Ring of Honor on HonorClub 9/21/2023 Episode #30

Ring of Honor on HonorClub 9/21/2023 Episode #30

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2023/09/ring-of-honor-on-honorclub-9142023.html

Eddie Kingston says he is pain. He says he doesn't like Claudio as a human being and said he was a great champ. He said he shook his hand which shows he has grown up. He says he is proud and happy. He says it will be hard to defend two titles and dedicates the ROH title win to Xavier. Eddie said he wants to go see his parents now.

ROH Pure Title - Katsuyori Shibata (c) vs Nick Wayne

Nick earned this shot by never having an ROH match. Shibata gets his back and goes for a keylock. Shibata stomps his arm and catches his kick, turning it into an ankle lock. Nick slides out holding his leg and then throws Shibata into the rails. Shibata facekiks him and throws him into the rails. Shibata facekicks him on the rails.

Shibata chops him and hits various kicks. Shibata running facekicks him then Nick flying euros him. Nick shotgun dropkicks him then hits corner forearms. Nick then does Shibata's delayed dropkick to him. Shibata hits corner forearms then euros him. Shibata then does a delayed dropkick.

Shibata puts him in a cobra twist. Nick uses his last ropebreak and superkicks him in the gut. They botch a move but it ends up being a cravate neckbreaker. Nick high kicks and superkicks him then tries to back springboard. Shibata sleepers him then wins it with a PK.

It was your usual Shibata match with few thrills. 

Lee Johnson is interviewed then Shane Taylor and Lee Moriarty come in. Moriarty said he hopes there are no bad feelings from last week and said they should leave the past in the past. He offers him a handshake and Johnson refuses it. Shane says he could get knocked out like he did last week and Lexi says this should get settled in the ring.

Diamante vs Catie Brite

Dia got some major implants it seems. Dia forearms her off the handshake then clubs her chest. Brite's head is banged off the buckles. Dia tries to do machine gun chops but Brite sells it too much. Dia misses a corner charge and is rolled up. Dia shotgun dropkicks her then hits a cross rhodes to win.

This was just a squash.

The Infantry, Trish Adora and Willie Mack are interviewed. Bravo asks if the Infantry have become one of the best teams in ROH, then asks if adding Mack made them even better. Mack says they are making history as its Infantry's first title match. Mack says they will do that d@mn thing tonight and Bravo says to have no fear as your future six man tag champions are here.

Lee Johnson vs Lee Moriarty

LJ = Lee Johnson, LM = Lee Moriarty

LJ grabs a wristlock and LM reverses it, banging his arm over his shoulder. LM back elbows him in the corner, teases a chop but just foot stomps him. LJ dropkicks him and LM rolls out. They each hit chops and LM knees him in the gut. LM underhook suplexes him and LJ rolls him up.

They lariat each other. LJ hits lariats and a neckbreaker. LJ blue thunder bombs him then LM corner stomps him. LJ superkicks him then top rope frogsplashes him for 2. LM leg lariats him and wins it.

It was short match and ended before these two really got going. It was pretty dry and not that interesting as expected.

 

We go to minion training with Athena, Lexi and Billie Starkz. They have to run up stairs, practice their cheering/booing and shine things. Athena tells Billie, "anger, sadness" and she tries to scare the Renegade Twins, who aren't wearing make-up. Billie is forced to chew Lexi's gum and Billie and Lexi boo Willow. Athena says Lexi is now known as Minion Bestie and has graduated MIT (Minion in Training). She tells Billie that she still sucks. This was a fun segment.

Trish Adora vs Mercedes Martinez

MM = Mercedes Martinez

MM grabs her by the hair to keep a headlock on then headlock takeovers her. Trish shoulders her over then drops her with a forearm. Trish corner splashes her then MM spinebusters her. MM spinning forearms her then bridging twisting neckbreakers her for 2.

