Ring of Honor on HonorClub 6/1/2023 Episode #14
Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2023/05/ring-of-honor-on-honorclub-5252023.html
The Infantry vs The Kingdom
The Kingdom try stereo boots then get hit. They then get wishbone'd at the same time and Mike is lariated over the top. Bravo fakes out Taven with a punch then nails him as Dean hits a sky high for 2. Taven springboard enzugiri's Bravo then Mike bounces off the ropes outside to forearm him.
Bravo is gordbustered then forearmed in the back of the head. Bravo is double team stungunned then Taven top rope frogsplashes him for 2. Bravo takes a death valley driver and rolls up Taven. Dean gets in and hits lariats before hitting a ddt on Taven. Maria trips Dean then Taven spinning high kicks Dean. The Kingdom then hit the protonpack and wins it.
It was short and bordered on being a squash with The Kingdom winning as expected.
Trish Adora vs Skye Blue
Skye headlock takeovers Trish then Trish pump kicks her. Ske does her swinging kick to the head while Trish is on her knees then Skye is banged off of Trish's knee as she is on the middle rope. Trish suplexes her for 2 then puts her into a neck submission over her shoulder.
Skye headscissors her then flying kicks her in the head for 2. They mess up some wheelbarrow type of spot and Skye and is wheelbarrow suplexed for 2. Skye superkicks her then jumps on her back into a code red for 2. Skye hits a skyfall twisting full nelson slam and wins it.
It was the usual unimpressive Skye Blue match. Her offense just doesn't look good and Trish isn't exactly someone who can carry her.
Dark Order (Evil Uno, John Silver and Alex Reynolds) vs The Righteous and Stu Grayson
This is really early to be doing this and they didn't build it up much at all. This should not be happening until about a month from now, if even that.
Uno shoves Dutch during the handshake. Uno forearms Vincent then Stu is tagged in. Stu tells Uno to hit him, Uno won't, then Stu drops him. Silver hits kicks on Stu then euros him. Stu drives him into the corner and tags to Vincent. Vincent hits chops on Silver then Vincent is double tripped into a double dropkick.
Alex hits a nice dropkick on Vincent then Alex is pushed off the apron into a Dutch black hole slam on the floor. Stu flurry pounds on Alex. Alex then takes a double knee into a legsweep and a short flatliner. Alex takes a reverse 3D for 2 then Stu back elbows him. Alex then takes a huge back body drop from Dutch.
Alex escapes Stu uranage then knees him. Uno gets the hot tag in then lariats Dutch over the top. Uno pump kicks Vincent then brainbusters him for 2. Vincent pushes the Order into each other then Dutch is german'd by Silver for 2. Uno and Stu get in and stare down then Vincent knocks Uno out of the way. Stu takes a combo from the Dark Order but germans Alex out of it. Vincent russian leg sweeps Silver thne Dutch tope con hilos outside.
Uno and Stu end up being the only people in the ring. Stu asks what he has to do to make him angry and tells him to hit him. Uno lariats him over then hits a bunch of forearms. Uno facekicks him and Stu tells him to finish him. VIncent gets in and Stu pumping knees Uno. He then hits a nightfall backbreaker and Vincent tags himself in to get the pin. Stu looks on wih regret after.
This just happened too soon. There wasn't enough reason for them to be doing all of this already and they should have worked it a different way. It's a shame too as there were some nice spots here and it would have been enjoyable outside of that.
Samoa Joe and Zack Sabre Jr. are interviewed together. Joe said he didn't give Zack a warm welcome. Joe said their victory was due to them. Zack said they aren't too different as they are both TV champs. Zack said they are both island boys and should be called The Island Boys. Joe said he thinks we all know who the superior TV champ and the better TV champ is. Joe says it is crystal clear but Zack says it's foggy. Joe said maybe we will just have to find out and Zack agrees. This was a fun segment with them continuing to have issues and Joe's really nailing his interviews lately.
