Coverage

Mitchell’s WWE SmackDown Results & Report! (12/6/19)

What does King Corbin have planned?

Published

4 years ago

December 6, 2019

Steven Mitchell

Will Roman Reigns be humiliated by The King’s Court?

Baron Corbin has sunk to rather sophomoric attempts at mocking The Big Dog, but promises something even bigger. What does he have prepared? Will Roman find a way around it and Dolph Ziggler tonight?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Mandy Rose w/ Sonya Deville VS Alexa Bliss w/ Nikki Cross; Bliss wins.
SmackDown Tag Team Championships #1 Contenders Elimination Fatal 4 Way: The Revival VS Heavy Machinery VS Lucha House Party VS Mustafa Ali & Chad Gable; The Revival wins and will challenge the New Day for the titles at TLC.
Lacey Evans VS Haley Jones; Evans wins.
Roman Reigns VS Dolph Ziggler; Reigns wins.

PLAY BY PLAY

What happened to Daniel Bryan!?

Bray Wyatt offered him another chance at the WWE Universal Championship. The Miz tried to talk reason into Bryan. But in the end, it was Bryan who made the decision to say “YES! YES! YES!” And perhaps now, he regrets that decision. The Fiend attacked from below and dragged Daniel down into the darkness! And handful by handful, it would appear The Fiend ripped the hair from Bryan’s head! What is the fate of the face of the Yes Movement?

SmackDown opens with Miz TV!

The Hollywood A-Lister heads to the ring and takes up a mic. Miz was to have Bryan as his guest tonight, but after the “horrific events” of last week, that is not possible. We have not heard from Bryan in the seven days since. Miz has known Bryan since first coming to the WWE, and they are not friends in the slightest. Yet Miz knows the most about Bryan, and how much he means to both the company and the fans. For the first time in a long time, we saw the real Bryan return in the rebirth of the Yes Movement. But the Fiend has yanked that away from us. Miz has never liked Bryan, that’s obvious. But Miz does care about Bryan. Miz vows to get to the bottom of this, and to find out what happened to Bryan!

Firefly Fun House interrupts Miz TV!

Bray hangs a portrait of Bryan and says hi! Yowie wowie, Miz is putting on his big boy pants and thinking cap for this mystery, huh? But trust Bray when he says Miz doesn’t want to know what happened. Bryan could be with… “him.” And he may not be done with Bryan yet. All Bray knows is that Bryan was going to play at TLC, but now he might not. Aww… But hey! Since Miz is going snooping, maybe he can come play instead? Yay~! This ins’t about The MIz, this is about Bryan. Miz isn’t going to play games. But Bray heard Miz say “family.” That’s the secret word of the day! Get out while you still can! Quiet, stupid rabbit.

Oh, but family IS word of the day! F-A-M-I-L-Y! Bray used to have a family. But Miz has inspired Bray to join a new family! If you believe it, you can achieve it! Look, it’s the Mizanin Family! Miz, Maryse and their darling baby girls. Does Miz want to play now? Bray laughs but Miz is in no mood! Time to say good-bye! Miz storms to the back, but will he find Bray before it’s too late?

Miz is on the phone with Maryse.

Bray is playing mind games, but they’re taking him seriously. The doors are locked, and Miz says he’ll be right home. Miz hurries, but is there still time?

Mandy Rose w/ Sonya Deville VS Alexa Bliss w/ Nikki Cross!

Fire & Desire want to establish themselves as the best tag team in the Women’s Division, for more than just their in-ring skills. But the Goddess is back and here to show Mandy that looks only get you so far. Who gains a step towards the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships through singles competition?

The bell rings and Mandy circles with Alexa. They tie up, Alexa gets Mandy down but Mandy arm-drags her off. Mandy doesn’t like her face being touched, and then she waistlocks Alexa. Alexa elbows out, drop toeholds and Mandy bails out. Fans cheer as Alexa runs, but her slide misses, Knee from a Rose! Mandy and Sonya soak up the heat as Mandy stands over Alexa. Mandy bumps Alexa off the apron a couple times then puts Alexa in the ring. Cover, TWO, and Mandy is upset. Mandy goes after the arm and grinds Alexa’s face with forearms. The ref reprimands but Mandy stops to pull off Alexa’s fake eyelashes! Fans rally but Mandy stands over her. But Alexa fights back with body shots! Mandy ROCKS Alexa then whips, then dropkicks her down!

Alexa flounders but Mandy boots her down! Cover, but Mandy is too close to the ropes herself. Mandy is upset with the ref but she underhooks Alexa. Alexa fights out of the lift, dodges the knee and rolls Mandy, TWO! Mandy knees low, and pie faces Alexa around. “You will NEVER look like me!” Alexa gets mad and choke grips Mandy for the standing STO! Then SLAPS and DECKS her! Basement dropkick knocks Mandy back down, and Alexa skateboard stomps away! Alexa lets up at 4 and fans are fired up. Knee drops, Insult but Sonya distracts. Nikki CROSSBODIES! Mandy rolls Alexa up, TWO! Alexa gets around, crucifix DDT! Alexa puts Mandy in the drop zone and climbs up top. Fans fire up as Alexa leaps, TWISTED BLISS! Cover, Bliss wins!

Winner: Alexa Bliss, by pinfall

The Goddess wins and it was so, so pretty! But will it only get ugly when these two teams meet 2v2?

Dana Brooke visits catering.

But Drake Maverick is right behind her. Drake heard about Dana asking out Dave Batista. Yes, she is really excited about it. Well Drake is excited, too, but he feels a bit rejected. Rejected? Didn’t they have something last week? What? What does Batista have that Drake doesn’t? Well… Before Dana answers, in comes Elias. When words fail us, a song provides the answer. Everyone claps along as Elias plays.

“Batista’s a millionaire, plus he’s tall. Drake, you’ve got a better chance at getting lucky, with a blowup doll.” Marriage problems? Got issues? The only action Drake gets is with lotion and tissues. “You’re the best I ever had,” is what Mrs. Maverick said. That is, when she was waking up in Elias’s bed. Maverick SLAPS Elias, then leaves. Dana asks about that thing with Mrs. Maverick. That didn’t happen, but something’s about to. Elias may have struck a chord with Maverick, but will Maverick regret striking him?

SmackDown returns to Drake Maverick in the ring.

