Coverage

Mitchell’s WWE NXT Report! (1/31/18)

Published

6 years ago

January 31, 2018

Steven Mitchell

All images courtesy of the WWE Network streaming service.

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Lacey Evans VS Nikki Cross; Nikki wins.
TM61 VS The Ealy Brothers; TM61 wins.
WWE United Kingdom Championship #1 Contenders Match: Tyler Bate VS Roderick Strong; Strong wins and will challenge Pete Dunne for the WWE UKC.

PLAY BY PLAY

NXT raised the bar again with TakeOver: Philadelphia!

From Dream outlasting the Knockout Artist, to Aleister making Adam Cole #FadetoBlak to the extreme. From Ember Moon outsmarting the Queen of Spades to the Queen of Spades taking her down out of rage. And biggest of all, from Johnny Wrestling coming up short to then be reminded of his painful past. What is the next step for the brand brandishing yellow-and-black?

Lacey Evans VS Nikki Cross!

The Lady of NXT takes offense with the various “unladylike” superstars of NXT’s Women’s Division. First on her list is the Crazy Celtic Lass of SAnitY. Will the Model Soldier straighten NXT out one woman at a time?

The bell rings, and Crazy Cross runs Lacey over with a crossbody! She thrashes and punches Lacey, but then they both stand up and Lacey knocks Nikki down with a big roundhouse! Nikki rolls out of the ring, Lacey pursues, but Nikki trips her up and traps her in the apron skirt! Nikki then hammers away with clubbing forearms while the referee tries to stop her.

The referee pulls Nikki off while the fans fire up for the loony lass! She puts Lacey in the ring, Lacey scrambles to a corner but Nikki grabs her hair and pulls on it while sitting on the top rope. The referee reprimands her again, but Lacey takes care of Nikki by yanking her off the buckles and to the mat! Lacey covers, ONE, so she tries again, TWO. Nikki grins while Lacey scowls, and that both confuses and upsets Lacey. Lacey pounces and hammers away, then backs off to compose herself. Nikki gets to a corner, fans boo while Lacey runs in, Lacey hits a wrecking ball bronco buster!

She climbs up and flips her long blonde hair before flipping back, but her moonsault flops as Nikki rolls away! Nikki fires herself up with slaps, and the fans fire up with her. She runs out again and rallies with forearm smashes. She tackles Lacey and hammers away before beating her own chest. Nikki then brings Lacey up, for the swinging fisherman neckbreaker!

Nikki wins! Lacey’s attempts at “cleaning up” the Division are off to a rough start, can she turn it around in the coming weeks?

Exclusive backstage interview with Shayna Baszler from TakeOver: Philadelphia.

Though the Queen of Spades lost her NXT Women’s Championship challenge fair and square, she went right after Ember Moon with her Kirafuda Lock. Can she explain why she did what she did? Ember didn’t win, she survived, and barely. Go see Ember in medical and see who’s the winner here. Strong words to follow her actions, is Shayna confident that she’ll get a second shot at the title?

Exclusive backstage footage of The Undisputed Era.

While the NXT Tag Team Champions, Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish, retained their titles against the intimidating Authors of Pain, Adam Cole was not so fortunate. He lost his Extreme Rules match with Aleister Black, even after O’Reilly & Fish interfered on his behalf. They felt they had this TakeOver sweep in the bag given how they dealt with AoP. TakeOvers are their stage, but SAnitY ruined that. And now they’ll pay! However, Undisputed Era may want to think before they speak, as SAnitY gets their contractual NXT Tag Team Championship rematch next week! Will things come crumbling down for the trio that vowed to #ShockTheSystem?

Exclusive backstage interview with Velveteen Dream.

The Patrick Clark Experience may not have fulfilled his promise of a 30-seconds-or-less knockout victory, but he still won against Kassius Ohno to kick off TakeOver. Does he feel he underestimated Ohno given it took longer than he said? Dream knows what he said, and Ohno knows what Dream said, which is why Ohno knocked Dream’s mouth guard out. But in the end, the NXT Universe knows what his trunks say: Dream Over. Good talk.

TM61 VS The Ealy Brothers!

Shane Thorne & Nick Miller make their anticipated return to NXT’s Tag Team Division! Can The Mighty continue to prove that #TheMightyDon’tKneel?

