Last Week: Athena successfully defended the ROH Women’s World Championship by overcoming former champion Mercedes Martinez with a little help from Billie Starkz – a match and moments highlighted at the top of this episode.
ROH on HonorClub Episode 37
Wichita, KS
November 9, 2023
– Last week after the main event, Billie Starkz & Lexy Nair were confronted by Athena with the prior trying to make her mentor realize that she understands what Athena wants from her. Reviling in the fact that Billie actually did something worthy of her Minion status, the champ admitted being impressed by Starkz and she’s an officially numbered Minion at least for now.
Tony Nese w/ Mark Sterling vs. Serpentico
Of course “Smart” Mark Sterling interrupted the official ring introduction of Tony Nese by putting over the fact the Premier Athletes have two wins over “fat” Ethan Page. With Page in his rear-view, Nese looked forward to winning again and helping get the people of Wichita in shape.
After muscling his opposition into the corner behind them, Tony Nese performed some jumping jacks. Nese was happy to take Serpentico to the gun show between body slams and Irish whips against the turnbuckles. After putting Serpentico in the tree of woe, Nese performed those rowboat kicks that actually fired up the masked man. A head scissors into the flatliner gave Serpentico a two count. Rolling through a sunset flip attempt, Nese exploded with a spinning back kick. Just as Nese hoisted Serpentico up for something, Ethan Page arrived in his training attire. The distraction allowed Serpentico to cradle Nese for a flash pin.
Page celebrated with Serpentico before agreeing that group training is canceled.
Winner: Serpentico
Match Review: A decent opener with Nese not-so-surprisingly dominating the match before the story elements of Ethan Page distracting Nese and allowing Serpentico to win actually gave this bout a reason to exist. It’ll be interesting to see if they don’t rush Page-Nese II for a random episode instead of waiting until “Final Battle”.
– Darius Martin & Action Andretti were in the interview zone with Lexy Nair to state that Shane Taylor Promotions have started a war that they can’t finish; recruiting true soldiers to help them in the form of The Infantry. Impressed by their mutual rhyming skills, all four were excited about victory tonight.
Proving Ground Match: ROH Women’s World champion Athena w/ Billie Starkz vs. Heidi Howitzer
Athena found herself stuck in a top wrist lock, couldn’t arm drag her way out of the hold, and was insulted by her would-be title challenger between strikes. When Athena left the ring, Heidi feigned a baseball slide to Billie Starkz. The trickery worked against Howitzer as Athena pulled her out of the ring for a slam on the floor and the steel ring steps. Heidi tried to fought back and ended up getting stomped down, taken to Suplex City, and pull into a Codebreaker counter to an Irish whip into the corner. Howitzer bounced to her feet after the Codebreaker, stumbling into a huge forearm strike that knocked her out for the three count.
As per the norm, Athena attacked her wannabe challenger after the match.
Winner: Athena
Match Review: A solid Proving Ground encounter with, of course, the champ winning again. Nothing really else to say about what has become the norm.
Lee Johnson vs. Kyle Fletcher
Tripping Lee Johnson as he posed on the middle rope, Kyle Fletcher already had his opponent frustrated before the initial bell sounded. The anger grew as Fletcher toyed around with his opponent until “Big Shotty” backed the Aussie Open member into the corner. Shane Taylor Promotions seemed impressed with Lee standing up for himself and shoving his opposition and almost stealing a pin. Fletcher kept leaving the ring any time Lee got a bit of momentum. Luring Lee into a chase around the ring, Fletcher landed a super kick to set up the belly to back suplex across the ring’s edge.
Fletcher found himself in complete control, slamming Lee around the ring while insulting any vocal fan. Big back forearm off the Irish whip against the ropes almost knocked Lee out of his boots. Turning a waist lock against his opponent, Lee landed a back elbow of his own that dropped both competitors.
Lee regained an advantage off the reset, almost knocking Fletcher out with the blue thunder bomb. Running knife-edge chops by Lee ended with him running into a Michinoku driver … for a near fall!
