Coverage

Mitchell’s NJPW AXS TV Report: Wrestling Hi no Kuni 2019!

NJPW heats things up in Kumamoto!

Published

5 years ago

May 4, 2019

NJPW Wrestling Hi no Kuni returns for another year! But will The Switchblade be able to defeat The Fierce Warrior now that he’s no longer champion?

Coverage of Wrestling Hi no Kuni 2019 will be as broadcast by AXS TV.

OFFICIAL RESULTS

IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships: Guerrillas of Destiny VS Toru Yano & Togi Makage; Guerrillas of Destiny win.
Jay White VS Hirooki Goto; White wins.

PLAY BY PLAY

NJPW and AXS TV set the scene for this fiery event!

The Road to Wrestling Dontaku takes a stop in Kumamoto for the tradition of Hi no Kuni! And after failing his first defense of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, Jay White looks for redemption! But a fierce and familiar face stands in his way! Hirooki Goto lost to White in tag team action, but he vows not to lose 1v1. The Fierce Warrior wants redemption as badly as the Switchblade, but who is the one to grit out a main event comeback?

But first, the Guerrillas of Destiny became even greater tag team champions when they retained the IWGP Heavyweight Championships AND took the ROH World Tag Team Championships for their own at G1 Supercard! However, the Clown Prince of Chaos pulled quite the prank on Tama Tonga & Tonga Loa when he literally stole the belts away! GoD calls BS on YTR, but will they get revenge on two-thirds of the team that took their NEVER Openweight Six Man titles? Or will Yano & the Unchained Gorilla make those heavyweight tag titles theirs officially?

IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships: Guerrillas of Destiny VS Toru Yano & Togi Makage!

Jado leads the way for the dual tag team champions, who were already surly over the chaos and controversy of that G1 Supercard Fatal 4 Way Tag. But this match could ease some of that tension. Will it be easy for GoD to bring those belts back where they belong? Or will the Clown Prince have some tricks up his sleeves?

The introductions are made, the belts are presented, and GoD jumps Yano & Makabe! Tama and Loa beat them down, then throw Makabe out. They focus on Yano with a double whip. Yano holds ropes then ducks their clotheslines to run for a buckle pad! Makabe returns to double clothesline GoD while Yano unties the pad! Yano kicks that aside to bring Loa up and whips Loa into those exposed buckles! Loa writhes while he falls. Makabe brings Tama around for Yano, assisted piledriver to the floor! Yano brings Loa to the crowd! The Clown is not playing around as he bowls Loa into chairs! Makabe keeps Tama down while Yano throws things onto Loa.

Makabe whips but Tama reverses to send Makabe into railing. Yano brings Loa back to ringside to throw him into the post. Yano gets back in the ring and a ring count finally begins. The NJPW 20 count reaches 10 by the time Loa gets back in. Yano stomps Loa down then even kicks him to ropes. Yano brings Loa up to whip but Loa reverses to send Yano into the exposed buckles! Then Loa rams Yano into them! And then into another open corner. Tama runs in for a big corner splash! Tama throws Yano out and throws hands before whipping Yano into railing. Jado tells Tama to keep on Yano so he does. Makabe and Loa brawl while Tama puts Yano in the ring. Cover from Loa, TWO!

Fans cheer for Yano but Loa mocks them. Loa stomps Yano then scoops him for a slam. Loa drops a leg and covers, TWO! Tag to Tama and GoD double suplex Yano down. Cover, TWO! Yano gets to ropes but Jado trash talks him. Tama stomps Yano at the ropes while Loa and Jado applaud. Red Shoes counts and Tama backs off. Tama drags Yano up to club him down then sits Yano up to drive in elbows. Tama stands Yano up to whip him into the exposed buckles! Yano writhes again, paying for his own idea. Tama hits Makabe just because before tagging in Loa. Tama scoop slams then Loa slingshot sentons. Cover, ROPEBREAK! Loa stomps Yano’s legs for it! Loa grinds his foot into Yano’s face but backs off at Red Shoes’ reprimand.

Makabe protests but Loa taunts him. Loa hauls Yano up and tackles him into the GoD corner. He rams his shoulders into Yano but fans rally for Yano. Tag to Tama and GoD double headbutt Yano down. The champions are in control while we go to break.

NJPW on AXS returns as Tama taunts Makabe. Tama chokes Yano but Yano has a ropeabreak again. Red Shoes counts but Tama lets up, to whip Yano into the exposed buckles again! Yano writhes again and Tama drops an elbow on him. Cover, TWO!! Yano still lives but Tama drags him up to tag Loa. GoD whip and back elbow Yano down, then Loa mocks Makabe more. Loa drags Yano up to the open corner and stomps away. Fans rally but Loa pretends not to hear them. Loa whips Yano corner to corner but Yano reverses only for Loa to reverse! Yano gets the exposed buckles again, and Loa mocks the cheering fans, only for Yano to yank his hair! Yano brings Loa down but he also falls with him. Makabe reaches, and gets the hot tag!

The Gorilla ends up fighting both Guerrillas! Tama whips Makabe but Makabe reverses to send Tama into exposed buckles! Makabe runs to clothesline Loa, then Tama, then back to Loa. He roars and climbs to punch away on Loa’s head! He laughs as he gets all 10, then he lifts Loa. Loa resists the Northern Lights and roars back. He also flips the middle finger before he runs. Loa and Makabe both clothesline, but neither man falls! They go again, but still they stay standing. Loa kneels and Makabe runs, but into a German Suplex! Tag to Tama and the Guerrillas double whip. They double dropkick the Gorrilla, then cover, TWO! Fans cheer Makabe on but Tama throws hands. Makabe grows stronger from the fan rally and eggs Tama on. Tama headbutts, then runs, dodges one clothesline but not the other!

Fans fire up as Makabe crawls for Yano, hot tag to the Clown Prince! Yano brings Tama up but Tama whips him. Yano reverses and Tama gets the exposed buckles again! Tama staggers into the fireman’s carry takedown! And then into a belly2belly! Yano fires up with the fans, “Y T R” shrug. He runs, but Loa trips him! The ref reprimands Loa but Tama says “F U B*tch!” Tama runs but Makabe trips him! Yano tags to Makabe and they whip Tama to a corner. They start a train of back elbow and clothesline, feed to the atomic drop. Catapult into the exposed buckles, then a big overhand chop! Makabe runs but Tama grabs Red Shoes so that he doesn’t see Jado SMACK Makabe on the back! Loa runs in and blasts Yano!

