By Sam Robinson, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@altaine)
Ring of Honor on HonorClub (Episode 27)
Taped August 16 in Nashville, Tennessee at Bridgestone Arena and August 19, 2023 in Lexington, Kentucky at Rupp Arena
Streamed August 31, 2023 on HonorClub
Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman were on commentary, and Justin Roberts was the ring announcer…
*Unless otherwise noted, all matches started and ended with the Code of Honor handshake.
1. Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Metalik for the NJPW TV Title. As the match got underway Riccaboni ran down some of the matches for All Out this weekend. Sabre taunted Metalik’s hammerlock with some squats before putting Metalik to the mat with some reversals. Metalik tried a rollup and Sabre bridged out. Sabre tried a bow and arrow, Metalik rolled through and got a zero count. Sabre called for another handshake but used it for an arm takedown, but Metalik quickly came back with a springboard crossbody, a rope walk head scissors that duped Sabre to the outside.
Back in the ring, Sabre tried to lock in a cross arm breaker, but got a key lock that he used to pull on the arm. Sabre did the arm trap stomp spot. Sabre continued to work on the arm and fingers of Metalik and then stomped on it again. Metalik came back with a bulldog and a rope walking dropkick that dumped Sabre outside. Metalik hit a flipping dive onto Sabre on the outside. Back in the ring, Metalik went to the top and hit a rope walking crossbody for a two count.
Sabre did an around the world and locked in an octopus stretch that forced Metalik to get to the ropes to break it. Sabre continued to work on the arm with European uppercuts to the arm. Metalik came back with an around the world DDT that got a two count. The men traded rollups for a bit. Metalik hit a big superkick and went to the top. Metalik tried a rope walking elbow drop but Sabre locked in a reverse rings of Saturn-esque submission for the tap out.
Zack Sabre Jr defeated Metalik by submission in 8:45 to retain the NJPW TV Title.
Robinson’s Ruminations: A fun match. I love ZSJ.
Backstage Lexi Nair interviewed Cole Karter and Maria Kanellis-Bennett. Maria said that Griff Garrison is getting an opportunity to impress her, and Cole begged Maria to walk him to the ring.
2. Josh Woods (w/Mark Sterling) vs. John Walters in a Pure Rules match. No entrance for Walters. The men traded some chain wrestling to start until Walters hit an arm drag. The men traded hip toss attempts until Woods tossed Walters over the top. Walter came back in with a flip over arm drag. Woods stuffed a leap frog attempt and dropped Walters on his face. Woods elbowed the life out of Walters. Walters came back with some roll up attempts and got a pair of two counts. Woods blasted Walters with a big boot and locked in his Gorilla Lock for the tap out.
Josh Woods defeated John Walters by submission in 2:45 in a Pure Rules match.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Squash match central. Kind of slow and plodding.
3. Lee Moriarty and “The Workhorsemen” Anthony Henry and JD Drake defeated Gnarls Garvin, Invictus Khash, and Lord Crewe. No entrance for the enhancement trio. The heels dumped them to ringside and quickly isolated one of them. Moriarty tagged out to Henry who got trapped in the wrong corner. The jobber tagged out to another one. Drake got a blind tag and hit a short DDT for a two count. Drake got a two count after a falling headbutt. Moriarty tagged in and got a two count off a bridging Northern Lights Suplex.
Henry tagged in and kicked the jobber all over. The jobber fought back but Henry rolled him up for a two count. The jobber rolled up Henry for a two count. Moriarty tagged in. One of the enhancement wrestlers went to the top and got a “no one home” on his frog splash attempt. Henry hit a double stomp from the top and then Drake hit a moonsault from the top right after and got the pin.
The Workhorsemen and Lee Morirarty defeated Gnarls Garvin, Invictus Khash, and Lord Crewe in 3:00.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Another squash match for the new trio.
4. Cole Karter (w/ Maria) vs. Dustin Jackson. No entrance for Jackson. Kater used the Code of Honor to pie face and then played to Maria before turned around into a dropkick. Karter came right back with a pair of his own dropkicks. Karter put Jackson down with a shoulder block and blew a kiss to the hard cam. Kater blasted Jackson with a clothesline and his finisher called Eye of the Beholder.
Cole Karter defeated Dustin Jackson by pinfall in 1:00.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Another squash for Karter in his continuing attempts to impress Maria.
