Ring of Honor live results: Bandido vs. Gringo Loco, Mistico in tag team action
Ring of Honor World Champion Bandido will be in action on tonight’s show on HonorClub.
Bandido will take on Gringo Loco in a Proving Ground match where if the challenger can draw or defeat the champion, he earns a future title shot.
The legendary Mistico will team with Mascara Dorada in a CMLL showcase bout against Blake Christian and Lee Johnson.
In another CMLL showcase, Volador Jr., Magnus and Rugido battle Dark Order (John Silver, Evil Uno & Alex Reynolds).
In tag team action, ROH Women’s World Champion Athena will team with Billie Starkz while the undefeated team of Satnam Singh & Jay Lethal will also be in action.
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Time for the most honoriffic Ring of Honor the ring has to offer! It’s ROH on Honorclub and it kicks off with a huge Proving Ground Match!
ROH World Title Proving Ground Match: Bandido [c] vs. Gringo Loco
Gringo Loco lost an ROH World Television Title Proving Ground match to Nick Wayne a couple of weeks ago, so by ROH logic that means he gets a chance to earn a chance to wrestle for the World Title. Don’t think about it too much. All you need to know is Bandido is low-key the most entertaining champion in wrestling right now and Loco is a fantastic worker. This should be great and if Loco loses, there’s always the Pure Title!
Loco tried for a lockup off the top, but Bandido responded with punches. He followed that up with a big headscissor and then Loco caught him on a charge and sent him to the outside. Loco dove after Bandido and threw him back in the ring for a two count.
Loco started thumping Bandido with big fists and a sit-out powerbomb. Loco tried a pop-up powerbomb next, but Bandido turned it into a hurricanrana. Bandido put Loco up on the top turnbuckle, but Loco shoved him off, and hit a split legged twisting moonsault that was *mwah, Chefs kiss.
Ian Riccaboni casually mentioned here that Bandido will face Herchicero for the ROH title at Death Before Dishonor. Neato.
Loco and Bandido found themselves on the top turnbuckle again and Loco hit a perfect reverse C4, but it only got a two count. Loco went back to the moonsault well, but Bandido dodged it and hit a crucifix driver, followed by a frog splash. The ref counted to three, dashing the hopes of Gringo Loco.
Match Result: Bandido defeated Gringo Loco
Fun opener!! I love Bandido and Gringo Loco, so seeing them square off was great. However, I think someone needs to start keeping track of when someone gets a Proving Ground shot. It’s a little weird to lose one and then get a better one.
Jay Lethal & Satnam Singh (w/Karen Jarrett) vs GPA & Hunter Holdcraft
As if Singh needed a tag team partner and as if it needed to be someone as high-profile as Lethal. Sing could take on GPA and Holdcraft plus several of their friends a relatives without breaking a sweat. So we’ll see who does the heavy lifting here. Maybe Lethal is a genius and hit is how he gets paid to have a night “off.”
For some reason, Lethal started the match against Holdcraft. Why they wouldn’t send the 7-foot-8 (according to Riccaboni) guy in first is beyond me.
Anyway, Hodlcraft managed to get some offense in on Lethal, grinding his knee into the back of Lethals head along the second rope. GPA tagged in after that and they isolated Lethal in the corner. They beat him up a bit and then much to their chagrin, Singh was tagged in.
GPA and Holdcraft didn’t bother with tags after that and I kinda agree. What’s the point? Singh manhandled them, chopping each man to death before tossing him into the opposite corner. I think Lethal left to get a drink after Singh began chokeslamming Holdcraft at will.
Lethal popped in to hit a Lethal Injection on Hodlcraft. Singh Chokeslammed GPA and for everyone’s sake, GPA stayed down and Sing and Lethal took the match.
Match Result: Jay Lethal & Satnam Singh (w/Karen Jarrett) defeated GPA & Hunter Holdcraft
I have no problem with big, dominant monsters, but honestly, there’s no one that can believably beat Singh, or a tag team he’s in. They need to come up with a creative edge for him, or he’s bound to run out of people to squash.
Missa Kate and Lanie Luck vs. Athena and Billie Starkz
ROH Forever Champion Athena has her eyes set on AEW’s top prize these days, so it’s nice that she’s gracing us with her presence this week. The unknown factor here is Starkz. Starks has spent the last few months loving being a minion, then being sad about being a minion, then being mad about being a minion, then… this. So maybe working together these two can remind themselves why they tag in the first place: Because they have to.
Starkz and Athena jumped their opponents off the Code of Honor, with Starks and Kate fighting in the ring and Athena throwing Luck into the barricades on the outside.
Athena climbed the ring and tagged in, bringing brutal shots to Kate. KAte shoved Athena into the corner, where Starkz got the blind tag. Luck put Starkz to the mat with a big boot and then a driver. Starkz hit a back breaker in retaliation and climbed the top turnbuckle. Luck beat her there though, and tried to hit a suplex, but Athena came in and pulled Luck off the ropes.
