Coverage

Mitchell’s WWE SmackDown Results & Report! (11/29/19)

So much uncertainty after Survivor Series!

Published

4 years ago

November 29, 2019

Steven Mitchell

What is going to happen now?

SmackDown did not win Survivor Series, and Daniel Bryan did not win against The Fiend. What’s more, Bray Wyatt promises a NEW Firefly Fun House friend! Who, or what, will join Bray, Mercy the Buzzard, Ramblin’ Rabbit, Huskis the Pig Boy and Abby the Witch on this Black Friday Night SmackDown?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Roman Reigns VS Robert Roode w/ Dolph Ziggler & Baron Corbin; Roman wins.
Mustafa Ali VS Drew Gulak; Ali wins.
Sonya Deville w/ Mandy Rose VS Nikki Cross; Cross wins.
SmackDown Tag Team Championship Open Challenge: The New Day VS ???; The New Day wins and retain the SmackDown Tag Team Championships.

PLAY BY PLAY

Roman Reigns is here!

The Big Dog is in Birmingham, Alabama, coming off his big win at Survivor Series! And Roman was the #SoleSurvivor in the first-ever 15-Man Elimination Triple Threat Tag! Roman goes to the ring and gets a mic. “I know it’s a day late, but in my household, if you still have leftovers in the fridge, ti’s still Thanksgiving. So Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!” To Roman, Thanksgiving means three things: family, good health, and happiness. To be honest, Roman only had one of those things last year, and that was family. But to be here now, with good health and with his new family, Roman is very, very thankful. Fans are thankful to have Roman back, too. Roman is also thankful that Team SmackDown “whooped some ass.” He wasn’t on his own, and he does give his props to NXT. But NXT didn’t get it done, SmackDown did!

And Roman’s team was great. Roman thanks Mustafa Ali, “Shorty G,” and the Monster Among Men! But there is one “dummy” he wasn’t thankful for. We all know who he means, and Roman says the dummy should thank Roman. Let’s bring that dummy out! Roman wants the dummy to apologize. And yes, King Baron Corbin appears! Fans boo Baron, who already has a mic. The Lone Wolf King wants to understand something. Roman thinks Corbin should thank him? Roman must’ve lost his mind. It was Corbin’s “fearless leadership” that helped them win. Corbin eliminated two people before Roman betrayed him! But Roman surely had ulterior motives. Roman’s ego couldn’t handle that Corbin was going to be the one to get the job done. But Corbin didn’t it. Corbin got a Spear then got eliminated. But Corbin has a chance to redeem himself here and now.

Corbin saw this coming. Roman doesn’t have Corbin fooled. Roman is just an ego maniac, not a role model. Corbin says he had the best Thanksgiving ever! He drops a fork, he has someone there to get him a new one. But Roman doesn’t know anything about good food, he’s used to eating crap like the fans in Alabama! Corbin is thankful he doesn’t have to fake a smile, that he doesn’t have to eat crap food, and he doesn’t have to stay in a state with food worse than their football! But if Roman wants a fight, Corbin has someone else victorious from Sunday: Robert Roode! And Corbin has a good feeling that Roman will be wheeled out on a stretcher. And that will be absolutely glorious! With that, Roode appears, with Dolph Ziggler in his corner! Will the King’s Court (Jesters) get one over on The Big Dog?

Roman Reigns VS Robert Roode w/ Dolph Ziggler & Baron Corbin!

SmackDown returns with this match in progress. Roode headlocks but Roman powers out only for Roode to run him over. Roode gloats and gets the headlock back, but Roman powers his way to his own headlock. Roode powers out but now Roman runs him over! Roode bails out to regroup with Ziggler and Corbin. The ring count climbs but Roode returns. Ziggler distracts, Roode attacks! Roode stomps away but the ref backs him off. Only Corbin and Ziggler applaud. Roode drags Roman up but Roman uppercuts! And again! Roman has Roode in the corner, he climbs up and rains down rights! Roode stops Roman at 5 to boot him away. Roode hops up but gets another uppercut! Roode tumbles out to the floor! Fans rally for Roman as he goes out, to give Roode a Drive-By dropkick!

Corbin takes off his crown and both he and Ziggler distract Roman. Roman puts Roode in but ZIggler takes a swipe! Roode hits Roman off the apron! Roman hits the announce desk, and then Roode hurries out to SPINE BUSTER! The King’s Court gloats as fans boo and the ring count climbs. Roode drags Roman back up and throws Roman into barriers. Roode gets back in to keep the ring count off him. Roode goes out to throw haymakers, and then whip Roman into barriers again! Roode wants the ring count as we go to break.

