Ahead of their clash at this month’s Supercard of Honor, TV Champion Samoa Joe and Mark Briscoe will be in separate matches on Ring of Honor’s weekly HonorClub TV show.
Joe will defend the title against Cheeseburger in an open challenge while Briscoe takes on Tony Nese.
Former ROH Tag Team Champions Christopher Daniels & Matt Sydal will reunite to take on Aussie Open who is looking to remain undefeated in ROH action.
ROH Six-Man Champion Brian Cage will face former TV Champion Tony Deppen while Matt Taven faces Darius Martin following the events of Dynamite where The Kingdom interfered during Top Flight’s AEW Tag Team title opportunity.
Blake Christian, AR Fox & Metalik will face The Trustbusters’ Ari Daivari, Slim J & Jeeves Kay.
Other matches include Rush & Dralistico vs. Rhett Titus & Tracy Williams, Skye Blue vs. Lady Frost, Billie Starkz vs. Miranda Alize, and Shane Taylor vs. Silas Young.
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– The show starts with Lexy Nair in the back with Samoa Joe issuing an Open Challenge for the ROH TV Title tonight to show Mark Briscoe what’s in store for him at Supercard of Honor. Well, I wonder who will answer that one.
Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman were on the call as always as the Varsity Athletes made their way to the ring.
Mark Briscoe defeated Tony Nese (w/Josh Woods & Smart Mark Sterling)
Nese jump-started the match against Briscoe while Briscoe was praying in the corner, but Briscoe quickly got himself on offense. Briscoe took Nese to the floor and threw him around before landing the Cactus Jack elbow off the apron. Sterling took Briscoe’s attention, which allowed Nese to send Briscoe into the ringpost.
Nese took the referee’s attention as Woods laid out Briscoe on the floor with a suplex. Back in the ring, Nese got Briscoe in the tree of woe before doing crunches and kicking a defenseless Briscoe in the chest. Nese sent Briscoe into the corner, but Briscoe countered with a boot. Briscoe went for the Jay Driller, but Nese got out and hit a spin kick to the head for a nearfall.
Briscoe fought out of a body scissors, but Nese hit a hot shot to Briscoe over the ropes. Nese missed a springboard moonsault, allowing Briscoe to unload with chops in the corner. Iconoclasm out of the corner from Briscoe only got a nearfall. Briscoe hit a capture suplex and the big neckbreaker for a nearfall. Nese slipped out of a Redneck Boogie attempt, but Briscoe hit a brainbuster.
Nese escaped another Jay Driller attempt, but Briscoe caught Nese with the Spicolli Driver. Briscoe hit the Froggy Bow to score the win. We got a Big Murph sighting as Briscoe embraced his family in the crowd.
AR Fox, Blake Christian & Metalik defeated The Trustbusters (Ari Daivari, Jeeves Kay & Slim J) (w/ Smart Mark Sterling)
This match had a pretty hot finish, but I’m very tired of the Trustbusters. That may not bode well for me as the Ring of Honor reviewer.
Fox kicked off the match with Jeeves Kay, who took Fox down with some quick offense before Fox answered with fast offense of his own. Christian and Daivari tagged in, with Christian using his speed to run Daivari down. Christian hit a springboard crossbody for a nearfall. Daivari sent Christian into the corner where Christian got clubbered on by the Trustbusters.
The Trustbusters worked over Christian for a while before Christian got the tag into Metalik. Metalik fired up on Daivari, walking the ropes before hitting a splash for two. Metalik got sent to the floor where Daivari sent him ribs first into the apron. More clubbering on Metalik before Metalik hit a handspring elbow on Kay. Daivari cut off a tag before taking a springboard elbow.
Eventually, Fox got the hot tag in and fired up on all three Trustbusters with cutters. Fox used Kay as a base to hit a dive on Daivari and Slim J on the floor. Christian hit a twisting dive to the floor onto all three men. Kay used a Sterling distraction to hit an underhook suplex for a nearfall. There was a Tower of Doom spot that took Kay and Slim J out, leading to Fox hitting a cutter and a 450 for the win.
The bell rang and The Embassy immediately jumped Fox, Christian, and Metalik before standing tall.
Skye Blue defeated Lady Frost
Frost is a great athlete with a lot of impressive offense and a good look. I’d be looking at locking her down if I were in the ROH office.
Blue caught Frost with a pair of armdrags, before Frost sent her into the corner and hit a high boot. Frost hit a hurricane kick to Blue in the corner before hitting an acrobatic cannonball for a nearfall. Frost kept control with a kneesault before booting Blue off the apron. Frost hit another cannonball off the apron to Blue on the floor.
