Last Week: ROH World Television champion Samoa Joe & Board of Directors member Stokely Hathaway teamed for the first time to overcome The Boys before ROH Women’s World champion Athena recruited Billie Starkz as her latest minion in their quest to beat up The Renegades.
ROH on HonorClub Episode 26
Nashville, TN
August 24, 2023
Dalton Castle & The Boys vs. The Dark Order
A pose down between Dalton Castle and John Silver resulted in the latter demanding a Boy. Boy Brandon got the tag after the fans requested, “Give him a Boy!” Using the ropes after feeling the power of a waist lock, Brandon got sent into the ropes like a javelin topped by Silver’s flying forearm smash. Using a jawbreaker to distance himself from Silver, Brandon tagged out so he and his brother could double team an incoming Alex Reynolds by pulling off a straightjacket takedown. Evil Uno grabbed a running Brent as Silver distracted the referee; setting up Reynolds own forearm smash.
A small portion of the crowd was chanting in favor of Evil Uno as he led the charge in abusing Brent. As the fans wanted Boy Brent to be saved, Silver used a snap German suplex to set up Uno’s delayed vertical suplex. A triple team onslaught from The Dark Order led to a simple rear chin lock by Reynolds; with the fans trying to rally the Boy to his feet. When Uno became the legal man again, Brent back flipped out of a suplex attempt to tag out to a fired-up Dalton. Showing off his suplex skills was Castle as he was using that “Peacock” power to toss everyone coming his way. Clearing the ring, Castle grabbed his allies to toss them out of the ring atop all three opponents.
Disappointed was the crowd for Castle not getting a three count off the standing body splash. Calling for Brent to climb the ropes, Castle found himself getting taken to the floor by Reynolds for a double stomp by both Alex and Silver. Uno took an ace crusher from Brandon before The Boys went to dive on their opponents at ringside. Instead, The Boys ran into forearms from Reynolds & Silver. Brent was left alone and prone to the Portal of Darkness triple team inverted T-Gimmick that put Brent’s lights out for those precious three seconds.
Winner: The Dark Order
Match Review: A good opener that had the pro-Dark Order fans embrace Dalton Castle’s antics alongside The Boys. The problem was the ending with The Dark Order going over clean. There was no Stu Grayson arriving to encourage Evil Uno & crew’s new blood lust like he has in the previous weeks. Stokely Hathaway or even Samoa Joe didn’t intervene to further push the rivalry between Joe and Castle over the TV title. One of ROH’s most popular acts & former two-time Six-Man Tag Team champions fell to a villainous team that should be, but so far won’t be challenging for that aforementioned championship.
– In the interview zone, Athena presented Billie Starkz and interviewer Lexy Nair with homemade tank tops. While Nair was declared Athena’s bestie, Starkz had her official minion number. Athena was happy to now agree with Starkz that they need to finish their issues with The Renegades tonight.
Kiera Hogan vs. Lady Frost
A quick exchange of pinning combinations and failed kicks ended with Lady Frost knocking her opponent out of the ring. Kiera Hogan used a leg trip to send Frost face-first against the ring’s edge; following up with a missile dropkick in the ring. Big neck breaker into the super kick by Hogan gave her a two count. Before Frost could even recover, Hogan caught her with the three-handled family credenza (a swinging fisherman’s suplex) to pin Lady in fast fashion.
Winner: Kiera Hogan
Match Review: Hogan picked up a shockingly quick win against someone who seemed poised to be on the rise after overcoming Trish Adora last week. Similar to the opening match, some questionable decision making at least in regards to the short-term handling of wins & losses alongside needed momentum to get fans into a certain wrestler’s journey to top contender status.
Matt Sydal vs. Serpentico
The early minutes were all Matt Sydal as he kicked and moonsaulted Serpentico across the ring until they ended up in the corner. Using his boots to knock Sydal backward, Serpentico came flying out of the corner to drill the former Tag Team champion with a flatliner. Serpentico was on fire, roundhouse kicking Sydal into a DDT. Missing the flying double stomp, the masked man ended up taking a spinning back kick to both the jaw and stomach. Spinning heel kick connected for Sydal; resulting in a failed pin attempt that turned into an exchange of pinning combinations until Serpentico got to the ropes. Frankensteiner connected for Sydal, ending this one after that Incinerator/inverted Olympic slam with the pin fall.
Winner: Matt Sydal
Match Review: Another sprint of a bout with a game Serpentico having a comeback that got the fans into the idea of him actually winning a bout before the inevitable. The question of what Sydal’s goals are is still there as one minute he’s teaming with Christopher Daniels in hopes of becoming a Tag champion again, the next he’s in singles matches potentially working his way to another TV title shot.
