By Sam Robinson, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@altaine)
Ring of Honor on HonorClub
Taped February 25, 2023 in Orlando, Florida at Universal Studios
Streamed March 9, 2023 on HonorClub
Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman were on commentary, and Bobby Cruise was the ring announcer…
1. Samoa Joe vs. Tony Deppen for the ROH TV Championship. Some lock ups and clean breaks in the corner to start off. Joe worked an arm and then blasted Deppen with a flurry of chops. Deppen tried to fire back but was cut off by a big elbow from Joe. Joe hit his enzuigiri in the corner and then tried to set up a muscle buster. Deppen fought it off and hit a missile dropkick. Deppen hit a slingshot stunner for a two count. Joe performed a uranage in the corner and a big clothesline, which set up his Muscle Buster for a three count.
Samoa Joe defeated Tony Deppen to retain the ROH TV Championship.
Joe took the mic for a promo welcoming fans to ROH and reminding fans that he runs things. Joe made an open challenge. Mark Briscoe answered and issues a challenge from the stage, which Joe accepted.
Robinson’s Ruminations: I’ve always been a big fan of Joe, he’s just so different in the ring and in his body shape than most other wrestlers. First time I’ve ever seen Deppen and I wasn’t wowed. His offense in the match was pretty generic and his facial expressions were too over the top and comedic for my taste. I’m really looking forward to Joe vs Briscoe coming up in a few weeks, that will be a really fun match.
Dalton Castle cut a backstage promo with The Boys about The Kingdom and how they are ready to challenge for the ROH Six-Man Tag Titles.
2. Dalton Castle and The Boys vs. Marcus Kross, Cody Chhun and Guillermo Rosas. Dalton’s opponents didn’t get an entrance. Dalton started the match with Kross and teased an early Bangarang before Dalton took a powder on the outside where he had The Boys fan him and fire him up. A little later, The Boys showed off their flashy tag team offense. The opponent’s isolated one of The Boys and made some quick tags for some splashes and a tag team suplex kick combo. Kross then missed a double stomp and The Boy made the hot tag. Castle went on a flurry of suplexes on all three of the opponents then threw The Boys at the opponents on the outside. Castle hit the Bangarang on Rosas for the three count.
Dalton Castle and The Boys defeated Marcus Kross, Cody Chhun, and Guillermo Rosas.
Robinson’s Ruminations: A showcase win for Castle and The Boys. I’ve always been a fan of Exoticos too, and Castle is as close as we get in the States. The Boys are some good high fliers and I’d like to see more of them, preferably away from Castle down the line. I imagine that Castle is just parked in the six-man division for a time to continue to heal up his back working slightly lighter matches until there is room for him back towards the top of the card. Both announcers were gushing over just what a star Castle is, and I’m likely to agree.
The Kingdom” Matt Taven, Mike Bennett, and Maria Kanellis cut a backstage promo about their aspirations for gold and their feud with Top Flight…
3. “LFI” Rush and Dralistico (w/ Jose the Assistant) vs. “Chaos Project” Angelico and Serpentico (w/ Luther). Chaos Project got tossed to the outside and Dralistico followed them out with a tope. Rush teased one and then did the LFI taunt instead. Rush whipped Angelico with an extension cable while Dralistico worked over Serpentico in the ring. Later, Serpentico dodged a tag team move to go on a flurry, but he was quickly shut down by a headbutt from Rush. Dralistico hit a terrible looking springboard destroyer for the pin.
“LFI” Rush and Dralistico defeated “Chaos Project” Angelico and Serpentico.
Robinson’s Ruminations: LFI were the heels in this match, but you couldn’t really tell until they ripped off Serpentico’s mask after the match and threw it to the crowd, even then most of the crowd was still cheering them. The match itself was pretty good, Rush and Dralistico were working hard, but Serpentico still needs some work on making his offense look like it hurts, and Angelico looked like he was barely trying.
