By Sam Robinson, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@altaine)
Ring of Honor on HonorClub (Episode 83)
Taped September 21, 2024 in Springfield, Massachusetts at MassMutual Center
Streamed September 26, 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. Action Andretti (w/Lio Rush) vs. Tony Deppen. No televised entrance for Deppen. Andretti wore a vest and had a much slower walk to the ring signaling a new attitude. Andretti hit a shoulder block but Deppen got a school boy for a two count. Deppen hit another trap roll up for a two count and Andretti took a breather and chatted with Rush who was at ringside. Andretti did a lucha rope walking arm drag and hit a dropkick. Andretti hit a springboard twisting splash for a two count. Andretti hit a basement dropkick after a snapmare for another two count.
Andretti hit a vertical suplex for a two count. Andretti stomped Deppen in the corner and then missed a split legged moonsault. Deppen hit some strikes in the corner and then a rolling uppercut to the back of Andretti. Deppen missed a stomp from the top rope. Deppen low bridged Andretti to the outside and hit a bit flip dive over the ropes. Deppen tossed Andretti in the ring and Andretti hit a flip dive of his own. Back in the ring Andertti hit some kicks and a deadlift falcon arrow for a two count. Andretti hit a shotgun dropkick and then a split legged moonsault for the pinfall.
Action Andretti defeated Tony Deppen by pinfall in 5:15.
Robinson’s Ruminations: The new attitude will work, but Andretti’s going to have to adjust his in ring style to match. He’s still a touch too flashy in the ring just yet. Maybe go study some Blake Christian tapes.
Backstage, the Iron Savages called out The Outrunners and made fun of their bald spots. Jackson said they were “meat riders”, really calling them coattail riders. Bronson told them to do something about it or they’ll be around every beach and gym sauna waiting for them. Jackson stuck out his tongue as the interview closed…
2. Jacked Jameson and Beefcake Boulder (w/Bulk Bronson) vs. “The Dark Order” Alex Reynolds and John Silver (w/Evil Uno). Reynolds tried a cross body but got caught by Boulder who then missed a splash. Reynolds hit a basement dropkick. Jameson and Silver came in and posed. Silver got the better of the shoulder block exchange and a scoop slam. Jameson tried to do Titty City, but Silver turned it around on him. Silver did the same to Bronson on the outside who was trying to console Boulder. Back in the ring, Jameson and Boulder did their back splash routine in the corner.
Silver slipped out of a slam attempt and got the hot tag to Reynolds who hit shoulder blocks, a dropkick to the knee and a dropkick to the face of Boulder. Reynolds slipped out of a gorilla press and went around the world and locked in a cobra twist submission, but Jameson broke it up. Reynolds hit some uppercuts and forearms on Boulder but turned around into a Jameson spinebuster. Boulder hit a splash and Jameson got a broken up nearfall out of it. Boulder went over the top on a splash attempt and hit the floor and Dark Order hit their combo finish for the pinfall on Jameson.
“The Dark Order” Alex Reynolds and John Silver defeated Jacked Jameson and Beefcake Boulder by pinfall in 6:00.
Robinson’s Ruminations: That was rough at the start as both teams have been portrayed as heels lately so the fans sat on their hands. Dark Order won them over by the end with some good fast paced action though. Jameson is still a work in progress, but the fact they let him have a tag match instead of a trio is a promising sign, I guess?
A video package aired for the WrestleDream pay-per-view focused on the Jon Moxley turn on Bryan Danielson…
3. Abadon vs. Liviyah. No televised entrance for Liviyah. Abadon bit the arm of Liviyah on the code of honor. Abadon hit a clothesline. Liviyah got in a forearm and a backstabber, but Abadon just sat up. Liviyah tried a russian leg sweep but Abadon turned it into a backbreaker and some pouches to the face. Abadon hit a running knee to the face and then Black Dahlia for the pinfall.
Abadon defeated Liviyah by pinfall in 1:30.
Abadon called for Athena as her music played.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Squash match.
Backstage, Arcade Aura told Red Velvet and Diamante there was to be no contact or the match would be canceled. Velvet said they have fought each other a lot, and Diamante is at her prime. But she’s been doing this for twice the time Velvet did. Velvet said it keeps her up at night. Diamate threw her water down and said she has been on a roll but she’s going to keep getting better. Diamante said red looks better on her, referring to the red title belt…
4. Brian Cage vs. Alec Price. No entrance for Prince. Price looked like a string bean compared to Cage. A shoulder tackle flipped Price all around. Price hit a superkick and flipped out of a leg grab. Price tried a flying head scissors but Cage caught him. Price tried a sunset flip but Cage pulled him up and suplexed him over head. Cage assaulted Price in the corner with strikes and then Biel tossed him across the ring and posed. Cage Biel tossed Price again and the crowd asked for one more. Cage gorilla pressed Price and threw him out of the ring toward the ramp. Cage went out and pressed him again and threw him back in the ring. Cage tried a pump handle and Price flipped out and hit a dropkick. Price hit some running strikes in the corner but Cage then German suplexed him into the corner. Cage hit a series of powerbombs and then an F5 for the pinfall.
Brian Cage defeated Alec Price by pinfall in 4:40.
Robinson’s Ruminations: There was only so much production could do to try and hide the fact there may have been 100 people left in this cavernous arena. That said the crowd reaction for Price felt good, so I don’t know if they sweetened the sound or he had some very vocal friends in the front row. Price flipped and bumped his ass off for Cage here.