– Lexy Nair wanted to know if Stokely Hathaway understands that no one respects him before leaving him with the microphone to interview himself. Hathaway was ready to take Lexy out to TGIFridays, but he’ll be eating by himself the.
Leyla Hirsch vs. Leila Gray
As expected, Leila Gray found herself taken down with ease. Gray refused to be taken advantage of, arm dragging Hirsch until Leyla could get behind her for a German suplex. Maria Kanellis-Bennett arrived at the top of the entrance to watch as Hirsch kept her waist lock tight. Gray attempted to rally the fans behind her, but got no response. Gray had to muster up her own energy to begin a comeback onslaught that saw her clothesline Hirsch in position for a Death Valley driver. Hirsch stopped a pin fall; right Angle Slamming Gray into the arm bar for a submission victory.
Winner: Leyla Hirsch
Match Review: Unlike her match with Rachel Ellering last week, this was in no way a competitive, back & forth encounter with Hirsch dominating yet again. The saddest part had to be the deadest crowd seen sitting on their hands, not responding to a thing either grappler was doing.
– The ROH World Six-Man Tag Team champions were in the interview zone where Prince Nana insulted their opponents for next week in the form of Lee Johnson, Action Andretti & Darius Martin. The microphone moved around from Kaun to Brian Cage where both promising to annihilate the opposition next week on their journey to Pound Town.
Brandon Coulter w/ Colt Cabana vs. Blake Christian
The pace quickened after a shoulder block exchange resulted in Brandon Cutler got spiked on his head with a head scissors. Colt Cabana was filming as Cutler rolled onto the apron. Blake Christian avoided whatever Cutler had in mind, knocking Brandon to the floor for a Fosbury flop takedown. Christian had the springboard 450 splash in mind in the ring, only for Brandon to move. When Blake got up, Cutler executed the Michinoku driver to set up some dancing elbow drops. Following a failed pin attempt, Brandon used the airplane spin … that made him dizzier than his opponent; leading to a double down.
Cutler failed to follow Christian’s lead by pulling off a kip up, but did use a possum kick to stagger Blake. Christian recovered, getting underneath Cutler for a rolling DVD into the thrust kick on his seated opponent.
Ducking a buzzsaw kick, Cutler used the pumphandle slam to get his moment for a shirt rip. Using Cabana’s Superman press, Cutler failed to pin his opponent as Colt questioned how his finisher didn’t work. Christian stopped a top rope attack, knocking Cutler in position for a handspring back kick into the low 619. Cutler was prone for the springboard 450 and the pin fall.
Winner: Blake Christian
Match Review: This match got the most time than anything seen thus far beyond the opener and actually got the fans into the action mostly thanks to Cutler’s antics. Christian winning was the obvious outcome, but at least the fans enjoyed the journey until the end.
– Once again, Tony Nese & Mark Sterling were in the interview zone to question why Jerry Lynn went back on his word of allowing Nese to focus on group training. Calling in a staff member, Nese insulted the lad for drinking a soda. Nese stated he’ll continue his quest to help the fans get better health and no one will stop him from doing so.
ROH Women’s World champion Athena & Billie Starkz vs. The Renegades
Trying to get a cheap shot off the Code of Honor didn’t pan out well for The Renegades as they were knocked to the floor for double dives with Athena diving onto her partner when Billie got caught by The Renegades at ringside. Athena wanted Billie to throw Robyn Renegade into something, so Starkz pitched her into the ring; much to the chagrin of the champ. Roundhouse kick stunned Robyn, only for her to counter a suplex so she could tag out to her sister. Charlette tripped Starkz in the ropes, setting up a double team suplex.
The Renegades had cut off the ring with Robyn pulling off a Boss Man Slam off Charlette’s whip out of the corner. Ducking a big right hand, Billie responded in kind; only for Charlette to shoulder rush Starkz into the corner behind her. Elbowing her way out of a shoulder-based attack, Billie fell into a tag; leading things breaking down after Athena power bombed Starkz atop both opponents. Bodies ended up at ringside until Billie ran into a double team kick-DVD. Athena reentered the ring, taking a double team choke slam … for a near fall!
Charlette found herself getting decked by Billie as Athena used that rolling forearm to knockout Robyn. Instead of going for the pin, Athena demanded Starkz watch as she pulled off the O-Face. Starkz tagged herself in as Athena jumped; angering the champ. Athena’s attention went to an entering Charlette, spearing her as Starkz pinned Robyn.
Athena wasn’t happy about the way this match ended, dragging Charlette back to the ring so Starkz could learn from the master and do a post-match beat down. Robyn saved her sister from getting her face bashed in against the title belt; once again angering Athena to the point she started verbally abusing her minion.
