By Sam Robinson, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@altaine)
Ring of Honor on HonorClub (Episode 98)
Taped January 4, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina at Bojangles Coliseum
Streamed January 9, 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 opened with a rundown of the matches…
Robinson’s Ruminations: Riccaboni asked what we did to deserve the pleasure of the ROH World Champion showing up on ROH TV. I have two problems here. We should expect the ROH World Champion to show up on ROH all the time, and two Chris Jericho is going to be on the show tonight.
1. Trish Adora (w/ Shane Taylor) vs. Harley Cameron. Shane Taylor must have gone to the back as he was nowhere to be seen now. Trish hit an arm drag and Harley hit a snapmare as the two had a feeling out process. Harley hit an around the world flying head-scissors. Harley tried a monkey flip but got put on the top rope. Harley tried a tornado DDT from the top, but Trish reversed into a northern lights suplex.
Trish hit a snapping german suplex to a chorus of boos from the crowd. Trish hit a spinning backbreaker and then locked in a chin lock. Trish locked in an air raid crash style submission and transitioned it into a one count nearfall. Trish locked in a bow and arrow arm stretch but Harley fought out as the crowd started to get behind her. Harley hit a pump handle german suplex. Harley picked up the pace and hit some knees and kicks and then hit a shining wizard for a two count. Trish hit a stalling bridging german suplex for a two count. Trish hit Lariat Tubman for the pinfall.
Trish Adora defeated Harley Cameron by pinfall.
“The Infantry” Carlie Bravo and Shawn Dean hit the ring to join the celebration with Trish…
Robinson’s Ruminations: Fine enough match, if not just a tick too slow. Not even a half a step, just a tick. Harley still seems to be learning her in-ring timing., but it’s coming along nicely.
2. Serpentico vs Blake Christian. Christian used the code of honor to blast Serpentico with a boot to the head. Serpentico came back with a flying head scissors and then some strikes in the corner and a dropkick coming out of it for a one count nearfall. Christian hit a dropkick of his own but then tricked Serpentico out to ringside. After some dive teases Christian kicked the ropes into the junk of Serpentico. Christian then hit a dive through the bottom rope. Christian threw Sepentico in the barricades and broke the count and then stood on the head of Serpentico while it was on the barricade.
Serpentico got tossed into more barricades as Christian broke the count again. That break gave Serpetnico a chance and he threw a superkick and did some ten count punches in the corner of the ringside area on a chair. On the ring steps, Christian stomped on the head of Serpentico. Back in the ring Christian teased a high flying move but dropped to the mat and flipped off the crowd. Serpentico came back with a roll up near fall. Serpencio hit his corner flying head scissors and got a cradle for a two count. Serpentico hit a flipping reverse snapmare (?) for a two count. Christian hit snake eyes and a uranage and then a standing gainer flip into a senton splash. Christian went up top and hit a flying nothing, but when they connected again, he messed with the mask of Seprentico. Christian hit a DDT and then a running double knee to the back of the head.
Blake Christian defeated Serpentico by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: I love Christian more and more every week. He busts out all kinds of crazy moves, and the way he does them still gets him heel heat. It’s really hard to be an innovative high flyer, like he is and get the heel heat that he does.
A video package aired on the historic Nigel McGuinness and Daniel Bryan feud with lots of historic video. Apparently, this is a full length documentary about his comeback. Lots of footage from his own self produced documentary from a few years back…
3. Beefcake Boulder vs. Griff Garrison (w/ Cole Karter). Garrison ate a shoulder block as two dudes in the crowd chanted something taunting that Garrison wasn’t amused by and I couldn’t make out. Garrison tried really hard to Irish whip Boulder to no avail and then he got hit with a flapjack. Garrison grabbed a sleeper but got tossed off. Garrison tried a sunset flip only to get picked up and choked, but Garrison pulled the beard to get away. Garrison avoided a charge and hit a leaping splash in the corner and hit some headbutts to the arm.
