Coverage

Mitchell’s WWE SmackDown Results & Report! (4/10/20)

It’s a good Friday for BRAAAUN!

Published

4 years ago

April 10, 2020

Steven Mitchell

It’s the SmackDown After WrestleMania!

SmackDown has new champions in Braun Strowman and Bliss-Cross! But there’s no time to rest, the Kabuki Warriors want their titles back! Are Alexa and Nikki ready for the rematch?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships: Bliss-Cross VS The Kabuki Warriors; Bliss-Cross wins and retains the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships.
Tucker Knight VS Dolph Ziggler w/ Sonya Deville; Ziggler wins.
The Forgotten Sons VS Lucha House Party; The Forgotten Sons win.
Sheamus VS Cal Bloom; Sheamus wins.
Braun Strowman VS Shinsuke Nakamura w/ The Artist Collective; Strowman wins.

PLAY BY PLAY

SmackDown opens with BRAUN!

The Triple Crown Monster Among Men is here with his WWE Universal Championship! Goldberg is a living legend, but not even he could keep Strowman down on the Greatest Stage of Them All. Of course, Strowman had to hit Goldberg with more than anyone else he’d faced before, but he still got these hands on the title. “There’s an old saying: When opportunity knocks on the door, you answer it.” Strowman answered and knocked the door off the hinges! Spear after spear after spear wasn’t enough. Goldberg is a WWE Hall of Famer for a reason, but Strowman refused to stay down. And now Strowman is our Universal Champion! To have it happen at WrestleMania makes that his greatest moment in his career, but now his moment is being interrupted.

Shinsuke Nakamura heads to the ring, and without Sami Zayn or Cesaro. The King of Strong Style goes to the ring with a mic but Strowman asks what he wants. “You said when opportunity knocks, you better open the door.” Well Nakamura is knocking on the door! Strowman, say, “Who’s there?” Like a joke. Well Nakamura is here, knocking on the door. He heard all the talk about the WrestleMania Moment. But the last time we saw Strowman, he LOST! Strowman tells Nakamura to shut up because no one tuned in to hear him talk. How about Strowman knock-knock the crap out of Nakamura?

Be careful what you wish for. Because Nakamura remembers an old Japanese saying: The weak are the meat, and the strong eat. Well here’s a proverb that works in any language: Nakamura will #GetTheseHands! But then Cesaro appears outta nowhere! Strowman knocks Cesaro out of the ring but Nakamura ROUNDHOUSES him! Strowman staggers but stays up as Nakamura and Cesaro head to the back. Will the Artist Collective take another title from Strowman?

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships: Bliss-Cross VS The Kabuki Warriors!

The Goddess and Loony Lass brought these titles back to SmackDown after an epic showdown with Raw’s Asuka and Kairi Sane! But now, the Empress of Tomorrow and the Pirate Princess want their treasure back! Will Alexa and Nikki have the shortest reign in these titles’ young history? Or are they ready for the rematch?

The introductions are made, the belts are raised, and the teams sort out. We begin with Kairi going right at Alexa with a dropkick! Kairi rains down angry rights and then puts Alexa in the corner. Tag to Asuka and Asuka hits Nikki while Kairi stomps Alexa. Asuka returns to stomp Alexa and dig her heels in. Tag to Kairi and the Kabuki double suplex. Alexa resists and throws forearms! But that’s 2v1 and she gets thrown down by her hair! Asuka and Kairi take a moment to boast before Kairi stalks Alexa at the ropes. Kairi pulls ALexa’s hair while also choking her on the ropes. The ref counts and Kairi lets up to club Alexa on the back. Kairi whips but Alexa arm-drags to a cover, TWO! Alexa SLAPS Kairi so Kairi throws hands. The two brawl, Kairi stomps feet, then drags Alexa over.

Asuka tags in and she again hits Nikki first. Kairi stomps Alexa down then Asuka adds stomps of her own. Asuka talks trash in Japanese while digging her heels in again. The ref backs her off but Kairi tags in. The Kabuki double whip Alexa for a flurry of kicks! Camel clutch basement dropkick! Kairi mocks Alexa while sitting on her for a cover. TWO, but Kairi tags in Asuka. Kairi drags Alexa up but Alexa dropkicks back! Kairi flops out of the ring but Asuka hops down to regroup with her. Alexa runs and wrecks Kairi with a dropkick, but then Asuka wrecks Alexa with a hip attack! Kairi laughs while Asuka hops on commentary. “Yes! I’m on commentary! YES!”

