ROH Supercard of Honor 2022 Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights

Welcome to Bleacher Report's coverage and recap of Ring of Honor's Super of Honor pay-per-view. This wa the 15th edition of this event, but it was the first under new owner Tony Khan.

Several titles were up for grabs during this stacked show, and the winners will carry those championships into a new era of ROH wrestling in 2022.

Jonathan Gresham and Bandido finally put the argument of who is the undisputed ROH world champion to rest when they combined the two ROH titles once and for all.

The Briscoe Brothers put the ROH tag belts on the line when they faced a team many fans have been begging them to fight for the past few years, FTR. 

Josh Woods defended the ROH Pure Championship against Wheeler Yuta, Minoru Suzuki challenged Rhett Titus for the ROH TV title, and Willow Nightingale faced Mercedes Martines to determine the interim ROH women's champion. 

Let's take a look at everything that happened on Friday's show.

Ring of Honor: Supercard of Honor was broadcast on Fite TV and other providers. 

The pre-show match between Colt Cabana and Blake Christian kicked off the action for the night. Cabana spent a long time in ROH, so this was a bit of a homecoming for him against the 24-year old high-flyer.

The fight started off with Cabana playing around and using his veteran experience to give his younger opponent a bit of a hard time. Once Christian was in control, he picked up the pace and used his agility to keep the veteran off balance.

They had a good back and forth exchange that saw both men have several moments to shine. Cabana ultimately scored the win by catching Christian on the top turnbuckle and dropping him right into the top rope. 

Both men showed each other respect before and after the match with the traditional ROH handshake. 

Grade: B

Notable Moments and Observations

• The way Cabana was playing with Christian early on was funny. It played into the whole veteran vs. young guy dynamic. 
• Christian's standing frog splash was a fun spot. He got a lot of height with his jump. 
• The most impressive spot in the match was when Christian backflipped out of the ring and caught Cabana in a reverse DDT position. He immediately followed up with a 450 splash. 

The first women's match of the night featured Miranda Alize taking on a woman who impressed in her AEW debut a couple of months ago, AQA. 

They began with the usual handshake, but it became clear moments into the match that this would not be the same kind of respectful exchange we saw in the previous bout. Alize was looking to draw blood.

She was more impactful with her offense and used more heel tactics. AQA, on the other hand, used her opponent's intensity to make an underdog comeback later in the match. 

AQA scored the win with a beautiful shooting star press from the top rope. The match had a bit of a slow start but the more they worked, the better it got. The finish was definitely the biggest highlight. 

Grade: B

Notable Moments and Observations

• Alize's gear looked good. It was a cut above a lot of what people wear on the indie scene. 
• The running kick Alize hit while AQA was seated in the corner looked brutal. The camera angle they used was perfect to show the impact. 
• Alize's ripcord cutter looked awesome. AQA took it like a champ, too. 
• AQA's shooting star press looked incredible. Keep an eye on her. 

Kaun and Toa Liona were Tully Blanchard's surprise clients to take on Cheeseburger and Eli Isom in the third pre-show match. 

Kaun refused to shake Cheeseburger's hand at the start of the match and slapped him instead. Cheeseburger tried to fight back but he was quickly overpowered by Kaun so Toa could come in and take over.

This was more of a display of The Gates of Agony's dominance than a match. Isom and CB did the job and made them look like monsters, but it was still a glorified squash. 

Grade: C

Notable Moments and Observations

• Yes, there is a pro wrestler named Cheeseburger. Don't let his name fool you. He's pretty good. 
• Kaun has the look of a real star. It would be surprising if he didn't end up in WWE or AEW eventually.
• It's good to see Tully back after FTR dumped him like a bad habit. He is a valuable asset as a manager. 

Two former tag team partners did battle in the final match of the pre-show when Dalton Castle took on Joe Hendry. Castle was flanked by four male dancers as he made his way to the ring. 

Hendry showed his heel side by turning down the traditional handshake, but Castle did not seem phased. They locked up and began an exchange of counters that ended when Hendry had to use the ropes to force a break. 

Castle played some mind games early on when he and his dancers did some laps around the ring, and it appeared to work since he took Hendry down as soon as he got back into the ring. 

