Ring Of Honor
Date: April 13, 2022

We’re still in the vault years and that has been a lot of fun so far. There is so much great material throughout Ring Of Honor’s history and it is a blast to pull out some random matches and see what else is in there. I have no idea what to expect here and that is always a nice feeling. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

From the 2nd Anniversary Show, February 14, 2004.

Pure Wrestling Title: CM Punk vs. AJ Styles

For the inaugural title. Feeling out process to start with Punk being sent into the ropes, which counts for the first (of three rope breaks). Styles gets backed up as well and grabs the rope for a reversal, which means a break of his own (even if it didn’t seem intentional). They run the ropes until AJ slips to the floor to go after Traci Brooks (Punk’s manager).

The distraction lets Punk take him down with a dive but Styles sends him into the barricade. They fight into the crowd and you can’t see a thing. It’s Punk in control as they come back to the ring for a Boston crab. Styles uses his second break and we take a break of our own. Back with Styles hitting a discus lariat to send Punk outside for a breather.

Back in and Punk hammers away in the corner before hitting a quick piledriver. Something like a half crab Liontamer sends Styles to the ropes, but apparently he used his last break so he has to climb the ropes instead. There’s the Styles Clash for two but Punk is back with a hammerlock DDT for the same. The Pepsi Plunge is broken up and Styles hits a Pele, setting up the Styles Clash for the pin and the title at 16:37.

Rating: B. Oh come on, it’s Punk vs. Styles in a big time match getting time. Of course this was good, with Punk kicking out of the Styles Clash being quite the surprise. It’s almost weird to see Styles still coming up like this but you can see all of the talent there. The same is true of Punk, who still feels like a bigger deal at this point. Good match, which shouldn’t be the slightest surprise.

From Ring Of Homicide, May 13, 2006.

Ring Of Honor World Title: Bryan Danielson vs. Delirious

Danielson is defending but gets jumped before the bell to start fast. Delirious knocks him to the floor and Danielson needs to get the belt off before getting back in. After more than a few moments, and some OVERRATED chants from the fans, Danielson gets back in and goes after the mask but can’t get the Cattle Mutilation.

Something is censored as Danielson drops a knee and starts working on the arm. Now Cattle Mutilation can go on and we take a break. Back with Danielson coming off the top but diving into a cutter for two. Some strikes to the face get two more before Delirious rolls over into a cobra stretch. Danielson escapes (of course) and hits a middle rope elbow to the face to take over again.

A roaring elbow sets up a dragon suplex for two and the chickenwing has Delirious in a lot of trouble. The foot reaches the rope for the break and Danielson is looking a little frustrated. Delirious sends him into the corner and Shadows Over Hell gets two. The cobra stretch goes on again and this time Danielson needs the rope for a save. Cattle Mutilation sends Delirious to the rope as well but Danielson goes with the small package to retain the title at 24:50.

Rating: B-. They told a story here of Danielson not being intimidated by Delirious and getting in some trouble as a result. Delirious kept hanging on and escaping the Cattle Mutilation so Danielson had to catch him with something quick instead. Good match, as Danielson was on a roll during this title reign and could do nothing wrong.

From the 8th Anniversary Show, February 13, 2010.

Ring Of Honor World Title: Austin Aries vs. Tyler Black

Black, better known as Seth Rollins, is challenging. Before the match, Aries says he wrestled the kind of match he wanted to see last time and the fans didn’t like it. Now he is going to wrestle the match the fans want, but they still won’t like it. Cue Jim Cornette to say if there is a countout or a DQ, the decision goes to the judges, so one of them needs to beat the other. Aries gets sent outside to start and has to glare at Roderick Strong (a judge, along with Cornette and Kenny King for quite the group).

Back in and Black chops away, setting up a clothesline for an early two. Aries starts in on the arm but misses an elbow so Black can punch him down in the corner. Some rollups give Black two each until Aries kicks him into the corner to take over. Some choking on the apron sets up a neckbreaker for two on Black, followed by a missile dropkick for the same. We take a break and come back with Black hitting a superplex and rolling into an F5 for two of his own to leave them both down.

Black knocks him off the apron and over the barricade, setting up the huge dive for the crash. The judges are a bit terrified but Aries is fine enough to hit a Death Valley Driver onto the apron. The Rubik’s Cube gives Black two on the way back in and they slug it out. Aries’ brainbuster gets two more but the 450 hits knees, allowing Black to roll him up for two.

Another strike off lets Black grab God’s Last Gift for two but King gets on the apron for no logical reason. Strong takes him down but knocks Black off the top by mistake, earning himself a superkick. Cornette gets up as well and gets superkicked down too, leaving Black to hit a buckle bomb. The low superkick sets up the Phoenix splash to give Black the pin and the title at 22:40 (with commentary sounding bored).

Rating: B+. Yeah this great and it is easy to see why WWE wanted Black in the fold sooner rather than later. They were going back and forth and the judges were a nice distraction as Black won on his own rather than needing something screwy. Black was clearly the new flavor at this point and giving him the title was the right way to go, with Ring of Honor getting the point (eventually).

Overall Rating: B+. Another heck of a show and exactly what I was hoping for here, as they opened the vault and showed what kind of things they had. You got three pretty random matches here featuring top current stars, which shows you just how much talent and influence Ring Of Honor has had over the years. I had a good time with this and I’m starting to look forward to this show again, even if this isn’t going to last.

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Ring Of Honor
Date: April 6, 2022

So Supercard of Honor has come and gone and…it isn’t likely to mean anything for the time being, as Ring of Honor isn’t relaunching for a long time. That means we get to go back into the vault and that is where things can get fun. Ring of Honor has a long history and now we get to see some of it for the time being. Let’s get to it.

From The Era Of Honor Begins, February 23, 2002.

IWA Intercontinental Title Super Crazy vs. Eddie Guerrero

The title is vacant coming in and Eddie is trying to get things back together after being fired from the WWF in November. Crazy offers a handshake coming in and gets slapped in the face as Eddie isn’t friendly here. An elbow to the face and a suplex give Eddie two as commentary rapid fires off Eddie’s accolades. The headlock slows Crazy down as the fans aren’t sure who they like more.

Crazy fights up but gets caught in a belly to back suplex and the chinlock goes on. That’s broken up as well and Crazy snaps off some armdrags before hammering away in the corner. They head outside with Crazy being dropped face first onto the apron, allowing Eddie to hit a brainbuster on the floor.

We take a break and come back with Eddie hitting a slingshot hilo for two and grabbing a seated abdominal stretch. Crazy fights up again and slams him down, setting up the springboard moonsault for two. Going up takes too long though and Eddie snaps off a super hurricanrana. A hard powerbomb drops Crazy for two more and Eddie hits back to back brainbusters (prototype Three Amigos). The frog splash misses though and Crazy grabs a small package for the pin at 10:42.

Rating: B-. There is something so sweet about watching Eddie in the ring as he really was that smooth. This was a pretty big upset as Eddie was someone with a lot of experience and success on the big stage. Crazy was a star in ECW, but that isn’t quite the same as being at Wrestlemania. Nice match here, though Eddie would be back in WWE in about two months.

From The Era of Honor Begins, February 23, 2002.

American Dragon vs. Low Ki vs. Christopher Daniels

I’ve never actually seen this and Daniels, in full on evil priest gear, is billed from Kalamazoo, Michigan. Dragon (better known as Bryan Danielson) and Ki get together to kick Daniels down but Daniels is back up to knock them into a three way standoff. Ki dropkicks Dragon down but gets suplexed by Daniels. Dragon gets tied in the Tree of Woe, leaving Ki to kick away at Daniels.

That’s broken up with Dragon grabbing Cattle Mutilation so Daniels has to make a save of his own. Daniels Boston crabs Dragon and camel clutches Ki at the same time, which is quite the unique spot. With that broken up, Ki starts kicking away at Dragon until Daniels is back up.

We take a break and come back with Daniels and Ki trading chops in the corner. Dragon pulls Daniels into an Indian Deathlock with a reverse full nelson (think a kind of Gory Stretch on the mat) but lets go of the arms to northern lights suplex Ki for two at the same time. With that broken up, Dragon takes Daniels down by the arm and gets in a kick off competition with Ki, using Daniels’ back as a target. They kick each other in the leg by mistake though and everyone is down again.

We take another break and come back again with Daniels being slammed off the top, leaving Dragon to kick away at Ki. Back up and Daniels tosses Dragon at Ki for a tornado DDT. Daniels abdominal stretches Dragon on top but Ki pulls him into the Hanging Dragon for a change. Everyone is down for a bit until Ki enziguris Dragon into a Blue Thunder Bomb to give Daniels two.

Dragon catches Ki on top but Daniels joins them on top for a triple superplex to leave everyone down for a bit. A tiger suplex gives Dragon two but Daniels has to break up Ki’s Dragon Clutch. Daniels hits the (yet to be named) BME on Ki with Dragon making a save this time. Cattle Mutilation goes on Daniels but Ki makes the save with a Phoenix splash. The Ki Crusher gives Ki the pin on Daniels at 20:04.

Rating: A-. The biggest thing to remember about this match is the fact that it took place back when the WWF was still a thing. This was WAY ahead of its time and you can see the influence that this style would eventually have on wrestling. It helps that it’s almost all action between three young guys who were trying to make the fans notice. You can see why these guys were on last and it showed that ROH was going to try for something different. I’d say that it worked.

