By Sam Robinson, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@altaine)
Ring of Honor on HonorClub (Episode 102)
Taped January 25, 2025 in Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place
Streamed February 6, 2025 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 started with a rundown of the segments for tonight. So many matches…
1. Blake Christian vs. Adam Priest. No Code of Honor, as Christian flipped Priest off, who grabbed the finger and twisted. Some traded arm drags before Christian avoided one and posed in the corner. Priest hit a running arm drag and a headlock takeover. Christian got out and slid out of the ring for a breather. He hopped back in and was able to hit a 619 on the bottom rope and then a springboard clothesline. Christian hit a leg drop from the middle rope in a tight walking situation and got a two count. Christian pulled Priest out of the ring and paraded him around the ring and taunted the fans until he hit a suplex on the floor in the chilly weather of Daily’s Place.
Back in the ring Christian hit a throat thrust out of the way of the ref. Priest came back with a pump handle back suplex. “Blue Pants” chanted the crowd because Priest was wearing blank blue pants. Priest hit a DDT for a two count that the crowd was upset about. Christian did some fancy avoiding before hitting a powerslam. Christian hung Priest in the rope and hit a sliding German suplex and went to the top rope. Christian hit a 450 double stomp to the boos of the crowd. Christian locked in “Vanilla Choke Zero” which is a choking submission with a Cattle Mutilation flip over component for the tap out.
Blake Christian defeated Adam Priest by submission.
Robinson’s Ruminations: More Blake Christian being a devious nasty high flyer. Inject it into my veins. 450 double stomp is a nasty looking move, but he hit it safely.
We got a recap of Griff Garrison and Preston Vance forming a team, and then Jacked Jameson being a dork trying to recruit them last week.
2. Griff Garrison and Preston Vance (w/Cole Karter) vs. Eli Theseus and Gabriel Aeros. No Code of Honor as Garrison and Vance kicked it away. Theseus hit an atomic drop and tagged in Aeros and they hit some splashes in the corner. Aeros hit a kick and got a one count nearfall. Theseus came in and hit a bodyslam and then they greek danced. Jacked Jameson came out on the ramp and caused a distraction and Vance got in a cheap shot and Garrison took over with some mounted punches. Theseus got dumped outside and Vance threw him all around ringside.
Vance and Garrison worked over Theseus on the outside while the ref argued with Aeros, and even Jameson got in a cheap shot. Back in the ring, Vance hit a stalling suplex. Garrison came in and Vance got in some cheap choking in the corner. Vance back in and he hit a bodyslam and an elbow drop. Garrison in and he hit a stalling, posing bodyslam for a two count. Garrison locked in a front face lock but Theseus eventually hit a back body drop to get the hot tag to Aeros who came in with clotheslines and a dropkick. Aeros hit a jumping back elbow on Vance in the corner but got caught by the double discus from Garrison and Vance who got the pinfall.
Griff Garrison and Preston Vance defeated Eli Theseus and Gabriel Aeros by pinfall.
After the match, all four men posed on the apron together…
Robinson’s Ruminations: The commentary on this really tried to make all these guys out like modern day playboys. Cars, money, booze etc. A modern day four horsemen gimmick incoming?
Backstage, Billie Starkz was bad at interviewing Athena, who scolded her. Athena got the tag match they had for tonight cancelled and she told Starkz she was going to sit at ringside and watch her beatdown a hussie. Starkz tried to rundown all of Athena’s catchphrases but couldn’t do it so Athena told her to shut up, sit down and watch and learn.
Robinson’s Ruminations: We’re right back to where we started, but without Lexi sucking some of the positive attention away from Billie, which was a pretty fun part of the act. I’m intrigued on where this is going, but my god does it have a short leash with me because it’s been going for two years now.
3. Lee Johnson (w/EJ Nduka) vs. Jon Davis. During the entrance of Johnson we got an insert recap of last week’s match between Johnson and Komander. No Code of Honor from Johnson. Johnson flipped out of an arm bar, reversed it and paint brushed the head of Davis. Davis deadlifted Johnson, threw him and hit a shoulder block. Johnson then offered the code of honor, but slapped Davis in the face. Johnson rolled out of the ring, Davis followed but came face to face with Nduka. Johnson slid back in the ring and hit a big dive onto Davis on the outside.
