Ring Of Honor – March 7, 2024: They Can Do It!
Ring Of Honor
Date: March 7, 2024
Location: Gas South Arena, Duluth, Georgia
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman
We’re less than a month away from Supercard Of Honor and that means it is probably time to start building up the card for the show. By that I mean announcing anything for it whatsoever, which hasn’t taken place yet. You can probably guess a few of the matches, but some of them need to be made official. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
We run down the card.
Women’s TV Title Tournament Quarterfinals: Leyla Hirsch vs. Red Velvet
Hirsch takes her into the corner to start and gives Velvet a quick pat on the chest. An easy takedown lets Hirsch grab an armbar, with Velvet having to go to the ropes. Back up and Hirsch sends her flying with a throw but Velvet is right hand with some rights and lefts in the corner. Some boot choking in the corner has Hirsch in more trouble but she sends Velvet into the same corner to break that up.
A choke from the middle rope leaves Velvet flailing, only to come back with an Iconoclasm for two. Velvet grabs a short armscissors before hitting a nice looking superkick. It takes too long for Velvet to go up top though and a superplex brings her back down for two. They slug it out from their knees until an exchange of moonsaults goes to Hirsch. Velvet gets planted again and has to grab the rope for the break this time, only to come back with a sunset flip for the surprise pin at 9:52.
Rating: C+. They surprised me with the result as it seemed to be Hirsch’s spot in the semifinals to win. Velvet is someone that has managed to stick around in a fairly prominent role longer than I would have expected and good for her for getting this kind of a chance. I wouldn’t expect her to win the title, but then again I wouldn’t have expected her to make the semifinals either.
The Infantry do a bunch of posing and talk about taking people to Boot Camp.
Abadon vs. Judie Azul
They shake hands to start before Azul avoids a charge in the corner. Abadon strikes back as Mercedes Martinez is watching from the ramp. A running knee drops Azul and it’s the Black Dahlia to give Abadon the pin at 1:49.
The Spanish Announce Project comes up to Maria Kanellis-Bennett, whose team is off for the night. If the Project wins a match then they might get a fight with her team, but for now she can taunt Serpentico with his mask.
Lee Johnson vs. Jon Cruz
Cruz jumps him from behind to start but Johnson hits some running elbows. The reverse inverted DDT is escaped and Cruz bails out to the floor. Cruz breaks the count to annoy Johnson but a dropkick has Cruz in more trouble. A Stunner over the ropes slows Johnson down though and Cruz hammers away.
The rather cocky thumbs up annoys Johnson, who gets stomped down into the corner. Johnson fights up and gets two off a Blue Thunder Bomb, only to have Cruz get two off a clothesline. Cruz’s bridging belly to back suplex gets two but Johnson suplexes him into the corner. The reverse inverted DDT finishes for Johnson at 6:45.
Rating: C. Is it just me or has Ethan Page morphed into Lee Johnson when no one was looking? Page hasn’t been around for about a month now and Johnson has slipped right into his role of beating low level opponents. Maybe there is a reason for that, but Johnson is starting to build some momentum and that might mean a title match at Supercard Of Honor.
Nyla Rose vs. Airica Dimia
Rose kicks her down before the bell and hits some fast suplexes. A running splash in the corner sets up a toss into a running crossbody as Dimia is crushed again. Rose shrugs off a clothesline and hits one of her own, setting up the Beast Bomb for the pin at 1:48. Squash.
Jack Cartwheel/Gringo Loco vs. Spanish Announce Project vs. The Infantry vs. Workhorsemen
Angelico and Henry start things off with Henry (now with green hair) working on the arm. Serpentico comes in to work on Henry’s arm for a change but it’s the rather large Drake coming in for a chop. Cartwheel comes in to strike away but Serpentico sends him into the corner without much trouble. It’s off to Bravo for a change and a quick knockdown gets two on Serpentico.
Everything breaks down and the ring is cleared out until Drake plants Cartwheel for two. Henry kicks Cartwheel down so Drake can add a slingshot splash for two. Cartwheel manages to send the Workhorsemen into each other for a change though and it’s back to Loco for a standing moonsault. Henry grabs a super hurricanrana into a stomp from Drake as everything breaks down again.
Cartwheel and Loco take over, with the former hitting a standing corkscrew splash for two on Serpentico. Loco’s spinning moonsault sends Serpentico outside but Drake is back in with the spinning belly to belly. The Infantry’s double dives are broken up by the Project and Cartwheel hits the big tumbling dive. Back in and an ax kick into Boot Camp gives Dean the pin on Loco at 9:37.
Rating: C+. And there is your four way match of the week, which seems designed to get as many people on the card as possible. That works well enough but I have no reason to believe that this is going to be the big win that puts the Infantry over the hump. It was your usual action packed match with everyone getting their stuff in, but that’s about the extent of its value after all these weeks.
Post match Maria Kanellis-Bennett comes out to taunt the Project with Serpentico’s mask to end the show.
Overall Rating: B-. I know it’s not going to last but man have I been liking these shows a lot more without all the worthless extra matches. This show felt so much more focused as it picked a select number of people to lock onto and that helped quite a bit. For months now I’ve thought there was a pretty good show in here if you cut out about half of what we got week to week and that has been on display in the last few weeks. It’ll probably change next week, but it’s fun while it’s lasting.
Results
Red Velvet b. Leylah Hirsch – Sunset flip
Abadon b. Judie Azul – Black Dahlia
Lee Johnson b. Jon Cruz – Reverse inverted DDT
Nyla Rose b. Airica Dimia – Beast Bomb
Infantry b. Workhorsemen, Jack Cartwheel/Gringo Loco and Spanish Announce Project – Boot Camp to Loco
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