Asuka talks trash to Nikki in Japanese but Nikki jumps on the desk with her! The two scrap, but Alexa trips up Asuka! Asuka hits hard as she falls! Then Nikki LEAPS onto Asuka! Kairi shouts for Asuka-nee as SmackDown goes to break.

SmackDown returns and Asuka wrenches Nikki’s arm over and over. Nikki fights back with forearms but Asuka throws her down by her hair. Asuka tags Kairi and they keep Nikki from Alexa. They double whip and Kairi runs in for a big forearm! Asuka runs in to hip attack! Nikki is down and Kairi covers, TWO! Kairi toys with Nikki now as she slaps her around and kicks her on the mat. She brings Nikki up to club her down, then Alabama lifts. Nikki sunset flips, ONE! Nikki crawls but Kairi drops an elbow! Cover, TWO! Kairi drags Nikki around while laughing at Alexa. Kairi brings Nikki over, wrenches the hair, then tags in Asuka. The Kabuki mug Nikki and Asuka stomps her down. Asuka runs in but Nikki elbows back! Nikki hits Kairi then boots Asuka! Asuka chokes Nikki and throws in knees!

Asuka runs in but Nikki rolls her up! TWO, and Nikki scurries towards Alexa. Asuka anchors a foot and reels Nikki in. Nikki fights the German Suplex off to BULLDOG! Hot tag to Alexa! Kairi tags in but the Five Foot Fury rallies, slaps, ROCKS and dropkicks Kairi! Alexa is fired up as she drops knees, then handsprings. Insult2Injury misses at the last second, and Kairi SPEARS Alexa down! Cover, TWO! Kairi grows frustrated and she argues with the ref. She then smiles as she brings Alexa back up. Alexa ROCKS Kairi again, and brings her over to tag in Nikki. Bliss-Cross have Kairi but Asuka ROUNDHOUSES Alexa down! Kairi’s back hand knocks Nikki down! Nikki runs in but misses in the corner! Asuka tags in and she’s after Nikki! Nikki resists but Asuka still brings her over to Kairi. KABUKI DOOMSDAY! ARMBAR!!

Nikki flails, moves around, gets a cover, TWO! Asuka gets Nikki in the ASUKA LOCK! Alexa attacks but Kairi gives her a BLOCKBUSTER! Kairi fires up with Asuka-nee and they tag. Kairi goes back up and says this will end it! InSANE Elbow misses! Nikki decks Asuka then dodges Kairi to tag in Alexa! Alexa ducks the back hand to boot Kairi. Alexa grins as she hits her DDT! But Asuka drags Kairi out of the cover! Nikki leaps, but into a KNEE! Asuka helps Kairi but Alexa is up top! Alexa gives a SUPER TWISTED BLISS to them both!! The Kabuki go down in a heap but Alexa puts Kairi in. Alexa heads back up, but Kairi moves. Nikki tags in as Alexa blocks a kick. Alexa ROCKS Kairi, Nikki hits THE PURGE! Cover, Bliss-Cross win!!

Winners: Bliss-Cross, by pinfall (still WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions)

The best friends fend off the Joshi royalty! Will they keep this second reign going through the Spring into the Summer?

Ladies and Gentlemen: Elias.

The Drifter is back and is grateful for letting him into our homes. He is in a good mood after putting an end to King Baron Corbin. He’s sure we do, as he got all our messages. Elias has a song titled, “Walk With the King,” but wants us to first turn the volume up. Then Elias begins to play and sings, “WrestleMania, everybody can sing~! Elias, he came and dethroned the king~.” IF you doubted him, he doesn’t blame you at all. From this very perch, he took a hell of a fall. Just like Simba, he returned. For a new king, the people yearned. Look to the horizon, what do you see? Elias says it’s Money in the Bank and that briefcase. It’ll be a guitar case when he becomes champ. Then the world will sing, “Walk With Elias!”

