Ring Of Honor – December 18, 2025 (Global Wars): Revenge Of The Joker
Ring Of Honor
Date: December 18, 2025
Location: Utilita Arena Cardiff, Cardiff, Wales
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman
We’re in the UK so it’s time for Global Wars, meaning Ring Of Honor vs. wrestlers from the international location. That could make for some interesting stuff, though it’s basically what we’ve been seeing on Dark and the other AEW shows since they’ve been in the UK. There are some rather talented UK wrestlers out there so hopefully most of them come in here. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
Michael Oku vs. Rocky Romero
Amira Blair is here with Oku. Romero shoves him away to start but can’t get a song from the fans. A running hurricanrana and dropkick have Romero down but Romero goes after the arm. Oku is sent outside to stay on the arm and a double stomp gives Romero two back inside. The Forever Lariats are cut off with a dropkick though and Oku grabs a DDT for two.
It’s way too early for Oku’s half crab or Lionsault so he triangle dropkicks Romero to the floor. The running flip dive takes Romero out again and they both go up top, where Oku wins a slugout. Romero is able to crotch him on top though and it’s a butterfly superplex into a cross armbreaker. Oku switches that into a half crab, which is reversed as well, meaning Oku goes with a jumping knee. The half crab goes on again and Romero taps at 9:46.
Rating: C+. I still don’t get the massive appeal of Oku and I don’t get the appeal of Romero in the slightest. Oku is by far the more interesting and smoother of the two in the ring though and the fans were way behind him here. That made for a nice opener and the match was a nice mixture of technical wrestling and high flying.
Evil Uno vs. Mark Davis
Davis chops away to start and Uno gets fired up. He also gets dropped with a running shoulder and they go outside, where Davis’ chop hits chair. Back in and Uno fires off his own chops but gets German suplexed. The chinlock goes on for a bit, only for Uno’s DDT to connect for two. Uno’s Swanton gets two but Davis catches him with an enziguri. A running lariat finishes Uno at 6:36.
Rating: C-. This was as Ring Of Honor of a match as you could get, as Uno and Davis are the definitions of “these guys are still under contract?”. The match was fine enough, but this felt like it should have been the opener of a boring house show. These guys are ok in stables or on a team, but seeing them in a singles match is quite the stretch.
Video on Athena and Billie Starkz and their recent issues.
Madison Rayne thinks she still has something to give. She’s coming for Athena and Diamante.
Nina Samuels vs. Alex Windsor
Windsor takes her over with a headlock to start before working on the arm. Samuels can’t roll her way out and gets sent outside for a dive off the apron. Back in and Samuels kicks her in the head and stomps away, meaning it’s time to rake the eyes. Samuels pulls on the arms in the ropes and we hit the chinlock.
Windsor fights up with some clotheslines and something like a Blue Thunder Bomb gets two. An ax kick gives Samuels two of her own and she forearms Windsor down. A tilt-a-whirl backbreaker drops Windsor again but she’s back with a hard clothesline to give us a double breather. Windsor is back with a twisting superplex into a Sharpshooter to make Samuels tap at 8:29.
Rating: C+. It’s nice to have Windsor back as she’s one of the better stars to be added to the women’s division in a bit. It wouldn’t surprise me to see her answer Mercedes Mone’s challenge for the Rev Pro Women’s Title on Collision. Samuels is someone who has done well in almost every promotion I’ve seen her in, though she doesn’t seen to stick for some reason.
Lee Johnson vs. Lio Rush
Rush starts fast and sends him outside, where Blake Christian cuts off a dive. Back in and Johnson avoids a cutter but gets sent outside again, this time for a heck of a suicide dive. Christian offers another distraction though and Johnson grabs a side slam for two. Rush manages a spinning DDT though and starts hammering away. Now the cutter can connect, followed by a spinning kick to the head for two. Johnson avoids a charge in the corner though and grabs a snap suplex. Rush fights back but has to deal with Christian, allowing Johnson to roll him up with feet on the ropes for the pin at 6:57.
