Ring of Honor on HonorClub 4/4/2024 Episode #58

Ring of Honor on HonorClub 4/4/2024 Episode #58

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/03/ring-of-honor-on-honorclub-3282024.html

Proving Ground Match - The Undisputed Kingdom (Mike Bennett and Matt Taven) vs The Infantry

Taven wristlocks Bravo then Bravo does it to him. Taven hammerlocks him then trips him. Bravo side headlocks him. Taven takes a double hiptoss into a double fist drop for 2. Dean armdrags Taven then armlocks him. Bravo double ax handles on Taven's arm. Bravo avoids a double team combo then cradles Mike but the ref doesn't see it.

Mike is tripped into a basement dropkick for 2. Mike and Dean trade chops then Dean slams him. Dean jumping elbow drops him for 2. Taven and Dean roll each other up then Taven takes a backbreaker + fist drop off the buckles combo for 2. Bravo jumping forearms Taven then Taven dropkicks him. Dean hits dropkicks on Kingdom then Infantry dropkick Kingdom together.

Kingdom get sent into the rails outside then Infantry tries stereo slingshot sunset flips. Dean is popped up into a Mike forearm. Dean is put in tree of woe and takes a baseball slide for 2. Dean step up enzugiri's Taven. Dean rolls up Taven in the corner then slingshot sunset flips him for 2. Dean wraparound ddt's Taven then goes for a tag, but Mike stops it. Mike death valley drivers Dean on the apron. Dean then kicks out of a pin attempt.

Dean takes a suplex and avoids a top rope frogsplash. Bravo is tagged in and hits gforearms on Mike. Bravo backdrops both opponents then fakeout crossover punches Mike. Bravo plancha's both opponents then rolls in to flatliner Mike. Mike spinebusters Dean then Taven asai moonsaults Dean for 2. The bell then rings as the 10 minute time limit expired.

Hey, we finally see a proving ground match go the full 10 minutes. It was good at first but I didn't like Bravo being able to survive the death valley driver on the apron. I thought the match could have been condensed a little better. A team winning a title shot by lasting 10 minutes isn't exactly the most exciting way for a team to win a title shot.

Bravo gets on the mic after and says they should have an ROH tag title match tomorrow at Supercard of Honor. Taven and Mike just walk away. 

Kyle Fletcher does a promo. He said he's defending his title against Lee Johnson. Lee then walks in and tells him to say what he has to say to his face. Kyle said he outlasted 5 men at Final Battle and said Lee was one of the people in it. He said he was the first man eliminated. Kyle asks him what makes him think things have changed. He said there is no chance Lee can take this from him.

Lee said Kyle's been busy with his family and hasn't been in ROH. Lee said he's been here week after week and is on a roll. He said he's crazy if he thinks he is looking at the same Big Shotty he saw last year. He said he will welcome him to The Shotty Show. Kyle said to take his hands off of him and said he doesn't have a chance. 

Anna Jay vs Nikita

They couldn't even fill up the first couple of camera rows with fans for this. Anna headlock takeovers her then shoulders her over. Anna side kicks her then is tripped into the 2nd buckle. Nik bangs Anna's head off the buckle.

Nik sits on her on the ropes then Anna suplexes her. Anna running forearms her then spinning heel kicks her in the corner. Anna hits a gori special drop and wins this quick squash.

There wasn't much to this and Nik won as expected. I would have been fine with letting this go longer but they opted not to here.

Dalton Castle has been looking for new Boys this week. Taya and Johnny TV try out and Jerry Lynn breaks it up, making a fight without honor match between them.

Dalton says Johnny TV has torched everything of his. He said he did this to hurt him. Dalton says he will rise from the ashes and says he will destroy "John TV".

We see Johnny TV walking around near a tv studio in LA. He said no place has broken more dreams than Los Angeles. He said he's the kind of guy ROH has always needed and says Dalton has never been TV ready. He said ROH would still be on TV if he was with them. Johnny said he will do things to Dalton that Dalton didn't think were possible. Johnny said he's been fighting without honor his entire career and says honor sucks.

