Coverage

Mitchell’s ROH Results & Report! (6/8/19)

The NWA National Championship returns to Ring of Honor!

Published

5 years ago

June 13, 2019

Steven Mitchell

ROH Wrestling Television, Episode 403!

The partnership of ROH and NWA continues as Colt Cabana puts up the NWA National Heavyweight Championship against Cowboy James Storm! Plus, LifeBlood wants revenge on Bully Ray in the worst way, but will they get it in the ring?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

NWA National Heavyweight Championship: Colt Cabana VS James Storm; Time Limit Draw, Cabana retains the NWA National Heavyweight Championship.
Silas Young VS ???; Young wins.
LifeBlood VS Bully Ray & Shane Taylor; No Contest.

PLAY BY PLAY

NWA National Heavyweight Championship: Colt Cabana VS James Storm!

Not only does this newest NWA title return to ROH, not only does Chicago’s own return to action on ROH TV, but The Cowboy makes an ROH debut! But will Cabana leave Chicago still holding the gold? Or will Storm have to apologize ’bout Colt’s damn luck?

Introductions are made, Nick Aldis joins commentary to take Colt’s place, and the belt is raised. Obviously Chicago cheers on their own as he takes off his windbreaker jacket and headband. The bell rings and we begin this NWA guess spot match!

Storm stares daggers at Colt as fans cheer. Colt is all smiles, though, as he circles and ties up with Storm. They go around and Storm puts Colt in the corner. Storm backs off but throws a sucker punch, but Colt ducks and dodges. Colt wags a finger at Storm, then has the ref properly reprimand Storm. The two circle again and Colt makes the pecs dance. He ties up with Storm and Storm puts Colt on the ropes. Storm lets up again, to kick low. But Colt blocks that, and now he’s getting upset. Colt wants this to be clean but Storm just brushes him off. Storm and Colt circle again and tie up.

Colt gets a headlock and then wrenches to a hammerlock, then to a facelock. He goes back to the hammerlock to go back to the headlock, but Storm powers out. Colt runs him over, then shows off his agility, to get the headlock again! Chicago cheers as Colt grinds Storm down. Storm pries his way out to get his own headlock, but Colt powers out. Colt goes to hip toss but Colt counters with his own! Storm whips but Colt reverses, only for Storm to go up and over, Slingblade! “Who’s the man now?!” Colt avoids the Last Call Superkick! Colt bails out and consults with Chicago while we go to break.

ROH returns and it’s James Storm having to return to the ring now. He trash talks the Chicago fans over it, then circles with Colt again. They tie up and Colt wrenches the arm. Colt clamps on tight, then wrenches through again. He hammerlocks Storm then spins him around to wring him out. Colt cartwheels to a “Superman” double leg clutch cover! TWO, but Colt stays on Storm with a snapmare and slow splash! Cover, TWO! Colt brings Storm up but Storm powers him to ropes. Storm knees low then throws a big haymaker! He slides out and trips Colt up to pull him out. Storm turns Colt around on the apron to BOOT him back in! Fans boo but Storm gives thumbs up.

Storm drags Colt back out to club away on the apron. The ref counts but Storm takes his time returning. Storm drags Colt up as Chicago rallies. Storm snapmares and runs, to hit a sliding lariat! Cover, TWO! Storm keeps his cool, but Colt gets a ghost pin! TWO, and Storm hammers Colt for that one. Colt gets away to ropes but Storm chokes him into the ropes! The ref counts and Storm lets up, only to choke and fish hook Colt on the other side! Storm lets up to soak up the heat, but Colt CHOPS him! Storm haymakers but Colt CHOPS again! Colt gets to a corner but Storm pokes his eyes! Storm stomps a mudhole into Colt, but lets up at the ref’s count.