Blocking Fletcher’s patented tombstone, Lee got Kyle on the top rope for a superplex. As if that wasn’t enough, Lee executed the frog splash … a two count!
Fletcher dropkicked Lee into the ropes after Johnson went for another attack. Leg lariat into the tombstone by Fletcher put Lee’s lights out while STP questioned how someone so talented could keep on losing.
Winner: Kyle Fletcher
Match Review: A good bout that got a surprising amount of time considering everyone and their mother knew Johnson didn’t stand a chance of winning. Fletcher turned up the heel antics as well; proving he’s definitely a Don Callis Family member (as if that means anything to ROH).
Charlette Renegade / Robyn Renegade vs. Leyla Hirsch
Trying to show off by tripping her opponent, Leyla Hirsch got pulled to the mat herself for a little ground & pound. As Hirsch crawled to the ropes, Robyn Renegade forearmed her in the mouth as her sister distracted the referee. Big boot by Charlette into a bridging fisherman’s suplex ended into a two count that Renegade didn’t take kindly to because she said the referee was slow. Charlette arguing with the ref allowed Leyla to not only recover, but also knock Renegade in position for that pendulum dropkick in the corner.
Saito suplex connected for Hirsch as Robyn slid a chair into the ring. Charlette went for the chair as Robyn distracted the referee. Rachael Ellering pulled Robyn off the apron when the referee turned to see Charlette with the chair. The official removed the chair from Charlette & the ring; leaving an angry Charlette open to be yanked into the cross arm bar for a submission victory.
Leyla seemed frustrated over the intervening.
Winner: Leyla Hirsch
Match Review: Another solid match with a predictable ending as the Renegades always lose and Hirsch doesn’t unless she’s in a title match. Like the opener, at least there was a bit of story advancement as Ellering and Hirsch get one-step closer to being another odd couple tag team.
– Athena gathered Billie Starkz & Lexy Nair in the interview zone to inform Lexy that she’s no longer the bestie Minion for being friendly to Willow Nightingale. Athena noted that she’s excited to break a hussy at “Final Battle” if someone is ready to step up in her hometown.
The Iron Savages w/ Jacked Jameson vs. Griff Garrison & Cole Karter w/ Maria Kanellis-Bennett
Bronson followed the Code of Honor with Griff Garrison; leading to Garrison running into the brick wall that is Bronson. So Garrison simply kicked him in the mouth. Power slam by Bronson as he caught a running Garrison. Getting free from Bronson’s grip, Griff tagged out. Poor Cole Karter ran into the hairy chest of “Beefcake” Boulder before his partner got back dropped. Double flap jack by Boulder put both opponents on the floor for a knockdown by Bronson. Bronson downed the Savage Sauce, only to discover Maria in front of him. The distraction allowed Karter to recover and back drop Bronson the entrance ramp when Bronson rushed Maria to bust all over her.
Griff & Cole were stomping a mudhole into Bronson. Double team face buster where Griff used the bulldog to send Bronson’s face into Karter’s elevated knee. Garrison locked the abdominal stretch, getting some help with the leverage by Cole grabbing his partner’s free arm. When the referee saw the cheating, Bronson was able to both free himself and tag out to a fired up Boulder. Avalanche splash in the corner only hit Karter, but both Griff and Cole felt a Samoan drop-World Strongest Slam. Boulder called for the end, only to get drilled by Griff and 450 splashed by Karter … for a near fall!
Pie-facing Boulder instead of going for a follow-up attack resulted in them getting double cross body blocked. Savage Splash double team saw Bronson pin Carter for the victory.
Winners: The Iron Savages
Match Review: Surprisingly lengthy encounter that actually got time to breathe and showcase the talents of both teams with the defeated turning up the villainous antics. The Iron Savages are just a treat to watch and are getting weirder by the week. The only issue is Garrison & Karter losing again and Maria continuously looking like an overrated manager who can’t even get her latest team on a winning streak.
– Last night on AEW “Dynamite”, Samoa Joe vacated the ROH World Television Championship after breaking Jay Lethal’s record as the longest-held champion. There will be an update about the title next week. What? After all that social media promotion about “ramifications” and nothing will be confirmed until next week?
