Coverage

Mitchell’s WWE NXT Results & Report! (1/29/2020)

The 2020 Dusty Rhodes Classic comes to a close!

Published

4 years ago

January 29, 2020

Steven Mitchell

What does NXT have in store on the way to Portland?

TakeOver: Portland is on the horizon, and we need a contender for Adam Cole BAYBAY! What will GM William Regal rule on for the NXT Championship?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Finn Balor VS Trent Seven; Balor wins.
Shotzi Blackheart VS Deonna Purrazzo; Blackheart wins.
Damien Priest VS Dominik Dijakovic; Dijakovic wins.
Tegan Nox VS Dakota Kai; Nox wins.
Chelsea Green VS Kayden Carter; Carter wins.
2020 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Finals: The Broserweights VS Grizzled Young Veterans; The Broserweights win and will challenge for the NXT Tag Team Championships at TakeOver: Portland.

PLAY BY PLAY

We begin another new era for NXT!

The EST made her presence known, The Queen of Spades again made someone #TapNapOrSnap, and Imperium made sure the Undisputed Era was put on notice. But perhaps biggest of all, we have a NEW North American Champion as Keith Lee dethrones Roderick Strong! What will this Limitless Reign mean for the black ‘n’ gold? What is the fallout of Worlds Collide? And lastly, which tag team proves they are the best in NXT with the Dusty Cup Finals?!

Finn Balor VS Trent Seven!

The Prince was rrrreeeal again in Houston! Worlds Collide was not Unbesiegbar but Too Sweet as Balor beat Ilja Dragunov, and then beat up Johnny Gargano! He didn’t even stop there, as he made sure Moustache Mountain got the message, too. That message: If you aim at The Prince, you better not miss. But will the Artful Dodger make Balor miss his shot?

Trent slow rolls in but Balor baseball slide dropkicks him right out! Balor stomps away on Seven and then gets in the ring to take off the jacket. Fans are divided as the ref reprimands Balor. Balor just brushes that off as Seven gets up and takes his own jacket off. Seven refuses to let Balor punk him out so this match begins! Balor BOOTS Seven immediately! Balor stomps, the ref backs him off, but he comes back to choke Seven on ropes. The ref counts and Balor lets up at 4 as fans sing for Seven. Balor stomps Seven more and more, then drags Seven up to snapmare at he ropes. Balor drops springboard stomps over and over and over but the ref backs him off again. Fans are still divided as Balor glares at Seven.

Seven bails out but Balor builds speed to wreck him with another dropkick! Seven leans on the railing but Balor brings him over to bump off the apron. And then throw into railing! And then CHOP! Balor puts Seven in and stalks behind him. Balor paces before kicking Seven in the ribs! Balor wraps on a chinlock but fans rally up for Seven. Seven fights his way up even as Balor neck wrenches. Seven throws body shots and a CHOP! Balor trips Seven to DOUBLE STOMP! Cover, TWO! Balor is a bit surprised but not upset. Seven kicks at Balor but Balor stomps him down. Balor scoop slams Seven hard then runs to drop an elbow! Cover, TWO! Seven is tough but Balor won’t let up as he kicks Seven again.

Balor brings Seven up and reels him in, but Seven cradle counters! TWO, but barely! Seven CHOPS Balor back now, but Balor SLINGBLADES right back! Balor grits his teeth as he grinds a boot into Seven’s head. The ref reprimands and pulls Balor off, but Balor just stomps Seven more. Balor CHOPS Seven down hard! Seven sputters for air as NXT goes picture in picture.

Balor stomps Seven at the ropes more, showing no mercy for the man from Moustache Mountain. Balor CHOPS Seven in the corner, then lets him flop against the ropes. Balor CHOPS again, then whips him corner to corner. Balor runs in to CHOP, then goes the other way to CHOP! And again the other way and Seven is floored! Cover, TWO! Balor is growing a bit annoyed with Seven but he watches him rise. Seven leans on the ropes but Balor throws big forearms and another CHOP. Seven flops into a corner but Balor throws haymakers to knock him down. Balor jams a knee into Seven’s face at the ropes, then chokes him again! The ref counts and Balor lets up at 4 but the ref is reprimanding all over again.

