Coverage
Mitchell’s WWE Monday Night Raw Results & Report! (4/1/19)
Raw goes all out for the Wrestlemania go-home!
Raw is NOT joking around on April Fool’s! The Beast! The Animal! The Raw Tag Team titles! And Ronda, Charlotte and Becky MUST work together as a team!
OFFICIAL RESULTS
- Eight Woman Tag: Bayley, Sasha Banks, Natalya & Beth Phoenix VS Nia Jax, Tamina & The IIconics; Bayley, Sasha, Natalya & Beth win.
- Lumberjack Match: Jinder Mahal VS Apollo Crews; Crews wins.
- Kurt Angle VS Rey Mysterio; No Contest.
- Raw Tag Team Championships: The Revival VS Aleister Black & Ricochet; The Revival win by count-out, and retain the Raw Tag Team Championships.
- Six Woman Tag: Ronda Rousey, Becky Lynch & Charlotte Flair VS The Riott Squad; Rousey, Lynch & Flair win, no ejections from the Wrestlemania Winner Takes All Championship Match.
- Bobby Roode & Chad Gable VS Heavy Machinery; Heavy Machinery wins.
- 2v1 Handicap Match: Braun Strowman VS ???; Strowman wins.
- Rey Mysterio VS Baron Corbin; Corbin wins.
PLAY BY PLAY
Stephanie McMahon returns and opens Raw!
And apparently, she has big news towards the Raw Women’s Championship Triple Threat. Stephanie stands on stage to a mixed reaction as she talks about having the biggest star back on the show: HER! April Fool’s~! But in all seriousness, for the first time in 35 years, the women will main event! And bigger yet is that it now has the NEW SmackDown Women’s Champion, Charlotte Flair. But it also has Becky Lynch, and BOTH titles will now be on the line! One woman will be THE champion, because Wrestlemania pits three of the greatest in one ring, who put their bodies on line and leave their hearts and souls on the mat. It will be #WinnerTakesAll! The biggest match in Mania history just got bigger! But will the three participants still make it there given tonight’s Six Woman stipulation?
Brock Lesnar & Paul Heyman are here!
The Beast and his Advocate are in DC just days away, and are feeling good about it, too. The fans boo while Heyman begins his usual introduction. DC echoes for the reigning, defending, undisputed Universal Heavyweight Champion, BROCK! LESNAR! And this is poetic justice that Stephanie McMahon just said “Winner Takes All”. Because the reality of the Universal Championship, the winner (Brock) will take all. The winner, Brock Lesnar, will take all Seth Rollins has to offer, will take Seth Rollins’ best shot, because Rollins is bringing nothing less. But then what? Lesnar will take everything Rollins has in life. That’s just what Lesnar does to people at Wrestlemania. Lesnar seizes the moment and defines his legacy.
Lesnar took The Undertaker’s Streak! He took the hopes and dreams of Roman Reigns when fans thought The Big Dog would dethrone him. And this year, Lesnar will take Rollins at his word that this could be Rollins’ last match ever. “Ain’t no maybe about it!” That’s not a prediction, that’s a spoiler! Those who watch hockey for the fights, who watch NASCAR for the wrecks, and footballs for the riots, Lesnar will violate Rollins and desecrate Wrestlemania! Then when Lesnar holds that title high above his head again, he will define that life is what you make of it. Lesnar and Heyman will go to dinner and simply discuss what’s next in Lesnar’s career. Heyman will tell Rollins in advance, he’s just an afterthought. But Rollins is here!
The Architect heads right to the ring and right up to Lesnar’s face. Rollins grabs himself a mic and says, “This is the biggest match of my career”, but Lesnar doesn’t realize it’s also his biggest match. Because everything will change. Lesnar won’t be able to just be the big bully he is, because no one will want him here. The locker room doesn’t want him, the fans don’t want him! Fans want Rollins to “Burn It Down!” and “Slay the Beast!” but Rollins can tell Lesnar doesn’t care. Lesnar’s made one hell of a career out of being so big, bad and smart in combat sports. And Rollins winning, that might be improbable, but it’s not impossible. Sunday at Wrestlemania, Rollins will win, will take the title, and “there’s not a damn thing you can do about it.”
But Lesnar laughs and bumps Rollins. Rollins kicks The Beast in the balls! But runs into Lesnar’s German Suplex! Lesnar is still reeling but he is standing. He lifts Rollins but Rollins slips out for ANOTHER low blow! SUPERKICK! Rollins is fired up and so is DC! CURB STOMP!! Rollins holds up the Universal Championship, but will he be holding it at the end of Wrestlemania?
Backstage interview with Seth Rollins.
He can’t low blow Lesnar on Sunday, he’ll get disqualified. Well Lesnar deserved it. And Rollins isn’t champion. Yet. But to Charli’s point, will he be champion after Lesnar gets a fair shot at him?
