By Sam Robinson, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@altaine)
Ring of Honor on HonorClub (Episode 113)
Taped April 9, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena and April 17, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts at MGM Music Hall At Fenway
Streamed April 24, 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 a rundown of the matches (oh, boy, some squash matches and an “All Star” eight-man tag). “Smart” Mark Sterling interrupted with his usual heel mic work, as he and The Premier Athletes made their way to the ring for an eight-man tag match…
1. The Righteous” Vincent and Dutch” and “Premier Athletes” Tony Nese and Aria Divari (w/Mark Sterling) vs. “SAP” Angelico and Serpentico and “The Kingdom” Matt Taven and Mike Bennett. Angelico got dumped into the heel corner early and worked over by The Athletes, before he tossed Divari to ringside and grabbed the arm of Nese. Serpentico did the arm stomp off the top. SAP did some tandem hip tosses and got a two count on Nese. Taven tagged in and hit an arm drag. Taven hit a dropkick and then told us “I’m Matt Taven”, and the crowd still looked bored.
The Kingdom hit some tandem strikes ending with a Bennett clothesline for a two count on Nese. Nese bailed out of the ring and Bennett chased him, tossed him back in, and then argued with Divari. Bennett hit both Athletes with forearms before teasing that he would Sterling. Athletes and Dutch stomped on Bennett. Back in the ring, Vincent tagged in and hit a few punches before tagging Dutch, who hit some too. Vincent choked Bennett while Dutch distracted the ref. Dutch hit a running lariat on Bennett for a two count. Dutch locked in a chinlock as The Athletes tried to stir up the bored crowd on the apron.
Nese tagged in and stomped on Bennett and locked in another chinlock. Crowd chanted “Athletes suck” for a tiny bit as Bennett fought out, but he got put in the heel corner. Bennett fought out and nailed Nese with a forearm for a double down. Taven got the hot tag and Divari ate a spin kick and Nese got a back body drop. Taven hit a lionsault for a broken up nearfall. Vincent got tagged in, but Serpentico got a blind tag. Dutch got the low bridge and Angelico dove onto him at ringside. Serpentico hit a superkick and a flatliner on Vincent. Kingdom hit Divari with a popup bayonet, and then Sterling with a superkick. Dutch hit Serpentico with a boss man slam, and then Righteous hit Orange Sunshine for the pinfall.
The Righteous” Vincent and Dutch” and “Premier Athletes” Tony Nese and Aria Divari defeated “SAP” Angelico and Serpentico and “The Kingdom” Matt Taven and Mike Bennett by pinfall.
After the match, Athletes celebrated big while Righteous stood behind them while looking annoyed. Athletes retreated…
Robinson’s Ruminations: The Athletes still “suck” and Dutch’s tongue still goes a mile a minute. What a way to reintroduce two tag teams, in yet another “all-star” eight-man tag match. Of course, I’m being sarcastic here. If you told me Angelico and Taven were related, I’d believe you; they look alike. There was nothing new here. Neither returning team felt different or fresh at all. A formula multi-man match, nothing special.
2. Crowbar vs. Lance Archer (w/ Don Callis). The ref stole the crowbar from Crowbar, and then he started taking back bumps for no reason. The bell rang, no code of honor, and Archer hit some clubbing blows to the back. Crowbar got a chant from the crowd as he tried a sunset flip, but just got belly to belly suplexed across the ring for his troubles. Archer hit a stalling suplex. Crowbar flipped over the top rope on an Irish whip, and Callis hit a couple of stomps.
Archer followed to the floor to boos but got pulled into the ringpost by Crowbar. Crowbar hit a drop toe hold into the steps. Back in the ring, Crowbar took a back bump to avoid a choke from Archer, who was on the apron. Archer hit a gourdbuster but missed a running splash. Archer put Crowbar down with a boot to the chest and stomped him down. Archer hit a pair of running elbows in the corner but missed the third. Crowbar hit a pair of leg drops through the split legs of Archer and got a two count. Crowbar went for the crowbar, but the ref stopped him and Archer hit him with a chokeslam. Callus got on the stairs and clapped as Archer hit Blackout for the pinfall.
Lance Archer defeated Crowbar by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Part of me wants to question why Crowbar got this much offense, but the crowd reaction for him was surprising to me too. It ended just as you expected, though, and didn’t really overstay its welcome.
