Ring of Honor is back with an all-new ROH ON HONOR CLUB this Thursday night at 7pm ET/6pm CT where ROH Women's World Champion Athena puts her title on the line against Allysin Kay, ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli welcomes Lee Johnson onto the Proving Ground as ROH World Six-Man Champions The Mogul Embassy do the same with another trio of potential contenders, and Kingston teams with Shibata to face Gringo Loco and Blake Christian! All that and more is coming to you this Thursday on Honor Club, the only home for the history of Ring of Honor, a history that shaped modern professional wrestling, and a present that is shaping the future of our great sport as well!
ROH WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH...
“The Fallen Goddess” Athena vs. Allysin Kay
Though this is their first meeting in Ring of Honor, Athena and Allysin Kay have quite a rich history during the course of their respective careers. Between March 2014 and March 2015 the two women clashed on four occasions in singles matches, with the first two going in Athena's favor and the latter pair going in Kay's favor. It should also be noted that their final meeting, a tag team bout in April 2015, also swung in favor of AK-47's team, essentially giving Allysin Kay the advantage in their rivalry.
This Thursday night on Honor Club, that rivalry adds another chapter as Allysin Kay challenges “The Fallen Goddess” for the ROH Women's World Championship! Now Kay's pursuit of this championship dates back to 2021 and the tournament to crown the inaugural champion. As part of that tourney, Allysin bested Willow Nightingale in the first round before falling to Trish Adora in the next, and ever since Kay has kept her eyes on an opportunity to challenge.
That opportunity has now presented itself with a fight against the self-proclaimed “Forever Champion”, and it goes down this Thursday night on Honor Club! Athena has proven herself the most dominant Women's Champion that Ring of Honor has ever seen, and building a legacy that could etch her name in the history books as the most dominant champion in the history of ROH, which is saying quite a lot in a company littered with champions like Samoa Joe, The Briscoes, Takeshi Morishima, Shane Taylor Promotions, Jay Lethal, and Kevin Steen. In the course of her title run, Athena has turned back 13 challenges, as well as squashed 22 Proving Ground/Eliminator challenges; now every run has to come to an end eventually, but it feels like Athena is just getting started. Can a world class athlete like Allysin Kay be the one to crash it down around “The Fallen Goddess”, or will she be just another piece of porcelein shattered at Athena's feet?
TAG TEAM BATTLE...
NJPW STRONG Open Weight Champion Eddie Kingston & ROH Pure Champion Katsuyori Shibata vs. Blake Christian & Gringo Loco
On Sunday night at ALL OUT 2023, Eddie Kingston and Katsuyori Shibata teamed up to face ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta, but unfortunately for “The Mad King” and “The Wrestler” the dice did not roll in their favor. Instead it was Claudio scoring the pinfall victory for Blackpool Combat Club, leaving Kingston once again frustrated in his efforts to take down his most hated enemy.
That being said, the losing duo looked superb as a team until that defeat, and they will have a second chance to show how good they can be this Thursday on Honor Club when they take on the duo of Blake Christian and Gringo Loco! This marks the first time Blake and Gringo Loco have teamed up in Ring of Honor, though they are quite familiar with one another as both ally and foe in their wrestling careers, and they are in for stiff competition with a duo like Kingston and Shibata. So if they can pull off the upset win, it will be a huge boost to their ROH status, as well as their wrestling profile at large. Can they pull it off this Thursday on Honor Club?
PROVING GROUND MATCH...
ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli vs. Lee Johnson
And speaking of the ROH World Champion, he too will be in action this Thursday night when he welcomes Lee Johnson onto the Proving Ground! After having one huge opportunity last week when he, Action Andretti, and Darius Martin challenged for the ROH World Six-Man Championship, Lee Johnson has another on his plate when he enters the Proving Ground against Castagnoli; all he has to do is survive ten minutes with the champ, doesn't have to pin or submit him, doesn't even have to win by count out, all he has to do is survive for ten minutes, and a ROH World Championship opportunity will be his reward. To date, Claudio has turned away five potential challengers looking to earn their shot, will Big Shotty join that list, or will he be the first to prove himself worthy?
ALSO FEATURING:
Proving Ground: The Mogul Embassy(c) vs. Griff Garrision, Metalik, & Gravity
Skye Blue & Willow Nightingale vs. The Renegades (Charlette & Robyn)
Best Friends (Chuck Taylor & Trent Beretta), Action Andretti, & Darius Martin vs.
The Workhorsemen (Anthony Henry & JD Drake) & The Outrunners (Truth Magnum & Turbo Floyd)
Leyla Hirsch vs. Lady Frost
The Spanish Announce Project (Angelico & Serpentico)
Willie Mack & The Infantry (Carlie Bravo & Capt. Shawn Dean)