By Sam Robinson, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@altaine)
Ring of Honor on HonorClub (Episode 65)
Taped May 8, 2024 in Edmonton, Alberta at Rogers Place
Streamed May 23, 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 opened with JD Drake talking about how even though he’s alone, the work doesn’t stop. Then Anthony Henry walked into frame and said they’re still together… There was a rundown of some of the show’s matches, including The Workhorsemen vs. SAP and Jimmy Jacobs for Satnam Singh.,,
1. ROH TV Champion Kyle Fletcher vs. London Lightning in a Proving Ground match. Fletcher started by taking Lightning down a few times with arm wringers and then locked in a headlock. Lightning flipped out of a back body drop attempt and hit a crossbody for a one count nearfall. Lightning hit a really soft looking high knee that sent Fletcher to the outside and tried to dive on him but Fletcher kind of half caught Lightning and hit him with a brainbuster on the outside.
Fletcher went into the ring and made the ref start the countout, but Lightning got into the ring before the count expired. Fletcher worked over Lightning in the corner with some chops but Lightning turned it around with chops of his own. Fletcher put Lightning back down with a running elbow. Fletcher hit a pair of really quick scoop slams. Fletcher hit a third, but Lightning no sold and popped up with fire and hit a clothesline and a pair of atomic drops. Lightning hit a drop toe hold out of the corner and a vertical suplex.
Lighting went to the middle rope and hit an elbow drop for a two count nearfall. Lightning went back to the turnbuckle but Fletcher knocked him off to the floor and then hit a running dive on him. Back in the ring Fletcher hit a nasty big boot in the corner and another brainbuster for a two count nearfall. Fletcher argued with the ref about the count. “Let’s go Lightning!” chanted the crowd.
Fletcher laid in some kicks as the announcers talked about how only three minutes were left on the clock. Lightning fought back and the men exchanged forearms in the middle of the ring until Fletcher hit a big boot. Lightning rolled through a piledriver attempt for a two count and then he hit a spinebuster and locked in a scorpion deathlock but Fletcher pulled Lightning around for a rollup two count. Fletcher hit a superkick and his piledriver for the pinfall.
Kyle Fletcher defeated London Lightning by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: A very nice showing from Lightning, but he’s almost a little bit too much generic plucky babyface. He needs a little more sizzle on his steak.
2. “The Workhorsemen” JD Drake and Anthony Henry vs. “SAP” Serpentico and Angelico. Angelico and Drake traded some arm drags and leg sweeps at the start. Henry and Serpentico tagged in and traded some arm work before Serpentico got a rollup nearfall. Then Serpentico hit a head scissors and then they traded headlock takedowns and paused to pump up the crowd. Henry hit a big boot as the crowd was at the top of their cheer pitch and tagged in Drake who hit his outside in shoulder dive.
Drake hit a nasty chop that made Serpentico fly halfway across the ring. Workhorsemen worked over Serpentico with some quick tags and strikes in the corner. Serpentico fired up and fought out of the corner and hit a big swinging DDT off the turnbuckle and got the hot tag to Angelico. Angelico came in and hit a springboard clothesline off the back of Henry.
Angelico hit his kick combo and his rewind kick for a two count. Serpentico tagged in and SAP hit a high execution elbow. Serpentico dove onto Drake on the outside and Angelico hit Henry with a flatliner. Serpentico took a while to climb the top rope and “The Baby Boys” Griff Garrison and Cole Karter popped up on the apron and made the distraction. Drake threw Angelico out of the ring with a running belly to belly and Workhorsemen hit a flatliner kick to the head combo.
“The Workhorsemen” JD Drake and Anthony Henry defeated “SAP” Serpentico and Angelico by pinfall.
After the match, The Baby Boys attacked SAP. Garrison got a chair from under the ring but Serpentico ended up with the chair and Angelico threw Garrison into the steps on the outside. SAP stood tall in the ring…
Robinson’s Ruminations: As soon as the match was announced I knew the Baby Boys were going to play into the finish somehow. It was a fun match while it lasted. I’m still very ready for this Baby Boys and SAP feud to be over.
