Samoa Joe to defend TV title against former ROH tag champ

Ring of Honor is loading up the next episode of ROH TV (June 15, 2023) with a pair of title fights, a Proving Ground match, and leading peacocks to slaughter.

Samoa Joe has a challenge from a former ROH tag team champion. Matt Sydal called him out for a shot at the ROH World Television Championship. Sydal is coming in hot off a one-match win streak in ROH. This will be the first time these two veterans have collided in singles action. The question will be if Joe can handle Sydal’s speed.

Even though Athena isn’t finished with Kiera Hogan, challengers don’t stop coming for the champ. Athena will engage in a Proving Ground match against Trish Adora. If Adora can survive to a 10-minute time-limit draw or even win, then she will earn a shot at the ROH Women’s World Championship. Adora is riding a two-match losing streak (2-2 overall on ROH TV) going down to Diamante and Skye Blue. Despite those setbacks, Adora has the type of skills that are better than her record shows. While it would certainly be an upset for Adora to win, I would not be shocked. Adora can pack a punch with the Lariat Tubman. This could be a dangerous match for the champ.

The Embassy trio of Brian Cage, Bishop Kaun, and Toa Liona is ready to crush the competition as ROH six-man champs. Next in line are high-flyers AR Fox, Darius Martin, and Action Andretti. This matchmaking comes at the suggestion Stokely Hathaway, who was announced as a member of the ROH Board of Directors. Hathaway’s idea was for Andretti to face the Embassy all alone. Tony Khan stepped in to make the contest more fair and added Andretti’s partners.

The full lineup for episode 16 of ROH TV (Thursday, June 15, 2023) on Honor Club includes:

• ROH World Television Championship: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Matt Sydal
• ROH Women’s World Championship: Athena (c) vs. Trish Adora in a Proving Ground match
• ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship: The Embassy (c) vs. AR Fox, Darius Martin, & Action Andretti
• Dalton Castle & The Boys vs. The Righteous & Stu Grayson
• Tracy Williams & Rhett Titus vs. Iron Savages
• The DKC vs. Daniel Garcia in Pure rules
• Diamante vs. Teal Piper
• Mark Briscoe vs. Anthony Henry
• Tony Nese vs. Serpentico
• Deimos vs. Nick Comoroto
• Notorious Mimi vs. Miranda Alize

There are some intriguing matches beyond the top of the card. The ROH board of directors are sending peacocks to slaughter when Dalton Castle & The Boys wrestle The Righteous & Stu Grayson. Stu was not impressed with the Dark Order’s performance last week, so Vincent and Dutch warned to watch their work on this show. It sounds like the Righteous plan to pluck some feathers. Castle’s crew are no pushovers, so this will be interesting.

The Iron Savages are rising up the card with their new clanging and banging gimmick, but it will be a huge step up in competition when they wrestle former ROH tag champs Tracy Williams & Rhett Titus. That result should tell us how ROH views both teams moving forward.

Daniel Garcia confronted Katsuyori Shibata with the intent on reclaiming the ROH Pure Championship. Garcia will ply his trade in a Pure rules match against NJPW LA Dojo student The DKC.

Teal Piper returns to Tony Khan programming. The daughter of “Rowdy” Roddy Piper likely won’t fare well against Diamante, but it is always nice to see second-generation wrestlers in the mix. Piper isn’t coming alone. She is also flanking Deimos for his hoss fight against Nick Comoroto.

Which matches stick out to your eye for the ROH TV card?