By Sam Robinson, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@altaine)
Ring of Honor on HonorClub (Episode 82)
Taped August 31, 2024 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota at Denny Sanford Premier Center
Streamed September 19, 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 a rundown of the matches that will air during this episode…
1. ROH Women’s Champion Red Velvet vs. Allisyn Kay in a Proving Ground match. Velvet used her speed to avoid Kay and hit a head scissors to put Kay in the corner. Velvet lit up Kay with strikes and a foot choke in the corner. Velvet tried a wheelbarrow move but got German suplexed for it and Kay got a two count nearfall. Kay chopped Velvet in the corner and then hit a samoan drop for a two count. Kay hit a fall away slam for another two count. Velvet tried a leg lariat, but Kay swatted it down and grabbed an ankle lock, but Velvet got the ropes pretty quickly.
Kay locked in a straight jacket choke in the middle of the ring. Velvet fought out and went around the world and locked in an octopus hold, but Kay powered out and tried a tombstone, but Velvet fought out and hit a stunner. Velvet ran right into a Kay spinebuster that got Kay a two count. Kay went for a Gory bomb, but Velvet rolled her up for a two count. Velvet tried throwing some clotheslines, but Kay stuffed them. Velvet hit a running leg lariat and hit an ugly looking wheelbarrow stunner that was more air than anything. Velvet hit double knees while Kay was strung on the ropes and then hit a variation on the Natural Selection for the pinfall.
ROH Women’s Champion Red Velvet defeated Allisyn Kay by pinfall in 6:00 in a Proving Ground match.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Fine enough TV match, but Velvet isn’t used to working someone Kay’s size and it showed here. There were quite a few moves that just didn’t string together right.
We got a video package about Dustin Rhodes and Sammy Guevara vs The Dark Order for tonight. Actually a pretty good video package.
2. “Gates of Agony” Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona vs. Dante Leon and Trip Jordy. No entrance for the jobbers, and they looked way too excited about getting squashed by Gates. Kaun hit a backbreaker and chopped Jordy in the corner. Toa punched Jordy in the gut a bit. Gates tossed Jordy across the ring with a double Biel toss. Leon tagged in and got a hometown pop, and tried to use his speed to get away, but Kaun caught him and German suplexed him to Toa who hit a headbutt. Gates hit their Open the Gates finisher for the pinfall.
“Gates of Agony” Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona beat Dante Leon and Trip Jordy by pinfall in 2:30.
Robinson’s Ruminations: A Gates squash, nothing to see here. At least we are out of Texas Esports Stadium matches.
3. Brandon Cutler vs. Preston Vance. Cutler did some heel mic work on the way to the ring while wearing an ill fitting suit. After Vance came to the ring, Cutler made him adhere to the code of honor. Vance did and used it to blast Cutler with a forearm. Vance hit some running clotheslines in the corner and then a big back body drop. Cutler finally took his sunglasses off. Outside the ring, Vance threw Cutler into the barricades and into the crowd. Back in the ring, Cutler hit a hotshot on the ropes and took his jacket off.
Cutler nailed a cutter in the center of the ring and then locked in a chinlock that Vance fought out of immediately. Cutler grabbed a sleeper but Vance threw him off and hit some clotheslines. Vance hit a shoulder block off the middle rope and then a back suplex for a two count. Vance hit a spinebuster and fired up. Cutler ducked the discus lariat and hit a springboard crossbody. Cutler hit a superkick and a pump-handle slam for a two count. The men traded forearms in the middle of the ring until Cutler threw a discus forearm and that left Vance room to land the discus lariat for the pinfall.
Preston Vance defeated Brandon Cutler by pinfall in 4:00.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Vance got some nice pops from the crowd, and will probably work as a no nonsense babyface, but man you gotta be able to put Cutler down in less than 4 minutes.