Seven crawls, Balor stalks behind him, and Seven gets bent back against ropes! Seven SUPERKICKS! Balor is down but Seven can’t capitalize as he sputters for air. Seven runs in corner to corner but into a drop toehold! Seven hits buckles and then Balor puts him down, cover, TWO! Balor grabs an arm to STOMP Seven’s head! Balor clamps on with a half straitjacket and grinds Seven down. Seven endures, fights his way up, but Balor wrangles him back down. NXT returns to single picture as Seven fights his way up to fight with forearms! And CHOPS! Seven whips, Balor reverses but Seven DDTs! Fans are fired up as Seven runs in to CHOP Balor! Balor goes running but Seven just CHOPS again! Seven whips again, then runs in, but Balor boots!

Balor runs in, to a SNAP DRAGON! Seven fires up and CHOPS, then ripcords, SEVEN STAR LARIAT! Cover, TWO!?! Balor survives but Seven keeps his focus. Balor gets to the apron, Seven runs over, and elbows Balor off into railings! Then DIVES into them! Seven puts Balor in and Full Sail is thunderous! Seven climbs up but he needs to catch his breath. Seven reaches the top, only for Balor to chop block him down! Balor throws Seven into buckles, then backs off to take aim. SHOTGUN! Seven crashes into buckles and Balor puts him in a drop zone. Fans know what this means. Balor is up top, COUP DE GRACE! But that’s no longer enough for the Prince, as he hits 1 9 1 6!! Cover, Balor wins!

Winner: Finn Balor, by pinfall

Seven put up a seven star fight, but Balor is 10 outta 10 right now! Balor wins two crossover matches with NXT UK, but will he be more than ready for NXT TakeOver: Portland?

Backstage interview with The Broserweights!

Matt Riddle & Pete Dunne are just one match away from taking home the Dusty Rhodes Classic trophy. Riddle can see the love in Dunne’s eyes, and tonight, this team makes history. Dunne made it here before, now it’s time for redemption. Even if Dunne has to snap fingers off to do it. Extreme for Riddle, but that’s why they’re going to win. And when the Broserweights celebrate, they’ll see why Dunne’s the life of the party. Will the Broserweights be feeling high as a kite after facing the Grizzled Young Veterans?

NXT reviews the destruction of Team Kick.

Dakota Kai felt snubbed and abandoned, and she brutally betrayed Tegan Nox at WarGames. But Tegan got her revenge at Worlds Collide with a blindside attack! Tonight, both women will see the fight coming. Who kicks the other to the curb to finally move on from the break-up?

A cryptic message is given.

Two lights, and the numbers, 5, 2 and 20. What does it mean?!

Shotzi Blackheart VS Deonna Purrazzo!

The wild child may have lost to the Queen of Spades, but there’s no shame in that. Riding down to the ring in a tiny tank, is Shotzi ready to go to war with the Armbar Virtuosa?

The bell rings and fans are rallying for Shotzi already. She and Deonna tie up, Deonna hammerlocks then wrenches and wristlocks to a takedown. Shotzi resists and moves around as Deonna grinds on the shoulder. They get up, Shotzi arm-drags then ducks under to enziguri! Deonna wobbles and Shotzi runs to springboard, only for Deonna to block! Armbar DDT! Deonna soaks up the heat as she snapmares and drops a leg on the arm. And again! Deonna traps the arm in an arm scissor then drops knees on it! Fans rally for Shotzi as she gets up, but Deonna reels her in for a LARIAT! And another! Cover, ONE but Deonna tries again, TWO! Deonna is frustrated as she drags Shotzi up. Shotzi jawbreakers, and neckbreakers!