So everyone thinks this is funny? They all think Elias is funny? Maverick’s life is a joke, huh!? Elias apparently thinks it’s funny. “YES! YES! YES!” Maverick says no one makes a mockery out of him, his marriage, or his wife! He calls Elias out not for a match, but for a FIGHT! Elias does walk out, with Dana Brooke by his side. Elias gets in the ring with Maverick, and the fight is on! Well, it would be if Maverick could reach Elias being stiff-armed away. Elias lets Maverick fall to the mat, then dodges his return. Dana giggles as Elias easily lifts Maverick and drop him again. Elias bends Maverick over his knee for a SPANKING! Maverick is stinging in more ways than one, but Elias is lining up a shot. Elias goes for the kick, and it’s GOOD! Maverick is literally kicked out of the ring!

Maverick starts running away but ends up back in the ring. Elias chases him out of the ring, but Dana puts Maverick back in! Elias gets Maverick with the DRIFT AWAY! Elias even offers Dana a shot. She stands on Maverick for the “pin,” and Dana “wins”! Maverick may not be a joke, but he is a loser. Will Maverick learn his lesson?

The Miz hurries through the halls.

But there’s a room glowing red… Miz barges in, hoping to find Bray. But instead, he finds a picture of BRAY holding Monroe Sky. “Say Cheese.” IT’S BRAY! He gets Miz with a Sister Abigail!! Bray sings “There’s No Place like Home for the Holidays,” and leaves Miz with the picture.

SmackDown returns as Miz comes to.

Where did Bray go? Where’s the photo? The referee says they’ll get a medic first to make sure Miz is okay. But will anyone be okay with Bray Wyatt lurking around?

SmackDown shares Tribute to the Troops social media posts.

Kofi Kingston tweeted out that “every year, we are blessed with the opportunity to participate” in this event. Kofi always looks forward to this day, because it is a “chance to meet and shake the hands of the men and women who are willing to risk their lives so that we may have our freedom.” Natalya is “blown away” that it’s been 17 years already, and Lacey Evans being former military, she was excited to start her day with “HITT training with the Marines.” Montez Ford thanks ALL of the US Marines, and Dana shares her respect and gratitude to the soldiers. Roman Reigns says events like Tribute to the Troops reminds us how lucky we are to be protected by such heroes.

Awwwww~ North Carolina~!

Don’t you dare be sour! Clap for the 7-Time champs and feel~ the power~! The New Day are here, flinging flapjacks right at Corey Graves. They join commentary because of the HUGE tag team contender’s match up next!

SmackDown Tag Team Championships #1 Contenders Elimination Fatal 4 Way: The Revival VS Heavy Machinery VS Lucha House Party VS Mustafa Ali & Chad Gable!

Eight men have a huge opportunity to face Kofi Kingston and Big E in nine days! Will it be the #TopGuys, #BlueCollarSolid, #FightingFiesta or the Beacon and the underdog?

The teams sort out, and only two can start. “Shorty G” and Gran Metalik start, mostly because Dash & Dawson are talkign trash to the New Day. Gable ties up and trips up Metalik to get a facelock and roll. Metalik gets up, wrenches out, but Gable rolls, bridges and handsprings. Gable spins to get a headlock, spin to a drop toehold, then get the armlock! Fans cheer as Gable drags Metalik up and over, tag to Ali. Ali climbs and stomps the arm! Ali drags Metalik up for an arm wrench, but Metalik reverses back. Ali rolls, handsprings, headlocks but Metalik powers out. Things speed up and Ali shows off his agility! Metalik runs in, handsprings over Ali’s kick, and then arm-drags Ali down! Ali arm-drags back, trips but Metalik kicks him away. Metalik runs in, Ali goes up and over then runs to huricarnana, only for Metalik to handspring through! Even Big E is going to give that a standing ovation!

Ali and Metalik circle, but Tucker and Lince Dorado tag in. Dorado and Tucker speed up, but Tucker runs Dorado over. Tucker shows his own agility and then dropkicks cancel out! Tucker and Dorado high-five, but then The Revival run in! Tucker and Dorado knock them down, and dropkick them out! Dorado swings into an atomic lift, Tucker uses Dorado to knock Ali and Gable down!Tucker then does the same against the Revival, before back suplexing Dorado. But Dorado lands on his feet, dodges the clothesline and handsprings, Golden Rewind! But Otis tags in! Dorado dodges and dropkicks Otis out! Lucha House Party coordinate and DOUBLE ASAI onto the Revival, Ali and Shorty G! Those six are down and Kalisto is fired up with his tassels!

LHP put Otis back in but Dawson gets Dorado with a suplex! Metalik mule kicks Dawson, then springboards, but into Otis’s arms! Tag to Tucker, COMPACTOR! Cover, they ELIMINATE Lucha House Party! Kalisto is upset but there’s nothing he can do about it. SmackDown goes to break as the other three teams regroup.

SmackDown returns as Gable drops knees on Tucker’s arm. Gable clamps onto the arm and the Revival taunt Tucker about what happened to Otis. They, of course, were the ones to take him out. Tucker endures, scoops Gable and slams Gable down! Dash tags in off Gable and stalks Tucker, to then sucker punch Ali! Dash trips Tucker but Tucker pushes him back into buckles! Gable tags back in, but runs into a hip toss! Dawson tags in off Gable, and runs at Tucker for a back drop! And Otis rises! The New Day like this! Otis tags in and rallies on Dawson with big belly bumps! Spin cycle scoop slam! The shirt comes off! Otis runs into a boot, but feeds off it! Tucker kicks more but Otis just jiggles and shakes. Dawson CHOPS, but Otis PUMPS! Otis gets Dawson for an EXPLODER!

Dawson is in the corner, Otis corner splashes! Dash tags in but gets clubbed out. Dawson is in the drop zone, fans fire up, and Otis gets it moving! CATERPILLAR ELBOW! But Dash sunset flips, Dawson kicks, the cover, The Revival ELIMINATE Heavy Machinery! Now it’s just Dash & Dawson against Ali & Shorty G! Ali and Gable regroup, but they don’t back down. Dash and Dawson talk it out, to sucker punch! But the brawl is on! Gable gets Dawson out, Ali gets Dash out. Gable and Ali are in pursuit, but then get suckered in for kicks, and a CHOP! Dawson and Dash talk trash again, but the New Day tell them to mind their business. The Revival bring Ali and Gable up, but Gable and Ali throw them onto the New Day! Now the New Day is upset with everyone! The referee hurries to restore order as SmackDown goes to break!

