Ring of Honor on Honor Club Episode #2 3/9/2023

Ring of Honor on Honor Club Episode #2 3/9/2023 

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2023/03/ring-of-honor-tv-322023-debut-show.html

ROH TV Title - Samoa Joe vs Tony Deppen

Joe hits a shot to the body early. Tony tries to fight back and is lit up with shots and kncoked down. Tony fights back with chops then is run over with a Joe shoulder. Tony fights back with elbows then is back splashed in the corner and is back enzugiri'd.

Tony hits a top rope dropkick on Joe then cutters him. Tony then rolls him up for 2. Tony charges at him in the corner and they botch something for a 2 count. Tony gets uranage'd in the corner and then slides out of a choke into a roll-up for 2. Joe hits a big lariat then hits a muscle buster for the win.

I had a hard time buying Tony having any chance of beating Joe here. It really should have just been a quick squash. 

Joe got on the mic after. He welcomed us to the new Ring of Honor. Joe said he runs things around here and said he needs contenders. He invited anyone to come up and make their case for a title shot. Mark Briscoe then came out. He said it had been a long time and asked him what's good? Mark said the TV title was his destiny and asked for a match with him. Joe said any day he gets in a fight with a Briscoe is a good day for him and accepted.

Dalton Castle and The Boys did a promo. Dalton said losing the 6 man tag titles ate him up. He said he thought they were ready. He said they have been beaten before and said like Chumbawumba, they come back stronger than ever when knocked down. He said they had been moving furniture and are more ready for a title shot against the Embassy than before. He then told his boys to show their teeth.

 
Dalton Castle and The Boys vs Marcus Kross, Cody Chhun and Guillermo Rosas

They shake hands to start. Kross keeps trying to touch Dalton's chest then he starts hitting chops. Kross gets caught on a leapfrog and nearly hit with the bangarang. Kross backs him off with a kung fu pose. Kross gets ripped and slammed down. Rosas then gets slammed down.

The Boys dod a double leapfrog into a double hiptoss and double flying elbow for 2. Rosas is dropkicked in the knee and Chhun nails one of the Boys from behind.Rosas and Chun do splashes in the corner on a Boy then the Boy takes a suplex + dropkick combo. Kross takes an enzugiri from Brent (a Boy) and Castle gets in. Castle cleans house and does nice deadlift exploders with Chhun being thrown out of the ring. Brent and Brandon (A Boy) are thrown into opponents on the outside in the style of topes then Dalton hits the bangarang over Rosas for the win.

This was short but fun and entertaining.

The OGK did a promo. Taven said his favorite color is gold, not purple. He said the trend of them being tag champs everywhere they go will continue and called us "Melvins". Bennett said everywhere they go they hand us titles. Bennett said Top Flight ruined their night at Final Battle and their business is not finished. Maria said diamonds are a girls best friend, but she wants more gold to build her legacy.

Angelico and Serpentico vs Rush and Dralistico

Luther let his hair grow out some on the sides and looks like a very old Road Warrior Hawk.

Angelico armdrags Rush early and reverses him into frustration. Ange takes Rush down and Serp gets in. Serp hits a bunch of chops that are no sold and superkicks Rush. Rush then drops him with a chop. Dral gets in and springboard crossbodies Serp, moonsaults over him then hits a nice kick combo. Rush splashes Serp in the corner then Dral joins him for double basement dropkicks on Serp. Ange takes shots to the knees then is dropkicked by Rush. Dral then tope con hilos his opponents and Luther. Rush teases a dive but just poses instead.

Rush whips Ange with a cable then sends him into the rails. Serp is bridged over the top rope and takes a top rope legdrop from Dral. Serp tries to hulk up then gets stomped by both opponents. Rush accidentally forearms Dral off the apron then Serp tope con hilos Dral. Serp comes off the top and takes a headbutt from Rush. Rush does bull motions and takes an upkick from Ange. Dral springboard codebreakers Ange then Serp takes a rebound german into a canadian destroyer from the 2nd rope for the LFI win.