Eight Woman Tag: Bayley, Sasha Banks, Natalya & Beth Phoenix VS Nia Jax, Tamina & The IIconics!
The four teams vying for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships at Wrestlemania now team up to throw down 4v4! Can the Boss & Hug Connection work with The Divas of Doom long enough to defeat Peyton, Billie & The Samoan Dynasty? Or will dysfunction dismantle this match and rob the champs of momentum going into Mania?
Raw returns as the champions make their entrance, followed by their partners! Natalya and Beth Phoenix join Sasha and Bayley, and teams sort out. The Glamazon is making her return so she starts against Peyton. DC is behind her, but then Sasha tags right in? The Boss circles with Peyton and tie up. They go around and Peyton puts Sasha in a corner. Peyton knees low then slaps Sasha around. But Sasha slaps back! Sasha goes acrobatic but almost doesn’t make it for the arm-drag. She recovers and goes again for another arm-drag. Sasha tags Bayley and they crisscross whip and snapmare to double elbow drops. Bayley covers, TWO! Bayley keeps on Peyton with a wrench then tags Sasha. They double whip and assisted dropkick! Peyton tags out to Billie before Sasha can catch her.
Billie swings but into a drop toehold! Sasha drags her up to bump her on buckles. Natty tags in and then drags Billie out for a snap suplex. Cover, TWO, but Natty keeps on Billie by her hair. Tag to Beth and now the Glamazon gets some action! The Divas of Doom double whip and hip toss but Billie lands on her feet! They keep her back by hair and throw her down! Beth covers, TWO! Beth stays between Billie and her corner. She grabs an arm and wrenches Billie for a one-arm suplex! Fans cheer “You Still Got It!” but Peyton saves Billie. The IIconics both rush the Divas of Doom but Bayley and Sasha tackle them down! The champs and the challengers argue while we go to break.
Raw returns and Bayley hits Billie with a sliding lariat! She bumps Billie off buckles then runs in for a back elbow. She goes again for another elbow! But Peyton saves Billie from the knee! Billie catches the boots but gets an elbow. Bayley fights off Peyton but Billie boots her down! Tag to Peyton and she drags Bayley up and in. Peyton rains down rights then covers, TWO! The IIconics argue, but tag in. They double wrench and kick and kick Bayley down. They shout IIconic, and hit the pose! Billie throws Bayley down for a cover, TWO! The IIconics are furious but tag back in. DC rallies for Bayley as she takes a double buckle bump! Peyton toys with Bayley then mocks the fans. Peyton grinds her boot into Bayley then lets up at 4.
Fans continue to rally but now that Peyton wants to tag the Samoan Dynasty, they refuse! Billie tags in and the IIconics mug Bayley. Nia and Tamina let Billie take care of things, but Billie gets thrown out! Billie shouts at the Samoan Dynasty, but then turns into a hotshot! Bayley crawls to her corner, but Beth shoves Sasha away to take the tag! The Glamazon tackles Peyton to a corner! She throws Peyton around then clotheslines her! She hits Billie, too! And boots Nia away! Peyton swings but misses, to run into a powerslam! Fans fire up for Beth, but Tamina dumps her out! Beth glares at Tamina and chases her down! And tackles her THROUGH the barriers!!
DC loses its mind, and even the other superstars do. But Beth is the legal competitor so she has to get to the ring! Peyton fetches her to put her in the ring. Peyton slaps Beth around, but Beth stops her with one hand! And reels her in for the GLAM SLAM! Cover, Beth and team win!
Winners: Bayley, Sasha Banks, Natalya & Beth Phoenix, Phoenix pinning
The Glamazon’s debut is successful in the biggest way possible! She and the Queen of Harts are coming for those titles, does the Boss & Hug Connection stand a chance of keeping them?
Batista arrives!
The Animal returns to his hometown of DC, but what will he say this close to Wrestlemania?
Batista heads to the ring!
The Animal walks down the ramp to an ovation from his hometown crowd. After how quickly things got personal between him and The Game, this Sunday, Wrestlemania will be No Holds Barred, for Triple H’s career! Batista picks up a mic and has the spotlight on him. He takes his time while fans cheer and say “Welcome Back!” He doesn’t say a word, he just cues a video package. “There is nothing this man hasn’t done in this business! Except beat me.” Batista VS HHH over the years, in all the different match types, in all the ways The Animal bested The Cerebral Assassin. Back in the present, Batista takes off his sunglasses and speaks. “Hunter. Kiss my ass.” Mic drop, glasses back on. The Animal doesn’t need to say anything more, but what will it take to finally end The Game?
Ladies and Gentlemen: Elias.
