Tonight’s Ring of Honor on HonorClub will feature more CMLL action ahead of next week’s AEW/ROH invasion of Arena Mexico.
After appearing during a big brawl at AEW Summer Blockbuster, former ROH TV Champion Atlantis Jr. will team with Templario against Volador Jr. and Magnus.
In a Proving Ground match, ROH World Champion Bandido will take on Mansoor where if the challenger can win or draw the champion, he earns a future title shot.
ROH Women’s TV Champion Red Velvet will return to action in her own Proving Ground bout.
The card is rounded out by Evil Uno taking on former Dark Order teammate Preston Vance, while Shane Taylor Promotions will be in eight-man action.
**********
For the 120th time, Ring of Honor streams it’s way into our collective hearts with two huge Proving Ground matches and a Supercard that’s just under a month away.
-Shane Taylor Promotions kicked things off with empassioned promo about… money in the bank? Oh, right literal money in a metaphorical bank. They are ready to start mixing things up and let the rumblin’ begin!
Magnus & Volador Jr. vs. Atlantis Jr. & Templario
Between the participants of this match there is a metric ton of Gold. Atlantis currently holds the World Historic Light Heavyweight Champion and is of course a former ROH World Television Champion. His partner Templario is one half of the NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Champions (with TJP as United Empire) as well as the CMLL World Middleweight Champion. Magnus is a double Tag Champion, currently holding the MLW World Tag Team Championship and the Mexican National Tag Team Champion with Rugido as Los Depredadores. And Volador Jr? Well… he’s there too.
“Lucha Libre” chants broke out as the Luchadores began to libre. Volador and Templario kicked things off at breakneck speed, swapping holds and moves. Atlantis tagged in to face off against Magnus, but caught a kick through the ropes from Volador which lead to a double team.
Atlantis was able to fight them off, sending Volador to the outside. Templario tagged in but Mangus and Volador took their time deciding who would join him in the ring. It ended up being Volador who kept up with Templario until MAgnus tagged in. Templario it an inside-out arm drag and that brought in Atlantis.
Atlantis dove onto Magnus on the outside and Templario went up to the top turnbuckle for a missile dropkick on Magnus. Magnus fought back though, setting Templario up for a 619 and then a superkick from Volador.
Atlantis jumped in and took his place getting double teamed in the corner. Volador went for a lazy cover and Templario broke it up. Magnus hit a low blow on Templario when the refs back was turned and Volador began working his ribs.
A hot tag was made to Atlantis but Magnus was heading straight for him with some rapid punches. Magnus tried to take Atlantis’ mask and almost got it off too. He then did some push ups and flexed. Really.
Atlantis found new life and hit backbreakers on Volador and Magnus. Templario delivered a split kick, sending Volador out of the ring. Atlantis went up top and hit a frog splash on Magnus to get the pin and the win for his team.
Match Result: Atlantis Jr. & Templario defeated Magnus & Volador Jr.
Super fun Luchadore match to start things off! I love these matches on ROH, because they tell a great story in the ring.
Evil Uno (w/ Alex Reynolds) vs. Preston Vance (w/ Cole Karter, Griff Garrison & Jacked Jameson)
I’ve been reading a lot of Batman comics lately and the never ending battle between the Dark Order and The Frat House kind of has me feeling like they are destined to do this forever. In this case, it’s Uno taking on Vance with everyone’s back up in tow. It also might be time for the Dark Order to get some pledges (or new D&D players, or whatever it is they do) to even up the numbers game.
PS – if you forgot that Vance was once in the Dark Order, don’t worry. So did I.
It was no surprise to see that the Code of Honor did not happen. The bell rang, and Uno took it straight to Vance, knocking him from pillar to post. Vance bailed to the outside where the half a dozen Frat House members were waiting. Uno followed him out though, standing up to all of them.
Uno threw Vance back in the ring, but as Uno was climbing up to join him, the rest of the Frat House, led by Jameson, put the boots to him. That gave Vance the upper hand and he laid some shots in on Uno. Shocking no one, every time the ref’s back was turned a Frat House member would take a shot at Uno.
Vance started pie-facing Uno which fired him up. He hit a stunner on Vance and then went for a corner splash that Vance dodged and locked in a full nelson hold. Uno began to fade, but powered out of it, delivering a huge forearm to Vance’s huge face.
Uno dropped Vance with a DDT and went for a piledriver, but Vance reversed it into a fall away slam. Vance tried a discus elbow but Uno was able to land the piledriver and throw a discus elbow of his own. He went for the cover, but the Frat House distracted the ref from making the pin.
Vance was slipped the pledge paddle and Vance clocked him with it before the ref could see to get the pin.
Match Result: Preston Vance defeated Evil Uno
After the match, the Frat House began beating down Uno and Reynolds when suddenly a returning John Silver arrived to (not really) even the odds! It was enough to send the Frat House packing though as a full strength Dark Order reconnected in the ring.
What a great match. As much as I hate the Frat House I love Evil Uno. He and Vance know each other really well and it was a great back and forth with each man getting a chance to shine. Silver’s return was great, but someone needs to teach the Frat House how to count, because there were still six of them to three of the Order.
ROH Women’s TV Champion Red Velvet vs. Harleen Lopez in a Proving Ground match
Red Velvet is closing in on a full year as ROH Women’s TV Champion and will be in CMLL next week to take on Persephone. That’s about all you need to know. Her opponent, Lopez, clearly had a strength advantage, but Velvet hasn’t been champ this long for no reason.