SmackDown returns and Gable endures a Gory Especial a la Dawson. Dawson taunts Ali as he bends Gable, but fans rally up for “Shorty! Shorty!” Gable sunset flips, TWO! Back suplex drops Dawson! Both Gable and Dawson crawl, Dash tags in and intercepts. But Gable gets around Dash, Dash ends up latching onto Dawson, Gable DOUBLE GERMAN SUPLEXES The Revival!! And holds onto Dash! Ali tags in, Gable German Suplexes again! Ali SUPERKICKS for the third! Jackknife cover, Dawson breaks it! Gable runs in and crossbodies himself and Dawson out! Dash runs in but Ali slips out to ROUNDHOUSE! Ali somersaults into a LARIAT! Ali flounders, but he elbows Dash away. Ali hosp up, leaps, POWERSLAM! Cover, TWO!!

Dash sits up but the fans rally up for Ali. Dash drags Ali up, suplexes but Ali slips out. Ali O’Conner rolls, TWO! Ali is up, TORNADO DDT! Dash is in the drop zone, Ali goes up top! But Dawson saves Dash, so Ali bails out. Gable tags in before Ali DIVES! But the Revival catch Ali, to TOSS him into the timekeeper’s area! But Gable CANNONBALLS them both down! Gable puts Dash in, climbs up top, MOONSAULT, but he catches the boots for an ANKLE LOCK! Dash flails, reaches, gets up and rolls, Gable goes into Dawson’s uppercut! Tag and SHATTER MACHINE!! Cover, The Revival wins!

Winners: The Revival, by pinfall; NEW #1 Contenders to the SmackDown Tag Team Championships

The New Day will once again meet The Revival for these titles, but promise to “molly whop” all over again! Will Kofi and Big E hold on to lucky number 7? But Dash and Dawson have mics to say “the fun and games are over!” This is how they make their living, they take this very seriously. No more pancakes, unicorns or silly little gimmicks. And no more disgracing the tag team titles! Dash wants the New Day to listen. No more new day, but the old days! The fundamentals will be what beat them! But the good news is, after TLC, Kofi, Big E and Xavier Woods can be on their podcast to tell the world what it’s like to be beat by the absolute best in this company!! Will Dash & Dawson truly be SmackDown’s #TopGuys once again?

Backstage interview with Roman Reigns.

Roman looks to do what he’s always done. If The King’s Court can’t handle the #BigFight, that’s on them. Naturally, Dolph Ziggler will have Baron Corbin in his corner, who vow to humiliate Roman. The only thing humiliating is that Corbin and his guys can’t get the job done. Why does Corbin need those guys? He’s bigger and stronger, but it’s because Roman is a dog in the ring, that’s why Corbin can’t handle him. And it will be Corbin embarrassed at TLC in a TLC match. But will Corbin and his cronies find a way to keep Roman from making it to TLC?

Sheamus speaks.

“They say you can’t go home again. they say you won’t like what you find.” That is true. Because SmackDOwn has become weak and lazy. The titans that Sheamus used to face are just “pale shadows of their former selves.” In Sheamus’s absence, they weren’t facing real competition. But perhaps that saying is false, because the Celtic Warrior has come home, ready to ravage whoever gets in his way.

Lacey Evans VS Haley Jones!

The Sassy Southern Belle stood up to the whining and complaining of the SmackDown Women’s Champion and The Boss. Will Lacey prove herself a worthy contender to the title?

The bell rings, Lacey ties up with Haley and arm-drags her away. Lacey arm-drags again and has Haley down in an armlock. Haley endures, works her way up, and pulls on Lacey’s hair. Lacey throws Haley down first, then charges at her in the corner. The ref backs Lacey off, Haley returns, and they tie up again. Lacey powers Haley to the corner, lets up at 4, but Haley kicks low. Haley throws clubbing forearms then whips, but Lacey reverses to the WOMAN’S RIGHT! Cover, Lacey wins!

Winner: Lacey Evans, by pinfall

And the Lady of SmackDown barely broke a sweat. But here comes The Boss! Sasha Banks is still stinging from the Woman’s Right she suffered last week, but has a mic to respond. “OH, did you think you were going to leave, Lacey? Leave your little country butt in there, because we have some business we need to take care of.” SmackDown goes to break, but will we return to a brawl between Boss and Lady?

SmackDown returns as Sasha is on the apron.

“Look at you.” Lacey thinks she’s real funny, just because she got lucky with that punch. Sasha is here to remind Lacey who she is dealing with. She is the Blueprint, the Legit Boss, and the leader of this Women’s Division! As for Lacey, she’s a “Mary Poppins wannabe!” Sasha warns Lacey not to mess with her or Bayley ever! “Just because you’re a terrible role model to your bratty little six your old doesn’t mean you can come out here and interrupt me!” But Lacey warns Sasha to never say anything about her daughter again. And between being a mother and a US Marine, Sasha doesn’t want Lacey to put her boots back on.

As for why she did what she did, she was sick and tired of the “nasties” blaming others for their failures. Fans cheer “Nasties! Nasties!” Lacey says that all the things the Marine Corps instilled in her, leadership is one! To hear Bayley and Sasha to act like leaders, if that ain’t pathetic, then what is? The Marines also taught Lacey how to fight. So run your mouth and get dropped again! Sasha gets in the ring, and she gets in Lacey’s face. Lacey gets ready to hit her, and Sasha drops on her own! Lacey smirks as she saunters out of the ring. Will Sasha regret riling up the Sassy Southern Belle? But then Bayley blindsides Lacey from the ramp! Sasha runs up to boot Lacey down! The Boss & Smug Connection stand tall as fans boo, but will they continue to run roughshod over SmackDown?

BREAKING NEWS!

Given the provocation and attack by Bray Wyatt against The Miz, they will have a match at TLC! It will be non-title, but The Miz could get revenge while earning a title shot on the Universal Champion all at once!

WWE Tribute to the Troops 2019 was in Jacksonville, North Carolina!

Superstars were again honored to give back to those who give so much of their time and energy to protect us all. The men and women of the armed forces were also excited to meet the superstars they love to watch in the ring and on television. Happy Holidays to the men and women fighting for our freedoms.

