By Sam Robinson, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@altaine)
Ring of Honor on HonorClub (Episode 86)
Taped October 8, 2024 in Spokane, Washington at Spokane Arena
Streamed October 17, 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 opened with a memorial graphic for Joe Koff, the long time ROH executive who passed away earlier this week…
A recap aired of the ROH World Title match from the WrestleDream PPV…
Backstage, Mark Briscoe told Jericho to keep Jay Briscoe’s name out of his mouth. He also told Jericho he’d whoop his ass on any AEW/RoH show. Then he quoted Green Eggs and Ham to tell Jericho where he’d whoop his ass…
1. “Spanish Announce Project” Angelico and Serpentico vs. Ren Jones and Derek Dillinger. Jones swatted away the code of honor. Serpentico and Jones traded some slow arm work until Serpentico tagged in and hit the double stomp to the elbow. A muffed hip toss led to a double hip toss and a running splash from Serpentico for a two count. Dillinger came in only to get tossed right out of the ring. Serpentico hit a head scissors and a cradle for a two count on Jones.
Serpetnico superkicked Jones, knocked Dillinger off the apron but Dillinger picked the ankle and Jones hit a back suplex. Dillinger tagged in and hit a sidewalk slam for a two count on Serpentico, who came back and hit a jaw jacker and a jumping flatliner. Dillinger hit a spinning forearm and then missed a middle rope moonsault. Angelico and Jones tagged in and Angelico hit his flying clothesline and then some kicks on Jones including his rewind kick. Angelico locked in his deathlock move on Jones, and Serpentico locked in an octopus hold on Dillinger as Jones tapped out…
“Spanish Announce Project” Angelico and Serpentico defeated Ren Jones and Derek Dillinger by submission in 7:25.
Robinson’s Ruminations: The opening arm work took up nearly two full minutes of that match. No need for that in a squash match.
Backstage, Lexi Nair asked Rachel Ellering what’s next for her. Ellering said the women’s division is heating up and she wants in. Harley Cameron came in and told Ellering they got off on the wrong foot. Ellering told Cameron she’s not as dumb as she looks and Cameron took the insult for a compliment. Cameron hugged both Lexi and Ellering and said it’s the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Ellering and Lexi looked dumbfounded…
2. Yuka Sakazaki vs. Viva Van. The wrestlers traded some arm work at the top until Yuka rolled through, hit a kick and then did some Granby rolls around the ring before getting a two count nearfall. Van rolled out and took a breather, only to come in and hit a kick and a rolling head scissors. Van attempted a springboard move, only to stumble and fall. Yuka grabbed a two count nearfall to help cover for it. Yuka hit a flying head scissors and a step up kick in the corner.
Yuka went up top and hit a missile dropkick for a two count. Yuka hit a brainbuster for a two count that Van slid out of. Van hit a fake out punch for a two count and Yuka slid out of the cover as well. Yuka then hit a clothesline for a two count. Van hit a misdirection run and a spinning wheel kick for a two count. Van locked in a pendulum swing and then dropped Yuka on her face. Yuka hit an arm drag and a superkick. Yuka hit the magical merry go round (hammerlock face slam) for a two count. Yuka then hit the magical girl splash for the pinfall…
Yuka Sakazaki defeated Viva Van by pinfall in 5:25.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Van seems to have it all on the outside. Good look, fluid in the ring, looks like a safe but strong worker. The trouble is that just about everytime I see her, there is some sort of flub. Sad to see, because I really like Van and her whole package. If she could tighten things up in the ring, I think she could be a star.
A recap aired of the ROH TV Title match from the WrestleDream PPV…
Backstage after WrestleDream, Brian Cage told Atlantis Jr. he’d run him out of town. Cage said this title win was long overdue. Cage said that the title win was the push he needed to go on a roll. Welcome the age of Cage…
Robinson’s Ruminations: What a rambling, bad catchphrase ridden promo. The worst part is that without all the bad catchphrases, it was a babyface promo from a heel.
3. Nick Wayne (w/ Mother Wayne) vs. Brian Cook. Wayne used the code of honor to lay in a kick and then chopped Cook in the corner. Cook hit a tip up and a roll up for a two count. Cook hit some arm drags and a drop kick and got the crowd rolling. Wayne used an arm wringer to throw Cook into ropes. Wayne hit a codebreaker to the arm. Wayne stomped on the elbow of Cook as the crowd chanted “Nick Wayne sucks.”
