Coverage

Mitchell’s WWE SmackDown Live Results & Report! (4/30/19)

Who enters the Money in the Bank Ladder match for SmackDown?

Published

5 years ago

April 30, 2019

SmackDown follows Raw in deciding their men and women for the Money in the Bank Ladder matches! Plus, what will Kofi Kingston say to Kevin Owens’ betrayal?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Becky Lynch VS Bayley; Lynch wins.
Kairi Sane & Asuka w/ Paige VS ???; Sane & Asuka win.
2v1 Handicap: The B-Team VS Roman Reigns, w/ Special Enforcer: Elias; Reigns wins.
Mustafa Ali & Finn Balor VS Randy Orton & Andrade Almas w/ Zelina Vega; Ali & Finn win.

PLAY BY PLAY

Michael Cole introduces the NEW WWE Champion, Kofi Kingston!

SmackDown opens with pancakes and positivity as Kofi makes his way to the ring. Kofi flings the flapjacks to the fans in Ohio State University and then stands with Cole. Cole is excited to celebrate a “remarkable 11-year career.” But it wasn’t until Wrestlemania 35 that Kofi finally got his 1v1 shot at the world title. Kofi’s journey had insurmountable odds, including the Elimination Chamber match. Footage plays to remind us how Kofi fought so hard but still fell short of the title inside that sinister steel structure. Then fast-forward to the SmackDown Gauntlet where Kofi won all but one match, because of Vince McMahon continuing to stack the deck.

Did Kofi ever believe he’d get that title match? Kofi tells Michael that over these last 11 years, there were highs and there were lows, but the important thing was to fight on! Kofi is glad to keep fighting because that’s why he’s the WWE Champion. He’s proud that he got to do that alongside his brothers, Big E and Xavier Woods. Without the New Day, this would not have happened. “We are the guys that proved that the impossible IS possible!” Cole has called all 11 years of Kofi’s career, and when he looks back to calling that “magical” Wrestlemania moment. There are very few superstars who have ever had that kind of Mania Moment. That night in New York may have been the greatest moment ever, and we relive it with footage of that victorious Trouble in Paradise.

Ohio lets Kofi know, “You Deserve It!” Cole agrees, Kofi deserved to have that moment. Kofi is still feeling the high that he got to share with his friends and family. Next to his marriage and the birth of his children, Wrestlemania 35 was the best moment of his life. But Cole points out that he now has a huge target on his back. And the first person to take aim was Kevin Owens. We relive this as well, with Kofi VS Nakamura being broken up by Rusev. Kevin and Xavier looked to help Kofi, but then the first chance he had, Kevin SUPERKICKED Kofi! The Prizefighter was back to his old ways as he brutalized Kofi, and then took out Xavier Woods with an apron powerbomb!

Kofi grimaces in the present as he has to admit he should’ve seen this coming. But the New Day always believe in giving people second chances, and allowing people to change. They believed Kevin genuinely wanted to change, but Kevin is still Kevin. If Kevin wanted to challenge Kofi, all he had to do was ask. Kofi has no problem being a fighting champion. So Kevin was talking about he was coming for the WWE Championship, let him! Kofi says this happens at Money in the Bank! Kofi is not afraid of Kevin, or worried about losing his title. But speaking of Kevin, he appears! Kevin stares at Kofi from the stage as he says, “Challenge accepted.”

Kofi gave the world a Wrestlemania Moment no one will forget. He won the title on the Grandest Stage of Them All, “it doesn’t get any better than that!” But moments end. And no one may want to admit it, but Kevin will speak for the WWE Universe: no one believes Kofi is championship material. Ohio boos because they disagree. But Kevin looks into Kofi’s eyes and hears the words Kofi says, but it just shows him that Kofi doesn’t believe it either. The water keeps rising and Kofi is drowning. But Xavier appears to attack Kevin! Kevin SUPERKICKS Xavier down but runs away from Kofi! Kofi goes to Xavier’s side, but clearly the New Day is in a bad way. Will Kofi still be positive when he and Kevin finally have this out?

Kofi helps Xavier in the trainer’s room.

