Ring of Honor on HonorClub 6/29/2023 Episode #18

Ring of Honor on HonorClub 6/29/2023 Episode #18

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2023/06/ring-of-honor-on-honorclub-6222023.html

Lexi, Tony and Stokeley are together. Tony says it will be a great night for ROH. He says NJPW stars are in town and will be on the show tonight. Tony says he will let Stokeley Hathaway handle things tonight.

Dralistico and Preston Vance vs Vikram Prashar and Mark Wheeler

Mark and Vik are superkicked to start and Dral hits a basement dropkick. Dral hits some strikes and a corkscrew kick. Dral superkicks Mark in the head then Vance hits a spinebuster. Vik hits shots on Vance and is dropped with a forearm. Dral springboard codebreakers Vik. Vance spinning lariats Mark then the heels do a double pin, putting the jobbers on top of each other and win it.

This was a quick squash.

Dark Order (John Silver and Alex Reynolds) vs The Righteous

The Righteous offer a handshake but get nailed by the D-O. Dutch is sent out and tope'd on. Silver running euros Vincent then Stu Grayson distracts him. Stu then tries to get Uno to chase him and Vincent teases hitting Uno with a chair. The ref then catches Uno with a chair in the ring and Uno is thrown out.

Dutch black hole slams Silver for 2. Silver hits shots on Vincent then Vincent back elbows him and pounds on him. Silver hits a nice suplex on Dutch then Alex takes down Vincent. Alex kicks Dutch off the apron and takes down Vincent again for more punches. Alex hits corner lariats on Vincent and Vincent rolls out. Alex bangs him off the rail and throwns him into it. Dutch is pushed into the post then Alex dives off the apron with a ddt. Silver double stomps Dutch from the apron.

Vincent takes a short piledriver and a brainbuster. Stu jumps in and jumping knees Alex then Vincent rolls up Alex to win it.

It was pretty chaotic with lots of shenanigans. It was on the shorter end and it was fine.

Dutch and Vincent pound on their opponents after. Uno comes to make the save with a chair but Stu gets in the way, daring Uno to chair him. Stu then shoulders Uno and heads out, yelling at him.

Leila Grey vs Diamante

Dia grabs a headlock early then Dia armdrags and armlocks her. Dia hits Leila on the outside then throws her into the steps. Dia is knocked off the apron then Leila chokes her on the 2nd rope. Leila suplexes Dia for 2. Leila grabs a headlock then Dia hits lariats. Dia hits a stiff chaos theory german on Leila. Dia brings down Dia's neck over the top rope and hits a side effect for 2.

Dia germans Leila then dropkicks her against the ropes. Leila gets her feet on the ropes then Dia hits a twisting neckbreaker and wins it.

It wasn't anything special as expected but Leila didn't embarrass herself or anything.  I didn't think the announcers did a good job pushing their storyline.

Claudio Castagnoli is interviewed. CC said no one has challenged him for the title and it seems like nobody wants to step up. Chuck Taylor comes in, tells him he doesn't like him and beat him before and is ready to challenge him. Chuck says he is sorry to interrupt. CC breathes out, says Chuck is not his buddy. He said people like him call him sir and said if he wants a shot, it'll be a proving ground match without the time limit.

He says Chuck will have to beat him if he wants a shot.

Lucha Bros, El Hijo del Vikingo and Komander vs The Workhorsemen, Shane Taylor and Gringo Loco

Penta piefaces Loco with his taunt and Loco pushes him. Loco grabs his hand to stop him from doing it again then Fenix superkicks him. Everyone comes in and gets a move in then Penta hits a made in japan on Loco for 2. Fenix goes up top and Loco throws Penta into him. Shane headbutts Fenix then Loco gorilla press drops Fenix. Shane splashes Fenix. Fenix superkicks Shane then Shane hits a nice lariat on Komander.

Komander takes corner attacks then a sitout reverse sitout slam and a shining wizard. Loco double jump moonsaults Komander for 2. Komander hits kicks on JD then is hit and dropped. Komander back enzugiri's JD then Vik springboard dropkicks JD. Loco pops up Vik, he then lands on his shoulders and headscissors him. Komander hits kicks on Shane then JD takes double kicks from the Lucha Bros. Penta rolls Fenix onto JD.