Both women are down and fans rally up. Shotzi gets to the ropes and to a corner. Deonna runs in but Shotzi goes up and over to come back and corner splash! Shotzi shoves and runs to SLING DOG! Fans cheer as Shotzi KNEES hard, then roaring elbows and question mark kicks! Cover, TWO! Deonna toughs it out but Shotzi keeps on her. Deonna shoves and BOOTS Shotzi! Shotzi staggers but hits a CODE BREAKER! Then Shotzi heads up top, Tank Girl wants to fly! SUPER SENTON! Cover, Shotzi wins!

Winner: Shotzi Blackheart, by pinfall

The wild one gets one in the win column! Shotzi is howling, but will everyone be singing her praises as she continues to climb in NXT?

Bask in his glory!

Keith Lee is back, just a week removed from his incredible victory of Roderick Strong! The Limitless North American Champion has the fans singing and chanting as he makes his way to the ring. Lee basks in that praise for a moment before taking a mic. “Yes, yes, yes! Greetings and salutations. My name is Keith Lee, and I am your Limitless NXT North American Champion!” Fans say, “You Deserve It!” Lee continues to paint the picture for us. Two months ago, Lee told the Undisputed Era that he was deciding which championship he would take first. And with the NAC on his shoulder, now only is Lee a moment maker and THE game changer, but he is a prophecy ender. And next up- Damien Priest!? The Archer of Infamy takes aim at a golden target as he heads for the ring to join Lee!

Priest has a mic of his own as he tells Lee, “I don’t know if you know this about me, but uh… I really, really taking things. Things that are meaningful.” That could be women, or priceless possessions. He usually gets what he wants. And what he wants, is that belt. Doesn’t everyone? But Priest just wants to know how Lee is going to give it to him. Wait, here comes Dominik Dijakovic! Lee’s immediate rival heads right out to make sure no one overlooks his towering presence in this title scene! “Keith, you and I, Lord knows we’ve been through our fair share of battles.” Some of the best in NXT history. So if anyone deserves that title, it’s Lee. Damn straight. BUT, if anyone deserves to challenge him for it, it’s damn sure not bootleg Marilyn Manson.

Whoa, boys, whoa! Keith likes where this is going, so he’s gonna get going. But Dijakovic turns Lee around, Priest turns Dijakovic around and Lee bails out. Priest DECKS Dijakovic, but that only angers the Croatian Colossus! A ref runs out to the ring, this match is made NOW!

Damien Priest VS Dominik Dijakovic!

The bell rings and the two titans collide! Priest throws big knees and forearms, then whips Dijakovic to a corner for a big back elbow! Dijakovic whips and returns the elbow to also club and whip again. Scoop to a backbreaker, then a springboard splash! Cover, TWO! Priest bails out but Dijakovic pursues, clubbing him in the back! Priest BOOTS back, and then brings Dijakovic up the steps! Crucifix lift, CRUCIFIX BOMB on the apron! Fans lose their minds and Priest roars as NXT goes to break!

NXT returns as Dijakovic kicks, forearms and elbows hard! “Time to fly!” Dijakovic suplex TOSSES Priest at the ropes! Priest spasms and gets to his feet as Dijakovic clamps on. Priest bell claps then fires off a strike fest, discus forearm and LARIAT! Dijakovic staggers up into a lifting Complete Shot! Cover, TWO! Priest keeps his cool as he looms over Dijakovic and shoots his arrow. But Dijakovic torture racks and flips, but no Feast! Dijakovic chop grips, CHOKE BOMB! Cover, TWO!! Priest bails out but Dijakovic pursues again. Dijakovic is on the apron and he MOONSAULTS! Direct hit takes out Priest! Fans are rallying as Dijakovic puts Priest in. Dijakovic springboards but into Priest’s grip! SUPER CHOKE SLAM! Cover, TWO!! Dijakovic survives going South of Heaven but Priest just runs to FLY! Direct hit wipes Dijakovic out!

