By Sam Robinson, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@altaine)
Ring of Honor on HonorClub (Episode 54)
Taped February 24, 2023 in Springfield, Missouri at Great Southern Bank Arena
Streamed March 7, 2024 on HonorClub
Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman were on commentary, and Bobby Cruise was the ring announcer…
*Unless otherwise noted, all matches started and ended with the Code of Honor handshake…
The show started with a rundown of some of the matches for tonight, including some quarterfinal action from the Women’s TV Title tournament, and Nyla Rose in a squash match…
1. Leyla Hirsch vs. Red Velvet in an ROH Women’s TV Title tournament quarterfinal match. Hirsch went for an early cross arm breaker but Velvet pushed them to the ropes and got the break. Velvet tried a heel kick but got caught and back suplexed for it. Hirsch got a two count on a rollup out of the corner. Hirsch slapped Velvet in the face and then worked over Velvet in the corner with a foot choke.
Velvet turned the tables and gave a foot choke of her own. Hirsch followed up with a shotgun dropkick for a two count. Hirsch went to the top but Velvet cut her off, but Hirsch grabbed a rear naked choke. Velvet fought out of the choke and hit an iconoclasm that got her a two count. Velvet worked over the arm of Hirsch and locked in a short arm scissor, but Hirsch rolled out and got a rollup two count. Velvet popped up and hit a nice superkick and went to the top. Hirsch cut her off with some headbutts. Hirsch hit a superplex from the very top and got two count for it.
The wrestlers traded strikes in the middle of the ring until Velvet hit her spinning heel kick, but Hirsch came right back with a bridging german suplex for a two count. Velvet hit a release German suplex of her own, but Hirsch was up first and hit a desperation clothesline and got a two count. Velvet got a drop toe hold into the ropes and some knees to the back. Velvet tried to roll Hirsch up, but Hirsch rolled through and hit a knee lift. Hirsch hit a triple jump moonsault and got a two count when Velvet grabbed the ropes. Hirsch stomped on the arm that grabbed the ropes. The women traded some roll up nearfalls, until Velvet got the three count on the last one.
Red Velvet defeated Leyla Hirsch by pinfall to advance to the semifinals of the ROH Women’s TV Title tournament.
Robinson’s Ruminations: That was a scary superplex only because of just how short Hirsch is and the fulcrum of the move. Welp, now my bracket is really busted, did not see that one coming. Was a good match though, both women brought it here.
Backstage, The Infantry and Trish Adora showed off their new merch and Dean did some posing to mock The Outrunners presumably, but they were never mentioned by name. This was a boilerplate babyface promo from The Infantry…
2. Abadon vs. Judie Azul. Abadon used the code of honor to hit a headbutt and then worked over Azul in the corner with double knees. Abadon missed a corner splash and hit her head on the turnbuckle in really nasty fashion. Azul hit a facebuster for a nearfall, and Mercedes Martinez was shown watching from the ramp. Abadon took over and hit Black Dahlia for the pinfall.
Abadon defeated Judie Azul by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Nothing match just to help set up the fact that neither of these competitors aren’t intimidated by each other.
Backstage, SAP confronted Maria and told her to get her baby boys for a fight. Maria said the baby boys had the night off, and they don’t face losers. She told them to win a match and they can have a match with the baby boys. SAP struck poses for some reason…
3. Jon Cruz vs. Lee Johnson. Cruz got an entrance, so I guess he got upgraded from jobber. Cruz attacked Johnson before the bell, and the ref Rick Knox rang the bell to start the match. Johnson came right back and tried for his reverse DDT but Cruz rolled out. Cruz called for a timeout and rolled out of the ring and posed while Johnson took his ring coat off.
Cruz took a long time teasing the crowd with getting in the ring. Johnson tried to go out and get him but Cruz met him on the apron with a spear. Back in the ring, Johnson hit his big dropkick. Johnson chopped Cruz down but Cruz hit a hotshot and a clothesline to the back. Cruz threw Johnson hard into the buckle and mocked him writhing in pain. Cruz then gave the code of honor handshake and then worked over Johnson in the corner.