We got a recap of The Outrunners getting ambushed after their match last week by the Iron Savages…
Backstage, The Outrunners cut an ’80s promo and said they respect Savage’s muscle and challenged them anytime, anyplace…
4. John Silver (w/Alex Reynolds, Evil Uno) vs. KM. The men had a pose down at the top and Silver got a ton of cheers. KM hit a shoulder tackle and posed again. Silver got a boot up in the corner and hit a middle rope shoulder tackle. KM hit a short arm lariat and choked Silver in the corner with his foot. KM hit a float over vertical suplex for a two count. KM locked in a chinlock but Silver stood right up and fought out. Silver tripped KM into the ropes, hit a kick to the head and a German suplex. Silver hit a torture rack airplane spine for the pinfall.
John Silver defeated KM by pinfall in 3:00.
Robinson’s Ruminations: I guess no one’s been watching ROH lately because no one seems to know that Dark Order are heels now. A fine squash match.
Backstage, Mark Sterling talked about Josh Wood’s nasty wheelbarrow suplex getting a million impressions on social media. Woods said he can do that to anyone…
5. Rachel Ellering vs. Maggie Lee. Lee kicked away the code of honor and Ellering shook hands with the ref. Ellering worked an armbar but Lee stood up. Lee tried a few forearms that didn’t work and then a shoulder block that Ellering just stuffed. Lee missed a splash in the corner and Ellering followed up with a running european uppercut. Ellering hit some chops in the middle. Lee came back with a knee lift but Ellering caught her foot on a big boot attempt and dumped her on her face. Ellering hit a basement dropkick and her “Swish” splash. Ellering hit The Boss Woman Slam for the pinfall.
Rachel Ellering defeated Maggie Lee by pinfall in 2:25.
Robinson’s Ruminations: A simple squash match.
A video package narrated by Tony Schiavone focused on The Workhorsmen, JD Drake’s injury, and Beef getting in on the action…
6. “The Infantry” Shawn Dean and Carlie Bravo (w/Trish Adora) vs. “SAP” Serpentico and Angelico. Angelico confused Bravo with some arm work but Bravo came back with an arm drag and ducked a bunch of Angelico kicks and then they both threw dropkicks for a standstill. Dean and Serpentico came in and Dean hit a shoulder block. Serpentico came back with a pair of head scissors, but Dean hit some arm drags and a dropkick. The Infantry threw a double hip toss on Serpentico that dropped him on his head and Angelico came in to take some tandem offense real quick.
SAP hit a clothesline backbreaker combo. Angelico hip tossed Bravo and then hip-tossed Serpentico onto Bravo. Angelico hit a back suplex on Bravo for a two count. Dean got the hot tag and hit clotheslines and a DDT. Serpentico took a clothesline and a stinger splash in the corner. Bravo hit a falcon arrow on Serpentico for a two count. Infantry went for Boot Camp but Angelico grabbed the foot. Angelico hit Dean with a flatliner and Serpentico hit a frog splash off the top for a two count. Bravo pulled the foot on a double team attempt and lit up Serpentico with big strikes and a double forearm. Infantry hit Boot Camp for the pinfall.
“The Infantry” Shawn Dean and Carlie Bravo defeated “SAP” Serpentico and Angelico by pinfall in 7:30.
The teams shook hands and hugged after the match…
Robinson’s Ruminations: Fine TV match. It was fast paced and the action kept going the whole time, but there was sadly no crowd reaction.
7. Anthony Ogogo (w/Shane Taylor) vs. Kit Sackett. Ogogo stuffed a shoulder block and blasted Sackett with one of his own. Sackett tried a single leg, but got powerbombed for it. Ogogo kicked Sackett in the face and then stomped him in the corner. Sackett got a boot up but ran into a bear hug that turned into a belly to belly suplex. Ogogo hit a huge running lariat. Ogogo took off his wrist tape, kissed his fist and hit a popup right hand for the ref stoppage.
Anthony Ogogo defeated Kit Sackett by ref stoppage in 3:00.