GoD regroup on Makabe with a whip and uppercuts. Loa passes Makabe to Tama, elevated inverted DDT, aka Guerrilla Warfare! Cover, TWO!? Makabe survives and GoD is shocked! But they keep going, each getting to a corner. They climb and Loa drops a headbutt, then Tama hits the splash! Cover, TWO!! Makabe still lives! But GoD won’t stop here. Loa lifts Makabe and tackles him to the corner. Tama hits a corner splash then holds onto Makabe a Loa comes in. Yano comes in to save Makabe, but then gets a flying clothesline from Loa! Tama intimidates Red Shoes and keeps him from seeing Loa using Makabe’s own chain! But Red Shoes also misses Yano giving Loa a LOW BLOW!

Tama runs at Yano, but the Gun Stun is denied! Yano chop blocks Tama’s legs out, then gives Makabe the chain! Makabe gears up while Red Shoes is down, CHAINED ax bomber! Cover, TWO!? Tama survives but Makabe scoops and slams. Makabe climbs up, King Kong Knee! Cover, but Loa breaks it in time! Makabe goes after Loa and clotheslines him out. But Jado has the stick! Makabe blocks the kendo shot to punch Jado out! Tama rolls Makabe!! And has tights!! The Guerrillas win!

Winners: Guerrillas of Destiny, Tama pinning; still IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions

Not only does Tama borrow a trick from Yano, but he and Loa get their belts back! They didn’t lose them, but will they ever really lose them while also being ROH World Tag Team Champions?

Backstage Interviews

Tama Tonga says, “You don’t have to be strong in this game, you just have to be f***ing smart.” And everyone missed that when he told them GoD are geniuses. Their mamas didn’t raise no dummies. GoD is double champs, dos campeones, and Jado has never let them down. Will the Guerrillas ever come down from this tag team high?

Jay White VS Hirooki Goto!

The Switchblade was so confident he’d be IWGP Heavyweight Champion for a long time, especially because he had defeated The Rainmaker time and again before. But in Madison Square Garden, it all fell apart. Now he has a long climb back to the top of the mountain, will he be kicked down even further by the Fierce Warrior?

The bell rings and these two stare down while fans rally. Fans are strongly on Goto’s side but White trolls them all as he slips out of the ring. White takes his time returning and circles with Goto. They tie up and Goto pushes White back. White turns it around to have Goto on the ropes. White lets up but Goto hits first! Goto fires forearms and whips White, but White bails out again. White takes a breather but Goto doesn’t let him have a long one. Goto slides out but White slides in. Goto slides in but White slides out. White grins at Goto, and Goto moves for the ropes. White slides back in, but Goto tricked him! Goto kicks White and whips again. White reverses but Goto counters the hip toss into a hip toss! Goto runs and runs White over with a shoulder!

Fans cheer as Goto paces. White slips out but Goto pursues again. Goto elbows White then stalks him as he crawls. Goto whips White to barriers! White writhes but Goto stomps him. Goto drags White up for elbows but Gedo gives him a push! Goto glares at Gedo but White blindsides Goto! Saido suplex to the floor! The Switchblade takes control thanks to his manager, as usual, and we go to break.

NJPW on AXS returns as White leaves Goto to the mercy of the ring count. Red Shoes starts the count and Goto stirs at 3. Goto gets in at 7 but White stomps him and throws him back out. White rams Goto into railing right in front of commentary, then into the apron. Then back into the railing! Then back into the apron! White drags Goto into the ring and covers, but Red Shoes won’t count? Red Shoes doesn’t approve of what White just did, so White gives Goto a neckbreaker. Cover and now Red Shoes will count, TWO! White and Gedo argue with Red Shoes, but White keeps on Goto with a Half Crab. Goto endures but White makes it a Full Crab. White mocks Goto is like a Young Lion, but Goto is certainly not that. Goto drags himself over and gets the ropebreak!

White holds on until Red Shoes counts, and lets go at 4. White drags Goto around to catapult guillotine him with the rope! Cover, TWO! Fans cheer Goto on but White stands Goto up. White CHOPS Goto to a corner then CHOPS him some more. White brings Goto out to whip and elbow him down. Cover, TWO! White keeps on Goto with a chinlock, but Goto endures. Fans rally up again and Goto powers up. White shifts to put a knee in Goto’s back, but Goto keeps fighting. Goto elbows free but White clubs him down. White toys with Goto but Goto just glares. Goto fires palm strikes over and over, but White blocks the whip to punch him back down. White drags Goto up but it’s Goto who snap suplexes White! Both men are down but White crawls to a corner. Goto runs in but misses! Saido Suplex!

White toys with Goto now, but fans rally. White brings Goto up to chop again, then whip. Goto reverses but White reverses, only to get a roundhouse! Goto clears out the cobwebs while White crawls to a corner. White stands and Goto fires off forearms. Goto whips corner to corner and hits a big clothesline. Goto wants a saido of his own but White blocks, so Goto shoves him back in the corner. White staggers into another roundhouse! Goto gets his own saido suplex! Cover, TWO! Goto keeps his focus as he looms over White. He drags White up to a fireman’s carry but White fights. Goto still gets White up but White escapes. White boots from a corner, but runs into the fireman’s carry! He escapes again but Goto elbows him. Goto goes to run but White reels him in. Goto elbows again, then buzzsaws White down!

Fans fire up with Goto as he runs. White staggers and falls to the ropes, so Goto goes after him with stomps. Red Shoes backs Goto off but Goto brings White up for elbows. Goto tries again but White runs to a corner. Goto stomps and kicks White then drags him back up. He gives White another elbow then tries a third time. White just drops to his knees. White grins, but gets a buzzsaw for it! Goto runs but now Gedo swipes at him! White gets Goto for a BIG Urenage! Both men are down but they crawl to opposite corners. White runs in for a European Uppercut! And then fireman’s carry to Goto for a the DVDDT, the Death Valley DDT! Cover, TWO! Goto survives and White grows frustrated but the fans cheer.

White drags Goto up by a facelock and fishes a leg. Goto fights so White CHOPS him. White runs but Goto follows, only for White to still catch him into a complete shot! White deadlift Germans Goto to a bridge! TWO, and Gedo is frustrated for White. White seethes as he sits up. He drags Goto to his feet, fisherman, but Goto knees out of the lift. Goto lifts White but White slips out. White CHOPS Goto again, but Goto spins and clotheslines back! Both men are down again and go back to opposite corner. Goto runs in now, and blocks the boot to give the clothesline! He fires off on White but White blocks the kick to saido suplex Goto up and out of the ring! Goto crashes and burns while we go to break!