Rating: C+. Another nice match here with both of them moving rather fast. Johnson relying on Christian to win is a fine way to go, but at the same time, get them in the Tag Team Title picture already. Either that or have Christian get his singles match for the World Title already, which is far from a bad idea.
Post match Christian brags about how the Swirl started this show but the World Champion isn’t here. Christian snapped Bandido’s arm and put him on the shelf at Final Battle so come get your arm snapped now.
Blake Christian vs. Angelico
Serpentico is here with Angelico. They trade takedowns to start with Angelico grabbing an armbar. Back up with Christian gets in his own takedown into a Jay Lethal strut. Angelico is sent outside for a spinning suicide dive before Christian goes after the arm. Angelico’s clothesline and kick to the head get two, followed by a spinning Downward Spiral for two. A Spanish Fly gives Christian two of his own and it’s a Lethal Injection to finish Angelico at 6:43.
Rating: C. Angelico is becoming the definition of someone who is just there too. You know the match you’re going to get from him and he doesn’t win any matches. That makes it a bit tedious to see him announced, as there’s no drama or surprise with him. Christian continues to grow on me, and at least they didn’t have this go too long.
Post match Christian goes after Angelico again and Serpentico gets taken out as well.
Session Moth Martina vs. Red Velvet
Non-title Proving Ground match, meaning if Martina wins or lasts the ten minute time limit, she gets a future TV Title shot. Martina (who is basically a walking party) gets Velvet to dance to start and they trade headlocks. Velvet gets two off a leg lariat but Martina is back up with a dropkick. A spinning suplex gives Martina two more and they go to the corner, where an Iconoclasm pulls Martina down for two. Velvet kicks her down and hits Straight Out Your Mama’s Kitchen for the pin at 3:58.
Rating: C. Martina is often a lot of fun and one of the most entertaining people you’ll see on a show, but she didn’t get to showcase that here. It made for a less than interesting match, as they were in and out of there so fast. Velvet getting a mostly dominant win isn’t a bad idea at all though as she’s been doing rather well since she came back.
Wheeler Yuta vs. ???
It’s an open challenge and it’s Nigel McGuinness accepting. McGuinness says that Yuta ended Bryan Danielson’s career and that killed the Batman to McGuinness’ Joker, so it’s time for revenge. That….oddly makes sense. Slightly less sense? Someone answering an open challenge having an announced weight. They fight over wrist control to start before Yuta avoids a rebound lariat. A LeBell Lock is quickly escaped and Yuta wrestles him down, only to get stomped on the arm.
McGuinness takes him down by the arm and leans back on it (ouch) but Yuta is back up with a running dropkick. Cattle Mutilation has McGuinness in more trouble but he slips out and hits a running uppercut in the corner. Yuta’s running knee is cut off with a hard clothesline but the London Dungeon is escaped. They trade crossfaces until Yuta uses the ropes to escape, only to get blasted by a clothesline to give McGuinness the win at 10:48.
Rating: B-. This wasn’t a classic match, but it was more than good enough. At the same time though, this was a great idea for a main event as McGuinness is not only a legend, but a national star for England. It felt like a special treat and that’s a smart way to go to wrap up the show. McGuinness can more than still go in the ring and beating up Yuta is always fun to see.
Overall Rating: C+. The best thing about this show was that it felt different from the usual dull Ring Of Honor show. It had a hot crowd and a theme to the show which made it feel more interesting. While the action wasn’t exactly great, I’ll take something like this over the same stuff that we get time after time. It might not have been a great show, but the main event was fun and the whole thing worked well enough.
Results
Michael Oku b. Rocky Romero – Half crab
Mark Davis b. Evil Uno – Clothesline
Alex Windsor b. Nina Samuels – Sharpshooter
Lee Johnson b. Lio Rush – Rollup with feet on the ropes
Blake Christian b. Angelico – Lethal Injection
Red Velvet b. Session Moth Martina – Straight Out Your Mama’s Kitchen
Nigel McGuinness b. Wheeler Yuta – Lariat
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