Priest gets Dijakovic in the ring fast and then takes aim. But both men spin for DOUBLE DISCUS BOOTS! Fans are loving “NXT! NXT!” for this classic outta nowhere. Priest and Dijakovic slowly rise, and Priest goes to the apron. Priest climbs up but Dijakovic SUPERKICKS! Dijakovic climbs to fireman’s carry, but Priest fights for his life! Priest gets around behind Dijakovic, for a SUPER POISON-RANA!! Cover, TWO!?!? HOW?! Priest doesn’t question it, he drags Dijakovic up, but no Reckoning! Priest is shoved into buckles, then torture rack lifted, FEAST YOUR EYES! Cover, Dijakovic wins!!

Winner: Dominik Dijakovic

That was literally a HUGE win for the Colossus! If this is what it took to take a step closer to the North American title, what will it take for Dijakovic to go all the way to the top?

Backstage interview with Tommaso Ciampa!

While he is feeling great after DIY won their reunion match at Worlds Collide, he and everyone else is focused on the coming announcement concerning Adam Cole’s NXT Championship challenger for Portland. William Regal promises to make a huge announcement tonight, but Ciampa vows that Goldie’s coming home. “And tonight, Daddy makes sure of it.” Ciampa has a pipe, but is he going to do what it sounds like he’s going to do?

NXT returns to find The Undisputed Era down in the back!

Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish have been laid out! Perhaps Ciampa did do what it sounded like… Ciampa walks by and puts his pipe down to then head inside. He isn’t in much better shape, but the fans cheer for the “Psycho Killer!” Ciampa heads to the ring, dragging a table with him! Ciampa sets up the table, and as fans get loud again, he uses the can of spray paint in his pocket to send another message: X marks the spot. Adam Cole finally sees what’s happened and hurries after Ciampa! Ciampa is ready, and Cole shouts, “Who the hell do you think you are?!” Ciampa got hurt and now we’re supposed to feel sorry for him? Ciampa attacked the Undisputed Era like a coward! Ciampa reminds Cole that he never lost that title! “I’m Goldie’s Daddy!”

Ciampa tells Cole he’s going to get in the ring and get his ass whooped! Then, Ciampa is going to pick Cole up and powerbomb him through the table! Then we sign a contract for TakeOver: Portland, where Ciampa takes back his title, takes back his life, and makes sure Goldie comes home! William Regal appears and says Cole didn’t care who he faced in Portland. But now after this, Cole takes the contract to show who he is. Whether Ciampa likes it or not, Cole is NXT Champion of the world! So Cole tells Ciampa that he is going to get in the ring, and SUCKER PUNCH Ciampa! Well it’s still the fight Ciampa talked about, but Cole got the jump on Ciampa. But Ciampa BOOTS Cole down! Then gets that POWERBOMB through the table!

Ciampa made his plans come true, and then he grabs the contract. Ciampa uses a pen borrowed from the timekeeper. But then fans chant, “Use the Blood!” that is pouring from a cut the scrap gave him. Ciampa figures he might as well, and swipes some off his head to slap it on the contract! This is now a blood contract for Goldie’s ownership! Will Ciampa give up far more blood, sweat and tears in order to make it all happen? He picks up the title and even drips some blood on it! Is Goldie coming home after Portland? Or will the Undisputed Era at least maintain THE title in NXT?

The EST has had one of the wildest weeks in her career.

Bianca Belair was an impressive second entry into the Women’s Royal Rumble, with the most eliminations and longest time lasted in that match. She also made sure Rhea Ripley is aware of her challenge coming in Portland. Next week, we get a face-to-face of champion and challenger. Will the Nightmare have a reason to fear the strongest and fastest in the division?

Worlds Collide changed the Cruiserweight Division forever!

Not only was then champion Angel Garza presented with a newly redesigned championship belt, but the Fatal 4 Way title defense was truly epic. And in the end, it would be NXT UK’s Irish Ace who hit the jackpot! Jordan Devlin struck gold and became the NEW NXT Cruiserweight Champion! And to rub it in, Devlin comes to Full Sail next week!

