a night Supercard of Honor here. ROH has prepared a show that has the potential to be the best of 2023 out of all of Tony Khan’s wrestling properties. Eddie Kingston is aiming for his dream of winning the world championship, Mark Briscoe is plotting his destiny to win the TV title, new tag team champions will be crowned by reaching for the sky in a ladder match, Japanese legends in the house, and more.
Supercard of Honor Goes live at 7 PM ET on Friday, March 31, 2023. The PPV will begin broadcasting Ovarian report in the United States and FitTV to the rest of the world
Join us for updates and enjoy chatting in the open thread.
results:
before the show
Jeff Cobb def. Tracy Williams via pinfall after a tour of the islands
• Ian Riccaponi and Caprice Coleman welcome the third man into their booth tonight – former ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness!
• Konosuke Takeshita def. Willie Mack via pinfall after a running knee. This was as good as expected.
• Willow Nightingale def. Miranda Elise by pinning with a powerbomb
• Stu Grayson def. Slim J via pinfall with the Nightfall backbreaker after Evil Uno finally dealt with Smart Mark Sterling
• After the match, The Dutchman and Vincent returned from The Righteous (who at one point was rumored to be bound to work with Bray Wyatt). They vaporize on stage as the Dark Order boys look on from the ring.
PPV
• Hijo del Vikingo vs. Komander via pinfall after 630 senton to retain the AAA Mega Championship
Well deserved “This is lucha” chants as these two made the most of their show. Commander ran the length of the top rope to hit a top on the floor, Vikingo countered with a kind of Canadian Super Destroyer, then a 630 leap onto a table (as the table didn’t break). Commander hit an ace hidden end, but Champion grabbed the bottom rope before the three count. They came back on top as Vikingo hit a big side sprint, then finished it off. The two men adhered to the code of honor and embraced her after the bell.
• Embassy (Brian Cage, Kaun, and Toa Liona) def. Metalik, Blake Christian and AR Fox to retain the ROH Six-Man Titles. With everyone else busy/helpless on the outside, Cage Drillclaw hit Metalik and pinned him. The strength of the champions was too much for the high-flying competitors.
• A newly designed female title is shown in our next game.
• Athens def. Yuka Sakazaki via pinfall after O-Face to retain the ROH World Women’s Championship
Sakazaki came in to sell a neck injury, and after knocking herself out early in the match, announcers fiddled with a possible head injury to fit in. The sadistic champ targeted the area, but of course the TJPW star managed to hit back with some near misses. She showed her fighting spirit, but to no avail.
• Samoa Joe def. Mark Briscoe via referee stoppage to retain the ROH World Television Championship
Briscoe came in hot, prompted by a loud “Dem Boys” chant early on. That momentum led to some reckless attacks that Joe shut down with his own signature force. Joe brought a chair that Briscoe used to step up his guard (and then kissed one of his kids at ringside). He sets up a table at which he eventually switches Joe. This smeared blood from Joe’s nose, but he couldn’t put it away. Mark goes to get a card, but of course his late brother is not there. It still seems to fire Briscoe, and he’s spared Joe’s power hitting a Froggy Bow… one, two, no! He can’t get Joe for Jay Driller or Cut Throat Driver. Joe is choked, and when Mark keeps his arm up, he knocks him out of the hold, before locking it up again. The hero pulls Briscoe to show respect meaningfully afterward. Mark spends time with Beau’s extended family at ringside before leaving to a standing ovation.
• Hiroshi Tanahashi def. Daniel Garcia via pinfall after the High Fly Flow
Ace takes control early on, which allows him to excite the crowd with some air guitar. Garcia grabs those gorgeous locks to start flipping the tide, doing his own dance before stretching out with him in the driver’s seat. Tanahashi is fighting back — and maybe even sending a message to Chris Jericho with his Leon Tamer. The sports artist responded with a Shinsuke Nakamura impression, targeting Tana’s bad knees throughout and controlling a lot of the action, but when he got his ride wrong it resulted in a blade and finish. Garcia refuses to shake hands afterward.
• Lucha Bros def. Rush & Dralistico, The Kingdom, Top Flight & Aussie Open in the Reach for the Sky ladder match to win the ROH World Tag Team Championship
Predictable insanity, with a host of tributes to the Dem Boys as The Kingdom hit one Darius Martin with an electric chair for the first time used against The Briscoes in 2015. Top Flight was central to the action as the announced team played the brother teams involved. A particularly brutal stretch saw Dralistico send Kyle Fletcher through the announce table, then Matt Taven spraying Dralistico through a ladder. This was followed by a Darius Martin vs Lucha Bros sequence that ended with Penta and Martin running through four tables on the floor from a ladder combination between the top rope and another ladder (Martin had a nasty leg injury taking this – more here). Phoenix found himself on the ladder with Taven & Mike Bennett, but fought them off and grabbed the belts.
• Mark Briscoe and FTR were out to share a moment in honor of Jay and celebrate with the new champions. The Kingdom joined them as the announcement team reminded us that they and the Dame Boys held the last days of the Sinclair era.
• Katsuyori Shibata def. Wheeler Yuta via pinfall after PK to become the new ROH Pure Champion
Utah was accompanied to the stage by fellow Blackpool Fight Club member Jon Moxley, but Moxley walked back after we met the judges – Christopher Daniels, Madison Rayne and Pat Buck. The theme was that Wheeler was in over his head, and had to resort to a low blow while turning the referee’s back and getting a warning for using a closed fist. Shibata was not impressed with Yuta’s attacks, and worked him into requests that led him to use rope breaks. The end came after the wrestler narrowly pinned the younger man. Wild sees Shibata as an active hero after nearly dying again in 2017. Yūta refused to abide by the Honor Code after the match.
• ROH World Championship: Claudio Castagnoli (c) vs. Eddie Kingston
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