By Sam Robinson, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@altaine)
Ring of Honor on HonorClub (Episode 112)
Taped April 12, 2025 in Springfield, Massachusetts at MassMutual Center
Streamed April 18, 2025 on HonorClub
Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman were on commentary, and Bobby Cruise and Justin Roberts were the ring announcers…
*Unless otherwise noted, all matches started and ended with the Code of Honor handshake…
The show started with the wrestlers in the ring as the opening match was just getting underway…
1. Bandido and Komander (w/Alex Abrahantes) vs. “The Infantry” Shawn Dean and Carlie Bravo (w/Lee Moriarty, Shane Taylor). The infantry used the Code of Honor attempt to kick the luchadores in the gut. As Bandido fought Dean off the apron, Bravo attacked him from behind with a chop block. Dean pulled Bandido out of the ring and threw him into the ring steps. Back in the ring, Infantry swarmed Bandido in their corner with punches. Bravo focused on Bandido’s knee which seemed to be “injured”. Bravo hit a bridging fisherman’s suplex for a two count.
Later, Bravo hit Bandido with the Carlie Crossover. Bravo blind tagged in and hit Komander with a crossover and then Infantry hit a cobra clutch backbreaker for a broken up nearfall. Bandido hit a superkick on Bravo. Taylor got up on the apron while the ref was distracted and gave Bandido a quick jab. Bandido hit Taylor with a sunset bomb to the floor onto the pile and then Komander hit a springboard Asai moonsault onto the pile. In the ring, Bravo got hit with X-Knee and 21 Plex, and Bandido got the pinfall.
Bandido and Komander defeated The Infantry by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: This feels like a reduction of the ROH World Championship. Bandido didn’t even get an entrance on this episode, when the ROH World Championship used to be on Collision on the regular.
2. Dustin Rhodes, Ross Von Erich, and Marshall Von Erich vs. Mansoor, Mason Madden, and Johnny TV (w/Taya Valkyrie) for the ROH Six-Man Tag Titles. As the champions made their entrances, MxM and TV jumped them from behind on the entrance stage. Madden hit Dustin with a huge leg lariat. In the ring, TV attacked Ross as the ref rang the bell. Ross came back with a huracanrana and some arm drags and a dropkick. Later, Ross got put in the heel corner and got hit with some punches to the ribs and the heels badly sang some song. MxM hit a sidewalk slam leg drop combo for a two count. Mansoor locked in a chin and arm hold, but Ross stood up and reached for Marshall, but got pulled down by his hair. TV hit Ross with a flipping Alabama Slam. Dustin was just about to get up on the apron, but Mansoor ran over and punched him in the liver as Mason hit a bunch of elbow drops in the ring for a two count.
MxM tried their Hart Attack move again, but Marshall low bridged Mason and Mansoor tried to hold back Ross, but he flipped out of a suplex and they hit a double clothesline for a double down. Marshall got pulled off the apron and thrown into the ring steps. Ross hit a back body drop as Dustin finally climbed onto the apron to the delight of the crowd. Dustin got the hot tag and gave TV the drop down uppercut and a snap powerslam. Mansoor got the same treatment and he tried it on Mason, but the Von Erichs had to help with a dropkick. Dustin hit TV with a bulldog for a broken up nearfall.
Mansoor avoided the powerslam, but that led to the breakdown. Mason hit Dustin with a headbutt and missed a boot in the corner. Dustin poked Mason in the eyes and set him up for shattered dreams. TV got put in the corner too and then Taya got on the apron to make Shattered Dreams legal. Mansoor got hit with a Texas Destroyer and Ross locked in a Claw. Mason got pulled down into the crotch of TV, who got hit with the Curtain Call for the pinfall.
Dustin Rhodes, Ross Von Erich, and Marshall Von Erich defeated Mansoor, Mason Madden, and Johnny TV by pinfall to retain the ROH Six-Man Tag Titles.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Fun formula six-man match. Subverting parts of the formula with the blindside attack at the top was a welcome change from the formula the show has fallen into lately, of matches, matches, and more matches. Ross and Marshall are really good at doing the formula now, and it will be interesting to see if they can keep growing beyond the formula and having Dustin out there to help them.
3. Lee Johnson (w/Blake Christian) vs. Sammy Guevara. Johnson waved off the code of honor. Sammy backed Johnson into the corner and gave the clean break. The men traded some basic arm work until Johnson grabbed a headlock takeover and then they traded quick nearfalls and kipped up at each other for the stalemate. Sammy extended the code of honor again, and Johnson kicked him in the gut. Sammy hit his backflip single leg dropkick.
Johnson grabbed the ref and Christian pulled Sammy off the apron, and then Johnson flip dove onto Sammy at ringside and landed on his feet. Back in the ring, the men traded chops in the corner until Johnson landed some shoulder blocks. Johnson hit some running chops and a diving forearm for a one count. Sammy flipped out of a back suplex and hit some chops and forearms and then a running forearm. Sammy missed a springboard move but came right back with a cutter for a two count. Sammy called for GTH, but Johnson fought out. Johnson outran Sammy and tried a wheelbarrow move, but Sammy sat down on him and got the three count.
Sammy Guevara defeated Lee Johnson by pinfall.
After the match, Sammy wanted the handshake, but Christian jumped Sammy, and he and Johnson started the beatdown. Dustin made his way to the ring at a sprint and saved Sammy. MxM and TV ran down and beat down Sammy and Dustin. The Von Erichs ran down and fought off MxM and TV until the numbers got to them, and then Johnson and Christain joined back in. TV hit Dustin with a shining wizard. TV stole one of the Tag Titles, and MxM held Dustin and Sammy so TV could hit them with the belt. TV threw the belt back on Sammy, who was covering Dustin. All five heels stood tall as the show cut to a video package about the recent CMLL incursion.