Tegan Nox VS Dakota Kai!

Team Kick was the closest of friends until one felt slighted. We know how it went down at TakeOver: WarGames. In fact, Dakota’s entrance again plays the footage so that the wound will be fresh in Tegan’s mind. But not only does this upset Tegan, this motivates her! Will Tegan make Dakota pay for every stomp, kick and smash of the cage door? Or is Dakota only going to add injury to insult?

The bell rings and Tegan throws her spare brace at Dakota to get an opening for the forearm! The brawl is own and they go around the ring with clubbing hands. Tegan puts Dakota in a corner to ram her shoulder in over and over. Fans are on Tegan’s side but Dakota elbows back. Dakota puts Tegan in the corner to throw a forearm, then goes side to side to BOOT! Dakota goes corner to corner but Tegan follows in with a CANNONBALL! Dakota bails out but drags Tegan to join her, and BOOTS her on the apron! Tegan flops down but Dakota throws her over the railing. Dakota stmops Tegan but Tegan sends Dakota into shelving! The ten count climbs but Tegan keeps hitting Dakota among the fans. They end up ringside at 7 and Tegan refreshes the count so she can go after Dakota. Dakota BOOTS Tegan down!

Dakota goes off to pull the timekeeper off his chair, and then take the chair! Dakota runs at Tegan but Tegan mule kicks! And throws Dakota into the post! Tegan wanted to hurt Dakota back, so she considers using that chair Dakota found. The ref says no, but he doesn’t see Dakota grabbing the knee brace! Tegan ducks the swing to GERMAN SUPLEX! Dakota flops out of the ring but Tegan builds speed to get a forearm! Dakota has Tegan stuck in the ropes then gets the chair! Candice LeRae appears to take the chair away! The ref tells Candice to back away now, and Dakota gets in the ring. Tegan uses the knee brace to CRACK Dakota! SHINIEST WIZARD! Cover, Tegan wins!!

Winner: Tegan Nox, by pinfall

Candice may have wanted to keep things fair but her presence did sway things in Tegan’s favor. But this was just one fight. Is there an entire war coming between these best friends turned bitter enemies?

The cryptic message becomes clearer.

The numbers represent February 5th, 2020. That’s only next week! What will happen when the clock counts down to that day?

Chelsea Green w/ Robert Stone VS Kayden Carter!

The Robert Stone Brand’s number one client finally makes her NXT TV in-ring debut. While she opted out of the NXT Women’s Battle Royal yet jumped into the Women’s Royal Rumble, things haven’t gone quite her way. Will the Hot Mess clean up against the fiery Filipina?

The bell rings and KC dropkicks Green immediately! But Green catches her to throw her into ropes and choke her! The ref counts, Green goes to the apron to kick KC in! Green runs to basement dropkick and high stack, TWO! Green drags KC up to whip but KC reverses. KC runs into a BOOT, then Green whips KC hard into buckles! Green drags KC and Robert Stone likes what he sees. Green uses the motorcycle stretch to STOMP KC into buckles. Green grinds boots into KC but the ref backs her off. Green stomps KC in the other corner but lets up again. She brings KC up to snapmare and wrap on a chinlock. Fans rally as KC endures. KC fights up but Green throws KC down! Green brings KC around for underhooks but KC powers out before rolling up, TWO!

Both women are up, KC waistlocks and O’Conner rolls, TWO! Springboard and SUPERKICK! Green wobbles, KC wheelbarrows to victory roll mule kick! Cover, TWO! Green survives but KC isn’t slowing down. KC drags Green up to slap and run, but Green pushes to BOOT! Green dusts herself off because she says this is done. Fans boo but Green soaks it all in. Green grabs KC but gets a cradle counter! KC WINS!

