Ring of Honor on Honor Club Episode #10 5/4/2023
Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2023/04/ring-of-honor-on-honor-club-episode-9.html
Pure Rules - Rocky Romero vs Lee Moriarty
I lost the early part of this review. Lee controversially used up a rope break by countering a hammerlock through the ropes. Rocky used his one closed fist on him then Lee flatlinered him into the bottom buckle. Lee got stuck on the 2nd rope and Rocky dropkicked his legs.
Rocky goes for an enzugiri, misses then does it backwards. Rocky then hits a tornado ddt for 2. Rocky jumped up and caught him with a rolling armbar. Rocky went to dive on him outside and Bill got in the way. Lee got tricked into kicking Bill, then Rocky knee'd him off the apron.Rocky hits a running shiranui back on the inside and they traded slaps. They then slap flurried each other. Lee lifted him up for a flatliner for 2. Lee hit downward elbows then Rocky pumping knee'd him. Rocky did a rolling armbar off the top and Lee tried to ropebreak but had used all of his ropebreaks. Rocky then got the win via submission.
This was fun. Lee using up all of his ropebreaks lead to the finish and showed off the differences of a pure rules match vs a usual match. I had 0 interest in this going in, but they caught me towards the end.
The announcers hinted that there would be a 3rd match between these two after.
ROH Proving Ground Match - Athena vs Angelica Risk
Athena pie faces her then facekicks her. Risk flying headscissors her but Athena blocks her 619. Athena picks her up like a casadora then slams her down face first.
Athena then superkicks her right in the face as she is on her knees. Athena shotgun dropkicks her then bangs her head off the math and goes crazy on the ref. Risk pulls her back by the hair then step up enzugiri's her. Risk hits a 619. She goes for a top rope crossbody, gets caught and is slammed down. Athena rolls her and does it again. Athena has her over the shoulder and twists her into a codebreaker. Athena then crossfaces her to win it.
This was the usual rough-housing and over the top heeling by Athena. They say what she's doing is just good work, but it really looks overly stiff and reckless to me.
Athena calls out Skye Blue and hits the skyfall onto the title. A fan yells, "I love you Athena" and she says, "I know".
Ring of Honor Television Title - Samoa Joe (c) vs Christopher Daniels
Daniels tries to shoulder over Joe and can't. Joe then runs him over with an elbow. Joe hits a punch flurry in the corner then does a running back elbow into a nice enzugiri. Joe works the traphezesus then drops an elbow for 2. Daniels take a big powerslam then hits a running STO then 2nd rope swinging flatliners him.
Daniels takes a back body drop then runs into a nice overhead belly to belly suplex. Joe then muscle busters him and wins it.
It was mostly a squash but it was compact and entertaining. Joe's offense looked real good here.
This is Robbie's ROH and AEW debut. He has not been mentioned in anyway ever in either promotion and it doesn't make sense for him to get a title shot.
CC picks him up and drops him on his chest. Robbie uses the ropes to flip out of an armlock then walks up the ropes and armdrags him. Robbie headscissors him then they trade slaps and kicks. CC throws him on a suplex then drops him on a gorilla press. CC ties him up on the mat.
Robbie trips him then does a tope con hilo through the ropes. Robbie springboard dropkicks him in the knee and running PK's him. Robbie 619's his leg then meteora's him in the corner. Robbie hit leg kicks then reverse figure fours him. Robbie hits leg kicks then hits a sliced bread #2. CC hits a big michinoku driver for 2. They do some fast offense and CC lariats him.
Robbie goes for a slice bread #2, gets caught, takes knees to the spine and is ricola bombed for the CC win.
This was a fast paced match. It wasn't super special or anything but they kept it moving. As I said, there was really no explanation for Robbie being here or getting a title shot.
Skye Blue is interviewed. She said Athena is disrespectful and has been bullying people to assert her dominance. She said since Athena wants to pick her as her next victim, they should have a singles match and make it for the ROH Women's title.
The Kingdom and The Varsity Athletes vs Stu Grayson, Action Andretti, Darius Martin and Best Friends
Trent suplexes Taven off the top onto everyone and Stu backflip kicks Ari. AA goes up top and The Righteous' music hits and everyone stops. The Righteous invite Stu to join them. AA does a neckbreaker on Ari and picks up the win. Everyone group hugs after.
