Ring of Honor on Honor Club Episode #5 3/30/2023

Ring of Honor on Honor Club Episode #5 3/30/2023

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2023/03/ring-of-honor-on-honor-club-episode-4.html

This is not at the usual studio but at an arena.

The Varsity Athletes vs Aussie Open

Mark Sterling announced his team. He said Ari Davari would be the next thing to leave St. Louis for Los Angeles like the St. Louis Rams.

Ari and Kyle fight other wristlocks then Kyle throws him down from the waistlock. Ari tries to shoulder Mark over but gives up and dropkicks his knee. Mark then knocks him over with a shoulder then AO hit a PK and senton combo. Nese is slingshotted into a euro. Sterling grabs Mark's leg while the V-A's run Kyle's back into the post and apron. Nese running cross elbows Kyle then Kyle is beat up 2v1 in the corner.

Ari neckbreakers Kyle then Ari misses a big splash from the top. Kyle hot tags in Mark, who runs through a Nese clothesline. Mark beats up on the V-A's 1v2 then lariats both. Mark pop-up powerslams Nese then the V-A's stereo punch AO. AO then do stereo kicks and clotheslines. AO go for their double team driver then Sterling gets on the apron for a distraction.

Kyle takes a euro up in the corner then is launched into a cutter. Nese 450's Kyle for 2. Nese gets thrown into a kick by Kyle then Mark holds Ari for a 2nd rope Kyle cutter. The V-A's have their backs banged into each other outside as Sterling tries to stop it then Sterling gets double superkicked. AO sandwich lariats Nese then AO does their double team driver/suplex and win it.

They did a move or two too much but I really did like this. The heels were good heels here and pretty much carried this match.

Miyu Yamashita vs Shazza Mckenzie

This is the ROH debut for both. No intros or explanations of course as we are expected to know them. Kind of a lose-lose here because of it. Shazza rolls out of a wristlock then Miyu does the same. Miyu kicks her in the back for 2 then spin kicks her. Shazza comes off the bottom rope and pushes her face into the mat. Shazza hits a nice delayed northern lights for 2. Shazza takes control then Miyu comes back with a triangle kick.

Miyu hits corner forearms then running PK's her for 2. Shazza ties Miyu up in the ropes and hits chest kicks then a face kick. Shazza top rope crossbodies her for 2 then Miyu hits a nasty roundhouse kick to the head that wins it.

The announcers pronounced Miyu's name wrong, but this was a short and fun little match. The two stiffed the crap out of each other and both came out looking good.

The Embassy vs JD Griffey, Dak Draper and Arjun Singh

 

Cage and Dak leapfrog then Cage powerslams Dak. Dak blind topes then is german suplexed. Jd and Toa go at it. JD strike flurries then hits a jumping knee and elbow. Toa then does a nice throw on him after catching his leg. Kaun gets in and slaps Toa then Arjun is thrown into a Kaun lariat. JD takes a sandwich lariat then Kaun sideslams Arjun on the top buckle. Toa sentons Arjun then Cage does his deadlift suplex from the 2nd rope for the win. Arjun was pushed out after.

This was just a total squash, but as usual, it was fun.

The Infantry vs Metalik and AR Fox

Metal kicks his opponent in the gut then does a reverse slingblade. Metal then walks the ropes into a dropkick. Metal drops Dean on his on accident. Bravo takes a spinning shot on Metal then Metal takes snake eyes into a cutter. Dean stomps on Metal in the corner then Bravo does the 10 corner punches. Infantry do a weird spot where one of them is spun on the shoulders and then comes down and spins the other into their opponent. AR takes a double hiptoss then has his legs wishbone'd. The Infantry do an odd sequence on Metal then Metal is suplexed. Bravo fakes a punch on Metal then totally clocks him. Metal sunset bombs Dean from the buckles then AR gets the hot tag in.

AR kips down out of a lariat then kips up with an enzugiri. AR does a twisting suplex onto Dean then rolls Bravo into a cutter. Metal asai moonsaults on the outside on Dean then Bravo slingshots in and rolls into a flatliner on AR. Bravo is seated up top and AR gets up there, bounces and does a spanish fly from it. Metal walks the top rope and does a big elbow drop and wins it.

This was too cute and fancy for its own good. I had a heck of a time trying to write this one up.

ROH Women's Title - Athena vs Emi Sakura

 

Emi hits forearms to start then chops her. Athena bounces big for a crossbody between the ropes. Athena then backdrops her into a chokeslam on the apron then bangs her head off the floor. Athena shotgun dropkicks her into the apron. Mei Suruga dives on Athena from the steps, in full view of the ref and nothing happens besides her getting slammed. Emi crossbodies her into the steps then headbutts her. Emi goes up top and gets stopped up there then Athena grabs her and starts kicking her in the back of the neck. Athena bangs Emi's head off the mat. Athena does a forward cartwheel but is caught with a double chop then Emi backbreakers her. Emi hits a top rope moonsault and they trade forearms, slaps and chops.

Athena gets out of a move then kicks her in the chest for 2. Athena gets her top rope cutter blocked then Emi bounces her off her head with a twisting reverse ddt. Emi then tiger drivers her and Athena rolls through. Emi hits slaps then runs into a forearm. Athena does some goofy over the shoulder buster that she botches then she puts her in a sleeper with an armlock and wins it.

They did way too much here with people getting slammed on the apron, the floor and on their heads and none of it mattering. Then they botched the second to last move. You also do have to wonder how exactly Emi earned this shot since she hasn't wrestled in ROH yet.

Emi gets her knee beat up on after and Athena drives it into the mat. Athena tries to smash Emi's knee between the post and stairs but Mei Suruga gets on her back. Yuka Sakazaki then runs down and forearms her. Yuka hits her with more shots until it is broken up. Athena ends up hitting the staff and they have to be broken up again. Yuka then dives on Athena and the security from the top.

