By Sam Robinson, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@altaine)
Ring of Honor on HonorClub (Episode 122)
Taped on June 18, 2025, in Mexico City, Mexico, at Arena Mexico
Streamed June 26, 2025, on HonorClub
Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman were on commentary, and Justin Roberts and Omar Garcia were the ring announcers…
*Unless otherwise noted, all matches started and ended with the Code of Honor handshake…
1. ROH Women’s Champion Athena and ROH Women’s TV Champion Red Velvet vs. Persephone and Thunder Rosa. Persephone came out sporting a green title belt that I can only assume is a CMLL Women’s championship, but it was never acknowledged. Late in the match, Athena tagged in and kicked Persephone in the back. Velvet hit another kick to the head, but Persephone hit a lariat for the double down. Rosa and Athena tagged in, and Athena got blasted with clotheslines. Rosa hit a drop kick against the ropes and then bridged Northern Lights for a broken up nearfall. Rosa hit a codebreaker, and Persephone hit a missile drop kick from the middle for a broken up nearfall. The heels tossed Persephone out of the ring and used the two-on-one advantage. Velvet hit Stir it Up on Rosa for a broken up nearfall. Persephone threw Velvet with a fallaway slam. Athena hit O-Face on Persephone. Velvet missed Stir It Up on Rosa and got rolled up for the pinfall.
Thunder Rosa and Persephone defeated Athena and Red Velvet by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: A fine little tag match with a couple of nice spots, and got the crowd into it.
2. ROH TV Champion Nick Wayne vs. Titan in a Proving Ground match. Wayne kicked away the code of honor. Apparently, Titan is the CMLL Welterweight champion, but he didn’t come out with the belt, and the announcers said that the title wasn’t on the line. Late in the match, Wayne hit a standing Acid Drop, but Titan hit a Pele kick for the double down. Titan hit a ripcord spinning slam and went up top. Wayne rolled to the other side of the ring as we heard “One minute remaining” from Justin Roberts. Titan hit a dive over the ropes and tried a springboard splash in the ring, but Wayne got the knees up. Titan rolled Wayne up for two. Titan hit a springboard tornado DDT and locked in a leg grapevine as time ran out before he could lock in the full Muta Lock.
Titan survived the ten-minute time limit to earn a future ROH TV Title match.
Robinson’s Ruminations: That was a good match, but I really feel like there is still something missing with Nick Wayne as a heel. He spends too much energy being edgy and taunting the crowd instead of doing good in-ring work. I don’t need him to do ALL the flippy stuff, but I think swinging the pendulum back to maybe 40 percent flippy stuff would be better.
A video package aired with Bandido speaking Spanish. He said he couldn’t believe he’s back to being ROH Champion after his surgery, and that without his family, it wouldn’t have happened. He said it’s going to be his first time in Arena Mexico.
Robinson’s Ruminations: I find it really hard to believe this is Bandido’s first time in Arena Mexico, but I’m no lucha historian.
A recap of Mascara Dorada saving Bandido from Lee Johnson and Blake Christian last week…
3. Bandido vs. Mascara Dorada for the ROH Championship. The wrestlers exchanged clean breaks in the ropes and then went into a fast-paced lucha reversal sequence, which left Dorada standing and Bandido on the ground holding his back. Another reversal sequence that left Dorada missing a 450 off the top and Bandido trying a 21-plex that was blocked.
Late in the match, Dorada threw Bandido into the ring and then hit a running Fosbury Flop over the top rope into a cover for a two count. Dorada hit a sunset flip, but Bandido rolled through and locked Dorada in a trap pin for a couple of two counts, but Dorada powered up and rolled back, but got hit with a sit-down Dead Eye style move for a two count. Bandido set Dorada on the top rope, but Dorada fought out, down and around to the other corner. Dorada hit a super shoulder stand huracanrana.
Dorada went back up top and hit a shooting star press for a two count. Bandido caught Dorada and hit X-Knee and 21-Plex for a two count. The announcers listed all the people who did not kick out of 21-Plex as the wrestlers reset. Dorada got the knees up on a corner charge and went up top. Bandido followed him up with an enzuigiri and then hit a moonsault fall away slam off the top. Bandido hit 21-plex for the pinfall.
Bandido defeated Mascara Dorada by pinfall to retain the ROH World Championship.
After the match, Dorada picked up the title belt, shook hands with Bandido and put the title belt around his waist…
Robinson’s Ruminations: Incorporating big signature moves into an opening reversal sequence was a fun change. This was a main event worthy match, but it’s in the middle of the show. The only weird thing for me was that it seemed like the crowd didn’t really like either of these men. They booed while both men were on offense, but cheered and popped for the big spots.
Backstage, Rocky Romero, rocking a terrible mustache, introduced us to Konosuke Takeshita. Rocky congratulated Bandido but told him that Takeshita is challenging him for the title at Supercard of Honor. Takeshita said his name will go down in history as ROH World Champion, and he’s The Alpha…
In a parking lot, “Top Flight” Dante Martin and Darius Martin stood at attention while Lelila Grey paced and said they have a number one contender’s match next week. She asked some questions and they answered her like soldiers…
Robinson’s Ruminations: I don’t know if this was supposed to be a funny rib on The Infantry, who they are facing for the number one contendership, but it didn’t work for me.
A video package aired of Lee Moriarty taking in the sights of Arena Mexico and saying that he’s excited to be here wrestling in such a special arena.
4. Lee Moriarty (w/Shane Taylor, Carlie Bravo, Shawn Dean) vs. Blue Panther Sr. Late in the match, Moriarty threw a chop that made Panther fire up. The wrestlers exchanged chops, but Panther hit a clothesline for a two count. Moriarty hit a series of forearms that put Panther on his butt. Moriarty missed a charge and ended up on the apron and then clotheslined off of it. Panther got the crowd fired up and hit a crossbody off the stage onto the floor. Back in the ring, Panther hit a springboard crossbody and then locked in a Fujiwara armbar for the immediate tapout.
Blue Panther defeated Lee Moriarty by submission.
After the match, Shane Taylor Promotions mugged Blue Panther, and Infantry held him as Taylor splashed him. Taylor went up to the middle rope for a splash.
Bryan Danielson came out and called out three luchadors to fight off STP. The luchadores superkicked the Infantry out of the ring, and Danielson hit his Busaiku Knee on Taylor, and the crowd went nuts. Panther Sr and Danielson hugged, and they celebrated with all the luchadores. Danielson got a mic and thanked the crowd. He spoke in Spanish for a bit and thanked the crowd again for having them in Mexico.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Well, I guess that’s why Moriarty and Panther got the main event spot. I don’t think Danielson is doing anything more than being an ambassador here, but we can all dream. I would love to see him team with Panther Sr. to face Moriarty and Taylor. It’s still insane to me that Panther Sr. is still out here working like he does. Those suicide dives from Moriarty had me scared to death for Panther.
This show was fun, but nothing spectacular. It honestly felt like a slightly more special version of the 45-minute shows we’ve been getting. The world title match was good, but I think the crowd not being into either guy really dragged it down a bit for me. Everything else was just a TV match. My weekly audio reviews of ROH on HonorClub are available for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons).
Bandido has never worked for CMLL, so there’s no way he could have worked Arena Mexico. They own the building.