SmackDown looks back on the romance of Otis and Mandy Rose.

A scheme cooked up by Mandy’s own friend, Sonya Deville, and the Show-Off, Dolph Ziggler, was exposed! Mandy cut ties with Sonya and Ziggler, but they together worked to cheat Otis during the WrestleMania match. But then Mandy would stand by her man and go after Sonya! She also screwed Ziggler and Otis got the win! The Dozer gets the win and the girl, and all is right in Otis’s world!

Ziggler and Sonya barge out into the arena.

They both yell at commentary. They haven’t heard from Mandy all week and are upset. Ziggler defends there was doctored footage in that hacker’s “reveal.” They just want the best for Mandy. But here comes Tucker to retort! “Dolph, I’m sorry, I can see you’re busy,” but clearly he is still smitten with Otis’s kitten. Here’s some pictures Ziggler deserves to see. Couples that work out together stay together. Bananas are great potassium, by the way. Otis and Mandy are a bit busy, but Tucker is here to settle things on his end. Will Tucky bulldoze Ziggler to add on to Ziggler’s woes?

Tucker Knight VS Dolph Ziggler w/ Sonya Deville!

SmackDown returns with the bell. Ziggler rushes Tucker but gets huge hands! Sonya talks trash and Tucker gets distracted, but he manages to deny the Zigzag. Tucker POSTS Ziggler then stomps him all around. Tucker drags Ziggler up for a BIG suplex! Cover, TWO! Tucker goes after Ziggler at the ropes with clubbing forearms. Ziggler elbows back hard then leaps, but is caught! Tucker catapults Ziggler into buckles! Tucker is fired up as Ziggler flops out of the ring. Sonya coaches Ziggler up but Tucker goes out after him. Tucker CLUBS Ziggler on the back and then brings him to commentary. Tucker bounces Ziggler off the desk before refreshing the count. “You wanna use steps, huh?!” He’ll give it back, as he whips Ziggler into them!

The ref counts again as Tucker pulls the steps apart. Tucker refreshes the count at 5 then goes after Ziggler. But Ziggler rakes Tucker’s eyes! Sonya kept the ref distracted so Ziggler gets away with that. Ziggler leaps, but the Zigzag is TOSSED onto the desk!! Sonya is in shock as Ziggler writhes and crawls. Tucker grins as he catches his breath. Tucker fetches Ziggler as the ring count passes 5 and puts him in the ring. He brings Ziggler up, whips him and scoops,m for a BIG spinning powerslam! Cover, TWO!! Tucker keeps his cool while Sonya is at a loss for words. Tucker drags Ziggler back up but Ziggler throws body shots. Ziggler bobs ‘n’ weaves but Tucker LARIATS him down! Tucker demands Ziggler get up, and then he hits a springboard crossbody! Cover, TWO!! Ziggler survives and Tucker grows frustrated.

Ziggler gets up and superkicks, but Tucker blocks it. Tucker spins Ziggler, but Ziggler baits him into the post! SUPERKICK! Cover, Ziggler wins!

Winner: Dolph Ziggler, by pinfall

The Show-Off survives a furious freight train in Tucker. Will Ziggler and Sonya be able to make contact with Mandy and “patch things up?” Or is it beyond the point of no return for them both?

SmackDown presents a new episode of The Dirt Sheet.

The Miz and John Morrison are here and still the SmackDown Tag Team Champions. It may be hard times for the world, but the Greatest Tag Team of the 21st Century have good news. Morrison retained their titles, and the first person to do that in history. Miz is the first person in history to retain his title from the couch. WrestleMania 36 was the most talked about and most watched WrestleMania! #ThatsGoodNews. Otis finally kissed a girl! But then Mandy’s mom had to watch it happen. That’s…? The Undertaker is back and he buried AJ Styles, literally! Reminds Morrison of a recurring nightmare he has. Footage of the Boneyard Match plays, and Miz realizes he had the same nightmare. But it was Styles getting kicked down a grave and not them. #ThatsGoodNews.