Roman Reigns VS Dolph Ziggler!

The Big Dog says he’s ready for whatever the Lone Wolf King and his court (jesters) are bringing. Can Roman win a match with the Show-Off before Corbin’s plan springs into action?

The bell rings and Roman circles with Ziggler. They approach but Roman corners Ziggler. Ziggler uses the ropes as defense and Roman backs off. Ziggler and Roman circle again, they tie up and Ziggler gets a leg. Roman blocks a takedown and they end up on the ropes. Ziggler lets go but kicks the leg out! Roman hobbles and Ziggler keeps after him. Ziggler turns Roman around, neckbreaker! Cover, TWO! Ziggler scrapes his boot on Roman’s face, then taunts him. Ziggler claws Roman’s eyes but lets up at 4 to clamp on an armlock and chinbar. Roman endures the combination of holds and fans rally up. Roman fights his way up but Ziggler throws him down by his hair! Ziggler waits for Roman to get up in the corner, and runs in, to get an UPPERCUT!

Roman catches his breath as Ziggler is on the outside. Roman goes out to come around the way, but no Drive-By as Ziggler sends Roman into steel steps! Roman is down and SmackDown goes to break!

SmackDown returns and Ziggler grinds Roman down with a modified Fujiwara armbar. But Roman rolls Ziggler up, TWO! Ziggler’s dropkick drops Roman! Cover, TWO! Ziggler taunts Roman as fans cheer for him. Ziggler also toys with Roman, but Roman gets up. Roman UPPERCUTS Ziggler away! And another! But Ziggler yanks Roman into buckles! Ziggler catches his breath while the ref checks on Roman’s nose. There’s no blood, but Roman gets out of the ring. Ziggler goes out and around to throw Roman into barriers! “This is a lesson!” Ziggler grinds Roman into the barriers then puts him in the ring. Cover, TWO! Ziggler grows annoyed with Roman but he wraps on a new sleeper hold. Ziggler traps an arm, but fans still rally up.

Roman endures, gasps for air, but Ziggler leans on Roman and grinds him down. Roman is fading, Ziggler shouts for him to give up. But Roman finds a second wind and fights his way back up! Roman is up and pries at the hold, but Ziggler kicks low and turns Roman. Roman shoves, and rallies with clotheslines! Roman whips, Ziggler reveres, Roman misses the leaping lariat but clotheslines Ziggler out! Fans fire up as Roman goes out to go around and LEAPING- SUPERKICK! Roman gets kicked out of the sky! And NOW Baron Corbin makes his presence known on his sedan. The King of the Ring makes his entrance while SmackDown goes to one more break.

SmackDown returns once again and Roman has Ziggler in his sights! Roman misses the super punch but blocks the superkick. Ziggler dodges the uppercut and hits the satellite DDT! Cover, TWO! Corbin watches from atop his sedan and is not liking what he sees. Ziggler and Roman stir but Ziggler is up first. Ziggler wants Roman to rise and fans rally, too. Roman gets up slowly, Ziggler shouts at him, but the Zigzag is denied! Ziggler leaps over the spear to sunset flip, TWO!! SUPERMAN PUNCH! Cover, TWO!! Corbin was worried and now he’s upset. Roman and Ziggler rise as fans rally up again. Roman stares Corbin down before letting out the battle cry! But Ziggler kicks the spear away to ram Roman into a post, and ZIGZAG! Cover, TWO!!

Corbin jumps down off his high horse and heads closer. Corbin shouts at the ref and gets on the apron. The referee and Corbin argue, and the referee tells Corbin to get off the apron. Corbin shouts more, Roman SUPERMAN PUNCHES him down! But Ziggler rolls Roman up, TWO!! SPEAR OUTTA NOWHERE!! Cover, Roman wins!!

Winner: Roman Reigns, by pinfall

So who got humiliated tonight? Because it doesn’t look like it’s Roman. The King is helped to his feet, but Roman comes around the way, to DRIVE-BY DROPKICK them all! But then the rest of Corbin’s “royal guard” attack! Roman UPPERCUTS his way back! And BOOTS! But Corbin gets in to CLOBBER and stomp Roman down! Corbin throws Roman out of the ring and into a post! Roman punches Corbin away but someone grabs at Roman’s feet! This slows him down, but Roman still fights the guards. Corbin rams Roman into a post, but Roman throws Corbin over the desk!

Roman clears the desk off as Corbin staggers to his feet. Roman brings Corbin in, but Ziggler SUPERKICKS Roman down! Ziggler moves things aside so that he can bring out a handcuff, with a long chain! The guards go after Roman again, and so does Corbin! Corbin and his court cuff Roman to the post! Corbin throws body shot after body shot! Someone even strapped Roman’s feet to the post from below! Ziggler gets his shots in, and headbutts over and over! Corbin laughs in Roman’s face before throwing more body shots. Ziggler brings out cans… of dog food?! “You want to be a good dog?! You’re going to eat like one!” They pour out the dog food on Roman’s head! Fans boo as can after can is dumped out and smeared into Roman’s face and hair. Roman can’t do anything, and Corbin SMASHES him with the butt of the scepter!

Corbin seems to think he’s made Roman the butt of his jokes, but TLC’s TLC match is still coming. Will Roman use tables, ladders and chairs to wipe the smile of Corbin’s face?

My Thoughts:

I need to preface this part of the article by bringing up the technical difficulties I had watching tonight’s SmackDown. KFox14 in the El Paso and Las Cruces area does NOT show SmackDown at 8 PM Eastern when it’s actually happening, and usually Fox’s online streaming works. But tonight, the streaming didn’t work, and I had to wait an hour to even start SmackDown, after a lot of news had already broken. Most things that happened tonight, while still really good, had less impact on me for that reason. But without going on an endless rant of why I despise living in El Paso, I will focus on how SmackDown was still really good tonight.

As with the previous weeks, it is great that The Miz is interwoven into the story of Daniel Bryan and Bray Wyatt. It seems we’re taking a detour from Fiend VS Bryan II, which is also fine. Bray immediately made things personal with Miz, and showed up as Bray, not The Fiend. I wonder if Miz will be facing Firefly Fun House Bray since it is a non-title and non-stipulation match. I also imagine Bryan returns at TLC to go after Bray, and that leads us to their rematch being at the Royal Rumble, where The Fiend will return again. Elias returns to action but not in a match, humiliating Drake Maverick for being a bit of a sleaze. I guess this counts as a double turn from their quick feud over the 24/7 Championship.