Winner: Kayden Carter, by pinfall

The Robert Stone Brand just got embarrassed! Stone tries to calm Green down but she’s red hot angry! Will this do big things for Kayden? Will this only make things harder on the Robert Stone Brand?

2020 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Finals: The Broserweights VS Grizzled Young Veterans!

The American Dream always loved the potential of tag team wrestling. That is why this tradition was started and why it continues. Matt Riddle & Pete Dunne came together to see if they could become something more than what they were apart. Zack Gibson & James Drake already feel they’re THE best tag team in the world, and will force us to accept it. And now that the Dusty Cup comes with a ticket to Portland and the NXT Tag Team Championships, which duo is SSSOON to be recognized as the team living the high life, bro…?

Fans already troll Gibson as the introductions are made. The teams sort out and Dunne starts with Drake and the two circle. They tie up, go around, and Dunne wrenches to a wristlock. Dunne tortures the fingers and wrist as he brings Drake to the mat to STOMP the elbow! Tag to Riddle and the Broserweights show off that joint manipulation. Double hammerlock STOMPS for Drake! Fans fire up as Riddle fires off kicks to whip Drake. Drake tumbles to the apron to shoulder in and sunset flip. But Riddle slips out to Ankle Lock! Drake has the ropes, then elbows free. Tag to Gibson as Riddle pushes Drake. Gibson clobbers Riddle out of the leap frog, and then he brings Riddle up for EuroUppers.

Gibson throws forearms and stomps in a corner as fans chant, “Gibson Sucks!” Riddle brings the Bro Kicks to Gibson! Riddle stops at the count of 4 to duck and gut wrench Gibson down! Kip up and a tag to Dunne, the Broserweights work together for the assisted corkscrew senton, and then a basement dropkick! Gibson tags to Drake and things speed up, Dunne hurdles then ducks to CLOBBER Drake again! Dunne runs in at the corner but is put on the apron. Dunne hits Drake away then moonsaults onto Gibson! Drake decks Dunne with a forearm then taunts Riddle. The ref keeps Riddle back and the GYV PESCADO BACKBREAKER!

Dunne is writhing and Drake puts him in the ring. Cover, TWO! Dunne is tough but Drake drags him up. Dunne CHOPS and CHOPS and CHOPS Drake over and over! The ref sees the hair pulling and reprimands, but Drake clubs Dunne to ram Dunne into a post! Dunne falls out of the ring and is in trouble as we go to break.

NXT returns and Drake brings Dunne up, only for Dunne to X-Plex him instead! Both men are down but Drake tags in Gibson. Gibson keeps Dunne from Riddle with a German, but Dunne lands on his feet. Dunne elbows but Gibson whips hi. Dunne goes up and over, tag to Riddle! The Bro throws those kicks and clotheslines Drake out! Riddle spins Gibson around for the PELE! Riddle forearms in the corner, BROSPLODER! Gibson ducks the Penalty Kick and avoids the moonsault, but not the BROTON! Riddle hits teh Penalty Kick after all! Then he dead lift German Suplexes! Cover, TWO! Gibson survives but that’s why he’s a former tag champion. Riddle brings Gibson up, Gibson jawbreakers then tags Drake. Drake runs into Riddle’s SPEAR!

Riddle gives Gibson the BRO-HAMMER! Tag to Dunne and the Broserweights focus on Drake. Ripcord, FINAL FLASH CLOTHESLINE! Then a powerbomb into the knee! Cover, TWO! Dunne keeps his focus as he looms over Drake. Tag to Riddle and the Broserweights bring Drake up. Drake throws Dunne out hard then hits Riddle. Tag to Gibson but Riddle DOUBLE KNEES GYV! But they hip toss him for the POWERBOMB NECKBREAKER! Cover, TWO!! Gibson is furious as Riddle survives! Fans chant “You Still Suck!” at GYV as Gibson stomps Riddle’s hands. Gibson drags Riddle up to underhook for a single leg suplex! Cover, TWO! Gibson is frustrated but he toys with Riddle. Riddle CHOPS, Gibson SLAPS! Riddle CHOPS, Gibson SLAPS! And then BOOTS!