From the Conclusion, November 28, 2003.

Tag Team Titles: Briscoes vs. AJ Styles/Samoa Joe

The Briscoes are defending. AJ and Mark go technical to start before hitting the mat for an exchange of headlocks. Styles starts going after the leg before handing it off to Joe for the real limb damage. Jay comes in and gets caught in a front facelock, which is switched into a kneebar to send Jay over to the ropes. It’s back to Styles for something like a Big Ending, setting up the drop down into the dropkick.

Mark comes in off a blind tag with a springboard knee to the back as commentary wonders if the Briscoes have any future as a successful team. Everything breaks down and the Briscoes are knocked to the floor, setting up the stereo dives. We take a break and come back with Mark snapping off a suplex on Styles before chopping away in the corner. A northern lights suplex gets two and a quick shot at Joe allows Jay to come in for some double stomping.

AJ gets in an enziguri but Joe gets suckered in, allowing the champs to change places. A double DDT (one reverse, one regular) gets AJ out of trouble though and the hot tag brings in Joe to clean house. Some limb cranking has Jay in trouble before it’s back to AJ for a running neckbreaker. Joe is back in for the rapid fire strikes but Jay grabs him by the waist so Mark can add a missile dropkick into the German suplex. Everything breaks down again and Joe snaps off a string of suplexes to Mark. AJ clotheslines Joe by mistake though and a shooting star press gives Mark the pin to retain the titles at 15:52.

Rating: B. This is the kind of thing that I had been wanting to see when ROH started doing this kind of show. They have so many great matches like this one that hasn’t been thought of in years just sitting around, so open up the vault and let us see some of this stuff. It’s a dream match on paper and then they delivered, though it’s always bizarre to see the young Briscoes like this. More of this kind of stuff for sure though.

Overall Rating: A-. They went with some classics here and the good thing is that they could continue to do so for as long as they need. Ring of Honor’s video library is one of the most impressive in the wrestling world today, just due to the amount of hidden gems in there. Let us see what they have and give us a fun time until the new stuff is ready. Based on this, feel free to take your time too.

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Ring Of Honor
Date: March 30, 2022

It’s the final show before the relaunch but we might not be seeing anything from the new era for a bit. Until then, we’ll have to settle for this second look at World Champion Jonathan Gresham. The first part featured a bunch of stuff from outside of Ring of Honor so maybe we can have some more fun this week. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We pick up where we left off, with Jonathan Gresham introducing us to our next match.

From Defy Wrestling’s 5th Anniversary Show on February 12, 2022.

Ring Of Honor World Title: Jonathan Gresham vs. Cody Chhun

Gresham is defending. They shake hands to start and Chhun grabs the wristlock, setting off a chain of reversals. Gresham takes him down but Chhun gets him into a wristlock. That’s reversed into a hammerlock on the mat as Gresham is perfectly fine with going technical. Chhun escapes as well and Gresham is impressed and we’re clipped to Gresham staying on the arm.

Chhun’s arms are wrapped around Gresham’s leg for some cranking but Chhun fights up with an armdrag. We’re clipped to a fight over some standing armbars before being clipped to Chhun rolling him up for two, setting up a rather rolling pinfall reversal sequence. They fight over some standing armbars until Chhun gets two off a big forearm. Back up and they run the ropes, only to have Gresham grab a headscissors…and trap the leg for the pin at 8:32 shown.

Rating: C+. This was a nice technical display and that’s why a promotion brings in Gresham. He has a reputation of being able to go technical with anyone and he did just that here, as Chhun was able to hang in there until Gresham got a clever fall. Gresham seems to be going around the world making overs look good and that was on full display here.

From Bodyslam! Scandi Foundation in Denmark on February 26, 2022.

Ring of Honor World Title: Jonathan Gresham vs. Emeritus

Gresham is defending and I had to look up his opponent’s name. Either way he’s a masked man and offers a handshake after slipping out of Gresham’s wristlock. We’re clipped to Emeritus hitting Diamond Dust but Gresham is back with a German suplex. Emeritus is back with a clothesline for two and we’re clipped to Gresham grabbing some rollups for two each. A knee to the face drops Gresham though and Emeritus hits a sliding tornado DDT on the floor.

Back in and an over the back kneeling piledriver drops Gresham for three, though his leg is underneath the rope. We’re clipped again to Gresham winning a slugout and grabbing a bunch of rolling cradles for two each. Emeritus tries another rollup but Gresham reverses into a bridging cradle for a VERY close two. Gresham is done with this and grabs an abdominal stretch, setting up some rapid fire elbows to the head for the referee stoppage at 5:19.

Rating: C. I wasn’t feeling this one as much as Emeritus didn’t stand out that much here. What mattered was having Gresham making someone else look good, though there is only so much that you can get out of a character without any kind of a backstory and not much time to be seen. Not bad, but they did this better in the previous match.

Gresham flipping off the crowd (I think) is blurred out.

From ROH TV, November 4, 2022.

Pure Title: Jonathan Gresham vs. Tracy Williams

For the vacant title. They shake hands to start and Williams towers over him. It’s straight to the grappling early on but neither can get a hiptoss. Instead they head outside for a staredown until Williams gets back in and holds the rope open for Gresham. Back in and Williams starts working on the arm but Gresham slips out and we take a break. We come back with no time having elapsed (sweet) and Gresham starting in on Williams’ arm to take over for the first time. Williams goes to the ropes to get a breather and then chops Gresham right back down.

A cravate of all things gives Williams two and Gresham has to go to the ropes as well. There’s a spear to Williams but he’s right back up with a clothesline in the corner. Gresham hits a suplex with Williams popping up again for another chop. A bridging German suplex gets two on Williams and a collision in the corner puts them both on the floor in a heap.

Back in and Williams gets two off a brainbuster, setting up the Crossface to stay on the neck/shoulder. That means a second rope break from Gresham, who is back with a bridging German suplex of his own. Gresham forearms him down for two more but he can’t get a Kimura in full. Williams is back up with a piledriver for two, with Gresham using the final rope break. They both need a breather and Gresham pulls him into the Octopus for the sudden tap at 14:37.

Rating: B. Well that was sudden. I was expecting this to go closer to half an hour and it didn’t even make it to fifteen minutes. That’s quite the out of nowhere ending but Gresham seemed to be the favorite to win the title from the beginning of the tournament so it’s hardly a bad idea. It was a setup for a match, but the lack of time brought it down from where it could have been.

And from Final Battle 2021 to wrap it up.

Ring of Honor World Title: Jonathan Gresham vs. Jay Lethal

For the vacant title, as Bandido is out with Coronavirus. The fans are rather happy with this one as they trade wristlocks to start with no one getting anywhere. A headlock takeover doesn’t do much for Lethal either as they’re certainly starting technical. Gresham manages to send him outside and catches Lethal with a kick in the arm on the way back in. A headlock takeover with an armtrap keeps Lethal down but Lethal cartwheels into the basement dropkick to get a breather.

Lethal slams him down to work over the back a bit more but Gresham small packages him for two. A slap to the face drops Gresham and a flapjack does it again. It’s too early for the Lethal Injection and the Figure Four, as Gresham rolls him up for two more. Another kick to the arm cuts Lethal back down and Gresham needs a breather. They chop it out with Lethal getting the better of things but telling Gresham to chop him again.

A ripcord powerslam plants Gresham again but he catches Lethal on top. What looked to be a superplex is broken up so Lethal tries Hail to the King. Lethal is ready for Gresham’s raised knees but can’t get the Figure Four either. Instead it’s a reverse Regal Roll to set up Hail to the King to give Lethal two more.

Gresham is right back on the arm and grabs a crossface chickenwing. Lethal flips forward for a cutter and they’re both down again. That means it’s time for the locker room to come out and watch as Gresham hits some running forearms for two each. The arm gives out and Gresham hits another forearm for two. The Lethal Injection is countered into a rollup for two, setting up the Octopus to make Lethal tap at 15:35.

Rating: B. Gresham absolutely had to win here as that is the story that has been set up for months. I can imagine that this would have been the ending whether Bandido had been around or not and that is the right way to go. Gresham has been the workhorse of the company since its return and going with the Pure Rules wrestler as the final shot at the final show is a smart move.

The celebration is on, including Gresham’s wife, Jordynne Grace, getting in the ring. Commentary thanks the fans, with Coleman saying “see you in April” to end the night.

Gresham talks about how he will not let honor die. He is tired of people saying he isn’t the real World Champion and now he is going to prove it against Bandido at Supercard of Honor.

Overall Rating: B-. More good stuff here, but I’m not sure how much more I need to see from Gresham at the moment. We’ve covered a lot of him already and there isn’t much left in the modern era. Still a solid show here, but now they need to move on and open up the vault a bit. Having Gresham around a bit is a very good idea though and that was on display in the last two weeks.

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Supercard Of Honor XV
Date: April 1, 2022
Location: Curtis Culwell Center, Garland, Texas
Commentators: Caprice Coleman, Ian Riccaboni

Now this is a big one as we have the first new Ring of Honor show in about three and a half months. The catch this time though is that the company has been purchased by AEW President Tony Khan, which means there is likely to be a bigger AEW presence on this show. Most of the card hasn’t been announced, but we are getting the Briscoes vs. FTR, which should be pretty good. Let’s get to it.

The opening video talks about what it means to be a champion and looks at Bandido vs. Jonathan Gresham. That’s the most important (singles) match on the card.

