2026 Survival of the Fittest Opening Round Match
Billie Starkz vs. Lacey Lane
ROH on HonorClub #162 – Jacksonville, FL – 4.17.2026

Starkz gives a left handed handshake, which I learned is a thing she does now to be disrespectful. Lane gets her back with a crossbody off the apron and to the floor. Starkz manages to use the ropes as a weapon, pulling Lane’s shoulder into them, and then delivering a DDT on the ring apron through them. Starkz holds onto Lane’s arm as she facewash kicks her, and celebrates the same way Athena does in some of her matches. Starkz then aggressively throws Lane around by her hair. Starkz misses a somersault senton. Lane victory rolls her into a savate kick. Starkz crumbles as she is whipped into the ropes, making it appear as if she has a knee injury. It turns out to be a rouse, a cunning attempt to trick Lane and take her down with a Death Valley Driver. Lane turns Starkz’s post somersault senton pin into a crucifix pin. Lane savate kicks Starkz in the head again and lands a springboard twisting elbow for two. Lane also gets two with a springing reverse STO. Starkz rakes Lane’s eyes to get off of her shoulders. After a roundhouse kick connects, Starkz drops Lane with a modified Neutralizer for the pin at 7:27. This had a scrappiness to it that I liked, with lots of back and forth striking and a feeling that the match was up in the air the entire time. It will be interesting to see what role Starkz plays in the SOTF match, as an ally to Athena, an accidental betrayer, or an intentional betrayer. **¾

2026 Survival of the Fittest Opening Round Match
Yuka Sakazaki vs. Viva Van
ROH on HonorClub #162 – Jacksonville, FL – 4.17.2026

They changed Sakazaki’s theme and I am straight up not happy about it. Sakazaki’s attempts to speed up the contest are thwarted by Van giving her a dragonscrew leg whip. Van attacks Sakazaki’s left knee and tries to stack her up in a pin in the process. When Sakazaki grabs the ropes to break a Boston Crab, Van taunts and pie faces Sakazaki as Sakazaki lay against the bottom rope. Sakazaki surprises Van by reversing her vertical suplex into one of her own. Van avoids a hammerlock slam and German suplexes Sakazaki. Van damn near decapitates Sakazaki with a Koppu kick but only gets a nearfall from it. A front flip heel kick produces the same result. Sakazaki knocks her down with a rolling elbow and pulls off the hammerlock slam she looked for early. Sakazaki’s knee holds up enough for her to pull off the Magical Girl Splash and get the pin at 7:10. This was the most impressed I’ve been with Van. I’m mostly used to seeing her as fodder, but her getting to be the aggressor allowed me to see a different side of her. She’s definitely in need of some seasoning but was quite convincing against Sakazaki. Sakazaki pretty much ignored the fact that her knee was worn down by the end which is annoying, but can also be played up as tenacity. **¾

2026 Survival of the Fittest Opening Round Match
Trish Adora vs. Hyan
ROH on HonorClub #162 – Jacksonville, FL – 4.17.2026

Christyan XO is in Adora’s corner. Hyan ticks off Adora when she intentionally lets go of a waistlock, resulting in Adora landing on her behind, and Hyan patting her head in a dismissive manner. Adora rocks Hyan with a running shoulder block in response. Hyan comes back with a single legged dropkick, sending Adora to the outside, and then coming off of the apron with a crossbody. Adora chops Hyan off of the top turnbuckle, sending her tumbling back to the floor. XO sneaks in a boot to the face as Adora has referee Stephon Smith distracted. Adora handlebar stretches Hyan’s arms behind her back and does the splits onto Hyan’s shoulders. She stretches Hyan out in the Cerebro Lock. Hyan uses her legs to turn herself onto her feet. Hyan chops Adora, which causes Adora to lose her temple and go crazy with strikes and boots on Hyan. Hyan escapes a Snake Eyes attempt and lays out Adora with a pair of clotheslines and a pump kick. A Blue Thunder Bomb gets Hyan a two count. She also spears Adora for two. Hyan ducks Lariat Tubman. Adora fights out of a Saito suplex and German suplexes Hyan out of the corner. Adora nails the dazed Hyan with Lariat Tubman for the pin at 7:28. Adora comes out of this match looking like an aggressive badass, and the most likely person to unseat Athena of the entrants so far. Hyan was a good person for her to play against and did an effective job making Adora look formidable. **¾