Storm comes back to drag Colt up, but fans rally. Colt endures a cravat but arm-drags out! They speed up but it’s Storm who hits Colt with the Harley Race knee! Storm takes a bow as Chicago boos. Colt sits up but Storm covers, TWO! Storm grows annoyed but he keeps on Colt with a chinlock. Colt fights up but Storm clubs him down. Storm tells the fans to settle down, and he drags Colt into a powerbomb position. Colt resists the lift, then slips under to haymaker back! Storm staggers but swings a punch, Colt dodges to CHOP again! Colt whips Storm to throw him out, but Storm skins the cat. Colt dodges again, and even tilt-o-whirls to a headscissors! Storm staggers away again but both men are down! Fans rally up as both men slowly stir.

Storm uses the ropes to get up but Colt sits up on his own! Colt and Storm glare at each other, and Colt is the one to throw big hands! Colt whips but Storm reverses, only for Colt to dodge and jab! He jabs over and over, then powers up, Bionic Elbow! Storm ends up in a corner and Colt runs in, for the Flying Apple elbow! Colt throws Storm down and hops up, to flex and leap! Storm evades but Colt just jumps again to splash down! Cover, TWO! Storm survives and we go to break.

ROH returns again and Storm starts pulling up floor mats. He drags Colt over to the blue concrete to throw him into barriers. Storm refreshes the count to then go back and pull up even more floor mats! He drags Colt up but Colt blocks the suplex! Colt goes to suplex Storm but Storm fights him off to throw him into barriers! Storm takes a moment to stare down Aldis on commentary. He refreshes the count again, but Colt hip tosses Storm on the concrete! Colt puts Storm in the ring, climbs up top, and MOONSAULTS! Cover, TWO!! Storm survives and Colt can’t believe it. Chicago swears “That Was Three!”

Colt goes after Storm with big hands, but Storm gives them back. They trade haymakers back and forth, but Colt dodges to power up the elbow. Storm hits the Last Call SUPERKICK! And another!! He crosses the legs, for a Texas Cloverleaf! Colt endures and fans rally up! Colt reaches but Storm drags him away from ropes! Storm sits down deep but the bell rings! But Colt didn’t tap out, that was the TIME LIMIT!!

Time Limit Draw; Colt Cabana is still NWA National Heavyweight Champion

Fans want “Five More Minutes!” while Storm just wants to have the belt flat out. Colt gets a mic and tells Storm, “Now all of Chicago knows there was no way I was gonna tap out to that.” But he does realize what it looks like. And that belt is not Storm’s yet. If he wants to earn it, then they should go five more minutes! Chicago loves the fighting champion Colt Cabana is, but what does Storm say? Colt just says ring the bell and let’s go!

But wait! The Briscoes attack Cabana from behind!? Aldis is furious but Storm just laughs and leaves. Jay picks up that mic and wants everyone here to know: “The Hell with the NWA!” The NWA screwed the Briscoes out of the Crockett Cup! ROH screwed the Briscoes out of everything! So now #DemBoyz are gonna screw everyone! Mark keeps on Colt with haymakers while Jay says, “ain’t nobody got the balls to stop us!” Jay calls out Aldis! The National Treasure knows he was here to do commentary, but he’s not going to let the Briscoes disrespect him and his promotion. Aldis heads to the ring, and starts fighting the Briscoes! He throws Jay into barriers but Mark stomps Aldis out! Mark puts Aldis in a corner but Aldis hits back!

Aldis throws furious haymakers and then bumps Mark off buckles. But Jay saves his brother to throw hands back on Aldis. The Briscoes mug the NWA World Heavyweight Champion, and then mug Colt the second he’s back in the ring. They choke Aldis with his own shirt collar, stomp Colt out, then feed Aldis to a BOOT! Chicago boos, but the Briscoes don’t care. They have nothing to lose, but will they drag everyone else down with them?

ROH returns without Nick Aldis.

After what The Briscoes did to him before the break, both Aldis and Colt Cabana have been taken to the trainer’s room. ROH shares footage during the break of The Briscoes more or less spitting on the NWA National Heavyweight Championship belt, and by extension, the partnership of NWA and ROH. What action will be taken by both NWA and ROH management to address the attitudes of Jay & Mark Briscoe?