The pace of this match was a bit strange. It had its ebbs and flows, but the way they transitioned from quick sequences to slower moments felt awkward. It's hard to say if it was an issue with in-ring chemistry or something else, but there was something that kept this from being quite as good as it could have been. 

The final couple of minutes definitely made up for some of the slow moments earlier in the match. After several big spots and close calls, Castle picked up the win. 

Grade: B-

Notable Moments and Observations

• Castle kind of looked like the guy from the diet Dr. Pepper commercials. You know, the kid who came in second place during the first season of American Idol. 
• There is always something a little strange when a guy dyes his hair but keeps his beard its original color. 
• Hendry has packed on some muscle over the past year. If you saw him before the pandemic, it might surprise you to see him now. 
• Hendry's tilt-a-whirl sidewalk slam was nice. 

Swerve Strickland continued his tour of pro wrestling promotions when he stepped into an ROH ring to take on Alex Zayne. Anyone who is familiar with both of these athletes knew what to expect when this match got started.

These are two performers who have a lot of similarities. They have similar height and weight, and they both use the same exciting brand of offense to get the crowd on their feet. 

They did a good job balancing grounded offense with quick maneuvers during the first half of the match. They kept a good pace but made sure to hold back a bit so the second half was even better. 

The tone of the match changed when Zayne hit a poison rana from the apron to the floor. From that point forward, there was some desperation in both men's eyes. 

After Zayne failed to finish Swerve off with one of his signature moves, the AEW star hit a few big moves to score the win. This was an outstanding matchup that you should definitely take the time to watch if you did not see the show live. 

Grade: A

Notable Moments and Observations

• Zayne has been taking styling cues from Bobby Fish judging by his mustache. 
• Swerve does so many little things to enhance his performance. Facial expressions, a little trash talking and some body language can go a long way toward making a match more entertaining. 
• They barely made a hurricanrana spot work. Zayne's feet did not get around Swerve's neck enough, so it looked a bit awkward when Swerve threw himself forward. 
• The reverse hurricanrana Zayne hit from the apron to the floor a few moments later looked awesome.
• Zayn hit a move called the Crunch Wrap Supreme that involves him doing a backflip off the top rope and landing on his opponent's back with both knees, but Swerve found a way to kick out. 

Ninja Mack was out next to take on Tully Blanchard's third surprise client of the night. It turned out to be none other than Brian Cage. 

Mack tried to jump on him from inside the ring before he even made his entrance, but Cage caught him and planted him like he was nothing. 

Mack tried to use his speed and agility to get the big man off-balance, but Cage had an answer for everything he tried to do. This was less of a match and more of a display of how many different ways Cage can throw a guy across the ring, but it was still kind of fun. 

Obviously, The Machine won the match after nearly destroying Mack's entire existence. It wasn't a five-star classic, but it was certainly entertaining and that should always be the goal in pro wrestling. 

Grade: C+

Notable Moments and Observations

• Cage got a nice pop from the crowd. People were clearly happy to see him after he spent so much time on the bench with AEW. 
• Cage looks like he has gotten a little leaner in his time away from AEW. He is still huge but is proportioned a little better now. 

ROH mainstay Jay Lethal was in action against a fellow AEW Superstar and someone who is often compared to him, Lee Moriarty. 

These are two guys who use a mix of fast-paced and technical offense, so their exchanges were quick and precise. It was a nice display of their abilities and showed how certain styles mesh together perfectly. 

Whenever Lethal had the upper hand and tried to hit one of his big moves, Moriarty would find a way to escape. It kept frustrating Lethal to the point that he was slapping the mat in anger. 

Once the veteran found a way to ground his younger opponent, Lethal began to slow the pace down and punish Moriarty with various holds. 

They did a great job keeping the pace manageable so that when it was time to work toward the finish, they could amp things up to a new level. After Moriarty escaped several near falls, Lethal finally put him away with his finisher.

Lethal had to resort to a low blow to get the job done, but he looked like he regretted it after the match was over. Sydal yelled at him, so Lethal kicked his crutch away and began beating on him. It looks like Lethal has officially turned heel. 

