Last Week: Angelico and The Gates of Agony continued their respective marches toward the ROH World and Tag Team Championship while Tony Nese broke Ethan Page’s winning streak and the war between Athena & Billie Starkz and Mercedes Martinez & Diamante raged on.
ROH on HonorClub Episode 35
Memphis, TN
October 26, 2023
– A video package recapping how Eddie Kingston confronted Angelico about defending the ROH World title against him. Angelico declared Eddie should be ashamed of himself for holding onto a submission after the bell when he fought Angelico several weeks ago; injuring Serpentico’s left arm. Re-centering himself after getting angry over the fact Eddie hurt his serpent buddy, Angelico looked forward to facing Kingston for the ROH World title. When? Never mentioned.
Metalik vs. Angelico w/ Serpentico
A quick exchange with the opponents looking for an advantage by controlling the other’s left arm or head. The pace quickened with Metalik using the head scissors to set up a running attack that Angelico stopped by sending him over the top rope. Before Angelico could do anything to take advantage of the situation, Metalik used the enzuguri to set up a flying cross body off the top. Sadly for Metalik, his subsequent springboard attack saw him get dropkicked out of midair.
Flipping out of suplex, Metalik used the ropes to walk his way into a head scissors that catapulted Angelico to the floor for another dive. Springboard splash in the ring gave Metalik a two count. Using the leg sweep as a diversion to make the masked man jump, Angelico caught Metalik’s legs as they came down in that modified deathlock for the submission victory.
Winner: Angelico
Match Review: Similar to last week’s opener featuring Angelico, this was a nice encounter that had a profound positive and negative aspect. On the positive side, Angelico gets another win to enforce him as a threat to Kingston and becoming the ROH World champion. Negatively, though, the match could’ve been truly memorable if it had more than a little over five minutes to exist.
– Kyle Fletcher was in the interview zone with Lexy Nair. Though he’s fallen short in his recent AEW matches, Fletcher feels he’s on the verge of becoming the wrestler he knows he can be: a wrestler that can beat the best like Kenny Omega and other grapplers not associated with ROH.
The Infantry w/ Trish Adora vs. The Hughes Brothers
The sons of D-Von Dudley took the fight to The Infantry immediately with Terrell sending Carlie Bravo into his brother Terrance’s overhead suplex. Leaping over an incoming Terrance, Carlie knocked both down before tagging out to Shawn Dean for a cross body block. Terrance was stuck in the ring alone for Boot Camp. Carlie made the cover for some quick work.
Winners: The Infantry
Match Review: Another bout that got nowhere near enough time. It’s great to see The Infantry winning again, but it would’ve been nicer if it came after a competitive match that went longer than ninety seconds.
– Maria Kanellis-Bennett had Lexy Nair ask her in the interview zone about what’s next for Griff Garrison & Cole Karter. Maria got her “baby boys” in the main event tonight. Leyla Hirsch arrived to question if Maria was happy that Leyla lost to Athena after Maria stated Hirsch wasn’t ready for the champ before “Legit” unsuccessfully challenged for the title. Maria seemed to be ready to dress down Hirsch when Leyla spoke up to say that she’s open to getting some managerial help from Maria now. Instead, Maria declared Leyla will have to earn her help going forward.
Anthony Henry vs. Dalton Castle w/ The Baby Chicks
Dalton Castle practically pounced one-half of The WorkHorsmen, trying to maul him with paws tot eh face. With the fans behind the former ROH World champion, Castle found himself being mocked and getting elbowed in the face. Castle left the ring, getting fired up by the crowd & The Baby Chicks as he took a lap around the ring. Feigning a high attack, Castle went low for the takedown into a waist lock. Henry elbowed his way out of the waist lock, only to get slammed and kneed on the left side of his head. Rolling out of the ring, Henry found himself behind rushed back-first against the steel ring steps and taking a DDT on the floor. Castle proclaimed, “This is ‘The Dalton Castle Show!”