The Drifter is right outside MetLife Stadium ahead of Wrestlemania. There will be no interruptions. Just a full stadium watching Elias. “Oh~ Walk With Elias~!” DC echoes Elias, but Elias says that won’t be while he’s playing. Fans will silence their phones, hold their applause and shut their mouths. Beyonce, Springstein, U2, no one will remember them. They’ll talk about Elias. And they wont’ talk about Rollins, Becky or Kofi, they’ll talk about Elias’ moment. They’ll be talking about when 80 thousand chose to Walk With Elias.
Lumberjack Match: Jinder Mahal VS Apollo Crews!
The Modern Day Maharaja and the rising star will both be in the Andre the Giant Battle Royal, but so will all the men surrounding the ring, except perhaps the Singh Brothers. The tensions run high as the bell rings, who gains momentum into the memorial match at Mania?
Mahal attacks Crews right away with big hands! He whips and runs Crews over, but only the Singhs cheer. Mahal drives elbows in then puts on a neck wrench. Crews gets up but Mahal brings him back down. Mahal grinds Crews down with a headlock but fans rally for Crews. Crews gets up but Mahal holds on to drive in more elbows. Even lumberjacks start rallying for Crews as he endures the chinlock. Crews back suplexes Mahal down and frees himself! Mahal stands but Crews mule kicks and bicycle boots. Crews dodges Mahal to then clothesline and kip up! Crews climbs up top and frog splashes! Cover, Crews wins!
Winner: Apollo Crews, by pinfall
The Lumberjacks didn’t even have to lift a finger! Will Crews cruise on into New York to put his name on Andre’s statue?
The B-Team come in and claim they’ll be the ones. The Ascension do, too, and a brawl breaks out! This is just a sample of things to come as The B-Team is tossed out! Titus fights the Ascension now and throws them out. Rhyno helps out, but EC3 throws him out. The Lucha House Party work together on Titus O’Neil while Crews tosses EC3! Titus Worldwide reunites and works together to dump out Lucha House Party! But Mahal returns to throw Titus out! Mahal and the SIngh Brothers want revenge on Crews, but he throws Samir, then Sunil out. Mahal tries but gets an enziguri! Crews sees Sunil is still here, so he trophy lifts him, and throws him onto his brother! Will Crews be the one left at the end? Or will things be very different with Braun Strowman in the ring?
Kurt Angle VS Rey Mysterio!
The Olympic Gold Medalist keeps his Farewell Tour going even this close to Wrestlemania! And he’ll face one of his greatest and fastest rivals ever in the King of Lucha Libre! But before the match, Angle picks up a mic to speak.
“This is my last night ever here on Monday Night Raw. And I’d like you to know how appreciative I am for the good times, the bad times.” There have been boos and even cheers, so from the bottom of his heart, Angle wants to thank the fans. Fans thank him back. And now, Raw celebrates Angle’s career with a special video package. From a gold-medal win with a broken freakin’ neck to an instant mega star in pro-wrestling, “he’s something special.” Red, white and blue, the Three I’s, King of the Ring and Grand Slam Champion, multiple Wrestlemanias and more, and even some laughs along the way. But then a second neck injury, a pain killer addiction, and a step away from the WWE, Angle came back to be a Hall of Famer! #ThankYouKurt, “Oh it’s true, it’s damn true.”
Angle is barely holding in the tears as the fans give him an even bigger ovation. But then Baron Corbin comes out to ruin the mood. Corbin has his own mic as he mocks the feel good moment. He doesn’t know who made the video, but it should’ve been in black-and-white, because it’s ancient history. That angle isn’t the one in the ring. The one in the ring struggles to take a jacket off. The one in the ring can barely go a few minutes. This Angle can’t hang with a superstar of today as big, strong, fast and just plain better, like Corbin. But on another note, Corbin is a bit annoyed with these fans here filling social media with “Kurt Angle deserves better!” Fans tell Corbin “Yes He Does!” and “We Want Cena!”
Corbin says this won’t change anything. Forget the old Angle, because the last image of this Angle will be a “broken down old man” down on the mat! Angle says they will have their match on Sunday. But as his last Raw wrestling, how about they have an exhibition sampler? Corbin marches down to the ring, but tells Angle with a big grin, “That’s the old Angle intensity, but where’s the intelligence?” If Corbin goes at him now, Angle won’t make it to Sunday. They’ll just have to wait. But here comes Angle’s scheduled opponent, Rey Mysterio!
Mysterio hits the ring and borrows the mic to tell Corbin, “Aight, we get it. You don’t want to fight Kurt tonight. But someone definitely needs to teach you a lesson in respect.” If it’s okay with Kurt, Mysterio should take Corbin tonight. Corbin doesn’t want to, but then he sucker punches Mysterio! Angle throws hands on Corbin but Corbin standing switches. Mysterio seated sentons Corbin! Angle gets Corbin with an Angle Slam! Corbin is sent running, but will he really ruin Angle’s farewell on Sunday?
Backstage interview with Charlotte Flair!