This really should have just been a quick squash. Serp has never been presented in any manner where he should be taken seriously. And the Spanish Announce Project is another AEW loser faction that has no potential and isn't over.

Serpentico had his mask ripped off after the match.

Billie Starkz vs Trish Adora

 

Billie tried to roll through a wristlock and Trish followed her. Billie went for a tope early and got hit with a euro on her way out. She then got slammed on the apron edge. Trish deadlifts her for a german then snaps her back on it. Trish puts her in a cattle mutilation. Billie kicks her from the corner then takes a big pump kick. Trish rolls into an uppercut then then takes a running euro. They trade forearms. Billie hits a spinning high kick and takes a big lariat for the Trish win.

This had some highlights to it and they were doing some hard hitting here. Really wasn't bad.

Christopher Daniels was interviewed. Matt Sydal walked in and offered to be a team with him. Matt said he'd team with him and Matt said they should become tag champs. Daniels said they show the teams of ROH why they should say their prayers. I felt like I missed something here and Sydal came off as a little pathetic by having to beg Daniels.

Slim J and Ari Daivari vs Jake Crist and Man Scout

Ari stomps on Scout early then J slams Scout. Ari misses a corner splash and Crist gets some kicks in. Crist hits a flying forearm. Crist misses a top rope crossbody then Scout gets in. Scout hits some punches on Ari then gets lariated. J hits a top rope dive into a reverse ddt then wins with the STF.

There wasn't much to this here and it was just a squash.

Mark Sterling gives the mic to Ari after. Ari says last week he beat Metalik on his own. He said he beat him fair and square. Metalik then ran down and got beat up 2v1. Blake Christian made the save. 

ROH Pure Title - Timothy Thatcher vs Wheeler Yuta

Yuta ropebreakers to start and they fight over a wristlock. TT bangs Yuta's hand off the mat then hits a slam and elbow. Yuta puts him in an octopus and then works the shoulder. TT euros him then Yuta works his arm. TT belly to belly suplexes him then Yuta grabs a hammerlock.  TT hits euros and hammerlocks him down.

TT hits euros and Yuta gets a warning for a closed fist. Yuta elbows him off the 2nd rope then hits an angle slam variation. TT uses his third rope break. Yuta germans TT and TT keylocks him out of it. Yuta then has to use his 2nd rope break to get out. TT backdrops him and hits a double underhook suplex for 2. TT hits knees to the back and Yuta gets his third ropebreak.

Yuta combos him and hits a spinning forearm. TT drops him with a big chop then stomps away on him as Yuta can't do anything about it. Yuta rolls out, gets a cheapshot in then does a neat octopus in the ropes and TT has to submit.

It got interesting once all the ropebreaks were gone and Yuta definitely teased the BCC heel turn here. With that being said, I'd rather watch paint dry than to ever have to see this match again. Stuff like this is why ROH went out of business. It's not like it was awful, just it was dull, slow and boring like most TT matches are.

Yuta got on the mic after and said he told us all that he's a champ and he rolls with 3 of the greatest of all time. Yuta says his BCC is like the 1996 Chicago Bulls. Yuta kept referencing the "tracksuit boys" and I doubt I'm the only one who had no idea who he meant.

Clark Connors, who was a NJPW Young Lion that wore a tracksuit, then came out. He said he's from the NJPW LA Dojo and said Yuta would put people to sleep when talking on the mic. Clark said Claudio and Mox wished they trained under Katsuyori Shibata like him and challenged him for the Pure Title next week. Yuta initially walks away but then accepts the challenge.

Aussie Open vs Tracy Williams and Rhett Titus

Tracy guillotines Mark early and Titus jumps over Tracy to land on Mark's arm. Rhett takes a double chop then is senton'd by Mark. Rhett takes chops then he is passed from Kyle to Mark for a suplex. Rhett fights back with a big boot and tags in Tracy. Tracy hits a stiff lariat on Mark then does a crotch hold into a suplex on Kyle. Tracy then comes off the 2nd rope and ddt's Kyle on the landing.