Miller starts against Uriel, as noted by how the tattoo is on Uriel’s left arm. The bell rings and Uriel knees and clubs Miller to a corner. Miller slips out and chops back to put Uriel in TM’s corner. Thorne tags in and TM61 double whips to double chop him down. Then together they hit the standing moonsault and fist drop. Uriel gets out of the ring and regroups with his twin, Gabriel. Gabriel moves to enter but Miller dropkicks him back out. Miller then holds the rope down for Thorne to FLY!

The Mighty are fired up, as is Philadelphia, and Thorne gets Uriel back in before tagging Miller. The fans chant “T M 6 1!” while Miller whips Thorne in for a corner clothesline, then Miller runs in to give one of his own. Miller keeps on Uriel with forearm strikes, but then the referee backs him up. In that opening, the Ealy Brothers pull some Twin Magic! Gabriel is the one that boots Miller down! Thorne protests but the referee can’t tell the difference. Gabriel rocks Miller with a right hand then officially tags Uriel back in. The Ealy Brothers each hit a corner clothesline then Gabriel hits Thorne with a cheap shot. They return to Miller for a double hair-pull mat slam. Cover from the real Gabriel, TWO. The Ealy Brothers are annoyed but Gabriel keeps on Miller with a clubbing forearm. Miller ends up in the Ealy corner but then fights out. He heads for his corner but Gabriel sends him back to the Ealy corner, but Miller still fights out with a big lariat! Tag to Thorne, who rallies on the Ealys! The fans fire up as he gives a running European Uppercut to Gabriel, then dodges Uriel to send him into his brother. Thorne goes corner to corner, and sandwiches both Ealys with a running calf kick!

Thorne keeps moving, BIG cannonball on Uriel! Gabriel returns, but Thorne is ready, he ducks the punch to then hit a saido suplex! Tag to Miller, Miller climbs up, for a BIG Moonsault!

Cover, but Uriel breaks the cover. Thorne dropkicks Uriel right out of the ring, then The Mighty bring Gabriel up for Thunder Valley!!

TM61 win! Miller & Thorne are back and perhaps better than ever, can they make their way to the NXT Tag Team Championships?

Backstage interview with TM61.

They won their NXT return, and they both know that fans have learned a lot about them thanks to the biographical video packages. What TM61 now is even more than just TM61, they are once again The Mighty, and like always, The Mighty Don’t Kneel! Can TMDK keep impressing the NXT Universe with every match?

Exclusive backstage footage of Tommaso Ciampa after his shocking NXT return.

NXT Paparazzi tries to talk with the “Blackheart” Psycho Killer, asking “Why Ciampa Why?” Ciampa will not reply, but his shirt may say it all. “This is My Moment.” Will Ciampa continue to violently make Gargano’s moments his own?

Exclusive backstage interview with Andrade Almas and Zelina Vega after the Royal Rumble.

El Idolo blew up the internet when he made a shocking entry into the Men’s Rumble match. The NXT Champion didn’t win, but how does it feel in this “whirlwind weekend” of theirs? Do you not see who you’re talking to? This is “the real” Andrade Almas. He defended the title and entered the Rumble. And El Idolo says this is only the beginning. Not to mention, where is Johnny Wrestling in all this? Nowhere! If a Rumble surprise was just the beginning, what do Almas & Vega have planned for the Road to Wrestlemania?

WWE United Kingdom Championship #1 Contenders Match: Tyler Bate VS Roderick Strong!

The inaugural WWE UK Champion wants a way back to the title after the British Bruiserweight turned him away in their last rematch. Will it be a fellow countryman or a Yank that challenges Pete Dunne at a later date?

The bell rings and the two tie up. Strong gets the arm and wristlock, Tyler rolls and spins to pry himself loose and reverse the lock. Tyler flips Strong then rolls to remain in control of the wrist while fans duel. Tyler stands Strong up and whips, but Strong goes up and over to shove Tyler. Things speed up, Tyler drops Strong with a dropkick, then handsprings and tweezes his mustache. He returns to Strong for the fireman’s carry and right into the airplane spin! Around and around but the flight plan isn’t as long as usual. Strong staggers to a corner, Tyler runs in but Strong puts him on the apron. Tyler throws in a shoulder but Strong catches him into a double underhook, and a backbreaker!