Commentary runs down the card.

Zero Hour: Colt Cabana vs. Blake Christian

The bigger Cabana backs him into the corner to start and counts his own four count to save the referee some work. They trade some wristlocks before Cabana cranks on both arms at the same time. Christian takes him down and gets two off a standing splash. Cabana sends him outside and blocks a wristdrag off the apron, sending Christian crashing down onto the floor.

Back in and Cabana listens to the crowd a bit too much, allowing Christian to send him into the corner. Cabana is fine enough to send him face first into the buckle, only to get caught with a handspring enziguri. Another enziguri sends Cabana outside, followed by a 450 for two back inside. Christian tries to take it up top but gets caught in the Chicago Skyline of all things for the pin at 8:03.

Rating: C. Cabana is a great choice for a spot like this as he isn’t going to do anything too ridiculous and is mainly there as a way to warm up the fans. He has been around Ring of Honor for so long that he is almost an institution in the place and the fans are going to react to him no matter what he does. Nice, safe match here and that’s all it needed to be.

Respect is shown after the match.

Zero Hour: AQA vs. Miranda Alize

AQA works on the arm to start and grabs a headlock takeover. La majistral gives AQA two and the armbar goes on. Alize finally fights up with some running knees in the corner, setting up a butterfly suplex for two. They fight over a suplex until a DDT gets two on Alize, leaving them both down.

Back up and a running dropkick into an ax handle drop Alize, setting up a Sling Blade for two. Alize pulls her off the top though and a ripcord cutter gets two, setting up a quickly broken Crossface. Some kicks to the head rock Alize though and a shooting star press gives AQA the pin at 8:16.

Rating: C-. The women’s division hasn’t exactly improved that much and this was another pretty weak example. No matter how you look at it, Ring of Honor’s women’s division has often been a problem and running two women out there in a cold match, when Alize was never a big star in the first place, isn’t going to help things. There is a way to make the division work, but they need something other than “I want the title” over and over.

Zero Hour: Shinobi Shadow Squad vs. Gates of Agony

It’s Eli Isom/Cheeseburger (no longer The World Famous CB) for the Squad here. The Gates are Jasper Kaun/Toa Liona, as introduced by Tully Blanchard as his new clients. Isom gets planted by Liona to start but Cheeseburger gets in a superkick. Everything breaks down and the Gates clean house, setting up a fireman’s carry gutbuster to Isom. Kaun throws in an elevated Samoan Spike for the pin at 2:27. Almost total dominance.

Post match, Blanchard promises to introduce his new singles star tonight.

Zero Hour: Joe Hendry vs. Dalton Castle

Hendry continues to look great and Castle still has the Baby Chicks. The fans are happy to have Castle back, as they should be. They fight over some grappling to start until Hendry snaps off a headlock takeover. Back up and Hendry runs him over with a shoulder, sending Castle outside for some fanning from the Chicks. A lap around the ring lets Castle sneak back in to single leg Hendry, setting up a DDT. Hendry isn’t having that and powers Castle over the top for a crash/breather.

Back in and Hendry hits a hard clothesline for two but Castle catches him with a running boot to the face. Hendry cuts off a charge with a tilt-a-whirl slam and the cobra clutch goes on. Castle gets sent outside but he manages a hurricanrana on the floor to take over. Back in and a suplex drops Hendry for two but he’s back with a spinebuster for the same. Hendry hits a fireman’s carry drop, only to get punched in the face, setting up the Bang A Rang to give Castle the pin at 9:46.

Rating: C+. Castle is one of the most charismatic wrestlers around today and it is nice to see him back in the ring anywhere. He can mix up the weird nature with the amateur skills and it works out well most of the time. On the other hand, Hendry has transformed himself from a goof to a guy who looks great and can do some good things in the ring. I liked this one and it would be nice to see both of them getting back in the ring sooner rather than later.

No opening video for the proper show.

Swerve Strickland vs. Alex Zayne

They start fast with neither being able to get very far until Zayne hits a running headscissors to send Swerve into the ropes. That doesn’t matter as Swerve lands on his feet anyway so Zayne takes him down and hits a quick backsplash for two. Back up and Zayne sits him on the top to try a running hurricanrana, only to get caught in a swinging cutter onto the top rope.

A middle rope elbow to the back gives Swerve two and we hit the chinlock. Zayne fights up and hammers away before blocking the rolling Flatliner. Swerve can’t hit the JML Driver but can grab a half crab to crank on the leg. The rope is grabbed so they wind up on the apron, where Zayne snaps off a poisonrana to the floor in a huge crash. Back in and Zayne hits some shooting star knees to the back for two but Strickland grabs a German suplex. The rolling Flatliner connects and the Swerve Stomp gets…two, in a nice false finish. With nothing else working, Swerve kicks him in the leg and hits the JML Driver for the pin at 11:41.

Rating: C+. Having Strickland on any given show is a good thing and that was the case here. He is going to get a reaction no matter what he does and the fact that he was in there against someone who can do the flips and the dives like Zayne made it better. This was a good choice for the opener proper and Strickland looked like a star (shocking I know).

We run down the card.

Ninja Mack vs. ???

Mack is a rather short masked man who can do a lot of flips. The mystery opponent is Tully Blanchard’s newest signing and that would be….Brian Cage. Mack flips at Cage to start but gets caught in the air and dropped onto the apron. The Drill Claw doesn’t work so Cage fires off the corner clotheslines instead. Mack manages a kick to the head but gets LAUNCHED with a release German suplex. Some kicks to the head stagger Cage but he’s back with the swinging release Rock Bottom. The Drill Claw finishes for Cage at 2:48. Mostly a squash, as it should be.

We recap Jay Lethal vs. Lee Moriarty. Lethal likes what Moriarty can do but asks if Moriarty is ready for this kind of competition.

Jay Lethal vs. Lee Moriarty

Matt Sydal, on crutches, is here with Moriarty. Feeling out process to start with Lethal getting the better of a battle of wristlocks. Back up and Moriarty grabs a rollup, sending a frustrated Lethal into the corner. The Lethal Injection is countered into another rollup and Lethal doesn’t like this.

Moriarty gets the better of an exchange of forearms so Lethal armdrags him into the basement dropkick for two of his own. The fans aren’t sure who they prefer as Moriarty shrugs off some forearms and springboard armdrags Lethal down. That’s too much for Lethal, who grabs a shinbreaker into a dragon screw legwhip to start in on the knee. Lethal sends him outside for a pair of suicide dives but Moriarty switches places before the third.

Moriarty’s dive is slowed by the knee though and Lethal is back in for some kicks to the leg. A superplex attempt is broken up as Moriarty goes for the wrist. Moriarty’s dive off the top misses though and the Lethal Combination gets two. Lethal hits the superkick into a cutter but Hail To The King is countered into la majistral for two more. More rollups get two each before Moriarty has to go to the ropes to avoid the Figure Four. The referee has to fix the ring skirt so Lethal hits him low and grabs the Lethal Injection for the pin at 14:52.

Rating: B. This was a rather good technical off until the end when they went with the storyline for Lethal instead. You can tell that they’re going with the AEW stuff here as this tied into everything that they have been doing on Dynamite and Rampage in recent weeks. Moriarty isn’t ready to beat Lethal in AEW or Ring of Honor, but they let him have time here and frustrate the star, which is a great sign for his future.

Lethal doesn’t look happy with himself but then goes full heel by attacking the injured Sydal. Sonjay Dutt comes out of wherever he has been to talk Lethal, his best friend, to the back.

Mercedes Martinez and Willow Nightingale are ready to fight for the Interim Women’s World Title, because just stripping Deonna Purrazzo of the title apparently wasn’t an option.

Interim Women’s Title: Willow Nightingale vs. Mercedes Martinez

For the vacant title. Willow tries to go technical to start but gets hit in the face for her efforts. A rollup gives Martinez two but Willow blocks the third rolling butterfly suplex. Willow’s grappling still doesn’t work so Martinez grabs a double arm dragon sleeper (that’s a new one), followed by a big boot for two more.

Martinez’s fisherman’s buster is blocked and it’s time to kick each other from the mat. Back up and a running clothesline drops Martinez to give Willow a needed breather but Martinez grabs the Air Raid Crash…for two. That’s a bit of a surprise. An Angle Slam gives Willow two of her own and the Pounce rocks Martinez again. Willow takes the straps down and hits the Cannonball for another near fall.

The Vader bomb is loaded up but Martinez reverses into a Razor’s Edge Dominator for the next two. Martinez tries a belly to back but gets knocked into the Tree Of Woe, with Willow forearming away. Willow’s moonsault connects (with a weird looking landing) for two but Martinez pulls her into a surfboard with a dragon sleeper (geez) for the tap and the title at 12:34.

Rating: C-. This felt like a styles clash as Martinez is the old classic power brawler while Nightingale is much more about the modern style and being the bigger woman who can move. They traded some good looking stuff here and Nightingale still feels like a prospect, but this didn’t exactly click.

We recap FTR vs. the Briscoes for the Tag Team Titles. FTR talks about how this is the match that people have been talking about, because we get to see two of the best teams of all time facing off. The feud started when FTR showed up at Final Battle back in December after the Briscoes won the titles but they haven’t had an actual match yet.