4.. Trish Adora vs. Billie Starks. Things started off with the Code of Honor handshake. Some of the crowd chanted for Trish. Later, Billie hit a rewind kick for a quick comeback. Trish answered with a big boot for a two count. They traded some running strikes and then forearms in the middle of the ring. Trish no sold a flurry of forearms and a kick and then blasts Billie with a Spin Kick for the three count. The wrestlers shared a handshake and hug.
Trish Adora defeated Billie Starkz.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Both wrestlers worked hard, but the crowd wasn’t really into it. Billie is green but seems to work hard. Trish could be a good strong heel, and I look forward to seeing more of her.
Christopher Daniels spoke backstage. He brought in Matt Sydal to say that they are a tag team again.
5. Slim J and Ari Daivari (w/Mark Sterling) vs. Jake Crist and Man Scout. Daivari stole Scout’s book to start the match. In the end, Slim J hit a top rope clothesline and an STF for the win.
Slim J and Ari Daivari defeated Jake Crist and Man Scout.
Afterward, Daivari cut a promo about his win over Metalik last week. Metalik ran out and took a three on one beat down. Blake Christian ran out with a chair for the save.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Man Scout is some kind of overgrown boy scout who likes to read? What a terrible gimmick. Somehow, the Trustbusters are even worse. It looks like we’re setting up a tag feud for the Trustbusters vs. Metalik and Blake Christian. It was nice to see Jake Crist, I’ve seen him all over the indies and have always been a fan. He got in his offense and then disappeared to the outside and never reappeared. That’s probably the best you can get out of a Trustbusters match.
6. Wheeler Yuta vs. Timothy Thatcher for the ROH Pure Championship. The announcers questioned whether Thatcher would adhere to the Pure Rules. The Code of Honor was adhered to. Thatcher forced a quick rope break with a Fujiwara Armbar. Thatcher stuffed a single leg attempt and grabbed an arm and transitioned it all over the ring. Thatcher worked the fingers then picked him up for a body slam. Another slam and an elbow drop. Yuta came back with an octopus hold to force a rope break. Yuta worked the arm in the middle of the ring. Thatcher broke away with a headbutt, but Yuta came right back with a middle rope arm slam and a senton splash. Yuta back on the arm and even bit Thatcher on the ear!
Thatcher came back with a big belly to belly suplex. Yuta goes right back to working the arm and forced Thatcher to use his second rope break with a high hammer lock. Yuta threw some big uppercuts and Thatcher fired back. Yuta went back to the hammerlock in the middle of the ring. Thatcher fired back with a bunch of uppercuts which forced Yuta back to the corner. Yuta was given a warning for a closed fist punch.
Thatcher used his last rope break on a pinfall attempt. Yuta threw a big German suplex and then Thatcher grabbed an arm as he kicked out and forced Yuta to use his second rope break. Thatcher hit Yuta with a big back suplex for a two count. Some knees to the back forced Yuta to use his last rope break. Yuta forced Thatcher to submit to an Octopus Hold with Thatcher tangled in the ropes.
Wheeler Yuta defeated Timothy Thatcher to retain the ROH Pure Championship.
After the match, Yuta cut a heel promo after his win proclaiming how good the Blackpool Combat Club and then called out the Young Lions of New Japan. Clark Connors came out to cut Yuta off and issued a challenge for next week…
Robinson’s Ruminations: I’m a sucker for Pure Rules matches, but I know they’re not for everyone. That said, this was a really fun match even despite the Pure Rules. There was lots of good chain wrestling and hard strikes. Yuta is coming into his own, and I think the Blackpool Combat Club is probably a good thing for ROH. I’m not sure if it’s great for AEW, but I think it works great here.