A video package aired on Nick Wayne winning the ROH TV Championship. He talked about how he didn’t need his family to make it happen. “ROH just became Wayne’s World, and you’re all just living in it,” Wayne said…
Robinson’s Ruminations: Really nice video package.
3. ROH Women’s Television Champion Red Velvet vs. Ashley Vox in a Proving Ground match. No entrance for Vox. Velvet pulled away from the code of honor twice, and then held onto it for a lariat the third time. Velvet mounted Vox with punches, posed and got rolled up a two count for it. Velvet choked Vox on the ropes and then tried what I think was going to be a wet willy but it got blocked. Never mind, apparently Vox is known for a fishhook and that’s what that was, thanks announcers.
Velvet choked Vox with her foot while she argued with the ref. Velvet locked in a chinlock, but Vox fought out with a wrist lock takeover. Vox missed a corner strike, and Velvet hit some jabs to the gut and stomped to the face and then a foot choke with a split. Vox fought out of the corner and went to the middle rope and hit a shotgun dropkick, and fired up. Vox hit a running knee and called for the fishhook. Velvet blocked but got hit with a headbutt, and Vox got the fishhook in. Vox hit a clothesline and got a two count nearfall. Vox set up for a fisherman’s suplex, but Velvet got out and hit a big right hand for the pinfall.
ROH Women’s Television Champion Red Velvet defeated Ashley Vox by pinfall in a Proving Ground match.
After the match, La Catalina made her entrance out onto the stage, signaled for the belt, and then made her way to the ring. Velvet and Catalina went face to face in the ring and argued, but Velvet made the retreat first…
Robinson’s Ruminations: Velvet might be taking too much inspiration from Athena in this heel run, which I don’t think will work for her because she’s not as good a worker as Athena is. Mocking the opponent’s signature move, before we ever know it’s their signature move, is just one tell-tale sign of her lack of in-ring IQ.
A video package aired on Leila Grey declaring for the Women’s Pure Rules Championship tournament. It morphed to be Deonna Perazzo declaring herself, and then Taya Valkyrie doing the same. Deonna told Taya that the best technical wrestler will win, and “we all know who that will be”…
4. “Shane Taylor Promotions” Shane Taylor, Shawn Dean, Carlie Bravo, and Lee Moriarty vs. Mark Briscoe, AR Fox, and Top Flight” Dante Martin and Darius Martin (w/Lelia Grey). Taylor spat on the hand of Briscoe instead of a code of honor. Both men threw forearms in the middle of the ring, Briscoe ducked the big right but tried a crossbody block and got caught. Briscoe slid out and hit a discus forearm, but Taylor hit him with a running avalanche.
Later, Bravo locked in a chinlock until Fox stood up and fought out. Fox hit a spinning suplex and got the tag to Darius, who hit some clotheslines and an atomic drop. Moriarty grabbed his leg, and he caught a Taylor right hand as he tried to hit his slingshot flatliner. Taylor hit a uranage and a splash for a two count. Taylor hit a chop in the corner that made Darius regret life for a second. Darius tried swinging but got hit with a headbutt. Infantry hit some running forearms in the corner, but Darius hit a running Spanish Fly and tagged in Dante.
Dante threw elbows at Moriarty. Dante hit his rewind kick and slipped onto Bravo at ringside. Taylor at a running, twisting elbow dive. Moriarty got hit with a springboard stage dive for a two count. Moriarty rolled up Dante for a two count and then hit a hammerlock neckbreaker. Briscoe hit both Infantry members with strikes, and Dean got an enzuigiri, and Bravo got an exploder suplex. Taylor got a kung fu uppercut and a low bridge to ringside. Everyone dove onto everyone but Briscoe and Bravo. Briscoe hit Jay Driller for the pinfall.
Mark Briscoe, AR Fox, and Top Flight” Dante Martin and Darius Martin defeated “Shane Taylor Promotions” Shane Taylor, Shawn Dean, Carlie Bravo, and Lee Moriarty by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: A fun multi-man match. Everyone got a few moments to shine. I wish STP meant more than they seem to at the moment. This was a quick, inoffensive show that did nothing to move anything along in any direction. I guess that’s the definition of a placeholder show, and that’s not the worst thing coming off of the long WrestleMania weekend.
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