Tag Team Titles: FTR vs. Briscoes

The Briscoes are defending (and FTR’s AAA Tag Team Titles aren’t on the line) and the HOLY S*** chants are on before they even shake hands…which doesn’t happen. Well now it’s serious. Cash Wheeler and Mark start things off and the staredown is on as the fans are split (you can feel it with this one). Even the lockup gets a big pop and the fans think Mark’s headlock to the mat is awesome.

A fireman’s carry into an armbar puts Mark in a bit of trouble but he reverses into a front facelock as the technical off ensues (fans: “TAG TEAM WRESTLING!”). Dax Harwood and Jay come in and immediately go nose to nose, setting up the aggressive lockup. Harwood takes him down with a headlock but gets reversed into a headscissors without much effort. That’s escaped as well and Harwood spits in Jay’s face to make this a lot more serious.

A running hurricanrana and a kick to the head rock Harwood and a clothesline puts him on the floor. Harwood tries to throw in a chair but Jay catches it to show off. Wheeler comes back in and gets elbowed in the face, allowing Mark to come in for some shots in the corner. An uppercut drops Mark though and it’s back to Harwood for some clubberin (well you knew that was coming). The chop off goes to Mark, with Harwood realizing that he is in over his head and punching Mark in the face.

It’s back to Jay to take Wheeler into the corner though and the Briscoes clear the ring. That sets up Jey’s big flip dive and Mark adds the Bang Bang Elbow. The brawl is on outside, with FTR getting creative and catapulting Jay face first into the bottom of a table. Back in and Harwood pounds on Jay’s bloody head so hard that he hurts his own hand. The chinlock goes on (I think they’ve earned it) for a bit before Harwood hits the top rope superplex for a big bounce.

The fans aren’t sure who to cheer for here but seem pleased as Jay rolls under a right hand and brings Mark back in. House is cleaned and an Iconoclasm gets two on Harwood. Redneck Boogie gets the same on Wheeler as the fans are somehow getting more into this. Harwood catches Jay in a slingshot powerbomb so Wheeler can add a top rope splash for two. Mark is back in to break up the Big Rig and the Briscoes hit one of their own for two on Harwood.

Jay hits Wheeler with a Death Valley Driver on the floor before suplexing Harwood over the top and out to the floor in a BIG crash. The medics come out to check on Harwood but everyone gets back inside (fans: “FIGHT FOREVER!”). We get the big forearm off in the middle until Wheeler is sent outside.

Mark goes up for a huge corkscrew dive to take him out again, leaving Harwood to slug it out with Jay. The hangman neckbreaker sets up the Froggy Bow for two and everyone is spent. The Doomsday Device is loaded up but Wheeler makes the save and sends Jay outside, leaving Mark to walk into the Big Rig for the pin and the titles at 27:24.

Rating: A+. If that isn’t the match of the year, I’m not sure what has beaten it to date. This had the atmosphere coming in and the fans were ready for it from before the bell. Then the match actually got started and things actually got even better. It was an instant classic with both teams blowing the doors off and leaving it all in the ring until one of them won clean.

Just seeing a match like this end without some kind of shenanigans is worth a boost and that was the case here. You’ve heard all of the accolades already and this was worth every one of them. It takes something special to have all the hype in the world and then completely exceed it but they managed to make it happen here. Check this out, as the Briscoes are great but FTR can do no wrong right now.

FTR looks spent after the match but get up to accept the titles. There is no handshake, because teams hug after something like that. The fans chant for the Briscoes as FTR leaves but here are the Young Bucks to superkick the Briscoes. FTR runs back in for the save and want the Bucks now, but they’ll have to wait until Dynamite.

TV Title: Rhett Titus vs. Minoru Suzuki

Suzuki is challenging and is in search of his first American title. Titus gets knocked down almost at the bell but manages a single leg takedown. An armbar into a half crab sends Suzuki over to the ropes, where Suzuki ties the arm over said rope. A trip to the floor goes badly for Titus, as Suzuki brings him back inside for a Fujiwara armbar.

Make that a chinlock, as Titus is getting overwhelmed here. Titus fights up and manages some running boots to the face, setting up a Saito suplex for two. The big dropkick connects for another near fall and Suzuki is mad. He knocks Titus down without much trouble and the Gotch style piledriver makes Suzuki champion at 5:52.

Rating: C-. This was little more than a squash win for Suzuki as he shrugged off everything Titus threw at him and took the title in short order. Odds are this was out there for the sake of giving the fans something shorter and easier to digest than the previous war. Suzuki is going to be over by definition so putting him in this spot was going to work no matter what, even if the match wasn’t that great.

We recap Wheeler Yuta challenging Josh Woods for the Pure Wrestling Title. Woods won the title at Final Battle and has defended it since, while Yuta is looking to prove himself for the first time.

Pure Wrestling Title: Wheeler Yuta vs. Josh Woods

Woods is defending under Pure Rules. Yuta grabs a very fast rollup for two and they trade armdrags for a standoff. An armbar sends Yuta straight to the ropes for his first (of three) breaks but he slips out of an abdominal stretch attempt on his own. Yuta wins a grapple off on the mat and grabs a headlock before switching to a headscissors. That’s broken up and Woods starts stretching Yuta’s legs before a wristlock sends Yuta over for his second break.

Back up and Yuta hits a dropkick before tying up Woods’ legs for a change. A bridge into an Indian Deathlock sends Woods to the ropes for a change. Now it’s Woods going after Yuta’s arm and bending it back, complete with some finger cranking. They lock hands and forearm it out with Woods getting the better of things for a near fall. Yuta grabs a DDT but can’t cover, meaning it’s time for the forearm exchange.

This time it’s Yuta getting the better of things and hitting a top rope forearm to send Woods outside. A big dive takes him out on the floor as well but it’s Woods back in with a running knee. The TKO is blocked so Woods settles for a swinging suplex into the corner. That’s good for a near fall, with Yuta using his final rope break. Yuta reverses a Tombstone attempt and ties Woods’ legs up for a cradle and the title at 12:43.

Rating: B-. The Pure Wrestling division was one of the best things about the final days of Ring of Honor and it was still working here. Sometimes you need something rules based just to reset things a bit and it was nice to see again. That being said, you can absolutely see the new guard coming in to become the new Ring of Honor roster. I get why that is a sad thing for Ring of Honor, but it’s not like the company has anything else going on at the moment (literally in this case).

Here’s what’s coming on Dynamite, which is bizarre to see here.

We recap Bandido vs. Jonathan Gresham for the undisputed Ring of Honor World Title. Bandido was the champion but couldn’t be at Final Battle, leaving Gresham to beat Jay Lethal for the Classic Title. Since Bandido is still champion, it’s time for the big unification match. That’s how the card should go, but they have their work cut out for them after that Tag Team Title match.

Ring Of Honor World Title: Bandido vs. Jonathan Gresham

Both are champions coming in, but Bandido being dressed as Zorro makes him cooler. Granted having Chavo Guerrero in his corner might even that out but dang I love myself some Zorro. This actually doesn’t get any Big Match Intros, but it does get a handshake. They stare at each other to start before we get the big lockup. The fans chant for EDDIE, which isn’t even a surprise at this point.

Neither gets anywhere so they go with a test of strength, with neither getting very far. Bandido takes him down but can’t send Gresham into the corner. Instead Gresham pops up and hits an armdrag out of an electric chair, giving us another staredown. Bandido gets a bit more intense with a knee into a dropkick and the posing is on. Gresham is fine enough to send Bandido to the apron for a dropkick to the back and it’s time for a breather on the floor.

Back in and Gresham works on an armbar before a crossface sends Bandido to the ropes. Bandido is right back with the surfboard but Gresham slips out and grabs the crossface again. With Bandido getting too close to the ropes, Gresham switches to an ankle lock to change things up a bit. Make that the Octopus but Bandido makes the rope again.

A corkscrew high crossbody drops Gresham again, so Bandido picks him up for a vertical suplex….for a completely ridiculous SIXTY THREE SECONDS. That’s one of the most impressive things I’ve seen in a long time but it’s only good for (a delayed, as Bandido was spent) two. Gresham is back up with a running clothesline into a bridging German suplex for two more. A straitjacket German suplex gets two more and it’s time for some hammer fists.

The crossface goes on for the third time before Gresham switches to the second Octopus. That’s broken up as well so Bandido is sent outside, with Gresham loading up a dive. Chavo breaks that up with a shove to Bandido and the crash leaves Gresham laying. Back in and Bandido grabs a suplex for two, followed by a Shining Wizard for the same. Some more rollups give Gresham some near falls of his own and they’re both down for a bit.

They slowly forearm it out until the referee gets knocked down (good grief I’m getting tired of this), allowing Chavo to get in a belt shot….but Bandido doesn’t want it that way and tells the referee to eject Chavo. Ok that’s a cool one. Chavo yells a lot as he leaves, with Gresham grabbing la majistral for two. Bandido snaps off the pop up cutter for two of his own so it’s time for the 21 Plex.

That’s reversed into la majistral into a bridging cover for a VERY near fall so Bandido sends him outside. The big running flip dive sets up the X Knee and the 21 Plex gets a VERY close two. Gresham shrugs off a superkick and hits a springboard moonsault to send Bandido outside, followed by an immediate suicide dive. Back in and Gresham slingshots into a rollup, spun around into an armtrap bridge for the pin and the titles at 24:46.