NJPW on AXS returns as White fetches Goto. White puts Goto in then stands him up. White fisherman to the Kiwi Krusher! Cover, TWO!! Goto still lives! Gedo is furious, but White slashes the throat. White brings Goto up but Goto spins through to suplex. White knees out then knees Goto in the head! Goto starts to fall as White just keeps ramming knees into him. Fans rally up for Goto but White stands him up. Goto breaks free to CLOBBER White! Both men are down but not crawling to corners this time. Fans continue to rally as Goto and White head for each other. Goto and White brawl with forearms on their knees. They brawl with forearms to their feet! They pick up speed! Goto rocks White off his feet!

Goto brings White up for another shot and White falls over again. Fans fire up with Goto as he brings White back up. White hits first! Then CHOPS! And CHOPS! White CHOPS Goto to ropes then whips, but Goto reverses. Goto then follows, White dodges but Goto follows again. Another dodge but now White follows, only to get Goto’s clothesline! White goes back to a corner but so does Goto. Goto runs in for a spinning heel kick! He puts White up top and brings him out, draping neckbreaker! Cover, TWO!! White lives but Goto won’t let up. Goto climbs up top but White stops him. White rakes Goto’s eyes! White climbs to join Goto, but Goto fights back. Goto manages to fireman’s carry White, but White fights back.

White forearms Goto but Goto hits back. They brawl up top, Goto headbutts White! Goto stands, SUPER DESTROYER!! Cover, TWO!?! White survives and Goto can’t believe it! Fans are thunderous as Goto stands! Goto focuses but Gedo runs into the ring? Gedo gets out as Red Shoes reprimands him, but it’s so White can get a chair! White runs at Goto but gets caught! Goto hits White with a backbreaker, then throws Gedo into the ring! Gedo begs for mercy but Goto gives him USHIGOROSHI! White’s up and CHOPS Goto. White whips but Goto reverses to another USHIGOROSHI! Goto is feeling it as fans reach a fever pitch! He aims at White, THE buzzsaw kick! And then the dragon sleeper, but White fights back. Goto merely gets annoyed and headbutts White! Inverted GTR! Cover, TWO!?

Goto can’t believe White still lives, but he vows to put White away now. White still fights off the dragon sleeper, and snapmares out. White gets Goto but Goto spins out. Goto fireman’s carry, Ushigoroshi just for the dragon sleeper! But White slips out again, but Goto denies Blade Runner again, but then White denies GTR for the snap Half ‘n’ Half suplex! But Goto gets to his feet?! Goto runs into another Half ‘n’ Half! White won’t end it there, he drags Goto up for BLADE RUNNER! Cover, White wins!

Winner: Jay White, by pinfall

The Switchblade pulls it out in Kumamoto! Gedo again helped out, but it was still White’s win. And as such, White takes to the mic. “Hey! Are you not happy?” Is Kumamoto not happy with that? Apparently not. Is it because Goto let them down again? White is seeing double right now, but what he sees clearly is that Goto is still an embarrassment to Chaos. Goto’s going to go home to his disappointed family again. White may not have the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, but this is still the Cutthroat Era! And whether it’s Okada or Sanada, NJPW will still breath with the Switchblade! White calls his shot for the top prize, who will have it after Dontaku?

Backstage Interviews

White sits down to say, “In a few more days, Okada and Sanada will fight over my belt, to see which one of them” gets to be his target. But it doesn’t matter to White, because they’re just going to lose to him. Will White reclaim the title to continue where he left off?

My Thoughts:

A great selection for this hour of NJPW on AXS! AXS helps keep the stories from G1 Supercard going by spotlighting the Guerrillas and the tag team titles. Yano & Makabe gave GoD a great match, and I really liked how Yano had some serious moments in this. But because of GoD’s story with ROH, the Briscoes, and maybe even nZo and CazXL at this rate, GoD wins to retain and stay strong, though I was surprised by a cheat spot. Getting Makabe off guard with a Gun Stun would’ve made them even stronger in that win, but maybe GoD is helping Yano, Makabe and by extension Taguchi look stronger by having to steal a win.

White VS Goto was a great match, especially for something non-title. But at the same time, this was tantamount to a contender’s match so it still makes sense for them to go this far. They did pretty good in making it seem like Goto could pull it off. But White wins in his usual fashion, but that’s juts fine by now. White wants after the title, naturally, and White VS Okada again or a fresh match-up of White VS Sanada would be great no matter what. It would be amazing to see Sanada get that top title, but something tells me it’s still not the right time. I suppose we’ll see next week when AXS has Wrestling Dontaku.

My Score: 8.5/10

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

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Mitchell’s WWE SmackDown Results & Report! (4/26/24)

It’s Draft Day!

Published

3 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Steven Mitchell

And with the first overall pick of the 2024 WWE Draft, SmackDown selects…

The WWE Draft returns for 2024, the first four rounds being right here on Friday Night SmackDown! With champions protected, who ends up where to challenge them?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee w/ Zelina Vega & Carlito VS Angel Garza & Humberto Carrillo; Rey & Dragon win.
Bron Breakker VS Cedric Alexander; Bron wins.
WWE Women’s Championship #1 Contender’s Match: Naomi VS Tiffany Stratton; No Contest.
Cody Rhodes VS Carmelo Hayes; wins.

PLAY BY PLAY

Backstage interview with Paul Heyman.

Kayla Braxton is with the Wise Man and says that here on night one of the Draft, there are already rumors circulating, including those about The Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns. Heyman will clarify these are not rumors regarding The Tribal Chief, Roman… Reigns. These are facts! Ladies and gentlemen, Your Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns, has voluntarily withdrawn from eligibility for this year’s Draft. That is not a negative but a positive. Who built SmackDown since the Pandemic? Roman Reigns. Who is the biggest star in the entire industry? Roman Reigns. Why would Roman Reigns hog the number one draft pick spotlight when he won’t be returning in the immediate future?

Read into his words, Kayla, that is not what a real Tribal Chief would do. Instead now, the pressure is on Nick Aldis. Because if Roman Reigns isn’t the first draft pick, then who is? The first two picks make history in a brand new era. And Heyman doesn’t know about you, but he is intrigued. No Tribal Chief up for grabs, who gets their opportunity to shine in the spotlight?