Cover, TWO, but Strong keeps focus as he stomps Tyler. He brings Tyler up and bumps him off a buckle before giving him a sharp chop. Strong keeps on Tyler with more chops, Tyler responds so Strong chops him and gives him another backbreaker! Another cover, TWO! Strong drags Tyler up, and gives him another sharp chop, then a stiff kick. Tyler fights back but gets kicked down, then Strong digs in a knee to Tyler’s chin. The fans duel for both men while Tyler endures the “can opener”. He works up to his feet and fights back with body shots, then a headbutt. Tyler runs and crossbodies but Strong catches him! Strong gives Tyler another backbreaker, then throws him into a corner!

Cover, TWO, and Strong grows frustrated. He keeps Tyler down while we go to break.

NXT returns, and Strong brings Tyler up in a chinlock. Tyler fights back and gets free, but Strong hooks an arm and bends Tyler back in a modified Bow ‘n’ Arrow lock!

Tyler endures the stretch, even as Strong gets the chin into it! Strong bends Tyler as deep as he can but fans build to a rally that gives Tyler new life. He slips out, and though Tyler is on his knees, they brawl with stiff shots back and forth. Tyler gives Strong a jawbreaker, but Strong responds with a sharp chop. Bop up, BANG out!

The fans applaud while both men sit down. They then build to a rally as both men stand up. Tyler gives EuroUpper after EuroUpper, then whips but Strong reverses, only for Tyler to run Strong over with a boot! Strong flounders to a corner, Tyler runs in corner to corner, big EuroUpper. They go corner to corner but Strong reverses again. Tyler stops him in place, gives him an enziguri then hops up for a flying knee strike! Delayed German Suplex with bridge, TWO! Now Tyler grows frustrated, but the fans keep dueling with chants. The two men stand up again, Strong blocks the exploder suplex and rocks Tyler with elbows. Strong swings at Tyler again but Tyler catches him in that exploder suplex!

Tyler kip-up to Shooting Star press! Cover, TWO! Tyler gets back up while Strong crawls. He gets to a corner and climbs up, but Strong goes after him. Strong climbs up, but Tyler resists and fights back. Strong falls down, Tyler adjusts, but Strong yanks him off for the cradling backbreaker!

Cover, TWO! But Strong doesn’t slow down, he drags Tyler back up, double underhook but Tyler reverses the bomb into a huricanrana, then rocks Strong with the rolling kick! Strong rests against ropes, boots Tyler back then enziguris him, too. He swings but Tyler ducks and rebounds, but Strong counters the lariat into the full-nelson lift, but Tyler counters that with a crucifix pin! TWO, Strong jumps for the knee but Tyler evades, to then hit the rebound lariat!

Cover, TWO and a half! Tyler cannot believe it, but the fans know “This is Awesome!” They cheer for “NXT! NXT!” as the two men slowly stir. Tyler gets himself up while fans return to declaring “This is Awesome!” He brings Strong up, but his bad back slows him down. Tyler tries the double underhook but his back won’t allow it. Strong trips Tyler up and attempts to roll him for the submission! Tyler twists and flips Strong over, unique cover, TWO! Jumping knee from Strong rocks Tyler, then he gives another in the form of a corner Shining Wizard! Strong shows no signs of slowing as he lifts Tyler for the running mat slam! Philly fires up as Strong fires up! He brings Tyler back up, for a massive End of Heartache!!

Strong wins!! The AMERICAN shall challenge for the United Kingdom Championship! Can he break the Bruiserweight and make major WWE history?!

My Thoughts:

What a great post-TakeOver NXT! Especially since it felt like NXT figured out how to do this without the recap dragging on. Great post-TakeOver interview promos with both winners and losers, and each one did great to build character and story. As for tonight’s action, all three matches were solid quality and went up with each one, as a match card should. The opening match of Lacey VS Nikki was good, but I actually feel a little bad that Lacey didn’t win to give her “Make NXT Proper Again” some validity; it’s hard to take a Heel with a mission serious when their fail out of the starting gate. Maybe she and Nikki will have more matches and Lacey wins out in the end, but it seems an odd choice to already make this a case of “wrestler establishes a goal, yet never reaches it.” However, TM61 returning to win against the physically impressive Ealy Twins is great, and the fans are already back in love with The Mighty. We know the NXT Tag Team Championships are already back on the line next week, so perhaps if reDRagon finds a way to turn away SAnitY, TM61 can spring right up into contention on the way to ‘Mania. Then we got an amazing main event of Bate VS Strong, with an even more amazing surprise that Strong wins! Gargano was already the first American to challenge Pete Dunne, but Strong is a great choice to be the second. Dunne VS Strong will be just as great, if not better than this match tonight. However, I still don’t see an American winning the UK Championship this early into the title’s short history. The crossover is great, though, just like featuring Bate and Strong in the Cruiserweight Championship tournament, and it’s good signs of further integrating the UK Division into regularly scheduled WWE programming.