Trish germans her from her knees then pump kicks her. MM half-nelson suplexes her then hits a running knee. MM forearms her in the back of the neck then does a surfboard + dragon sleeper combo to win.

It was alright. We had a few highlights here and there weren't any botches.

ROH Women's Title - Athena (c) vs Angelina Love

Love earned this shot by never competing in this version of ROH. I don't know why they have Love here and not on TV where maybe it will draw a few extra viewers. Billie tries to mock Athena's entrance is yelled at by her, then they yell at the security guard together.

They lock up and Love pulls her face into the buckles. Athena armdrags her then Love armdrags her. Athena armdrags her, kips up then is hit from behind. Love dances then takes a meteora for 2. Love grabs Billie outside and pushes her into Athena. Love then grabs Athena's hair and pulls her down.

Love bangs Athena's head off the mat and is rolled up. Love side slams Athena for 2. Love chinlocks her and Athena bites the arm to armdrag her. Athena hits some shots and spin kicks her in the gut. Athena then step up enzugiri's her. Athena forward cartwheels into forearm then is crotched up top. Love hits a nice pump kick for 2. Athena twisting drops her from her shoulder into a codebreaker and wins it.

I thought they could have made more of the Billie Starks stuff but this was a passable match. Nothing great about it but they didn't have any botches and it was tolerable. 

Maria, Griff Garrison and Cole Karter are interviewed. maria asks Griff if he is ready. Griff says this is a trial and error thing tonight. He says he felt like he lost a step and maybe this is a good opportunity. He says he is ready. Maria says they'll see him out there then Cole says the same thing.

Leyla Hirsch and The Renegades vs Willow Nightingale, Skye Blue and Kiera Hogan

Hogan takes a knee from Robyn then headscissors her out of the corner. She then hits a shotgun dropkick. Hogan running hip attacks her and hits a sliding kick in the corner. Robyn takes hip attacks on the ropes then Skye superkicks her for 2. Robyn forearms her then Skye takes a double suplex for 2.

Maria comes out to watch on the ramp. Skye takes a spinebuster then takes corner moves. Leyla germans Skye then rolls her into an armbar. Skye does her low sweeping kick on Leyla. Willow gets in and hits lariats. Willow hits a double suplex on both twins for 2.

4 girls get in then Skye takes an over the back throw. Hogan neckbreakers a twin then Willow uranage's another twin. Willow pounces Leyla then a twin takes a superkick into a death valley driver. Skye hits a code blue on Charlotte and wins it.

It was okay. We only had one real botch here. It wasn't great but it worked for a midcard match. I don't get the logic of having people lose while Maria is out there scouting them though. It makes everyone look foolish.

Serpentico, Sterling, Nese and Angelico are interiewed. Sterling said he's always looking out for new wrestlers to join his brand. Sterling said Nese is offering free workouts if they win. Nese said they don't look the part, but he can work on it. He tells them to do what he says and follow him, then they will win. Nese then says not to come out there until he says so. Angelico says his vibe is way off, then Lexi and Serp say something in spanish.

Ethan Page vs VSK

Page back elbows him then VSK eye rakes him and slaps him. Page powerslams him then VSK dropkicks him. Page shoulders him over then does a leg and arm drop. Page cutters him off the bottom rope and wins it.

This was just a short squash.

Tony Nese, Angelico and Serpentico vs El Hijo del Vikingo, Metalik and Gravity

Ange = Angelico, Serp = Serpentico, Vik = El Hijo de Vikingo, Metal = Metalik, Grav = Gravity

Tony Nese tries to do group training and it gets cut short like usual. Metal and Serp go at it. Metal is flipped backwards then does a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Grav is flipped into an armdrag and Ange moves out when he thinks of doing a tope on him.

Vik and Nese get in. Vik spinning high kicks him then enzugiri's him. Vik top rope dropkicks him then walks up the ropes and blind tornillo's him. Metal and Grav then do stereo tope con hilos. Mark trips Metal from the outside then Nese baseball slides him.