5. Emi Sakura vs. Alice Crowley. No entrance for Crowley. The announcers called Sakura a living legend as the front rows chanted for Crowley. Crowley put Sakura down with a drop kick but Sakura came right back by throwing Crowley across the ring by her hair. Sakura missed a Vader bomb in the corner. Crowley tried some forearms but Sakura ate them and fired back with chops. Crowely hit a fisherman’s suplex and got a two count because she couldn’t lock her hands. Sakura came back with a neck breaker. Sakura hit a crossbody in the corner and then hit her Imperial Backbreaker for the pinfall.
Emi Sakura defeated Alice Crowley by pinfall 3:00.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Another squash! That’s all this show is going to be, isn’t it?
Lexi asked Sterling if that win by Woods was great or what. Sterling said he has upped Woods’ competition and that Woods is a national champion. Woods said they are going to continue to prove that Woods is the face of the Pure Rules division and that he is always down to fight.
7. “Spanish Announce Project” Angelico and Serpentico vs. “The Outrunners” Turbo Floyd and Truth Magnum. Magnum started the match by slapping Serpentico in the face and Serpentico fired back and hit a flying head scissors and a dropkick. Serpentico tagged in and kicked Magnum in the head and got a two count. Serpentico tagged in and rolled up Magnum and superkicked his face. Magnum came back with a flying clothesline and the Outrunners did some heel work by distracting the ref.
The Outrunners hit a double back elbow and posed. Outrunners isolated Serpentico and got a two count off some double team work. Serpentco fought off the Outrunners with his speed and hit the hot tag to Angelico who came in and put them down with clotheslines. Angelico used one of the Outrunners to do some poetry in motion. Angelico hit a drop toe hold and locked in a reverse STF that Magnum had to break up. Serpentico hit a flatliner and dove onto Magnum on the outside. Angelico locked up Floyd in a hammerlock single crab for the submission.
“Spanish Announce Project” Angelico and Serpentico defeated “The Outrunners” Turbo Floyd and Truth Magnum by submission in roughly 4:00.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Fun tag match. The Outrunners are still a goofy fun act.
8. Marina Shafir vs. Angelica Risk. No entrance for Risk. Shafir picked up Risk easily and dumped her like a sack of potatoes. Shafir hit some judo throws and held onto the wrist. Shafir kicked Risk for a bit and then went back to the judo throws. Risk fought out and tried some punches, Shafir no sold them and put her down with a big boot. Shafir hit one more judo throw and locked in a mounted triangle for the tap out.
Marina Shafir defeated Angelica Risk in 3:00.
Robinson’s Ruminations: That was Shafir playing with her food. Another squash.
9. “Mogul Embassy” Brian Cage, Bishop Kaun, and Toa Liona (w/ Prince Nana) vs. Action Andretti, Darius Martin and Lee Johnson for the ROH Six-Man Tag Titles. The match started hot with Embassy dumping Andretti and Johnson to the outside and Cage hit a big slam on Martin for a two count. Martin hit a tornado DDT on Cage and tagged out to Johnson. Johnson hit Cage with a bunch of strikes but couldn’t put him down. Eventually he got a scoop slam on Cage.
Kaun distracted Johnson and that let Cage hit a neckbreaker off the top rope. Kaun tagged in and mounted Johnson with punches. Toa tagged in and got swarmed in the wrong corner by Gates. Kaun got a one count on Johnson with a cocky pin attempt. Toa tagged in and stomped on Johnson while taunting Martin and Andretti. Toa hit a huge belly to belly suplex and knocked Martin and Andretti off the apron. Johnson fought his way out and got the hot tag to Andretti. Andretti fought off Gates with his speed. Andretti hit a running spanish fly on Kaun for a two count.
Martin and Andretti dove onto Gates on the outside. Andertti hit a split leg moonsault for two count that Toa had to break up. Toa hit a huge running crossbody on Johnson to take him out. Martin and Andretti hit a wheelbarrow bulldog dropkick combo. Martin and Andretti hit a combo on Cage and Johnson hit a frog splash from the top and got a two count on Cage. Nana got up on the apron and he ate a triple superkick. The faces hit an assisted springboard cutter that Kuan had to break up. Gate isolated Johnson and they tossed him to a Cage sit-out powerbomb for the pinfall.,
“Mogul Embassy” Brian Cage, Bishop Kaun, and Toa Liona defeated Action Andretti, Darius Martin and Lee Johnson for the ROH Six-Man Tag Titles. by pinfall in 9:30.
Robinson’s Ruminations: A fast paced match to close things out, which is exactly what this show needed. No one expected Faux Top Flight and their partner of the week to win, but the action was pretty good.
Overall, this show was a filler show full of squash matches with a lot of names we haven’t seen recently in ROH. I feel bad for anyone who stuck around to witness this taping, even if the Trios main event was pretty good action. My ROH audio reviews are available weekly for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons).
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