Grade: A-

Notable Moments and Observations

• Caprice Coleman made a joke that was kind of in bad taste during Moriarty's entrance. We won't say what it was but if you watch the show, you know what we are talking about. 
• They had a nice little story in this match of Lethal trying to hit all of his signature moves and Moriarty having a counter for everything because he has studied Lethal so much. 
• Matt Sydal being at ringside to support Moriarty on crutches was nice to see. He dislocated his knee but did not suffer any major tears, so he should be back in action soon. 
• For a match with a quick pace, they actually did a lot of selling for each other. It's hard to balance fast offense while selling kayfabe injuries, but they did it well. 

The interim ROH women's world champion was decided in a match between Willow and Mercedes. This was done due to Deanna Purrazzo winning the women's title from Rok-C in Impact. At some point, Purrazzo and the winner of this match will likely fight to determine a proper champion. 

They shook hands before the bell, but it quickly became clear that Mercedes was the aggressor in this situation. She slapped Willow in the face to kickstart an exchange that almost ended with Willow getting the pin. 

While they both had good physicality, it felt like there was a lack of chemistry coming into play. It seemed like they were often on two different pages, so certain moments looked a little sloppy. 

However, they made up for a lack of polish by having good aggression. Even the always smiling Willow showed some fire as things began to escalate. 

Mercedes was definitely in the driver's seat most of the time, but once Willow took control, the crowd woke up. After Willow failed to win with a moonsault, Mercedes grabbed her in a dragon sleeper for the win to become the interim ROH women's champion. She hugged Willow when it was all over. 

Grade: B-

Notable Moments and Observations

• Martinez lost her grip and almost dropped Willow during a butterfly suplex, but Willow rolled over and the announcers covered by saying she lowered her center of gravity to counter the move. It didn't fool anyone but it did make sense, and that is the best you can hope for when covering up a mistake. 
• The moment when they were on the ground repeatedly kicking at each other looked more like two kids fighting on the playground than two pro fighters, but that somehow made it hilarious. 
• Mercedes has some of the best facial expressions in the business. Her mean face is so convincing. 
• Willow's moonsault looked good but it also looked like it might have hurt Mercedes a bit. She may have just been selling well. It was tough to tell. 

The ROH Tag Team Championships were up for grabs when Dem Boys, Jay and Mark Briscoe, took on Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler of FTR. 

Both teams had trouble holding themselves back until the ref could call for the bell. The crowd was chanting before they even made contact with each other. FTR got some boos when they refused to shake hands. 

Mark and Wheeler started for their teams by trading takedowns and counters. It was a surprisingly technical exchange because a lot of people expected this to be more of a fistfight. Harwood and Jay tagged in at the same time and exchanged some words before locking up. 

This match was a perfect example of why tag team wrestling is an integral part of this business. All four of these men worked together to create an entertaining match that any fan of pro wrestling should take the time to check out. This felt old school in the best possible way. 

This match had violence, technical precision, brutal strikes, classic submissions and blood. It might have had everything you could want in pro wrestling and then some. They had several false finishes that had the crowd convinced the match was over. 

A scary moment at ringside with a suplex from the apron brought the doctors out to check on everyone, but all four men said they could continue. When they got back into the ring, they squared off and began to brawl. When the dust settled, FTR hit their finisher to win the match and the ROH tag titles. 

You couldn't have asked for much more than what these men gave us. Ending it with a handshake and hug was the right call. 

Grade: A+

Notable Moments and Observations

• This is a match many were hoping would take place in AEW, but having it take place in ROH for the tag titles feels more appropriate, especially for the Briscoes. 
• The crowd was chanting "Holy s--t" and "This is awesome" before there was even a single cool move. That's how much people wanted to see this match. 
• The spot when Harwood spat in Jay's face and then ran away was pretty funny. 
• The spot when FTR hit a slingshot to Jay into the bottom of a table was innovative. Jay was busted wide open and began bleeding all over the ring. 
• Mark taking out Wheeler with a corkscrew from the top rope to the floor was awesome. 

The next title match saw Rhett Titus defend the ROH World Television Championship against a man who has been on a tour of U.S. promotions for months, Minoru Suzuki. 

Titus tried to hit a kick as soon as the bell rang, but Suzuki caught his foot and threw it away like it was a minor annoyance. That got them started and turned into an exchange of submissions and reversals. 

