Two Ring of Honor titles will be defended on tonight’s ROH on HonorClub.
After unsuccessfully unseating AEW Women’s World Champion Kris Statlander on Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite, interim ROH Women’s TV Champion Mina Shirakawa will defend her title against the debuting Lacey Lane, formerly Kayden Carter in WWE.
The ROH Tag Team titles will be decided as LFI (Sammy Guevara & Rush) defend against former ROH Six-Man Champions The Von Erichs.
The ROH Women’s Pure title tournament continues with a quarterfinal match between Billie Starkz and CMLL’s Olympia. In another Pure rules bout, future tourney competitor Deonna Purrazzo will take on Viva Van in non-tournament action.
ROH World Champion Bandido will also be featured, battling Dralistico in a Proving Ground match where if the challenger draws or beats the champion, they earn a future title shot.
The show is rounded out by Tony Nese and Ari Daivari in mixed trios action with new Premier Athletes partner Stori Denali.
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With two title defences, a pair of Pure Rules bouts and a World Championship Proving Ground match, this week’s episode of ROH on Honorclub is so packed from bell to bell, we should all make sure to pee before it starts!
ROH World Title Proving Ground Match: Bandido [c] vs Dralistico (w/Rush)
Brodido (Bandido and Brody King) are fresh off defending their AEW tag titles in Toronto at All Out (which I think ended about a15 minutes ago) but tonight’s a singles bout in which if Dralistico can last 10 minutes or pin/submit Bandido, he slingshots into an ROH World Title match.
Dralistico started things off by giving Bandido the Middle Finger of Honor and then rolling out of the ring. Bandido followed, but Draslistic was waiting to throw him into the barricade a whole bunch. Rush approved.
Bandido rolled back into the ring and Dralistico’s foot followed, planting him on the mat. Dralistico went for the mask of Bandido to a chorus of boos. Dralistico responded with some superkicks and set Bandido up in the corner for one more.
Bandido powered up and threw some punches and a hurricanrana. Bandido caught Dralistico in a one-handed Millitary Press and then slammed him to the mat. Rush did not approve.
Out of the corner, Dralistico tried to get a quick pin while Rush helped him grab the ropes, but the ref caught it and sent Rush to the back as the five minute warning sounded.
Bandido hit a high knee square in the face of Dralistico and that seemed to knock him cold. Bandido pinned him and got the victory.
Match Result: Bandido defeated Dralistico
After the match, a masked man jumped Bandido and threw him into the steel steps. He ripped off his mask to reveal one-half of the worst named tag team of all time, Blake Christian! Christian threw Bandido into the ring and Lee Johnson was waiting for him. They laid a beating on Bandido, capped off with a Lethal Injection.
That brought Hologram out, but he didn’t come alone as Komander returned to ROH to run off Christian and Johnson and save Bandido.
Mixed Six Person Tag Team Match: The Premier Athletes (Ariya Daivari, Stori Denali & Tony Nese) vs JD ink, El Magnifico and Rebecca Scott
The Athletes came down to the ring complaining that their manager MArk Sterling was gbetting surgery because of the Conglomeration. Their opponents were exaxtly what their names suggest; JD Ink had a lot of tattoos, El Magnifico had a magnificent mask and Scott definitely looks like her name is Rebecca.
Nese started off against Ink, controlling the match every step of the way. He tagged in Daivari who backflipped Ink, but also gave him a chance to get a tag to Magnifico. Daivari sent the smaller man into the corner and introduced his shoulder to Magnifico’s stomach.
Magnifico punched Daivari, which sent him backwards into a blind tag from Denali. Scott tagged in, but Denali had a bout a foot’s height advantage on her. Scott tried to wear her down with punches, but Denali didn’t so much kick Scott, as she stepped on her.
Nese and Daivari ran in and knocked Ink and Magnifico off the apron. Denali chokeslammed Scott and that was in. Athletes suck– uh, I mean win. Athletes win.