There’s a NEW Universal Champion in Braun Strowman! And he’s on almost every show! That’s way better than the other champions. #ThatsGoodNews. Speaking of previous champions, did Miz see the Firefly Fun House match? OF course! It was weird and John Cena is just gone. After all this time, all that “You Can’t See Me” crap came true. #ThatsGoodNews. But the best news, the hit single, “Hey Hey!” hit the top of the charts! And these two know what fans want: a live performance! The music plays as “MC M-I-Z” and “Johnny Drip Drip” start rapping. Miz ‘n’ Morrison! Hey hey! Ho ho! But the best(?) WWE rap is interrupted by The Usos!

“Hold up, hold up, hold up.” Out of respeck, they were going to let that finish, but nope! They want to talk Peewee Herman? Ol’ Peewee has WAY more street cred than Miz and Morrison combined! How dare they! The champs were spreading good news and the Usos have to go and bring downer energy. Morrison defended the titles and won, so why are the Usos here? Because the last time they checked, Miz and Morrison are both tag team champions. They both have to defend the titles! Well that wasn’t the match, Uce! Morrison sees that the Usos are trying to drive a wedge between them, but news flash! Morrison has Miz’s back and everyone gets Morrison’s front. Miz got hurt, is still hurt, and still can’t compete. See you two later!

But awwwwww~ people at home~! Don’t you dare be sour! Here comes the New Day! Kofi Kingston and Big E see the arguing going on and points out the Usos weren’t the only ones in that SmackDown Tag Team Championship match. “Y’all ain’t Lil’ Boosie on Instagram.” The WrestleMania match didn’t go as planned, so how about this? One half of each team competed on WrestleMania, so perhaps the other halves should compete in their own Triple Threat for the “adorable, kissable, lickable” titles? What part of “not cleared” does no one understand?! The New Day is here to say that after talking with WWE management, Fox executives, Martha Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Lil’ Wayne, Lil’ Kim AND Freddie Prinz Jr. on a huge Zoom call turned happy hour… NEXT WEEK! Jey Uso VS The Miz VS Big E in a SmackDown Tag Team Championship Triple Threat! HOLLA HOLLA!!

The Forgotten Sons VS Lucha House Party!

Steve Cutler, Wesley Blake & Jaxson Ryker have come to SmackDown! Will they make sure Lince Dorado and Gran Metalik remember them forever?

The teams sort out and Cutler starts against Dorado. They tie up and Cutler powers Dorado to a corner to fire off hands. He CHOPS then throws body shots. Cutler whips Dorado and elbows him hard against the ropes. Tag to Blake and the Sons mug Dorado with body shots. Blake pushes Dorado into a corner with forearms and grinds them in. Blake whips Dorado but Dorado dodges to springboard and moonsault! Tag to Metalik and he gets a boost for the falling splash! Cover, TWO! Metalik wrenches then tags Dorado back in. Dorado drops ax handles on Blake then wrenches him. Dorado clamps onto the arm but Blake turns things around. Tag to Cutler but Dorado fights back.

Cutler kicks low and underhooks for a butterfly backbreaker! Cutler pushes Dorado at ropes then forearms him hard in the back! “Ain’t no party like a Forgotten Party!” He chokes Dorado on the ropes then tags in Blake. The Sons double backbreaker Dorado down! Cover, TWO! Blake drops knees then clamps on a chinlock. Dorado endures and fights back. Blake clamps a hammlerlock on and throws chops and elbows and uppercuts! Dorado flounders against ropes but hops over Blake! Blake ends up outside but he tags Cutler in. Cutler whips but Dorado hits the GOLDEN REWIND! Blake tags in but so does Metalik! Springboard crossbody! Metalik whips but Blake reverses. Blake dodges the handspring but not the springboard!

Metalik runs the ropes and leaps to missile dropkick! Cover, but Cutler breaks it! Dorado CHOPS away on Cutler but Cutler TOSSES Dorado out! Metalik SUPERKICKS Cutler but Blake rolls him up! TWO and Metalik enziguris! Metalik handsprings but Blake catches him., Blake suplexes, Metalik lands on his feet, but Blake LARIATS! Tag to Cutler, and the Sons combine, for MEMORY REMAINS!! Cover, The Forgotten Sons win!

