By Sam Robinson, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@altaine)
Ring of Honor on HonorClub (Episode 64)
Taped May 1, 2024 in Winnipeg, Manitoba at Canada Life Centre
Streamed May 16, 2024 on HonorClub
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 with a rundown of matches for tonight including three different proving ground matches…
1. Kyle Fletcher vs. Mentallo in a ROH World Television Championship Proving Ground match. No entrance for Mentallo. Fletcher kicked away the code of honor and then blasted Mentallo with a big boot. Fletcher worked over Mentallo in the corner with chops and punches. Fletcher hit a running back elbow and got a two count with a cocky cover. Fletcher hit a stalling suplex and had Mentallo up so long he was able to ask the crowd for cheers and then got a two count off of it. Mentallo got a basement dropkick to the knee and another to the face.
Mentallo dumped Fletcher to the floor and then hit a moonsault off the middle turnbuckle onto Fletcher on the floor. Back in the ring Mentallo hit a leg drop off the top turnbuckle but only got a two count. Mentallo hit a rolling forearm and a running palm strike. Fletcher returned fire with a rolling big boot and then a dragon suplex. Fletcher hit a running yakuza kick and then a sheer drop brainbuster for only a two count. Fletcher went for his piledriver and Mentallo reversed with a wheelbarrow for a two count. Fletcher came right back with a running leg lariat and a yakuza kick to the back. Fletcher hit his piledriver for the pinfall.
Kyle Fletcher defeated Mentallo by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: A fine showcase match for Fletcher. He looked strong and violent here in this match. Mentallo being a hometown guy got very little reaction.
2. Jay Lethal and Satnam Singh (w/Sanjay Dutt) vs. “Dark Order ” John Silver and Evil Uno (w/Alex Reynolds). Lethal and Uno went dosi-do with some chain wrestling and then some shoulder blocks while Lethal tried to tag out early. Silver tags in and asks for Singh while Uno tries to talk him out of it. Singh tags in and Uno bails to ringside and laments the choice with Reynolds. Singh and Silver have a pose off for a bit. Silver asked for a test of strength but then tried to kick out the legs of Singh.
Silver ran right into a big boot and Singh tagged out to Lethal. Lethal cleared Uno from the apron and then all three heels did a Fargo strut. Singh lifted Silver up on his shoulders and Lethal went up top, but Uno cleared Lethal from the top as Silver put Singh in a sleeper. Uno tried to lay in some punches but got throws off. Singh hit Uno with a chokeslam while still in the sleeper. Singh went down to one knee and Lethal broke the sleeper with a superkick. Singh held Silver while Lethal hit the lethal injection for the pinfall.
Jay Lethal and Satnam Singh defeated Dark Order by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Comedy match.
Backstage, the Iron Savages cut a promo. Jacked Jameson said it’s no more stepping stones, now they’re roadblocks. Boulder talked about their T counts. Bronson pointed out the pecs of Jameson and Boulder and said that’s peak male performance. Then Jameson cut the catchphrase again…
3. Anna Jay vs. Tara Zep. No entrance for Zep, who blocked Jay into the corner for a clean break. Jay threw Zep down by her hair and then hit a vertical suplex for a pair of two counts, then she choked Zep. Jay choked Zep on the ropes and then argued with the ref. Jay hit Zep with a spin kick to the back. Jay hit an ugly looking Gory Bomb for a cover but she pulled Zep up and locked in a sleeper with body scissors for the submission.
Anna Jay defeated Tara Zep by submission.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Squash match. Someone loves Anna Jay as she’s been all over lately and for good reason, she’s a good time filling act. Sadly I don’t know that she has enough to be more than a good time filler.
4. Rachel Ellering vs. Skye Blue. Blue kicked away the code of honor. Ellering caught a kick and locked in a headlock. Blue fought out and tried a headlock of her own but Ellering picked her up, threw her across the ring and hit a shoulder block. Blue blasted Ellering with a forearm, but Ellering came right back with another shoulder block. Ellering walked around the ring with Blue in a gutwrench before she hit the suplex. Ellering tried the senton but Blue got the knees up. Blue choked Ellering with a boot choke in the corner. Blue worked over Ellering with some chops in the corner and then threw her to the floor.
Blue threw Ellering into the apron for a bit and then threw her back in the ring. Blue tried an acrobatic line across the ring, but Ellering blasted her with a clothesline out of the corner for a double down. Ellering hit a running uppercut and then a cradle suplex for a two count. Ellering returned the chops from a few moments ago. Ellering hit another big uppercut and then a senton splash for a two count, and then the women traded a bunch of rollup nearfalls. Ellering hit a spinebuster for a two count. Blue tried a rollup but Ellering sat down on her for a two count. Blue hit a superkick and then her Code Blue to get the three count.
Sky Blue defeated Rachel Ellering by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: That was a pretty good TV match. I am happy to see the improvement of Sky Blue.