Match Result: The Premier Athletes defeated JD Ink, El Magnifico and Rebecca Scott.
Pure Rules Match: Deonna Purrazzo vs Viva Van
This match isn’t part of the Tournament to crown the new Women’s Pure Rules Champion, but Purrazzo is a participant and a likely winner of said tournament. Tonight she warms up against Van who lost a Proving Ground match to Athena recently.
Code of Honor was adhered to and the clock started ticking. Purrazzo got Van in a headlock right off the top, but Van got out of it. She chose to celebrate and Purrazzo jumped in an put on an arm bar, causing Van to use her first rope break at 0:45.
Van hit a spinning heel kick, knocking Purrazzo to the mat. Van went for a facelock, but Purrazzo pushed her into the corner and flipped her into a surfboard attempt. She couldn’t get it on and went for a shoulder wrench instead.
Purrazzo then focused on the arm of Van, looking to take away her striking power. Van tried a sunset flip, but Purrazzo worked it into another arm bar. Van got her foot on the rope at 2:53 for her second rope break.
Van went up top for a spingboard dropkick, but also walked right into a spinning back fist from Purrazzo. Van dropped low for a pump kick, but when she got back up, Purrazzo hit her with a big boot and a snap piledriver to get the pin and the victory.
Match Result: Deonna Purrazzo defeated Viva Van
ROH Interim Women’s World Television Title Match: Mina Shirakawa (c) vs Lacey Lane
Shirakawa is the Interim Women’s TV Champion while Red Velvet is stuck at home remodelling Mama’s Kitchen. Shirakawa broke her hand shortly after winning a four-way for the title, but keeps on going, this time taking on Lane, who is a wrestler who works at Ring of Honor.
Off the top, Shirakawa was stuck in her own jacket due to the wrapped hand. Lane did not take advantage of that though and Shirakawa took control with the first pin attempt. Lane tried to work the leg of Shirakawa (who has a broken HAND, I remind you), but Shirakawa was able to transition into a double stomp.
Lane hung Shirakawa up in the corner and delivered a drop kick for a two count. Shirakawa was able to dodge a few kicks, but caught one in the side of the head. Lane started chopping Shirakawa and threw another big kick. This time, Shirakawa responded with one of her own.
Shirakawa threw some forearms and hit an around the world headscissor into a side Russian leg sweep. Shirakawa went for a cloverleaf backstabber and locked in a figure four. Lane managed to get to the ropes though and the rf broke it up.
Lane hit a big kick through the ropes and then a legdrop for a two count. She started hitting her knee, trying to get the blood flowing. Shirakawa rolled through a hold but was planted with a modified bulldog for two.
Lane went up top, but Shirakawa awakened and pulled her leg-first off the top rope. Shirakawa scrambled up and hit a slingblade from the top turnbuckle. Lane kicked out at two though, but Shirakawa hit two spinning fists and went back to the figure four.
Lane held on as long as she could, but was forced to tap as she wasn’t anywhere near the ropes.
Match Result: Mina Shirakawa defeated Lacey Lane
ROH World Tag Team Title Match: La Faccion Ingobernable (Rush & Sammy Guevara) w/Dralistico (c) vs The Von Erichs (Marshall von Erich & Ross von Erich)
At Death Before Dishonor, Guevara turned on the Von Erichs and joined LFI. He and Rush became tag champions and Dustin Rhodes wept silently in a hospital room in Texas. Tonight though, they might be able to get a bit of revenge.
Guevara and Rush jumped the Von Erichs off the bell, but Marshall was able to get the upper hand on Guevara and send him into the barricade. Ross didn’t fair as well though as Rush chopped him on the outside before tossing him back into the ring.
All four men battled in the ring with Rush and Guevara taking both Von Erich’s down. Ross rolled to the ring apron, which made Marshall legal (i guess) and he and Guevara locked up so the match could start. Guevara went right to a set of three amigos, but after two, Marshall reversed into a suplex of his own.