Wayne threw Cook into the corner shoulder first. Wayne hit a single arm DDT for a two count. Cook grabbed an inside cradle for a two count, but Wayne hit a dropkick to the arm. Cook grabbed another cradle for a two count. Cook hit a couple of shoulder blocks and a clothesline. Cook hit a twisting DDT for a two count. Cook tried a fireman’s carry move, but Wayne threw him into the turnbuckle arm first again and then hit Wayne’s World for the pinfall.
Nick Wayne defeated Brian Cook by pinfall in 4:30.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Wayne is as good as everyone says he is. Cook on the other hand impressed me here. Good selling, good mechanics, knew where the crowd was. He just needs a different look and flashier name and maybe like 10 lbs. of muscle and he could have something.
A recap aired of the MxM Collection vs. The Acclaimed from WrestleDream with Riccaboni narrating it…
4. “MxM Collection” Mansoor and Mason Madden vs. “Midnight Heat” Ricky Gibson and Eddie Pearl. MxM used the Code of Honor to pull Heat in for a pose. Gibson did some arm work, but Mansoor slid out with a cartwheel and posed. Mansoor hit a dropkick and posed. Gibson tagged out and Pearl ate an atomic drop, dropkick and then a headbutt from Madden. Madden hit a step over leg drop. MxM hit some running moves in the corner and then some out of the corner and posed. MxM hit a hart attack style kick on Gibson. Midnight Heat hit a backstabber leg sweep combo. Mansoor fought out of the corner and hot tagged Madden who hit a double shoulder block. Madden hit big kicks on both Heat members and then a spinebuster on Pearl and a sit-out chokeslam on Gibson. MxM hit Centerfold for the pinfall.
“MxM Collection” Mansoor and Mason Madden vs. “Midnight Heat” Ricky Gibson and Eddie Pearl by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: A nice showcase win for MxM. They are over, but thankfully the innuendo has lightened and they’re just runway models now.
5. Jack Cartwheel vs. AR Fox. The men traded some arm work briefly until the indie style stalemate sequence replete with cartwheels. Cartwheel tried his flagpole leg sweep but Fox pushed him around and out of the ring and then hit a big dive on him. Fox missed a rolling thunder on the ring apron and then Cartwheel hit a roundoff back handspring dive over the rope onto Fox. Cartwheel hit the flagpole sweep but Fox put the feet up on the over the top dive. Fox hit a rolling neckbreaker and a knee strike for a two count.
Fox threw Cartwheel hard into the corner and then a neck breaker for a two count. Fox locked in a half chicken wing rest hold but Cartwheel fought out quickly and grabbed a backslide for a two count. Cartwheel hit a crucifix driver for a two count. Cartwheel really oversold the neck work that had been happening. The men traded reversals until Fox hit an enzuigiri and then hit a swinging suplex for a two count. Fox put Cartwheel on the top and tried some sort of jumping move but Cartwheel had his feet on the wrong side. Fox hit a “snap superplex” and then a 450 for the pinfall.
AR Fox defeated Jack Cartwheel by pinfall in 6:50.
Robinson’s Ruminations: This was a fun match until the end. The botches at the end of the match were pretty scary, especially that superplex where it seemed Fox just kind of lost power and fell down instead of out. Cartwheel is still a little too animated and cartoonish in the ring, but he’s coming along nicely. New haircut looks good on him.
6. Jon Cruz vs. Atlantis Jr. Cruz actually had a televised entrance. I guess the excursion for Atlantis isn’t finished yet. Atlantis hit a running enzuigiri for a one count. Cruz ran right into a tilt a whirl backbreaker for a two count. Cruz hit a flying head scissor and a running back elbow for a one count. Cruz did 10 mounted punches and counted in Spanish.
Cruz bit the face of Atlantis. Cruz hit a running back elbow and a dropping forearm and then did a cocky cover and got a one count. Cruz did a running start to lock in his chin lock and then said “hola” to the camera as Atlantis fought out of the chinlock. Atlantis followed Cruz in and hit a kick on the tip up and then a rolling cutter. Atlantis then hit his top rope frog splash for the pinfall.
Atlantis Jr. defeated Jon Cruz by pinfall in 3:50.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Atlantis is still a little bland, but his after the match promo into the camera as he walked up the ramp was pretty good even if most of it was in Spanish and I didn’t understand it. Cruz is still my favorite enhancement wrestler.
