proven that he's willing to fight his way through the entire faction to get the one-on-one confrontation he wants.

The war has officially begun—and Dontay Khalifah is still standing.

Elliot Shock came to Bound by Honor with one goal: finally cash in the Ascension Contract. He left without doing so, and without a manager.

Shock’s obsession with cashing in the contract has been building for months. After joining the Hustle Collective in October 2025, Shock appeared to have found guidance in James R. Hustle. But that relationship increasingly became a source of conflict.

At No Limits in July, Shock attempted to cash in following Dre the Goat’s Legacy Championship defense. Hustle convinced him not to, telling Shock he was not ready. Shock tried again later that night after Reyhan Inteus retained the Wrestling Evolution Championship, with Hustle once again talking him out of it.

Bound by Honor brought three more attempts.

After defeating Terry Sequoyah, Shock tried to cash in on the Tag Team Champions, only to discover he needed a partner. Hustle volunteered, but Robert Allen promptly kicked him in the face. Shock retreated without cashing in.

Later, after Dre retained the Legacy Championship, Shock tried again. This time, Dre caught him with a kick and knocked him out.

Then came Shock’s final attempt after Reyhan Inteus defeated SoBrino Ali. As Hustle tried to stop him, Shock argued with his manager. Hustle finally told Shock that if he would not listen, he quit. He walked away, leaving Shock to be knocked out by Inteus. Once again, the contract remained uncashed.

With Hustle gone, the Hustle Collective is effectively dissolved.

For Shock, this could be the beginning of a new chapter. Without Hustle telling him when to wait, Shock now has complete control over his own decisions.

For Hustle, walking away from Shock raises an equally important question. Was managing Shock the end of the Hustle Collective, or has James R. Hustle simply decided it is time to pursue something new?

Either way, the next time Elliot Shock reaches for that contract, nobody may be there to stop him.