It's a shame we didn't see more of the search for new Boys. That could have been entertaining.

Nick Comoroto vs Lee Johnson

The crowd is back for this one as the arena is now packed. Lee chops him in the corner then slides through his legs. Lee hits shots then sends Nick over the top. Nick skins the cat then is dropkicked out. Lee plancha's him then Nick running back elbows him in the ring. Jacoby Watts comes out on the ramp with his book.

Nick hits corner lariats and an uppercut. The crowd chants "shave your body" at Nick and Lee is sent hard into the buckles. Nick stands on Lee's face and throat. Nick elbow drops him for 2 then twists Lee's head.

Nick misses a corner charge then Lee step up enzugiri's him. Lee hits a big suplex on Nick and kips up. Nick lariats him and Lee rolls him up for 2. Lee superkicks him  and step up enzugiri's him in the corner. Lee hits punches on the buckles then Lee top rope splashes Nick's back. Lee then wins it.

It was an okay match. Not great but it made sense with the big man vs small man story and there was actually a crowd who was into it.

Griff Garrison and Cole Karter are interviewed. Griff says they need to keep being themselves. They said they are young, handsome, good looking dudes with all the potential in the world. Cole wants to know where Maria is. He said he sent her 36 messages and she didn't reply. Serpentico comes in. He says he wants his mask back and says he knows where she is. He says he will tell them if they sign and date this document right here. Serp said he has no idea where she is but says he will see them tomorrow. It turns out Cole signed a contract to fight Serp and Angelico tomorrow at ROH Zero Hour. Griff gets mad at him and Cole is disappointed.

I will not be covering the next match.

Nick Comoroto is interviewed. Jacoby Watts walks in. He says Nick looks great. He said he holds the key to unlocking his potential. He said he's a catalyst for his transformation and says there will be a rebirth. He said only his wisdom can emerge him from the abyss. He asks him if he will join him on this journey towards transformation. Nick shakes his hand and seems to agree. Watts did a good job here and was believable in his character. He seems like he has found something. I'm just concerned that it is too similar to what Vincent and Dutch are doing.

Evil Uno vs London Lightning

They shake hands and the crowd is half-full now. LL is backed up in the corner and shoves Uno off. Uno grabs him by the hair and ref yells at him about it. LL slaps him then Uno shoulders him over. Uno slaps him and boots him in the corner. Uno foot chokes him then corner splashes him. Uno lariats him.

LL trips him then rolls him into a suplex. LL stomps him in the corner then Uno back body drops him. LL slides out and Uno chases him around the ring. LL elbows him over for 2. Uno seems to hulk up after chops and gyrates at him. Uno chops him and hits forearms.

Uno throws him around. Uno gives the ref LL's leg then neckbreakers him. LL spinebusters him and has his sharpshooter blocked. LL dropkicks him then takes a running face kick. Uno top rope swantons him then hits ataxia for the win.

This didn't work. Uno wasn't sure whether he was a face or heel here and the crowd just wanted to cheer him. It would have been much better with someone like Tony Nese who everyone knows is a heel. They also really stuck to super basic holds here.

We see The Premier Athletes training in a video.

Lexi Nair and Billie Starks are in the right for a contract signing. They talk about Athena vs Shida and Billie vs Queen Aminata. Billie asks if she wins her match and Athena loses her, does it make her the new minion overlord? Athena then comes out.

Billie apologizes. Lexi says Shida has beaten Athena and asks what her strategy is. Athena asks what she is doing here and who she is talking to. Athena says not to tell her what to do. She said she's not afraid of Shida and says who cares what she did in the past. Athena then tells Lexi to do her job and get Shida out there.

Hikaru Shida comes out. She said she didn't come alone and brings out Queen Aminata with her. Queen tells Billie, they went through hell to get here and will make history at Supercard of Honor. She said she hopes she's ready to fight for her life. Billie said she's ready to crush Queen's dreams and become the first ever ROH Women's TV champ. Athena said it's about her and enough about that. Athena said let's get this over with so she can go to the mall.