The Queen and NEW SmackDown Women’s Champion now has to put her new title on the line. Is she concerned by that at all? Someone should ask Asuka how she feels about losing this title first. And then at Wrestlemania, everyone will be shocked when Charlotte breaks Becky and taps Ronda out. Stephanie changed the match between Charlotte changed the game. And the winner that takes all will be Charlotte. Then how about tonight’s Six Woman Tag? Can she keep her cool? Does she look worried? Charlotte is professional, not a hot head like Becky or a loose cannon like Ronda. But after they win, those two better stay away or they won’t make it to Mania anyway. The Queen is confident, but is she too confident this close to the Showcase of the Immortals?
Raw Tag Team Championships: The Revival VS Aleister Black & Ricochet!
Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson have been on the defensive against this unexpected duo from NXT. Now they’ll have to be extra defensive in defending their tag titles this close to Wrestlemania! Meanwhile, the Embodiment of the End and the King of Flight are already competing for NXT Tag Team Championships at TakeOver: New York this Friday! Will they be going into that match as main roster champs on top of it?
Raw returns as The Revival make their entrance. Introductions are made, the belts are raised, and we begin! Teams sort out and Aleister starts against Dawson. They circle and tie up, and Dawson puts Aleister in a corner. Aleister turns it around then fakes a punch to make Dawson flinch. Aleister backs off and circles with Dawson again. They tie up and Aleister gets a headlock. Dawson reaches but Aleister keeps him from Dash. Dawson knees low and CHOPS hard! He snapmares Aleister and runs him over. Things speed up and Dawson elbows Aleister back. Dawson drags Aleister by his hair and tags in Dash. Dawson feeds Aleister do Dash’s knees, then Dash CHOPS Aleister! Dash throws European Uppercuts, then whips Aleister. Aleister grabs ropes and kicks back. He sweeps the legs and Oklahoma rolls! TWO, but Aleister arm-drags Dash down!
Dash endures the armlock but Aleister brings him over to tag in Ricochet. Ricochet takes the hand-off to a wrench and brings Dash down to the mat. Dash gets up but Ricochet wrenches again. Ricochet throws elbows but Dash knees back. Tag to Dawson and the #TopGuys mug Ricochet with double headbutts. Dawson stomps Ricochet then CHOPS him against ropes! Dawson taunts Aleister but goes back to Ricochet to choke him against the ropes. Dash tags in but Ricochet shoulders him back. Ricochet heads for his corner but Dash keeps him away. Tag to Dawson, but Ricochet dodges the Revival to roll off and DOUBLE huricanrana! Tag to Aleister and the Unexpected Duo goes after Dawson. They speed things up, kitchen sink to basement, then double hip toss Dash onto Dawson! Cover, TWO!
Aleister keeps on Dawson but Dawson puts him on the apron. Aleister fights The Revival off but Dawson hotshots the arm! The Revival get control back while we go to break.
Raw returns and Dash hot tags Dawson! Dawson slides to intercept Aleister into a Northern Lights Suplex! Bridging cover, TWO! Dawson keeps on Aleister with a mounted armlock to a Fujiwara. Aleister endures as Dawson pulls back on the fingers and wrist. Dawson shifts to a hammerlock but Aleister fights his way up. Fans rally as Dawson leans on Aleister, but Aleister elbows back. Dawson suplexes but Aleister slips out. Aleister tries to lift but that bad arm keeps him from doing it. So he sweeps the legs! Dash tags in and drops on Aleister! Aleister still reaches but has to punch Dash away, too. Aleister uses a leg to get free and hot tags Ricochet! The One and Only rallies on Dash then on Dawson! Jumping neckbreaker for Dawson, then he lands out of the suplex to roll Dash! TWO, cradle, TWO!!
Dash swings but misses, and Ricochet dropkicks him into Dawson! Ricochet victory rolls, TWO! Dash narrowly escapes but Ricochet keeps his focus. Ricochet drags Dash and rolls him, but TWO into Dawson’s cheap shot! Dash gets Ricochet in a Gory Special, Gory BOMB! Cover, TWO!! Ricochet lives and The Revival can’t believe it! Fans are loving this, though, as Ricochet crawls. Dash drags Ricochet over but Ricochet is dead weight. “This is Awesome!” as Aleister drags Dawson down! Dash grabs Aleister but Aleister hits back. Aleister fights with them both, but breaks free of the chicken wing to knee trigger Dawson! Dash hits a tornado DDT! Ricochet FLIES over the corner!! Fans lose their minds over such insane athleticism!
But a ten count begins as all four men are down on the outside. Ricochet and Dash hurry at 5 but keep each other from reentering. Dash tackles Ricochet into barriers then hops in at 7. Ricochet stands at 8 but Dawson trips him up! The challengers are counted out, The Revival win!
