Ring of Honor TV Champion Kyle Fletcher will defend his belt against Lee Johnson in a best-of-three-falls match on tonight’s ROH on HonorClub which will feature two title bouts.
Reigning ROH Tag Team Champions The Undisputed Kingdom (Mike Bennett & Matt Taven) will put their titles on the line against Cool Hand Ang & “Daddy Magic” Matt Menard after weeks of feuding between the two teams.
We will also hear from both ROH Women’s Champion Athena and ROH Women’s TV Champion Billie Starkz.
Other matches include the promotional debut of CMLL’s Titan as he battles Aaron Solo, Diamante vs. Leyla Hirsch, Jacoby Watts vs. Brandon Cutler, and a trios bout between Griff Garrison, Cole Karter & Anthony Henry vs. The Infantry (Shawn Dean & Carlie Bravo) and Serpentico.
Other talent announced for tonight includes Lance Archer, Marina Shafir and The Iron Savages.
The Tag Team title match was taped on June 12th while the TV Title match was taped on June 15th. The rest of this week’s card was taped on June 8th.
A big two-out-of-three falls match was headlining this week, but the extra-long show kicked off with some lucha libre stlye action!
Titan, the current CMLL Welterweight Champion, and Solo were pretty evenly matched in terms of size and speed and both had potential for some pretty cool high-flying moves.
Titan got the jump on Solo off the top though, sending him to the outside with a big dropkick. Solo recovered and the two exchanged punches and chops until Solo managed to knock Titan to the mat. However, Titan sprang back up and got the drop on Solo. Solo avoided a splash from the top and responded with a double stomp from the top rope.
The crowd began to turn on Solo, chanting that he sucked as Titan limbo-avoided a clothesline. Titan hit a double stomp of his own on Solo from the top rope to win his first ROH match in six years.
Griff Garrison, Cole Karter, and Anthony Henry defeated The Infantry (Carlie Bravo and Shawn Dean), and Serpentico
Garrison. Karter. Serpentico. These three have been circling each other and fighting over Serpentico’s stolen mask for months now. Throw in Henry and The Infantry (accompanied by Trish Adora) and this match had all the making of what they used to call “a slobberknocker.”
Garrison and Karter were accompanied to the ring by Maria, still brandishing Serpentico’s stolen green mask. Serpentico arrived in a, frankly, way cooler black-with-green-accents mask, so he might not even care about the old one anymore.
Henry and Serpentico kicked things off and ran the ropes dodging lariats kicks until Serpentico got the upper hand and isolated Henry in the Infantry’s corner. A few double teams later, Garrison jumped in to try and save Henry, but was given a swift boot to the face for his trouble.
Garrison and Karter took out the Infantry outside the ring, leaving Serpentico all alone. Karter quickly tagged in and the beat down was on. Serpentico found himself isolated in his opponent’s corner and Henry locked in a straight jacket choke hold. Adora got the crowd going and Henry began showboating, which quickly cost him as Serpentico school boy’ed him for a two-count.
Eventually, both men remembered that they had teammates, and hot tags were executed by both, bringing in Bravo and Karter. Garrison tagged in and The Infantry executed a textbook Boot Camp for another near fall. All six men entered the ring and a brawl broke out. When the dust settled, it was Henry and Serpentico in the ring.
Garrison nailed Serpentico with a steel chair from the outside when the ref was distracted and Henry was able to pin him for the win.
-On the ramp, ROH Women’s World Champion Athena and ROH Women’s TV Champion Billie Starkz joined fellow “minion” Lexi Nair. Athena entered on crutches, her leg in a boot. Through tears, Athena told the crowd that she tore ligaments in her ankle, and it looks like it will take 4-6 months to recover. A sobbing Athena said she had to vacate the ROH Women’s Championship due to injury. The crowd chanted “keep it” but Athena then swerved us all and said she was not giving up the title! She vowed to be the ROH Women’s World Champion forever!
Suddenly, Queen Aminata and Red Velvet arrived. Velvet called Athena out, accusing her of faking the injury, just like Starkz faked an injury to win the Women’s TV Title Tournament. It came to blows and the IRL injured Athena was shoved to the ground. Starkz Chased off Aminata and Velvet as ROH staff came out to help Athena to the back.