ROH Best in the World is on the horizon!

On Friday, June 28th, the UMBC Event Center in Baltimore, Maryland will host the best in ROH, such as Dalton Castle challenging Dragon Lee as a vendetta against Lee’s brother, Rush. Plus, the ROH World Television Championship will be on the line as we get another match of Shane Taylor VS Bandido. And of course, THE ROH World Championship will be defended as Matt Taven takes on the Hawaiian Juggernaut, Jeff Cobb! Will the champions leave with the titles? Or will the challengers prove who really are the Best in the World?

ROH continues its closer look at Jeff Cobb.

The transition from amateur to professional wrestler began in 2008. Cobb was more than ready for the training, because he was already at his peak physical condition. He remembers that Hawaii did have pro-wrestling, and went to a show near his home. He borrowed a car, bought a ticket, and fell in love.

Cobb’s first day was doing 500 squats. That’s not easy, but Cobb isn’t a normal man. Cobb blasted out the 500, ran the ropes, and was more than ready when it came to physical attributes. However, the challenge was in the other part of pro-wrestling. Cobb’s first match was in 2009, during a NJPW tour. He talked to War Machine, Ray Rowe and Hanson, and they got him into ROH. Cobb admits there was pressure to make an impression, but a three-minute title win sure does help. Punishment Martinez was quite the challenge, but Cobb was too much of a challenge for Martinez! He would go on to also be NEVER Openweight Champion simultaneously, but would also lose them both. However, Cobb shrugs that off because he has a shot at THE ROH World Championship at Best in the World!

This will be his first shot, and his first main event, so the pressure is on. But Cobb is Cobb’s worst critic, no one can get in his head. Cobb is ready to show Matt Taven that he, the only man to not be pinned or submitted in ROH, will bring his A Game to prove he is the best. Will it be another one shot, one win for the strongest rising star in ROH today? Or will The Kingdom keep the gold because iiiiiit’s Matt Taven?

Silas Young VS ???

The Last Real Man also claims he’s the “Last Real Technician” in wrestling after the highly suspect methods he used to defeat Jonathan Gresham. Silas has the mic now to say that it’s “fairly obvious to anybody that’s been paying attention” that Silas has turned over a new leaf. “Gone are the days of taking shortcuts and doing what I thought was necessary to win a match.” This new leaf shows that there is no one who can wrestle the way Silas does. There is not a better pure wrestler today than The Last Real Man. Silas could have a match with anyone on the ROH roster, but he would mop the floor with them, 1 2 3.

But Silas wants to push himself, to kick it up a notch. He found someone who is perhaps one of the greatest of all time. Silas found someone trained by Lou Thesz, who beat Johnny Saint and Billy Robinson. Surely everyone knows who he means: The Squid! And out comes a man in a squid mask… This is clearly just Silas making fun of The Octopus, Jonathan Gresham. Either way, this match is actually happening, does The Squid stand a chance?

Chicago chants “Squid is Gonna Kill~ You!” The ref calls for it, and the Code of Honor is upheld. The bell rings and Silas ties up with The Squid. Silas waistlock, slams and floats all over Squid. Squid backs off and gets to his feet, but Silas is on him with an arm wernch. Squid wrenches back but Silas rolls and handsprings to show off his agility. Silas then wrings Squid back, and offers a handshake? Squid isn’t sure what to make of this, but he does shake Silas’ hand. They tie up and Silas hammerlocks to headlocks to another hammerlock. He headlocks again and gets the takedown. Squid gets the headscissors and Chicago cheers! But Silas moves around to rolls Squid over, and rolls him back into a Crab!

Squid scrambles to the ropes to get the ropebreak. Silas lets go fast to offer another handshake. Squid is still skeptical, but he again accepts the handshake. Silas uses it to reel Squid into a headlock! Squid powers out but Silas runs him over! Silas claps and fans rally as he speeds things up. Squid goes to hip toss but Silas blocks to spin Squid around and around into a Cobra Twist! Squid taps, Silas wins!!