Back in the ring, Johnson hit some mounted punches to the head. Davis got to his feet and fought back but got tossed into the ropes and Johnson hit a PK and standing moonsault for a two count. Johnson hit a chop on Davis who woke up and fired back with a punch and a splash in the corner. Davis missed a big boot but got the back elbow. Johnson missed a dropkick and Davis hit a pivot wheelbarrow German suplex. Nduka pulled Davis out of the ring as the ref checked on Johnson and clotheslined him on the floor. Nduka threw Davis in the ring and Johnson hit a superkick and went up top. Johnson hit a frog splash for the pinfall.
Lee Johnson defeated Jon Davis by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Johnson and Nduka look good together and this has breathed new life into Johnson who was spinning his wheels as a babyface.
4. ROH Women’s Champion Athena (w/Billie Starkz) vs. Carolina Cruz. Athena screamed at Billie to sit down, and she was caught trying to give stickers to a little girl in the front row. Athena hit a drop kick and a reverse samoan drop. Athena choked Cruz in the ropes as she scowled at Billie. Athena scolded Billie some more and Cruz rolled her up for a one count. Athena hit some mounted punches and argued with the ref who cowered in the corner. Cruz got a foot up on a charge and hit a forearm. Cruz hit a full nelson slam for a two count. Athena caught a pump kick and hit a spinebuster. Athena hit a diving forearm for the pinfall.
ROH Women’s Champion Athena defeated Carolina Cruz by pinfall.
Athena threw Cruz to ringside at Billie’s Feet. Athena set up for the kiss the belt spot in front of Billie, but Cruz fought back. Cruz got thrown around into the barricades in anger. Billie tried to pull Athena off, but Athena just screamed to sit down and watch. The ref tried to make Athena back off and was kind of successful. Athena picked up her belt and made Billie follow her out.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Right back to the beginning. Soon, please, I’m begging for this to come to a real conclusion.
A recap aired of last week’s Collision with Bandido coming back and making a statement against The Learning Tree…
5. Mansoor (w/Mason Madden) vs. Sammy Guevara. Mansoor insisted on a touch tip for the Code of Honor but then flipped Sammy off. Mansoor pulled the hair and got a side headlock. Mansoor hit a shoulder tackle and posed. After a backflip leapfrog and a shoulder block of his own, Sammy hit a shoulder block. Mansoor missed the backflip frog splash and Sammy hit another shoulder block and went Tranquillo and Mansoor slid out of the ring in anger. Sammy barely connected with a twisting dive.
Sammy tried to springboard but Madden grabbed the leg and Mansoor locked in a figure four on the ropes. Back in the ring, Mansoor went to work on the leg of Sammy, but Sammy got a rollup for a two count. Mansoor hit a fisherman’s suplex for two count nearfall. Mansoor locked in a half crab but Sammy turned over and kicked out. Sammy hit a step up enzuigiri and avoided a splash. Sammy tried GTH but it got blocked and Mansoor locked in a step over grapevine leg lock. Sammy crawled to the ropes and got free.
Mansoor used the ropes to pull on the leg and set up for Shattered Dreams. Sammy hit a dropkick instead and then some Dusty punches and the bionic elbow. Sammy hit a dragon screw leg whip and then kicked out the leg a couple of times. Mansoor kicked out the leg and went up top, but Sammy cut him off and hit a super dragon screw. Madden tried to kick Sammy but got caught up on the ropes and Sammy bounced him on the ropes a bit. The active wrestlers traded leg submission attempts and eventually Sammy locked in the figure four for the tap out.
Sammy Guevara defeated Mansoor by pinfall.
After the match MxM started the beatdown. Commentators told us Dustin was watching from home in Texas as MxM hit Centerfold. Madden counted as Mansoor “pinned” Sammy. MxM shared Sammy’s one title belt and posed.
Robinson’s Ruminations: That was a fun match with two fun to watch high fliers doing some good leg submission work.