A recap aired of the bunkhouse brawl from Collision between Dusty Rhodes and Sammy Guevara and The Kingdom. It was interspersed with a backstage conversation between Rhodes and Guevara after the match. It ended with a bloody Rhodes saying he was going to go get some stitches…
5. Athena and Billie Starkz vs. LMK and Christina Marie. Marie hit some arm drags and a body slam on Starkz. Starkz raked the eyes while Athena had the refs attention and Starkz hit a German suplex. Marie got tossed to ringside and Athena threw her into the barricades. Athena hit a Saito suplex and kipped up. Athena and Starkz hit some kicks to the face of Marie and Starkz got a two count for it.
Starkz hit a vertical suplex and locked in a chin lock. Marie kicked Starkz off and hit the hot tag to LMK. LMK hit a huracanrana on Athena and a kick to the head. But, Athena came right back with a big boot. Athena slammed both women and kipped up. Starkz hit an outside-in satellite DDT that looked cool. Athena locked in a submission the announcers called “The Hussy Clutch” for the tap out on LMK.
Athena and Billie Starkz defeated LMK and Christina Maire by submission in 6:00.
After the match, Athena and Starkz continued the beatdown until Abadon made her way down the ramp. Athena and Strakz waited in the ring but Athena snuck away and left Billie for dead. Athena shined her belt at ringside while Abadon clotheslined Billie. Billie finally slid out of the ring and Abadon stood tall…
Robinson’s Ruminations: A fine little tag match. This was the second time I saw Christina Marie today and she looked very good both times. You can also check her out on JCW Lunacy #5 on YouTube. Athena being scared of Abadon and leaving Billie out for dead was cute and played well enough, but I’m still very concerned about how that title match is going to go…
6. Johnny TV vs. Komander (w/Alex Abrahantes). TV hit an early shoulder block and blocked a leap frog with a leaping forearm. Komander hit a lucha arm drag out of a caught moonsault press. TV flipped out of a monkey flip attempt. TV got dumped to ringside and Komander stopped a dive in mid run because TV slid back in the ring. Komander tried a sunset flip but TV flipped out and hit a knee strike and got a two count. TV locked in a single arm straight jacket hold. Abrahantes got the crowd clapping and Komander stood up for a second but TV put him back down. TV stood on the neck of Komander. TV hit some kicks to the ribs. TV choked Komander with his shin.
TV locked in a basic chin lock but Komander slid out and hit some leg kicks of his own. Komander flipped out of a leg grab and tripped TV on the apron, but TV flipped to ringside and kicked Komander in the face and got a two count. TV did some weird mounted punches to the side of the neck. TV put Komander on the top turnbuckle. Komander fought him off and tried a DDT but TV put him on the apron. Komander did a triple jump huracanrana and nearly landed on his head and TV had to flip for him just to make it look ok. Komander hit a drop kick that knocked TV to ringside. Komander tried a dive, TV moved and Komander adjusted and went over the turnbuckle and dove on TV.
Back in the ring, Komander got a two count. TV hit a backbreaker and then Moonlight Drive x2 to get only a two count. TV hit a knee to the face and missed Starship Pain. Komander went for his rope walking shooting star, but TV popped up and grabbed him for a mid rope Spanish fly. TV picked up Komander in a torture rack but Komander turned it into a destroyer. Komander did a springboard and tried for a poison-rana but botched it and both men fell over awkwardly. Komander went up top and hit his rope walking shooting star for the pinfall.
Komander defeated Johnny TV by pinfall in 10:00.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Had you told me that I was going to get a Komander and Johnny TV ten minute match, I would have thought of all the crazy fun lucha action I should be getting. Instead, this was a mess. Botched moves all over the place, TV taking extended slow methodical beat down breaks with rest holds in there too. Man, this was the pits.
7. Lee Moriarty vs. Preston Vance for the ROH Pure Rules Championship. The judges were Jerry Lynn, Christopher Daniels and Jimmy Jacobs. Vance used his power to throw Moriarty down a few times during the lock up. Vance hit a shoulder tackle and got a one count. Vance hit another shoulder block. Moriarty tried to roll up Vance who held the ropes. Moriarty argued with the ref for a rope break usage but this ref wasn’t having it and Vance blasted him with a closed fist, using his only closed fist. Vance hit some clotheslines in the corner.
Moriarty tried a wheelbarrow move but Vance German suplexed him instead. Moriarty rolled to ringside and Vance followed him and threw him into the barricades. Back in the ring, Moriarty flipped through the ropes and got in a big boot. Moriarty hit a flatliner into the turnbuckle and choked Vance with his foot in the corner. Moaritary hit a no arm suplex for a two count. Moriarty was working on locking in a move, but Vance went to the ropes to break out and used his first rope break. Moriarty flipped around Vance and tried to lock in another submission, but Vance powered to the ropes again using his second rope break. Vance fought back with some forearms but Moriarty rolled him up for a two count and locked in the Border City Stretch but Vance powered up to his feet and hit a pair of clotheslines.
Vance hit a middle rope shoulder block. Vance hit a spinebuster and fired up. Vance dried his discus lariat but Moriart slid out. Moriarty went around the world, but Vance locked in a full nelson and Moriarty had to use rope break number one to get free. Vance hit the discus lariat for a double down. Moriarty rolled to ringside and Vance tried to pull him in but Moriarty hit a hotshot. Moriarty went around the world, teased the Border City Stretch, but rolled into a cradle and got the pinfall.
Lee Moriarty defeated Preston Vance by pinfall in 7:01.
Robinson’s Ruminations: I understand not changing the title here or having a powerhouse like Vance win the Pure Title. I do not understand putting Vance in a position like this where you need to have him lose just when you’re trying to build him back up. My weekly ROH on HonorClub audio reviews are available exclusively for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons).
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