Winner: Silas Young, by submission

Silas doesn’t let go, no matter how much Squid taps! Silas even lights a cigarette while he pulls on Squid harder! The ref reprimands Silas and Silas finally lets Squid go. Silas bows and finishes his cigarette, but if this is a new leaf, it’s a rotten one. When and where will Gresham return to show Silas that a Squid is nothing compared to the Octopus?

In ROH, Bully Ray is why bad things happen to good people.

Even before LifeBlood arrived in ROH, Bully Ray was ruining the lives of many fan favorites like Flip Gordon and Cheeseburger. But with LifeBlood’s mission to restore the Honor to Ring of Honor, the Bully has felt threatened by them. Attacking David Finlay and Mark Haskins backstage was one thing, but Bully would make Tenille Dashwood’s last night in ROH the worst night ever! LifeBlood confronted him in the ring, but Bully was saved by the Soldiers of Savagery! It was completely by SOS’s own volition, but does that mean Bully has new friends in this fight for honor?

Mark Haskins is here!

Mr. Overkill represents LifeBlood as he walks to the ring here in Chicago. Haskins almost had the ROH World Championship if not for Bully, so this grudge goes even deeper for him. Haskins grabs a mic to say he came to ROH because “this is a place where wrestling matters.” Haskins didn’t bust his ass for 15 years to be labeled an “entertainer.” He is a wrestler! He is a “gritty, in-your-face, fight you any day of the week and twice on Sunday, kind of wrestler!” Chicago applauds that, because they appreciate it, because we all love pro-wrestling! Haskins has a fight in his heart that just doesn’t quit.

From day one here, Haskins tore it up with the best talents in the world, like Bandido. They left it all in the ring, and then the first person to meet them backstage was Juice Robinson. He saw something special in them, and asked them to be part of his vision for ROH. That is how LifeBlood began. A group of up-and-coming wrestlers like Hot Sauce, Tracy Williams, and the Fighting Irish, David Finlay! David’s hurt but get well soon because he is missed. Then there was another: Tenille. “A girl ready to come back from injury and show the world what she was capable of.” But that was taken from her by a man… No, not a man. By the dirtiest “piece of scum” Haskins has ever seen and hates just as much as the fans.

Bully needs to know that Haskins is the kind of guy who when he has something to say, he’ll say it to that person’s face. Haskins dares Bully to show up and meet him face to face! Haskins paces but we go to break. Will we see Bully on the other side?

ROH returns and Bully shows up to ask, “You dare me?” A dare? Haskins is ready to go, and Bully accepts that dare. Bully walks to the ring, and tells the ring announcer to get out. The ref, too, get out. Sit down, Bobby Cruz. Ref, go sit in the corner. They do as they’re told, and Bully gets in the ring. Bully asks Haskins something: “Are you going to bark all day, little doggy? Or are you gonna bite?” This is exactly why Haskins hates Bully. The people are fed up with him, so Bully should do us a favor and go back to the cesspool he crawled out of! “Please, please, pretty please, RETIRE!” Retire? Fans chant “Please Retire!” But this shows how much fans forget.

Bully lets Haskins in on something. Haskins wasn’t here a year ago, when Bully actually tried to retire. Bully tried to retire in Chicago, in this arena, in this ring. Fans say “Try Again!” But the fans begged him not to retire! Does no one remember that? This entire arena gave him a standing ovation of “Thank You, Bully!” Grown men sitting front row WEPT over Bully’s retirement! And who could forget this little kid in the ring, and Bully gave that kid a hug and said, “This is the last table I’m ever going to break and it was for you.” And the fans all wept. And why was that? Because they’re all suckers! They all bought it! Bully lied to them, and has been lying his entire career. It’s what Bully does!

