By Sam Robinson, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@altaine)
Ring of Honor on HonorClub (Episode 104)
Taped February 8, 2025 in Rosenberg, Texas at Fort Bend Epicenter
Streamed February 20, 2025 on HonorClub
Ian Riccaboni, 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…
A Grand Slam Australia recap focussed on the ROH matches… There was a rundown of the matches for tonight, which look far less interesting than the Grand Slam Australia matches…
1. Wheeler Yuta vs. Fuego Del Sol. Yuta slapped the face of Fuego instead of a code of honor. Yuta hit a body slam and a standing senton splash. Yuta hit a fisherman’s suplex with a bridge for a two count. Fuego hit a triple jump head scissors and a dropkick, but Yuta came right back with a clothesline that put Fuego down. Yuta mounted Fuego with some punches. Yuta threw Fuego hard into the buckles and hit a flapjack and a basement dropkick to the face. Yuta locked in a standing deathlock vAriyant and bridged back, but Fuego scrambled to the ropes to break it. Fuego fired back with some right hands and a springboard moonsault press. Fuego hit a jumping double stomp to the head and went to the top rope for a flying nothing. Yuta hit the Danielson flying knee and got the pinfall.
Wheeler Yuta defeated Fuego Del Sol by pinfall.
After the match Yuta grabbed a chain from under the ring and chased off the officials. Yuta locked in a surfboard with the chain around the neck of Fuego who bled from the mouth. Yuta mockingly gave Fuego a code of honor handshake…
Robinson’s Ruminations: Not a whole lot to the match other than Yuta picking up some heat at the end. It was competently worked for the little bit we got.
We got a commercial for AEW Revolution.
2. Rachel Ellering vs. Abadon. Abadon held onto the code of honor for a while before Ellering grabbed a headlock. Abadon got out of the headlock by biting the hand. Ellering hit a shoulder block. Abadon grabbed a single leg and hit a single leg dropkick. Ellering hit a rolling elbow strike. Ellering missed the Swish splash as Abadon kind of got the knees up. Abadon hit a leg drop on the apron. Back in the ring Abadon hit running double knees in the corner for a two count. Ellering grabbed a double leg and got a two count with a stacked pin. Ellering hit a vAriyation fisherman’s suplex and hit her Swish splash for a two count. Abadon hit a back elbow and a running cutter. Abadon hit Black Dahlia for the pinfall.
Abadon defeated Rachel Ellering by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: A fine little match. Well worked and two fun personalities. I really like Ellering and wish she got more than a “jobber to the mid-carders” role.
Backstage, Lexi Nair asked Jacked Jameson about why he’s getting into the business of Preston Vance Cole Karter, and Griff Garrison, who showed up and offered him a “Frat House” shirt. They told Jameson he needed to have a drink from the solo cups they were carrying. He chugged it and they all got hyped and stormed off together…
3. Truth Magnum, Turboy Floyd, Ross Von Erich, Marshall Von Erich, Dante Martin, and Darius Martin (w/ Leyla Grey) vs. Tony Nese and Ariya Daivari, Mark Sterling, Preston Vance, Griff Garrison, and Jacked Jameson (w/ Cole Karter). Nese kicked Darius in the gut and threw him into the heel corner and some quick tags started until Garrison got hit with an arm drag and a dropkick to the face. Dante came in wearing Outrunners shades and hit Jameson with an arm drag. Von Erichs hit Jameson with some running strikes in the corner. Marshall hit a standing moonsault for a two count. Magnum got a knee to the back and attacked from the apron as the ref was distracted. Vance tried to sneak in a pin but only got a one count on Magnum.
Quick tags by the heels on Magnum. Sterling even came in and threw some shots to the gut while Magnum was held by Nese. Magnum tripped Sterling who got out quickly. Frat House all hit Magnum with running strikes and Garrison got a two count after a big boot. Vance hit a suplex on Magnum for a two count. Vance locked in a chin lock but Magnum fought to his feet and hit a double clothesline with Vance. All the heels pulled all the faces off the apron and Vance hit a pump kick that threw Magnum to the apron and he got speared onto the pile by Vance.