Bliss had a decent match with Mandy Rose, I expected a bit more out of this, but I suppose this is just get things going on this feud. With nothing made for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, I would hope we get that done quickly, too. Bliss-Cross VS Fire & Desire in a tag match to have a match at TLC would make some sense, as both Raw and SmackDown should be appointing contenders on a regular basis as far as I’m concerned. Lacey keeps her Face turn steadily moving, though I was a bit disappointed she needed a squash match to get her out there. I’m thinking SmackDown suddenly has a Heel problem in the Women’s Division, because there was no one else but a local enhancement talent to go after. But the Heels, Bayley and Banks, get their payback, things are going as per usual. Maybe Lacey has a match with Sasha, and if she wins, she goes to face Bayley at the Rumble for the title.

That SmackDown Tag Team Contender’s match was great! Elimination style really allows all the teams to have something to do, but of course, The Revival being the Heels in that match with Face champions in The New Day, of course they win. SmackDown really should try and break that cycle. A match of New Day VS Ali & Shorty G would’ve been a lot of fun because they’re all such great athletes. I almost expected all that talk of going old school was going to lead to the match stipulation, but guess not. This TLC build has really suffered from everything else before it, so I hope the go-homes give us all the other matches quickly.

And speaking of, learning hours before SmackDown that Roman VS Corbin was going to be THE TLC match was GARBAGE. Vince McMahon doesn’t even seem to understand his own booking! Roman beats Ziggler in a really good match, but then gets chained and smeared with dog food. What part of that doesn’t say Dog Collar Match? Or some kind of match where Corbin and Roman are bound together! Hell, last week, the attempted head smashing on a chair should’ve screamed Chair Match! But at the same time, this detour from Universal Championship match left the TLC stipulation open. Vince obviously thinks Corbin is a big deal so the big deal gets the big match type. And that’s just sad.

My Score: 8.2/10

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

Up Next

Mitchell’s WWE 205 Live Results & Report! (12/6/19)

Don't Miss

Mitchell’s WWE NXT UK Results & Report! (12/5/19)

Coverage

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

It’s Draft Day!

Published

17 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Steven Mitchell

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

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

OFFICIAL RESULTS

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

PLAY BY PLAY

Backstage interview with Paul Heyman.

Kayla Braxton is with the Wise Man and says that here on night one of the Draft, there are already rumors circulating, including those about The Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns. Heyman will clarify these are not rumors regarding The Tribal Chief, Roman… Reigns. These are facts! Ladies and gentlemen, Your Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns, has voluntarily withdrawn from eligibility for this year’s Draft. That is not a negative but a positive. Who built SmackDown since the Pandemic? Roman Reigns. Who is the biggest star in the entire industry? Roman Reigns. Why would Roman Reigns hog the number one draft pick spotlight when he won’t be returning in the immediate future?

Read into his words, Kayla, that is not what a real Tribal Chief would do. Instead now, the pressure is on Nick Aldis. Because if Roman Reigns isn’t the first draft pick, then who is? The first two picks make history in a brand new era. And Heyman doesn’t know about you, but he is intrigued. No Tribal Chief up for grabs, who gets their opportunity to shine in the spotlight?

SmackDown throws it to the NXT Performance Center.

Jackie Redmond says the emotion down here is palpable! There is excitement, hope, and a little bit of nerves. But for these NXT Superstars, tonight is the culmination of a lifetime of hard work, dedication, a little bit of luck and a whole lot of self-belief. It was just last year that the NEW WWE Tag Team Champion, Grayson Waller, was hoping his name would be called. And it is funny this is NXT, but time to buy a vowel, throw in an E! Who is next? We find out tonight! The draft pool is deep, who rises to the top of the list?

Corey Graves is in the ring.

Corey welcomes Cincinnati and all of us at home to night one of the 2024 WWE Draft. Understandably, the GMs have their hands full, so Corey will be moderating the contract signing for the WWE Championship match that takes place next Saturday for Backlash: France. Without further ado, it’s the #1 contender, The Phenomenal AJ Styles! Styles makes his entrance, taking a seat at the table on camera right. And now, the Undisputed WWE Champion, the American Nightmare, Cody Rhodes! Cincy fires up and sings along, “WHOA~ OH~!” as Cody makes his entrance and gets his pyro before joining everyone in the ring.

Styles looks over the contract, absolutely tuning out the fans going wild for “CODY! CODY!” Styles then gets the mic to say before he signs, he doesn’t know if we realize that we’ve got two Georgia boys about to mix it up for the first time, and for the biggest prize in the game. Styles understands why they boo, but they gotta know that he doesn’t respect LA Knight, LA Knight got under his skin. He accepts that. But that’s why Styles lost at Mania. But what happened? Styles got his composure back and realized that he is Phenomenal. Styles BEAT Knight to earn the right to face Cody Rhodes at Backlash.

Now unlike Knight, Styles does respect Cody. They hadn’t crossed paths yet, but they’ve been down the same roads. They had to prove themselves outside of the WWE. And Styles is willing to believe that the same man who gave him advice a long time ago gave Cody the same advice, on how to stand on their own two feet and be the men they are today. That man was The American Dream, Dusty Rhodes. The fans cheer for “DUSTY! DUSTY!” Styles learned a lot from Dusty. Styles gets a little emotional thinking about Dusty, he was a good man. Dusty taught Styles how to carry himself, and to carry the weight of a championship.

And Styles looks at this WWE Championship here. The weight of this isn’t just the leather and gold. And at Backlash, we see if Cody can carry it. Styles goes back to his table, signs the contract, and then hands it off to Corey. Corey brings that to Cody, and Cody picks up his mic. “So… Cincinnati…! Whadda we wanna talk about? Certainly, we can talk about respect. There is not a locker room on Earth that you’ll find where everyone in it, every single person, they all respect AJ Styles. Last week, I went on to say you are the modern day Excellence of Execution. I respect the roads that you have traveled down to get here, the parallel paths that perhaps you and I have.

