By Sam Robinson, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@altaine)
Ring of Honor on HonorClub (Episode 73)
Taped July 17, 2024 in North Little Rock, Arkansas at Simmons Bank Arena
Streamed July 18, 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…
A Mark Briscoe promo delivered from his barn was shown. Briscoe said he’s older and wiser than the last time they fought, and the promo cut off abruptly…
ROH Women’s Champion Athena and ROH Women’s TV Champion Billie Strarkz made their way out on stage with two security guards and the announcers questioned why she was still on crutches. Athena mocked the hometown. Athena said that last week’s “walking” incident was just chalked up to an adrenaline rush.
Starkz transitioned to her match with Red Velvet, and said that Velvet has been making her see red. Starkz said she outsmarted the rest of the tournament bracket and said she’d be the last ROH Women’s TV champion. Athena said she’s better than Queen Aminata and every other hussy even on one foot. Athena said they weren’t going to get in anyone’s business tonight, they were going to kick their feet up. But, next week Lexi is going to be asking Aminanta and Velvet the “hard questions”…
Backstage from “Earlier Today”, Lexi was asking Dalton Castle where he was going to find partners for his trios match tonight. Castle was confused why he was booked for a trios match as The Outrunners came into frame and introduced themselves, and said they’d already met. They nervously asked to be his tag partners. Castle asked them “what do you got?” and they posed for him. After a few moments Castle said he’d see them out there…
A couple clips aired of the brief history of The Outrunners and Castle…
1. Dalton Castle and “The Outrunners” Truth Magnum and Turbo Floyd vs. Lance Archer and “The Righteous” Vincent and Dutch. Castle snatched a headlock and got tossed to ringside, but he just ran around the ring screaming a few times in a desperate attempt to get the crowd going. Back in the ring, Vincent escaped a waistlock and tagged in Dutch. Floyd begged for the tag and got it to some cheers. Floyd posed and twirled and got kicked in the gut. Dutch stuffed a shoulder block but ran into a boot. The Outrunners did an assisted shoulder tackle and a double elbow drop.
Archer cleared Magnum from the ring. Dutch choked Floyd on the ropes. Floyd got a tag to magnum who cleated Vincent from the apron but turned around into a Dutch crossbody. Dutch planted Magnum with some arm held clotheslines and then a release northern lights suplex. Righteous hit a side effect leg drop combo for a two count. Archer chopped Magnum in the corner and hit a huge running elbow. Vincent hit a few kicks to the face and a kneeling flatliner. Vincent locked in a chinlock and eventually Magnum hit a back suplex to break it for a double down.
Castle tagged in and cleared Dutch and Archer from the apron. Castle caught a flying Vincent with a bridging German suplex for a two count. Castle tried for Bangarang but Vincent grabbed the ropes. Archer tagged in and tried for a chokeslam but was blocked. Magnum got a blind tag. Floyd broke up a blackout attempt but ate a big boot. Floyd broke a chokeslam attempt only to run into a bossman slam. Archer finally grabbed Magnum and hit Blackout for the pinfall.
Lance Archer and “The Righteous” Vincent and Dutch defeated Dalton Castle and “The Outrunners” Truth Magnum and Turbo Floyd by pinfall in 10:00.
Robinson’s Ruminations: This one was slow and kind of boring.
An MxM Collection vignette aired. More sexual innuendo. There was a song playing too, kind of catchy “Work!”…
Robinson’s Ruminations: I’m still not sure if this is going to work at all, but I saw quite a few folks on the internet that seemed to be into this, so I guess I’m willing to let it cook for a bit. I’m just afraid they are going to end up like The Premier Athletes, nothing but jobbers.
2. Red Velvet vs. Maya World. The announcers made quick reference to the fact that World is a top student of Athena. Velvet hit an arm drag and a cravat throw for a quick one count. World came back with a shoulder tackle but Velvet kipped right up. Velvet hit a leg lariat. World worked over Velvet in the corner with strikes, but Velvet turned it around and stomped World into the corner. World raked the eyes but ran into a Japanese arm drag. Velvet hit a standing moonsault for another one count. Velvet hit a face plant and a flipping face plant move similar to Natural Selection…
Red Velvet defeated Maya World by pinfall in 3:00.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Quick squash win for Velvet to make her look strong going into Death Before Dishonor.
A commercial aired for the Adam Cole and Evil Uno podcast…
Evil Uno made his entrance in Mick Foley cosplay. He grabbed a mic and said he’s been wrestling for 20 years. He said to be the best, he’s got to face the best. Uno issued an open challenge. Katsuyori Shibata made his entrance…
3. Evil Uno vs. Katsuyori Shibata. Shibata backed Uno into the corner and choked him with his tie. Uno took off the tie. Shibata locked in a chinlock but Uno stood up quickly and grabbed the ropes. Uno threw Shibata to ringside and threw him into the barriers at ringside. Back in the ring, Uno chopped Shibata a bit, but Shibata brushed them off and flexed his pecs. Shibata blasted Uno with a forearm. Shibata hit a big boot but Uno shrugged it off.
Shibata hit a few pump kicks and a dropkick in the corner. Shibata hit a half hatch suplex, got a two count and then immediately locked in a cross arm breaker. Uno got to the ropes and the ref checked on him and backed Shibata away. The camera held on Shibata for a long time and then the ref raised his hand as the docs checked on Uno. The announcers questioned whether or not Shibata actually dislocated the arm.