Winners: The Revival, by count-out;Â still Raw Tag Team Champions
The #TopGuys used every trick in the book, and it worked out in their favor! But Aleister hits Dash with a BLACK MASS! Ricochet feeds Dawson to a second BLACK MASS! Then Aleister drags Dawson to a drop zone for Ricochet’s 630 Senton! The Unexpected may not have won these tag titles, but will they go on to NXT TakeOver: New York to take those titles?
Backstage interview with Ronda Rousey.
The Baddest Woman is in no mood. She’ll destroy the Riott Squad by herself while Charlotte and Becky watch. And it doesn’t matter what stipulations are on the match, Wrestlemania Sunday becomes Judgment Day for The Man and The Queen. Unless they foolishly try to provoke her tonight. Will these combustible elements really keep from exploding this close to the Mania main event?
Alexa Bliss talks with Tyler Breeze.
The new hairstyle is amazing, he’s like a cuter Hemsworth. EC3 is there, too, as Alexa props herself up about being the Wrestlemania host. There is so much going on, like the Women’s Triple Threat main event, #Kofimania, and now the celebrity level of Andre the Giant Battle Royal. EC3 laughs over thinking about the SNL Weekend Update. But then Braun Strowman comes by and no one laughs. They tell Strowman it was those guys over there watching Weekend Update. Strowman storms over to the two guys holding a tablet. Strowman will pretend their Michael Che and Colin Jost. Meet him in the ring or he’ll just hunt them down so they can #GetTheseHands.
Backstage interview with Roman Reigns.
The Big Dog is recovering from Drew McIntyre’s Claymore kick that rung his bell, as well as a low blow, leading to a Claymore. The Shield did great at Fastlane, but is he okay to make it to Mania? Is Drew the one saying this stuff? Drew doesn’t know Roman. Roman is 100% and- McIntyre attacks!! The Scottish Terminator will not allow Roman to have even a moment of momentum! “You should’ve said no, Roman!” McIntyre throws Roman into trunks! McIntyre wants Roman to be haunted by him up until Wrestlemania! Security gets McIntyre to back off, and Roman drags himself back up. Will Roman get revenge on McIntyre once and for all?
Six Woman Tag: Ronda Rousey, Becky Lynch & Charlotte Flair VS The Riott Squad!
Ruby, Liv and Sarah may not even need to do all that much against such a dysfunctional and tense trio. Will the champ, The Man, and the other champ be able to coexist long enough to win?
Raw returns as Charli interviews Becky at gorilla position. The Man cuts to the chase: Sunday, Becky walks out of MetLife the first ever dual women’s champion. And she knows Charlotte runs her giant mouth, but who cares what she has to say? And as for weird little Ronnie, she got her God Complex triggered, and now she’s at her most vulnerable. The McMahons are forcing the three to work together, in hopes Becky loses her cool and gets kicked out of Mania. But she’s wise to the mind-games. She’s gotten this far, hasn’t she? But to insure no one can sink her after Mania is to be THE champion on the Grandest Stage of Them All. Charlotte and Ronnie want to make history, Becky has no choice but to make history. Becky makes her entrance first, followed by Charlotte, and finally Ronda, and we begin.
Teams sort out and Charlotte insists she start, even as fans chant for Becky. Becky and Ronda tensely take to the corner while Ruby starts for the Squad. Ruby and Charlotte circle, and Charlotte kicks Ruby then throws her down by her hair. Charlotte soaks up all the cheers and jeers before standing Ruby up for those Flair CHOPS! Charlotte struts then chokes Ruby on the ropes. Becky tags in! Becky mocks the strut then dares Charlotte to do something. Charlotte backs down but Ruby goes to kick. But Becky blocks and headlocks, only for Ruby to power out. Ruby follows and runs Becky over, then covers. Becky slips out Matrix style then dropkicks Ruby down! Ruby bails out and the Squad regroups. So Becky takes time to mock both champs! Tensions are high while we go to break.
Raw returns and Sarah Logan has Becky down in a cobra clutch. Becky fights her way out but Sarah whips her to a corner. Sarah runs into a boot, then Becky hops up for a flying shoulder! Becky drags herself up and throws Sarah out. Becky heads for open mat but Sarah tags Ruby. Ruby brings Becky up but gets an enziguri. Sarah tags back in to knee Becky right down! The Kentucky Viking roars before putting Becky in an inverted cloverleaf! Fans rally for Becky as she endures. Ronda and Charlotte just watch quietly as Sarah leans on Becky. Becky rolls through but Liv tags in! Liv misses and Becky hits Ruby to then hit Liv! Becky rallies and calf kicks Liv down, then throws Sarah with the Becksploder! Becky mule kicks and tosses Liv! Cover, TWO!
Becky catches her breath while Charlotte and Ronda actually agree on something: they sarcastically think Becky’s doing well. But Becky cradles Liv, TWO! Becky goes for a Disarm-Her but Charlotte tags in! Charlotte tells Becky to move while Becky dares Charlotte to swing. Ronda tags in during the distraction! She and Charlotte talk trash now, but Liv rolls Ronda! Ronda throws Liv off then into the ARMBAR! Liv taps, Ronda and team win!