Shida said she heard Athena say she isn't afraid of her. Shida said she can't fool her. She said Athena is losing and said she's in Athena's head. She said Athena sees Shida beating her when she closes her eyes. Athena slaps her and Shida swings a kendo stick at her. Billie gets hit with it. Athena flips at table at her and pounds on her. Billie throws Queen out. Billie stomps on Shida.

A table is set up in the corner. Queen headbutts Bille then Shida flying knees Athena into the table. The table doesn't break then Athena is suplexed into the table.

Well, it was nice to see something happen for a change and Shida has made some improvements with her English as she is now somewhat able to do these types of segments.

Lexi Nair sit down interviews Mark Briscoe and Eddie Kingston. Mark says it's been 11 years since his brother won the ROH title. He said his brother is looking down on him and said nothing means more to him than to win the title and make him proud. Eddie is asked about what it means to him. Eddie said he just took a loss and old Eddie would look for a bottle to drown himself in. Eddie said Mark deserves him at 100% who will bring the fight to him and man up.

Eddie said there would be no ROH without people like Jay Briscoe, Xavier and Low-Ki. He said he's proud to be the ROH champ and said he wanted to be in ROH. He said they are bringing it back to what ROH is about which is respect. Eddie said half the wrestlers today wouldn't survive Philly. Eddie said he can't lose to him and won't lose to him. He said he loves him and won't lose. He said he will be in his face and man up. He said he hopes his brother is looking down form heaven smiling after. He said ROH is pro wrestling and they are pro wrestling. He says he loves him but he won't and can't lose.

They then shake hands. 

Matt Sydal, Christopher Daniels and Jack Cartwheel vs Top Flight and Action Andretti

Jack wristlocks Dante. Dante rolls out then wristlocks him. Jack cartwheels out and side headlocks him. Jack does a cartwheel and armdrags him. Dante flips out of a legsweep and Jack cartwheels out of one. They shake hands and both tag out.

Matt and Darius go at it. Matt side headlock takeovers him. Darius blocks an armdrag and backslides him. Matt is rolled up for 2. Matt rolls him up then jumping spin kicks him. Matt chest kicks Darius, CD hits an STO then Matt standing corkscrew moonsaults Darius.

CD suplexes Darius then side headlocks him. CD is tripped into a ddt from Darius. AA hits shots on CD then standing moonsaults him for 2. CD takes a low dropkick and splash combo. AA slams him for 2 then side headlocks him. AA chinlocks CD.

AA superkicks CD and CD gets his knees up on AA's springboard. CD death valley drivers AA. Matt gets in and beats up Top Flight. He hurricanrana's Darius and kicks both. Matt hits an air raid crash on Dante for 2. Dante sunset flips Matt for 2.

AA hits back elbows on Jack. AA headscissors him but Jack hits a cartwheel out of it. Jack superkicks out of it then does a cartwheel slam. AA handspring double back elbows Matt and Jack. AA then does a ddt on Jack for 2. CD flatliners AA.

Darius tornado ddt's CD off of Dante. Darius plants and pele kicks Matt. AA tope con hilos outside. Jack uses the ropes and enzugiri's Dante. Dante flips over Jack then superkicks him. Jack takes a flatliner off the bottom rope and AA springboard 450's Jack for the win.

It was what you would expect with more indy offense, lots of flips and a fast pace. They didn't overdo it though so it worked for what it was.

Overall thoughts: The opener started off well and got worse as it went on. Comoroto vs Johnson was fine and Jacoby Watts may have found a new gimmick that works. Uno and London didn't have a good one. The contract signing segment was fine and the main was okay. It wasn't a great show but at least some of the champs were on it and at least there was some build to Supercard of Honor. I think it was a much better attempt than the usual offerings and I hope we get more of these types of shows and less of the shows with random squashes and short matches.