Garrison hit a running boot to the face, but Boulder just dropped his straps. Boulder hit a clothesline and a body slam. Boulder hit three splashes in the corner to the delight of the crowd who asked for one more. Garrison got his boot up on the last one, but then he ate a side slam and Boulder got a two count out of it. Boulder went to the middle rope and Karter distracted him. Garrison pulled Boulder down and tried for his discus forearm, but Boulder caught him and slammed him. Boulder bounced around the ring and hit a running splash for the pinfall.
Boulder defeated Griff Garrison by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: I’m not sure what Garrison did to be in the doghouse like this. This was pretty much a squash match. It’s nice to see Karter is alive and still employed though.
Clips aired from Athena’s tour of Japan…
4. Billie Starkz vs. Brittany Jade. After some jockeying both women rolled each other up for a one count and Starkz hit a superkick. Starkz hit a combo of strikes to the gut. Starkz hit a suplex out of the corner. Starkz hit a snapmare and a kick to the back and then she stomped on the head of Jade and argued with the ref. Starkz missed a charge into the corner but then hit her corner rewind kick and went to the top. Jade cut her off and followed her up, but Starkz slid down and hit an electric chair snake eyes. Starkz hit a round kick and then went up top and hit Swan Dive for the pinfall.
Billie Starkz defeated Brittany Jade by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: A squash match where Jade didn’t really get in any sustained offense. Jade’s selling still needs a bit of work. I’m not one to usually comment on the appearance or tattoos, but Jade had a tattoo on her nose that I just found distracting. Don’t know if that’s a good thing or not.
5. Rachel Ellering vs. Queen Aminata. “Queen” chanted the crowd as the bell rang. Aminata grabbed an arm and wiggled her butt in Ellering’s face. Ellering hit a shoulder tackle and stepped over a dropdown and picked up Aminata and hit a gut wrench suplex. Ellering called for her senton splash and Aminata rolled out of the ring. Ellering held the ropes for her to get back in the ring. Aminata grabbed some holds and transitioned through them only for Ellering to throw her off and then hit the “Swish” splash. Aminata got a boot up in the corner and hit some strikes including the ten punches. Aminata hit her running face wash kick and got a two count because of a bad cover. Aminata tried some sort of leg submission but Ellering just tossed her off. Ellering hit a spinning back elbow, but Aminata came back with a headbutt for the pinfall.
Queen Aminata defeated Rachel Ellering by pinfall.
After the match, Aminata checked on Ellering on the floor and they shook hands…
Robinson’s Ruminations: A fine match where both women got to show some good hard hitting in ring work and some fun personality too.
Throwback Match: Sumie Sakai vs. Hazuki for the ROH Women’s World Championship on July 21, 2018 in Fairfax, Virginia.
6. “MxM Collection” Mansoor and Mason Madden vs. Zane Dawson and Dave Dawson. The Dawsons wanted to do the code of honor but “tip touching” was too much and he swatted away the hand. Madden backed Zane into the corner and offered his tip again, only for Zane to chop him to no avail. Madden a shoulder block and posed. Mansoor in and MxM hit some tandem strikes and posed. MxM hit a sideslam leg drop combo on the other Dawson, posed and touched tips. Zane avoided some Mansoor strikes, tagged in Dave and they caught Mansoor in a double splash. Dawsons stomped all over Mansoor. Mansoor fought out with an enzuigiri and through the legs. Madden hit a double shoulder tackle and then some running strikes in the corners. Madden hit a variant bossman slam. Mansoor hit a pump kick and Madden hit a side kick. MxM hit Centerfold for the pinfall.
“MxM Collection” Mansoor and Mason Madden defeated Zane Dawson and Dave Dawson. by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: Squash match.
Footage aired of the Sons of Texas beating House of Torture in Japan…
Robinson’s Ruminations: These clips of ROH stars on tour are a really nice touch.