Rush, Dralistico and The Kingdom vs Top Flight and The Lucha Brothers

Taven and Penta push andtaunt each other. Penta takes his glove off then Taven takes off his to mock him and hits him with it. Everone comes in and hits something. The Kingdom take superkicks and LFI is dropkicked out. LFI blocks the Lucha Bros topes. Penta takes a gorbudster into a punch then Fenix is catapulted into a shot. Taven then springboard elbow drops onto Fenix. Dante gets stomped by LFI then is splashed and double basement dropkicked by them.

Dante takes a running forearm and running splash then is death valley drivered into a running knee from Taven for 2. Dante is 2v1'd for like a minute and nobody comes to help. Kingdom takes double superkicks then so does LFI. Fenix is then rolled onto both Kingdom members for 2. Penta slingblades Bennett and Dante flips over Rush. Darius bottom rope flatliners Rush then Top Flight botch a double team spot. Dral springboard codebreakers Dante then Dral 2nd rope canadian destroyers Darius. Rush dropkicks Darius in the corner an wins it.

This went 100MPH from the start. They basically removed the usual first part of the match and went straight to the finishing segment from the start. You could not keep track of everything oing on here and there were some botches.

Mark Briscoe comes out to talk. He said the match with Joe is personal and he wants to win it for his family and Jay's family and everyone in Delaware or worldwide who rolls with the Briscoes. Mark says this time, it's his destiny to beat Joe for the title. Joe gets on the tron and says he needs to be worried about reality, not destiny. Joe said Mark forgot who he is and he will remind him.

Jay Lethal is interviewed. He says he has something to say to Mark Briscoe without Jarrett and crew. Jay says he wishes him luck against Joe and tells him to bring home the TV title. I have no idea what this was about.

ROH Pure Title - Wheeler Yuta vs Leon Ruffin

They lock up and Yuta works the arm. Yuta tries to surfboard him but Leon escapes. Leon goes for his rope escape trick move then is german suplexed. Yuta puts him in the octopus stretch. Yuta slams and sentons him for 2. Yuta indian deathlocks him with a bridge. Yuta misses a orner charge then gets an enzugiri. Leon does his rope escape trick then does a flying single leg dropkick. Leon springboards and is hit with a forearm on his way down. Yuta then does a crossface variation and wins it.

This wasn't much of anything and they did not make the most of their time here. It's so hard to buy Yuta as some heel tough guy.

Yuta gets on the mic after. He says Leon's efforts weren't enough like Timothy Thatcher and Clark Connors. Yuta sits crosslegged to mock Shibata then Shibata's music hits. Shibata comes down the ramp. Yuta say she didn't think he would show up and says this is important to him. Yuta talks about what Shibata used to be then Shibata goes head to head with him and Yuta backs off.

Blake Christian vs El Hijo del Vikingo

Blake takes an armdrag early and they dropkick and headflip before doing a stand off. Vik flips out of a snapmare then side steps a dropkick. Vik then running ssp's him for 2 and armdrags him. Vik triple jump hurricanrana's him then does a double jump imploding 450 to the outside.  Blake legsweeps him and hits a low dropkick. Blake 619's him then handsprings into a corkscrew kick. Blake then hits a fosbury flop on the outside.

Blake slams Vik then does an inverted flip onto Vik. Blake snap suplexes him then chinlocks him. Vik is thrown into the ropes but bounces back. Blake is caught off the 2nd rope then takes a swinging side slam. Vik then does an outside to inside phoenix splash for 2. Vik is put on Blake's shoulders and takes a snake eyes and a german suplex. Blake takes a poisonrana on the apron the hits a standing spanish fly on the floor. Blake then does a springboard 450 for 2.

They go up top do a flipping russian legsweep but both land on their feet. Blake lariats him then takes a hurrciarana for the Vikingo win.

This was the just the usual Vikingo fare without a few of his usual moves. Pretty much just a total indy spotfest. 

Blake Christian is interviewed. Prince Nana comes in and tells him to take the night off at the PPV due to the Embassy being so brutal. Blake says no then gets jumped and thrown into fencing. AR Fox and Metalik then come to defend him and the Embassy walk off.

Eddie Kingston vs Christopher Daniels

They shoulder each other and Eddie knees and double underhook suplexes him. Eddie saito suplexes him then Daniels hits a neckbreaker. Daniels pulls on his neck through the ropes then Daniels punches him in the back of the neck. Daniels hits a running STO for 2. Eddie hits a facekick then talks into a flatliner > Koji Clutch.

Daniels and Eddie trade forearms and then they chop each other. Eddie enzugiri's Daniels then hits a running facekick. Eddie then exploders Daniels. Daniels interrupts his machine gun chops then Eddie enzugiri's him. Eddie hits two uraken's and wins its.

This was short and there wasn't a lot to it before the finish.

They tease ending the show then Claudio Castagnoli comes out with a new ROH title belt. CC holds the belt in his life and says stuff that we can't hear. Eddie wants to go right now and CC takes off his shirt. CC then walks out of the ring. Eddie says he will wait until the PPV and tells us that we will feel like sh*t if we don't buy the PPV. Eddie says he needs to be the world's champion. Eddie said CC told Eddie's mom that he loved her son. Eddie said CC left to be an entertainer and says he remembered when CC dressed up like a clown. He told him to go back to the circus and said ROH is about competition. Eddie said he will fight until he is dead in the ring and says he will be ROH World Champ. 

Overall thoughts: Not the greatest go home show ever. They didn't even mention Garcia vs Tanahashi or do anything to hype Komander. Shibata and Yuka were there but didn't wrestle and they didn't mention any of the pre-show matches. I liked the opener but not much else here.