Jacoby Watts defeated Brandon Cutler
This promised to be an interesting match, as in recent weeks Watts has been “teaming” with Nick Comoroto, who accompanied him to the ring. I say “teaming” because Comoroto has been doing all the work, and Watts has been… preaching? Proselytizing? Definitely not helping his partner. So seeing Watts in singles action was an interesting change.
Watts started off with a promo, which was interrupted by Cutler who entered to no music but the loudest track suit known to man. Butler ran down the crowd, Watts and Comoroto. Comoroto responded by headbutting him in the chest. The bell rang and the match began.
Watts actually wrestled in this match, showing off some impressive speed and high slams. The two traded right hands until Cutler hit a cutter on Watts. Cutler had control and laid a beating on Watts while Comoroto tried to fire him up on the outside.
Watts hit a knee stunner on Cutler and actually got the pin to win the match. Watts and Comoroto celebrated in the ring.
Marina Shafir defeated Maggie Minerva
ROH has a problem, and the problem is Marina Shafir. Shafir has been on a very, very aggressive streak in ROH, and this match was a great chance for her to show why she’s a serious problem to everyone in the Women’s Division.
Minerva had a couple of inches in height on Shafir, but it didn’t seem to matter. Shafir wrestled Minerva to the ground, suffocating her. Upon breaking it up, she cartwheeled into another submission move on Minerva. The mean streak of Shafir was on display as she ground Minerva into the corner. Minerva got a nice kick on Shafir, but that was about it.
A powerbomb from Shafir that was heard in the next county led to a front headlock on a dazed Minerva, causing the Ref to stop the bout when Minerva passed out.
The Iron Savages (Bronson and Boulder) and Jacked Jameson defeated Isaiah Harris, Marsten and Eric Eznite
This was a squash from the start with Jameson and Eznite, who was working a Christian/prayer gimmick. The Savages and Jameson isolated him and beat him up in the corner. A quick tag to Harris resulted in much the same. At one point Boulder had both Eznite and Harris on his shoulder for a double slam. Marsten found his way into the ring and got a trip to Titty City for his trouble. A big slam later, it was all over.
Lance Archer defeated “Iceberg”
Archer jumped his opponent before his music had even stopped. The name of his opponent was never announced, but he had “Iceberg” on his tights, so that’s what I went with.
As mentioned, Archer had Iceberg from the start, throwing him around the ring like a rag doll. Iceberg tried his best to fight back, hitting a spear and attempting a swanton on Archer. Archer dodged though and chokeslammed him in the center of the ring. One Blackout later and it was over, with Archer getting the win.
Leyla Hirsch defeated Diamante
This looked to be a fun match between two touch women. Diamante has been working to get back into title contention in ROH, and Hirsch has only been pinned three times in ROH. Diamante hasn’t been able to defeat Hirsch in ROH, so this was a great match up.
Hirsch relied on her explosive power to keep Diamante at bay. Lots of roll throughs and suplexes by both women who excel at the technical aspects of the sport. Diamante managed to block a pendulum attempt in the corner to reverse fates in the match. Diamanta worked the braced-up knee of Hirsch, trying to keep her off her feet.
HIrsch managed to get a series of German suplexes on Diamante, driving her into the corner for a pendulum stomp. However, Diamante exploded out of the corner with a spear and got a 2.5 count on Hirsch.
Surprisingly though, Hirsch managed to counter Diamante’s finisher into an inside cradle to get the win. A frustrated Diamante nailed Hirsch after the bell and stomped off.
ROH Tag Team Champions The Undisputed Kingdom (Matt Taven and Mike Bennett) defeated Angelo Parker and Matt Menard for the ROH Tag Team Titles
-Earlier in the night, Bennett and Taven cut a promo lamenting their lack of legacy in tag team wrestling. They feel they deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as the Young Bucks, Briscoes and more. They are 5x world champions and “melvins” like Menard and Parker aren’t on their level.
Fresh off his honeymoon with AEW’s Ruby Soho, Parker reunited with last week’s special color commentator Menard for a shot at the ROH Tag Team Titles, that the Undisputed Kingdom have held in their grip for quite some time.
Bennett and Parker kicked things off and Parker wasn’t able to get control over Bennett, so Menard tagged in to give it a shot. Once Taven tagged in, things picked up as Parker and Menard isolated and double teamed Taven in the corner.