2026 Survival of the Fittest Opening Round Match
Persephone vs. Isla Dawn
ROH on HonorClub #162 – Jacksonville, FL – 4.17.2026

Dawn is the only person in the Survival of the Fittest field to have never wrestled Athena. Persephone and Dawn refuse to break a lock-up, even when being taken to the mat. Once they move past that, Persephone calls for a double knuckle lock. Dawn acquiesces, but avoids Persephone’s attempt to stomp on her hands. Although Persephone takes her off of her feet with a headscissors, Dawn mows her down with a running shoulder block. Dawn pulls Persephone up by her hair, resulting in Persephone taking Dawn now with a fireman’s carry. Dawn shoulder blocks Persephone’s mid-section in the corner after reversing a whip. Persephone rolls through a sunset flip and shotgun dropkicks Dawn for two. Dawn comes back with a back cracker. She brings Persephone out of the corner with a Saito suplex for two. Dawn pins Persephone after a gourd buster and pumping knee, and Persephone angrily gets her shoulders up to break the cover. Persephone counters a Saito suplex with a prawn hold, but Dawn mows down Persephone with a clothesline after kicking out from it. Dawn looks for a modified Cobra Clutch, but Persephone fights her way out. Persephone uses a headlock takeover to block another Saito suplex. She gives Dawn a fallaway slam and a spear. She misses a moonsault and Dawn kicks her upside the head before locking in a Dragon sleeper. Persephone puts her foot on the ropes to escape. Dawn goes back for the submission, but Persephone flips back and cradles Dawn for the pin at 8:16. It’s rare to see Persephone be so dominated like she was for most of the match, but Dawn’s combativeness made it very convincing. Given that Persephone basically snuck out a win rather than making a comeback made it all the more convincing. This was intense and fun. ***

2026 Survival of the Fittest Opening Round Match
Maya World vs. Robyn Renegade
ROH on HonorClub #162 – Jacksonville, FL – 4.17.2026

Renegade caught World with a superkick when World leapt to the second rope, sending World crashing to the floor. Back in the ring, Renegade halts World with a pump kick. World uses the Matrix move to evade another superkick and German suplexes Renegade. World’s double jump pays off on the second attempt with a dropkick. World jams her ankle when she misses a double stomp. Renegade stomps World’s head into the canvas and gives her a twisting suplex for two. Renegade misses a middle rope moonsault, and World rolls her into a single leg stomp. The Shining Wizard gets World the pin at 8:54. This got a bit sloppy at the end but was pretty solid. Renegade has transitioned into a singles wrestler quite seamlessly and she had solid chemistry with World. **½

The Survival of the Fittest field was set until Persephone teamed with Alex Windsor to face the Sisters of Sin (Julia Hart & Skye Blue) on the April 22nd edition of AEW Collision. During that match, Julia Hart blew black mist into Persephone’s eyes. It was announced on the April 29th edition of Collision that she would be out of action indefinitely, and another Survival of the Fittest opening round match would be signed to decide who would take her spot at Supercard of Honor. Hyan would get a second chance, while Zayda Steel, who failed to defeat Athena in a Proving Ground match the same night as the other SOTF qualifiers, would be given a second chance at earning a title opportunity.

2026 Survival of the Fittest Opening Round Match
Hyan vs. Zayda Steel
ROH on HonorClub #166 – Palm Beach Gardens, FL – 5.14.2026

Christopher Daniels is in Steel’s corner. Each of them try for an early schoolboy pin to no avail. Steel trips Hyan into a basement dropkick, sending her to the floor. Hyan catches a suicide dive attempt and suplexes Steel onto the floor. Back in the ring, Steel pulls Hyan into an O’Connor roll after taking a forearm strike against the ropes. She rolls Hyan into a modified STF, which Hyan breaks by biting the bottom rope. Hyan then cuts off Steel with a spear for two. Steel victory rolls Hyan to counter a double underhook, leading to them going back and forth in pin attempts. Steel evades a pump kick and tornado DDT’s Hyan for two. Hyan maneuvers steel into a backslide out of the corner for two. Hyan puts Steel on her shoulders. Steel converts that into a rolling Killswitch for the pin at 5:04. It is great to see Steel get that final spot, and a heck of a finishing move to get there. Throughout the match you could tell both competitors wanted to win which goes a long way. We’re already going to have some partner friction in the SOTF match with Athena and Starkz, we don’t need a second team (World and Hyan) doing that too. **½