JD and Penta lariat each other at the same time. Fenix and Henry chop each other then hockey fight. Henry enzugiri's and PK's Fenix then does a cross legged brainbuster. Shane goes over the top and Vik headscissors Loco. Vik goes up top then he moonsaults off the top while Komander runs the ropes and jumps off at the same time. The Lucha Bros hit double superkicks then Henry takes a double stomp + package piledriver combo. The lucha team wins.

This was a very fast paced match with a ton of action happening. The good thing about matches like this is that Vikingo and Komander are protected. I don't know why this was so short when it could have went double the time easily. I do feel bad for the Workhorsemen and Shane as they kind of got jobbed out here.

Samoa Joe does a promo. Joe said when Strong faces him, he always comes up short. Stokeley Hathaway then walks in. He told Joe to show him the same gratitude he shows Tony. Joe said he sees Stoke as someone who handles business and is the big boss. Joe hypes him up. He tells him he runs things but then says he runs him.

Big Bill and Lee Moriarty vs Karou and Tariq

Karou looks like a smaller Great Khali. Karou hits Bill then they trade back clubs. Bill hits a big boot then tkes a big lariat from Tariq. Tariq hits chops and punches on Bill then takes a black hole slam. Lee rolls up Tariq for 2. Lee lariats Tariq and pounds on him. Lee takes a hurricanrana and a big chop. Karou gets in and splashes Lee. Karou misses a corner charge and takes a back splash from Bill. Karou is lariated over the top. Lee enzugiri's Tariq then buckingham drop's him. Lee then wins it with a border city stretch.

It was a short squash but the jobbers looked decent out here and Bill looked good as usual.

ROH World Six-Man Titles - The Embassy (c) vs Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi and BUSHI

Bushi is shouldered over by Cage. Shingo and Cage trade shoulders then Hiromu tries to shoulder Cage but goes down. Cage takes double basement dropkicks. Cage slams Hiromu then Cage 2nd rope superplexes Hiromu. Kaun sideslams Hiromu on the top tope and Toa sentons Hiromu on the apron.

Hiromu comes off the 2nd rope, gets caught and tornado ddt's Toa. Shingo strike combos Kaun and Shingo double lariats Kaun and Cage then does a flatiner + ddt combo on them at the same time. Shingo suplexes Kaun for 2. Kaun and Shingo trade forearms then Kaun backcrackers him. Shingo ddt's Kaun then Bushi top rope dropkicks Kaun.

Toa tries to splash Bushi but gets the post instead. Kaun takes corner lariats then a lariat to the back of the head and a spinning neckbreaker for 2. Kaun hits a nice lariat on Bushi then Cage double lariats Shingo and Hiromu. Cage has control of Shino and Hiromu at the same time and slams + powerbombs both down. Bushi mists Cage outside then Bushi takes a double shoulder. Bushi then takes a double pendulum drop on his face and is pinned.

It was very fast paced and action packed. I thought it was decent but I would have liked it to slow down and I would have liked to have seen this go longer.

Cobb, Fletcher and TJP are interviewed. Kyle said it's all about opening the forbidden door this week. Cobb says it doesn't matter what pairing of the UE you get, the United Empire runs the world.

El Desperado vs Willie Mack

Despy running back elbows Mack. Mack does a nice leapfrog then a leg lariat. Mack misses a punch but Despy sells it anyway. They trade chest slaps. Mack samoan drops him then kips up, dances and does a standing moonsault. Despy dropkicks Mack in the knee.

Despy splashes Mack's knee then does an indian deathlock on it. Mack hits punches on Despy then is kicked in the knee. Mack pop-up forearms Despy then sentons him in the corner. Mack misses a top rope splash then Despy tries to knee lock him but is rolled up. Despy kicks him in the knee then is forearmed.

Mack high kicks Despy then back body drops him. Despy hits an angels wings on Mack and wins it.

Despy worked the knee most of the match then the finish had nothing to do with the knee. I don't like that finish in a work the limb type of match. Mack's selling could have been better here as well.

Sho and Yujiro Takahashi vs Roppongi Vice (Trent Beretta and Rocky Romero)

The heels nail Trent and Rocky to start. They choke them in the corner then take double shotgun dropkicks. Trent picks up Rocky and runs Rocky's knee into Yujiro. Yujiro then takes a standing moonsault for 2. Trent plancha's Yujiro then Sho nails him on the floor.

Rocky is thrown into the rails outside. Sho back body drops Trent then Trent takes kicks to the head. Sho suplexes Trent. Trent tornado ddt's Yujiro. Rocky headscissors Sho then hits corner punches. Rocky hits ocnrer lariats on both guys then double lariats Yujiro and Sho. Sho takes a double stomp while hanging over the top rope then a knee.