The plan was for Xavier not to come out, what was he thinking? Xavier just couldn’t sit around and let Kevin talk like that. Yeah but Kofi has it handled. Xavier has his own family to worry about. Kofi promises he has this covered, but will he really be alright on his own?

Becky Lynch VS Bayley!

The Man and the Huggable One have been friends a long time, all the way back to NXT. But this is the first time on the main roster they will ever face off in the ring! Will Bayley make a big impact this close to the Champ-Champ’s MITB double header?

SmackDown returns and Bayley is fired up as the first SmackDown superstar to enter the Women’s MITB Ladder match. But now #BeckyTwoBelts makes her entrance with a bigger introduction, and doesn’t seem worse for wear after her brawl with the Sassy Southern Belle last night. Becky joins Bayley in the ring and puts her belts aside to start this match.

The two circle and tie up and Becky throws Bayley down. But Bayley gets right up and gets in Becky’s face. Bayley and Becky circle again and tie up. Becky headlocks but Bayley powers out, only for Becky to run her over. Becky runs but Bayley gets under, only for Becky to throw her back. Bayley hops back up on the apron and hotshots Becky down! Bayley runs but Becky forearms her down! Both women sit up and stare down while we go picture in picture.

Bayley and Becky circle again as Ohio cheers. The two tie up and Becky waistlocks. Bayley works to a hammerlock but Becky reverses to one of her own. Bayley drops to a knee as Becky leans on her. Becky flips Bayley for a cover, ONE! Bayley gets to ropes but comes back to tie circle. Becky sweeps her legs and covers, ONE, and Bayley sweeps to cover. Becky slips out to Oklahoma roll, TWO! Bayley rolls Becky, TWO! Becky gets Bayley for an Okana Roll, TWO! Bayley knees Becky low then whips Becky. Becky reverses but Bayley holds ropes. Becky seems to hyper-extend herself with that kick and has to back off. Bayley goes right after that leg but Becky backslides her! TWO and Becky blocks a boot. Bayley stops the Becksploder, but runs into a waistlock takedown.

Becky has Bayley but Bayley fights out and throws a BIG right! Becky gives one back! And a calf kick! Bayley bails out while Becky fires up. Becky goes to the ropes but Bayley trips her. Becky kicks Bayley away then kicks her down. The Man hobbles back and eggs Bayley on. Bayley gets in but Becky body checks her to a corner! Becky brings Bayley around and goes after the arm. Bayley endures and works her way back up, but Becky arm-drags her down. Becky is right on Bayley with a snap suplex! Becky drops a leg, then an elbow, but misses the second leg drop! We return to single picture as Bayley and Becky are both stinging. But Becky goes after the arm again! Bayley slips out and flapjacks Becky on buckles! Then clobbers Becky from behind! Cover, TWO!

Bayley keeps her cool as she drags Becky up. She whips Becky to a corner but misses, to still block the jump kick to clobber Becky again! And throws in a running knee! Cover, TWO! Bayley keeps her focus while she brings Becky up again. Fans duel as Bayley puts Becky on an apron. Bayely puts Becky through the ropes to fire off forearms! She stops at the ref’s count but runs side-to-side, only to miss the knee! Becky kicks Bayley down and hurries up top. Becky leaps at Bayley, missile dropkick hits! Cover, TWO! Becky keeps her cool while Bayley sits up. Becky goes after Bayley with forearms and European Uppercuts, then EuroUppers to Bayley’s back. The Champ-Champ clubs Bayley but Bayley eggs her own, and now it’s a brawl!

Becky hits, Bayley hits, but Becky throws Bayley with the Becksploder! Becky runs in for a Straight Firearm! She whips Bayley to ropes but Bayley dodges and double clotheslines take them both out! Both women are down and a standing count begins. Fans rally and duel as the count climbs past 5. Becky crawls to Bayley and they stand at 7. Bayley cradles outta nowhere, TWO! Becky wants the legs but Bayley pushes her away. Bayley saido suplexes Becky down, then climbs up! Fans fire up as Bayley leaps! Macho Elbow meets knees! Becky has the Disarm-Her! Bayley taps, Becky wins!