Henry rolled out of the ring to avoid a big splash, sending Castle into the ropes for a northern leg lariat. “The Peacock” fell out of the ring, prone to a running clothesline to the back as he lay against the barricades. Castle needed the security guard to help him get back into the ringside area after the lariat put him in the crowd. Henry began working over Castle’s neck with forearms and clotheslines. Avoiding a clothesline, Castle landed a rolling back elbow to set up his patented running bulldog. Reversing an Irish whip, Henry turned the Bang-a-Rang into the piledriver … for a two count!
Castle fired up, landing a pair of suplexes. Henry found himself stuck in position for the Bang-A- Rang. Henry got slammed to the mat and prone to the three count.
Winner: Dalton Castle
Match Review: Castle is back in action and actually was involved in a match that got some time. Anthony Henry is similar to a lot of perennial losers in ROH where he is so good at having quality bouts with anyone, but the outcome is never in question. The commentators mentioned that Castle is still eying Samoa Joe, so hopefully this is the beginning of his journey to another TV title shot.
– The Premier Athletes were in the interview zone with Lexy Nair as Mark Sterling stated Tony Nese was victorious over Ethan Page “a couple of weeks ago.” (it was last week) Ethan Page arrived to inform everyone he’d been calling the hotline to Sterling’s office for a rematch. Nese spoke up, saying that he is ready to move on after beating “All Ego” last episode. When Page questioned how Nese could be proud of the win last week where he put his feet on the ropes to get the pin, Josh Woods stepped up in an attempt to verbally slap down Page. Instead, Sterling made the match for next week: Woods vs. Page.
Tag Team Tornado Match: ROH Women’s World champion Athena & Billie Starkz vs. Mercedes Martinez & Diamante
No fear from the champ, but a miscommunication over them posing on the ropes saw Billie Starkz trip her mentor. When the bell sounded, Athena took Diamante to the floor while the former World champ grabbed Billie. Using a gourd buster, Athena sent Diamante careening over the timekeeper’s area. Athena found herself proud when Billie whipped Mercedes Martinez against the steel barricades. Martinez recovered quickly, knocking Starkz down and helping Diamante execute a rope-assisted neck breaker. Before Athena could get out of the ropes, Martinez pulled her into an anarchist suplex. Starkz entered the ring, downing her opponents with a cross body block. Athena used a big pair of dropkicks to rock Martinez; leaving her open for the Stroke!
Before Athena could get the pin, Diamante drilled her with an inverted Cross Rhodes. Starkz clobbered Diamante, only to feel the choke slam bomb from Martinez. Doing her mentor proud, Billie saved “The Fallen Goddess” from a sure pin off the double team Codebreaker-power bomb combo. The fans were rallying behind Billie as she was being assaulted by both opponents while the champ attempted to recover. Avoiding a splash in the corner from her own partner, Athena set up a double team where Billie used the victory roll to propel Athena for a spear to Mercedes. The fans were ready for Athena & Billie to whoop that trick known as Diamante. After a double team slam on Diamante, Billie spiked her with the DDT to set up the wheelbarrow face buster by the champ … for a near fall thanks to Martinez’s intervening!
Isolating Diamante while Martinez tried to get up, Athena had a plan where their opponents were sent into the adjacent corners for running attacks that proved successful. Starkz was almost too happy about their momentum even after Athena used the standing moonsault press to put Diamante in prime position for an assisted rolling senton double team. Martinez stopped a pin on Diamante, only to get thrown to the floor again. Martinez ran in to stop a double team superplex, knocking Athena to the side before executing a blockbuster-power bomb combination on Billie alongside Diamante. Martinez held Billie down for the three count.
A furious Athena knocked Diamante out before being confronted by Mercedes who had the World title belt in hand. Mercedes declared she hasn’t gotten her title rematch from last year’s “Final Battle” and it’s coming soon.
Winners: Mercedes Martinez & Diamante
Match Review: While it’s odd to go from a regular singles match with no stakes to a wild Tornado Tag the next week in such a quickly escalating manner, at least this match had reason to exist beyond just giving someone a win. All four worked hard to get the crowd involved and did a very good job. Could it had benefited from a little more time and maybe some plunder? Yes. But this was the best match of the night thus far and set up the inevitable Athena versus Martinez match for the title in the near future; not to mention Billie getting on Athena’s bad side for losing.