Rating: A-. The Tag Team Title match is going to get all of the attention but this was a heck of a match too as it started slowly but then built into a classic by the end. These guys were hitting a very high level on the near falls and Gresham finally took the belts in the end with a wrestling move. Bandido is going to be a star when he gets to AEW (you know it’s coming one day) and Gresham won’t be far behind. Great main event here as they meshed very well together.

Post match Gresham says his mission was to make Ring of Honor pure and he has accomplished his goals. Hold on though as here is Jay Lethal to interrupt (Coleman: “Is this Kanye West or something?”) and challenge Gresham for the titles. Gresham says Lethal’s current actions have shown that he has changed, but Lethal says no one would know who Gresham was without him.

Sonjay Dutt comes in to cool things off but quickly turns on Gresham for the double teaming. Lee Moriarty comes in for the failed save attempt…and that means nothing because it’s SAMOA JOE making his big return to chase off the villains. Joe poses with Moriarty and Gresham as we are told that Joe will be on Dynamite to end the show.

Overall Rating: A-. Any show like this is going to be an instant classic with three awesome matches like Lethal vs. Moriarty and the two big title matches and that’s really all you need here. There was some other good stuff on here (and some not so great stuff) but the one two punch carried this one all the way and it’s absolutely worth going out of your way to see.

Now at the same time, this isn’t going to be a show that a lot of old school Ring of Honor fans like. You could see the BIG shift over to the AEW developmental setup here with very few wrestlers from Ring of Honor of old moving looking great here. It shows the new direction of the company and while it might not be the best for the old school Ring of Honor people, this is certainly better than having no Ring of Honor at all. It’s a very good show here and worth seeing, though this is the first step into a brand new world for the promotion.

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Ring Of Honor
Date: March 23, 2022

We continue the road to the relaunch and this time around we are looking at one of the most important people in the company’s recent history. The next two weeks will look at Jonathan Gresham, the reigning World Champion, including his rise through the company. Gresham has been one of the best things about Ring Of Honor for a long time now so let’s get to it.

Quick video on Gresham.

From Final Battle 2021.

Ring of Honor World Title: Jonathan Gresham vs. Jay Lethal

For the vacant title, as Bandido is out with Coronavirus. The fans are rather happy with this one as they trade wristlocks to start with no one getting anywhere. A headlock takeover doesn’t do much for Lethal either as they’re certainly starting technical. Gresham manages to send him outside and catches Lethal with a kick in the arm on the way back in. A headlock takeover with an armtrap keeps Lethal down but Lethal cartwheels into the basement dropkick to get a breather.

Lethal slams him down to work over the back a bit more but Gresham small packages him for two. A slap to the face drops Gresham and a flapjack does it again. It’s too early for the Lethal Injection and the Figure Four, as Gresham rolls him up for two more. Another kick to the arm cuts Lethal back down and Gresham needs a breather. They chop it out with Lethal getting the better of things but telling Gresham to chop him again.

A ripcord powerslam plants Gresham again but he catches Lethal on top. What looked to be a superplex is broken up so Lethal tries Hail to the King. Lethal is ready for Gresham’s raised knees but can’t get the Figure Four either. Instead it’s a reverse Regal Roll to set up Hail to the King to give Lethal two more.

Gresham is right back on the arm and grabs a crossface chickenwing. Lethal flips forward for a cutter and they’re both down again. That means it’s time for the locker room to come out and watch as Gresham hits some running forearms for two each. The arm gives out and Gresham hits another forearm for two. The Lethal Injection is countered into a rollup for two, setting up the Octopus to make Lethal tap at 15:35.

Rating: B. Gresham absolutely had to win here as that is the story that has been set up for months. I can imagine that this would have been the ending whether Bandido had been around or not and that is the right way to go. Gresham has been the workhorse of the company since its return and going with the Pure Rules wrestler as the final shot at the final show is a smart move.

The celebration is on, including Gresham’s wife, Jordynne Grace, getting in the ring.

Gresham talks about what Lethal means to him and how much it meant to win the title from Lethal.

From GCW Blood On The Hills on December 17, 2021.

Ring Of Honor World Title: Jonathan Gresham vs. AJ Gray

Gresham is defending and this is under Pure Rules. Gray grabs a lockup to start and takes him to the mat to hammer away but Gresham is back up to start in on the leg. Another shot sends Gray outside and there’s the big flip dive through the ropes. Back in and Gresham slaps on a Figure Four but Gray escapes.

We’re clipped to Gray getting pulled down into an ankle lock before a German suplex gives Gresham two. Gray is right back with a powerbomb into a lariat for two. Gresham is right back up with the Octopus and pulls him down to the mat for the rapid fire right hands to the face. That’s enough for the stoppage at 11:10 (total match time).

Rating: C+. We didn’t get to see much here but they were beating each other up fairly well. Gray is someone I’ve liked before and I could go for seeing more of him in the future. Gresham is someone who can work well with anyone in any promotion and it was nice to see him having another one of his matches here rather than doing more of a brawl as you might expect from GCW.

From New South Wrestling’s The Dump Sanders Holiday Special on December 22, 2021 (not 2022 as the graphic says).

Ring Of Honor World Title: Jonathan Gresham vs. Adam Priest

Gresham is defending and we’re joined in progress with the two of them fighting over wrist control. That’s fine with Gresham, who takes him to the mat and cranks away on the foot. Priest reverses into a Figure Four as we get a rare edition of Gresham losing a grapple on the mat. Gresham grabs a rope for his first break before pulling Priest down by the legs to take over.

With that broken up, we’re clipped to Priest suplexing him down but Gresham reverses into an Octopus. Priests uses his first break to escape so they lock hands and chop away at each other. That’s good for a double knockdown and we’re clipped again to Priest hitting a top rope superplex but their legs interlock to give Gresham two. They go to the mat again with Gresham grabbing a few rollups, with the second one getting the pin to retain the title at 16:34 (total match time).

Rating: C+. This was another match that seemed like it could have been a lot better if I could have seen the whole thing. I’ve seen Priest a bit before and he is often treated as one of the bigger deals in southern independent wrestling. It was weird to see someone getting the better of Gresham on the mat, but that makes him look better when he comes back and retains the title on the mat in the end.

From Impact Wrestling’s Hard To Kill on January 8, 2022.

Ring of Honor World Title: Chris Sabin vs. Jonathan Gresham

Gresham is defending and it is under Pure Rules, meaning each wrestler only gets three rope breaks, closed fist punches are not allowed (warning for the first, DQ for the second) and 20 counts on the floor. Gresham flips out of a wristlock to start as they’re going technical early. Sabin flips him over and that’s good enough for a handshake. A takedown lets Gresham work on the leg but Sabin pulls him into a cradle for two.

You don’t do that to Gresham, who ties up the arms and cranks on the leg at the same time. Back up and Sabin sends him outside, setting up a hard kick to the chest to drop Gresham hard. They get back inside and fight over a backslide until Sabin plants him with a DDT for two. A hanging swinging neckbreaker drops Gresham again so he uses his first rope break to escape.

Gresham is fine enough to moonsault Sabin down and stomp on the arm, setting up the armbar with elbows to the head. Sabin has to use his first rope break to escape an armbar so Gresham slaps on the Octopus. That’s broken up as well and Sabin hits the Cradle Shock for three….but Gresham’s foot is underneath the rope for the second break. After the premature celebration ends, they lock hands to trade a bunch of chops. Make that overhand chops to the chest before they exchange enziguris. Sabin tries another enziguri but Gresham pulls him down into something close to a European Clutch to retain the title at 12:40.

Rating: B. That’s the kind of match you can expect from Gresham and it was another good one. He can work with anyone and the fact that it was someone like Sabin, who can hang in there with that style very easily made it even better. It’s so nice to see the Ring of Honor World Title sticking around, though I’m still not sure what the future holds for the whole thing. This was quite good though and a nice bonus for the pay per view.

From GCW Say You Will on January 15, 2022.

Ring Of Honor World Title: Jonathan Gresham vs. 2 Cold Scorpio

Gresham is defending and this should be good. Joined in progress with Scorpio getting the better of a test of strength before they go to a short pinfall reversal sequence. Scorpio flips away though and we’re clipped again to Gresham losing a chop off. Gresham tries to slap him in the face and is chopped right back down.

A rather loud yell sets up a forearm to drop Scorpio so Gresham snaps off a German suplex. We’re clipped again to Scorpio snapmaring him off the middle rope but Gresham grabs a choke. That earns him a flip into the corner for the break but Gresham pulls him into the rear naked choke for the win at 13:58 (total match time).

Rating: C. I could go for more of these two but that might be due to being a Scorpio fan for about thirty years. He’s definitely beyond the peak of his career but he is still looking good enough in a match like this. It’s more along the lines of a legends fight for Gresham and that is not a bad thing, as it would certainly get my attention more than Gresham fighting most current stars.

From Terminus: All Roads Lead Here on January 16, 2022.

Ring Of Honor World Title: Jonathan Gresham vs. Josh Alexander

Gresham is defending and this is under Pure Rules. They fight over wrist control to start (seems to be a common idea) and it’s an early standoff. We’re clipped to Alexander headlock takeovering him down and Gresham can’t get a headscissors to escape. Another technical off gives us another standoff and we’re clipped again to Gresham armdragging him out of the corner. A dropkick puts Alexander into the corner but he’s back with a running big boot. Alexander cranks on the foot on the ground and the ankle lock sends Gresham to the rope.