SmackDown returns as Roode knees low and whips Roman. Roman bounces out to rally with lariats! Roode reverses the whip but Roman hits a leaping lariat! Corbin and Ziggler panic as Roman gives Roode point-blank lariats in the corner! Roman gets all 10 of these! Roman runs to BOOT Roode down! Fans fire up as Roman stares Corbin down from a corner. Roman locks ‘n’ loads but Ziggler distracts again. Roode gets clear of the punch to roll up, TWO!! Roode boots Roman then hops up, GLORIOUS BLOCKBUSTER! Cover, TWO!! Roman survives and The King’s Court is furious! Roode wants Roman to stand as fans rally up. Roode winds it up, GLORIOUS~! He drags Roman in, but the DDT is turned into a roll-up! TWO, but Roman dead lifts and BOMBS Roode! Cover, TWO!! Roode survives and Corbin is relieved.

Roman still has fans rallying up behind him and Roman gets to a corner. Corbin is worried as Roman reloads. Ziggler gets Roode out! Fans boo but Roman goes out to come around the way. Roman leaps off the steps, SUPERMAN PUNCH for Ziggler! Roode rams Roman into a post! And steel steps! Roode throws Roman in and climbs up top. Roode leaps, into a SUPERMAN PUNCH! Cover, TWO!! Roode still lives and Corbin breathes easier. Both Roman and Roode are down but stirring. Fans rally up and Roman gets to the corner. Corbin shouts at Roode as Roman lets out the “OOAAH~!” GLORIOUS SPINE BUSTER! Cover, TWO!! Roman survives and Roode is stunned! Corbin coaches Roode up and Roode gets up. The scepter is passed to Roode behind the referee’s back. Corbin distracts and Roode takes aim at Roman! Roman uppercuts Roode, SUPERMAN PUNCHES Corbin, and SPEARS Roode! Cover, Roman wins!

Winner: Roman Reigns, by pinfall

The Big Dog manages to overcome Corbin and his cronies working together for another big win! But then Ziggler attacks from behind! Ziggler fires up and tunes up the band. Ziggler runs into a Samoan Drop! But Corbin gets Roman, only for Roman to put Corbin into a post! Roode uses the scepter to SMASH Roman down! Roode rains down right hands but that’s not enough. Roode gets a chair and brings it in. Corbin watches safely from the stage as Roode sits the chair up. Roode has the sceptor again, and then drags Roman to the chair. “Time to go home for the holidays, Roman! Say hello to your kids!” Roode raises the sceptor, Roman avoids the SMASH! SUPERMAN PUNCH sends Roode out!

Roman is seething as he goes out to SPEAR Roode through the timekeeper’s area!! Corbin has fear in his eyes as Roman tosses an arm chair into Roode! “You want me gone?!” Roode throws the other arm chair on Roode! And then Roman eyes the steel steps. Roman takes the top half off, to SMASH Ziggler into the crowd! Roman then moves the announce desk, and lifts it up and over to dump onto Roode!! Roode is trapped and Corbin is fearing what might happen to him. Will the Big Dog take a big bite out of the Lone Wolf before the year is over?

SmackDown presents a brand new Firefly Fun House!

Hola, Fireflies! Hopefully everyone had a great Thanksgiving with your family and friends. Bray Wyatt is thankful that he’s still the WWE Universal Champion! But sharing is caring, so if Bray has one, “he” should have one too. A really creepy belt for The Fiend! But Bray loves this new toy! He had a blast playing with Daniel Bryan at Survivor Series. They should do it again! Do the fans want to see them “play” again? YAY~! Well in that case, someone tell Daniel Bryan that Bray can make his wish come true. All Bryan has to do is #LetMeIn. Okay bye~! Later everyone~!

Sheamus speaks!

SmackDown was once home of the fiercest competition in the land. But watching from home, he sees SmackDown is just “a bunch of misfits and cowards. A Fiend, a King, a Shorty G… Whatever the hell that is.” But no one is hungry, with a backbone, or like him. Sheamus says SmackDown is soft, so the Celtic Warrior is ready to return to ravage the roster! “SmackDown will be mine.”

Mustafa Ali VS ???

The Beacon shines in Birmingham to enjoy his part of that SmackDown victory! But who will he shine the light on next?