Taven took advantage of Menard’s taped ribs as it was the Kingdom’s turn to isolate and double team. Manard fought back though against Bennett and the two traded blows. Tags flew, and poses were struck as the Kingdom maintained control over the match.
Parker was thrown to the outside by Taven. Bennett staked him, but Menard arrived to save his partner. They took out Bennett and Menard hopped back in the ring. Bennett wasn’t all out though and socked Parker in the face.
Parker was let alone in the ring and Bennett and Taven double teamed him without consequence until Menard jumped back up on the ring apron (the hardest part of the ring) looking for a Tag. Parker created some separation, but couldn’t get the hot tag to Menard.
The Kingdom tried a Hail Mary, but Parker knocked Taven into the ropes and got the tag on Menard. Menard cleaned house, punching Bennett in the corner exactly ten times. Menard got a Boston Crab locked in on Bennett and no-sold Taven’s attempt to break it up. Parker took out Taven and Bennett managed make it to the ropes to break the hold.
Menard and Parker hit a double DDT on Bennett who managed to kick out. Taven slid one of the title belts into the ring, but Menard intercepted it. The Ref tried to take it away, and Bennett managed to get a surprise rollup on Menard to win the match and retain the titles for his team.
ROH World TV Champion Kyle Fletcher defeated Lee Johnson in a best of three falls match for the ROH TV Title
-Earlier in the evening, Atlantis Jr of CMLL appeared backstage to challenge the winner of this match in Mexico!
Johnson called out ROH World TV Champion Kyle Fletcher a couple of weeks ago. Fletcher reminded him that he had already beat him. Twice. Johnson said that he thinks he can beat Fletcher twice in one night, and challenged him to a 2-out-of-3 falls match for the ROH World TV Title. Fletcher accepted and that brings us to this Main Event match.
The 17-0 Fletcher was very determined to not only keep his title, but prove that Johnson was no match for him. Johnson responded but diving through the ropes and taking him out before the match had even started.
Johnson dragged Fletcher into the ring and tried to get a quick pin, but Fletcher rolled out. Johnson dove on him again, from the ring post this time. The two battled on the outside, with Johnson coming out on top and pulling Fletcher into the ring.
It was Fletcher’s turn to send Johnson to the outside, where he threw him into the barricade, twice. He followed that up with a backdrop on the ring apron (the hardest part of the ring) and flexed for the crowd.
Back in the ring, Johnson hit a dropkick to show some signs of life. Johnson hit a big neckbreaker for a two-count, both men failing to secure the first fall in the match. Fletcher hit a hammerlock suplex on Johnson followed by a charging knee in the corner. Johnson reversed his pinning attempt into a spiccoli driver, but no falls were scored.
Fletcher began to show signs of frustration that he wasn’t able to put Johnson away. The two exchanged lariats and ended up on the outside again. Johnson drover Fletcher to the ground and pulled him back onto the ring apron. Fletcher hit a brain buster on the apron and pulled Johnson in for a pin, but Johnson refused and kicked out at two.
Fletcher lawn-darted Johnson into the corner, hit a big kick and brain buster and Johnson finally gave up the first fall of the match. The Ref checked on Johnson, who was favoring his leg and the match continued.
Johnson tried to rise to his feet several times, but every time he did, Fletcher kicked him in the face and sent him back to the mat. The ringside doctor entered the ring to check on Johnson. Johnson insisted continuing, and Fletcher dragged him up for a top rope brain buster, but Johnson reversed it. With a quick rollup, Johnson got the second fall, tying the match and sending it to next-fall-wins!
The challenger and champion traded blows. Fletcher went for a powerbomb, but Johnson reversed it for a two-count. Johnson hit a Canadian destroyer from the second rope and follwed it up with a diving sunset bomb to the outside.
A dazed Fletcher stayed on the outside and the ref began count. Fletcher made it back just before the count expired and Johnson hit him with a press from the top rope and then a frog splash. Johnson climbed up for a second splash, but Fletcher kicked out of the pin at two.
Johnson went in for the kill, but the ref stopped him, concerned about Fletcher’s neck. While they argued, Fletcher sent Johnson into the ref with a low blow. Fletcher hit the brain buster from the top rope and got the three count, the second fall and retained his title in this exhaustive and excellent match!
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