“Mutual respect, much respect. But that respect goes by the wayside at Backlash. I can feel it in your words to a degree. You’ve been here before. And it seems you’re implying that I cannot carry the weight of that championship. Well, good thing the man who trained me not far from where I sit now used to tell me all the time, it’s not about winning the title, it’s about keeping it.” The fans cheer that. Cody says boy does he respect Styles’ familiarity with Cody’s last name. But when you put C O D Y in front of it on this paper, that means they’ve never touched before. That means Backlash is a level playing field.

That means no matter how Phenomenal Styles is, this isn’t a dream match for Cody. It’s a must-win! Cody signs while the fans cheer, and it is official! Cody even throws the pen to the crowd as a free souvenir. Cody then offers a handshake, and Styles says y’know what? It was a beautiful thing to see Cody #FInishTheStory and win the title. But it’s a shame that Cody’s title reign will end at Backlash. Styles still shakes Cody’s hand, and then walks away. Cody picks up the belt and holds it high, will he get to hold it high again in Lyon, France?

Triple H is here!

Just as Cody was on his way to the back, The Game makes his way out here! HHH raises Cody’s hand, then invites him over to the podium. HHH welcomes us to the first round of the 2024 WWE Draft. It is a night that changes the landscape of the WWE going into the future, and things are a bit different this year. As the GMs ponder their next steps, they have to understand it is about protecting the roster they have as it is making the roster they want. Meaning that when they use their picks, they have just as much of a chance gaining a superstar as they do losing one they already have.

HHH just felt that since champs are protected and Cody will be staying here on SmackDown, maybe Cody could help read the SmackDown picks and HHH can read the Raw picks. And since SmackDown goes first, Cody reads first. Cody takes the card to say that with the first pick of the 2024 WWE Draft, SmackDown selects… The E S T, Bianca Belair! The stongEST, fastEST, roughEST, toughEST stays on Friday nights! HHH reads that for the second pick of the 2024 WWE Draft, Raw selects… YEET! JEY USO! Monday nights will still have Main Event Jey Uso! And the fans “YEET!” Cody says for the third pick, SmackDown selects… NXT’s Carmelo Hayes!

The fans fire up as SmackDown manages to snag… HIM! The former NXT Champion makes history again by being the first NXT superstar to be chosen this high in the Draft! HHH says that’s a hell of a pick. But then the fourth and final pick of this first round, Raw selects… SETH! FREAKIN’! ROLLINS! It is still going to be Monday Night Rollins as the Visionary stays on the red brand! Cody and HHH shake hands, and then Melo makes his way out! Melo has the mic to say when they talk about who’s next up, about who’s the hottest out, they don’t call them “the hottest out,” they just call him “Carmelo Hayes.”

The fans chant “WHOOP DAT TRICK!” to remind Melo how he’s leaving NXT. Melo says okay, okay. But then to Cody Rhodes, ever since Cody won the title, he’s been talking about “If you aim for the king, you best not miss.” Well, funny how that works. Because when Melo shoots, Melo don’t miss. And as a first round draft pick, what better way to shoot his shot on SmackDown than to shoot it right at Cody? Melo leaves the mic with Cody but Cody picks it up to say, “Fortune certainly favors the bold, but I dunno. You folks don’t wanna see me in action tonight, do ya?” The fans go wild! Oh, but what if Cody forgot his gear?

Oh that’s right! He didn’t forget his gear! And this title right here, for Cody, means absolutely 100%, Melo’s on! They shake on it, and we’re about to see a huge first-time-ever showdown! But will this bold first move work out for… HIM?

Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee w/ Zelina Vega & Carlito VS Angel Garza & Humberto Carrillo!

The LWO is still not convinced Legado Del Fantasma had nothing to do with the beating that took the Boy Wonder out ahead of WrestleMania. Will the King of Lucha help get to the bottom of things? Or will Angel & “Berto” make it as easy as ABC, 1-2-3?

The teams sort out, Dragon runs up on Humberto but Humberto LARIATS him down! Humberto drags Dragon up, tears the shirt away and CHOPS! Humberto whips, Dragon ducks ‘n’ dodges to RANA! Humberto tumbles out, Dragon builds speed and FLIES! Direct hit and down goes Humberto! The fans fire up as Dragon pushes Humberto into the ring, goes up a corner, and then CROSSBODIES! Cover, TWO! Dragon facelocks to drag Humberto up, but Humberto wrenches out to CLUB Dragon down. Humberto waistlocks but Dragon throws elbows. Angel tags in as Humberto shoves Dragon. Dragon ducks but Angel holds ropes open, and Dragon tumbles to the floor!

The fans boo and LWO hurries to check on Dragon! Angel & Humberto just soak up the heat as SmackDown goes to break.

SmackDown returns and both Dragon and Humberto are down! They crawl, hot tags to Angel and Rey! The fans fire up as Rey ducks ‘n’ dodges and tilt-o-whirl RANAS! Angel ends up in a corner, he puts Rey on the apron, but Rey ROCKS Angel! Rey goes up to SEATED SENTON! Rey keeps moving, wrenches and kicks, then hops on! CODE RED! Cover, Humberto breaks it! The fans boo but Humberto hauls Rey up. Rey fights and RANAS Humberto up and out! But Angelo kicks, scoops, but Rey slips free! Angelo kicks low, reels REy in, and underhooks, but Rey fights those to RANA Angel onto ropes! Rey dials it up to 619!

Tag to Dragon and he takes aim! Angel stands, into the tilt-o-whirl, PROJECT DRAGON!! Cover, LWO wins!

Winners: Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee, by pinfall

Carlito and Zelina hug it out with the team, but then Santos Escobar & Elektra Lopez walk out here. Santos says whoa, whoa, whoa, hold that celebration. Because Santos is many things, but a liar is not one of them. And when Santos said he did NOT attack Dragon that night before Mania, he meant it. Elektra has been working for weeks to track down the security footage from that night. And Rey… Oh, Rey. What you’re about to see, you will find very, very interesting. The footage plays, and it was CARLITO!! Carlito throw Dragon around backstage! No one can believe it, because of how well Carlito fooled even Dragno.

Speaking of, Carlito RAMS Dragon into Rey, then hits a BACKSTABBER! Never has that move’s name been more fitting! Carlito runs away in a panic, and Rey stands back up in a rage! Santos says he told Rey that he was right all along. They were supposed to be family, and yet look how that turned out. How will the LWO recover from this shocking development?