Lopez laid some killer shoulder tackles onto Velvet, temporarily knocking her silly. When she recovered, Velvet went to the boxing background she’s got a pummelled Lopez in the corner. Lopez threw some elbows back at Velvet followed by a butterfly suplex.
Lopez traded strikes with Velvet until she left herself open for a Mama’s Kitchen and Velvet pinned her, dashing Lopez’ title dreams.
Match Result: Red Velvet defeated Harleen Lopez
Fun little squash, but the outcome was pretty obvious even as it was happening. Velvet is on fire and not going to be giving up that Women’s TV Title anytime soon.
-The Dark Order cut a promo in the back, with the returning John Silver talking about meat. Uno declared that the three of them are better than six of the Frat House. They laid out a trios challenge for any time, anywhere.
Shane Taylor Promotions (Shane Taylor, ROH Pure Champion Lee Moriarty & The Infantry) vs. Vaughn Vertigo, Martian Webb, Riley Reinhart and Joe Demaro
Shane Taylor Promotions is bringing out all it’s weapons tonight in this massive 8-man match. STP are the most dominant faction in ROH, so it’s surprising that the only title they hold is the ROH Pure Title on Moriarty’s shoulder. Time will tell if they can gather some more belts, but for now they look to make short work of Vertigo, Webb, Reinhart & Demaro, who despite sounding like a law firm, did not have much to work with.
I don’t even really know how to describe this match. It was pretty much just members of STP taggin in and out to completely destroy whichever of the other four were in the ring. It almost became comical as between the four of them, neither Vertigo, Webb, Demaro or Reinhart got any offense in.
The only actual wrestling in the match was when Moriarty was in the ring and had a decent exchange with Vertigo. Then Taylor tagged in and offered his face for a free shot from Demaro. Taylor no sold it then beat him down and went for a pin… that was actually broken up, much to Taylor’s surpsise, by glutton-for-punnishment, Webb.
Moriarty tagged in and put the Border City Stretch on Demaro and he tapped out in seconds. The end.
Match Result: Shane Taylor Promotions (Shane Taylor, ROH Pure Champion Lee Moriarty & The Infantry) destroyed defeated Vaughn Vertigo, Martian Webb, Riley Reinhart and Joe Demaro
I love STP, but honestly, this was one of those matches that didn’t make them look good. There was no believable way that they weren’t losing this match, which just begs the question, what was the point? I sincerely hope they find themselves with some purpose as we get closer to Supercard of Honor in July.
ROH World Champion Bandido vs. Mansoor (w/ Johnny TV, Mason Madden & Taya Valkyrie) in a Proving Ground match
It was announced last week that one of the “M’s” in MxMxTV would get a shot at a shot at Bandido’s ROH World Title. Mansoor is the M in question and he’s bringing the whole gang with him. There’s been a few Proving Ground wins lately and with Supercard of Honor a month away, could this be the beginning of the Main Event story?
Mansoor came to the ring with his crew and it looked like Madden had borrowed his boots from Valkyrie, which was neat. Bandido arrived in a cowboy hat because, well, why not?
A Tip-Touch of Honor was adhered to and the ten minute time limit began ticking down. Mansoor was actually pretty evenly matched against Bandido size wise and wrestling the champion gave him a chance to show off his speed and agility. Bandido for his part looked like he was having a lot of fun.
Bandido put Mansoor on his back and gave him the finger guns, which incensed MAdden on the outside who screamed “no guns!” Bandido set Mansoor up for the 21 Plex, but Madden pulled him out of the ring and Bandido along with him. Mansoor took advantage and threw Bandido into the stairs. Madden, TV and Valkyrie stomped him while Mansoor distracted the ref.
Back in the ring, Mansoor hit a backbreaker, softening up the back of Bandido, stretching him over his knee. Bandido powered out of it (he’s a power lifter, you see) but Mansoor drove an elbow into his back. Bandido responded with a superkick and twisting tornado dive from the top rope.
Bandido went for a suplex, but his back wouldn’t handle it. He was able to recover for a one handed press-slam though and climbed the ropes for a huge frog splash, but Mansoor kicked out at two. Bandido tried a 21 Plex again, but TV caught him and laid him out giving Mansoor a chance to hit a butterfly suplex and get a two count of his own.
Mansoor distracted the ref and Madden and TV tried to steal Bandido’s mask. The ref saw it though and ejected everyone from ringside. This was seven minutes into the match and Mansoor used the chaos to try for a moonsault. Bandido saw it though and dodged, setting Mansoor up for the 21 Plex. He nailed it this time and pinned Mansoor, 1-2-3.
Match Result: ROH World Champion Bandido defeated Mansoor
After the match, Lee Johnson came wandering down to the ring. This distracted Bandido enough that Black Christian was able to jump him from behind in the ring. He stood tall over Bandido and he and Johnson stomped him in the ring. Mascara Dorada (who will face Bandido on Tuesday in CMLL) appeared at the top of the ramp and ran down to the ring to run off the heels. He then picked up the ROH title and offered his hand to Bandido. He handed the champion his belt as the two shared mutual respect.
Very cool main event! MxMxTV are fantastic and Bandido made it look like tons of fun. The after match schmozz was cool too because I think it teased a future title match between Bandido and Christian, which is something I would very much like to see.