Winners: Ronday, Charlotte & Becky, Ronda by submission
And now the restrictions are off! Ronda fires off on Charlotte and Becky’s rather “surprised”! Becky jumps in to drag Ronda off Charlotte but Ronda throws hands on her! Charlotte comes back but security rushes in to separate the three! But security just gets beat up instead! Charlotte, Ronda and Becky fight off the men before fighting each other again! Now there’s police in the ring! Ronda, Charlotte and Becky settle down, until Ronda breaks through! Cops cuff Ronda! Fans want to “Let Them Fight!” and Becky obliges! She clobbers a cuffed Ronda while Charlotte simply watches. Becky gets cuffs again!
Fans still love the Straight Fire, even as she and Ronda are dragged away. Charlotte decks Ronda!! Now all three women get cuffs, but Charlotte’s kicking with those long legs! She gets Becky in the mouth! All three are going, but kicking and screaming as they do. They even fight in the parking lot! Charlotte gets her own car, but Ronda and Becky are put in the same one! They start kicking at each other, and a window gets busted!! Then when the officers bring Becky to Charlotte’s car, Charlotte gets out and starts kicking again! Ronda gets in the driver’s seat and crashes one car into the other!! The rage cannot be contained! Becky and Ronda are put in separate cars, with Ronda hanging out the busted window barking at Becky! So Charlotte knees her in the face!
The cars finally drive off, taking Ronda and Becky away while Charlotte waits with the cops. Is Wrestlemania’s historic main event still in trouble? Or can The McMahon family literally bail all three superstars out in time for Sunday?
Bobby Roode & Chad Gable VS Heavy Machinery!
The GLORIOUS Duo are just one of many Raw Tag Teams that have had issue with the NXT stars coming in, and look to slow down the momentum of Tucker Knight & Otis Dozovic. Will Roode & Gable be able to stay afloat in the Raw Tag Division? Or will they be compacted by the power of #SteaksAndWeights?
The bell rings and Gable starts against “Dozer”. They circle and Gable gets a headlock. Dozer powers out and runs Gable over! Tag to Tucky, and Heavy Machinery double body shot. They march around and meet in the middle to give Gable a gut sandwich! Tucker slams Gable then again. Gable gets up but Tucker trips him up. Gable manages to throw Tucker! Tag to Roode, and the GLORIOUS Duo work together for a body shot to knee lift combo. Roode clotheslines Tucker down, covers, TWO! Roode keeps on Tucker, but is that Lacey Evans? The Sassy Southern Belle wants to strut her stuff in DC! Roode keeps his focus on Tucker with a chinlock, and chops Tucker in a corner. Roode runs in but into an elbow! Tucker dodges Roode then tags in Dozer!
Dozer rallies on both Roode and Gable! He whips Roode but Roode kicks back. Roode wants the DDT but Dozer powers him to a corner! Dozer squashes Roode with a splash, then decides to pump it up! Fans love seeing the Caterpillar in action! Elbow dropped, cover, but Gable breaks it! Tucker runs in but Gable tackles him out! Gable hurries back and tags in. Roode boots Dozer and the Glorious Duo coordinate, but Dozer shoves Roode out! Dozer catches Gable’s crossbody! Tucker runs in, COMPACTOR! Cover, Heavy Machinery wins!
Winners: Heavy Machinery, Otis Dozovic pinning
Tucker & Otis are steamrolling their way through the Raw Tag Team Division! Will they bulldoze their way to tag titles post-Mania? Is there anything the GLORIOUS Duo can do to get back on top?
2v1 Handicap Match: Braun Strowman VS ???
It doesn’t really matter who his opponents are, The Monster Among Men already said he’s going to visualize Michael Che & Colin Jost tonight. Will Strowman destroy these poor souls before seeking to destroy the celebrity correspondents at Wrestlemania?
Raw returns as the lambs have arrived for the slaughter- Er, Strowman’s opponents have made their way to the ring. They’re already cowering with the bell, but Strowman reminds them of their roles before squashing them in the corner! Strowman tosses “Jost” then clotheslines and tosses “Che”! Strowman BOOTS “Jost” then clobbers “Che” again! The Monster throws “Jost” out, then drags up “Che” to throw him out. By the battle royal rules, Strowman would have eliminated them. But since it’s not, Strowman goes out and builds up steam! “Jost” and “Che” stand up, only to get RUN OVER! Fans want “One More Time!” so Strowman keeps going around the ring. Strowman comes back around, to run them over again!
Strowman puts “Che” and “Jost” in the ring, then storms in to sandwich them in a corner! He scoops “Che” for the MONSTER SLAM! And then “Jost” too! But Strowman isn’t done, he drags the two up together for a DOUBLE Monster Slam! Double cover, Strowman wins!