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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AEW Coverage

Mitchell’s AEW Collision Results & Report! (4/27/24)

It’s a slam dunk!

Published

14 mins ago

April 27, 2024

Steven Mitchell

Guns up for all the Jacksonville Gold Members!

Another three hour block of All Elite Wrestling starts with a Collision! But will the Bang Bang Gang still be the best three man unit ever? Or will Top Flight go from the coldest to the goldest trio in the game?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

The Acclaimed VS Grizzled Young Veterans; win.
Toni Storm w/ Mariah May & Luther VS Anna Jay; wins.
Unified AEW & ROH World Trios Championships: Bullet Club Gold VS Top Flight; wins and

PLAY BY PLAY

[Coverage will begin after the NBA Playoffs on TNT]

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

Coverage

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

It’s Draft Day!

Published

1 day 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; Cody 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?

Backstage interview with Nick Aldis.

Kayla is with the SmackDown GM and says that with night one in the books, how does he feel about SmackDown’s selections? He feels really good about them. SmackDown’s future is bright, he can’t wait for the new recruits to show up and show out for the blue brand. But he also wants to turn attentions to Backlash, because he’s got some new matches to announce! The first PLE in France, this is exciting stuff, Kayla. Aldis says that the WWE Women’s Championship will now be on the line in a Triple Threat! Bayley VS Naomi VS Tiffany Stratton! Will the odds make it that much harder for the Role Model to succeed?

There’s one more match to announce, but Aldis will let the GM GOAT take it from here. Teddy Long steps in, and don’t forget. We’ll talk about this tag team match. The Bloodline VS Kevin Owens & Randy Orton! Holla, players. Solo & Tama will have to face The Viper and the Prizefighter, will #RKKO strike fast and strike hard?

Cody Rhodes VS Carmelo Hayes!

The American Nightmare just put pen to paper for his match with the Phenomenal One, but he isn’t one to shy away from a challenge. The former NXT Champion is shooting his shot, but will this be nothing but net? Or will it be a frustrating airball?

The bell rings and the two circle. They tie up, the fans rally for Cody as he puts Melo in a corner then arm-drags him away. Melo runs up, Cody headlocks, Melo powers out then drops. Melo hurdles, but Cody kicks low to RHODES UPPERCUT! Melo staggers to ropes, the fans fire up, but then melo throat chops and springboard FLYING LARIATS! Melo says that’s why he’s a first round pick! But then Cody CLOBBERS him! Cody asks if Melo’s ready for this, and SmackDown goes to break.

SmackDown returns once again and Cody has a headlock. Cody hits a takeover, Melo flails and kicks around, but Cody grinds him down. Melo pushes with his forearm, then headscissors, but Cody kips free. Melo CHOPS, the fans “WOO~!” but Cody brushes himself off. Melo pie faces Cody! Cody fires forearms on Melo, then whips, but Melo reverses. Melo ELBOWS Cody, then runs up to KICK him in the side! Melo fires forearms and CHOPS in a corner, then throws body shots. Melo digs his boot in, the ref counts, and Cody goes to another corner. Cody eggs Melo on, Melo storms up, but Cody puts him in the corner to CHOP!

Cody swings, Melo dodges and CHOPS! Cody turns things around to CHOP! The fans rally, Cody whips corner to corner, then he back drops Melo away! Melo staggers up, Cody runs, and he rallies on Melo with forearms! Cody goes up and over in a corner but Melo tilt-o-whirls, LA MYSTICA! Melo springboards, FADE AWAY! Cover, TWO! Cody survives that flying DDT, but we see the NXT roster all fired up watching Melo take it to the champ. Melo sits Cody up, drags him into a facelock, but the fans rally for Cody. Cody fireman’s carries but Melo slips free to dragon sleeper! Melo grins, but Cody cradles! TWO!!