Winner: Becky Lynch, by submission

But now Charlotte Flair attacks! The Queen boots The Man right down, then throws Bayley into a post! Fans boo as Charlotte dusts her hands off. Charlotte sent her message to both the champion and a possible Ms. MITB, but will she regret the response?

Aleister Black speaks.

“Fear is a powerful and paralyzing tool. And it is in man’s nature to fear what we don’t understand.” His opponents try to figure him out, and by the time they think they have, the referee has counted 1-2-3, in Aleister’s favor. And any hope of conquering their fear has simply left them. What happens is that they take one look into Aleister’s eyes and they don’t like the abyss that stares back. The abyss unveils a truth about them that allows them to #FadetoBlack. The Embodiment of the End is coming, when will he strike?

The Hardy Boys are here!

Jeff & Matt Hardy are the SmackDown Tag Team Champions, but given the injury to Jeff’s leg, will they much longer? Kayla Braxton asks the Hardy Boys as to what happened to his leg. It’s probably easier to show. And we are shown a highlight reel of the destruction Lars Sullivan has unleashed since finally appearing on the main roster. The Leviathan has wrecked living legend after legend, and it seems the Hardy Boys sustained the worst of it. Jeff is unable to walk on his own because of Lars, and needs surgery. Jeff is going to be out a long time, so therefore, as heartbreaking as it is, and as much as fans don’t want it, the Hardy Boys must relinquish the tag titles.

This is not the end of their journey. Jeff regrets not even getting to defend those titles. But he vows that their return will be extreme and- Oh no. Not Lars again! The Mile High Monster makes his way down the ramp, eyes locked on the wounded Jeff. Matt stands in front of his brother, but he doesn’t last long! Lars knees Matt low then throws him out! Jeff is still stuck between the ropes as Lars looms closer! But Matt returns to save Jeff! Lars powers Matt to the other corner! And then gives him a FREAK ACCIDENT! Jeff hobbles and looks to use the crutch as a weapon! But here comes Truth with a CHAIR SHOT! Lars didn’t flinch! Lars glares and roars, and then punches the chair away! He pops Truth up for a FREAK ACCIDENT!

The Hardy Boys get away with their lives, but Lars wants to make Truth suffer! Lars gives Truth a running powerbomb! “Stay down!” Truth doesn’t move, so Lars leaves him be. Is there any man, or team of men, that can stand before The Leviathan?

SmackDown reveals the superstars for the Money in the Bank Ladder Match!

It’ll be… The Beacon of Light, Mustafa Ali! the Intercontinental Champion, Finn Balor! El Idolo, Andrade Almas! And the Viper, Randy Orton! And much like on Raw, these four men will divide into teams to get a leg up towards that very ladder match! Will Ali and Finn or Almas and Orton be the ones keeping pace with Braun Strowman and Ricochet from Raw?

Kairi Sane & Asuka w/ Paige VS ???

The IIconics are on commentary to watch this Women’s Tag Match as #JoshiRoyalty sets sail together again against Ohio’s finest. Will Peyton & Billie be impressed or intimidated after seeing the Princess and Empress in action again?

Kairi starts against the tigress but the taller wrestler taunts Kairi’s height with her out-of-reach test of strength. So Kairi CHOPS her in the chest! Kairi blocks a kick to dragon screw, then drags her over to Asuka. They double whip and then fire off kicks and bulldogs to a dropkick! Asuka toys with her target but her buzzsaw is kicked. Asuka still ducks the tigress’ roundhouse to give a roundhouse! But the tigress tags out her partner. The bright red haired partner runs in and SLAPS Asuka! The IIconics laugh, but so does Asuka? Asuka fires off fire hands! She kicks low then hip attacks her into a German Suplex! Asuka fires off kicks and buzzsaws her down! Cover, but the tigress breaks it up. Kairi runs in, waistlocks and feeds her to Asuka’s code breaker! Then adds a blockbuster to it!

Joshi Royalty targets red for an inverted DDT. Tag to Kairi and it’s time to weigh anchor! The InSANE Elbow hits! Cover, Kairi and Asuka win!

Winners: Kairi Sane & Asuka, Sane pinning

The Glampire celebrates with her new team, but the IIconics are irate! Peyton and Billie are still the champs, but will they be for much longer when going against the Princess & Empress?