Katsuyori Shibata defeated Evil Uno by ref stoppage in 5:00.
Robinson’s Ruminations: This one was fun while it lasted, both men going hard and no-selling things that are appropriate for them to no sell, moves they are famous for. It’s a shame the finish happened like it did, and hopefully Uno is ok.
4. “Cage of Agony” Brian Cage, Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona vs. Austin Mulitalo, Cappuccino Jones, and Carson Hutcheson. No entrance for the jobbers. One of the jobbers tried to blindside Liona and it didn’t go well. Liona blasted him with some punches and then a scoop slam. Kaun chopped the jobber in the corner and scoop slammed him too. Cage curled him a bit and threw him over himself. The jobber tagged out and the new jobber ran right into a shoulder tackle. Cage hit a knee lift in the corner and a German suplex. All three CoA members splashed him in the corner. The other two jobbers ran in and got slammed. Coleman said “He just high-fived Jesus.” CoA did a thrown powerbomb to get the pinfall.
“Cage of Agony” Brian Cage, Bishop Kaun, and Toa Liona defeated Austin Mulitalo, Cappuccino Jones, and Carson Hutcheson by pinfall in 3:00.
After the match, Cage of Agony threw the jobber they pinned onto the other two at ringside…
Robinson’s Ruminations: Squash match.
Jay White narrated a promo package about how he’s now in the AEW Fight Forever video game…
Backstage, Shane Taylor talked about the hurricane that rolled through his hometown. He said no one called him to see if he and his family were okay. Taylor said that since he’s not valued, he’s going to start taking the things that others value. He challenged Mark Briscoe for the ROH Championship and said he’s going to be coming looking for him…
A rundown aired of three matches currently announced for Death Before Dishonor…
5. Queen Aminata vs. Mackenzie Morgan. Aminata hit a quick release German suplex. Aminata hit another suplex and clapped her hands saying “easy work”. Moran tried a flying head scissors but got hit by another German suplex. Aminata hit a huge face wash kick in the corner. Aminata hit a running air raid crash for the pinfall.
Queen Aminata defeated Mackenzie Morgan by pinfall in 1:30.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Another squash. Aminata looked really crisp and violent here in this one.
6. Diamante vs. Leyla Hirsch in a “No Holds Barred Lights Out” match. Diamante charged with a kendo stick but Hirsch hit her with a pair of suplexes. Diamante fled to ringside an Hirsch tried to dive at her but Diamante got a trashcan up and in the way. Diamante put the can on the head of Hirsch and beat it with the lid. Diamante hit a dropkick with the can still on the head. Diamante threw Hirsch into the barricade and charged at her but got back dropped into the crowd. Hirsch did a chair jump and dove on Diamante.
Back in the ringside area, Hirsch tried for a suplex but Diamante hit her with a chair in the gut and across the back. Diamante threw Hirsch into the barricade again with a hip toss and drop kicked a chair into her face. Back in the ring Diamante got a two count nearfall and then checked her imaginary watch. Diamante tried to put a plunger in the face of Hirsch but Hirsch fought her off and hit a clothesline. Hirsch grabbed the plunger and mounted Diamante and put the plunger in her face. Hirsch grabbed a chair and hit Diamante in the gut and drop kicked two chairs into her face for a two count. Hirsch went to ringside and grabbed the black bag. In the ring she dumped it out and thumbtacks littered the ring. Hirsch charged at Diamante and but got hit with a drop toe hold into an open chair.
Diamante hit a bridging German suplex near the tacks but got a two count. When Hirsch kicked out, she rolled into the tacks and flailed around screaming. On the apron, Diamante for a jackknife, but Hirsch fought her off with a kendo stick. At ringside, Hirsch put Diamante on a table that was already set up. Hirsch went to the top turnbuckle and hit a moonsault through the table. Both women came up in obvious pain. Hirsch was holding her arm and Diamante was bleeding from her ear. Hirsch grabbed a new table and set it up in the ring.
Diamante grabbed a kendo stick as this was going on. Hirsch went to grab Diamante but Diamante hit her with the kendo stick and choked her in the corner with it. Diamante set Hirsch on the top turnbuckle and followed her up. Hirsch fought her off and tried to hop off and hit a german suplex, but Diamante held on. Hirsch moved the table closer and went up after Diamante. Hirsch tried a superplex, but Diamante fought her off and hit a sunset bomb off the top through the table for the pinfall.
Diamante defeated Leyla Hirsch in a Lights Out match by pinfall in 12:00.
Robinson’s Ruminations: This was a well worked garbage match. Maybe I’m just getting old, but I’m starting to find these types of garbage matches less appealing. I’m starting to feel like this is a lot of unnecessary risk to take, especially for a sparsely occupied crowd like an ROH taping draws. I’m surprised they didn’t save this for Death Before Dishonor. Wait, why wasn’t this a “Fight Without Honor”?
The overall show was serviceable, but nothing spectacular. This was really a “showcase the women” week and also “have some trios matches”. Nothing wrong with that, but man does the trios division need to go. It’s really just the float point for people TK wants on his roster but has nothing for. My weekly ROH on HonorClub audio reviews are available weekly for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons).
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