Winners: The Forgotten Sons, by pinfall

What won’t be forgotten is that their debut was a success! Are we looking at the future of the SmackDown Tag Team Division?

Bliss-Cross celebrate their victory backstage.

They’re the first two-time champions in these belts’ history, they’re basically the best ever. Nikki feels unstoppable! Alexa does, too. Carmella and Dana Brooke come over to congratulate them on the win. But Carmella and Dana didn’t get to be part of WrestleMania, sot hey were hoping to make up for lost time. Could they have a match for the titles next week? Um… Yeah… Here’s the thing. Just because they missed out on Mania doesn’t mean they can just “jump the line.” Well, okay, but didn’t Bliss-Cross just say they’re unstoppable? Nikki is excited but Alexa wants to talk this over. They go off to the side and talk, and then come back. Nikki accepts the challenge! Mella and Dana are very excited, but Alexa says Nikki needs decaf. Will the second reign still be cut short?

Sasha Banks and Bayley head to the ring.

The Boss may not be SmackDown Women’s Champion, but she helped her best friend keep the title! Bayley continues her longest reign in SmackDown history and is still united with Sasha. They have a lot to say, but we’ll have to wait until after the break.

SmackDown returns and Bayley says, “Just look at us!” Three weeks ago, “that annoying, jealous Paige” tried to ruin WrestleMania and their friendship with that huge elimination match. But Paige failed! Anyone that thinks can touch Byaley, YOU CAN’T! Bayley has beaten everyone! But in her humble opinion, Bayley’s greatest moment yet was defying all odds as WrestleMania! How did she do that? Because she- no, she and Sasha are the best. They are the ultimate role models! So to all the sheep that thought things were going to go the other way, here’s two words for you: Screw you! The ignorant masses will never understand their friendship. No woman from past, present or future can-

Well speaking of the present, Tamina heads right to the ring! The Daughter of Superfly immediately intimidates the “role models.” They try to talk her down with compliments. Bayley isn’t sure why she’s here, but she’s happy Tamina is here. They want to compliment her performance. Tamina tells them to shut the hell up! Bayley didn’t beat Tamina at Mania. No one beat her. It took all four other superstars to eliminate her from that match! So “Ms. Role Model” needs to lead by example and take Tamina on 1v1 for the title. Bayley and Sasha laugh that off. Sorry, Tamina, you may have just come back “from whatever coconut shell you’ve been hiding in,” but there is a pecking order! You don’t just step up and make demands!

Bayley “holds” Sasha back, but says that as a role model, she will be fair. Tamina’s challenge is accepted, but it only happens IF Tamina beats The Blueprint, Bayley’s best friend, Sasha Banks! Tamina accepts the counter offer. But uh, Sasha, your bestie just screwed you. Is Boss Time going to end when up against the Samoan steamroller?

Sheamus VS Cal Bloom!

The Celtic Warrior returns to SmackDown to continue his purge of the “vermin” on this roster. Will he be able to clear out the weak and prove himself worthy as we head for Money in the Bank?

The bell rings and Sheamus goes right after Bloom with clubbing forearms! He whips but Bloom whips back. Bloom throws kicks and hands then whips,. Sheamus reverses and runs Bloom over with an elbow! Sheamus stomps Bloom at the ropes but the ref backs him up. The Celtic Warrior stands Bloom up to put him on the ropes. He throws Ten Beats of the Bodhrain! Bloom flops to the apron as Sheamus finally lets him go. Sheamus smirks as Bloom crawls back in. Bloom turns around into a BROGUE!! Cover, Sheamus wins!

Winner: Sheamus, by pinfall

Motivated and menacing, will Sheamus make minced meat of those put in his way back to Money in the Bank?

SmackDown begins a retrospective of Jeff Hardy.

Chapter one: the rise. Jeff gets flashbacks to his start alongside his brother, Matt, as he watches his daughters jump on the trampoline. The Hardy boys would jump around and run all over. Jeff felt like Sting howling and shouting. Then the Hardy Boys had their debut. They vowed to do something, anything, to get people to remember them. Christian notes that they were fans living out the dreams. Soon, Team X-Treme had kids dressing up like them the way they dressed up as their favorites.