Frost and Blue traded kicks before they both went down to the mat. Blue picked up the pace on offense, ending with a spinning ground kick for a nearfall. Frost cartwheeled her way into an Air Raid Crash for a nearfall. Blue cut Frost off on a moonsault attempt, hitting a high crossbody of her own for a nearfall. Blue hit the Skyfall to score the win.
La Faccion Ingobernable (Dralistico & Rush) (w/Jose The Assistant) defeated The Foundation (Rhett Titus & Tracy Williams)
We got a hot start to this one, as LFI shunned the Code of Honor before brawling with Titus and Williams. Rush and Dralistico isolated Williams, as Dralistico hit a hurricane kick to take Williams down. Williams took a lot of punishment, but eventually hit a crotch-lift suplex on Dralistico to get the tag out to Titus.
Titus and Rush got into a mighty forearm battle before Titus caught Rush with a belly-to-belly suplex. Titus hit a pair of yakuza kicks before Williams joined him in tandem offense. Titus pinned Rush before Dralistico fell into the pile. I think he meant to break up the pin. Everybody took each other out, with the exchange ending with Williams spearing Rush out of a Bull’s Horns attempt.
Rush suplexed Titus into the corner as Dralistico dived onto Williams on the outside. Rush set up the Bull’s Horns, with the crowd finishing Rush’s catchphrase – Mess with the bull, you get the horns – as he hit the dropkick in the corner for the win.
– Caprice Coleman had a sit-down interview with Eddie Kingston and ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli. Castagnoli apologized for saying Kingston didn’t have honor, but restated his claim that a person like Kingston couldn’t hold the title. Kingston said that the ROH Title was in his lineage, as his mentors held the same title. He called Castagnoli a coward who didn’t do business – referencing Castagnoli leaving the CHIKARA promotion when he signed with WWE while feuding with Kingston – and said he would force him to do business this time. Castagnoli called Kingston a quitter who always quit when the work got too hard. Castagnoli accepted Kingston’s title challenge for Supercard of Honor, saying that after he loses, Kingston will complain and quit again. Castagnoli called Kingston the biggest waste of potential he’s ever seen, and that he will not be able to handle Castagnoli at his best. I couldn’t do this justice, this was a fantastic interview setting up the World Title match for next weekend.
Matt Taven (w/Maria Kanellis-Bennett & Mike Bennett) defeated Darius Martin
This was good, but it had a few too many shenanigans for my liking. ROH has done well at not utilizing interference too often, so I’m not upset at it. But I prefer the clean wrestling the ROH arm usually employs.
Martin started hot, sending Taven to the floor with a dropkick. Martin worked on Taven’s arm before Bennett and Maria got involved, allowing Taven to hit a springboard kick to Martin on the apron. Maria took the referee while Bennett forearmed Martin on the floor. Taven hit a backbreaker to Martin in the ring for a nearfall.
Taven hit a legsweep but missed a springboard senton. Martin picked up the pace, avoiding Just The Tip for a nearfall. Taven hit a spin kick to take Martin down again, but Martin caught him with a Manhattan Drop as he came off the top rope. Martin hit an outside-in flatliner for a nearfall. Martin countered the Climax and hit a Spanish Fly for a nearfall that Taven immediately turned into a crucifix pin for a nearfall of his own.
Taven caught Martin with Just the Tip before catching knees on a frog splash. Martin went after both Taven and Bennett on the floor but Maria tripped him up on his way back into the ring, allowing Taven to hit the Climax for the win. They went to do more damage before Dante Martin came in to stop the extracurriculars.
Brian Cage (w/Bishop Kaun, Prince Nana & Toa Liona) defeated Tony Deppen
Tony Deppen looked a lot better this week than he did against Samoa Joe. His work was cleaner, and the crowd took to him.
Deppen landed a couple of slaps on Cage as he bounced around him, but Cage caught him with a superkick before hitting the outside-in superplex. Cage kept control of Deppen but took time to toy around with him. Deppen slipped from Cage’s grip and hit a lungblower out of the corner. Deppen followed it up with a cannonball dive to the floor and running knees to the face.
Deppen hit a double stomp off the top rope for a nearfall. Cage avoided a Shining Wizard before hitting a rebound lariat. Deppen caught Cage with a small package and got a jumping knee in before Cage shut him down with a Drillclaw for the win. The Embassy beat down Deppen after the match before Metalik, Blake Christian, & AR Fox came out with weapons to avenge the attack from earlier.
Shane Taylor (w/JD Griffey) defeated Silas Young
This crowd is into Shane Taylor, as am I. Taylor was a highlight of the previous era of ROH, as well as the Final Battle show in December, so I hope he’s got big things in his future.