Rocky is pushed off the top then Sho takes a half-nelson suplex from Trent. Yujiro brings ina cane and gets the shot blocked.  The ref takes the cane from Trent. Sho spears Trent then does a powerbomb lungblower for 2. Yujiro hits a 2nd rope fisherman buster on Trent then Rocky hits forearms on Sho.

Sho puts the ref in Rocky's way and high knees him. Sho takes a oduble jumping knee from his opponents then Rocky topes Sho. Yujiro takes a beach break + top rope double stomp combo and is pinned.

I wasn't a big fan of this. The heels just did basic heeling with lots of shenanigans.

Sho and Yujiro jump the faces after. Orange Cassidy comes out to make the save.

United Empire (Jeff Cobb, Kyle Fletcher and TJP) vs Christopher Daniels, Action Andretti and Darius Martin

TJP wristlock takeovers AA then AA bridges, flips and armlocks him. TJP rolls and cartwheels out of it then headscissors him from the mat. TJP headscissors AA but AA handsprings out. TJP then cartwheels out of AA's headscissors. AA dropkicks him. AA and Martin are pushed into each other then Kyle and Daniels get in.

Daniels backdrops Kyle then Kyle slams him. Daniels hiptosses TJP htne is pulled off the apron by Cobb and put into the post. Cobb standing moonsaults Daniels then passes him over to Kyle from the suplex position. TJP facewashes Daniels in the corner then Daniels exploders him. Martin 2nd rope tornado ddt's Kyle then bottom rope flatliners Cobb.

TJP backdrops Martin and AA hits spin kicks on TJP. AA handspring back elbows him then AA deadlift falcon arrows him. TJP tornado ddt's AA then AA takes a tour of the islands backdrop and a TJP frogsplash for 2. TJP takes a pendulum double rock bottom and the finish is botched with AA picking up the pin when he wasn't supposed to.

The match was okay but nothing too great. The finish was botched here as TJP was supposed to kick out but didn't. It was real fast paced and while they had some time, they didn't get as much out of it as they could have.

Jerry Lynn is with the Kingdom. Lynn tells Mike he loves Cracker Barrell but asks how he can hate ECW. Taven tells Lynn how much he loves ECW and says Stoke is jealous of him. Mike brings up that he retired Jerry Lynn while Taven protests behind his back. Lynn says he remembers it and said he remembers Maria having something to do with that. Lynn says they will get a tag match, but it will be a 6 person tag match. He says they will do the Infantry and Trish Adora vs Maria and The Kingdom. Maria and Taven then blame this on Mike and Mike ask if they are going to Cracker Barrell.

Proving Ground Match - Athena vs KC Spinelli

KC headlock takeovers Athena then shoulders her over. Athena trips KC then slingshot splashes her. KC backslides her as she does taunts then samoan drops her. KC dragon sleepers her but Athena clubs her multiple times. Athena hits a running shot on her then forearms her for the win.

This was a squash and wasn't anything special.

Athena goes up the ramp then runs down it after and nails KC. KC is sent into the steps then Athena running knees her against the steps. 

Proving Ground Match - Claudio Castagnoli vs Chuck Taylor

Chuck hits corner punches and throws him out. Chuck bangs his head off the steps then Chuck is whipped into the rails. Chuck takes a running euro on the floor. CC boots Chuck in the head and Chuck goes out. Chuck gets in and CC does it again. Chuck has his head banged off the table out there then is euro'd over the rail. They go into the seats and Chuck is ddt'd out there.

Trent Beretta and Rocky Romero come down. CC is hiptossed over the top to the floor then Chuck tope con hilos him. CC euros him in the corner then Chuck short piledrivers him for 2. CC pop-up euros Chck for 2. CC lariats him and hits a ricola bomb for the win.

It was just a match. We all knew Chuck wasn't winning here and Chuck isn't that great of a worker. CC was okay here and Chuck tried, but he shouldn't have been here.

Overall thoughts: It was a middle of the road episode. Some of the tags were okay but they didn't further a lot of storylines here and there was nothing must see. Like a lot of the ROH non-studio shows, it had people missing for no reason and the build for future eps wasn't as good. It was good on one hand to see the NJPW guys, but they won't be around for the next episode, which isn't of much help. Yujiro and TJP also both lost in their debuts here.