Last week fans witnessed the beginning of the ROH World TV Title Eliminator Tournament as eight men vied for the next shot at Samoa Joe!
This Thursday night at 7pm ET/6pm CT, exclusively on Honor Club, the ROH Women's World Championship will be on the line when Athena faces Diamante, the ROH Pure Championship will be at stake between Katsuyori Shibata and Josh Woods, and the Semi-Final matches in the ROH World TV Title Eliminator Tournament will go down! Plus, Leyla Hirsch will be in action looking to continue her dominance since returning from injury, and plenty more when Ring of Honor is back in action this Thursday on Honor Club!
ROH WORLD TV TITLE ELIMINATOR TOURNAMENT SEMI-FINALS...
Shane Taylor vs. “The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels
These men are both former ROH World Television Champions, one who has faced Samoa Joe many times before and the other who has never set foot in the ring with the ROH Legend, and both have designs on reclaiming the championship for a second time. For “The Fallen Angel”, it has been a dozen years since he last held the crown, defeating Eddie Edwards on December 10, 2010 to claim it and losing it to El Generico at June 26, 2011's BEST IN THE WORLD 2011 event. On the May 4th edition of Honor Club, Daniels stepped up to Joe for the first time in eight years to challenge for the Television Championship, and was dispatched in just under six minutes, leaving the ROH Grand Slam champion frustrated but hungry to get one more opportunity.
As for Shane Taylor, he first claimed the ROH World Television Championship on May 9, 2019 at WAR OF THE WORLDS 2019: NIGHT 2, defeating Brody King, Hirooki Goto, and defending champion Jeff Cobb to become champion. The reign lasted 218 days until Dragon Lee ended the run at FINAL BATTLE 2019, and over the course of his time as champion, Shane Taylor would prove quite the successful champion, defending 12 times in both the United States and United Kingdom, and putting himself in the conversation as greatest TV champion of all-time. After his loss to Dragon Lee, Shane Taylor never had an opportunity to reclaim the title prior to this tournament, but now he's just two wins away from having that shot.
There is little history between these two men prior to this battle, mutual participation in a Tag Team Gauntlet back in 2016, Taylor teaming with SCU to take on the BULLET CLUB in 2018, and a Six Man Contender's Gauntlet a few months later in 2018. This bout on Thursday marks their first singles encounter, and the stakes would only be higher if the championship was on the line!
ROH WORLD TV TITLE ELIMINATOR TOURNAMENT SEMI-FINALS...
Gravity vs. Tony Nese
One of the newest faces on the ROH scene, Gravity only recently had his first fight between the Ring of Honor ropes when he lost to Rey Fenix back in June. Rebounding from that with a victory over Komander at DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR 2023, the luchador would also take down Anthony Henry in the Quarter-Finals of this tournament, but then two days later on COLLISION would get a taste of what his future could look like at the end of this tournament. On the July 29th COLLISION, Gravity would be dispatched by Samoa Joe in just over two minutes, sending the young man a message about what could be in store if he wins this tournament. Still, Gravity remains undaunted at the prospect of a rematch with the ROH Legend, and aims to push onto the finals, be it against Christopher Daniels or Shane Taylor. All he has to do is make it past Tony Nese, and thus “Smart” Mark Sterling's involvement as well.
Nese, having bested ROH stalwart Cheeseburger in the Quarter-Finals, is looking to score his first ROH championship opportunity since losing to Wheeler Yuta in a Pure bout on the June 28, 2022 edition of AEW DARK, and win his first ROH Championship in the process. Much like his foe this Thursday, Nese has also felt the wrath of Joe, albeit in tag team competition rather than in a singles match, but the outcome last only a few seconds longer than Gravity's.
But one step at a time; first, Nese and Gravity have to worry about one another, then the finals, before even letting Joe creep into their minds. Which man will take that next step to the Finals?
ROH PURE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH...
Katsuyori Shibata vs. Josh Woods
For 201 days “The Technical Beast” Josh Woods reigned as ROH Pure Champion after defeating Jonathan Gresham at DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR 2021, and successfully defending it seven times during the most uncertain era of ROH's history as four of those fights took place outside the auspices of Ring of Honor. At SUPERCARD OF HONOR 2022, Wheeler Yuta unseated Woods from his position atop the division and Josh was unable to regain the title in their subsequent rematch on on the May 17, 2022 edition of AEW DARK. In the months since, Woods has unsuccessfully tried to capture both the ROH World Championship as well as the World Television Championship, but over the last several weeks has renewed his focus on the Pure Division, leading to three consecutive victories under Pure Rules, all with the intent of facing Shibata for the crown.
Well this Thursday “The Technical Beast” gets his wish because, as heard in the clip embedded above, Shibata has accepted the challenge of the former Pure Champion! With a victory, Woods can join Yuta's name in the record books as a 2-Time Pure Champion, but he's got a tremendous mountain to climb in the form of “The Wrestler”! Since returning to competition, and most importantly since becoming Pure Champion, Shibata has looked better than ever and no matter how hard he gets pushed, no matter who is doing the pushing, he has not looked at all like he's ready to break. Daniel Garcia, Lee Moriarty, Alex Coughlin, and Christopher Daniels; not one of them has been able to keep Shibata down for the three count or put him in a position to submit. Can Woods be the one to end this run, or will he be put to sleep like those challengers who preceded him?
ROH WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH...
“The Fallen Goddess” Athena(c) vs. Diamante
She's won five of her seven matches in Ring of Honor, including victories over Trish Adora and Leila Grey, and now Diamante will step up to the plate against the unbeaten “Fallen Goddess” Athena with the ROH Women's World Championship at stake!
Over the course of thirty-four matches revolving around Ring of Honor, Athena has yet to be beaten, and has turned away 12 challenges to her throne in the process, including Willow Nightingale in one of the best matches in ROH history at DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR 2023. Now Diamante will attempt to be the one to attempt to end this historical reign on Thursday night's edition of ROH ON HONOR CLUB, and even the score from her loss to Athena on the 11/8/22 edition of AEW DARK.
If Diamante can be the first won to defeat Athena in ROH competition, not only will she become the new ROH Women's World Champion, but her stock in professional wrestling as a whole will absolutely skyrocket. “The Fallen Goddess” has, in many ways, been the bedrock of this new era of honor, and whoever manages to beat her first is going to make headlines!
ALSO FEATURING:
-El Hijo Del Vikingo & Komander (w/ Alex Abrahantes) vs. The Workhorsemen
-Dalton Castle vs. “The Reality” Zack Clayton
-Robyn Renegade in action!
-Leyla Hirsch!
Ring of Honor returns with an all-new ROH ON HONOR CLUB this Thursday night at 7pm ET/6pm CT with ROH Pure Champion Katsuyori Shibata defending his title against “The Technical Beast” Josh Woods, ROH Women's World Champion Athena defending her title against Diamante, and the Semi-Final matches in the ROH World TV Championship Eliminator Tournament taking place! Plus Leyla Hirsch will be in action, looking to continue her dominance here in ROH since returning to action, and so much more on tap for Honor Club!
Honor Club is the place for over 20 years of Ring of Honor, including the WEEK IN HISTORY playlist updated every Monday, as well as 20-plus years of the greatest pound-for-pound wrestling on the planet! It's the home for the history of competitors like Bryan Danielson, Jay & Mark Briscoe, Sara Del Rey, Lacey, BULLET CLUB, as well as so many others who've shaped the last two decades of professional wrestling!