Kyle Fletcher vs. Willie Mack
After they came to a stalemate during the collar & elbow tie-up, Kyle Fletcher made the big mistake of trying to not only knock his opposition down for a shoulder block, but also was outmaneuvered as he got taken over by an arm drag and the head scissors. Flying leg lariat connected for Mack to give him a two count. Mocking Fletcher, Mack landed a big knife-edge chop off the “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!” Avoiding the next running attack allowed Fletcher to knock Mack to the floor. Rather than dive atop Willie, Fletcher tossed Mack into the ring to put the boots to Willie. Coming off the ropes, Fletcher ran into a shoulder tackle that downed both competitors.
Single-leg dropkicks set up Willie’s Norman Smiley-esque swinging slam for the standing moonsault press. Very close two count for Willie. Going for the Stunner, Mack got kicked into an ace crusher instead. Though Mack kicked out of Fletcher’s follow-up pin, he was in a terrible predicament as he got kneed in position for the Tombstone Piledriver. Making the cover, Fletcher continued his winning ways in singles action in ROH.
Winner: Kyle Fletcher
Match Review: Another solid match that, once again, deserved more time so these guys could really let loose. Matches like this one is a perfect example of quality over quantity as a, say, five-match card would allow for more time so two very good wrestlers could create magic.
– Athena ran up on Billie Starkz in the interview zone after Lexy Nair attempted to console her fellow Minion, stating how she’s been trying to build Billie up beyond just being the upstart who loses all the time on AEW. reading Billie the riot act, Athena demanded that Starkz do better going forward after being the reason for Athena getting her first ROH loss in nearly a decade.
Blake Christian vs. Gringo Loco vs. Slim J vs. Gravity
No Code of Honor by Slim J as he not only left the ring, but also yanked Gravity to the floor. In the ring, Gringo Loco found himself having to cartwheel out of a head scissors. Like Gravity, Gringo was pulled out of the ring by Slim. When Slim turned around, Blake Christian wiped him out with a dive. Gravity used the ring’s edge to head scissor Blake. When Gringo got in the ring, he and Gravity went at it with the latter being slammed off a head scissors attempt. Slim came over the top, double knee dropping Gringo after tying him in the ropes. Slim turned around, getting downed by Blake for a double stomp off the top rope to earn a near fall.
Gravity used the ropes to arm drag Slim out of corner. Gringo kicked Gravity to the floor alongside Slim for a moonsault that double both men. Blake joined his opponents by pulling off a springboard somersault senton splash. Blake couldn’t follow through with the 450 splash, getting kicked in the mouth. Gringo used the slingshot DDT to spike Slim. Before Gringo could cover Slim, Blake used the 450 splash on both men. As Christian went for the cover, Gravity splashed all of his opponents before pinning Slim for the three count.
Winner: Gravity
Match Review: As expected from the competitors involved, this was a wild, lucha-infused bout with Gravity getting another win that may or may not lead to anything. Sadly, it only lasted five minutes.
Leyla Hirsch vs. Nyxx
Yanking the ROH newcomer into a Saito suplex of the Code of Honor. The fans didn’t care for the hometown girl getting no offense. Mounting & forearming Nyxx to the point the referee had to get between them almost ended this one as did some repeated stomps. Without much effort, Leyla cinched in the Cross Arm Bar. Nyxx had no choice but to tap out.
Winner: Leyla Hirsch
Match Review: So, Leyla is on the road to getting Maria as her manager. The way she does this is by beating local talent just like she was leading up to the title match and not competition that would push her to the limit like what Maria wanted for her. Okay…
Lee Moriarty w/ Shane Taylor vs. Darius Martin
It was reversal central in the opening moments with Darius Martin’s high-flying attacks being the thing to stop Lee Moriarty’s grappling. After countering the Border City Stretch, Martin slipped behind his opponent for a roll up. Lee countered, swinging around to almost hit the referee. This distraction allowed Shane Taylor to knock a rope-stuck Martin with that stiff right hand. Martin collapsed into the Border City Stretch. Martin was out and the referee had no choice but to stop the match.
Lee refused to let the submission go until Action Andretti hit the ring with chair in hand.