SmackDown returns as Ali’s opponent is revealed as Drew Gulak! These old rivals tie up and go around with a waistlock. Gulak elbows out, haymakers Ali then whips. Ali reverses and things speed up. Ali goes up, redirects, Gulak goes up and Ali handsprings over! Fans cheer the agility and Ali dropkicks Gulak! Cover, ONE, and Gulak grabs hair to yank Ali down. Gulak drags Ali up to put in a corner. Gulak sneers as fans rally up for Ali. Gulak chops Ali then headbutts low. Gulak drags Ali up but Ali kicks back! Ali uppercuts from a corner and climbs up, but Gulak POWERBOMBS him down! Cover, TWO! Gulak drags Ali up and around for a back suplex, but Ali makes it a crossbody! Cover, ONE, and Gulak has a leg for a Half Crab!

Gulak sits down deep and pulls on hair. The ref reprimands so Gulak lets up. Ali crawls but Gulak turns him around. Ali kicks away but Gulak spins Ali around, only to walk into Ali’s SUPERKICK! Cover, TWO! Ali crawls to a corner as Gulak stirs. Gulak hurries after Ali to grab his feet. Gulak drags Ali but Ali rolls to throw Gulak into buckles. Ali goes up, leaps, TORNADO DDT! Ali hurries up top again, takes aim, 450! Cover, Ali wins!

Winner: Mustafa Ali, by pinfall

This rivalry is still fast and furious, but it also still goes Ali’s way! Will Ali only shine brighter as SmackDown heads for the New Year?

Heavy Machinery plugs WWE Black Friday!

HUNDREDS of deals! That slow cooker, yum yum. And 25% off your entire order, $15+ gets free shipping. Use the promo code, FRIDAY, to save that 25%, get all you want or need now!

Daniel Bryan paces.

He heard like we all heard that Bray is giving him another shot at the Universal Championship. What will his answer be?

Bayley and Sasha Banks are here!

They were both on the losing ends of huge women’s matches for Survivor Series. Sasha Banks was team captain and last eliminated by Rhea Ripley’s Team NXT. Bayley and Becky Lynch were both beat by Shayna 2-Time Baszler. Now the Boss and Smug Connection are here to address those losses. Bayley admits, Shayna got the better of her, only because of Becky. Sasha says a great leader is ruined by the weakest link, and her weak link was the whole damn team! Nikki Cross was on the team by a fluke. Dana Brooke can’t flex out of a paper bag. Carmella is messy, broke and lame. Lacey Evans is too busy sipping sweet tea to be better. The SmackDown Women’s Division makes them sick.

But speaking of Lacey, here she comes! The Sassy Southern Belle struts her way into the ring and has herself a mic of her own. “Honey, don’t test my patience.” She just spent all night preparing a Thanksgiving dinner for her in-laws. She is not in the mood for lip from two who lack class to even sit at the kiddie table. They’re leaders? Bless their hearts. These two wouldn’t be trusted with the chicken dance at a garden party. If all they’re doing is hiding behind excuses, then Lacey says SmackDown gets a real woman as their leader. A woman with style, class, confidence and sophistication. And Birmingham nominates Lacey Evans! Lacey is a woman who wouldn’t tap out to pressure. Tappy tap tap. Sasha gets in Lacey’s face, to get a WOMAN’S RIGHT!

Lacey picks up her hat to dust it off and take her leave. Bayley hesitates, maybe she really isn’t leadership material. Will Lacey lead by example as WWE heads for TLC?

Backstage interview with Daniel Bryan.

What is his answer for Bray’s challenge/ But we interrupt this interview with a thanksgiving Firefly Fun House Feast! Except, Huskis has eaten most of it. He ate too much and now his belly is ready to blow! The only thing that would make him feel better is if Bryan agrees to play again. Bray says the story of Thanksgiving is a LIE! The first Thanksgiving wasn’t about pilgrims and natives, but lizard men and aliens! But anyway, Huskis can stuff his face as much as he wants and still change. Just like Bryan can change! All you have to follow these rules to be PHAT. Hit it! “Yo, yo, yo, it’s ya boi, Bray Wyaaatt~!” Time to pull up your pants and do the Muscle Man Dance! Let’s show these bleepin’ bleepers (he actually says that himself) what we talkin’ bout~!