Robinson’s Ruminations: The singles match was fun, with a flat out of nowhere ending. The beatdown after was executed fine, and was a storyline progression. I was honestly surprised I didn’t hear the announcers talk about Dustin trying to do too much and burn the candle at both ends.
We got a video package announcing the returns of The Righteous and The Kingdom to ROH next week.
4. Jon Cruz and Rosarillo Grillo vs. “The Dark Order” Evil Uno and Alex Reynolds. Jon Cruz having a televised entrance wasn’t a fluke! My favorite jobber is moving up! Cruz gave Uno a kick to the gut and locked in a headlock. Cruz tried to shoulder block Uno but got blasted with one on the rebound. Uno hit an atomic drop and Reynolds hit a dropkick. Grillo got hit with a double hip toss and double dropkick. Reynolds avoided a strike from Cruz and hit some running strikes of his own. Cruz put Reynolds in the bad corner and Grillo pulled his hair. Grillo tagged in and hit some kicks to the gut and lured Uno into the ring for a boot choke. Cruz tagged in and threw Grillo right into a big boot. Cruz got popped up onto the turnbuckle. Uno came in and hit a DDT on Cruz. Reynolds sling shot Grillo into a huge forearm from Uno. Cruz got hit with a gory special codebreaker combo for the pinfall.
“The Dark Order” Evil Uno and Alex Reynolds defeated Jon Cruz and Rosarillo Grillo by pinfall.
After the match, Frat House came out with a house flag and some “pledges”. Jameson called out Dark Order for being so few in members while they have pledges. Frat House mugged their own pledges as Dark Order looked on. Dark Order came back out with chairs and sat on the stage as Frat House threw pledges into the barricades and posed. Uno said “Impress me”
5. “Frat House” Griff Garrison, Cole Karter, and Preston Vance (w/Jacked Jameson) vs. “Pledges” Charles Mason, Love Doug, and TJ Crawford.
Frat House hit double team moves on the pledges. Karter hit a dropkick, Vance hit a spinebuster. Love Doug tried to fight back but got hit with forearms. Discus Forearm and Discus Lariat got Frat House the pinfall.
“Frat House” Griff Garrison, Cole Karter, and Preston Vance defeated “Pledges” Charles Mason, Love Doug, and TJ Crawford by pinfall.
After the match, the beatdown just kept going, and Dark Order ran down with their chairs and chased off Frat House.
Robinson’s Ruminations: The Dark Order match was fine, it was just a showcase. The Frat House match didn’t need to happen. I understand it was a showcase for them, too, but it didn’t need to be a sanctioned match that a ref rang the bell for. The Dark Order looked like terrible good guys letting Frat House mug some poor jobbers before making the save.
Backstage, Lexi Nair sat down with Serena Deeb and Queen Aminata. Nair announced the Women’s Pure Rules Championship and unveiled it in front of them. Nair talked about the history of the Men’s Pure Rules Championship. Nair said there would be a tournament, and Deeb and Aminata would be in the first round. Deeb said this championship was created for her, so she’s a favorite, and held up her book of 1000 holds.
Deeb said Aminata disrespected her when she threw the book back at her. Deeb said she’s been everywhere Aminata wants to go. Deeb said she’s going to stretch the honor out of Aminata, who said she knew she was the underdog. She said she’s always learning. She said it’s about how many times you get back up. She said she believes in herself and she believes in her heart she’s already a champion. She said the student is now the master. Nair said, “May the best woman win”…
Robinson’s Ruminations: Sweet baby Jesus. We certainly didn’t need more titles, and to make it yet another women’s knockoff title of an established men’s title feels so forced. Don’t get me wrong, I want the women to have opportunities, and I guess if the only way TK is willing to do that is by making more titles, go ahead, I guess. Deeb having a Pure Rules title belt doesn’t sound like the worst thing for her character, but my god, does this feel derivative.
6. Barbaro Cavernario, Euforia and Zandokan Jr. vs. Atlantis Jr, Fuego, and Esfinge. The code of honor devolved into a breakdown where everyone hit a big move. Later, Esfinge hit a tornado kick and a monkey flip, and then a second one. Zandokan came in and got hit with a thrust kick, but he blocked the monkey flip with an Alabama slam. Zandokan hit a double underhook powerbomb for a two count.
Zandokan hit another nasty chop on Esfinge. Atlantis hit a rope held enzuigiri and a drop kick. Atlantis tripped, and Euforia blasted him with a big boot. The rudos choked Atlantis in the ropes and then hit a triple powerbomb. Euforia tried to take off the mask of Atlantis. Atlantis fought off all three rudos and hit a double wrist lock takeover, but got hit with a double dropkick. Fuego and Esfigne hit stereo hip tosses. Esfigne dove onto the pile, and Fuego hit a moonsault press too. Atlantis hit a frog splash in the ring on Euforia to get the pinfall.
Atlantis Jr, Esfinge en Fuego defeated Zandokan Jr, Euforia and Barbaro Cavernario by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Another fun chaotic lucha six-man tag. There’s not much to say here other than all six men are terrific athletes. The lucha formula is wearing thin on me at this point, and I wish I could learn more about these guys on ROH, but a lot of them are one-and-done appearances. The announcers do a good job of conveying the history of some of the families and the heritage of Lucha, but it’s not quite enough.
A largely forgettable ROH on WrestleMania weekend. It’s a shame that the Women’s Pure Championship announcement will get buried under the weight of WrestleMania weekend. My ROH audio reviews are available weekly for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons).
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