We take a break and come back with Gresham going after the knee and putting on a Figure Four. That means Alexander needs his first rope break so Gresham snaps off a springboard hurricanrana. Another Figure Four attempt is broken up with a right hand to Gresham’s jaw and we’re clipped to Alexander not being able to hit the C4 Spike. Clipped again to Gresham hitting the leg again and hitting a springboard moonsault to a standing Alexander.

Another moonsault is countered into a Tombstone for two on Gresham but Alexander’s knee is banged up. We’re clipped again to Alexander countering a Figure Four attempt into the ankle lock, which sends Gresham to the ropes. That means nothing this time though as he is out of rope breaks, meaning Gresham has to pull Alexander throat first into the ropes to escape instead. Alexander takes him to the middle rope and hits a superplex but the two of them interlock their legs and it’s a double pin at 16:52 (total match time), meaning Gresham retains in a draw.

Rating: B. Just hearing that it is Gresham vs. Alexander is all you need to hear as there was almost no way that it was going to be bad. Both guys can work well with anyone and they were able to do some very good stuff here. Then again there is only so much that you can get out of a match with this much clipping involved. Good match from what I could tell though, and that shouldn’t be a surprise.

Overall Rating: B+. Now this was a very different way to go and I liked it quite a bit. They went outside of the Ring Of Honor here and showed a bunch of different stuff, which is a lot more interesting than seeing the same promotion over and over. Gresham really is a star today and he is able to overcome the size issues to the point where you forget that they are there. Great show here and I’m looking forward to the second part next week (because there is a second part next week).

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Ring Of Honor
Date: March 16, 2022

Things are getting a bit more interesting, or at least a bit more intriguing, around here as we get to find out what they are throwing out there next. The relaunch is in a few weeks but there are still some shows to fill in. Thankfully that has included opening the video vault and there is some great stuff in there. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

This week’s show is looking at some of the greatest hits of Supercard of Honor, the annual Wrestlemania weekend show.

From Supercard Of Honor on March 31, 2006.

Dragon Kid/Genki Horiguchi/Ryo Saito vs. Cima/Narkui Doi/Masato Yoshino

Yoshino works on Horiguchi’s arm to start and they trade armdrags into a standoff. Doi comes in to face Kid (via tags, though they aren’t required here) for a fast standoff so it’s off to Cima vs. Horiguchi. Cima accidentally knocks Doi off the apron so Horiguchi headscissors him out to the floor. Saito comes in and Samoan drops Yoshino and it’s Kid coming in with an ax handle to Saito’s back. Some running shots to the face set up a bulldog into a running basement dropkick to rock Saito again as we take a break.

Back with Cima ax handling Kid but getting pulled into the corner for his efforts. Saito gets two off a legdrop and we hit the chinlock. Cima fights up and brings Doi back in, only to lose a chop off to Saito. Doi manages to drive Horiguchi into the corner and Cima and company start some triple teaming. Yoshino gets an Octopus hold on Horiguchi, with his partners playing defense so Horiguchi can get rolled up for two. A running flipping splash gives Doi two and he grabs a seated abdominal stretch as we take another break.

Back again with Kid cleaning house as everything breaks down. The dives are on until it’s Cima dropkicking Saito, who is right back with rolling fisherman’s suplexes for two. Saito gets caught in the corner for some running knees until Yoshino hits something like a Sling Blade on Kid. A missile dropkick gives Yoshino two and a reverse powerbomb gets two. Doi hits an F5 into a faceplant for two on Horiguchi but Kid is back up with a super hurricanrana to take Doi down.

Saito adds a frog splash for two but Horiguchi is back up with a missile dropkick of his own to Yoshino. An exchange of strikes sets up Saito hitting a hard German suplex for two on Yoshino and Kid’s West Coast Pop gets the same with Cima making the save. Horiguchi hits an over the back piledriver (think an Alabama Slam but dropped backwards into a piledriver) for two more on Yoshino.

A series of running strikes in the corner rock Saito and a top rope double stomp crushes him. Kid gets planted with an Air Raid Crash for two but Yoshino runs him over for the same. Doi and Kid wind up on top, with Kid hitting a super cutter. A super hurricanrana is enough to give Kid the pin on Doi at 20:34.

Rating: A-. This is kind of a famous match for Ring of Honor as it was given five stars and….really? It’s a lot of fun and very entertaining but five stars? Maybe it’s just because it was all flash and speed but I’m not sure I get that high of a level of praise. That being said, this was a lot of fun as they went nuts for the last twelve or so minutes and did not stop at all. Great stuff, and worth a look if you want to see where a lot of the modern AEW stuff probably drew inspiration.

Here are highlights of some Supercards of Honor.

From the G1 Supercard of Honor on April 6, 2019.

Ring of Honor World Title: Jay Lethal vs. Matt Taven vs. Marty Scurll

Lethal is defending in a ladder match and Taven is played to the ring via piano. The ring announcer makes it clear that this ladder match is ONE FALL. You can tell Lethal is fired up to be here, as he should be. Marty goes straight for a ladder so Jay baseball slides it into him. Taven is right there with the no hands dive to take them both down but bangs up his wrist in the process. Lethal goes with some chairs and bridges a ladder between some in the aisle.

That takes too long so Marty jumps him from behind and goes inside to put a pair of ladders in a pair of corners. Lethal and Taven are back in with Jay hitting both of them with ladders to take over. Instead of going up, he bridges a ladder over the bottom rope and of course gets sent face first into it. Marty ties Lethal in the Tree of Woe in the ladder and blasts it with a chair a few times. Lethal is mostly dead so Marty sets up a ladder in the middle, grabs the umbrella, and goes up.

That takes a bit too long though and it’s Taven making the save with a superkick. Taven knees the ladder around Lethal’s neck but it’s Marty going up the ladder. Lethal ties him up in a Figure Four in the ladder but they have to let go so Taven can be stopped. Marty takes a cutter on the apron and Taven powerbombs Lethal onto the bridged ladder in the aisle. This gives Aldis another chance to be the best analyst in wrestling today because he ACTUALLY ANALYZES THINGS.

Back in and Marty gives Taven a 619, which further injures his knee. Taven ladders Marty down and the fans are all over him, because Taven is as popular as a bad fungus. For some reason Taven climbs a ladder in the corner, earning himself a superplex back down. Lethal comes back in and flips out of the chickenwing attempt. With Marty down, Lethal goes up, punches Taven down, and gets caught in the chickenwing on the ladder.

Taven goes up as well and gets his fingers snapped but Lethal kicks them both off the ladder. A Lethal Combination sends Taven into the ladder and Lethal misses a charge, putting one ladder through another in the corner. Marty drops Taven onto the X between the ladders but walks into the Lethal Injection. Lethal throws the double ladder outside and it nearly knocks out half of the first row. Fans: “THAT’S A LAWSUIT!”

Scurll gives Lethal a brainbuster on the floor and loads up a table as Aldis is suddenly very anti-Lethal. Taven is back up and spears Marty off the apron and through the table. They’re both down so Lethal pulls out another table and the big ladder, setting up Hail to the King for the crazy spot of the match. Lethal and Marty go up but Taven busts out a big purple ladder. They all get knock down as Aldis has to explain to Riccaboni why a taller ladder is a good idea. Taven climbs up, hits Lethal in the head with the title, and wins at 29:38.

Rating: B-. This was good for the most part but it’s the worst possible outcome that deflated the crowd. The fans just do not want to see Taven on top of the company and have made that very clear. Instead, he gets the World Title because ROH had put so much time and energy into him that they just did it anyway. The match was entertaining but could have been at least ten minutes shorter on an already long show where New Japan has already lapped ROH five times.

Overall Rating: A-. There is nothing bad to be seen on the show and the highlight package was a cool look back at the company’s history on a big weekend. This is the kind of show I was hoping to see from Ring of Honor during this time and I’d much rather have something like this than going over stuff from the dead period in the last year or so. Another really fun hour, which shouldn’t be a surprise given how they are formatted.

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Ring Of Honor
Date: March 9, 2022
Host: Ian Riccaboni

We’re done with the Hall of Fame shows so I have no idea what to expect this week. We could be in for something interesting out of the vault, but Ring of Honor has a tendency to throw in a surprise here or there. The relaunch is less than a month away though so they don’t have much more time to fill. Let’s get to it.

We open with a look at how Ring of Honor has come up through the years and the foundation of what it was built on.

Ian Riccaboni welcomes us to the show, which will be a Hall of Fame special looking at the original class.

First up we look at the Briscoes, who have been around since the first match in Ring of Honor history and are the greatest tag team the company has ever had. We see some clips of their greatest feuds and a highlight reel of some of their big matches, from title wins to grudge matches. Jay Briscoe’s World Title wins are included as well.

Riccaboni brings in Cary Silkin for a chat about the Briscoes, who he calls the Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig of Ring of Honor.

Next up is Bryan Danielson, who Silkin describes as Old Faithful.

We get Danielson’s Hall of Fame video, looking at him in the main event of the first Ring of Honor show, plus his rise to the World Title. Then he feuded with Nigel McGuinness for a long time before moving on to other promotions around the world.

Danielson’s highlight video looks at winning the World Title and some major title defenses. This is the kind of stuff I’d like to see more of out of the video vault as there are some forgotten gems in there. We also look at the unification match with Nigel McGuinness, which is still brutal, and his final match before heading to WWE. There is probably a very many hours long DVD worth of great Danielson matches and I could go for watching a lot of them.