Diamante vs Promise Braxton
PB hits chops early then goes up and over in the corner ofr a roll-up. Dia knees her then mudhole stomps her in the corner. Dia then dropkicks her as she is against the bottom rope. PB northern lights suplexes her then is thumbed in the eye. Dia then shoulders her over.
Dia chokes her on the ropes and then hits strikes. PH hits a lariat and a gutbuster. PB does a meteora from behind. Dia germans her then does her straightjacket choke with the armlock and wins it.
As expected, it wasn't anything special. I really have no idea why they keep Diamante around or what she adds.
Brian Cage vs Willie Mack
Cage forearms him then spin kicks him in the gut. Willie then does a flying kick. Cage backdrops him and sweeps him off the 2nd rope. Cage hits a saito suplex and they trade chops. Cage jumping knees him then suplexes him. Mack exploders him and hits running corner moves. Mack does a corner senton but mostly misses then samoan drops him.
Mack hits a standing moonsault for 2. Cage blocks a high kick then hits a superkick. Cage spins then is hit with a high kick then Cage germans Mack. Mack no sells the german then Cage no sells his german. They then double clothesline each other and both go down. Mack stunners him then hits a top rope frogsplash for 2. Cage reverse sitout slams him then spinning lariats him to win it.
They got cute here with the spots and I just didn't get that into this one. I really don't think they got much out of the hoss vs hoss concept here and they just kind of worked this one like they would any other match.
NJPW World TV Title - Zack Sabre Jr. vs Rocky Romero
If you are wondering if Rocky earned this somehow, it's unknown and unclear how that would have happened.
RR trips him and works the ankle. Zack blocks an armdrag just to take one then RR headscissors him. RR pulls his arm down over the top rope then 2nd rope dropkicks him as he hangs over the middle rope. RR then topes him twice. He tries for a third and is caught with a cravate then has his neck twisted.
Zack rolls hm into a headscissors. Zack snapmares him, RR holds on then does the same to him. Zack then twists his neck again with his feet. Zack blocks a chop and euros his arm. RR then suplexes him. RR gets his hurricanrana caught and he is put in an ankle lock. RR rewind kicks out of it and eye pokes him right in front of the ref.
RR euros and springboard tornados him for 2. RR triangles him over the top rope then Zack bodyscissors him and pulls on his legs over the ropes. Zack hits some euros then takes an arm ringer. RR jumping knees him then shinranui's him for 2. They try pin attempts and Rockly rolling armbars him. Zack then does a grounded octopus and wins it.
Not great, but it was a watchable and they worked better together than I had expected them to.
Zack talks to the camera and asks Joe who is the most active TV champ now?
The Workhorsemen (JD Drake and Anthony Henry) vs Action Andretti and Darius Martin
Henry grabs Darius' arm then Darius snapmares him and armdrags him. Henry kicks him in the chest then JD blocks an armdrag. JD shoulders him over then takes dropkicks. AA springboards in and dropkicks JD. AA then takes up the ropes and flipping armdrags him. AA then dropkicks him and hits a springboard corkscrew splash off the bottom rope.
Henry is dropkicked into a crucifix and Darius fights off a 1v2 on the apron. He is then dropkicked off the apron into a JD forearm. Henry holds Darius' neck into a JD slingshot senton. The heels are rammed into each other and AA is tagged in. AA hits strikes on Henry then topes JD outside under a lariat. AA then seated moonsaults JD outside while fighting Henry. AA handsprings into an Henry german. AA then takes a shining wizards, a meteora then a kick into a pendulum flatliner.
Henry takes kicks form both opponents and AA handsprings JD off the apron. Henry then takes a double pendulum slam on the back of his head and is pinned.
It was short and it was a fine match with the heels being heels and the faces being faces. Nothing wrong with this at all.