7. ROH Women’s TV Champion Red Velvet vs Jazmyne Hao in a Proving Ground match. Hao pushed Velvet off a lock up to show her strength. Hao grabbed a hammerlock and Velvet had to use the ropes to break out. Velvet hit some punches to the gut. Velvet choked Hoa in the corner and asked the crowd “why you mad?”Hoa came back with some forearms but got beat right back down by Velvet who hit a drop toe hold into the ropes and then double knees to the back. Velvet took too much time insulting the fans and Hoa hit a big kick and went up top. Hoa missed a dive and Velvet blasted her with a right hand for the pinfall.
ROH Women’s TV Champion Red Velvet defeated Jazmyne Hao by pinfall in a Proving Ground match.
Robinson’s Ruminations: The Red Velvet heel turn is still a little too focused on the crowd for my taste, but it’s growing on me.
Backstage, QT Marshall was trying to avoid Lexi Nair because she’s “been hounding him.” Marshall talked about his run in CMLL last year and said he’ll be the new TV Champion…
8. “Gates of Agony” Bishop Kaun and Toa Linoa vs. “Shane Taylor Promotions” Shane Taylor and Lee Moriarty. The crowd in front of the hard cam was nearly empty and they all looked bored. Moriarty used his wrestling to ground Kaun and roll him up for a two count. After some leapfrogs and misdirection Kaun hit an elbow drop and a senton splash for a two count. Taylor tagged in and Kaun thought about tagging out but Taylor trash talked him into staying in. The men stuffed each other’s shoulder block attempt and Taylor begged for another only for Moriarty to get the knee up. Taylor chopped Kaun in the corner and Kaun asked for more and Taylor obliged with a right hand that put Kaun on his ass.
Moriarty tagged in and worked on the arms and fingers of Kaun including a bridge over the shoulder into a pin for a two count nearfall. Moriarty popped the elbow of Kaun and tagged out to Taylor. Kaun hit some strikes but Taylor hit a huge knee to the jaw for a broken up nearfall, which Toa looked pissed about. Kaun fired up and ate a forearm to the jaw, a uranage and a splash for a two count. Kaun avoided two elbow from Moriarty and they both hit cross body blocks. Taylor and Toa got the tags and they hit shoulder blocks and clotheslines where they both ate them all.
Taylor hit a headbutt but Toa ate it and hit a samoan drop. Moriarty tagged in while Gates was distracted by trying to tag too. Gates hit some running strikes on Taylor in the corner and tricked Kaun out of the ring but Toa caught him and they hit Open the Gates on Moriarty for a two count. They tried Open again but Taylor broke it up with a right hand. Toa tossed Taylor to ringside and hit a cannonball off the apron. Trish Adora came out and begged the ref to stop things. Infantry grabbed Kaun and hit a double kick to the head of Kaun and Moriarty rolled him up for the pinfall.
Shane Taylor and Lee Moriarty defeated “Gates of Agony” Bishop Kaun and Toa Linoa by pinfall.
Robinson’s Ruminations: This was a fun match put on in front of a crowd who could have cared less. The story of Kaun and Taylor having history and Toa being annoyed by it is fun. 2025 is the year of STP and I won’t back down from that take.
ROH Champion Chris Jericho made his entrance with Bryan Keith. Jericho called the crowd idiots because they weren’t chanting for Jericho during the last matches. He said all he heard was “Rock-n-Roll”. He told the crowd that the Rock-n-Roll Express left and it was a good thing because he’d whip their asses.
“The Rock-n-Roll Express” Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson made their entrance and headed to the ring. “Rock-n-Roll” chanted the crowd as Jericho begged for the music to be stopped. Jericho said he hates Rock-n-Roll. Jericho said he hasn’t liked Gibson since ‘94 when he got hazed in the back. Rock-n-Roll punched Jericho out of the ring and then did the same to Keith. Gibson took the mic and said it was good to be home in Charlotte and their music hit to close the show…
Robinson’s Ruminations: That was a thing that could have happened in a dark segment for the live crowd and no one would have minded. That didn’t need to air on the TV show. The overall show kind of flew by with just some matches, as most of the ROH champions are overseas doing work in Japan. It was a nice touch to see clips of those matches, as it makes ROH feel bigger and more international than it has felt in a while. My ROH audio reviews are available weekly for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons).
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