7. Willie Mack vs. Komander (w/Alex Abrahantes). Mack hit a big shoulder block. Komander tried a leapfrog but his feet got caught on Mack’s shoulder and he fell, the announcers covered it saying Mack pulled him down. Mack hit a running roundhouse kick. Mack hit some chops in the corner that made me gasp and wince. Komander was turning red after just the first one. Mack told the camera man to zoom in and then teased the chop, but twisted the nipples instead as Riccaboni asked if he learned that in JCW. Komander returned fire with a big chop of his own.
The wrestlers traded chops in the middle of the ring as Aubrey Edwards winced in the background too. Mack did some “whoop whoop” stomps to try and get the crowd going, to no avail. Mack missed a corner splash and Komander fired up with some forearms and a chop. Mack cut him off with one forearm. Mack pulled down his elbow pad for a big shot, but Koamder caught it, hit a lucha arm drag that sent Mack outside and Komander dove at him at mach one! Back in the ring, Komander tried a springboard destroyer but got caught and hit with an alabama slam. Mack went to the top and missed a frog splash. Komander went up top and hit his rope walking shooting star for the pinfall…
Komander defeated Willie Mack by pinfall in 6:50.
Robinson’s Ruminations: That was a fun match, mostly because it broke from the normal formula match we normally see here on ROH. Mack worked a much slower style here than I’m used to seeing from him, but that just made Komander seem that much faster. I enjoyed this one a lot.
Backstage after WrestleDream, Renee Paquette asked Chris Jericho about his loss to Mark Briscoe and how he was feeling. Jericho said he was vindicated. Jericho said his other projects are going strong and said that Briscoe cheated to win the match, and we got more highlights interspersed. Jericho said he wanted a rematch so he could become a two time ROH World Champion, just like Jay Briscoe…
Backstage after Dynamite, Renee asked Mark Briscoe for a reply about the cheating Jericho accused him of. Briscoe said Jericho is known for saying dumb stuff. Briscoe said he beat Jericho 1-2-3 in the middle of the ring. Briscoe said he’s make Jericho pay for invoking the name of Jay again. Briscoe said it was time to up the violence. Ladder War on Dynamite…
A classic match throwback aired with The Briscoe Brothers vs. SoCal Uncensored vs. The Young Bucks from Final Battle December 14, 2018 in a Ladder War for the ROH Tag Team Titles…
8. ROH Women’s Champion Athena (w/ Lexi Nair) vs. Lady Frost in a Proving Ground match. Athena came to the ring still handcuffed and chained to Lexi for “Lexi’s protection”. She unlocked herself and then chained Lexi to the ring post. The wrestlers both went for a drop kick early at the same time and missed. Athena pulled the hair of Frost to pull her down and then Frost hit a back roll into a head scissors. Frost hit a wheelbarrow arm drag that sent Athena outside. Frost hit a cannonball off the apron. Athena went by Lexi, and as Frost followed, Lexi pulled the chain up and stopped Frost.
Athena took control and slammed Frost on the floor at ringside and slid back in the ring looking for the count out. Frost made it back in at 13 only to get stomped by Athena. Athena shouted that “this is my show” while choking Frost with the ropes. Athena did a swinging choke with a front chancery. Frost hit a big forearm, but Athena cut her off with a big boot. “Athena” chanted the crowd as Athena pulled Frost down by the hair again. Frost came back with a slam and a clothesline. Fost hit a rewind kick and then a spin kick. Frost went to the top and hit a tornado splash for a two count. Frost tried a wheelbarrow again, but Athena caught her and slammed her for a two count.
Athena missed a running shot in the corner and Frost tripped her and hit a front handspring cannonball. Frost hit her cartwheel air raid crash for a two count. Athena hit a superkick and went to the turnbuckle where Frost cut her off. After some fighting on the ropes, Athena hit a sit out powerbomb and then locked in a crossface. Frost rolled it over and got a two count nearfall, but Athena rolled back over into the crossface and Frost tapped out.
ROH Women’s Champion Athena defeated Lady Frost in a Proving Ground match by submission in 8:45.
After the match, Athena unlocked Lexi and locked it back around her wrist. Back in the ring, Athena set up Frost to kiss the belt, but Abadon’s music hit and Athena and Lexi started running. They forgot the title belt and decided against going back for it…
Robinson’s Ruminations: Kind of a weak match, mostly because of a flat crowd and the slow pace. The announcers covered it well by saying over and over that Athena was on the watch for Abadon.
Overall, this show is pretty weak, aside from the classic match. I understand the idea of playing the classic matches, but what I don’t understand is playing them in the middle of the show. Hell, the ladder war match was the main event of that Final Battle show, why couldn’t it be the main event here on the TV show? My weekly ROH on HonorClub audio reviews are available weekly for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons).
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