Fire & Desire are not impressed.

But Mandy Rose is oddly excited. Because she was told by Shane that they’ll get a part in this year’s Women’s MITB match! Seriously!? Well, only one of them. Which is crazy, because how are they supposed to decide? This is like Beyonce or J Lo! Mandy wants to give the spot to Sonya, but Sonya sees Mandy is trying to butter her up to give the spot back. Mandy almost won the title anyway,and now she can finish the job. Go for it, Queen Bee. Mandy is touched, and they hug it out. Will Mandy truly be golden after winning the MITB contract and aiming for the top?

Roman Reigns is here!

The Big Dog wants to make SmackDown his Yard, but he may have stepped in it the very night he debuted. He took offense to Elias and to Vince so he gave them both Superman Punches, and then he got into a fight with Shane the very next week. Elias called Roman out for MITB PPV and Roman accepted the challenge. But for tonight, Roman stands before Ohio State University to say, “You only get one shot at making a first impression. So I figured on my first night on SmackDown,” he’d knock out Mr. McMahon. Fans do like that, but Roman admits that wasn’t the plan. He just wanted to get the point across that he is still the Big Dog, and that SmackDown IS his Yard. But here comes the money~! Yes, Shane O’Mac returns!

Shane addresses Roman from the stage, but he also wants Greg Hamilton to give him a subtle introduction. “The Best in the World, Shane McMahon!” Fans boo but Shane enjoys that very much. And to Roman, everyone knows Shane is the BITW, but Roman is the Big Dog in the Yard? Shane reminds Roman that the McMahons owns the land. Is that so? No, Daddy owns the land. And when Vince was in here, Roman was on his feet while Vince was on his back. Yes, we all saw Roman hit a National Treasure. But to refresh Roman’s memory, Roman was the one down on the mat last week. Because Elias helped Shane. But Roman wants to know, can Shane do it on his own?

Shane would love nothing more than to slap him around, but he doesn’t have the time. Shane has to go see Coach Harbough in Michigan to work with a true championship organization to get ready for his match with The Miz. But if Roman wants a fight, there are plenty of guys lining up to “welcome” Roman to SmackDown. In fact, here are two. It’s the B-Team! Curt Axel and Bo Dallas are ready, and to get to business, this is their opportunity for a great first impression. Roman will be taking on… BOTH of them! Of course. What’s next? Blindfold him? Tie a hand behind his back? Don’t be silly, Roman. But that’s rather intuitive. A match of this caliber does need something more. And that is a special guest referee/enforcer. It’ll be… ELIAS!

The Drifter is already dressed in his stripes as he introduces himself. The stack is decked, and the match is next, after the break!

2v1 Handicap: The B-Team VS Roman Reigns, w/ Special Enforcer: Elias!

SmackDown returns and Roman has Axel to start with. Elias watches closely as Axel gets the arm and wrenches. Axel brings Roman over but Roman breaks free before Bo tags in. Bo still tags in and circles with Roman. Axel distracts and Bo headlocks Roman. Bo throws Roman down with a takeover but Roman keeps his shoulders up. Roman powers his way up and out, then things speed up. Bo has a stumble and then gets an elbow from Roman! Roman scoops but Axel distracts. Bo escapes to then clobber Roman from behind! Bo fires off and tags in Axel. The B-Team work together, and Bo feeds Roman to Axel’s DDT! Cover, TWO!

Axel keeps on Roman with a grinding forearm in his face. The main referee disapproves but Elias doesn’t really mind. Axel puts Roman in the corner and fires off body shots. Bo tags in and keeps on Roman. Tag to Axel and he stomps and punches away. Fans boo but Elias approves. Axel grinds Roman but the main ref counts. Axel backs off to tag Bo and they rally on Roman again. But this time Roman BOOTS Axel and Samoan Drops Bo! Cover, TWO! Bo crawls away but Roman pursues. Elias “consults” with the main ref and Bo pulls Roman’s hair! Roman uppercuts Bo down but Axel clotheslines Roman! Elias stops now that the B-Team has gotten away with it. The B-Team stomp Roman but the main ref reprimands them. Elias CLOBBERS Roman behind the ref’s back! Roman is in trouble as we go picture in picture.