Ross tagged in and ran across to knock Rush off the apron before hitting a sling blade on Guevara. Ross went for a falcon arrow but the pin was only a two count. Ross went up top and tried to hit a move off the second rope, but Guevara caught him with a hight knee.
Guevara stomped him and tagged in Rush who went to work on the ankle of Ross. He tossed him in the corner and then he and Guevara took a moment to pose. From there, Rush tossed Ross out of the ring where Dralistico took the opportunity to stomp him.
Rush took his time getting Ross back into the ring while Guevara stole Marshall’s hat. Rush chopped Ross while Guevara mugged for the cameras. Rush charged Ross, but Ross ducked it and crawled for a tag to Marshall.
Marshall took out Rush and Guevara (somehow the hat stayed on) and Marshall splashed them both in the corner, retrieving his chapeau (that means hat). Marshall hit a big foot on Rush and hit the Iron Claw. Ross came in and they turned it into a Claw Slam double team.
Guevara broke it up and distracted the Ref so Dralistico could come in and kick the Von Erich’s to death. Rush set up Marshall in the corner and as promised gave him the horns. He tagged in Guevara so that he could hit the swanton and get the pin to retain the titles.
Match Result: La Faccion Ingobernable defeated The Von Erichs
-Backstage, Deonna Purrazzo cut a promo about his she’s the foundation of Women’s Wresting in ROH. She was interrupted by the ROH Six-Man Champions, Shane Taylor Promotions. They jawed at her and then Trish Adora punched her into a stack of road cases in anticipation of their upcoming Women’s Pure Championship Tournament match.
ROH Women’s Pure Title Tournament Quarter Final Match: Billie Starkz vs Olympia
Speaking of said tournament, Olympia debuted in ROH last week and it was an impressive debut at that. Starkz has long sat under the Athena learning tree though and has a Tournament win under her belt as she was the inaugural ROH Women’s TV Champion.
Starkz had height, but Olympia had the strength and the lockup off the top was a long one. Olympia sent Starkz to the mat and tried a waist lock. Olympia turned it into an armdrag though and they took a moment to reset.
That reset led to Olympia kicking the knee out of Starkz and going to work on her arm, twisting it behind her back. Starkz reversed it though and ended up using a rope break at about 2:30 to get some space between her and Olympia.
It didn’t last long though as Olympia grabbed her in a huge powerbomb. Olympia scrambled to put on a hold, but Starkz beat her to the rope, costing her a second rope break. She then poked Olympia’s eye and tossed her out of the ring for a suicide dive. Unfortunately, Olympia saw it coming and moved.
Olympia slammed Starkz on the ring apron (the Starkz-est part of the ring!) and tossed her back in for a springboard splash. Olympia got too close to the ropes though and Starkz wrapped her leg around it. Olympia used a rope break and Starkz tossed her outside for another connecting dive.
Starkz threw Olympia into the barricade and steel steps before wrapping her knee around the ring post. Olympia writhed in the ring and Starkz began stomping the injured knee. She dropped down and put the knee in an elbow lock, working it harder.
Starkz delivered a bunch of forearms in the corner followed by some shoulder shots. She flipped Olympia out of the corner and kicked her in the back for a two count. Starkz tried a suplex, but Olympia was able to block it.
She pulled Starkz into a crade for a two count, but Starkz went back to the knee. Olympia hit a shotgun dropkick before she could do much damage then hit a pendulum bronco buster in the corner. Starkz kicked out at two.
Olympia got the crowd going and hoisted Starkz above her head for a big slam. She then wrapped Starkz up in a grapevine ankle lock in the center of the ring. Starks punched her in the face and was issued her warning from the ref.
From there Starkz put on a face lock and went up top. Olympia followed her and pulled her down for a swinging slam, but Starkz managed to swing around and turn it into a rollup to get the pin and punch her ticket into the Semi-Finals of the tournament to crown the first ROH Women’s Pure Champion.
Match Result: Billie Starkz defeated Olympia