They were smart and did not try to match the energy of FTR vs. Briscoes. They went for more of a methodical pace so each move had a moment to take effect. 

You could tell the crowd was a little worn out after the previous bout, but Suzuki and Titus still did a good job keeping people invested in the match. Having to follow a potential Match of the Year is never easy, so it made sense to stick something short and sweet in that spot.

Suzuki won the match with a Gotch piledriver to win his first title in a U.S. promotion. 

Grade: B-

Notable Moments and Observations

• Suzuki laughing at Titus as he tried to hit him with strikes was so menacing. Suzuki is a master of making his opponents seem weak even when they are in control.
• The ROH TV title is an underrated belt design. 
• It's hard to believe this is the first time Suzuki has won a title in the U.S. after such an iconic career. 

The fourth title match of the night featured Woods putting the ROH Pure Championship against another star who has made a name for himself in AEW lately, Yuta.

As usual, this bout was contested under Pure Championship rules, which meant there were a lot more restrictions that forced the competitors to focus more on their technical game and less on strikes or dirty tactics. 

Woods and Yuta are both known for being mat technicians, so they did exactly what was expected of them. They used a lot of takedowns, holds and counters to make their exchange feel almost more like an amateur wrestling match than a pro wrestling bout. 

Once Yuta used his second rope break, he became a bit more desperate and started using more aggression in his offense. From that point forward, everything in this match felt more impactful. 

After hitting a series of elbow shots, Yuta rolled Woods over into a pin to score the victory and win the ROH Pure Championship. Woods shook his hand and raised Yuta's arm to help him celebrate his victory. 

Grade: B+

Notable Moments and Observations

• BJ Whitmer, Colt Cabana and Christopher Daniels served as judges if the match ran out of time and had to be decided that way. 
• It's always weird to see wrestlers who don't wear knee pads. It might be easier for some to move around without them but there is no way it feels better on their knees after a few years. 
• It was interesting how Woods had a significant size and power advantage but it never seemed to come into play. This felt like an even back-and-forth match. 
• Yuta jumping off the top rope into a knee strike from Woods was a nice spot. 

You can't have two Ring of Honor world champions, so Gresham and Bandido put both of their belts on the line to see who got to claim the title of undisputed ROH champion. 

Their initial exchange was respectful and technical. Neither man seemed to want to be the first to throw a punch, so they stuck to holds and counters early on. Once they started hitting strikes, the flood gates were opened.

Nobody had the upper hand for too long, so this felt a bit more competitive than the average match. As soon as it seemed like one guy was firmly in control, the other competitor would find a way to counter them. 

It was going to be hard for any match to reach the same level of excitement as FTR vs. Briscoes, but Gresham and Bandido were able to do something completely different so their main event stood out from the rest of the card. 

Chavo prevented Bandido from taking a hit outside the ring at one point. While Bandido looked a little upset that he interfered, he still tried to capitalize on the advantage it gave him.

Chavo used the belt on Gresham behind the ref's back, but Bandido refused to go for the pin. He told the ref to kick Chavo to the back. This may have been his undoing because a few minutes later, Gresham scored the win after a long and exciting exchange. 

Bandido handed him his belt and helped him celebrate his victory before leaving the ring. Gresham closed the show with a speech, but he was interrupted by Lethal. The show ended with Lethal and Sanjay Dutt attacking Gresham until Samoa Joe showed up. He choked Dutt out while Lethal watched. 

Supercard of Honor was an amazing show that should give people hope that the future of Ring of Honor is bright heading into the rest of 2022. We saw several new champions crowned and a handful of feuds started that will carry the company for a little bit. 

Grade: A+

Notable Moments and Observations

• Bandido came out in a cape and hat that channeled Zorro a bit. Chavo Guerrero was by his side for this match and discouraged him from shaking Gresham's hand before the bell. Bandido did so anyway.
• Gresham has quietly earned a reputation for being one of the best technicians in the world and he did it almost entirely in ROH. This match showed why he has that rep, but it also made sure nobody underestimated Bandido either. 
• Once in a while, the ROH announcers sound like they are commentating on a golf match. Their voices drop to a low level so they don't drown out the crowd noise, but it's still funny. 
• Bandido holding Gresham up for a full minute in a vertical suplex was incredibly impressive.