Gibson drags Riddle up, hoists him into the suplex, but Riddle slips out to waistlock. Standing switch, headlock and Drake tags in as Riddle powers out. Drake dropkicks the legs out, Gibson adds a dropkick, then MAYHEM IN MOTION takes out Dunne! Gibson grabs Riddle, enziguri from Drake! Gibson turns Riddle, but Riddle slips out before the superkick! Gibson blocks it, only for the Broserweights to enziguri and knee trigger both GYV down! Double shrug, FINAL BUZZSAW FLASH! Drake enziguris Dunne, Riddle POWERBOMBS Drake! Flip him over, FINAL FLASH! Cover, TWO!! Mr. Mayhem survives and Riddle can’t believe it. But Full Sail cheers as both teams are giving it their all.

Riddle drags Drake around for a BROTON! Then a fisherman buster! Cover, TWO!! Drake toughs it out as another former tag champion, but Riddle kicks and Brotons again! And another! Fans are loving this “Tag Team Wrestling!” classic as Drake DDTs Riddle down! Both men are down but fans rally up. Drake and Riddle crawl to their corners, hot tags to Gibson and Dunne! Dunne throws hands with Gibson fast and furious! And then CHOPS over and over! And then just wild haymakers! They catch their breathes, but Gibson runs into the SNAP GERMAN! Dunne STOMPS both hands! But Gibson ducks the buzzsaw, only for Dunne to slip out to an ANKLE LOCK! Riddle intercepts Drake to get his own Ankle Lock! Stereo Ankle Locks and Full Sail is thunderous! Gibson kicks Dunne away and Drake does the same to Riddle. Things reset as NXT goes picture in picture.

GYV coordinates to go after the Broserweights. Gibson goes after Dunne but Dunne ROCKS him with a right and uses an APRON X-PLEX! Drake shoulders into Riddle and then slingshot DDTs to the apron! All four men are down but things are only heating up. Dunne puts Gibson back in the ring and hops up the ropes. Gibson hobbles over but throat chops Dunne out of the air! And CLOBBERS him with a left hand lariat! Cover, TWO!! Gibson is speechless as he looks down at Dunne. Gibson slaps Dunne, so Dunne CHOPS back. Slap for CHOP, and then Gibson just boots Dunne! Tag to Drake and Drake clobbers Dunne down. Drake stomps Dunne in the ribs and grinds his boot in. Drake looms over Dunne before clamping on with a neck wrench.

Dunne endures and fights his way up. Drake wrenches and whips Dunne hard into the GYV corner. Tag to Gibson and Gibson hoists Dunne up in an Electric Chair. Drake climbs up as we return to single picture. Drake leaps, but Dunne forearms him first! Then victory rolls, TWO! Gibson DECKS Dunne then throat chops Riddle! Dunne whips but Gibson reverses. Dunne goes up but Drake kicks him down! GYV hurry, Gibson gives Drake a boost to FLY out onto Riddle! Gibson hops up, Dunne rises, TICKET TO RIDE! Cover, TWO!! Gibson doesn’t stop, he has the arm for SHANKLY GATES! Dunne endures the keylock clutch, fights his way over, but Drake pulls the ropes back! The ref reprimands but Gibson drags Dunne away.

Riddle gets in but Drake intercepts! Riddle powers out to use Drake as a backpack and a battering ram into Gibson! Dunne is freed and all four men are down again. Fans are loving this and rallying back up as the teams regroup. Gibson tags in Drake, Dunne tags in Riddle. MAYHEM IN MO- NO! DOUBLE POWERBOMB ONTO GIBSON! Then the Broserweights take fingers and SNAP! Pump handle, BITTER FINAL FLASH! Cover, TWO!?! Drake survives but the Broserweights have more to try. In fact, they’re doing something GYV would usually do! Dunne is up top and Riddle gut wrenches Drake into position, but Gibson denies them their Ticket to Mayhem as he hotshots Dunne! Drake gets out, trips Riddle and jackknife covers, TWO!