Bo drags Roman up and into the ring. He covers, TWO!! Roman survives but Bo drops knees. Bo grinds his knee into Roman’s face but lets up at the ref’s count. Bo drags Roman up for more body shots then tags in Axel. The B-Team snapmare and neck snap Roman, then Axel covers. TWO, but Axel keeps Roman down with an armlock and chinbar. Roman endures and fights his way up. Axel throws Roman down by his hair then tags in Bo. Axel drops an ax handle and Bo drops another knee. Bo covers, TWO! Bo keeps on Roman with a chinlock and leans on him. Elias cheers Bo on as Roman gasps for air. We return to single picture as fans rally up.

Roman endures but starts to fade as Elias makes sure the timekeeper pays attention. Bo leans harder on Roman but Roman gets a second wind! Roman stands but Bo knees low. Bo whips but Roman clotheslines back! Both men are down but Roman can only crawl to the opposite corner as Bo tags in. Elias talks trash but Roman sends Axel into the post! Roman rallies on Bo then on Axel. Axel reverses the whip but gets the leaping lariat! Roman gives Axel point-blank lariats in the corner. Bo stops Roman at 4 but gets an uppercut for it! Axel runs in and Roman fireman’s carries him. Bo staggers over, Samoan Drop and DDT combo! Cover on Axel, TWO! Roman keeps his cool while he stares down Elias. Roman makes sure Elias sees him lock ‘n’ load! Bo returns, he gets the SUPERMAN PUNCH! Axel rolls Roman, TWO!!

SUPERMAN PUNCH! Cover, but Elias pulls out the main referee! Elias keeps Roman from winning, but Roman goes after him! Elias gets out of the way, Roman gives Bo the Drive-By Dropkick! And Elias comes back to clobber Roman! And throw him around ringside! Elias feeds Roman to Axel’s Perfect Plex! Elias counts it, TWO!? He even did a fast count! Ohio State cheers Roman as Axel drags Roman up for Elias. Elias runs out to fetch his guitar! He brings it back to the ring, but Roman revives to fight free! and SUPERMAN PUNCH Elias! But Axel still rolls Roman, but Roman gets out to SPEAR! The main ref returns, counts, and Roman wins!

Winner: Roman Reign, by pinfall

The Big Dog defies the stacked deck! Elias isn’t happy and surely Shane O’Mac isn’t, either. What will it take for Elias to make Roman #DriftAway at MITB? Or will he simply end up buried in Roman’s Yard?

Firefly Fun House returns~!

Bray Wyatt is back and now he’s painting! “Bonjour!” He loves to paint, because painting is a way to express any suppressed feelings. “When you’re expressing yourself, no one can ever truly hurt you.” But wait, who is this little bunny friend? It’s Ramblin’ Rabbit! And would he like to see the painting? Yes! Bray shows us all his painting of… a burning shed! With Abby inside… (the one Orton burned) Speaking of Abby, she says this is NO time for games! She woke up in a bad mood~! Ramblin’ Rabbit leaves while Abby scolds Bray. He hasn’t learned his lesson, did he? Take it easy, Abby, that’s the past. And he is sorry for what he did. The kids forgive him, right? Yeah~!

Fine. Just keep it down while Abby is resting. Yes, yes, shh. Abby the Witch is a… “sociopath”. Ramblin’ Rabbit returns. That’s the word of the day, right? Yes, that’s right! Sociopath is the word of the day! Well that’s all the time we have for today. Aww… But remember, little fireflies. He’ll light the way, and you just have to let him in. See you next time~! Bye~! Yay~!

Umm…

Mustafa Ali & Finn Balor VS Randy Orton & Andrade Almas w/ Zelina Vega!

SmackDown’s four MITB Ladder Match entrants do battle in a tag team match! Which team will work best together for the common goal of momentum?

Zelina Vega says this is the best part of the night. The ring is going to be graced with the presence of Andrade. Andrade himself says that he does not respect Finn Balor. He says that he has no respect for Mustafa Ali. But the 12-time world champion, Randy Orton, “any time you want a little something, tag me in. And I will teach you to respect Andrade!” El Idolo has no friends but will he regret telling his tag partner he has something to learn?