Tracy fights Kyle from the apron then Rhett running face kicks Mark as he holds Tracy's leg. Tracy misses a running knee dive from the apron then Rhett is caught by Mark. Rhett and Titus have their backs rammed into each other outside then Tracy is thrown up into a Kyle kick. Tracy then is lifted and brought down with a Kyle 2nd rope cutter.

Tracy tries to fight Aussie Open off 1v2 then takes a sandwich forearm. Tracy dragon screws Kyle when he is thrown into him then does a cristo on Mark into a crossface. Rhett then single leg crabs Kyle at the same time. Tits hits knees on Kyle then belly to belly suplexes him. Rhett running facekicks him then he hits a great dropkick. Tracy spinning lariats Kyle. Rhett lariats Mark over the top and goes with him then Tracy kneedrops Mark from the apron. Tracy to rope frogsplashes Kyle for 2.

Kyle spinning tombstones Tracy then Rhett is pulled up into a cool piledriver from the mat. Tracy takes a sandwich lariat then then is double lifted and spun forward into a double slam for the Aussie Open win.

They didn't go too far here while keeping the action moving along. They had some nice stuff shots here and couple of cool spots and I ended up liking it.

Eddie Kingston vs Ben Dejo

What a stupid name. The guy is also about 5 foot tall and maybe 140 pounds. Eddie hits machine gun chops early then does an exploder. Eddie then hits a uraken and thankfully wins this waste of time in quick fashion.

Eddie gets on the mic after. He calls out Claudio Castagnoli. Eddie says he wants his title shot and tells him to be a champion and fighter. CC says a man without honor will never be ROH champ and leaves.

Eddie follows and CC is briefly interviewed. CC keeps walking and Eddie asks where he's at?

Willow talks about Athena. She says she bled and sweat for wrestling and is scared she's not good enough for this. She says she's in ROH because she is good enough. She says she plans on becoming ROH Women's Champ. Athena says Willow is in for a world of hurt and says she has lost her marbles if she thinks she is letting her get her hands on the title.

ROH Women's Title - Athena (c) vs Willow Nightingale

Athena has an LED with words on her jacket, talking about her being the ROH Women's champ.

They do some rolls and a kip up early. Willow crossbodies her as she is on her knee. Willow forearms her and hits three amigo suplexes. Willow double slaps her back then Athena face kicks her. Athena takes control. Athena hits a stiff forearm and works the arm. Athena drives her throat into the ropes then hits mounted punches. Athena then baseball slides her off to the floor.

Willow gets her head banged off the steps and has her arm trapped in between the post and steps. Athena then works the shoulder over the post and dropkicks the steps into the arm. Willow tries to get in and takes a baseball slide. Willow catches her outside and powerbombs her on the apron then death valley drivers her on the floor.

Athena pie faces her then Willow blocks it and makes her comeback. Willow back splashes her in the corner then face kicks her. Willow then hits a spinebuster for 2. Athena gets a fujiwara armbar on her but is rolled up then Athena meteora's her in the corner. Athena puts her on her shoulder and spins her into a double knee, but it's only for 2. Willow hits a big pounce then Athena uses the ropes to hit a big superkick. Willow gutwrench bombs her for 2. They go to the ramp, Willow gets slammed on it and rolled down it. Willow then is put into the steps and Athena top rope dives into a cutter to win.

Willow had a nice comeback here and showed some nice fire. They did way too much though and the arm work went nowhere.

Athena attacks her after.

Overall thoughts: This show is basically ROH Rampage. It's nice of AEW to keep ROH alive in some fashion and it's good for some of the old ROH crew to get work. I wouldn't say it's a must see show and I really have doubts on its chances of ever catching on. Some of the matches weren't bad, but so far, it's not edge of your seat stuff that you really need to tune into each week. It's also definitely not developmental where new talents are getting ring time. It's something below Dynamite, maybe a little above Rampage and definitely far above Dark and Elevation.