It’s Huskis, the P I G! Sadly, “everyone points and laughs at me.” He’s hefty, living large, and his dependence on food is what’s in charge! Strudel, noodles, ice cream and jams, he’ll eat anything but says no to ham. If he could work out and find close that fit, well Huskis would be as happy as a pig in SHHHHH! Hustle, muscle, man, dance! Pull up your pants and “erase your mind.” YO YO YO! Shake them hips and let the backbone slip! Just #LetMeIn! Don’t let the reptilians in, though, they’ll take over your business, your family, your life! STOP IT REPTILIANS! And just #LetHimIn. After that strange addition to the challenge, Bryan’s answer is… silence. Will Bray get the answer he wants soon enough?

Sonya Deville w/ Mandy Rose VS Nikki Cross!

Fire & Desire have a lot to prove to the SmackDown Women’s and WWE Women’s Tag Divisions. They weren’t part of Team SmackDown, but can they show how much better they would’ve done firsthand?

But before the bell, Mandy has a mic. She usually doesn’t make fun of looks, (oh really?) but just look at Nikki! She’s a cold plate of leftovers in human form! Mandy laughs at her own joke as she gets out of the ring. The bell rings and Sonya DECKS Nikki! Sonya knees Nikki around then kicks her down! Sliding Wizard! Cover, TWO! Sonya has Nikki in a thrashing chinlock, but Nikki endures. Nikki fights her way up to jawbreaker free! Nikki rams into Sonya then knocks her into a corner. Nikki fires up and splashes Sonya to a bulldog! Fans fire up with Nikki as she goes to the top rope. Mandy distracts and Sonya yanks Nikki down! Sonya goes over, Nikki cradle counters, Nikki wins!!

Winner: Nikki Cross, by pinfall

But Fire & Desire attack together! They’re sore losers as they give Nikki a Knee From a Rose! But here comes THE GODDESS! Alexa Bliss is back and she ducks Mandy to lariat Sonya! And then Mandy! Alexa rallies! Nikki anchors Mandy, for Alexa to mock and SLAP! Alexa drags Mandy up, Nikki helps, DOUBLE DDT! The best friends are back together again! Will Bliss-Cross have a resurgence now that they’re reunited?

The Miz talks with Bryan.

The Miz is growing concerned. Bryan may not want to listen, but just look at the facts! The Fiend has changed the men he has mangled. Bryan survived once, but another try is tempting. But Bryan has to ask himself: is it worth it? Bryan still refuses to respond, so Miz says Bryan is important to SmackDown and the WWE. They can’t afford to lose him. His family can’t- Bryan pays attention now. Miz leaves it at that, but his point is valid. Will Bryan understand that, and decided based upon the frightening facts?

Drake Maverick says it is Christmas season.

He asks Dana Brooke his favorite tradition. It’s mistletoe. Ewe, Drake. Not this holiday season or any season. Isn’t he married? Well it’s complicated. But with a twang of the guitar, Elias is back! Where has he been? On a journey both outwards and inwards. What does that mean? It means to shut your mouth and listen. Elias is back, so you have hop again. He’s back in time for the Christmas Season. Drake’s a creep, there’s no doubt. What’s it going to be like when his wife finds out? Dana gets into the groove, is the Drifter going to find himself some gold for the holidays?

SmackDown Tag Team Championship Open Challenge: The New Day VS ???

Awwww~ Birmingham~! Kofi Kingston and Big E are lucky seven-time tag team champions, but seem to be feeling lucky even after a Survivor Series defeat. They fling flapjacks to fans and then take up the mics. “Birminghaaaam~!” What a Thanksgiving the New Day had. Ya bois the NEW~ DAY~ had to fill up on all the fixins! They had beans, greens, potatoes, ham, ram, hog and dog! Wait hog and dog? NO that’s just a joke. But today is Black Friday. They debuted on this day. There are deals and steals, squeals and feels, and where your wildest fantasies come true. Which is why they’re open for business! Tonight is a match for their W, W, E, World, Tag, Team, CHAMPIONSHIPS~! Not just any match, either. They will defend the titles in an OPEN CHALLANGE, BABYYYY~! But the question is now, “Who? WHO WHO WHO?” Team Sami, that’s who!

Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro stand with their Great Liberator as Sami tells Birmingham to shut up. What makes Sami sick to his stomach is hearing New Day romanticize such a holiday where the gluttonous masses celebrates imperialistic evil! And then, the New Day praises Black Friday? The most fraudulent conspiracy that epitomizes the evils of capitalism! Selfish people step over their own mothers to get what they want! “Shame on you.” Shame on every single person who continues to perpetuate this cycle of a bogus holiday season! The tag titles need to be held by men smart enough to see through the nonsense! Therefore, Cesaro and Shinsuke answer the call to become NEW SmackDown Tag Team Champions! Fair enough. The Swiss Cyborg and King of Strong Style head to the ring, and this match happens after the break!

