Ring of Honor TV results: Ronda Rousey ROH debut (2024)

Ronda Rousey makes her ROH debut on HonorClub tonight.

Rousey teamed with Marina Shafir and wrestled Athena and Billie Starkz when AEW ran a show from the KIA Forum on November 17. The match will air on this week’s episode.

Also on tonight’s show, ROH Pure Champion Katsuyori Shibata defends his title against Trent Beretta. Shibata is seeking his seventh title defense since winning the belt at Supercard of Honor in March. The wrestler he beat for the title, Wheeler Yuta, will also be in action in a Pure Rules match tonight. He faces Lee Moriarty in a match that was taped at last night’s Dynamite in Chicago.

Ethan Page gets another shot against Tony Nese tonight. Nese defeated Page on the episode that aired on October 19.

Other than Yuta vs. Moriarty and Rousey & Shafir vs. Athena & Starkz, matches for this week’s episode were taped on November 15 at the Toyota Center in Ontario, California. Spoilers from the show are available here.

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This week’s ROH began with ROH Women’s World Champion Athena and Billie Starkz issuing an open challenge to any two women to face them tonight. Marina Shafir entered the frame once they left and made a phone call. I wonder who she called.

ROH Pure Title Match – Katsuyori Shibata defeated Trent Beretta to retain

The judges were Jerry Lynn, Madison Rayne, and Jimmy Jacobs.

The two men scrambled to a stalemate to start, with each man avoiding the other’s finishing maneuver. Beretta used his first rope break to escape a short-arm scissors attempt. Shibata went after Beretta’s arm, dropping a knee on it before kicking Beretta in the back. Shibata landed two hard kicks that sent Beretta to the apron before running into an outside-in spear from Beretta.

Beretta hit a tornado DDT before following with a running knee for a nearfall. Beretta laid in chops to no avail, as Shibata stood up through them and landed a forearm that sent Beretta into the corner. Beretta cut off the hesitation dropkick, sending Shibata to the floor before hitting a plancha to the outside. Beretta hit a missile dropkick, but Shibata rolled through and hit a boot as both men went down.

Shibata forced Beretta into the corner before hitting the hesitation dropkick. Shibata hit the half-hatch suplex for a nearfall. Shibata locked on an ankle lock, forcing Beretta to use his second rope break at 7:30. Beretta rolled through a bow-and-arrow lock, but his strikes had little effect. Shibata hit an STO for a nearfall, then hit a ripcord slap to the face. Shibata hit the Penalty Kick to win and retain the title.

Willow Nightingale defeated Kiera Hogan, Trish Adora, & Diamante

Diamante and Hogan fought on the floor as Nightingale floored Adora with a shoulder block. Diamante clubbered on Nightingale in the corner before her and Hogan hit dives to Adora and Nightingale on the floor. All four women ended up in the ring, with Diamante and Adora powerbombing Nightingale out of the corner. Hogan took those two down with a high crossbody.

Everyone laid in chops to each other before the match broke down into a Pier Six brawl. It ended with a Hogan superkick on Nightingale for a nearfall. Eventually, Nightingale ended up alone in the ring with Adora, hitting the Babe With The Powerbomb for the win.

Ethan Page defeated Tony Nese (w/Mark Sterling)

This has been a very good television feud, as Ethan Page continues to get crowds into his matches.

Sterling announced that this week’s group training was cancelled in order for Nese to focus on putting Page behind them. Nese caught Page with a boot before clubbering him in the corner. Page exploded out of the corner with a shoulder block before laying in shots of his own. Nese hid in the corner before chopping Page in the neck and dropping Page over the ropes by the neck. Nese threw Page into the stairs and the apron on the floor.

Back in the ring, Page fought back, but Nese avoided the Snapshot and hit the spinning heel kick for a nearfall. Page fired up, hitting the Headshot for a nearfall. Sterling tried to interfere, but the ref caught him on the apron and threw him out. Nese complained to her, leading to Page hitting a running boot for the win. Nese jumped Page after the bell, leading to a fight that security had to break up.

We got a recap of ROH World Champion Eddie Kingston retaining his title over Jay Lethal, and ROH World Tag Team Champion MJF teaming with Samoa Joe to beat The Gunns and retain the tag team titles.

The WorkHorsem*n (Anthony Henry & JD Drake) defeated Iron Savages (Boulder & Bronson) (w/Jacked Jameson), The West Coast Wrecking Crew (Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs), & The Infantry (Carlie Bravo & Shawn Dean)

It’s good to see The Workhorsem*n get a win, as they’ve been a highlight on ROH television.

The action was fast and furious to start, with the Infantry in control to start. Bronson hit Dean with a flapjack before sending him into Boulder’s chest. Isaacs tagged in and threw forearms before landing a head kick. The Wrecking Crew teamed up to take down Bronson, Bravo, and the Workhorsem*n. Boulder took down both of the Wrecking Crew before the Infantry dove onto everyone on the floor.

Bronson hit a dive to the floor before Boulder hit a sidewalk slam on Nelson. The Savages went for a Transformer Splash, but the match broke down into a flurry. The Workhorsem*n eventually isolated Nelson and hit an End of Days with a kick assist to score the win.

Tony Nese and Mark Sterling were backstage with Lexy Nair, complaining about Nese’s loss to Ethan Page.