SmackDown throws it to the NXT Performance Center.

Jackie Redmond says the emotion down here is palpable! There is excitement, hope, and a little bit of nerves. But for these NXT Superstars, tonight is the culmination of a lifetime of hard work, dedication, a little bit of luck and a whole lot of self-belief. It was just last year that the NEW WWE Tag Team Champion, Grayson Waller, was hoping his name would be called. And it is funny this is NXT, but time to buy a vowel, throw in an E! Who is next? We find out tonight! The draft pool is deep, who rises to the top of the list?

Corey Graves is in the ring.

Corey welcomes Cincinnati and all of us at home to night one of the 2024 WWE Draft. Understandably, the GMs have their hands full, so Corey will be moderating the contract signing for the WWE Championship match that takes place next Saturday for Backlash: France. Without further ado, it’s the #1 contender, The Phenomenal AJ Styles! Styles makes his entrance, taking a seat at the table on camera right. And now, the Undisputed WWE Champion, the American Nightmare, Cody Rhodes! Cincy fires up and sings along, “WHOA~ OH~!” as Cody makes his entrance and gets his pyro before joining everyone in the ring.

Styles looks over the contract, absolutely tuning out the fans going wild for “CODY! CODY!” Styles then gets the mic to say before he signs, he doesn’t know if we realize that we’ve got two Georgia boys about to mix it up for the first time, and for the biggest prize in the game. Styles understands why they boo, but they gotta know that he doesn’t respect LA Knight, LA Knight got under his skin. He accepts that. But that’s why Styles lost at Mania. But what happened? Styles got his composure back and realized that he is Phenomenal. Styles BEAT Knight to earn the right to face Cody Rhodes at Backlash.

Now unlike Knight, Styles does respect Cody. They hadn’t crossed paths yet, but they’ve been down the same roads. They had to prove themselves outside of the WWE. And Styles is willing to believe that the same man who gave him advice a long time ago gave Cody the same advice, on how to stand on their own two feet and be the men they are today. That man was The American Dream, Dusty Rhodes. The fans cheer for “DUSTY! DUSTY!” Styles learned a lot from Dusty. Styles gets a little emotional thinking about Dusty, he was a good man. Dusty taught Styles how to carry himself, and to carry the weight of a championship.

And Styles looks at this WWE Championship here. The weight of this isn’t just the leather and gold. And at Backlash, we see if Cody can carry it. Styles goes back to his table, signs the contract, and then hands it off to Corey. Corey brings that to Cody, and Cody picks up his mic. “So… Cincinnati…! Whadda we wanna talk about? Certainly, we can talk about respect. There is not a locker room on Earth that you’ll find where everyone in it, every single person, they all respect AJ Styles. Last week, I went on to say you are the modern day Excellence of Execution. I respect the roads that you have traveled down to get here, the parallel paths that perhaps you and I have.

“Mutual respect, much respect. But that respect goes by the wayside at Backlash. I can feel it in your words to a degree. You’ve been here before. And it seems you’re implying that I cannot carry the weight of that championship. Well, good thing the man who trained me not far from where I sit now used to tell me all the time, it’s not about winning the title, it’s about keeping it.” The fans cheer that. Cody says boy does he respect Styles’ familiarity with Cody’s last name. But when you put C O D Y in front of it on this paper, that means they’ve never touched before. That means Backlash is a level playing field.

That means no matter how Phenomenal Styles is, this isn’t a dream match for Cody. It’s a must-win! Cody signs while the fans cheer, and it is official! Cody even throws the pen to the crowd as a free souvenir. Cody then offers a handshake, and Styles says y’know what? It was a beautiful thing to see Cody #FInishTheStory and win the title. But it’s a shame that Cody’s title reign will end at Backlash. Styles still shakes Cody’s hand, and then walks away. Cody picks up the belt and holds it high, will he get to hold it high again in Lyon, France?

Triple H is here!

Just as Cody was on his way to the back, The Game makes his way out here! HHH raises Cody’s hand, then invites him over to the podium. HHH welcomes us to the first round of the 2024 WWE Draft. It is a night that changes the landscape of the WWE going into the future, and things are a bit different this year. As the GMs ponder their next steps, they have to understand it is about protecting the roster they have as it is making the roster they want. Meaning that when they use their picks, they have just as much of a chance gaining a superstar as they do losing one they already have.

HHH just felt that since champs are protected and Cody will be staying here on SmackDown, maybe Cody could help read the SmackDown picks and HHH can read the Raw picks. And since SmackDown goes first, Cody reads first. Cody takes the card to say that with the first pick of the 2024 WWE Draft, SmackDown selects… The E S T, Bianca Belair! The stongEST, fastEST, roughEST, toughEST stays on Friday nights! HHH reads that for the second pick of the 2024 WWE Draft, Raw selects… YEET! JEY USO! Monday nights will still have Main Event Jey Uso! And the fans “YEET!” Cody says for the third pick, SmackDown selects… NXT’s Carmelo Hayes!

The fans fire up as SmackDown manages to snag… HIM! The former NXT Champion makes history again by being the first NXT superstar to be chosen this high in the Draft! HHH says that’s a hell of a pick. But then the fourth and final pick of this first round, Raw selects… SETH! FREAKIN’! ROLLINS! It is still going to be Monday Night Rollins as the Visionary stays on the red brand! Cody and HHH shake hands, and then Melo makes his way out! Melo has the mic to say when they talk about who’s next up, about who’s the hottest out, they don’t call them “the hottest out,” they just call him “Carmelo Hayes.”

The fans chant “WHOOP DAT TRICK!” to remind Melo how he’s leaving NXT. Melo says okay, okay. But then to Cody Rhodes, ever since Cody won the title, he’s been talking about “If you aim for the king, you best not miss.” Well, funny how that works. Because when Melo shoots, Melo don’t miss. And as a first round draft pick, what better way to shoot his shot on SmackDown than to shoot it right at Cody? Melo leaves the mic with Cody but Cody picks it up to say, “Fortune certainly favors the bold, but I dunno. You folks don’t wanna see me in action tonight, do ya?” The fans go wild! Oh, but what if Cody forgot his gear?

Oh that’s right! He didn’t forget his gear! And this title right here, for Cody, means absolutely 100%, Melo’s on! They shake on it, and we’re about to see a huge first-time-ever showdown! But will this bold first move work out for… HIM?

Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee w/ Zelina Vega & Carlito VS Angel Garza & Humberto Carrillo!

The LWO is still not convinced Legado Del Fantasma had nothing to do with the beating that took the Boy Wonder out ahead of WrestleMania. Will the King of Lucha help get to the bottom of things? Or will Angel & “Berto” make it as easy as ABC, 1-2-3?

The teams sort out, Dragon runs up on Humberto but Humberto LARIATS him down! Humberto drags Dragon up, tears the shirt away and CHOPS! Humberto whips, Dragon ducks ‘n’ dodges to RANA! Humberto tumbles out, Dragon builds speed and FLIES! Direct hit and down goes Humberto! The fans fire up as Dragon pushes Humberto into the ring, goes up a corner, and then CROSSBODIES! Cover, TWO! Dragon facelocks to drag Humberto up, but Humberto wrenches out to CLUB Dragon down. Humberto waistlocks but Dragon throws elbows. Angel tags in as Humberto shoves Dragon. Dragon ducks but Angel holds ropes open, and Dragon tumbles to the floor!

The fans boo and LWO hurries to check on Dragon! Angel & Humberto just soak up the heat as SmackDown goes to break.

SmackDown returns and both Dragon and Humberto are down! They crawl, hot tags to Angel and Rey! The fans fire up as Rey ducks ‘n’ dodges and tilt-o-whirl RANAS! Angel ends up in a corner, he puts Rey on the apron, but Rey ROCKS Angel! Rey goes up to SEATED SENTON! Rey keeps moving, wrenches and kicks, then hops on! CODE RED! Cover, Humberto breaks it! The fans boo but Humberto hauls Rey up. Rey fights and RANAS Humberto up and out! But Angelo kicks, scoops, but Rey slips free! Angelo kicks low, reels REy in, and underhooks, but Rey fights those to RANA Angel onto ropes! Rey dials it up to 619!

Tag to Dragon and he takes aim! Angel stands, into the tilt-o-whirl, PROJECT DRAGON!! Cover, LWO wins!

Winners: Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee, by pinfall

Carlito and Zelina hug it out with the team, but then Santos Escobar & Elektra Lopez walk out here. Santos says whoa, whoa, whoa, hold that celebration. Because Santos is many things, but a liar is not one of them. And when Santos said he did NOT attack Dragon that night before Mania, he meant it. Elektra has been working for weeks to track down the security footage from that night. And Rey… Oh, Rey. What you’re about to see, you will find very, very interesting. The footage plays, and it was CARLITO!! Carlito throw Dragon around backstage! No one can believe it, because of how well Carlito fooled even Dragno.

Speaking of, Carlito RAMS Dragon into Rey, then hits a BACKSTABBER! Never has that move’s name been more fitting! Carlito runs away in a panic, and Rey stands back up in a rage! Santos says he told Rey that he was right all along. They were supposed to be family, and yet look how that turned out. How will the LWO recover from this shocking development?

Bron Breakker VS Cedric Alexander!

The Big Bad Booty Nephew has been making a case for himself ever since showing up on SmackDown, and he’s already bringing the straps down! Is he going to break PRIMED Alexander while also breaking match time records? Or will Cedric prove he’s too fly for Bron?

The bell rings and Cedric dodges Bron to CHOP and ROCK! Cedric whips, Bron reverses and Cedric handsprings, into a SPEAR!! Cover, Bron wins!

Winner: Bron Breakker, by pinfall

Well, hard to say if that’s an all-time fast match, but that was a fast match! QR Code stuff going on, but will we all see Bron take the world by storm?

Nick Aldis heads out.

And waiting is Tiffany Stratton. She asks if he saw what she did last week. Wait, of course he did. Because she is the Center of the Universe. She dropped Naomi and Bayley, where is her title match? Aldis tells Tiff to look at his watch. It is NOT set to #TiffyTime. And he was this close to sending her to the back of the line. But then someone convinced him otherwise, good for her. Tonight, she goes 1v1 with Naomi again, and the winner faces Bayley for the title at Backlash. Whose stupid idea was that?! Bayley says DING DONG, it was hers. It is a win-win situation here. If Naomi wins, she gets the match she got cheated out of.

And if Tiff wins, then she’ll find out when she attacks the Role Model. Tiff gasps as she has a #TiffanyEpiphany. Bayley should be ringside for that match so she can see Tiff do what Bayley couldn’t, and that’s beat Naomi. Tootles. Tiff leaves, but will the only thing she gets is to #FeelTheGlow?

Michelle McCool and Torrie Wilson are here!

One is a former WWE Women’s Champion, the other is a WWE Hall of Famer, but they’re both here to present Draft picks! Michelle says with the first pick of the second round, SmackDown selects… The Viper, Randy Orton! SmackDown will still have to watch out for an RKO outta nowhere! Torrie says that with the second pick of the second round, Raw selects… BRON BREAKKER! We just saw Bron make quick work of opponents here on SmackDown, but now he’s gonna be rampaging on Raw!

Michelle says that with the third pick of the second round, SmackDown selects… NIA JAX! The Irresistible Force may have to change targets from the Women’s World to the Undisputed Women’s title, but will she be unstoppable all the same? And with the fourth and final pick of this round, Raw selects… LIV MORGAN! The Revenge Tour will still be part of Monday nights, will we watch Liv rise to the top?

The Bloodline arrives backstage.

Paul Heyman is there to greet them and open the door to the SUV. He apologizes for not being faster about that, but Solo Sikoa asks The Bloodline if they’ve been drafted. Not yet. Then give Solo the details. Okay, well, Roman Reigns withdrew right before the show began, and then Solo keeps adding members, so no one really knows what they’re getting if they draft The Bloodline! Solo sighs, and here comes Tama Tonga. Heyman asks they be patient but Solo wants Heyman to repeat that for him. Heyman gets scared, but then KEVIN OWENS jumps in! Kevin fires off on Tama, security and refs rush in to stop it!

The Prizefighter wants Solo’s “MFT” to bring the fight like he did last week! Security still drags Kevin away, but will he get that fight he wants?

Kayla Braxton is on stage.

SmackDown returns and Kayla welcomes us back to the show. And please welcome out the first overall pick, Bianca Belair! The fans fire up as The EST walks out on stage, and Kayla congratulates her on being the first overall pick. But let’s talk Backlash. Breaking news, Bianca and Jade Cargill are going to challenge for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships, against the Kabuki Warriors. How satisfying would it be to dethrone them on the stage of this magnitude? Bianca says so satisfying. She really hopes Jade gets drafted to SmackDown because given all this history with Damage CTRL, all the partners by her side, Bianca has never been the one to finally end it with them.