The teams sort out, and we start with Orton and Ali! They tie up and Orton powers Ali to the corner fast. Orton backs off but Ali hits back! Ali fights off Almas and kicks Orton. He mule kicks Almas then slingshots, but Orton shoves him down! Ali hits the apron hard and is down but we go to break.

SmackDown returns and Ali fights against Orton. Orton reels Ali in for a powerslam! Cover, TWO! Orton keeps his cool as he drags Ali up by his hair. The ref reprimands Orton but Orton kicks Ali low to whip. Ali hits a flapjack dropkick! Both men are down and crawling for their corners. Hot tags to Almas and Finn! Finn rallies on Almas then hits Orton for good measure. Finn whips but Almas sunset flips, only for Finn to roll through and dropkick! Another kick for Orton, then double stomps for Almas! Finn runs in to CHOP Almas, then whips corner to corner. Almas reverses and redirects Finn, but Finn goes up and over. Finn runs into a boot, but he kicks Almas off the top! Amlas hits the floor and Finn builds speed, and Ali does, too! Double DIVES onto Orton and Almas!

Vega panics as Finn puts Almas back in. Finn climbs but Vega anchors his feet! He shakes her off but Almas throws Finn down! Almas runs corner to corner, CIEN KNEES! Cover, TWO!! Finn lives and both Almas and Vega are furious. Almas drags Finn up and hammerlocks, but Finn slips out. Almas reverses back but Finn escapes. Ali tags in and Finn hits Slingblade! Ali hits the 450! Cover, Ali & Finn win!

Winners: Mustafa Ali & Finn Balor, Ali pinning

But Orton RKO’s Finn! Ali SUPERKICKS and SUPERKICKS Orton out! The Viper may have ruined the celebration but the Beacon is still shining! Will Ali be the one to ascend and take that MITB contract in his first try?

Backstage interview with the final Women’s MITB entrants!

It is the #Shenom, Ember Moon! She is beyond excited for this moment. She has many names yet hasn’t made a name for herself. The MITB match changes careers, and Ember vows to climb up and become Ms. MITB. But the other final entrant is the original Ms. MITB, Carmella! The Fabulous Princess won the first two MITB ladder matches. But didn’t she use- It doesn’t matter, a win is a win. This match does change careers, and Carmella made her first cash-in count to become SmackDown Women’s Champion. So she vows to remind everyone why #MellaIsMoney. Maybe, but will Carmella and the field all be Eclipsed by the War Goddess?

The KO Show returns!

Kevin Owens already made an impression earlier tonight, but now he invites Xavier Woods onto his talk show? Is this just a trap to get back at Xavier for his ambush? Find out, after this last break.

SmackDown returns once again, and Kevin is in a bad mood as he sits in a chair. Fans boo as Kevin welcomes them to his show. The signs are gone, the graphics are gone, the desk is gone, because “the pageantry, all this crap” is something The New Day would do. The New Day would have banners and pancakes and “stupid crap”, but Kevin doesn’t need all that. He just needs himself, because he IS the show. And before he was rudely interrupted by Xavier Woods, Kevin was trying to make a point. The point is that Kofi is in way over his head as champion. But help is on the way, because Kevin is that help. At MITB, Kevin will relieve Kofi of that “burden”, because Kevin truly believes- No, wait, he’s positive he will take that title from Kofi.

But enough about Kofi, that’s all anyone’s said for a month! Kevin wants to talk with Xavier! Because we all know about Kofi, but Kevin wants to know all about Xavier. If Xavier is willing, or even able, just humor him and trust that Kevin just wants to have a chat. When Xavier doesn’t appear, Kevin insists. He wants to give Xavier the spotlight and gives another introduction. But Xavier still doesn’t appear. Kevin knew this would happen, so he has a Plan B. It’s an Xavier Woods action figure! One of the many “piece of crap” the New Day has been schilling for years. Kevin puts “Lil’ Woodsy” on the chair. Is he upset? Is it because he’s lonely? Well that’s okay, Kevin has a Big E action figure! With a bandaged leg, of course. What a great reunion.