Pure Rules Match –Wheeler Yuta defeated Lee Moriarty

The judges were Jimmy Jacobs, Madison Rayne, and Pat Buck.

Moriarty caught Yuta in a body scissors before transitioning into a double wristlock. Yuta fought out before Moriarty caught Yuta with a kick to the arm. Moriarty grounded Yuta before locking on a hammerlock bow-and-arrow submission, transitioning into a pinfall for a nearfall. Yuta transitioned into an Octopus Stretch before hitting the Right Angle Slam for a nearfall.

Yuta hit a bodyslam before landing a top-rope splash for a nearfall. Yuta went for the hammer-and-anvil elbows, but Moriarty transitioned it into the Border City Stretch. Yuta escaped it, but Moriarty snapped Yuta’s fingers and booted him into the corner. The two men fought on the top rope before Moriarty landed a superplex.

The two men traded punches, with corresponding warnings, before getting into a forearm exchange. They traded German suplexes, with Moriarty taking Yuta’s arm to try and get the Border City Stretch. Yuta bit his way free, outside of the referee’s sight, before getting the Seatbelt pin in to score the win.

Lee Johnson defeated Fred Rosser, Willie Mack, Jack Cartwheel

Jack Cartwheel was impressive here, as he looked like someone who could garner some buzz for ROH with more appearances.

The moves came quickly here, as Mack cleared the ring before Cartwheel took Mack to the floor. Cartwheel hit a picture-perfect Sasuke Special to the floor before sending Rosser back in the ring, who caught him with a belly-to-belly suplex. Johnson sent Cartwheel to the floor before running wild on Rosser. Rosser cut Johnson off with a catch into a powerslam before calling Mack into the ring to throw hands.

They traded shots before Mack dropped him with a running boot. Cartwheel backflipped into a neckbreaker on Mack. The match became a flurry, ending with Rosser hitting a forearm on Johnson before attempting pins on everyone in the ring. Cartwheel hit a flagpole legsweep on Rosser before hitting a corkscrew senton in the ring. Cartwheel missed a Shooting Star Press, running into a Sky High from Mack. Rosser sent Mack to the floor before Johnson caught him with a Sunset Flip for the flash pin and the win.

Ethan Page was backstage with Lexy Nair. Page was furious that Tony Nese and Mark Sterling were trying to call the shots on his career, and that Nese wasn’t man enough to shake his hand. Page knew their issues weren’t done, and that they wouldn’t be until Nese shook his hand.

Marina Shafir & Ronda Rousey defeated Athena & Billie Starkz

This was a fun match, as the crowd in the Kia Forum was red hot from the jump. Rousey looked better here than she did in the majority of her second run in WWE. There was a real buzz to this match, one that made Ronda feel like a bit of the star she was in her prime. The finish was creative, with Athena having Rousey dead to rights before Starkz made a crucial error. Whether this was a one-off appearance or a tease for Final Battle, this was a great main event either way.

Athena threw Starkz into the ring to start, with Rousey taking her down with judo throws. Shafir tagged in and laid in kicks to Starkz. Starkz tagged out to Athena, but after Rousey tagged in, Athena tagged right out to Starkz. Rousey threw Starkz into her corner before locking on an armbar in the ropes. Starkz sent Shafir into the ropes, where Athena kneed her in the back. Shafir booted – er, footed – Athena down, but Starkz and Athena double-teamed Shafir to take control.

Athena worked over Shafir while mocking Rousey. Shafir eventually fought off Starkz and made the tag to Rousey. Athena couldn’t tag out to Starkz again, allowing Rousey to run wild on her. Athena got a tag into Starkz, allowing Athena to send Rousey to the floor with a lariat. Athena dropped both Shafir and Rousey with a Samoan Drop/Fallaway Slam combo on the floor.

Athena went to the top rope and went for the O-Face on Rousey, but Rousey turned it into an armbar. Athena powered Rousey up and dropped her with a powerbomb, but Rousey held on. Starkz broke it up with a swanton bomb before Shafir dropped her with a backdrop. The match broke down into a Pier Six brawl, with Rousey catching Athena with a step-up into an armbar. Athena bit her way free before hitting a pop-up German suplex for a nearfall.

Starkz and Shafir tagged in, with Shafir knocking Starkz down on the top rope. Athena snuck in a tag before catching Shafir in powerbomb position. Rousey broke things up and sent Starkz to the floor, leading to Shafir sending Athena into a Samoan Drop from Rousey for a nearfall. Rousey pulled up Athena, but Athena drilled Rousey with a forearm.

Tags were made on both sides, with Starkz catching Shafir with a nearfall. Athena tagged in, hitting a Codebreaker out of Starkz’s Gory Special for a nearfall that Rousey broke up. Athena couldn’t get a tag out to Starkz, allowing Rousey to tag in and lock on an Ankle Lock. Shafir got an Ankle Lock in as well, but both women rolled through. Athena hit the O-Face on Rousey, but Starkz had tagged in as Athena jumped. Starkz went for a swanton bomb, but Rousey caught Starkz with an armbar to score the win.

After the match, Athena went to jump Rousey and Shafir, but Shafir caught her with a mid-kick. Rousey taunted Athena with the title belt before Starkz saved Athena. Rousey and Shafir stood tall as the show went off the air.