6. Red Velvet vs. Robyn Renegade for the ROH Women’s TV Championship. Velvet stomped on the feet to get out of a side headlock but then pulled the hair to throw Renegade to the floor. Velvet tried a head scissors but Renegade caught her and hit her with a fall away slam and kipped up. Renegade hit a forearm that sent Velvet reeling and then choked Velvet in the ropes. Renegade hit a shotgun dropkick that sent Velvet reeling out to the floor. Renegade tried a baseball slide dropkick but Velvet pulled the ring apron and trapped Renegade in there and hit some punches.
Renegade slid into the ring and Velvet stomped on her. Renegade grabbed the tights and got a two count rollup. Velvet came right back with a leg lariat for a two count. Velvet hit double knees while Renegade was hanging on the ropes and then did a choke on the ropes. Renegade grabbed a rollup and put her feet on the ropes but ref caught her. Velvet winked at the camera, tried a roll up and rope grab but the ref caught her.
Renegade hit a big slam for a two count. Velvet rolled around on another slam attempt and got a two count. Renegade hit a big knee lift in the ropes and then hit a double stomp for a two count. Velvet hit an ugly DDT spot where Renegade just didn’t really bump but just bent over and we got a double down. The women traded big strikes in the middle of the ring until Velvet switched to body shots and backed Renegade up into the corner. Renegade hit a superkick and tried a pump handle move, but Velvet flipped out, and hit her natural selection finisher that might be called “Straight out your mama’s kitchen”…
Red Velvet defeated Robyn Renegade by pinfall to retain the ROH Women’s TV Championship.
Robinson’s Ruminations: I don’t know what a returning Renegade did to get a title match, but it wasn’t a bad match at all. Other than that awkward DDT spot it was a pretty good match.
A rundown of matches for Collision aired. Mark Briscoe vs. Kyle Fletcher was among the advertised matches…
The Premier Athletes entrance aired, complete with a Mark Sterling heel promo on the way to the ring. He threatened to sue everyone in the crowd if they didn’t chant “Athletes Rule”…
7. “Premier Athletes” Tony Nese and Ariya Daivari (w/Mark Sterling, Josh Woods) vs. “Grizzled Young Veterans” Zack Gibson and James Drake vs. “Dark Order” Alex Reynolds and Evil Uno vs. “The Outrunners” Turbo Floyd and Truth Magnum in a four-way tag. During the match, Gibson knocked Uno to ringside and continued to work over Magnum. GYV worked over Magnum in their corner and Drake hit a leg lariat for a broken up nearfall and the heels argued with each other. Magnum almost got the tag but the heels noticed and worked together to work him over. Magnum avoided a corner splash from Daivari and hit a forearm on Drake. Turbo fired up and got the hot tag and hit big punches and body slams on everyone.
The Outrunners hit their ’80s elbow drop. Athletes cut off a Total Recall attempt and threw Outrunners to ringside. Reynolds cleared some heels and set up a dive. Sterling got in the way with some papers, and Uno stole them and threw them at Sterling who bumped. Reynolds dove on a pile at ringside. GYV hit an assisted Sliced Bread for a broken up nearfall. Athletes and GYV argued who would get the win and Magnum came in and Outrunners cleared both heel teams from the ring. Drake missed a step up enzuigiri and Outrunners hit Total Recall for the win.
The Outrunners beat Dark Order, Grizzled Young Veterans, and Premier Athletes in a four corners tag match by pinfall.
It was announced that next week’s ROH show will emanate from the Jericho Cruise…
Robinson’s Ruminations: Totally fine four-way tag match. Just your standard multi-man cluster match where everyone gets a moment to shine and they sent the crowd home happy with an Outrunners win. As much as we complain about memes being pushed, The Outrunners are still pretty over with the crowds that stick around for ROH tapings.
The show coming to us from the Jericho Cruise next week has me of two minds. On one hand, it’ll be a nice change of pace and will probably be a hot crowd as they actually paid to be there. On the other, it probably means having to put up with even more lame Jericho stuff. I will say that I saw some clips online and it looks like we’ll see Enzo Amore, so I’m curious what that means for The Learning Tree and the Big Bill break up angle. But that’s mostly so we can just get that all over with. My weekly audio reviews are available exclusively for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons).
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