By Sam Robinson, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@altaine)
Ring of Honor on HonorClub (Episode 72)
Taped July 6, 2024 in Southaven, Mississippi at Landers Center
Streamed July 11, 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 with a rundown of the upcoming matches…
1. Robyn Renegade vs. Marina Shafir vs. Taya Valkyrie (w/Johnny TV). Valkyrie took a dip to ringside immediately as Shafir kicked Renegade in the head, threw her around with some judo throw and locked in an arm lock. Renegade broke out and pushed out and sent Shafir into the corner and hit a backstabber. Renegade dropkicked Shafir out of the ring and teased a dive, but Valkyrie pulled her out on the other side and threw her into the barricade. Valkyrie and TV made out while Renegade writhed on the ground. Valkyrie rolled Renegade in the ring and she got rolled up by Shafir for a two count.
As Shafir and Valkyrie argued, Renegade hit them with a cross body off the top. Valkyrie and Shafir each hit moves on Renegade and tried to steal the pin from each other. Shafir and Valkyrie tried to work together but Renegade fought them both off and stacked them up in the corner and hit double knees. Renegade hit some running strikes on both women. Renegade hit a big knee lift and a rope hung springboard stomp for a broken up nearfall. Renegade hit a superkick on Valkyrie but got Judo tossed by Shafir and locked in Mother’s Milk. Valkyrie broke the hold up with a knee and hit a big spear on Shafir that knocked her to ringside. Valkyrie hit Shania Pain on Renegade for the pinfall.
Taya Valkyrie defeated Robyn Renegade and Marina Shafir in a Triple Threat match by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Renegade was here to take the pinfall, but she showed some nice baby face fire here in this match.
Backstage, The Kingdom gave an interview. Matt Taven talked about his history in ROH and at Death Before Dishonor. Taven said they want the day off at Death Before Dishonor because it’s Roderick Strong’s birthday. Mike Bennett said they don’t have a great record at Death Before Dishonor. Bennett asked for a championship celebration instead of a match…
A recap aired from two weeks ago of Kyle Fletcher losing the ROH TV Championship to Atlantis Jr in Mexico…
2. Atlantis Jr. vs. Serpentico in an ROH TV Title match. Serpentico used the code of honor to grab a headlock but was put down by a shoulder block quickly. Serpentico hit a running flying head-scissors but then ate a drop kick. Serpentico went to ringside and Atlantis tried a baseball slide but Serpentico ducked. Serpentico hit a rebound head-scissors off the apron. Back in the ring, Serpentico hit a top rope frog splash and got a two count. Atlantis hit a kick to the gut to counter a tip up and a rolling cutter for a two count.
Serpentico hit a superkick and a jumping flatliner for a two count. Serpentico went to the top slowly and hit the flying-nothing. Atlantis put him in the tree of woe and hit a dropkick to the face for a two count. The men traded forearms in the middle of the ring until Serpentico hit a flying head-scissors and a kick to the back of the head and a rollup for a two count. Atlantis hit a big scooping power slam and then a frog splash from the top for the pinfall.
Atlantis Jr defeated Serpentico by pinfall to retain the ROH TV Title.
Robinson’s Ruminations: It’s a shame Serpentico hasn’t done an excursion in Mexico. He’s a luchador on the cusp of being really good, but I think he needs more seasoning.
Backstage Evil Uno and Adam Cole were on a couch playing video games and talked about their upcoming video game podcast…
3. Skye Blue vs. Laynie Luck. Blue used the code of honor to land a kick to the gut and then a flying head-scissors. Blue hit a running knee in the corner and then a running knee to the face for a two count. Blue choked Luck with her foot in the corner. Luck tried to fight back but Blue raked her eyes. Luck got a rollup for a two count and then hit a running kick to the face. Blue cut her off with a forearm to the face. Luck hit a kick to the face and a rolling senton off the ropes for a two count. Blue tried a crossbody but Luck caught her and hit a DVD for a two count. Blue hit a hotshot and then Code Blue for the pinfall.
Skye Blue defeated Laynie Luck by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: A quick little showcase match for Blue. She’s really looking a whole lot more fluid in the ring and I can see why they had faith in her.
A hype package aired for “The MxM Collection” Mason and Mansoor. There was a reach around joke and a fair amount of homoerotic energy, even more than before…
4. ROH Women’s World Television Champion Billie Starkz (w/ Athena and two security guards) vs. Mackenzie Morgan in an Proving Ground match. Athena came out on crutches and in a boot and the announcers made mention that Athena’s limp keeps getting worse. The women traded arm holds for a bit until Starkz blocked a trip attempt. Starkz hit a shoulder block and posed. Morgan hit an arm drag and locked in an arm bar.