SmackDown returns as teams sort out. Cesaro stands against Kofi Kingston at the bell. They circle and tie up, and Cesaro headlocks. Kofi powers out but Cesaro runs him over to cover, ONE. Cesaro headlocks but Kofi powers out again, but then things speed up. Kofi hurdles and elbows Cesaro down then covers, ONE. Cesaro is up, but Kofi wrenches. Cesaro knees low, tag to Shinsuke and Shinsuke kicks Kofi low. Nakamura fires off at the ropes and then has Kofi in a corner. He whips corner to corner and monkey flips but Kofi lands on his feet to dropkick! Cover, TWO! Kofi keeps his cool as he drags Nakamura up. Nakamura body shots and forearms Kofi away. Nakamura runs into an elbow and Kofi hops up, Cesaro distracts and Nakamura yanks Kofi down! Kofi hits backs but is put back up for the Top Shelf Knee! Cover, TWO!

Nakamura drags Kofi up and over, tag to Cesaro. Team Sami mugs Kofi and Cesaro gut wrench suplexes Kofi with ease! Cover, TWO! Cesaro is on Kofi with a headlock, but Kofi endures. Fans rally as Kofi fights his way up off the mat. Kofi throws body shots but Cesaro tags Nakamura. Nakamura kicks Kofi then throws forearms in the corner. Kofi fights out with haymakers and kicks! Kofi hurries but Nakamura keeps him from Big E. Nakamura whips Kofi out but Kofi fights off Cesaro. But he forgot about Sami, who yanks him down! Cesaro EuroUppers Kofi over the announce desk! The New Day is in danger as we go to break!

SmackDown returns again and both Kofi and Cesaro are down! Hot tags to Nakamura and Big E! Big E gets Nakamura for an overhead suplex! And another! And then the side belly2belly! Big E positions Nakamura for a BIG FLOP! Nakamura rams knees into Big E over and over! Nakamura whips, Big E gets him for the Urenag-E! Cover, TWO!! Big E keeps his cool as he claps. Fans join in, “New! Day Rocks!” Nakamura stands, Big E scoops but Nakamura slips out. Nakamura roundhouses! Cesaro tags as Nakamura goes up, DYNAMIC ENTRY! Cesaro is up, FLYING HEADBUTT! Cover, TWO!! Cesaro drags Big E up into the Gotch hold, but Big E powers out! Cesaro lands on his feet, tag to Nakamura! EuroUpper!

Kofi comes in and back drops Cesaro out! Big E boosts Nakamura up, Kofi kicks him down! Big E has Nakamura on his shoulders. Kofi comes in, DOUBLE STOMP BOMB! Cover, Cesaro breaks it in time!! Cesaro hauls Kofi to ropes but Kofi throws Cesaro out! Big E helps Kofi BOOST! But into a EuroUpper!! EuroUpper for Big E! Cesaro gets Nakamura in, then throws Kofi in. Nakamura runs in, but gets rolled up! TWO, Kofi ducks one kick but gets the heel! Sliding knee! Cover, but Big E breaks it! Cesaro rams Big E into a post! Nakamura tags Cesaro, drags Kofi up for endless EuroUppers from all sides! Cesaro runs but Kofi slips out to swing kick back! Kofi spins, but into a scoop! Hotshot! Cesaro chokes Kofi, backs off, but Sami has the pancakes. Sami has the platter but the ref sees it in time! Sami can’t trick the ref, the ref EJECTS Sami! Sami is furious, as is Cesaro!

But as they argue, Kofi is recovering. Kofi is up, Cesaro turns around, TROUBLE IN PARADISE! Cover, The New Day wins!!

Winners: the New Day, Kofi Kingston by pinfall; still SmackDown Tag Team Champions

The Sami screw job fails, Kofi and Big E are still the seven-time champions! Will Team Sami regroup and go back to the drawing board? Will any other team step up before TLC?

Daniel Bryan heads to the ring!