Cruz missed a bronco buster and Johnson came back with clotheslines and a neckbreaker. Johnson hit blue thunder for a two count. Johnson went for his reverse DDT but Cruz went for the eyes and hit a clothesline for a two count. A small “Shotty” chant rang out as Cruz hit a headbutt and got a two count. Cruz rant into a few shots in the corner and Johnson hit an exploder into the buckle and then his reverse DDT to get the pinfall.
Lee Johnson defeated Jon Cruz by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: This was a good crowd for this match after Dynamite. Johnson is really starting to get over as a babyface and he’s starting to feel it. Cruz is a very capable good hand and I look forward to seeing more of him in the future.
4. Nyla Rose vs. Airica Demia. No televised entrance for Demia. The women couldn’t agree on which hand to code of honor with and Rose kicked the leg of Demia out and suplexed her. Rose splashed Demia in the corner and Biel tossed her. Rose hit a jumping crossbody really high on her head. Demia slid out of a move and hit a couple of strikes but tried a shoulder block that got eaten. Rose hit a clothesline and then beast bomb for the pinfall.
Nyla Rose defeated Airica Demia by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Squash match. Demia took fine enough bumps, but that’s all she really showed.
A commercial aired for AEW Dynasty (hopefully I can score tickets).
5. Jack Cartwheel and Gringo Loco vs. “The Workhorsemen” Anthony Henry and JD Drake vs. “The Infantry” Shawn Dean and Carlie Bravo vs. “SAP” Angelico and Serpentico in a four corner survival match. Henry and Angelico did some chain wrestling before Serpentico came in with the arm double stomp. Drake came in and chopped Serpentico once, and he tagged out to Cartwheel. Cartwheel hit an ugly head scissors and double stomp, but Drake popped up and chopped Cartwheel down. Loco tagged in and hit a head-scissors of his own.
Serpentico and Loco did some lucha opening moves until Serpentico hit a head-scissors and superkick. Bravo in and hit a neckbreaker off an ankle pick. Infantry hit a tandem move and got a two count on Serpentico. Infantry and SAP traded strikes in the middle of the ring until the other two teams dumped them to ringside. Drake and Cartwheel in, and Henry cleared Loco off the apron. Drake hit a gross looking DDT on Cartwheel and got a two count. Henry hit a suplex and Drake hit a shoulder dive over the ropes.
Cartwheel cartwheeled through some tandem offense and hit a huracanrana to make Drake but heads with Henry. Loco and Serpentico in, and Loco hit a press and standing moonsault. Loco went up top but Drake cut him off and hit an ugly Frankensteiner and Henry hit the double stomp off the top, but that was broken up by Dean off the top with a splash. The Infantry hit some tandem offense but that was broken up by SAP. Angelico hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and a neckbreaker combo. Cartwheel dumped Angelico to ringside with a cartwheel heel kick.
Serpentico tried a destroyer but Cartwheel flipped through it with a kick and a standing spiral tap, and Loco came off the top with a switch foot moonsault. Workhorsemen came in and Biel tossed Cartwheel and hit a cannonball in the corner. Infantry dumped Workehorsmen to ringside and signaled a dive, but SAP cut them off and Serpentico did the dive. More men dumped to the floor and Cartwheel hit an assisted dive and landed on his feet. Dean hit a flip dive on the pile. Bravo hit a scissor kick and then Infantry hit Boot Camp/Miami Overdrive for the pinfall on Gringo Loco.
The Infantry won a four corners survival match by pinfall over Jack Cartwheel and Gringo Loco, “The Workhorsemen” Anthony Henry and JD Drake, and “SAP” Angelico and Serpentico.
After the match as The Infantry celebrated in the ring, Maria came onto the stage and taunted Serpentico with the green mask again.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Typical multi-team match action. It was all pretty good other than Drake trying a little too hard to keep up with the lucha guys in places. I’m still upset that The Infantry are locked in a feud with The Outrunners of all people, the feud was alluded to all over this match.
The overall show was 50 minutes and pretty much all action. No video packages, not a lot of backstage promos, so very little character work. If you’re in the mood for more matches, I guess watch a few of these.
Also, there were absolutely zero champions shown or mentioned on this show. The only title we ever saw was the Women’s TV Title that is still held up in its tournament. It’s getting even harder, week after week now, to take this as a serious wrestling promotion instead of the AEW Dark replacement it is really becoming.
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