Rachael Ellering vs. Billie Starkz w/ Athena
A test of strength saw Billie Starkz get her arm wrenched until she tripped Rachael. Missing the senton after countering a slam, Ellering got yanked into a sunset flip that resulted in her getting kicked. Starkz celebrated too early, getting knocked down when she turned around and senton splashed. Athena demanded her Minion fight back, only for Rachael to kick her opponent into a cradle drift. Billie fired off some forearms, but got leveled with a rope-assisted slam.
Using an enzuguri to set up the German suplex, Billie turned the figurative tides. Rachael caught Billie preparing something off the ropes when she executed a Death Valley driver. Things were breaking down as Billie set up and landed a tope though the bottom & middle ropes. Taking a page out of Athena’s book, Billie whipped Rachael from barricade to barricade. Starkz pitched Ellering back into the ring for a senton off the top rope for the pin fall.
Billie joined Athena beating up Rachael until Leyla made the save and chased off the champion and her protege.
Winner: Billie Starkz
Match Review: And thus ends another winning streak that may or may not have properly set up Ellering as a title challenger. More than likely the ending will present a tag match in the next week or two, but on this night you had a solid, yet somewhat sloppy encounter.
Josh Woods vs. SK Bishop
SK Bishop made the big mistake of kneeing his way out of a suplex, getting slammed and kneed around the ring. Using an enzuguri, Bishop gained some distance to jump off the top rope. Bishop flew into a flying knee strike topped by Chaos Theron for the pin fall.
Winner: Josh Woods
Match Review: A thrashing to further emphasize Woods is ready for Katsuyori Shibata and the Pure Championship.
Shane Taylor Promotions (Shane Taylor & Lee Moriarty) & The Wingmen (Ryan Nemeth & Peter Avalon) vs. The Infantry, Darius Martin & Action Andretti
No Code of Honor as STP & The Wingmen attacked at the bell. Getting knocked out of the ring, Shane Taylor caught a flying Darius Martin, slinging him against the barricade. In the ring, The Infantry double teamed Lee Moriarty, ending with a neck breaker. Carlie Bravo found himself in the ring with Taylor after Lee tagged out, feeling a modified curb stomp against the turnbuckles.
Carlie found himself on the wrong part of town, getting struck and slammed by everyone on the opposing side as his partners tried to motivate him. Making a mistake was Peter Avalon and Ryan Nemeth in failing to double team suplex Bravo; allowing Carlie to tag out to Action Andretti. Handspring back kick by Action stunned Ryan. Peter went to hit Action, but struck Shane by accident. STP didn’t take kindly to this with Lee kicking Nemeth’s lights out and Avalon feeling that WMD from Taylor. STP left Avalon & Nemeth alone with the Peter taking The Boot Camp from The Infantry. Avalon got pinned.
Winner: The Infantry, Darius Martin & Action Andretti
Match Review: Another good match with STP getting frustrated with inferior partners. Will this match mean anything in the long run? Probably not.
– Rachael Ellering was in the interview zone with Leyla Hirsch interrupting the scene to say she’s done saving Ellering after paying her back for helping her from a beating. Maria arrived to mock the new relationship while stating Ellering and Hirsch should team up to prove whether or not Hirsch is worth Maria’s managerial skills. Considering how well Griff & Cole are doing, Leyla may be better on her own after her all.
Dralistico w/ Jose the Assistant vs. Gravity
As expected, no Code of Honor from Dralistico; resulting in a fast exchange where Gravity did his patented slow-motion walk after the stalemate. Dralistico made his fellow luchador pay for playing around by using the head scissors to sling him out of the ring for a tope. Gravity found himself being abused on the floor with the referee refusing to count anyone down. When the action did return between the ropes, Dralistico kept the control by splash Gravity in the corner and dropkicking the side of his head. Getting his boot up to stop a running Dralistico, Gravity dropkicked his opponent to the floor for a triple jump plancha. In the ring, Gravity used the handstand on the top rope to come down with a Vader splash … to earn a near fall!