Starkz and Athena then put stereo submissions on Kate and Luck who tapped immediately.
Match Result: Athena and Billie Starkz defeated Missa Kate and Lanie Luck
Always nice to see those two, even if it is a squash. Starkz looked a little tired, but I don’t know if that was character work, or jet lag.
Los Depredadores (Magnus, Rugido & Volador Jr.) vs. The Dark Order (Alex Reynolds, Evil Uno & John Silver)
I am so happy to see the Dark Order working against a team that isn’t the Frat House! Nothing against those uber-heels, but they’ve been done to death over the last few months and a fresh matchup is very needed.
Reynolds kicked things off against Rugido while Volador and Magnus casually chatted in the corner. The two locked up and Rugido got Reynolds with an arm drag that set him back a step. Reynolds charged Rugido, but Rugido dodged. Reynolds went up top for a crossbody and a two count.
Magnus tagged in a dropped Reynolds with a hard shoulder. But when he turned around, Uno had tagged in and hit a big headscissors. Rugido and Volador jumped in and the three triple teamed Uno, while Reynolds and Silver were… elsewhere?
They put Uno on the top rope and took turns trying to take his mask off, but settled for stomping him in a tree of woe position instead. Uno reversed a bog boot from Magnus into a neckbreaker and tagged in Silver, who burst into the match with a flurry of kicks and energy.
Silver tried a pin, but Volador and Rugido broke it up and sent him to the outside. Reynolds bought some time and Silver came back, setting Magnus up in the corner for some charges from Uno. Reynolds joined them and they went to finish off Magnus, but Volador pulled Silver out of the ring.
Magnus hit a huge butterfly suplex on Uno, followed by a splash from Rugido and Voloador made the pin to get the win, much to Uno’s dismay.
Match Result: Los Depredadores (Magnus, Rugido & Volador Jr.) defeated The Dark Order (Alex Reynolds, Evil Uno & John Silver)
Love the luchadores and love the Dark Order. More of each please!
-Backstage QT Marshall cut a promo on Paul Walter Hauser regarding the slowest feud in wrestling history. You see, QT threw a drink on Hauser about 6 months ago which was quite offensive as Hauser is famously sober. Then nothing happened for a long, long time. However, Hauser is apparently still mad about it. So, Marshall invited Hauser to Ring of Honor next week to straighten things out.
El Sky Team (Mascara Dorada & Mistico) vs Blake Christian & Lee Johnson
Christian and Johnson have been moping around ROH for the last few months acting like they are owed something. Thing is, they are both really, really good, but still feel the need to be cheats and all-around jerks. Mascara Dorada and Mistico are killer luchadores so maybe they can be ones to put a smile on the faces of Johnson and Christian?
The crowd gave Mistico a huge ovation as the luchadores made their way to the ring. They didn’t show it, but I’m sure Johnson and Blake were annoyed by it.
Christian started things off against Dorada, feigning a lock up in favor of a punch in the gut. The speed was on then as they both flew around the ring, dodging and wriggling out of each other’s holds. Dorada finally landed a Pele kick and Christian was on the mat.
Mistico tagged in, but Christian wanted none of that and brought in Johnson. Johnson got in Mistico’s face, but Mistico was able to stay out of his hands as he dodged elbows and holds until finally landing a hurricanrana on Johnson. Mistico walked the ropes and nailed a whirlwind armdrag before tagging in Dorada.
Christian joined the fray, but the luchadores sent both Johnson and Christian to the outside. When they climbed back in, they hit stereo back elbows, sending Christian and Johnson back out. Mistico and Dorada dove out after them, nailing both men.
Back in the ring, Johnson hung Dorada up on the ropes. Christian got a blind tag and hit a guillotine legdrop, seinging him to the outside. Christian followed and tossed Dorada into the barricade before sending him back into the ring.
Christian dragged Dorada into the corner where he and Johnson took terms stomping and chopping him. Dorada double backflipped out of trouble, opening up Mistico to enter and hit a springboard elbow on Christian.
Dorada went up top, but missed on the stomp. Christian knocked Mistico out of the ring and then he and Johnson connected to powerbomb Dorada. Johnson tagged Christian back in, climbing the ropes. Dorada climbed up with him and hit a superrana off the top, but Christian landed on his feet!
Dorada seemed stunned and Johnson and Christian beat him down until Mistico arrived and took out both men. All four lay in the ring with only Dorada moving. Dorada got to his feet, but Christian hit a superkick to put him right back down.
Johnson and Christian double teamed Dorada until he sent Christian to the outside and dove over the top rope to take him out. Mistico locked in La Mistica on Johnson in the ring and Johnson had no choice but to tap out.
Match Result: El Sky Team (Mascara Dorada & Mistico) defeat Blake Christian & Lee Johnson
Fun night of wresting and as ROH & AEW head out for a series of international shows, I’m looking forward to seeing who shows up and how crazy the crowds are!