Riddle waistlocks, ripcords but Drake breaks free to enziguri! Drake runs off Riddle, MAYHEM IN MOTION hits Dunne! Gibson has Dunne on his shoulder in the Electric Chair! Drake builds speed, TOPE DOOMSDAY DEVICE!! Full Sail loses its mind as Dunne is wiped out! Gibson tags in but Riddle fights them both. Gibson holds Riddle in the corner, GRIT YOUR TEETH dropkick! Then the lift, HELTER SKELTER, to Mayhem 450! Cover, TWO!?! The Bro is superhuman but the GYV are supervillains! Drake tags back in, Gibson feeds Riddle to the gut wrench. But Dunne returns to pump handle Gibson as Riddle reverses the position on Drake! BRO DEREK IN STEREO!! But that’s not all, as they both climb up top! Simultaneous MOONSAULT AND FLOATING BRO!!

Riddle is fired up, Full Sail is thunderous, and Dunne tags back in! Fireman’s carry, BROSERWEIGHT TO SLEEP! Cover, Broserweights WIN!!

Winners: The Broserweights, Pete Dunne pinning; 2020 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic winners, NEW #1 Contenders to the NXT Tag Team Championships

Who would’ve thought such a combination would be this amazing?! William Regal is there to congratulate them and present the trophy. Is this the rise of new tag team champions? Or will the Tag Team Division remain Undisputed?

My Thoughts:

Tonight was incredi-BRO! NXT took the momentum from Worlds Collide and kept it going tonight! Quick note: they didn’t keep that gender neutral thing about Rhea’s title being the other NXT Championship, thankfully. They must’ve realized it’d get confusing and just dropped it after four days. But to that note, the quick recap package of Bianca’s Royal Rumble performance was great. Rhea VS Bianca is going to be a great match. Shotzi VS Deonna was a really good match, but what really won me over was Shotzi’s tank go-cart. Best new female wrestler? I think so. Dakota VS Tegan was a pretty great match, too, even with Candice showing up and the use of a knee brace. I hope we get more from those two, such as a grudge match for TakeOver: Portland. Chelsea Green VS Kayden Carter was pretty good, and it makes for great story that Green loses quick like that. A feud for Green and KC is a great way to go while they’re still not title picture ready.

Balor VS Seven opening the show was a great move, too. I was hoping Balor would show up in NXT UK but some more NXT UK stars coming to Full Sail is just as good. I want to see Balor VS Bate, too. Balor just needs to be checking off dream matches, really. Gargano will surely respond to Balor next week as well to keep him going in this story. Keith Lee had a great segment with Dijakovic and Priest, and then Dijakovic VS Priest was an incredible match! The match-ups are also limitless for Lee, so it could go anywhere in the weeks we have before Portland. Then the Dusty Rhodes Classic Finals, that was amazing action. I had a feeling that when it came down to this being a #1 Contender’s match for the NXT Tag Team titles, and Undisputed Era are Heels, the Face duo would win. But this did an excellent job of setting that up. Riddle & Dunne VS reDRagon is going to be great, but I wonder if they’re really going to give a fresh team like the Broserweights the titles. It’d definitely be the one title I could see changing.

Of course, I feel like everyone wants Ciampa to win Goldie back. Ciampa’s segments tonight were great. I love that he basically assassinated Strong, Fish and O’Reilly. His back and forth with Cole was good, and by strange fortune, Ciampa got to put blood on his contract like The Fiend did before the Royal Rumble. Cole VS Ciampa is going to be awesome, but I can’t say this is where Ciampa gets the title back. But with time left before Portland, things are probably just going to get wilder before the match, so who knows. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, unpredictability is what makes pro-wrestling the most fun, so this is really fun right now for me.

My Score: 9.2/10

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

11 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!