Winner: Lee Moriarty
Match Review: What the…?! Seriously, this match had all the possibility of being a standout encounter and it didn’t even last three minutes. Yes, it’s obvious they’re setting up a tag team match for the near future, but let these two talented wrestlers work. Quality over quantity.
Robyn Renegade vs. Rachael Ellering
Instead of locking up with her opponent, Robyn Renegade kneed her opposition. Rachael Ellering recovered quickly, tripping Robyn into a senton splash. Rolling onto the apron, Robyn caught Rachael coming after he with the flatliner on the apron. After fish-hooking Rachael in the camel clutch, Robyn actually licked her fingers. Apparently, the nasty act fired up Rachael as she caught Robyn with a pair of clothesline and the northern lights driver. Countering the pop-up forearm, Robyn used a snap mare driver to set up the big moonsault off the top. Robyn hit nothing but canvas, stumbling into the Boss Man Slam. Rachael held her opponent down for the three count.
Winner: Rachael Ellering
Match Review: The always-entertaining Ellering finally gets a win in ROH over a very game Robyn who is joining the likes of Anthony Henry and Willie Mack as perennial losers in singles competition. Like so many matches on this episode, it barely got time for them to really work (about three minutes).
The Gates of Agony w/ Prince Nana vs. Griff Garrison & Cole Karter w/ Maria Kanellis-Bennett vs. The Iron Savages w/ Jacked Jameson
There’s no Iron Savages entrance with Jacked Jameson giving the world a formal introduction to the jacked & juicy pair. No Code of Honor as Griff Garrison & Cole Karter attacked The Iron Savages from behind. Low from Griff set up a dropkick by Cole to Bronson. Back dropping Griff out of the ring, Bronson dropped Cole with a cross body before tagging out. Boulder entered as the legal man, double team flapjacking Griff & Cole. Catching a a running Kaun, Boulder slammed him in position for that double team avalanche splash. Toa Liona pulled Boulder to the floor while Griff & Cole sent Bronson to the floor. Toa entered the ring, using the spine buster on Karter before The GoA double team spine busted Cole. Toa & Kaun made the cover for another victory.
The winners declared their intentions for getting a shot at the ROH World Tag Team title shot.
Winners: The Gates of Agony
Match Review: Another week and another main event that got the short-end of the figurative stick in regards to allotted time (this week is the worst example with the match not lasting three minutes). They all tried to pack a lot of action in a short time, but there’s no way to present a memorable Triple Threat Tag Team match in less than three minutes.
Overall Review: An even shorter episode than last week, so many matches were hindered by the lack of time thanks to a double-digit match card causing said time issues as every bout outside of the Tornado Tag, Castle-Henry, and the Hirsch squash got little chance to produce something memorable or worthy of their presentation. The brand’s only significant story – Athena and Billie’s relationship – took a big turn as Starkz cost the champ a win and inadvertently established Mercedes as a top contender. When that match happens is anyone’s guess, but it most likely will be before “Final Battle”.
There is focus on establishing certain wrestlers as winners and potential future title contenders in the various divisions including Angelico, Castle, The Gates of Agony, and maybe even The Infantry and Gravity. But redundancy and poor utilization of other talents continues including Willie Mack losing in almost every singles match, Lee Moriarty and Darius Martin getting less than three minutes to showcase their talents (though it’s obvious they are setting up a tag match with Shane Taylor Promotions against Martin & Andretti), and the likes of Griff Garrison & Cole Karter’s momentum as a team finally seeing eye-to-eye getting halted in a match that didn’t even get three minutes to exist.
With a little over a month until “Final Battle”, very little, if anything about this episode added to that urgency needed to get people excited about the potential card for ROH’s biggest show of the year. Even if someone ignores the lacking foundation set for the build to “Final Battle”, you have an underwhelming episode that, once again, proves quantity doesn’t equal quality as there were several matches that deserved more time or could’ve been put on a different episode where they may have thrived like the Tornado Tag and Castle-Henry did during this show.
There needs to be a middle ground established with the show’s run time and the match quantity as a ninety-minute episode with six to seven matches and promos between would really help the pacing and avoid the feeling we as viewers are missing out on potential greatness occurring from bell to bell.