Kevin knows the real Xavier and Big E aren’t here to tell Kevin how they feel. And these pieces of trash aren’t needed, so Kevin kicks them out. But Kevin feels he knows exactly what is on the minds of Xavier and Big E. But before Kevin can reveal what he thinks they think, Kofi appears on stage! And rushes the ring! Kevin and Kofi brawl! Kofi gets Kevin down as he rains down rights but Kevin bails out. Kofi pursues and leaps for a BIG ax handle! And he won’t let up on Kevin, either! Kofi punches and knees Kevin into the apron but Kevin punches him away. Kevin runs in but is sent over the announce desk! Ohio fires up as Kofi slams an arm chair on Kevin! Kofi stomps away but Kevin rakes his eyes!

Kevin runs away through the WWE Universe but Kofi is still furious. Kofi climbs up to look at Kevin. Kofi says if this is the fight he wanted, then he’ll give him that fight! Will Kevin regret lighting a new fire inside of Kofi Kingston?

My Thoughts:

It seems like WWE may have not prepared for moving MITB up. I get that announcing the entrants streamlines the process and now we have a couple weeks of development for that, but it would’ve been a little bit more fun if we got matches to determine things. Though, I suppose there aren’t that many superstars quite worthy of this, either. The tag team match as the main event match was good, even though it was just copy-paste from Raw. Faces win here like they did on Raw, but it was a good twist for Orton to strike and Ali to stand tall. There were leaked images suggesting other superstars would be in this match, but now that Ali and Finn are in it instead, things could change.

But I feel that with just choosing superstars, this allowed Vince to screw up things that were being set up just last week. It was great to see Kairi & Asuka squash Poison Ivy and Cheetah from DC Comics (why did we not get their real names?) but why move Sonya & Mandy out of the way? They were meant to challenge Paige’s new team in an attempt to prove she chose wrong. Naturally they’d fail, but now we won’t see that. Mandy joins Bayley in MITB by being the modest friend, as do Carmella and Ember. I can’t be sure who wins but I stand by my prediction of a SmackDown Ms. MITB to set up for a possible cash-in on Becky or Charlotte. Becky VS Bayley was a great match, and Becky wins to stay strong, but Charlotte did good in attacking to remind everyone of her part in this.

Aleister Black’s promos are still properly cryptic, but with him not being named for MITB, it sounds like his story on SmackDown won’t really start until after. Bray Wyatt and Firefly Fun House seem to be on both shows still, will they end up on one show after MITB? Maybe Bray will have guests soon. He might even have a match with Aleister. Hopefully Lars and Truth have a match soon. There’s only so much brutalizing outside of a match you can do, and we’ve hit it. The Hardys give up the belts while Jeff is out, and Lars adds insult to injury, as it were. There aren’t as many big names in SmackDown’s tag division so who knows who takes those up. Maybe that match will be at MITB.

Reigns’ segment was okay. He did fine, Shane did fine, but how is beating The B-Team “overcoming odds”? Again, only so many tag teams on SmackDown now, so I guess Shane had to bring someone on board. The Authors of Pain are hurt, SAnitY fell apart in the Shake-Up, and Heavy Machinery are too fun as Faces, but at least Shane made sure to add on with Elias as a bonus ref. Obviously Roman was going to win, and obviously he’ll win against Elias unless Shane screws him over. But at least fans won’t have to fear Roman getting the MITB contract or the title so soon. And speaking of, the New Day segments were good tonight, but in the end, I still feel Kofi finds a way to win, and then has to worry about Mr. MITB.

My Score: 8/10

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

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

It’s Draft Day!

Published

16 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Steven Mitchell

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

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

OFFICIAL RESULTS

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

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

Coverage

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

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

Published

2 days ago

April 25, 2024

Andrew Balaz

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

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

Ratings:

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

Results:

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

#1 Contender: Frankie Kazarian vs Josh Alexander

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

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

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

ASH by Elegance vs Xia Brookside

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

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

Sami Callihan vs The Good Hands

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

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

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

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

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

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

Overall Score: 6/10

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

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

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