For everything they’ve done to her and this division, Bianca feels Jade is the perfect woman to help her end this. Now, DMG CTRL is falling apart piece by piece, and that final piece is the tag titles. So once Bianca & Jade take the gold at Backlash, the Kabuki Warriors won’t even have a reason to come back to SmackDown. But wait, they’re here now! Asuka & Kairi walk out here and Kayla moves aside. The Empress of Tomorrow and the Pirate Princess taunt the EST, but here comes The Storm! Jade makes her way to stand right by Bianca’s side. The four shout and argue, but this will be settled on May 4th!

WHOA! Tama and Kevin are brawling their way out here! The ladies move aside so the gentlemen can brawl all the way down to ringside! Tama hits low, gets in the ring, but Kevin pursues! Kevin TACKLES Tama, but Solo CLOBBERS Kevin! The fans boo as The Bloodline beats Kevin down! The refs hurry out here but clearly Solo’s Bloodline won’t listen! Tama DECKS producers, DECKS guards, HEADBUTTS them, throws hands and even THROWS the guards! Tama and Solo beat Kevin down again, but here comes Randy Orton! The Viper is still on SmackDown and he’s still pals with Kevin, so here he comes!

Orton DECKS Tama, fires hands on Solo, then RK- NO, Solo gets free and gets away! Orton wants to pursue, almost runs Jamie Noble and refs over to do it, but the Bloodline has gotten away! The fans cheer Randy on, and KAevin even hugs him! But then Kevin and Randy try to give chase! Security stops this, when and where will we see #RKKO strike down Solo and Tama?

The Dudley Boyz are here!

The fans fire up as Bubba Ray & D-Von are both here for the next round of picks! Cincy chants for “E C DUB! E C DUB!” Bubba and D-Von look at the cards, it’s hard to read. So out come the glasses! Bubba says with the first pick of the third round of the 2024 WWE Draft, SmackDown selects… L A KNIGHT! YEAH!! The Mega Star stays on Fridays! D-Von says with the second pick of the third round, Raw selects… RICOCHET! Mondays still has the One and Only, is Ricochet going to bring that WWE Speed Championship home to Raw, too?

Bubba says with the third pick of the third round, SmackDown selects… THE BLOODLINE! That means Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga and Paul Heyman are staying right here on Friday nights. And D-Von says with the final pick of this round, Raw selects… SHEAMUS! The Celtic Warrior just got back, but he won’t have to worry about going anywhere else but Monday nights.

WWE Women’s Championship #1 Contender’s Match: Naomi VS Tiffany Stratton!

It’s time to run it back once again! The Glow got robbed by the Spoiled Rich Girl, but supposedly, it’s #TiffyTime. Will Naomi prove there’s no such time on the clock? Or will Bayley be the one feeling the Backlash over giving Tiffany one more chance?

The bell rings and Naomi hits a THESZ PRESS! Naomi rains down fists, Tiffy shoves her away and goes to ropes, but Naomi gets up in Tiff’s face. Naomi whips, Tiff holds ropes to bail out and fans boo. Naomi scowls, runs in and WRECKS Tiff with a dropkick! Naomi then gets Tiff up, SMACKS her off the apron, and then SMACKS her off it again! And again! Naomi puts Tiff in, goes up a corner, but Tiff gets under the jump! Naomi runs back up but Tiff YANKS her into ropes! Tiff runs to HIP ATTACK! Naomi sputters, Tiff scowls and drags Naomi up, to then put through ropes. But Naomi RAMS into Tiff!

Naomi reels Tiff in, for a HEATSEEKER! Tiff flops to the floor, and then Naomi SPLIT LEG DROPS! Naomi says it’s #NaomiTime, but SmackDown goes to break.

SmackDown returns and Naomi runs, but into a SPINEBUSTER! High stack, TWO! Naomi survives and Tiff is frustrated but the fans rally up. Tiff drags Naomi up, whips her to a corner, but Naomi goes up and sunset flips! TWO! Tiff escapes, knees Naomi low, then whips. Naomi slides under the lariat to then mule kick! Then she headscissor SPIKES Tiff down! Cover, TWO! Tiff survives but barely, and Naomi keeps her cool. Naomi headlocks, but Tiff shoves her into buckles! Tiff runs, but Naomi follows, DOUBLE RUNNING FACEBUSTERS take them both down! The fans fire up as the two rise!

Naomi KICKS, ROCKS and ROCKS Tiff again! Naomi fires shots again and again but Tiff knees low! Tiff reels Naomi in, but Naomi wrenches out to ENZIGIRI! And then BUCKLE BULLDOG! But then NIA JAX attacks Bayley!? Nia SMACKS Bayley off buckles, rains down fists, and this momentarily distracts Naomi. Naomi refocuses, but by now, Tiff’s slipped away! Nia KICKS Bayley in the side, so Naomi goes out to ROCK her! Nia POSTS Naomi and that throws the match out!

No Contest

The fans boo as Nia ruins the fun, then runs Bayley over! Nia smiles as she blows kisses to Cincy. Tiff smiles, she drags Naomi up and puts her in the ring. Then she drags Bayley in! Tiff wants a repeat of last week as she puts them side by side in the drop zone! Tiff then goes up and up for the PRETTIEST MOONSAULT EVER!! Tiff says it’s her time, but the #1 contendership is still in question. Who gets their shot at the Role Model at Backlash?

B-Fab and the Street Profits meet up backstage.

Angelo Dawkins has a “WHO-DEY” sign, but Montez Ford is wondering where Bobby Lashley is right now. B-Fab says calm down, he’ll be here. Byron Saxton walks over and apologizes for interrupting. He doesn’t know what the Draft destination for this group will be until Monday Night Raw, but we do know that The Profits will challenge A-Town Down Under for the WWE Tag Team Championships. YESSIIIIIIR~! B-Fab says it doesn’t matter where they get drafted. The Profits are going to take down A-Town Down Under and take those titles. Then they’ll have their first class tickets right back to SmackDown.