7. Rhett Titus and Tracy Williams vs. “Aussie Open” Mark Davis and Kyle Fletcher. Titus and Williams locked both members of Aussie Open into submissions leading to a big quadruple down. Titus and Williams hit a bunch of big offense which led to a broken up near fall. A big knee drop and a frog splash led to another big nearfall on Fletcher. Some huge piledrives by Aussie Open led to them hitting their finisher on Williams. Aussie Open forced the Code of Honor happen on knocked down Titus.
“Aussie Open” Mark Davis and Kyle Fletcher defeated Rhett Titus and Tracy Williams.
Robinson’s Ruminations: ROH has a fun, deep tag division from what I’ve seen so far. It seems better than the AEW tag division in my estimation. I look forward to more fun tag bouts like this one. Titus has a lot going for him with a good look and tight offense. I never understood why he never took off.
8. Eddie Kingston vs. Ben Dejo. The Code of Honor was adhered to. Eddie unloaded chops and a big exploder suplex and then hit a big back fist. Kingston shook his unconscious opponent’s hand.
Eddie Kingston defeated Ben Dejo.
Eddie called for a mic and called out Claudio Castagnoli, who’s music started right away. Claudio came out to the stage and told Kingston to do business “correctly.” Claudio said a man without honor will never be champion and walked away. Eddie chased him to the back…
Backstage the interviewer asked Claudio Castagnoli what he said, Claudio asked if he stuttered…
Robinson’s Ruminations: A quick squash for Eddie, which led to a quick angle to further his feud with Castagnoli. I look forward to their match, it should be very good.
There were pre-taped promos from Willow and Athena about their match, both of which were very well done…
9. Athena vs. Willow Nightingale for the ROH Women’s Championship. The Code of Honor handshake was adhered to. Athena started the match by showing off. Willow followed up with some of the same and then a crossbody. Willow threw some rolling suplexes into a fisherman’s suplex for a two count. Athena came back and used some dirty holds including a fish hook. Athena slowed the match down and bounced Willow’s head off the mat and then worked an arm bar. Willow hit a few quick roll up near falls. Athena hit a stiff shot on Willow’s neck to cut her off. Athena basement drop kicked Willow out of the ring and worked her over on the outside.
Athena shoved Willow’s arm in between the ring steps and stairs and drop kicked the stairs. Athena tried to huracanrana Willow on the outside only to get a slam on the apron and a Spicolli Driver on the outside. Both wrestlers made it back into the ring at 18 of the ref’s potential 20 count. Willow fired up and hit a splash in the corner, a big boot and a spinebuster for a big two count. Athena took back over by working on the arm. Willow rolled her over for a two count. Athena cut her off with big knees in the corner. Athena hit a big jackknife dropkick combo for a two count. The crowd chanted “This is awesome.” Willow hit a Pounce for a great two count. Willow with a gut-wrench powerbomb for another two count. Athena tried to leave the arena, Willow gives chase and Athena gouged her eyes and threw Willow down the ramp and into the stairs head first. Athena tossed Willow inside the ring and hit the O-Face for the three count.
Athena defeated Willow Nightingale to retain the ROH Women’s Championship.
After the match, Athena put the title in Willow’s face and then blasted her in the back with it. Athena hit a meteora into the steps on the outside and mockingly shook Willow’s hand.
Robinson’s Ruminations: I was never been a fan of Willow, I’ve always thought she was sloppy and green. Maybe I’ve just seen the wrong matches, because Willow looked like a polished act here. She worked hard and strong in great babyface fashion against a dirty heel in Athena. I would watch these two in a long term feud. Give me more of this.
The new ROH TV show is a whirlwind of matches and quick sound bite promos. Very little has a chance to breathe as there is always action right behind anything that happens. That said, I’m not opposed to this format and even kind of enjoyed it’s throw back nature of a stripped down, simple wrestling show. It’s matches and promos to set up matches later on. The matches are usually showcases of those that are going to be stars for the brand. I do look forward to seeing how ROH builds up the next group of stars for the company as that’s going to be the only way that ROH continues to move forward.
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