Melo swings, Cody boots, then Cody springboards to BEAUTIFUL DISASTER! Melo flips inside-out, Cody covers, TWO! Melo is still in this and he snarls up at Cody. Melo gives a forearm, Cody gives it back, and the fans rally up. Cody scoops Melo, storms around, and then hits a RUNNING POWERSLAM! Cover, TWO! Melo survives and Cody grows frustrated. Cody pounds the mat, the fans rally up, and then Cody goes to ropes. Cody springboards again, CODY CUTTER! Cover, TWO!! Melo survives yet again, proving why he’s a former NXT Champion, on top of NXT North American Champion! But then Cody drags him up!

Cody back suplexes, Melo lands out of it, then FIRST 48! Doe goes Cody and Melo goes up! Melo is setting up for the game winner! NOTHING BUT- NO, Cody avoids the flying leg drop! Melo rolls through, Cody dodges to SUPERKICK! Cody brings Melo around, but Melo gets free! They both run, both springboard, but completely miss each other, and Cody takes a rough landing! Melo drags Cody up, reels him in, but Cody wrenches out to dragon sleeper! CROSS RHODES!! Cody shakes out the bad arm but still makes the cover, and Cody wins!

Winner: Cody Rhodes, by pinfall

Melo took his shot but it was blocked! Even so, Cody sits Melo up to show him respect and tell him he’s still the future. But did this match end up more of a trap game for Cody after that crash landing? Or will he be alright in time for Backlash and his phenomenal opponent?

Speaking of, Styles sneaks right into the ring! Cody sees him in time and Styles stays back. Cody and Styles stare down, but Styles says it was that close. Styles offers a handshake, and Cody takes it. There’s still respect here, for now. But will nothing stop Styles from turning Cody’s story into a tragedy after all?

My Thoughts:

A great SmackDown to open the WWE Draft but to also set up Backlash. To recap, SmackDown took Bianca, Melo, Orton, Nia, LA Knight, The Bloodline, Styles and Andrade while Raw took Jey, Rollins, Bron, Liv, Ricochet, Sheamus, The Alpha Academy, and Kiana. Many of those choices made sense, as picks won’t be wasted on keeping champions on brands, and just need to be used to keep most stories alive and change up a few others. Kiana is perhaps one of the more surprising moves, but well-deserved. She has been a solid character and solid in-ring performer almost from the start, she’s a solid addition to Raw.

Bron of course demolished his opponent tonight, it’s just a shame it was Cedric and not local enhancement talent. But Bron will also be a good addition to Raw, but maybe he can move past his squash match phase and get right to story. Melo being a first round pick was great stuff, and he had a great promo with Cody to give us tonight’s main event. That double springboard whiff was definitely a timing problem, but at the same time, a Fade Away countered into a Cody Cutter would’ve been way too epic just for TV. Cody with a great win, and we got a really good contract signing segment, but you can bet Cody retains.

Really good tag match from LWO VS Legado but naturally Rey & Dragon won. I knew it was only a matter of time before Carlito was outed, and how he handled being exposed was pretty good. And with Andrade being drafted to SmackDown, you just know that means Andrade joins the LWO. The Final Testament attacking New Catch Republic was a wild moment, I almost thought Ellering was going to use the pliers in his hands to grab at fingers. Maybe we get that next week for SmackDown in France. Good promos from A-Town Down Under and the still technically unnamed faction of Bobby Lashley’s. As great as The Profits are, it feels like Theory & Waller will cheat to retain.

Really good promo with Tiff and Bayley to set up Naomi VS Tiff round 3, but I did not think Nia Jax would disrupt all that. A Triple Threat at Backlash is good stuff, it will protect Bayley if she loses, but can also protect Naomi and Tiff if Bayley uses them against each other to win. Good promo from Bianca that then turned into the shouting match of Bianca & Jade with Kabuki Warriors. Their tag title match is official, and I’m pretty sure Bianca & Jade win. I also liked that this segment ended up having Kevin and Tama brawl right through it. Orton saving Kevin was a great move, RKKO VS Solo & Tama is going to be awesome stuff, I can’t wait to see it.