SmackDown? Did someone say SmackDown~? In walk Austin Theory & Grayson Waller, showing off the titles. And Theory says you can’t have SmackDown without the GREATEST undefeated tag team of all time. And sorry, Dawkins, but these are championships, something the Bengals know nothing about! B-Fab keeps Dawkins back, but then in steps Bobby Lashley! The All Mighty scares Theory & Waller right off, and Dawkins says see y’all next Friday! Will there be nothing keeping these Profits down the night before Backlash?

The Final Testament speaks.

Karrion Kross says good evening. What’s going on here? You guessed it! More random acts of violence! Just follow him. Kross & Scarlett lead the way to show The Authors of Pain beating down New Catch Republic! Rezar beats down Pete Dunne while Akam victimizes Tyler Bate! Paul Ellering says they will know about sacrifice! Kross says whether they get drafted to Raw or stay on SmackDown, the violence will continue until they get what they want! So sayeth The Final Testament!!

Teddy Long and JBL are here!

The Hall of Famer General Manager and the Hall of Famer WWE Champion are both here, ready to give us the fourth and final round of picks tonight! Teddy gets right to it! The first pick of the fourth round, SmackDown selects… AJ STYLES! The Phenomenal One is really an obvious choice, because one way or another, the WWE Championship stays with SmackDown! JBL says the second pick of the fourth round, Raw selects… THE ALPHA ACADEMY! Raw keeps Chad Gable, Otis, Maxxine Dupri & Akira Tozawa, A THANK YEW~!

Teddy says with the third pick of this round, SmackDown selects… ANDRADE! A big move as now El Idolo will be part of Friday nights. And with the final pick of this fourth round, Raw selects… NXT’S Kiana James! The Calculator, the former NXT Women’s Tag Team Champion, has the Raw hat to put on, and after a quick hype package, Jackie Redmond is there to interview her. Kiana, congratulations! You are heading to Monday Night Raw! How much does this mean to her? This means the world to her. She is filled with gratitude, but also knows every decision she has made up to this point has been by design to get her here.

Kiana is so proud of her time in NXT, but she’s ready to show Raw why she is the One Percent. Was she surprised? Of course she was! HBK is here to wish her luck and congratulations. Is Kiana going to start the hostile takeover of the Raw Women’s Division?

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Coverage

Andrew’s TNA iMPACT! Results & Match Ratings: 4.25.2024

We just got done with Rebellion, and Under Siege is two weeks away! Gotta see how these dots connect!

Published

23 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Andrew Balaz

Rebellion had quite a few returns, Mike Santana, Sami Callihan and Broken Matt Hardy. All three of these guys could easily be main event players, and its nice to mix up and expand what felt like a rather small pool of potential challengers.

Under Siege is only like 2 weeks out, so we’ll see how the dots connect in such a short period of time.

.@AJFrancis410, Rich Swann, and rap legend @BunBTrillOG are IN THE HOUSE Meanwhile, @joehendry announces he will deliver an apology to Fir$t Cla$$ NEXT WEEK on #TNAiMPACT! pic.twitter.com/4GNe2xWfyU

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

Ratings:

Mike Santana vs Myron Reed w/Trey Miguel & Zachary Wentz: Santana wins via Spin the Block – ** 1/2
#1 Contender: Frankie Kazarian vs Josh Alexander: Josh wins via Grapevine Ankle Lock – ***
ASH by Elegance vs Xia Brookside: Xia wins via School Girl Roll-Up – ** 3/4
Sami Callihan vs The Good Hands: Sami Callihan wins via Cactus Driver ’97 – SQUASH
Eddie Edwards w/Alisha Edwards & Brian Myers vs Nic Nemeth: Eddie wins via Boston Knee Party – *** 1/4

Results:

Did @NicTNemeth say BROKEN? @MATTHARDYBRAND has arrived in the iMPACT Zone! #TNAiMPACT pic.twitter.com/HbkUangt6e

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

A weird opening that is just framed to put Nemeth and Hardy together against The System. Feels a little awkward, but who knows how it will play out.

.@JordynneGrace vs @miyu_tjp NEXT WEEK on #TNAiMPACT will now be for the Knockouts World Championship! pic.twitter.com/YnKZjb9yjx

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

Mike Santana vs Myron Reed w/Trey Miguel & Zachary Wentz

Ahh I didn’t really pay attention to Santana’s theme at Rebellion, but its pretty damn cool. Good stuff.

Rascalz blindside Santana early, but the heel advantage doesn’t last more than a few moves. Santana whips Myron from corner to corner, hits a few Hip Attacks before Myron finally dodges one and starts using his unique offense and agility to his advantage. Matrix dodge, into an Leaping Outside Back in Slingshot Codebreaker. Some more offense and Santana powders to the ramp, Myron jumps over the rope and tries a Flying Cutter, but Santana blocks it, turns things around, gets pushed forward and hits the Rolling Cutter. Santana takes out the Rascalz, heads back into the ring, Myron tries to catch him unawares but eats the Spin the Block off the rope run! Santana wins fairly quickly.

Maclin’s music hits, he tries to employ the help of The Rascalz to attack Santana, but as soon as Maclin positions himself to get in, The Rascalz bail and flip off Maclin. Maclin makes it out of the confrontation relatively unscathed, but at least we know where he’s going for Under Siege probably.

OH FUCK ME WITH RUSTY KNIVES. Because Cardona is hurt Kon is paired with SDL, and she just challenges Jordynne and PCO to a tag match. WHY!? STOP IT. This is hot garbage.

Josh Alexander comes out…I wonder who’s Super Finisher he’s gonna conveniently kick out this time? Brian Myers? Frankie Kazarian? Rich Swann? Because yes, I’m still annoyed that Hammerstone has been in TNA for half a sandwich, he already connects with a Super version of his finish on tacks, and that’s not a finish. Oh Kaz’s music hits. Okay, so time for Josh to kick out of Fade to Black or Flux Capacitor. Kaz talks smack, says he won his match too so he should have a say in who’s number one contender. Josh challenges him, Kaz says not right now, but a referee runs out and says the match is official.

#1 Contender: Frankie Kazarian vs Josh Alexander

Kaz throws his jacket on Josh’s head, and attacks him with some strikes before Josh fights back and throws Kaz out. Commercial break, we see Kaz misses his Apron Guillotine, Josh goes for the Low Crossbody but Kaz dodges and Josh goes flying. Kaz starts throwing some chops and claws at the cauliflowered ears of Josh. Russian Leg Sweep from Kaz for a near fall. Josh swings wildly and Kaz ducks the strike and levels Josh with a Lariat.