The crowd was behind Taylor as the men locked up. Taylor took down Young with a shoulder block, but Young hung Taylor up on the ropes. They traded forearms before Taylor sent Young to the floor with a heavy elbow. Taylor missed a legdrop on the apron, with Young hitting a knee that sent Taylor to the floor.
Young worked on Taylor, with Taylor sneaking in a crucifix pin for a nearfall. Young kept Taylor on the mat with elbow drops. Young talked trash, allowing Taylor to catch Young with a lariat. Taylor went on the offensive, catching Young with a knee and a Sky High for a nearfall. Young caught Taylor with knees of his own and a tornado DDT for a two count.
Young tried to pick Taylor up, but Taylor took him down with a headbutt before picking him up into a uranage for a nearfall. Young avoided the package piledriver, hitting Taylor with the spinning knee. Young got Taylor up for the rolling slam but missed the Pee Gee Waja Plunge. Taylor hit a running knee before planting Young with the Package Piledriver for the win.
Billie Starkz defeated Miranda Alize
Alize was called the Lucha Baddie, and after slapping the hand of Starkz, she definitely displayed rudo tendencies. Alize bit the hand of Starkz, but Starkz hit a half-and-half suplex before diving onto Alize on the floor. Starkz missed the double stomp, leading to Alize yanking her down by the hair to the mat. Alize clubbered on Starkz in the corner before catching her with a back elbow.
Alize sent Starkz into the ropes before hitting the La Mistica – which she calls the Miranda Rights – before Starkz escaped and hit a knee that got Alize off of her. Starkz hit a pinpoint back heel kick before hitting a Spicolli Driver for a nearfall. Alize cut her off on the apron before hitting a basement rana for a nearfall. Starkz hit a brainbuster on the knee for a nearfall before missing a senton.
Alize went for the Drive By shining wizard, but Starks avoided it with a rollup for two. Alize went for the Miranda Rights again, but Starkz caught her with a Tombstone Piledriver for the win.
Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis) defeated Christopher Daniels & Matt Sydal
Aussie Open has been the unquestioned highlight of Ring of Honor television, as they have had several excellent matches on the show. This was no exception, as Daniels and Sydal worked so well with them here in front of a red hot crowd. I can’t recommend this one enough.
Daniels & Sydal must have the advantage here, with all the flying Aussie Open have been doing between the US and Japan. Flatcher and Sydal started, with Sydal catching Fletcher with a rollup for two. Daniels came in, with Fletcher quickly slamming him down and tagging out to Davis. Davis laid in chops to Daniels, but Daniels tripped him into the corner before landing a lariat to the back of the head.
Sydal and Daniels double teamed Davis, with Sydal throwing Daniels up and over onto Davis before landing a standing moonsault. Daniels went for a sunset flip on Davis, but Fletcher got a blind tag. They took out both Daniels and Sydal before crashing them into each other on the outside.
Aussie Open worked on Daniels, with Davis starting a vertical suplex before passing him off to Fletcher. Daniels caught Fletcher in an inside cradle for two. More work on Daniels, but as Aussie Open went for the tandem cutter, Daniels fought his way out with a flatliner to Davis.
Sydal got the tag in and laid in the kicks on both men. Sydal hit an incredible frankensteiner for a nearfall. Sydal hit a jumping frankensteiner to Fletcher out of the corner for another nearfall. Davis cut Sydal off as he went to the top rope, allowing Fletcher to hit a boot in the corner. Daniels low bridged Davis to the floor, and helped Sydal hit a powerbomb/meteora combination for two. A run of big moves left Fletcher and Daniels in the ring as the crowd chanted ROH.
Davis hip tossed Daniels to the floor before going for the Close Your Eyes piledriver on Sydal. Sydal caught Davis with a frankensteiner and fought both men off before getting caught with the Dental Plan and the tandem cutter for a nearfall that Daniels broke up. Daniels dragged Sydal to the corner to tag in. Daniels hit a double noggin knocker before getting a nearfall on a Blue Thunder Bomb.
Angel’s Wings attempt got cut off, but Daniels avoided the Dental Plan. Sydal tried cutting off Aussie Open, but Fletcher cut him off with a spinning Tombstone. Daniels went for the Angel’s Wings on Fletcher, but Davis cut him off with a forearm. Aussie Open hit the double forearms on Daniels before landing the Coreolis for the win.
ROH World Television Title Match: Samoa Joe (c) defeated Cheeseburger
Ah, ok. Joe immediately drilled Cheeseburger with punches in the corner and a lariat. A Muscle Buster ended this one almost immediately. After the match, Joe landed a second Muscle Buster while calling out Mark Briscoe. Joe grabbed a chair and went to do more damage, but Mark Briscoe came out with a chair of his own as the show went off the air.
