By Sam Robinson, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@altaine)
ROH: Prelude to Spring BreakThru
Taped April 9 in Baltimore, Maryland and April 16 in Boston, Massachusetts
Streamed April 17, 2025 on YouTube.com
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 the ROH on HonorClub theme music and intro video package…
1. “Top Flight” Dante Martin and Darius Martin (w/Leila Grey) vs. Tomohiro Ishii and Rocky Romero. Darius and Ishii traded forearms in the middle until Darius hit a dropkick for the knockdown. Ishii came right back with a back suplex. Rocky tagged in and then he and Ishii hit a double shoulder block. Rocky hit a snap suplex and tagged out. Ishii hit some chops and tagged out. Rocky hit some knees to the spine. Darius stood to his feet with some strikes but Rocky whipped him into his corner, but Darius slid out and tagged out. Dante hit his cartwheel corner kick and a springboard dropkick on Rocky for a two count.
Rocky fought out of the Top Flight corner and hit some of his Four-Ever clotheslines, but only got two. Darius hit an around the world DDT off the chest of Dante, and that got a broken up nearfall. Top Flight hit some strikes on Ishii but he made them butt heads and german suplexed Dante. Dante avoided a move and made Rocky and Ishii run into each other. Darius dove onto Ishii on the outside and Dante hit a Half-Nelson sit-out slam for the pinfall on Rocky.
“Top Flight” Dante Martin and Darius Martin defeated Rocky Romero and Tomohiro Ishii by pinfall.
After the match, Tomohiro Ishii tried to console Romero. Rocky brushed him off a few times, but they did end up hugging…
Robinson’s Ruminations: Nice TV match. Top Flight is always a joy to watch. They make their cohesion look effortless.
2. Shane Taylor (w/Shawn Dean, Carlie Bravo) vs. KM. The big men traded shoulder block attempts, but Taylor just threw a big knee and headbutt. Dean and Bravo said “DAMMMNNNNN” at ringside for the head butt. Taylor hit a uranage. The crowd chanted “STP”. Taylor hit a huge right hand and got the pinfall.
Shane Taylor defeated KM by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Always nice to see a Shane Taylor squash. The Infantry being commentary from ringside made me laugh out loud.
We got a rundown of the ROH on HonorClub show that is airing today (April 18) at 4:20 ET…
Backstage Red Velvet said that Taya Valkyrie and La Catalina has become a number one contender match. She briefly spoke in Spanish and then said it won’t matter who it is, it will be “And Still….”
3. Taya Valkyrie vs. La Catalina for a shot at the ROH Women’s World Television Championship. Valkyrie rolled outside, and Catalina teased a dive, but Valkyrie walked away. Catalina followed her out and got slammed into the barricade and ring apron. Back in the ring, Valkyrie hit a diving clothesline and locked in a leg lock and ankle lock. Catalina struggled to the ropes, but Valkyrie held for the full five. Catalina used the ropes to pull herself up and hit some strikes, a dropkick and a hip attack against the ropes.
Catalina hit some quick punches and a diving crossbody for a two count. Catalina missed a hip attack in the corner and Valkyrie came back with meteora in the corner and a blue thunder bomb for a two count. Catalina hit a running sit-out facebuster for a two count. They each ducked some clotheslines and Valkyrie hit a spear and a double-footed stomp for a two count. Valkyrie went up top, but Catalina grabbed her and hit an electric chair drop and went up top herself. Catalina hit a top rope splash for a two count.
La Catalina defeated Taya Valkyrie by pinfall to earn a shot at the ROH Women’s TV Title.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Another good TV match that didn’t overstay its welcome. The women worked hard and made everything look good. I wish Catalina had a flashier finisher than a top rope splash, but what can you do?
4. RevPro British Heavyweight Champion Michael Oku (w/Amira Blair) vs. Nick Wayne (w/Mother Wayne). This match is from the Boston taping and this crowd doesn’t look nearly as bored. Wayne hit an early shoulder block, but Oku leapfrogged him and hit a head scissors and a dropkick. Wayne fell to the corner and Mother Wayne talked to him and Cedric asked if he was crying to his mama. Oku ran Wayne’s head into the turnbuckle and hit a drop kick that knocked Wayne off the apron. Wayne blocked a running kick and flipped Oku on the apron.
Wayne threw Oky into the barricade and crotch chopped the crowd and held up with “W” while the crowd booed. “Mama’s Boy” chanted the crowd a bit. Back in the ring, Wayne got a two count nearfall. Wayne tried to lock in a full nelson but Oku threw him off with an arm drag. Oku hit a middle rope shotgun dropkick for a quick double down. Oku blocked some punches and then hit an around the world DDT off the ropes for a two count. Oku tried to lock in his single-leg crab but Wayne pulled the hair. Wayne blocked a top rope Lionsault with the knees and hit a dragon suplex for a two count.
Wayne tried Wayne’s World but it was blocked and Oku hit a step-up enzuigiri and Wayne fled to ringside. Oku started a slow clap with the crowd and then hit a running backflip dive to the outside onto Wayne. Oku rolled Wayne in and hit a top rope frog splash for a two count and locked in his single leg crab. Mother Wayne pushed the rope to Nick and he got out. Amira Blair got in Mother Wayne’s face as Oku hit Nick with a dropkick. Oku went back up top but Mother Wayne got on the apron and Kip Sabian pushed him off. Nick Wayne hit Wayne’s World for the pinfall.
Nick Wayne defeated Michael Oku by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: This was one of the bigger stages that Oku has had in the U.S., and he shone bright here. I really liked what Oku brought, and Wayne was a great opponent for him. The wrestlers have similar bodies and styles, and they had a very good TV match.
The overall show was a quick 40-minute look into the world of ROH and put a good foot forward. I doubt it’s going to sell many HonorClub subscriptions, but it doesn’t hurt to give away a few matches on YouTube every once in a while.
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