Welcome to The Honor System, a place where we keep up with Ring of Honor Wrestling and its roster on the road to their much-anticipated, at least for me, PPV events. After a very fun Death Before Dishonor 2025, we now start the road to Final Battle 2025 in Columbus, Ohio. We start by covering the ROH on HonorClub #132 from 9/4/25.
Ring of Honor
ROH on HonorClub #132
September 4, 2025
Cleveland, OH + Chicago, IL + Philadelphia, PA + Glasgow, Scotland, UK + Cincinnati, OH
The best commentary team going, in my opinion, Ian Riccaboni & Caprice Coleman welcome us to ROH on the eve of 1000 days for Athena as ROH Women’s World Champion!
PROVING GROUND MATCH
ROH WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPION ATHENA (w/ Billi Starkz) DEF. DAYAMI
CLEVELAND, OH
Athena made quick work of Dayami, who is a freelance Luchadora hailing from Tulancingo, Hidalgo, Mexico. Dayami has been working most recently with OVW and was trained by Aeroboy. Athena gets the win, putting Dayami to sleep with the Koji Clutch.
Next, we get a recap of Death Before Dishonor, followed by a fired-up Bandido promo from the parking lot of the 2300 arena after the PPV. This got me even more hyped for Bandido’s current run as ROH World Champion. I thought this promo was short but very good. Bandido’s promo and the preceding Death Before Dishonor recap video have been posted on the ROH YouTube channel.
THE SWIRL (BLAKE CHRISTIAN & LEE JOHNSON) DEF. JOE ALONZO & THOMAS HEIN
CHICAGO, IL
I have high hopes for Christian & Lee, and the more I see of them together, the more I like them as a tag team. I would really like to see them in the Super Junior Tag League this year or next. Joe Alonzo has been working recently for 4th Rope & AAW, where he recently scored a pinfall victory over Colt Cabana. Thomas Hein is a bit more of a mystery, but from what I can gather is a Midwest freelancer. The Swirl picked up the quick win with a Top Rope Stomp from Christian onto the back of Hein and into a Spicolli Driver from Johnson for the 1-2-3. Johnson has a Proving Ground Match tomorrow on the Special Edition of ROH on YouTube against Bandido.
We take a look back at Death Before Dishonor again with a look at MxM Collection’s win over The Dark Order & The Frat House with help from Johnny TV, who sprayed “Seed” into the eyes of Alex Reynolds, Ala Rick Martel and his Arrogance cologne. I’m never going to get used to hearing Ian Riccaboni say “spraying Seed all over the place.”
Never.
WHEELER YUTA (w/ Marina Shafir) DEF. JOHN SILVER
PHILADELPHIA, PA
Even in Yuta’s hometown, the crowd was still firmly behind John Silver as Yuta offered a middle finger instead of a handshake before the bell. After some stiff kicks from Silver they took it to the outside where Marina got involved. Silver’s Dark Order stablemate’s Alex Reynolds & Evil Uno then made their way to ringside to back him up. Jon Moxley soon followed suit and joined Marina to corner Yuta. A brawl quickly ensued giving Yuta his opportunity to hit the distracted Silver with a Busaiku Knee to score the pinfall.
We are back in the parking lot of the 2300 Arena, where Trish Adora confronted Deonna Purrazzo. Adora advised Deonna not to overlook her in the Women’s Pure Title Tournament but was brushed off by the former ROH Women’s World Champion.
TWO ON ONE HANDICAP MATCH
LANCE ARCHER (w/ Rocky Romero) DEF. ADAM & MARCUS KING
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND, UK
Archer stayed true to form and attacked his opponents on the way to the ring. The King brothers are two-time ICW Tag Team Champions in Scotland, where they go by the name of KOE. This one lasted just over a minute with Archer pinning both brothers after a Blackout to Adam on top of Marcus. After the match, Archer continued the violence on the King brothers, which ended with a double chokeslam to a pair of security guards trying to stop him. During the quick match, Caprice on commentary “imagined” Archer taking on Bandido, so that may be something in the works.
Another recap of Death Before Dishonor. This time, we look at Sammy Guevara joining LFI and winning the vacant ROH World Tag Team Titles with Rush. Then we get a backstage interview with Ross & Marshall Von Erich, who are none too happy with Sammy turning his back on them at the PPV. Growing up two of the only “Babyfaces” I ever rooted for were Kerry & Kevin Von Erich so I like having Ross & Marshall on the roster. If Eric Embry has a son, get him on the roster too! Yes, I’m that old.
SPANISH ANNOUNCE PROJECT (ANGELICO & SERPENTICO) DEF. MARINO TENAGLIA & PHILLY COLLINS
CLEVELAND, OH
Tenaglia & Collins are the current AIW Tag Team Champions in Cleveland and are known as PME. The hometown advantage didn’t seem to help PME as the SAP got the submission win with an Ankle Lock from Angelico to Tenaglia.
KATSUYORI SHIBATA DEF. JORDAN OLIVER
CINCINNATI, OH
It really is great to see the current GCW Tag Team Champion, Oliver, getting a shot here recently. I really do think he could be a good fit. Shibata gets the win after getting Oliver’s chest beet red and a little bloody, then finishing him off with the PK.
We get a look back at Collision from this past Saturday with an appearance from Clon?!
THE CONGLOMERATION (HOLOGRAM & TOMOHIRO ISHII) DEF. THE PREMIER ATHLETES (ARIYA DAIVARI & TONY NESE)
CINCINNATI, OH
Watching all these matches from different towns in one show really brings me back to watching Prime Time Wrestling.
Again, yes, I’m that old.
The main event this week is a rematch from Death Before Dishonor. The Premier Athletes come up short again when Hologram scores the pin after a rope walk 450 splash. This was fun and my favorite match of the night.
I am looking forward to the Hologram/Clon situation. If you don’t already know who Clon is you can find out by listening to this week’s Voices of Wrestling Flagship Podcast. Here I am going to do my best to avoid spoilers.
The show ends with The Premier Athletes and Mark Sterling in the back. Mark was being seen to by the medical staff after getting knocked off the apron by Ishii in the Main Event. They are tired of wrestlers putting their hands on a manager and have a “contingency plan” in store for ROH.
I really do like ROH. I like the look, the feel, and the voices. I like that I won’t wake up tomorrow and read or hear people complain that there aren’t enough “stories” in ROH. I like that nobody is comparing ROH to NXT or TNA. I like that I have no idea what the ratings are. I like that I can just watch and enjoy myself.
Looking ahead to September 5’s Special Episode:
- ROH World Championship Proving Ground Match: Bandido (c) vs. Lee Johnson · Six Man Tag Team Match: AR Fox & The Kingdom vs The Frat House
- Pure Riles Match: Trish Adora vs Ashley Vox
- Pure Rules Match: Deonna Purrazzo vs Rachael Ellering
- Hechicero & Lance Archer vs BEEF & LSG
- Johnny TV vs Alex Zayne
- Pure Rules Match: Josh Woods vs Matt Mako
- The Beast Mortos vs Jordan Oliver
- Hologram vs Aaron Solo
- Spanish Announce Project vs The Premier Athletes
On The Honor System #2, I will be going over the ROH Special Edition on 9/5 and the 9/5 CMLL Viernes Espectacular Main Event, where ROH World Champion Bandido teams with Mistico to take on Hechicero & Angel de Oro.
Highlights of the Week
- Bandido promo from the parking lot of the 2300 (9/4/2025)
- Hologram & Tomohiro Ishii def. Aariya Daivari & Tony Nese (9/4/2025)