Back in the ring Vance got a two count for it all. Magnum tried to tag out but there was no one there. Magnum used a back suplex to get out of a sleeper and hot tagged Turbo. The only one left on the heel apron was Sterling, but the rest all slid in to take punches and body slams. Floyd hit a bulldog clothesline combo and fired up, but was attacked from behind by Sterling. Jameson hit Turbo with a body slam and teased The Outrunners elbow drop only to be cut off by Magnum. Outrunners hit their elbow drop as Claws were applied to other heels. Outrunners hit Total Recall as Top Flight took care of Frat House heels.
Truth Magnum, Turboy Floyd, Ross Von Erich, Marshall Von Erich, Dante Martin, and Darius Martin beat Tony Nese and Ariya Daivari, Mark Sterling, Preston Vance, Griff Garrison, and Jacked Jameson by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: A different formula for a multi-man match, but it was very clearly a formula nonetheless. Fun action while it lasted but no one really shined here at all other than The Outrunners who were very clearly the focus of this match. Frat House getting named and being immediately on the losing side of a match screams that they are destined to be just as useless at winning matches as the Premier Athletes.
Backstage after Grand Slam Australia, “MxM Collection” Mason Madden and Mansoor were ambushed by the roving cameraman. MxM said they won and kept calling themselves the “Tag Team Champion” and said that Dustin Rhodes is a great tag partner…
4. Billie Starkz vs. Hyan. Athena made an entrance with Billie just to annoy her but didn’t come to ringside and went backstage. No entrance for Hyan. Billie hit a snapmare and posed as her confidence came back. Starkz rolled through a sunset flip and hit a kick to the head. Starkz hit a release straight jacket german suplex. Starkz stomped on Hyan as the crowd booed. Starkz missed a spear in the corner and hit the post with her shoulder. Hyan struggled but hit a front suplex on Starkz.
Starkz fought out of the corner and hit her rewind kick and went up top and hit the flying nothing. Hyan hit a combo of moves ending with a back suplex for a two count. Hyan threw some chops but Starkz caught the hand and she returned fire with some forearms that back Hyan into the corner. Starkz hit a big spin kick and put Hyan into the electric chair and hit some sort of variation of the One Winged Angel that didn’t really hit quite right and got the pinfall.
Billie Starkz defeated Hyan by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Showcase match for Billie against a good opponent. Not much to see other than Billie working out a new finishing move that still needs work.
5. Komander (w/Alex Abrahantes) vs. Lee Johnson (w/EJ Nduka) for the ROH World Television Championship. Johnson pulled back the code of honor as the bell rang. Komander soaked up the cheers of the crowd. The men traded waist locks and headlock takeovers for a stalemate. Johnson pie faced and slapped Komander in the face. Komander tried to do a lucha wristlock rope walk but got pulled down by Johnson. Komander slapped Johnson in the chest until he could pull off the rope walking. Johnson got dumped outside and Komander hit a stalling head-scissors over the ropes instead of a dive. Back in the ring, Johnson slid out to reset the pace.
Nduka got on the apron and jawed at Komander. Johnson slid into the ring on the other side and blasted Komander from behind. Johnson threw Komander hard into the buckle. Johnson threw Komnder to ringside at the feet of Nduka, but the ref was watching Nduka so no shenanigans there. Back in the ring Johnson locked in a chin lock to the boos of the crowd. Abrahantes got the crowd fired up and Komander fought to his feet only to get pulled back down. Komander fought back up and fought out with strikes. Komander got dumped to the apron and Johnson followed and hit a superkick. The men traded escapades until Komander landed in the ring and Johnson was between the ropes and Komander hit a running head scissors driver that was ugly!
Komander hit some strikes and a moonsault press for a two count. Komander went to the top but Johnson rolled to the other side of the ring so Komander came down. Johnson tried a buckle bomb but Komander reversed hit with a head scissors. Johnson hit a dropkick that looked like a gunshot! Komander came back with a poison-rana for a two count. Komander went up top but Johnson cut him off and followed him up. The men fought and Johsnon hit a superplex and held on and they rolled to the floor and Johnson hit a brainbuster on the floor for a double down! Johnson threw the leg of Komander into the barricade and stomped on it.