Taylor laid the Union Jack flag over Sackett after the match…
Robinson’s Ruminations: Squash match. A pop up right hand is going to be a hard finisher to hit on a lot of bigger guys, but Ogogo is one of the bigger guys on the roster, so I guess it’s fine.
8. Brian Cage vs. Deonn Rusman. The men traded some quick arm work until Cage hit a hip toss backbreaker. Cage chopped Rusman in the corner and hit some shoulders in the corner too. Cage hit some clotheslines in the corner and a back suplex out of the corner and posed. Cage went for Drill Claw but Rusman slid out and landed a dropkick. Rusman hit a Uranage for a two count and kipped up. Rusman tried to go to the top but Cage cut him off and tried his outside in suplex but Rusman blocked it. Rusman tried a frog splash but missed. Cage hit a discus clothesline and a powerbomb. Cage locked in a cloverleaf submission and stood on the head of Rusman for the tap out.
Brian Cage defeated Deonn Rusman by submission in 3:50.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Another squash match, but this time the jobber got a move or two in. I wish I could tell you anything about Rusman, but he was just kind of generic here, which is totally fine for a jobber.
Backstage, Ogogo and Taylor said it was good to be back in ROH. Ogogo said he was watching the Olympics in Paris, and it was time for him to get gold. Taylor said Shane Taylor Promotions is coming for all the titles…
9. ROH Tag Team Champions Dustin Rhodes and Sammy Guevara vs. “Dark Order” Evil Uno and Alex Reynolds (w/John Silver) in a Proving Ground match. Reynolds ducked out of the ring at the start and gloated about running out the clock. Uno tagged in and asked for Rhodes, who tagged in too. Uno ducked out of the ring to stall too, but Dustin and Sammy surrounded him at ringside and made him go inside. Dustin and Sammy hit Uno with a Russian leg sweep. Sammy tossed Reynolds out with a dropkick. Sammy and Dustin teased dives, but Dark Order moved so Dustin and Sammy hit Tranquilo poses.
Dark Order tried to flee, but Dustin cut them off on the ramp and threw Uno into the ring apron and back in the ring. Uno distracted the ref and Silver threw Dustin into the ring post. Back in the ring, Uno worked over Dustin in the corner. Reynolds hit a springboard elbow drop for a one count. Dustin fought out of the corner and hit Uno with his snap powerslam. Silver got into the ring and didn’t see the hot tag. Uno blasted Sammy with a boot that sent him to the outside. Reynolds hit a double stomp off the top on the back of Dustin and dove on Sammy at ringside. Uno hit Dustin with a piledriver and got a pair of two count near falls on him.
Dustin fought out of the Dark Order corner again and got the hot tag. Sammy hit Dark Order with a top rope crossbody block and then both of them with rolling forearms. Sammy hit some kicks and a cutter on Reynolds. Dustin hit a shining wizard on Reynolds and Sammy got a two count nearfall. Dark Order fled to ringside again. Sammy hit a twisting dive on all three at ringside. Dustin hit Reynolds with a destroyer and his Curtain Call suplex. Sammy hit a Swanton dive off the top to get the pinfall.
Dustin Rhodes and Sammy Guevara defeated “Dark Order” Evil Uno and Alex Reynolds by pinfall in 7:30.
After the match, “Cage of Agony” Toa Liona, Bishop Kaun, and Brian Cage came down and started the beatdown. Dark Order joined in. Gates hit Dustin with a weak looking compression clothesline move as the show went off the air…
Robinson’s Ruminations: A weak main event. Dark Order are trying out the Larry Zbyszko playbook, but it doesn’t fit their work style or the style of the AEW roster for that matter. Why would the two heel trios want to work together to take out Dustin? Who gets the next shot? Do I care? No, not really. The overall show is yet another skippable one in that it was loaded with squash matches and matches the crowd sadly didn’t care about. My weekly ROH on HonorClub reviews are available exclusively for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons).
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