The ending was weird. They did a distraction finish that benefited the faces instead of screwing them. This was pretty rushed and the action was going faster than I could call it at one point.
Athena is interviewed. She laughs at Skye wanting to fight her for the ROH Women's title. Athena calls the interviewer Lexi, and the announcer said she isn't said that but is called Lexi anyway. Athena says Skye is not worthy to stand in the ring with her and she will entertain her challenge. She said she will show her that she doesn't belong here and tells her to step up or step out.
Preston Vance vs Rich Adonis
Vance pulls him in and short arm lariats him off the handshake. Vance hits stomps in the corner. He throws him out then throws him into the rails. Vance lariats him in the ring then Rich gets some offense in. Rich is caught in the wheelbarrow position and is german'd. Vance hits a spinning lariat and wins this squash in short fashion.
Action Andretti and Darius Martin are interviewed. They are happy about their win then The Kingdom attack them. They get sent into the wall and boxes then Darius is thrown into a rail. Mike grabs a payphone on the wall, which at this point may be the only one left in America and pretends to call Dante. He said, "oh, he's still hurt" and nails Action with it. They then do bogus handshakes saying they are following the Code of Honor.
Skye Blue vs Robyn Renegade
They say the Renegade's aren't twins which is interesting since they've been called twins multiple times in AEW.
RR gives her a noogie in the headlock then Skye sunset flips her. Skye armdrags her then is pulled off the apron. RR throws her into the post then camel clutches her. Skye headscissors RR then hurricanrana's her. Skye hits a dropkick to the side of the head for 2. RR shotgun dropkicks her then rolls her up. Skye does her skyfall and wins it.
It was short and RR honestly got most of the offense in before beating beaten. It didn't do a whole lot to put Skye over.
Brian Cage vs Brock Anderson
I'm not real sure what the point of this was. Cage got his nose busted open here. The announcers put over Cage now winning 10 in a row, so I guess a title match is coming up for him. Brock probably got put over more here than Cage did.
Willow Nightingale vs Steph de Lander
Steph piefaces her and they shoulder battle. Willow sentons her then shoulders her over. Willow step up enzugiri's her then Steph suplexes her. Steph cannonballs her then splashes her in the corner. Willow back splashes her in the corner then 2nd rope dropkicks her. Willow cannonballs her in the corner then spinebusters her for the win.
They really tried to put over Steph here, but she got beat pretty quick in this squash.
Angelico vs Komander
Ange turns the handshake into two different arm submissions. Komader flips off of him then jumps up the ropes for a tornillo armdrag. Ange then facekicks him. Ange grabs his chin and arm and throws him into the buckles. Ange goes for a flying knee in the corner and goes over the top then Komander walks the top rope and corkscrew moonsaults him.
Komander double springboards into a crossbody off the top. Komander top rope sunset flips him then Ange hits an upkick and a backdrop. Ange hits la magistral for 2. Ange goes for a razor's edge but takes a hurricanrana. Ange then code red's him and hurricanrana's him for 2. Komander runs the top rope into a twisting dive. Komander then does a rope walk SSP to win it.
This was probably the best match Komander has been involved in. Ange was a heel between spots here and it was kept short. Ange also only did 3 rope walks, with one being the finish, so they made more sense than the usually do. Ange also didn't have another guy going spot for spot with him, so there was some actual structure here.
Serpentico jumps Komander after. Ange kind of watches at first then helps foot choke him. Orange Cassidy and Bandido then come out and make the save. They teamed up in the Dynamite episode before this and they mentioned that here.
Overall thoughts: The show was okay, but it had some issues with Robbie Eagles getting a title shot out of nowhere and tons of people coming and randomly going. People who seemed like they would be part of the brand like Metallik, AR Fox, Shane Taylor, Silas Young, Billie Starks, Mark Briscoe, Katsuyori Shibata and Matt Sydal were nowhere to be found here. They are taping twice on the weekend of 5/6/2023 and it'll be interesting to see who turns up and what is done with them. I think the only match we for sure know we are getting is Skye Blue vs Athena, but they have also made me believe that we will get Rocky Romero vs Lee Moriarty III and Andretti/Darius vs The Kingdom.
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