Backstage, “SAP” Serpentico and Angelico talked about living a waking nightmare. Serpetnico said they needed to tune down the aggression and hit the good vibes. Angelico said things are about to get ugly for Maria and the Baby Boys…
5. Action Andretti and Darius Martin vs. Jon Cruz and Levi Night. Night has a disco gimmick and the announcers talked about how fun it would be to get him together with The Outrunners. Night called for a test of strength and then did a disco dance. Darius hit a big dropkick to the face of Night. Cruz and Andretti tagged in and Cruz got a nice reaction and then tripped on the bottom rope as he was throwing his jacket to get the crowd to shut up about him.
Andretti and Cruz traded backslide attempts and then Andretti backed Cruz into his corner and Martin and Andretti hit a ton of quick offense on both heels and knocked them both to ringside. Cruz did some veteran trickery with a blind tag and Night got a big round kick on Darius for a two count. Night hit a backbreaker for a one count. Cruz tagged in and worked over Darius in the corner. Night back in for a body slam and a leg drop for a broken up nearfall. Cruz in and he hit a diving forearm for a one count and then he locked in a chinlock.
Martin fought out and hit a wall walk Pele kick for the double down. Hot tag to Andretti who hit a bunch of Forearms and a big clothesline on Night. Andretti hit a neckbreaker and dumped both heels to ringside and dove onto them. Back in the ring, Andretti went outside in with a springboard moonsault for a broken up nearfall. Cruz and Night tried a double suplex, but Martin blocked and they hit a double superkick. Top Flight hit a bunch of kicks to Night and then their Spin Cycle finisher for the pinfall.
Action Andretti and Darius Martin defeated Jon Cruz and Levi Night by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Fine showcase match for the high flying duo. I’m not 100 percent sure if they’ve decided to name the team Top Flight anyway or if there was some error by the ring announcer and the announce team. They kind of went back and forth calling them Top Flight or by just Marin and Andretti.
6. ROH Tag Team Champions “Undisputed Kingdom” Matt Taven and Mike Bennett vs. Lightning London and Jason Geiger in a Proving Ground match. Geiger locked in an early arm hold, but Bennett broke free quickly but then got trapped in a knee bar that Taven had to break up. Geiger kicked away a double back body attempt and tagged Lightning. Lightning hit an atomic drop and then dropkicked Taven into Bennett.
Lightning hit a spinebuster on Taven and Bennett broke it up. Kingdom hit a pop up Bayonet for a two count on Lightning. Kingdom worked over Lightning in the corner with some quick tags. Bennett hit a vertical suplex and got a two count. Kingdom hit some tandem strikes that ended with Just the Tip from Bennett for a two count on London. Lightning avoided a clothesline and tagged in Geiger who hit some clotheslines and suplexes and got a broken up nearfall on Taven. Bennett cleared Lightning with a Bayonet. Kingdom hit Rockstar Supernova on Geiger for the pinfall.
ROH Tag Team Champions “Undisputed Kingdom” Matt Taven and Mike Bennett defeated Lightning London and Jason Geiger by pinfall in a Proving Ground match
After the match, Taven asked a crowd granny for a cheek kiss and she slapped him and he had to be held back by Bennett and referee Rick Knox…
Robinson’s Ruminations: Fine little TV match. Kingdom didn’t give up too much against two guys who are just jobbers.
7. ROH Women’s World Champion Athena vs. Nicole Matthews in a Proving Ground match. The crowd chanted “Lets go, Matthews ” at the top and it made Athena mad, but there was a clear code of honor. During some early chain wrestling, Athena seemed annoyed and stunned by Matthews’ prowess. “Nicole ” chanted the crowd as the women continued the chain wrestling with Matthews locked in a cravat. Athena cheered as she got out of the cravat but Matthews tripped her and then the women gator rolled around the ring for a bit until Matthews got a one count with a roll up and Athena retreated to ringside.
Athena tripped Matthews and blasted her with a forearm and hit a twisting outside-in splash for a two count. Athena hit a running forearm in the corner. Athena locked in an arm trap neck vice but Matthews rolled through and got a pair of two counts with some fancy trap pins. Athena blasted Matthews with another forearm to try and take control again, but Matthews rolled her up again for another two count. Matthews came back with a neckbreaker, a pair of clotheslines and a bridging northern lights suplex for a two count. Athena popped up with another forearm and then hit a springboard codebreaker. Athena dropkicked Matthews to the floor. Athena threw her back in the ring and hit O-Face for the pinfall.
ROH Women’s World Champion Athena defeated Nicole Matthews by pinfall in a Proving Ground match.
After the match, Athena locked in a crossface on Matthews until Queen Aminanta came in and broke it up. Aminanta blocked a forearm attempt and hit her big headbutt to clear Athena to the floor who laid there in a heap while Aminanta looked at the title lying in the ring…
Robinson’s Ruminations: What a difference any crowd noise makes. The crowd was actually into the match and it was a good one. I’m a sucker for good chain wrestling and trap pins and things like that and this one was up my alley. Matthews may look unimposing but she was every bit the veteran the announcers were playing her up as. While she had her moments to shine, this was an Athena match, and she never loses it seems. The aftermath with Queen Aminata is interesting. It almost makes me wonder if they were going to give Aminanta the TV title, but then Athena decided she would make a good opponent for herself.
The overall show was just kind of there. No storylines really moved anywhere, but we did get some OK to good wrestling, so I guess there’s that. My weekly ROH audio reviews are available exclusively for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons).
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