Dropkicking Gravity’s legs from underneath him didn’t help Dralistico, but countering a back drop into the power bomb did stun Gravity for two seconds. Gravity showed his grapefruits by surviving a snap German suplex to catch Dralistico on the rebound with the power slam. Tripping a running Dralistico in the ropes, Gravity’s splash didn’t put the LFI member away. Gravity got caught climbing the ropes, feeling a hurricarana that stunned him. Just when it seemed Gravity found his bearings and could fight his way back by hitting the ropes, Dralistico executed a springboard Canadian destroyer for the pin fall.
Winner: Dralistico
Match Review: As expected due to the talent involved, this was an exciting, lucha-infused bout. Will Dralistico stick around so his win will actually mean something instead of this appearance being just a one-off for a while like his previous ROH outing months ago?
ROH World Championship: Eddie Kingston (c) vs. Angelico
Both were looking for leg sweeps after feigning collar & elbow tie-ups. Going from the legs to arms, the challenger used an arm drag that Eddie Kingston used to get some momentum to chop him. Countering a wrist lock to yank Eddie to the mat, Angelico almost folded the champ in a seated position. Eddie freed himself and got up swinging for the fences with chops topped by the face wash when Angelico collapsed in the corner.
But the challenger wouldn’t be denied as he went for a flurry of failing pinning combinations after attacking Kingston’s left arm with maneuvers like the kimura and a roundhouse kick that put the champ at ringside for a somersault plancha. Kingston flew off the apron, hitting a clothesline as the fans rallied behind “The Mad King”. Cross body block by the challenger returned inside. When a crucifix pin failed, Angelico took the Spinning Back Fist … for a near fall!
Another Spinning Back Fist landed for Eddie after Angelico tried to yank him into a small package. Kingston hoisted up Angelico, driving him into canvas with that northern lights bomb. Kingston made the cover, pinning another would-be champion.
Winner: Eddie Kingston
Match Review: A strong main event with a clashing of styles as Kingston tried to characteristically chop an opponent down while Angelico attempted to withstand the punishment and take advantage of opportunities by either going after a submission or pinning combination. In the end, however, Kingston’s fortitude and wearing out of Angelico early in the match proved the challenger’s undoing.
Overall Review: With another near two-hour episode, this week’s edition of ROH saw a majority of the bouts get time to actually feel like competitive contests with a couple of squashes sprinkled in and few bouts potentially meaning little to anything in the long run in regards to future matches and stories including the eight-man tag, Dralistico-Gravity, Fletcher-Johnson and the Proving Ground bout. While there wasn’t a match as good as last week’s main event, the aforementioned Fletcher-Johnson outing, Dralistico versus Gravity encounter, and the World title match definitely delivered alongside a surprisingly lengthy Iron Savages showcase with Griff & Cole losing yet again to prove that Maria’s managerial services aren’t as great as she claims.
There was some story progression even if said stories are rather elementary or redundant including Billie Starkz becoming more like Athena with each passing episode, another potential odd couple tag team in Hirsch & Ellering, Ethan Page sticking his nose in Tony Nese’s business to prove their issues aren’t done, and Dalton Castle staking his claim at dethroning Eddie Kingston. There was an over-usage of Athena & her Minions this week as they were involved in not two, but four segments not counting the opening recap video. Also, where in the world was Mercedes Martinez to complain about being cheated by Billie out of winning last week?
The episode’s biggest disappointment was the lack of explanation about what will happen to the ROH World Television Championship after promoting “ramifications” for Samoa Joe’s actions on social media all day leading to this show. It better be something more profound than just another regular single-elimination tournament (this would be the perfect scenario to bring back the “Survival of the Fittest” tourney with the six-way elimination match headlining “Final Battle”). Though there isn’t a must-see match on this episode, it’s easily one of the most consistent in quite a while. Five episodes remain before “Final Battle”, so hopefully something starts coming together soon to get people emotionally invested in the show via some stories and proper title contender build instead of just announcing a card at the last minute.