Next up is Samoa Joe, who Silkin credits with navigating the company through some rough waters.

The Joe highlight video looks at Joe showing up and quickly winning the World Title, which he held for a VERY long time. We hear about his dominance before heading to other promotions, including a jump back to Ring of Honor in between.

We see some of Joe’s most famous matches, including winning the World Title and Joe vs. Punk II, plus his final match against Homicide (not counting his 2015 comeback). And then, the return of course, plus his second final match.

We’ll wrap it up with CM Punk, who Silkin and Riccaboni say you can’t talk about without talking about the trilogy with Joe. Silkin was a bit worried about the Summer of Punk but knew he would do the right thing.

Punk’s video looks at his Ring of Honor highlights, from his debut to winning the Tag Team Titles to the Joe trilogy and of course the Summer of Punk, leading to his departure for WWE.

We get some more classic clips, including Punk vs. Terry Funk from Glory By Honor II, which is one of those matches that you probably weren’t getting anywhere but Ring Of Honor. For something a bit more traditional, we look at the World Title win, setting off the Summer of Punk, including him dubbing the microphone as a pipebomb. His heel turn was pretty awesome and you can see all of the star power that made WWE bring him in. Then he lost the title to James Gibson and moved on to WWE.

Silkin is presented with a plaque as the final inductee, winning the Cary Silkin Legacy Award. Well that’s very nice.

Overall Rating: B. I’m not sure how to rate this one but I had fun with the whole thing so we’ll call it good. This was the short form version of the last four weeks and that might be the way that a lot of viewers would prefer to go. The Silkin deal was a very sweet moment and another thing that was well deserved, as the company probably doesn’t survive without him around. It’s sad to see Ring of Honor changing so much, but dang I’ve had fun with all of these flashbacks.

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Ring Of Honor
Date: March 2, 2022

We have one more Hall of Fame special here and this time we are looking at CM Punk. This is one of the big ones as Punk played such a role in putting Ring of Honor on the map. Between his feuds with Raven and Samoa Joe, plus the Summer of Punk, there is a lot to pick from here and that makes things all the more fun. Let’s get to it.

We open with Punk’s Hall of Fame video, including a look at straightedge, plus the highlights of his Ring of Honor career.

From Death Before Dishonor III on June 18, 2005.

Ring of Honor World Title: CM Punk vs. Austin Aries

Aries is defending and drives Punk up against the ropes off a lockup. With that not going anywhere, they fight over a series of standing switches until Punk backs him into the corner for a break. Aries is back up with a middle rope elbow to the face before grinding away on a headlock. Punk reverses to a headscissors to work on Aries’ bad neck, allowing commentary to talk about all of the great things Punk will be able to do after joining WWE. Like main eventing Wrestlemania!

We take a break and come back with Punk dropping a knee for two and staying on the neck. After escaping Aries’ brainbuster attempt, Punk grabs a neckbreaker for two and the nerve hold goes on. Back up and Punk hits an elbow to put him on the floor, setting up the big suicide dive. Commentary: “When there is a Ring of Honor Hall of Fame in twenty years, Punk will be on the first ballot.” Eh 17 but close enough. Aries manages to pull him to the apron and the two of them crash out to the floor.

We take another break and come back again with Punk striking away, including some running elbows to the face. Some Hulk Hogan pointing YOU’S set up more forearms and a crossbody gives Punk two. The fans are all over Aries as he comes back but still can’t hit a brainbuster. Punk gets two off a backslide but Aries grabs a quick piledriver. A Regal Roll looks to set up the 450 but Punk slams him off the top and hits a Shining Wizard for two.

Aries catches him on top for a change and what looks to be a super brainbuster gets two of his own. Punk breaks up the 450 again but this time Aries his his own Pepsi Plunge, setting up the 450. This time Punk pulls him straight into the Anaconda Vice until Aries slips out as well. A TKO of all things gives Punk two and the Pepsi Plunge makes Punk champion at 30:26.

Rating: B+. This was a good one with Punk finally getting to the gold, which is something that had seemed to be set up for a long time. It’s still strange to see this version of Punk who could work at such a high, fast paced level but you can certainly see just how good he was back in these earlier days. WWE certainly seemed to get it and that is where the history really got started. Heck of a match.

We look at Punk winning the Tag Team Titles with Colt Cabana as the Second City Saints.

Then the Second City Saints won the titles again!

From Escape From New York on July 9, 2005.

Ring of Honor World Title: CM Punk vs. Roderick Strong

Strong is challenging and is the next big hope as Punk is WWE bound soon and has to lose the title before he leaves. Punk chops him into the corner to start and then runs into the other corner when Strong tries to come back. They fight over arm control until Punk takes him down for a chop to the back. Again, the threat of Strong coming after him sends Punk outside but he comes back in for a headlock. Back up and Strong hits a running clothesline but goes so hard that he hits the floor before Punk.

We take a break and come back with Punk chopping away in the corner and grabbing another headlock on the mat. Strong fights up again and gets in his own set of chops to knock Punk outside. That means the suicide dive before Punk gets sent into the barricade. A big chop knocks Punk into the crowd so Strong brings him back inside for the first backbreaker. Fans: “BREAK HIS BACK!”

A belly to back suplex puts Punk down again and we take a break. Back again with Strong charging into a hotshot and Punk hitting a basement dropkick to the back of the head. Strong hits a middle rope spinning crossbody but gets his head clotheslined off. A delayed vertical suplex gets a delayed two and Punk grabs another chinlock.

We take another break and come back again with Strong hitting another backbreaker. Strong strikes away and gets two off a dropkick. A Rock Bottom backbreaker gets two but Punk slips out of the half nelson backbreaker and hits a Shining Wizard. The Anaconda Vice goes on but Strong gets a boot on the rope for the break.

The Pepsi Twist sets up a missed springboard legdrop and Strong grabs the Stronghold. Punk goes straight to the ropes and is back up with a hammerlock DDT for two. The kickout annoys Punk so much that he takes his elbow pad off but the running elbow is countered into a series of backbreakers for a close two. Strong tries an O’Connor roll but Punk stacks him up and gets the pin to retain at 26:28.

Rating: B. Strong is a weird case where he can have a good match with anyone but there is a pretty firm ceiling above those matches. He can only reach a certain level, but at the same time, the level he reaches is better than just about anyone else. Another pretty awesome match here as the desperation to get the title off of Punk continues.

One more Punk video wraps us up.

Overall Rating: A-. Like these shows could be anything less than great, which is what we got here again. Ring of Honor knows how to open up the vault really well because there is a lot of amazing content in there. I have had a blast with these Hall of Fame shows and it is going to be awesome when the content winds up on some bigger streaming service so we can see some of that stuff. As for Punk, he’s one of the Ring of Honor legends for a reason and it was cool to see something like this, even if it was pretty condensed.

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Ring of Honor
Date: February 23, 2022

It’s another Hall of Fame show and this time around we are looking at Samoa Joe. That is another case where there are all kinds of matches to pick from, many of which are among the ones that helped put Ring of Honor on the map. These shows have been excellent so far and there is a chance that this one will be too. Let’s get to it.

We open with Samoa Joe’s Hall of Fame video, talking about how he helped put the company on the map and his still record World Title reign. We also hear about his time in Impact Wrestling and WWE, though not much is said about the latter.

From Night of Champions, March 22, 2003.

Ring of Honor Title: Samoa Joe vs. Xavier

Xavier is defending and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him wrestle before. The rest of the Prophecy, Xavier’s friends, are at ringside but CW Anderson and Michael Shane come in to take them out. That leaves Joe to chop Xavier into the corner, where Xavier’s chops have no effect. Joe knocks him outside and puts Xavier in a chair for a running boot to send him head first into the barricade.

Commentary talks about Xavier getting a concussion a week ago as Joe stays on his head, which is rather disturbing in a few ways. Back in and Xavier gets in a shot to the knee as we take a break. We come back with Xavier working on the neck, which just seems to wake Joe up. Some clotheslines stagger Joe but he rolls some suplexes to drop Xavier on his head over and over. Xavier knees his way out of a brainbuster (that was different) and an Ax breaker drops Joe again. The 450 hits raised knees though and an enziguri drops Xavier again. The Koquina Clutch gives Joe the title at 11:35.

Rating: C+. They didn’t even edit that much out of here as the full thing wasn’t even twelve minutes long. Xavier got in a few shots here but Joe felt like an unstoppable force who was going to get the title no matter what. It’s certainly historic as Joe starts his legendary reign, but Xavier is quite the curiosity in his own right, as he was the second champion in the company’s history and is little more than a Ring of Honor footnote.

From Manhattan Mayhem, May 7, 2005.

Pure Title: Jay Lethal vs. Samoa Joe

Lethal is defending and looks VERY young here. Joe gets knocked down and Lethal shouts (at his mentor) that the real champ is here. Some stomping doesn’t get Lethal very far and it’s time to trade some wristlocks. Joe backs him into the corner for some shots to the face but lethal is right back with a neckbreaker for one.

Lethal grabs a weird hold as he ties up the legs ala Rhea Ripley’s Prism Trap but lays on his back, putting his feet under Joe’s arms to raise him up in the air (it looked great). That doesn’t last long as Joe falls into the ropes for his first break and comes up with a right hand. You can only use one of those so the referee yells at him, allowing Lethal to grab another neckbreaker. Joe has to go to the ropes to escape another leglock but he Rock Bottoms Lethal out of the corner to plant him hard.

