Ring Of Honor – May 1, 2025: Why Should I Pick This?
Ring Of Honor
Date: May 1, 2025
Location: MGM Music Hall At Fenway, Boston, Massachusetts
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman
We’re slowly coming up on Supercard Of Honor but that’s far too early to start getting ready around here. In this case we need a lot of title matches to be set up, but this week will see Red Velvet defending the Women’s North American Title against La Catalina. Other than that, it’s like you usual guessing game of what is coming so let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
We look at Bandido retaining the ROH World Title over Dralistico.
Opening sequence.
We run down the card.
Leila Grey vs. Mina Shirakawa
Shirakawa drop toeholds her down to start and dances a bit but Grey gets in a takedown of her own. Grey is back with a running Blockbuster into a dance of her own but an attempt at going after the leg doesn’t work. A Sling Blade gives Shirakawa two and a Figure Four makes Grey tap at 4:57.
Rating: C+. These two both have great charisma and it helped make the match a bit better. Shirakawa brings energy to a match like few others anywhere in wrestling today and it was fun seeing her do so again here. Grey continues to feel like a prospect and thankfully is isn’t going to hut her very much to lose to someone of Shirakawa’s status.
We look at Johnny TV and the MxM Collection beating down Dustin Rhodes and company.
Johnny TV/MxM Collection vs. Rosario Grillo/Kameron Russell/Allen Russell
Mansoor and Grillo start things off, but Mansoor asks why he’s doing this and brings Madden in instead. Grillo’s leg dive doesn’t work and it’s off to Allen, who gets his chest caved in with a double chop. The villains take Allen down and hit a triple pose, allowing the tag off to Kameron. A dive is cut off with a choke and Mansoor adds a backsplash. The chokeslam sets up the Centerfold to give Madden the pin at 5:24.
Rating: C. TV and the Collection are a fine enough heel team but then I can’t get around the fact that they’re being set up for another match against Dustin Rhodes and the Von Erichs. Why Rhodes is at worst the second biggest star in Ring Of Honor is beyond me but that is where we have been for months now. It pulls the life out of these matches, especially when Rhodes and company have already beaten the Collection and TV.
Women’s TV Title: La Catalina vs. Red Velvet
Velvet is defending and dances rather than shake hands. Catalina armdrags her down to start and dances a bit before Velvet grinds away on a headlock. A cheap shot has Catalina angry so she hits a basement dropkick to cut her down. Velvet is knocked outside for an apron Blockbuster but she trips Catalina down and mocks the fans (Velvet: “You’re not cheering now.”). Catalina’s leg is wrapped around the post and then around the ropes but she’s fine enough to hit a running knee.
A running shot in the corner sets up a fisherman’s suplex for two on Velvet, followed by a Pedigree for the same. Back up and Velvet sends her throat first into the middle rope for some running knees to the neck. Velvet kicks her down for two but Catalina hits a middle rope shotgun dropkick. An electric chair drop looks to set up a frog splash but Velvet is there to cut her off. Velvet grabs a half crab (and the rope) and Catalina taps at 9:11.
Rating: B-. Nice enough match here, though it’s still hard to care that much about Velvet. She’s fine in the ring but she’s been champion for over nine months and it’s often difficult to even remember she has the title. ROH absolutely does not need two women’s titles (certainly not three) and while Velvet has done fine with the title, it would make a grand total of no important difference if it was gone.
Frat House vs. Spanish Announce Project
Yes, somehow it’s Angelico/Serpentico vs. Griff Garrison/Cole Karter again. It’s a brawl to start fast with the Project taking over in the corners. Garrison gets clotheslined down as commentary goes nuts hyping up the big Texas trip. Serpentico takes Garrison down with a dive but Karter grabs an ankle to take over. A double suplex plants Serpentico again and the chinlock keeps him in trouble.
Back up and Serpentico gets in a hurricanrana for a breather, allowing the diving tag off to Angelico. Karter and Angelico slug it out until the latter kicks him in the head for two. It’s already back to Serpentico as everything breaks down. Karter and Angelico hit stereo crossbodies but the rest of the Frat House gets involved to take out Serpentico. Karter’s spinning DDT finishes Serpentico at 7:34.
Rating: C. The Frat House being another way to spice up Karter and Garrison is kind of fascinating, as I can’t fathom what anyone sees in them as a team. They’re perfectly middle of the road, which makes me wonder why in the world they’ve been given this many shots. Throw in that they fought the Project for more than six months and my goodness this was a chore to watch.
Post match the beatdown is on but Bandido makes the save to end the show.
Overall Rating: C. This show was a perfect illustration of Ring Of Honor’s major issues: these wrestlers are only so interesting and they aren’t on AEW TV as a result. You’ve got some people here who would be fine on the bigger shows, but asking fans to get interested in seeing them go it alone for about 45 minutes a week is a lot. The wrestling was perfectly adequate, but with so many options out there to pick from for good wrestling these days, why in the world would anyone go out of their way to watch this stuff?
Results
Mina Shirakawa b. Leila Grey – Figure Four
Johnny TV/MxM Collection b. Rosario Grillo/Allen Russell/Kameron Russell – Centerfold to Kameron
Red Velvet b. La Catalina – Half crab
Frat House b. Spanish Announce Project – Spinning DDT to Serpentico
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