Kip Sabian, The Butcher and The Blade vs Shogun, Bryce Saturn and Jakob Austin Young
The jobbers jump the heels to start. Young gets senton'd by Kip then takes running corner attacks. Young then takes a suplex + powerbomb combo and the jobbers are pinned in seconds.
El Hijo del Vikingo, Komander and Bandido vs Jack Cartwheel, Serpentico and Angelico
Ange takes down Komander then armdrags him. Komander armdrags him then headscissors him. Serp and Bandido trade forearms then Serp facekicks him. Serp headscissors him but Bandido flips out. They then both headflip and stand off. Jack and Vik go at it. Jack cartwheels out of the way and is caught on a 2nd rope crossbody. Jack legsweeps him then springboards with his body into a splash on Vik.
Vik ties up Jack and it is broken up. Vik and Komander hit superkicks and the three faces get their dives messed up. Jack flying space tigers Komander, Bandido is sent into the steps then Jack handspring backflips onto Komander in the ring. Jack and Komander cartwheel out of piledrivers then Komander code red's him.
Bandido get sin and beats up on his opponents then one arm gorilla presses Ange. Vik springboard hurricanrana's Ange and Serp is thrown out. The faces triple dive outside then Jack is popped up into a 2nd rope Vik dropkick. Bandido gorilla presses Serp and throws him onto Luther outside then tope con hilos both. Komander then walks the top rope into a corkscrew dive on Ange. Vik 2nd rope poisonrana's Jack then meteora's him in the corner. Vik then 630's him off the top and wins it.
I actually liked this. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't great or smart, but you can get away with no selling and doing too much in trios matches due to how many people are in them. There weren't a lot of pin attempts or kickouts either so I couldn't even complain about things not being kicked out of.
Ring of Honor Pure Title - Katsuyori Shibata (c) vs Alex Coughlin
Shibata dropkicks him in the corner then suplexes him. Shibata ties his legs up and hits a forearm flurry. Alex picks him up for a suplex while seated then suplexes him over. Alex hits machine gun chops then fallaway slams him for 2. Alex gutwrench suplexes him for 2. Alex goes for another and Shibata rolls out of it into an armbar. Shibata triangles him and Alex does a one armed powerbomb on him.
Shibata facekicks him then takes a flying shoulder. Shibata sleepers him then PK's him and wins it.
It wasn't bad for a 2023 Shibata match. Not great, but Alex held up his end here and did what he could with Shibata here.
ROH Women's Title - Athena (c) vs Kiera Hogan
Athena decks her after the handshake then stomps her. Athena kicks her in the back then facekicks her. Kiera rolls her up and trips her into the 2nd rope for a hip attack. Kiera step up enzugiri's her. Athena grabs her arm and drives her into the mat. Kiera is thrown out and thrown into the rails.
Kiera rolls her up in the ring then hammerlock suplexes her for 2. Athena does a strangle hold alpha then Kiera superkicks her in the face. Kiera hits her step up legdrop off her back for 2. Kiera crossbodies her then is caught and backbreakered. Athena then fujiwara armbars her.
Kiera 2nd rope hurricanrana's her then running hip attacks her. Kiera tornado ddt's her and pushes into the ropes. She tries to roll her up but Athena just sits on her, pulls the tights and wins it.
The ending was lame and out of nowhere. They tried to sell it as this being due to Athena's armwork, but I had a hard time buying that one. This would have been better with some kind of finish more relating to the arm.
Athena holds up her belt outside then Kiera attacks her. Kiera throws her into the rails and steps. A security guard tries to stop her and Athena ends up dropkicks that guard. Athena gets some shots on Kiera then Kiera ends up superkicking another security guard. Kiera baseball slides her in the ring then pounds on her. More security guards come to break it up, but of course fail to do so as Athena nails her with a forearm. Athena then starts nailing more security guards outside
Overall thoughts: 3 of the matches were decent. The Dark Order/Righteous match would have been better if it were held a month from this show. I wouldn't call it a great edition of ROH.
No comments :
Post a Comment