But more than anything, Jeff loved pushing the envelope of risky moves. Jumping off of ladders onto tables, onto other ladders, but always onto opponents. Hardy wrestles matches like they’re his last, and yet he’s not done yet. He hopes to keep this dream going to the next level. What next level is there for the already incredibly accomplished Charismatic Enigma?

In two weeks, SmackDown plays the game.

The HHH 25th Anniversary Celebration comes to Fox!

But next week, SmackDown prepares for Money in the Bank!

Qualifying matches for the respective Men’s and Women’s MITB Ladder matches begin! For the men, it will be Daniel Bryan VS Cesaro! And for the women, it will be Naomi VS Dana Brooke! Who takes the first step towards climbing up to a golden opportunity?

Braun Strowman VS Shinsuke Nakamura w/ Cesaro!

A challenge came knocking, and the call was answered! Will the Triple Crown Monster make sure Nakamura only #GetsTheseHands? Or will the Swiss Cyborg be a factor in the King of Strong Style gaining ground in the title hunt?

The bell rings and Strowman rushes Nakamura. Nakamura gets clear, as does Cesaro, and Nakamura gives testing kicks. Strowman stays up so Nakamura throws body shots. Strowman withstands those, and stays clear of Nakamura’s kicks to then BOOT him down! Nakamura gets to a corner and Cesaro coaches him up, but Strowman headbutts Nakamura back. Strowman whips Nakamura corner to corner hard! Nakamura clutches his back but Strowman THROWS him across the ring! Strowman says Nakamura bit off more than he can chew getting in the ring with him! Strowman smashes Nakamura off his knee then throws him out of the ring. Cesaro checks on Nakamura but Strowman goes out to pursue. Cesaro says he was just watching. Nakamura tries to sucker punch but Strowman ROCKS him!

Strowman puts Nakamura in the ring then glares at Cesaro. Cesaro stays back and Nakamura knees Strowman off the apron! Nakamura goes out and runs at Strowman, but is TOSSED onto the barriers! The Monster stands tall as SmackDown goes to break!

SmackDown returns once more as Strowman has Nakamura in a corner. He whips Nakamura corner to corner hard then FLAPJACKS him! Strowman bumps Nakamura off buckles then corner splashes him! Strowman scoops but Nakamura fights out. Nakamura swings one kick but hits the second! Nakamura tumbles into the ref, but that’s just to keep him from seeing Cesaro SHORYUKEN Strowman! And Nakamura adds the dynamic dropkick! Cover, TWO!! Strowman survives and the Art sit Collective is furious! Nakamura wraps on a chinlock and squeezes tight. Strowman endures and powers out, to sidewalk slam Nakamura down! Strowman is free and Nakamura is gasping. Nakamura is in the corner but gets another corner splash! Cesaro distracts but Strowman DECKS him! Nakamura BOOTS but Strowman LARIATS!

Strowman watches Nakamura go outside, and decides to take a lap! Strowman bulldozes Nakamura down! He puts Nakamura back in before he BLASTS Cesaro over barriers! Strowman goes back to Nakamura but Nakamura KNEES him down! Cover, TWO!! Nakamura is furious as he goes to a corner. HE runs at Strowman but Strowman scoops! MONSTER SLAM!! Cover, Strowman wins!

Winner: Braun Strowman, by pinfall

The Triple Crown Monster is only building up speed now that he’s Universal Champion! Is there any man in the WWE today that can survive the #StrowmanExpress?

Wait, Firefly Fun House interrupts! Bray Wyatt presents “The History of John Cena and Bray Wyatt.” Hold on, he needs to rewrite history. He makes it all caps. The Fiend defeated Cena and made him disappear. We really can’t see him now! But hey, Braun! Bray congratulates him, and is so happy for him. The old Bray whispers but no, that was a long time ago. Strowman’s surely learned his lesson b now. The Black Sheep of the Wyatt Family was given a home. And yet, he turned his back on them all. He turned his back on his creator. But Bray can forgive Braun now, right? Mercy won’t, because Strowman’s too big. Abby says Strowman is gross. Huskis says Strowman smells worse than a swine sphincter. Ramblin’ Rabbit likes Strowman. Oh shut up.