Winners: Athena & Billie Starkz
Match Review: The match itself was fine with them getting a good portion of time to build to the finish highlighting the fact Billie is a go-getter ready to win while Athena is having fun abusing opponents and trying her best to bring the bad out of everyone she encounters from Diamante (which is a story, sadly, didn’t play out on ROH programming when its origins formed a few episodes ago) to, now & potentially, Billie Starkz. Hopefully they let this story blossom and not rush everything to the assumed break-up and eventual title fight.
– Ryan Nemeth was in the ring to demand if anyone had a problem “The Hunk” they could face him right now even if they were a World champion. And a World champion he got – the ROH World champion Claudio Castagnoli in an impromptu Proving Ground match.
Proving Ground Match: ROH World champion Claudio Castagnoli vs. Ryan Nemeth
After Ryan Nemeth tried mock Claudio Castagnoli for trying to touch “The Hunk”, the World champ tripped him into the Big Swing. The champ hadn’t removed his shirt or the title belt after doing near three dozen revolutions. Nemeth stumbled to his feet, right into the European uppercut for the pin fall.
Claudio warned everyone watching that even though he may not be seen, it doesn’t mean he isn’t around & watching.
Winner: Claudio Castagnoli
Match Review: After far too long we are finally gifted a Claudio Castagnoli match on ROH programming. Sadly, it wasn’t a match, but an execution. Hopefully after the next few weeks when the dust settles following “All In” and “All Out”, they’ll start building either some title challengers or a title match for the champ.
– Thanks to his victory over Tony Nese last week, Metalik gets a shot at the NJPW World Television Championship next week.
NJPW World Television Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Christopher Daniels
The early goings were rooted in mat-based grappling with the champ focusing on “The Fallen Angel’s” left arm. Failing to use a running arm breaker, Zack Sabre Jr. got his head caught in a cravat topped by a twisting neck wringer. Daniels was working over the champion’s neck, looking for neck breaker after neck breaker until ZSJ countered one into a divorce court. Countering another arm attack with a Saito suplex, Christoper Daniels began a comeback while staying focused on attacking his opponent’s neck. Getting tripped into an arm stomp, Daniels found himself trying to get his feet underneath him in hopes of stopping ZSJ’s assault on his left upper limb.
Blocking the cross arm bar, Daniels snatched the champ in the Koji clutch. Fading, the champ tried to cradle Daniels. Kicking out of the pinning combination, Daniels folded up Sabre Jr. for a two count of his own. Sweeping Daniels while blocking the Angel’s Wings, the champ cinched in a double Fujiwara arm bar that forced the challenger to submit verbally. Next week it’ll be ZSJ defending against Metalik.
Winner: Zack Sabre Jr.
Match Review: A solid main event that felt like a compressed version of a twenty-plus minute great. Like so many matches on this episode, the outcome wasn’t out of the question. Next week’s TV title match should be an interesting clash of styles.
Overall Review: First off – RIP to Terry Funk and Windham “Bray Wyatt” Rotunda. Prayers of comfort for their families right now.
With AEW heading into this biggest week of its existence thus far, there was an obvious thought process as to making ROH programming this week just as special. On the positive side of things, this episode was a breeze to watch clocking in under ninety minutes. The opening and women’s tag team bouts got the most time to deliver some good action; with Christian-Cutler and the main event being solid outings as well while clocking close to and a little over ten minutes respectively; the finale being a shorter version of what seemed like a classic encounter on paper.
The episode’s remainder either featured shockingly short encounters, fun interviews & video packages to set up some matches for next week’s episode, and even promo packages building up AEW’s “All In”. For all the episode’s positives – short run time, decent to very good in-ring action, some entertaining interviews – there was nothing must-see about this episode other than the odd couple, unwanted mentor-protégé relationship between Athena and Billie Starkz.
There were several questionable decisions regarding some wins and losses including The Dark Order besting Dalton Castle & The Boys clean (no intervening from Stu Grayson to encourage The Dark Order’s hatefulness or Samoa Joe and/or Stokely Hathaway antagonizing Castle), Lady Frost essentially getting squashed only a week after overcoming Trish Adora to stop Adora’s short winning streak, and Leyla Hirsch having a downgrade in competition compared to last week. But the episode’s biggest flaw had to be the crowd as they were pretty lifeless for a majority of the show when it didn’t involve wrestlers who appear on AEW programming a majority of the time like Claudio, The Dark Order and even Cutler.
While there’s nothing inherently bad or disrespectful about this episode, it’s not one to set the world on fire with the minds behind the product being focused on delivering greatness elsewhere for the short-time being.