The running knee drop gets two and we take a break. Back with Joe washing Lethal’s face in the corner but charging into some boots. Lethal muscles him up for a suplex and scores with a Swan Dive for two more. Another kick sends Lethal to the apron, where he uses a closed fist of his own.

That’s fine with Joe, who knocks him outside and hits that big suicide elbow of his. They strike it out on the apron until Lethal grabs him, only have Joe drive both of them HARD through a table at ringside. Back in and Joe’s snap powerslam gets two but Lethal has to use the ropes to escape the Koquina Clutch. A middle rope DDT gives Lethal two and his signature dragon suplex gets the same. Joe isn’t having that though and grabs his own dragon suplex, setting up a cross arm suplex for the pin and the title at 19:10.

Rating: B. This was better than the opener, as Joe survived everything the game Lethal could throw at him before grabbing a suplex to knock him out. It was about Joe being a monster who could not be stopped and that made for a rather physical fight. Lethal would get better, but it was still Joe’s time here.

From Joe vs. Kobashi, October 1, 2005.

Samoa Joe vs. Kenta Kobashi

Well it was going to be this or one of the Punk matches and this makes more sense. Joe gets a pop but Kobashi gets an ovation. They shake hands to start and it’s time for some high intensity circling. The feeling out process continues until Joe hits the first chop for a loud gasp from the crowd. Kobashi takes him into the corner and shows him a real chop before a shoulder sends Kobashi outside. Joe hits the big suicide elbow into the barricade for two back inside and we take a break.

Back with Joe taking him outside for the big running boot in the chair. It worked so well the first time that Joe tries it again, only to charge into a shot to the face. Joe gets planted on the floor and they head back inside for some more hard Kobashi chops. We hit the front facelock for a bit until Joe suplexes his way to freedom. They strike it out hard with the sweat literally flying off of their chests.

Kobashi gets the better of things as we take another break and come back with Joe making the comeback and striking away even faster. Some Kawada kicks send Kobashi flying into the corner and it’s time for the facewashes. The MuscleBuster connects for two and Joe is stunned by the kickout. Another kick to the head sets up Joe’s STF, which is switched into a crossface and then something like an octopus hold on the mat as Kobashi FINALLY gets a foot on the ropes for the break.

Kobashi manages a half and half suplex and they’re both down again. Back up and Kobashi goes nuts with the rapid fire chops in the corner, leaving Joe’s chest looking rather disturbed. Another half and half suplex gets two and a sleeper suplex gives Kobashi the same. Joe tries to chop away but some spinning backfists set up a huge lariat to put him away at 24:21.

Rating: A. This is a great example of a match which was made better by the crowd’s reaction. The match felt like an event, as Kobashi is a living legend and having Joe face him in such a high profile match is the kind of thing you do not get to see very often. Joe is the biggest name in Ring of Honor history and Kobashi is far above him, but Joe hung in there and had him in real trouble in a classic. Great match, as you may have heard before.

One more quick Joe video wraps us up.

Overall Rating: B+. It was kind of a weird show as the focus was more on Joe milestones than great matches, though the last match checked both boxes. Joe is another case where there are so many huge matches that this could have gone on for about three hours plus without getting old. Joe vs. Kobashi is always worth a look, but the other two are more for historical purposes than anything else, which is kind of the idea here.

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Ring Of Honor
Date: February 16, 2022

We’re still on the Hall of Fame shows and that means we should be in for a fun week. Last week’s show was pretty awesome and this time around we have another big one with Bryan Danielson. He was absolutely a star in Ring of Honor and was a big part of why the company got on the map. Opening the vault is always fun so let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

We open with Danielson’s Hall of Fame video, including talking about how his talent and amazing matches helped develop the company’s reputation. Then he moved on to WWE and AEW and kept doing the same thing.

From Glory By Honor V (September 16, 2006).

Ring Of Honor World Title: Kenta vs. Bryan Danielson

Danielson is defending has a horrible shoulder coming in. Kenta threatens him with the big kick to start and backs Danielson up against the ropes. That means a slap to the face and things are getting a bit more serious. They go to a test of strength until Danielson grabs the arm, setting up a knee to the face. Kenta goes right back to the shoulder though and Danielson needs a breather on the floor.

Back in and Danielson rocks him with a headbutt, earning himself a kick to the arm. A headlock takeover works a bit better for Danielson, whose shoulder is looking black and blue. Danielson rips at the face as we hear about how awesome his title reign has been. A wristlock doesn’t get Kenta very far as Danielson dropkicks him to the floor as we take a break.

Back with Kenta hitting a running dropkick and kicking away, setting up a springboard missile dropkick for two. Kenta grabs a short armscissors, sending Danielson over to the ropes in a hurry. Danielson is right back with a half crab and a whip into the corner, setting up a Chris Benoit throat slit (dang that was jarring to see). The superplex sets up a crossface chickenwing to keep Kenta in trouble but a foot in the ropes is good for the break. The Swan Dive only hits Kenta’s raised boots though and it’s time to slug it out. They trade suplexes and then trade discus strikes to the face for another double knockdown.

We take another break and come back again with Kenta pulling him into a Fujiwara armbar, sending Danielson right back to the ropes. Danielson goes up onto said ropes but dives into a cutter, meaning the Fujiwara armbar goes right back on. That’s broken up again and Danielson grabs a fisherman’s belly to back suplex for two.

A belly to back superplex drops Kenta again and Cattle Mutilation goes on, meaning Kenta makes the ropes AGAIN. Danielson goes up top but dives into a fireman’s carry, setting up the (original) GTS for a VERY close two as the ropes save the title again. A bridging O’Connor roll gives Danielson another crazy near fall but Kenta kicks him down.

Danielson takes him down and drives away with the elbows to the head, only to have Kenta power up for the fireman’s carry. That’s broken up as well though and it’s a tiger suplex for two on Kenta. Cattle Mutilation goes on again and, after some more elbows to the head, the hold goes on again and Kenta FINALLY taps at 27:43.

Rating: A. Oh yeah this worked and it was an awesome fight with both guys beating the tar out of each other. Danielson can do this with anyone and it was a time when Kenta got to look as good as he is often hyped up as being. I haven’t seen nearly enough of Danielson’s time in Ring of Honor but it is easy to see where he gets the reputation that he has. Awesome match here and I loved the heck out of this.

We look at Danielson beating James Gibson (Jamie Noble) to win the World Title at Glory By Honor IV.

From Unified (August 12, 2006) and this is a pretty famous one.

Ring Of Honor World Title/Pure Title: Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness

This is to unify the titles and under Pure Rules with a winner guaranteed. They take turns backing each other up against the ropes with Danielson slapping him in the face. Nigel armdrags him down and gets in his own slap, with the London fans saying Danielson got b**** slapped. They fight over wrist control as we hear about both of their dominant title reigns.

A dropkick puts McGuinness down but he kicks at the leg to get a breather. The grappling is on again with Danielson driving him into the corner before kicking him down. It’s time for Danielson to start in on the arm, including some hard cranking on the mat. Back up and a running dropkick puts Nigel down and we take a break.

We come back with Danielson uppercutting away in the corner before grabbing a cross armbreaker. That’s broken up with the rope break before Nigel hits a clothesline out of the corner. A Regal Cutter (or close to it) gives Nigel two and there’s a running uppercut in the corner for the same. An arm trap chinlock goes on to keep Danielson in trouble but he gets up and scores with an enziguri. The surfboard double knee stomp has Nigel in more trouble and it’s a superplex into a Swan Dive for two. Cattle Mutilation goes on but Nigel is in the ropes in a hurry, meaning it’s rope break #2 (I’m guessing that first one was in the break).

We take another break and come back Nigel putting him down, making Danielson use his first rope break. Nigel grabs his own Cattle Mutilation and Danielson burns through another break in a hurry. They head outside with Danielson putting a table onto him for some choking. Back in and Nigel blasts him with a clothesline. Danielson is fine enough to grab the crossface chickenwing so Nigel uses his final rope break.

Nigel gets tossed with a German suplex but still manages to get his feet up to block the Swan Dive. A strike off goes to Danielson but Nigel puts him on the top for a hard clothesline. That means Danielson has to use his final break and we take another break of our own.

Back again with Nigel busted open as they trade some HARD headbutts (no hands protecting them either). A big headbutt sends Nigel into the ropes but he comes out with a hard lariat. Nigel gets a delayed cover but Bryan rolls over into Cattle Mutilation. The ropes can’t save him this time so Nigel has to spin out. With nothing else working, Danielson ties the arms up and unloads with elbows to the head to knock Nigel out and unify the titles (So THAT’S where the name came from!) at 32:41.

Rating: A-. This was a hard one to watch, partially just due to the head trauma. I’m not bit on seeing Danielson (or anyone for that matter) using their head like that, but dang they beat the fire out of each other. The good thing is that the technical work was awesome and then it got serious when they were beating on each other like everything was on the line (because it was). Awesome match, but it is a bit hard to watch.

One more Danielson video wraps us up.

Overall Rating: A+. I know it’s easy to focus on the best matches when you’re doing a show like this but dang this was fun. Danielson has more classics than should be legally allowed and this was an awesome look at two of them. Much like last week, I could go for a much longer look at Danielson and that’s how this should be. It’s almost like those ads for Honor Club throughout the show was a good idea. Check this, plus more Danielson, out because it’s outstanding stuff.

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