Bron Breakker VS Cedric Alexander!

The Big Bad Booty Nephew has been making a case for himself ever since showing up on SmackDown, and he’s already bringing the straps down! Is he going to break PRIMED Alexander while also breaking match time records? Or will Cedric prove he’s too fly for Bron?

The bell rings and Cedric dodges Bron to CHOP and ROCK! Cedric whips, Bron reverses and Cedric handsprings, into a SPEAR!! Cover, Bron wins!

Winner: Bron Breakker, by pinfall

Well, hard to say if that’s an all-time fast match, but that was a fast match! QR Code stuff going on, but will we all see Bron take the world by storm?

Nick Aldis heads out.

And waiting is Tiffany Stratton. She asks if he saw what she did last week. Wait, of course he did. Because she is the Center of the Universe. She dropped Naomi and Bayley, where is her title match? Aldis tells Tiff to look at his watch. It is NOT set to #TiffyTime. And he was this close to sending her to the back of the line. But then someone convinced him otherwise, good for her. Tonight, she goes 1v1 with Naomi again, and the winner faces Bayley for the title at Backlash. Whose stupid idea was that?! Bayley says DING DONG, it was hers. It is a win-win situation here. If Naomi wins, she gets the match she got cheated out of.

And if Tiff wins, then she’ll find out when she attacks the Role Model. Tiff gasps as she has a #TiffanyEpiphany. Bayley should be ringside for that match so she can see Tiff do what Bayley couldn’t, and that’s beat Naomi. Tootles. Tiff leaves, but will the only thing she gets is to #FeelTheGlow?

Michelle McCool and Torrie Wilson are here!

One is a former WWE Women’s Champion, the other is a WWE Hall of Famer, but they’re both here to present Draft picks! Michelle says with the first pick of the second round, SmackDown selects… The Viper, Randy Orton! SmackDown will still have to watch out for an RKO outta nowhere! Torrie says that with the second pick of the second round, Raw selects… BRON BREAKKER! We just saw Bron make quick work of opponents here on SmackDown, but now he’s gonna be rampaging on Raw!

Michelle says that with the third pick of the second round, SmackDown selects… NIA JAX! The Irresistible Force may have to change targets from the Women’s World to the Undisputed Women’s title, but will she be unstoppable all the same? And with the fourth and final pick of this round, Raw selects… LIV MORGAN! The Revenge Tour will still be part of Monday nights, will we watch Liv rise to the top?

The Bloodline arrives backstage.

Paul Heyman is there to greet them and open the door to the SUV. He apologizes for not being faster about that, but Solo Sikoa asks The Bloodline if they’ve been drafted. Not yet. Then give Solo the details. Okay, well, Roman Reigns withdrew right before the show began, and then Solo keeps adding members, so no one really knows what they’re getting if they draft The Bloodline! Solo sighs, and here comes Tama Tonga. Heyman asks they be patient but Solo wants Heyman to repeat that for him. Heyman gets scared, but then KEVIN OWENS jumps in! Kevin fires off on Tama, security and refs rush in to stop it!

The Prizefighter wants Solo’s “MFT” to bring the fight like he did last week! Security still drags Kevin away, but will he get that fight he wants?

Kayla Braxton is on stage.

SmackDown returns and Kayla welcomes us back to the show. And please welcome out the first overall pick, Bianca Belair! The fans fire up as The EST walks out on stage, and Kayla congratulates her on being the first overall pick. But let’s talk Backlash. Breaking news, Bianca and Jade Cargill are going to challenge for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships, against the Kabuki Warriors. How satisfying would it be to dethrone them on the stage of this magnitude? Bianca says so satisfying. She really hopes Jade gets drafted to SmackDown because given all this history with Damage CTRL, all the partners by her side, Bianca has never been the one to finally end it with them.

For everything they’ve done to her and this division, Bianca feels Jade is the perfect woman to help her end this. Now, DMG CTRL is falling apart piece by piece, and that final piece is the tag titles. So once Bianca & Jade take the gold at Backlash, the Kabuki Warriors won’t even have a reason to come back to SmackDown. But wait, they’re here now! Asuka & Kairi walk out here and Kayla moves aside. The Empress of Tomorrow and the Pirate Princess taunt the EST, but here comes The Storm! Jade makes her way to stand right by Bianca’s side. The four shout and argue, but this will be settled on May 4th!

WHOA! Tama and Kevin are brawling their way out here! The ladies move aside so the gentlemen can brawl all the way down to ringside! Tama hits low, gets in the ring, but Kevin pursues! Kevin TACKLES Tama, but Solo CLOBBERS Kevin! The fans boo as The Bloodline beats Kevin down! The refs hurry out here but clearly Solo’s Bloodline won’t listen! Tama DECKS producers, DECKS guards, HEADBUTTS them, throws hands and even THROWS the guards! Tama and Solo beat Kevin down again, but here comes Randy Orton! The Viper is still on SmackDown and he’s still pals with Kevin, so here he comes!

Orton DECKS Tama, fires hands on Solo, then RK- NO, Solo gets free and gets away! Orton wants to pursue, almost runs Jamie Noble and refs over to do it, but the Bloodline has gotten away! The fans cheer Randy on, and KAevin even hugs him! But then Kevin and Randy try to give chase! Security stops this, when and where will we see #RKKO strike down Solo and Tama?

The Dudley Boyz are here!

The fans fire up as Bubba Ray & D-Von are both here for the next round of picks! Cincy chants for “E C DUB! E C DUB!” Bubba and D-Von look at the cards, it’s hard to read. So out come the glasses! Bubba says with the first pick of the third round of the 2024 WWE Draft, SmackDown selects… L A KNIGHT! YEAH!! The Mega Star stays on Fridays! D-Von says with the second pick of the third round, Raw selects… RICOCHET! Mondays still has the One and Only, is Ricochet going to bring that WWE Speed Championship home to Raw, too?

Bubba says with the third pick of the third round, SmackDown selects… THE BLOODLINE! That means Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga and Paul Heyman are staying right here on Friday nights. And D-Von says with the final pick of this round, Raw selects… SHEAMUS! The Celtic Warrior just got back, but he won’t have to worry about going anywhere else but Monday nights.

WWE Women’s Championship #1 Contender’s Match: Naomi VS Tiffany Stratton!