And not Haskins, not other legends, not a single man has stopped him. “What makes you think you’re the guy that’s finally going to shut me up?” Haskins smirks as he says, “I don’t think, I know.” So how about they just do this here and now?! But wait, here comes Shane Taylor! Bully cheers on his pal, the Notorious Hitman and ROH World TV Champion! Taylor joins Bully in the ring but Haskins doesn’t back down. Because he has back-up in Hot Sauce! LifeBlood stares down the Bully and his buddy, because the time for talk is over. It’s time for a fight, and this looks like a good fight right here! It’ll be tag team action as the ref gets in the ring, and Bully allows it.

LifeBlood VS Bully Ray & Shane Taylor!

The teams sort out and Bully starts with Haskins. The bell rings and Bully dares Haskins to tie up with him. Haskins is a wrestler, isn’t he? Haskins approaches, but the Soldiers of Savagery attack again!!

No Contest

Moses Maddox attacks Haskins while Jasper Kaun attacks Williams! Fans boo but the beating continues while Bully and Shane just watch. Again, the SOS seem to be doing this on their own as they give Haskins a Samoan Drop and Williams a gutbuster drop! But Bully and Shane do help out, by getting a table! Bully puts the table in while SOS stomp Williams out. Taylor talks trash to Williams while SOS grind their feet in. Bully finishes setting up a table while Taylor throws Williams into barriers! “I thought he wanted to fight!” Kaun feeds Haskins into the ring, and Bully is right on him.

But PJ Black comes in to SMACK SOS with a chair! He hits Bully, but Moses stops him, and then Taylor gives PJ a headbutt! But Taylor says PJ isn’t going to get chair shots, he’s getting the TABLE! SOS bring PJ to Bully on the top rope, for a SUPER POWERBOMB through the table!! The Darewolf is down and out as fans boo and jeer! Are the Soldiers of Savagery now Bully’s lieutenants in this war for honor? Can LifeBlood recover and retaliate?

My Thoughts:

A fairly good episode right here, though not much was resolved, just extended. Cabana VS Storm was a really good match for only being roughly 15 minutes, but I was with the fans and Colt on giving it five more minutes. Instead, we immediately detour into this Briscoes story where they hate ROH and NWA management. I expect a tag match of Briscoes VS Cabana & Aldis, putting the NWA National and World Champions together on one team. It could even be for both titles just to add some drama to it! Then Silas Young obviously taunts Gresham with this Squid guy. I did like that his mask was basically a stuffed animal squid gutted to be a mask. Squid is also the first jobber I’ve ever seen lose to a rest hold submission. That’s actually rather creative in the grand scheme of things. Gresham totally has to win the rematch.

These Jeff Cobb videos are great. He is great, I loved reliving that shock win over Punishment Martinez, and his match with Taven at Best in the World is going to be huge. I don’t know the chances of Cobb doing another first shot victory like with the TV title, but it would be so great if he did. As I said before, even if The Kingdom interferes, it’d be amazing for Cobb to toss them aside to still give Taven a Tour of the Islands. The only low point of the night might’ve been the swerve on this whole LifeBlood tag match thing. We thought Haskins would be fighting Bully, or maybe Taylor, but then we get a tag match that doesn’t even happen because Soldiers of Savagery attack. Not only do they take down LifeBlood but they take out PJ Black.

Maybe while Finlay is still recovering, PJ joins in for that 8 Man Tag: Bully, Taylor & SOS VS LifeBlood & Darewolf. I wonder if it’ll be in time for Best in the World, given Juice was in NJPW during all this. I suppose he could do a video message to pose the match and then be live for BITW. And I would hope LifeBlood wins it, to shut Bully up for a bit.

My Score: 8/10

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

Related Topics:Colt Cabana Coverage Featured Featured Coverage James Storm Lifeblood NWA National Heavyweight Championship Ring of Honor ROH

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Coverage

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

It’s Draft Day!

Published

6 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

1 day 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.

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