After Bray Wyatt put the question out there, we’ve all been wondering what the answer would be. Bryan has a mic and reminds us that Bray is offering another Universal Championship match, if he would #LetHimIn. The Miz tried to talk Bryan out of it, because The Fiend would change him. The Miz might be right. Bryan needs to change! That’s why Bryan went against The Fiend as nervous as he’d been in years because of that change. It happened to Finn Balor, to Seth Rollins, and then in the middle of his match, Bryan felt changed. But not because of The Fiend, but because of the fans! The fans’ passion, energy and voice that made Bryan realize the person he always should’ve been. Bryan once said that the Yes Movement was dead. “But maybe, just maybe, you guys brought it back to life!” Bryan has a question for the fans. Bray put out the challenge, so should Bryan accept? “YES! YES! YES!” That doesn’t seem complete, so Bryan does it, too! “YES! YES! YES!”

The Firefly Fun House returns again! And YOWIE WOWIE! Bray is very happy to hear this. But he has to admit, Miz is right. Going trough this will change Bryan. Bryan will remove his mask and show his true self. It’s only fair, since Bryan helped Bray change. Heck, Bryan helped build the Fun House! You remember, don’t you? Because “he” does. But one more thing! The best part is that Bray has his promise to keep. Bray is a man of his word. And so, to introduce this new face of the Fun House, the lights go out! The red light comes on, and The Fiend comes out from under the ring!! Bryan fights but is being dragged down! The Fiend goes for the Mandible Claw, and though Bryan resists, it clamps on!! The Fiend smothers and thrashes Bryan about! He drags Bryan into the depths of darkness!

But is Bryan still fighting from below? Parts of Bryan’s beard are ripped off!? The Fiend goes down deeper to keep going after Bryan, and tears off MORE of the beard?! The Fiend is ripping away the facial hair, chunk after chunk, after chunk! Bray Wyatt’s laugh echoes out through the night, but what has happened to the face of the Yes Movement?

My Thoughts:

A pretty good episode for SmackDown to follow Survivor Series, and it does well in building towards TLC, which is only two weeks from Sunday. Roman has a good segment with Corbin and a good match with Roode. It seems The King’s Court will continue to support each other match after match. I suspect one of the TLC stipulations will go to a Roman VS Corbin blow-off, and after that scepter-chair attempt, it should be a Chairs match. It’s great to hear Sheamus is coming back, but I wonder if he’ll be Face or Heel. If he has interactions with Cesaro and Team Sami, Sheamus might end up the Face against them. At the same time, the way his promo went, he came off sounding like a Heel, which is where Sheamus has always shined. Either way, just great to know he’s healthy again. For that matter, same for Elias. I really hope this “Drake is a creep” thing stops now before it begins, but it was a good set-up for Elias to sing on.

I feel really bad for Drew Gulak. He loses the Cruiserweight Championship and gets sent to SmackDown in the WWE Draft, but for what? His feud with Mustafa Ali used to be main event material, but now it’s just a filler. It’s still good for Ali to win, but he also seems in a holding pattern while SmackDown figures out if there’ll be an Intercontinental Championship challenger. Nakamura being an Intercontinental Champion is part of why it was obvious he and Cesaro wouldn’t win the tag titles. It was still an incredible match, and I was hoping we were going to see them have such a match, but it is hard to be sure who beats The New Day for the titles right now. I almost thought the open challenge was to bring a new team but there was no word of it happening, and no one from any other brand that I could think of changing shows.

The women’s division had an alright night. Sasha and Bayley do classic Heel whining that they’re not the reasons SmackDown lost. I am so glad to see this brings Lacey Evans’ face turn. She was due for one in NXT before being moved over, so now she gets it here. Lacey will surely have a match with each of them, and with Bayley for TLC. Nikki gets an okay with, but the main thing was Alexa Bliss returning! The WWE Starrcade advertising gave away her return but it was great to see her back. Obviously we get a story of Bliss-Cross VS Fire & Desire, maybe Bliss-Cross wins to get a tag title shot on SmackDown or a PPV. Mostly because Starrcade probably isn’t going to have the title change hands.

And then story of the night was Bray Wyatt daring Daniel Bryan to have a rematch. It’s happening, and probably at TLC in a TLC match since I don’t think another title story takes the spotlight over it. It was great for Miz to try and reach out to Bryan again, I wonder if he’ll become a bigger factor in this story. I loved the remix of the Muscle Man Dance, and The Fiend’s title belt was perfectly creepy. I’m moderately disappointed we didn’t get to see that new face Bray “promised,” but perhaps the new face is a Bryan without a beard. Though I highly doubt that was his hair being pulled out. I’m definitely excited to see where next week’s SmackDown goes with this.

My Score: 8.4/10

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

7 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.

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