Winner: Braun Strowman, by pinfall
As if there was ever any doubt. Will Strowman have to go through 20 other superstars to get at the real Che and Jost? Will Che and Jost even want to show up?
Bobby Lashley and Lio Rush are here!
The Almighty Intercontinental Championship and Man of the Hour head to the ring to address the coming Wrestlemania title defense. What will they have to say to, and about, Finn Balor after the break?
Raw returns and Charli interviews them both. Finn Balor earned his match at Mania by beating Lashley and Jiner Mahal in a 2v1 Handicap match, pinning Mahal. Lashley lashed out against Mahal and the Singh Brothers, but he still has to defend against Finn. Is there any cause that Finn can actually beat Lashley? Lio asks, “Are you kidding me?!” We all just saw what happened: a fluke! Finn didn’t pin Lashley! Come Sunday, Lashley won’t have dead weight like Mahal, and the only concern for them will be where to have the after party. Because it sure ain’t in DC. But what if it’s Demon Balor showing up? Lashley has been fighting for a long time. If you think he’s afraid of a fairy tale, you’re out of your mind. The Demon is just Finn, and Lashley’s beaten Finn every time. But Finn communicates from the titantron!
Finn wants Lashley to be concerned. Finn’s always been the one to have his demons. And his Demon will become Lashley’s nightmare! The Demon himself makes an appearance on screen! Lio looks a little worried. But whether it be man or myth, will the Rocky Mountain Machine stand a chance against a determined Extraordinary Man?
Rey Mysterio VS Baron Corbin!
The King of Lucha came to the defense of his friend and rival when the Lone Wolf talked smack then tried to sucker punch Kurt Angle. Now Msyterio looks to make Corbin humble before the Wrestlemania farewell for the gold medalist. Will Mysterio show Corbin up before Angle shuts Corbin up? Or will Corbin shock everyone on the way to New York?
The bell rings as Mysterio and Corbin circle. Corbin corners Mysterio and keeps him from getting away. Mysterio dodges and kicks away on Corbin’s leg! Mysterio throws body shots ten whips but Corbin holds the ropes. Corbin reverses the whip but Mysterio slides under to dropkick a leg out. Corbin shoves Mysterio but Mysterio rocks him with a right! Mysterio runs, slides out, and baits Corbin into some cat ‘n’ mouse. Corbin falls for it and gets dropkick’d back! Kids laugh at Corbin as Mysterio stands tall in the ring. Corbin tells DC to shut up but they just boo and jeer. Corbin rushes Mysterio but Mysterio dodges and slides again, only to get caught! Mysterio fights against the bomb and huricanranas Corbin out hard! Mysterio runs but into a right hand! Corbin grins while catching his breath, and we go to break.
Raw returns once more, and Corbin drags Mysterio up to throw him into barriers! Corbin is fired up but fans boo and jeer. The ref tells Corbin to bring this back into the ring so he puts Mysterio in. Corbin follows and drags Mysterio up again. He puts Mysterio in a corner and hoists him up top. Corbin throws forearms then pulls at the mask! The ref counts so Corbin lets go at 4. Corbin goes back and has Mysterio in a back suplex, but Mysterio lands, only to tweak a knee. Corbin stomps Mysterio to a corner then in the corner. He stomps a mudhole into Mysterio but lets up at 4. Corbin argues with the ref but Mysterio slips out of the ring.
Mysterio hobbles while fixing his mask but Corbin is in pursuit. Corbin puts Mysterio into more barriers! Corbin mocks the fans while soaking up the heat. The referee tells Corbin to get things back in the ring so Corbin puts Mysterio in. Corbin takes his time returning so he can soak up more of the fans’ jeers and boos. Corbin taunts Mysterio to stand back up. The ref checks on Mysterio, who clutches his leg. Fans tell Corbin he’s “Boring~!” but Mysterio kicks Corbin back! And again! Mysterio stands but Corbin rolls him. Mysterio rolls through to dropkick! He runs but into a flapjack! Corbin throws Mysterio out of the ring, then grins as he soaks up even more heat. Mysterio crawls back towards the ring but Corbin goes out to clobber him! Corbin leaves Mysterio behind as the ring count begins again.
The count passes 5 before Mysterio stands. Corbin drags Mysterio up by his mask! But Mysterio shoulders back! Corbin bumps Mysterio off the post! Mysterio falls to the floor again but Corbin goes back out to fetch him. Corbin puts Mysterio in again but takes his time looming over the lucha legend. He drags Mysterio up again for a scoop but Mysterio slips out to a sleeper hold! Mysterio holds on as a backpack, but Corbin throws him off. Corbin runs in but Mysterio dodges! Mysterio springboards and huricanranas Corbin! He keeps moving and tilt-o-whirl DDT’s Corbin down! Cover, TWO! Mysterio keeps focus while fans rally behind him. He drags Corbin around but Corbin shoves him out. Corbin runs into a shoulder, Mysterio fakes out the haymaker then slingshots to put Corbin on the ropes! Dial it up, 619!!