ROH Women’s World Championship – 2026 Survival of the Fittest Tournament Finals
Athena vs. Billie Starkz vs. Yuka Sakazaki vs. Trish Adora vs. Maya World vs. Zayda Steel
Supercard of Honor 2026 – Salisbury, MD – 5.15.2026

Athena has been the champion since 12.10.2022 and this is her thirty-sixth defense. Athena has previously defeated Starkz (twice), Sakazaki, and World in World title singles bouts, and Adora and Steel in Proving Ground bouts. Bliz sings Zayda Steel to the ring, and she has Christopher Daniels in her corner.

Athena throws Starkz to the floor and tells her to stick to the plan – let the other “dumb bitches” fight. That does not sit well with the rest of them. During the melee, Athen asks Starkz if they’re on the same page now, and she acquiesces to help with a double suplex on Steel. That does not go to plan, as Steel instead suplexes them both and pitches Starkz to the floor. Steel throws a chair at Athena’s head and declares the show “hers.” She is hoisted by her own petard, ending up taking a face full of chair in the corner. Athena rolls her up for the pin and puts her feet on the ropes, eliminating Steel at 5:01. Athena looks to use the chair on Sakazaki, but is stopped by World and a kendo stick. Sakazaki then uses the chair on Athena. Starkz uses another chair to attack Sakazaki, and Adora attacks World before using the kendo stick on her. Athena sets up a collection of set up steel chairs on the floor while the other four competitors fight amongst themselves. Starkz pulls out a table and sets it up right in front of the announcer’s table. World’s dive to the outside is cut off with a chair shot from Athena. Athena tries to make a pact with Adora, but it goes wrong when Adora slaps her in the face. Adora chokeslams Athena off of the ring apron through all of the chairs she had set up! Starkz puts Adora onto the announcer’s table. Adora ends up giving Starkz a Death Valley Driver onto the table, which once again, does not break. Athena ends up on the table Starkz had set up, and Sakazaki puts Athena through it with the Magical Girl Splash! Sakazaki brings Athena back into the ring, but Adora surprises her with a schoolgirl. She looks for the Lariat Tubman and ends up knocking out Athena! Sakazaki superkicks Adora and gives her a spin out slam onto her face, pinning Adora at 15:39. Sakazaki hits a trashcan assisted Magical Girl Splash on Athena. Starkz saves Athena from being pinned. Starkz then pins Sakazaki with a super Pedigree at 17:27. Starkz gets a very close two count on World with a Destroyer. Athena and Starkz batter World with kendo sticks. Athena then brings a ladder out from under the ring. They set up the ladder in one corner of the ring. As Starkz and World are fighting on the top turnbuckle, Athena strikes Starkz! World brings Starkz down with a super sunset bomb and eliminates her at 21:47. With just World left, Athena looks to strike her with the World title. World ducks and instead DDT’s Athena on the ring apron for two. World gives her a Black Tornado Slam for another two count. Athena grabs the ropes as World has her in an ankle lock, but referee Mike Posey says rope breaks don’t count. Billie Starkz contemplates throw in in the towel for Athena, but Athena instead pulls her into the ring. World takes out Starkz, but Athena gives her a one-armed powerbomb onto a pile of chairs. Athena hits World with a chair as she lay on the mat. Athena then climbs up the ladder, stepping over Starkz. Athena delivers an O-Face from off the second to last rung 26:12. 

While I appreciate the hardcore approach they took to differentiate themselves from all of the other matches on the card, this was so messy. Some weapon shots were really unconvincing (weak) or mistimed. It disrupted the flow at several points, but also produced some really cool moments, mostly from Sakazaki and the ending. The towel throw was a complete whiff. I get that Starkz is her “Second” and in the same group, but she is also a competitor in the match. Couldn’t she have theoretically thrown it in the second the match started, or only when she was eliminated? Why was this never brought up before now? Absolutely ridiculous. A very disappointing way to end the night. **½

It’s a huge shame this Survival of the Fittest ended up being such a bust with the quality of competitors involved.