Starkz eventually used a hair pull to get out and hit a vertical suplex for a weak two count. Morgan missed a dropkick and Starkz hit a double leg drop for a two count. Starkz threw Morgan hard into the buckle and hit a big forearm. The security guards held Athena up for a slap while Starkz had the ref distracted. Morgan hit a dropkick and fired up. Morgan hit a flying forearm in the corner. Starkz used a hair pull and a kick to the head to set up her new submission for the tap out.
ROH Women’s World Television Champion Billie Starkz defeated Mackenzie Morgan by submission in a Proving Ground match.
After the match, Athena was seen quickly jumping up and down in celebration as the announcers questioned the injury…
Robinson’s Ruminations: A very slow match, but not in a bad way. I assume they were testing Morgan’s babyface comeback fire and it wasn’t terrible, but could have been bigger to me.
5. Diamante vs. Nyxx. Diamante used the code of honor to hit some kicks to the gut and punches. Diamante hit a release german suplex. Diamante hit some forearms until the ref pulled her off. Nyxx hit a sidewalk slam and got a two count. Diamante fought out of a fireman’s carry but got rolled up for a two count. Nyxx tried a powerslam but Diamante hit her crossroads move. Diamante looked into the camera and told Leyla that this was “for her” and locked in a cross arm breaker for the tap out win.
Diamante defeated Nyxx by submission.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Quick squash but it did further the Diamante and Hirsch feud a little bit, so that’s nice.
Backstage, Athena was firing up Starkz and the security guards. But as soon as she noticed the camera was filming, Athena fell to the ground crying.
A video package aired on the upcoming Roderick Strong vs. Dalton Castle match that’s going to be on Collision. The match will determine the number one contender for ROH Champion Mark Briscoe…
6. Lee Johnson and “The Infantry” Shawn Dean and Carlie Bravo (w/Trish Adora) vs. “Dark Order” Evil Uno, John Silver, and Alex Reynolds. Silver knocked Bravo over with a shoulder block and then again with a running uppercut. Bravo hit a rolling elbow of his own. Dean tagged in and hit the ax handle to the arm. Bravo tagged back in and did it again. Dean tagged in and did the ax handle again. Reynolds tagged in and blasted Dean with some uppercuts but put his head down and got kicked. Johnson tagged in and hit a flying head-scissors and a dropkick that sent Reynolds to the outside. Johnson tried a dive, Uno and Silver cut him off and Infantry cut them off. Johnson hit a huge running flip dive on to Reynolds as Infantry did smaller dives on the side of the ring on the others.
Back in the ring, Uno hit a huge splash off the apron and Silver held up Johnson in a suplex position so Reynolds could suicide dive through Johnson. Back in the ring Reynolds got a two count. Uno tagged in and stomped on Johnson. Silver tagged in and hit some big kicks to the chest. Dark Order set up for their finisher but just posed instead. Dark Order held Johnson’s limbs and Silver kicked him in the face for a two count. Reynolds locked in a chin lock and then hit some knees to the ribs. Johnson fought out of the corner and Uno’s leg flip spot to the ref backfired on him. Johnson got the hot tag to Dean who came in with clotheslines and a big back body drop on Reynolds.
Dean hit a huge flying elbow in the corner and Bravo hit a running big boot. Bravo hit the Carlie Crossover and a Zigzag style move for a two count. Infantry tried Boot Camp but Uno low bridged Bravo. Reynolds hit a big knee on Dean to send him to ringside. Dark Order hit their big move sequence for a broken up nearfall. All six men traded punches and forearms until Dark Order was able to hit their Drive By style kicks. Dark Order called for their finisher but Johnson avoided it by going high. The Infantry hit Boot Camp on Uno and Johnson hit a frog splash from the top for the pinfall.
Lee Johnson and “The Infantry” Shawn Dean and Carlie Bravo defeated “Dark Order” Evil Uno, John Silver, and Alex Reynolds.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Dark Order can be too cute by half sometimes and that happened here in this match. Johnson being relegated to a trio match is hopefully not a demotion but just a holding pattern. The overall show was pretty good this week. They covered a fair bit of ground in the hour long show that they have, and we got some entertaining matches out of it too. Nothing spectacular but not just a ton of squash matches either. My weekly ROH audio reviews are available for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons).
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