Mysterio keeps going as he climbs up top! Frog Splash FLOPS! Both men are down but DC cheers for Mysterio. Corbin stands up and walks over to Mysterio. Corbin smirks at the crowd as he drags Mysterio up again. Fans boo as Corbin lifts Mysterio, but Mysterio fights out again! Seated senton, but Mysterio runs into DEEP SIX! High stack, Corbin wins!!
Winner: Baron Corbin, by pinfall
The Lone Wolf defeats a legend! And this might not be the last one! Will Corbin actually defeat Angle in Angle’s final match ever?
But wait! Angle jumps Corbin on the stage! ANKLE LOCK! Corbin’s tapping out but it doesn’t matter, as Angle holds on for much, much longer! Referees pull Angle off Corbin, but he’s humbled Corbin for now. Will Angle keep his legacy alive on the Grandest Stage of Them All?
My Thoughts:
This was quite the Raw go-home for Wrestlemania. And it was good that they didn’t drag out the news we all expected from Stephanie McMahon: two titles in one match, just put both titles on the match! Naturally this means the winner makes history in this already historic match, and there’s still a good chance it’ll be Becky. And then from dual champion, there will surely come a time when we have the first-ever Undisputed Women’s Champion, or even a WWE Women’s World Champion to signify the reunification of the brands. Either way, what many expected to be just a mess of a Six Woman Tag turned into something really good for this build. At least, in my opinion.
It was a clever choice for someone to take advantage of how the “no infighting” stipulation only lasted for the match, and then it just escalated from there. All three women looked strong, but also opportunistic, in the many scraps that happened, and those kicks were just incredible. Charlotte got the best shot in with Ronda hanging out the window, but it is a bit crazy for all three women to have their arrested Stone Cold moment. Obviously this won’t affect the match, and this helps spice up a build that was starting to fall flat. Triple Threats being inherently No Disqualification, I’m gonna love seeing these three scrap just like tonight, and maybe escalate again with at least kendo sticks and chairs.
Now for those wondering why this segment didn’t close the show, Raw doesn’t have it’s 5 minute overrun time anymore, and I know I would’ve been disappointed if we didn’t get to see everything they planned on TV. Though honestly, there was at least one thing they could’ve cut for the sake of time. I honestly didn’t see the point of the Lumberjack match. It was great for Crews to win because it means WWE is (probably) finally seeing his worth, but they should’ve just waited until Sunday to book Crews strong in the battle royal itself. Besides, we know the battle royal is really for Strowman’s celebrity angle with Che and Jost. Strowman decimating his substitutes for them was fun, but it still doesn’t guarantee something screwy doesn’t screw Strowman out of winning.
I really enjoyed Rollins getting the better of Lesnar here. Of course, it was with low blows, but Rollins had a point of Lesnar deserving it. I just have a bad feeling now that Rollins won’t win, since it feels like forgone conclusions that Becky and Kofi win. I’m basically hoping against hope that somehow, Vince allows us to have all three top title celebratory moments to make up for the shortcomings in the builds. The 8 Woman Tag did great to make the build for the Women’s Tag Team Championship Fatal 4 Way, especially for Beth Phoenix’s own story of her return. This did great for Beth, she is going strong into the title match, but I’m still picturing Bayley & Sasha winning to keep their inaugural reign going.
The filler of Heavy Machinery VS GLORIOUS Duo was okay. I almost thought this was gonna be break-up time for Roode & Gable, but there’s so few good tag teams on Raw as it is, they can’t afford to lose one yet. The tag title match was great, and the count-out victory was actually a good call. The Revival retain but not in the strongest way, since Aleister & Ricochet still need to look good going into TakeOver. I still can’t say if Aleister & Ricochet come away with those titles, but now that they don’t have main roster titles, it could happen. And classic Vince Logic: Finn won’t bring the Demon out for The Beast, but he will for Lashley. This has to mean more than anything that Finn wins the title back, and takes on some fresh competition post-Mania.
But the one thing I’m disappointed about is we didn’t get Angle VS Mysterio, but perhaps Corbin was right that Angle would’ve looked tired and old in that match. Mysterio VS Corbin was a good substitute, and I did not expect Corbin to win. Though I’m not sure who did. Corbin did need to stay strong against Angle, and a win did that. But then they take it back from Corbin when Angle punks him on the stage. I still really hope Angle wins if it’s against Corbin, and I can’t be sure there’s going to be a “last minute” change that puts Angle against someone else. There’s also been talk of Cena doing something at Mania, but who knows what’s possible. Even if Angle VS Cena should be the match in just about everyone’s estimation.
My Score: 8.2/10
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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.
My Score: 8.8/10
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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!
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.Â
.@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.Â
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.Â
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.Â
#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.
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