But if the puppets aren’t going to, Bray will. If Strowman says he’s sorry, that is. “I’m not playing these games, Bray.” Well, guess Strowman is busy about getting hands rather than manners. But Bray taught Strowman so much, why stop now? The lesson for today is sharing. Because Braun has something Bray wants back. It’s that thing on his shoulder. The Universal Championship. “As one circle closes, another begins again.” Bray brought Strowman into this world, so he’ll be the one to take him out. Bye~~! See you soon~! Strowman says that before Bray goes, he does want to say that any time Bray wants, he will #LetHimIn. Bye~! Strowman may not be playing Bray’s game, but he is willing to throw it all in Bray’s face. When will the dark past become a darker future for these two?

My Thoughts:

This was a pretty good SmackDown that didn’t feel as subdued as Raw did this week. There were still recaps but they weren’t as extensive as on Raw. Of course that’s probably just the math of a two hour show versus a three hour show. But we got plenty of original content that was all pretty good. The WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship rematch was good, but it was clearly just a way to clear out Kabuki Warriors from the contender’s list for now. Another bad sign that Kairi Sane is leaving the WWE to go back to Japan and Stardom, but not a guarantee. I appreciate that it is Nikki’s over-excitement already getting her and Alexa into random matches, but I highly doubt Mella and Dana win the titles. When are the IIconics coming back?

Bayley and Sasha had a good promo, and Tamina had a good part to play in it. Tamina has legitimate claim for a title shot for MITB, but I don’t see her winning. Well, she could beat Sasha next week to take a similar path to Lacey Evans. But I feel like MITB might already be set up for another same-night cash-in from Ms. Money in the Bank. Especially if it’s The Boss in the Bank. Sasha could lose to Tamina, qualify for the MITB match, win that, then cash in on whoever. It would be obvious yet so fitting that Sasha cashes in on Bayley after helping her screw Tamina over. Sasha is getting her Grand Slam at some point, so why not just do it here?

I did not think The Forgotten Sons would move over to SmackDown. Also, no one who watched NXT regularly would think they “dominated” that brand. But while they wrestled Heel against Lucha House Party, I wonder if we’ll finally get that faction of them and Lacey Evans that only the NXT house show circuit got to see. Forgotten Sons were using patriotism to go Face, so it wouldn’t take much for them to do that on SmackDown. But it’ll be awhile before they’re tag title contenders. Miz & Morrison had a good promo, and I like the idea of a Triple Threat that flips things around from WrestleMania. Miz VS Big E VS Jey will be a lot of fun even if it isn’t with ladders, but I’m thinking Miz finds a way to win.

Ziggler rebounds with a win off Tucker, but I liked that Tucker used pictures of Otis and Mandy to stick it back to Ziggler. Sonya and Mandy are set to have a face-to-face next week, I’m very confident in saying that will lead to a Mixed Tag Match as we head for MITB. And speaking of, while MITB had to cancel its date with Baltimore, it obviously is not going to be cancelled. It’ll be another Empty Arena PPV, even if a miracle happens in regards to the pandemic, and all the qualifying matches will be good original material for both SmackDown and Raw. I don’t think it’ll happen this year, but I hope MITB adds NXT so that even the NXT Championship is prey to the cash-in. With WWE basically being confined to one central location, crossover is the way to go that will help it outdo the competition.

I like that WWE is giving Jeff Hardy this multi-part retrospective, but it definitely gives the feeling that Jeff might be winding down towards the end. At least, in the WWE. If brother Matt Hardy is any indication, there is always life outside the WWE, but Jeff still might have one big push inside it. Sheamus glaring at commentary as they talked about Jeff makes me think that’s where the story is going for both Celtic Warrior and Charismatic Enigma, and that might be a decent match. Strowman VS Nakamura was a decent match but of course Strowman was winning. And I am so excited to see that we’re going with Strowman VS Wyatt to start off. There’s so much already in this story, not even factoring in how Goldberg took the title from Bray. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

My Score: 8.3/10

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

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It’s Draft Day!

Published

10 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!