It’s time to run it back once again! The Glow got robbed by the Spoiled Rich Girl, but supposedly, it’s #TiffyTime. Will Naomi prove there’s no such time on the clock? Or will Bayley be the one feeling the Backlash over giving Tiffany one more chance?

The bell rings and Naomi hits a THESZ PRESS! Naomi rains down fists, Tiffy shoves her away and goes to ropes, but Naomi gets up in Tiff’s face. Naomi whips, Tiff holds ropes to bail out and fans boo. Naomi scowls, runs in and WRECKS Tiff with a dropkick! Naomi then gets Tiff up, SMACKS her off the apron, and then SMACKS her off it again! And again! Naomi puts Tiff in, goes up a corner, but Tiff gets under the jump! Naomi runs back up but Tiff YANKS her into ropes! Tiff runs to HIP ATTACK! Naomi sputters, Tiff scowls and drags Naomi up, to then put through ropes. But Naomi RAMS into Tiff!

Naomi reels Tiff in, for a HEATSEEKER! Tiff flops to the floor, and then Naomi SPLIT LEG DROPS! Naomi says it’s #NaomiTime, but SmackDown goes to break.

SmackDown returns and Naomi runs, but into a SPINEBUSTER! High stack, TWO! Naomi survives and Tiff is frustrated but the fans rally up. Tiff drags Naomi up, whips her to a corner, but Naomi goes up and sunset flips! TWO! Tiff escapes, knees Naomi low, then whips. Naomi slides under the lariat to then mule kick! Then she headscissor SPIKES Tiff down! Cover, TWO! Tiff survives but barely, and Naomi keeps her cool. Naomi headlocks, but Tiff shoves her into buckles! Tiff runs, but Naomi follows, DOUBLE RUNNING FACEBUSTERS take them both down! The fans fire up as the two rise!

Naomi KICKS, ROCKS and ROCKS Tiff again! Naomi fires shots again and again but Tiff knees low! Tiff reels Naomi in, but Naomi wrenches out to ENZIGIRI! And then BUCKLE BULLDOG! But then NIA JAX attacks Bayley!? Nia SMACKS Bayley off buckles, rains down fists, and this momentarily distracts Naomi. Naomi refocuses, but by now, Tiff’s slipped away! Nia KICKS Bayley in the side, so Naomi goes out to ROCK her! Nia POSTS Naomi and that throws the match out!

No Contest

The fans boo as Nia ruins the fun, then runs Bayley over! Nia smiles as she blows kisses to Cincy. Tiff smiles, she drags Naomi up and puts her in the ring. Then she drags Bayley in! Tiff wants a repeat of last week as she puts them side by side in the drop zone! Tiff then goes up and up for the PRETTIEST MOONSAULT EVER!! Tiff says it’s her time, but the #1 contendership is still in question. Who gets their shot at the Role Model at Backlash?

B-Fab and the Street Profits meet up backstage.

Angelo Dawkins has a “WHO-DEY” sign, but Montez Ford is wondering where Bobby Lashley is right now. B-Fab says calm down, he’ll be here. Byron Saxton walks over and apologizes for interrupting. He doesn’t know what the Draft destination for this group will be until Monday Night Raw, but we do know that The Profits will challenge A-Town Down Under for the WWE Tag Team Championships. YESSIIIIIIR~! B-Fab says it doesn’t matter where they get drafted. The Profits are going to take down A-Town Down Under and take those titles. Then they’ll have their first class tickets right back to SmackDown.

SmackDown? Did someone say SmackDown~? In walk Austin Theory & Grayson Waller, showing off the titles. And Theory says you can’t have SmackDown without the GREATEST undefeated tag team of all time. And sorry, Dawkins, but these are championships, something the Bengals know nothing about! B-Fab keeps Dawkins back, but then in steps Bobby Lashley! The All Mighty scares Theory & Waller right off, and Dawkins says see y’all next Friday! Will there be nothing keeping these Profits down the night before Backlash?

The Final Testament speaks.

Karrion Kross says good evening. What’s going on here? You guessed it! More random acts of violence! Just follow him. Kross & Scarlett lead the way to show The Authors of Pain beating down New Catch Republic! Rezar beats down Pete Dunne while Akam victimizes Tyler Bate! Paul Ellering says they will know about sacrifice! Kross says whether they get drafted to Raw or stay on SmackDown, the violence will continue until they get what they want! So sayeth The Final Testament!!

Teddy Long and JBL are here!

The Hall of Famer General Manager and the Hall of Famer WWE Champion are both here, ready to give us the fourth and final round of picks tonight! Teddy gets right to it! The first pick of the fourth round, SmackDown selects… AJ STYLES! The Phenomenal One is really an obvious choice, because one way or another, the WWE Championship stays with SmackDown! JBL says the second pick of the fourth round, Raw selects… THE ALPHA ACADEMY! Raw keeps Chad Gable, Otis, Maxxine Dupri & Akira Tozawa, A THANK YEW~!

Teddy says with the third pick of this round, SmackDown selects… ANDRADE! A big move as now El Idolo will be part of Friday nights. And with the final pick of this fourth round, Raw selects… NXT’S Kiana James! The Calculator, the former NXT Women’s Tag Team Champion, has the Raw hat to put on, and after a quick hype package, Jackie Redmond is there to interview her. Kiana, congratulations! You are heading to Monday Night Raw! How much does this mean to her? This means the world to her. She is filled with gratitude, but also knows every decision she has made up to this point has been by design to get her here.

Kiana is so proud of her time in NXT, but she’s ready to show Raw why she is the One Percent. Was she surprised? Of course she was! HBK is here to wish her luck and congratulations. Is Kiana going to start the hostile takeover of the Raw Women’s Division?

Backstage interview with Nick Aldis.

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

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

Cody Rhodes VS Carmelo Hayes!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Winner: Cody Rhodes, by pinfall

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

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

My Thoughts:

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

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

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

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

My Score: 8.8/10

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

Coverage

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

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

Published

2 days ago

April 25, 2024

Andrew Balaz

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

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

Ratings:

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

Results:

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

#1 Contender: Frankie Kazarian vs Josh Alexander

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

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

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

ASH by Elegance vs Xia Brookside

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

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

Sami Callihan vs The Good Hands

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

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

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

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

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

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

Overall Score: 6/10

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

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

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