Josh blocks a Vertical Suplex attempt, but Frankie pulls off a Fisherman’s Suplex after a few overhead strikes for a near fall. Josh stands up and connects with a straight right, rocks Kaz, Back Body Drop, into a Charging Forearm, Rolling Senton, 2 count! C4 Spike attempt countered into a Back Stabber and then Chicken Wing, but Josh fights it off, rolls through and into an Ankle Lock, Kaz kicks off and into a Head and Arm Cradle for a near fall and then the Guillotine Leg Drop into Slingshot DDT spot from Kaz for another 2 count!

Fade to Black, but its fought off, Big Boot but then Kaz counters the next move with a Power Slam into the Springboard Guillotine Leg Drop, but Josh grabs the Ankle Lock! Locomotion German Suplex time from Josh, Halfhatch Suplex after the Germans, floats over for a 2 count! C4 Spike attempt again, but Kaz fights it off, dumps him over the top rope, slingshots him in and into the Cutter for a near fall for Kaz! After the 2 Kaz grabs a chair and chain, the referee stops the chair of course, so he tries the chain, EY runs down and grabs the chain so Kaz pulls the Eddie Guerrero and the referee admonishes EY, but doesn’t DQ Josh. So as Kaz is busy laughing at EY, Josh picks the ankle, Ankle Lock with the Grapevine, Kaz taps.

Tensions are sky-high between @alexhammerstone and @JakeSomething_! #TNAiMPACT pic.twitter.com/LLCUJOCy7H

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

ASH by Elegance vs Xia Brookside

Both are jawing at each other and then throw hands before Xia gets the upper hand with a Headscissors from the Top Turnbuckle, Charging Knees, a Flurry of Kicks, but when the ref forces some space in the corner, ASH is finally able to dodge and work over Xia with her Twisting Body Splash, a few choking moves, a corner Stomp into a Snap Suplex for 2. ASH is in charge elegantly, but the referee keeps forcing space on both of them when they go for corner attacks. Xia manages to take advantage a little, but ASH regains control, kicks Xia up the ramp and then lands her Cartwheel Back Elbow up the ramp. It actually looks pretty cool executed like that.

Headlocks and Hair Pulling to keep Xia down and using energy to kick out. ASH is getting frustrated but Xia is remaining persistent. ASH goes back to the Headlock, but Xia fights up, Jawbreaker, Back Elbow, Kick to the gut and Drop Toe Hold sends ASH face first into the middle buckle. Xia rips off 4 Double Knee Smashes to the back of ASH’s head into her Flying Crossbody for a close 2! Xia pulls her up, but ASH spins out, then Xia slips it, but ASH kicks her in the chest and deposits her to the outside and demands a count from the referee. Iceman puts Jeweled Knuckles/Rings on ASH’s hand, the referee catches her, removes the stuff from her fingers and Xia hits the School Girl Roll-Up for the flash win.

Fraud has thrown the Ballot Box Battle into chaos, but also paved the way for an explosive showdown between @TheTreyMiguel and @The_Ace_Austin NEXT WEEK to determine the #1 Contender for the X Division Championship! #TNAiMPACT pic.twitter.com/lYHrtgNrc3

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

Sami Callihan vs The Good Hands

So the Good Hand Jobs are about to do their job to Sami. I’m just gonna assume Sami beats the hell out of both and wins with a Cactus Driver ’97. If anything interesting happens I might actually cover it, but come on now.

.@SteveMaclin has a proposition for @FrankieKazarian #TNAiMPACT pic.twitter.com/XY6lMdmSWo

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

Kaz makes a Metallica reference with the “Wash Your Back So You Won’t Stab Mine”…and Sweet Amber is the only good song on St. Anger. So…I ain’t mad.

Eddie Edwards w/Alisha Edwards & Brian Myers vs Nic Nemeth

A little early ground wrestling and headlocks for control from both men. Nothing super flashy to start until we get to the rope run and Nemeth goes for the Flying Body Press to drop Eddie. Before Nemeth can follow up, Lish grabs his foot. Nic does have his brother Ryan in the crowd, trying to get chants going and do the old school ‘power up the babyface’ thing, but Eddie has been in control since Lish got involved. Simple offense, chokes, strikes, Snap Suplexes, Knee Drops, simple yet effective. But then Eddie ducks his head too early, Nemeth kicks him in the face, bounces his head off the buckles a few times, Dropkick sends Eddie reeling to the corner, Nemeth starts the 10 Count Punches but Myers hits the apron to distract and Eddie manages to slip the situation and push Nemeth to the floor.

Commercial break happens, Nemeth is trying to fight back with Chops, but a Kitchen Sink from Eddie puts Nemeth on the floor again! Clubbing blow from Eddie, but Eddie then misses the Hip Attack in the corner and Nemeth counters with the Rude Awakening into the 10 Count Rain of Elbows. Fame Ass-er miss, Eddie tries something but Nemeth turns it into that hesitation DDT for 2! Tuning up the band starts to build and Eddie powders to avoid it. Nemeth throws Eddie back in, goes to the top, but Eddie crotches him, rises up and hits the Superplex into Tiger Driver for 2! Eddie starts mocking with Tuning Up the band but Nemeth hits his own Superkick into an Olympic Slam for 2!

Both men just trade strikes Fighting Spirit style, Eddie says “Always Trust the System” and Nemeth shuts him up with a Headbutt. Danger Zone is blocked, Boston Knee Party gets ducked, they level each other with Lariats! Myers and Ryan Nemeth start fighting to distract the referee, Moose hits the ring and hits Nemeth with the belt. Eddie lands Boston Knee Party and The System wins again!

Overall Score: 6/10

A lame opening segment, a squash match, ASH by Elegance getting her first loss, and a weird way of just pulling the number one contender out of mid air makes for an awkward show. Also Kon still be involved in, literally anything, is negative. However, I can say there was a ton of stuff thrown at the wall this episode, so there’s a chance that some things landed better with other people than myself. The ballot segments were amusing, they overused the “I need to talk to you Santino” gimmick a bit much and personally I feel like having Jake versus Hammerstone is booking yourself into a weird corner.

But hey, the main event was fun, Nemeth getting laid out to the point that there could be a story reason to take him out of the Under Siege match. Kaz with the Metallica reference was pop worthy and I guess its a lot of ‘let’s see where it goes’ kind of angle creation. So it wasn’t complete trash, but its definitely a wait and see episode.

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!