Backstage, Daddy Magic said that he had no idea where his tag team partner was, but that he’s got a great opportunity to earn his team a tag team title shot if he can beat Mike Bennett tonight. That apparently made his nipples hard…
3. Nyla Rose vs. Riea von Slasher. Slasher used the code of honor to stomp on the foot of Rose. Slasher tried a shoulder block but got stuffed. Rose hit a high knee and a dropkick. Slasher slid out of tree of woe attempt but missed a cannon ball and Rose hit a cannon ball of her own. Rose hit a neckbreaker and then Beast Bomb for the pinfall.
Nyla Rose defeated Riea von Slasher by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Another week, another squash match for Nyla Rose. Nice work if you can get it.
A training video package of Marina Shafir aired. She narrated the video and spoke about how her dad taught her about problems and that she became one herself.
4. Jimmy Jacobs vs. Satnam Singh. Jacobs got a bunch of pyro on his way to the ring. Jacobs tried some punches and then a running move, but Singh hit him with a crossbody block for a two count. Singh picked Jacobs up by his head and then hit him with a huge chokeslam for the pinfall.
Satnam Singh defeated Jimmy Jacobs by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Squash match. I hope all that pyro was worth it.
We got a quick video package about Black Christian’s ongoing run in the NJPW Best of the Super Juniors tournament.
5. “STP” Shane Taylor and Anthony Ogogo vs. Jon Cruz and Artemis Spencer. Spencer tried some arm work but Ogogo threw him off and hit some knee lifts to the gut. Ogogo hit some uppercuts and then threw Spencer to his own corner so Cruz could tag in. Cruz said he wanted Taylor who obliged. Cruz hit a few strikes to the face of Cruz but ran into an off hand punch that put Cruz down. Taylor hit a headbutt and then a right hand. Taylor set up for his Driver finisher and Ogogo knocked out Spencer coming in to try the breakup. The driver got the pinfall on Cruz.
“STP” Shane Taylor and Anthony Ogogo defeated Jon Cruz and Artemis Spencer by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Another squash match. Nice showing to set up that both men have knock out power.
Clips aired from the AEW Stories documentary about Mark Briscoe…
6. Mike Bennett (w/Matt Taven) vs. Daddy Magic. Magic came out with his ribs taped and Bennett kicked him in the gut after the code of honor. Right after that Magic hit a back body drop and Bennett went to ringside for a breather. “Daddy Magic” chanted the crowd. Bennett hit a side headlock takeover but Magic powered up and Bennett put him down with a shoulder block. Magic cleared Bennett to ringside with a clothesline and followed him out to run him into the barricades. Magic hit the 10 punches in the corner of the barricade while Bennett sat on a chair.
Magic ran Bennett into the ring steps. Taven distracted Magic and Bennett hit his rebound forearm. Bennett threw Magic into the ring steps and then back into the ring and got a one count. “Daddy Magic” chanted the crowd as he powered out of a chinlock of Bennett. As Magic got to his feet, Bennett hit him with a drop kick. Bennett hit a few elbows and then locked in another chinlock. Magic fought out but telegraphed the back body drop and Bennett tried a piledriver but then rolled each other up for nearfalls. Bennett grabbed a Kimura but couldn’t lock it all the way in and Magic got the foot on the rope. Bennett tried his piledriver again but Magic fought out and dumped Bennett to ringside.
Magic followed outside but took too long and Bennett hit him with a superkick. Bennett tried the piledriver again but Magic hit a body drop on the ramp. Taven threw Bennett in the ring and begged the ref to count out Magic, but he made it in by 17. The men exchanged punches in the middle of the ring and then Magic hit the 10 punches in the corner in the ring. Magic ran into an elbow but Bennett tried a dropkick and Magic locked in Boston Crab as a reversal. Taven got on the apron and Magic let go. Bennett hit a DVD but only got a two count. Bennett tried a spear but Magic hit a kick to the gut and a DDT for a two count. Taven slid in a belt but the ref cleared it. Taven tried to throw powder in the eyes of Magic but got Bennett instead. As Taven apologized, Magic hit them both with cutters and got the pinfall on Bennett.