Nduka grabbed the title belt, but Abrahantes stole it from him and the ref followed them as the match reset in the ring with Komander unlacing his boot. Johnson stomped and punched at the bad foot of Komander. Johnson went to the top and hit a frog splash for a two count. Johnson hit a fisherman’s buster for a two count. Johnson put Komander on the top but Komander fought him back down. Komander debated doing his finisher one footed but Nduka pulled Johnson out of the ring. Komander dove onto both of them at ringside. Komander put Johnson back in the ring and hit his finisher with one boot on for the pinfall.
Komander defeated Lee Johnson by pinfall to retain the ROH TV Title.
Robinson’s Ruminations: This was a very good match, damn near PPV worthy. Johnson continues to prove that he can deliver in big match situations, it’s a damn shame he hasn’t been able to win one.
A video package aired on Red Velvet and her descent into evil. Velvet kept saying she gets asked “Why?” and then said she’s just getting started…
6. “Gates of Agony” Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona vs. Exodus Prime and Josiah Jean. GOA blasted P{rime and Jean as soon as they hit the ring and it was an absolute mugging. GOA powerbombed one of their opponents onto the other and then hit Open the Gates onto that same poor enhancement wrestler.
“Gates of Agony” Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona defeated Exodus Prime and Josiah Jean.
Robinson’s Ruminations: A squash to reset Gates as the monsters they should be.
7. Hechicero, Soberano Jr., and Barbaro Cavernario vs. Fuego, Dark Panther, and Sammy Guevara. “MxM Collection” Mason Madden and Mansoor came to the stage and shared a chair, chocolates, and Sammy’s ROH Tag Team Championship belt. Fuego hit all the heels with some lucha moves and the faces teased a dive, but the heels cut them off. Soberano bit the boot of Sammy. The heels worked on Sammy’s leg in the ropes for a bit. The heels worked over Sammy in their corner and held him up, legs split for a kick to the “hamstring”. The heels hit a version of the Dark Orders finisher and got a broken up nearfall.
Fuego came in and got blasted by running strikes in the corner from the heels. The heels hit up a rocking horse wheelbarrow leg drop combo. Dark Panther came in only to get mugged by the heels too. The heels set up for their rocking horse leg drop but turned into a surfboard facebuster instead. Panther got blasted by a dropkick from Soberano in the corner. Panther fought back with a tilt a whirl backbreakers for everyone. Panther hit Barbaro with a huge shoulder first dive.
Sammy hit Hechicero with a dropkick. Sammy low bridged Sobeerano and then dove onto Hechicero at ringside. Sammy hit a twisting dive onto Soberano at ringside and talked himself up as the fans cheered. Cavernario hit Sammy with a lockup suplex and then hit Plancha Neanderthal for a broken up nearfall. Fuego avoided a charge and rolled up Cavernario for a broken up nearfall. Herchicero and Panther traded missed elbow drops. Hechicero missed a dropkick and flew to ringside where Panther hit him with a head scissors. Soberano hit a stand up enzuigiri and then a tornado splash from the top on Panther for a two count.
Cavernario hit a dropkick that sent Panther outside and then dove on him from the top! Fuego hit an Asai moonsault press and then dove onto Cavernario on the outside. Hechicherio and Sammy traded takedowns and Sammy hit a knee. Hechicero hit a step up knee in the corner but ran into a superkick and flying knee from Sammy. Sammy tried for GTH but MxM distracted the ref and hit Sammy with the title belt. Fuego came in and got rolled through, rolled up and rolled around the ring by Hechicero for the pinfall.
Hechicero, Soberano Jr., and Barbaro Cavernario beat Fuego, Dark Panther, and Sammy Guevara by pinfall.
After the match, Hechicero touched tips with MxM, who set up to hit Sammy with the belt again, but Panther and Fuego made the save. Mansoor was grabbed and was being held by the belt. Mansoor told Madden to save himself and the belt. Mansoor got hit with GTH as Madden ran off with the belt.
Robinson’s Ruminations: What in the hell did I just watch? My God, I need to watch more lucha. That was insane. American Lucha just doesn’t hit like true Mexican Lucha. The fluidity of the movement, the impact of the dives, the absolute timing of it all! The gimmicks may be comedy fodder, I mean come on, one of them was a literal caveman, but the action is out of this world.
The overall show was fun and gave us two very good matches, which is way more than I can say for most ROH shows. My weekly ROH on HonorClub audio reviews are available exclusively for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons).
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