Ange ties up Metal's arms and Metal ropebreaks. Grav does a weak sunset bomb on Ange off the buckles then Grav clotheslines all of his opponents. Grav powerslams Ange then then standing moonsaults him for 2. Nese is back body dropped over the top then Ange upkicks Grav.

Metal suplexes Ange then sitout powerbombs Serp. Nese tries to rip Grav's mask and Serp tries to stop him. Serp and Ange then get off the apron and leave Nese. Grav superkicks Nese then Metal takes two steps on the top rope and swantons Nese for the win.

Serpentico was turned face a while back against Nese and they forgot about it or didn't make it clear. They made it more clear here. We got a couple dives out of this but it wasn't anyone's best work. Grav like usual didn't look that great.

Ethan Page is interviewed. He said the wins have felt different lately and talked about fighting for the AEW title on Collision. He said it didn't go his way, but it let him touch the gold and feel the pressure of being in the marquee match. He said ROH is the place for competition and he needs to be competitive.

Lexi asks if he has his groove back and he says sure.

Cole Karter and Griff Garrison vs Action Andretti and Darius Martin

AA = Action Andretti

Cole and Darius go at it. Cole is armdragged. Griff and AA go at it. Griff takes a superkick into a double stomp then AA and Darius hit a double suplex and double dropkick. Maria tries to grav Darius' leg but can't then Griff facekicks Darius. Cole suplexes Darius then Cole dropkicks Darius. Cole is sent over the top and to the floor and takes a bad bump off of it.

AA gets in and hits forearms. AA hits a handspring double back elbow on his opponents then dropkicks Griff into a german. Cole tries to cheat by using his feet on the ropes and Griff stops him. Griff says we don't cheat and we play by the rules. AA tope con hilos Griff then Darius suplexes Cole. AA springboard 450's Darius and wins it.

It was short and okay for what it was. I liked that they pushed the Griff/Cole/Maria thing a little here and Darius/Action looked fine like usual.

Griff shakes hands with his opponents after and Cole gives them the up yours gesture.

ROH World Six Man Tag Team Titles - The Mogul Embassy (c) vs The Infantry and Willie Mack

Kaun and Dean go at it. Kaun shoulders Dean over and back elbows him. Kaun misses a senton and Dean dropkicks him. The Infantry hit a double hiptoss on Kaun then wishbone him. Bravo and Toa go at it. Bravo hits punches then is grabbed and thrown into the corner. Bravo does his fakeout crossover punch then is lariated. Bravo is put on the ropes and knee'd.

Kaun slingshot sentons Bravo then germans him. Kaun backdrops Bravo for 2. Cage hits a lariat flurry on Bravo in the corner. Bravo backcrackers Cage then misses an enzugiri. Bravo flips out of a suplex and Mack gets in, hitting a slingblade russian legsweep.

Mack spinning heel kicks Cage and slams him. Mack nails Kaun then running facekicks him. Mack goes up top and is caught. Cage does a nice deadlift 2nd rope suplex on Mack. Bravo spinning forearms Cage then does a bladerunner style ddt on Kaun. Bravo ducks Toa as he runs at him.

Toa takes superkicks then a double superkick. Toa is then stunnered by Mack. The Infantry double suplex Toa. Bravo hits a nice neckbreaker on Kaun then is lariated. Mack top rope frogsplashes Cage for 2. Kaun hits an air raid crash n Mack then Toa pounces Dean. Mack takes an open the gates double slam on his chest and is pinned.

It wasn't a bad trios match at all with everyone getting a little shine in. It was something of what you'd want and expect, but it could have used more time.

Overall thoughts: It was a decent show overall, but the Embassy lost the trios titles right after this one, destroying their run. I didn't like the Maria stuff as she and her prospects look stupid when they are being scouted and lose.  The Athena/Billie/Lexi skits were fun and I hope we get some more of those.