Daddy Magic defeated Mike Bennett by pinfall.
After the match, Taven started the beatdown and then Bennett hit Magic in the face with the title belt…
Robinson’s Ruminations: That was a good match but had another predictable outcome. We were told weeks ago that Daddy Magic and Cool Hand Ang were coming for the tag titles, so why would I believe that Magic wasn’t going to win the “win and in” match? Since this match was as good as it was, I’m actually looking forward to the tag match because I think it’s got the possibility to be a pretty good one.
Backstage, Athena, Billie Starkz, and Lexi called an emergency meeting. Athena complained about Queen Aminata putting her hands on her. Billie stopped Athena and said that she was willing to throw hands on this problem. Athena and Billie ran down Red Velvet and Queen Aminata and said they’d never be champions…
7. Cole Karter, Griff Garrison and “Premier Athletes” Ariya Daivari and Tony Nese (w/ Mark Sterling) vs. Lee Jonshon, Action Andretti and “Top Flight” Dante and Darius Martin. Daivari and Darius shoved each other rather than a code of honor. Darius sunk in a headlock but powered out and got a backslide for a one count. Darius came back with an arm drag. Daivari pulled the hair and back Darius into the heel corner and tagged in Nese, who dug his forearm into the face of Darius. Darius hit a dropkick and tagged into Andretti and they hit some tandem kicks and he got a one count. Andretti hit a head scissors and a dropkick.
Andretti hit a springboard tornado splash for a one count. Nese hit a punch to the throat and tagged out to Karter. Karter tried a stalling suplex, but Andretti slid out and tagged to Johnson. Johnson came in and hit his dropdown dropkick on both Baby Boys. Johnson also cleared Nese with a clothesline. Johnson dove onto a Daivari on the floor, but he was blasted by a big elbow by Nese. Back in the ring Karter worked over Johnson with some stops and then tagged out to Garrison. Garrison hit a scoop slam for a one count. The heels worked over Johnson with some strikes and fast tags. Dante stole the “I Love Hot Moms” shirt that Karter wore to ringside, but it only bought Johnson a brief moment. Daivari stomped on the face of Johnson in the middle.
Daivari locked in a chinlock on Johnson but Johnson fought out with some punches and an enzuigiri. Nese cut off the hot tag with a stomp to the back, but Johnson slid out of a back suplex attempt and hit a blue thunder bomb. Johnson tagged to Dante who came in and cleared the apron and unloaded on Garrison with punches. Dante cartwheeled over the turnbuckle, hit a kick and a crossbody for a two count. Dante hit a clothesline on Karter. Dante dumped Garrison to the outside and all four faces dove onto all four heels on different sides of the ring.
Back in the ring, Dante hit a flipping suplex on Garrison for a broken up nearfall and things broke down. Andretti put down Premiere Athletes with a handspring elbow. Karter cut off a springboard move from Andretti and he was dumped to ringside. Dante went to the top but Sterling got on the apron and made the distraction. Karter and Garrison got a chair into the corner as Sterling made the distraction. Serpentico ran down and stole the chair and Karter chased him. Dante hit a high knee and then a half nelson spinout uranage for the pinfall on Garrison.
Action Andretti and “Top Flight” Dante and Darius Martin defeated Cole Karter, Griff Garrison and “Premier Athletes” Ariya Daivari and Tony Nese by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: And just like that Premiere Athletes are back to being meaningless fish at the bottom of the tag team division pond. I’m so glad we got all those weeks of hype packages. It was a fine match, but it was everything you expected out of a formula eight man tag. Please let this Baby Boys and SAP feud come to a real head here soon. Are they going to get a Fight Without Honor? It almost seems like the feud has earned that at this point.
The overall show was formula matches and squashes, and that’s all it’s been for weeks. Probably all it’s ever going to be again. That’s fine I guess, but it certainly isn’t getting me excited to watch long form PPV style events with folks I don’t see on weekly TV. My weekly ROH audio reviews are available exclusively for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons).
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