Coverage

Mitchell’s WWE SmackDown Results & Report! (5/8/20)

A final face-to-face before the Universal Championship fight!

Published

4 years ago

May 8, 2020

Steven Mitchell

The final SmackDown before Money in the Bank!

The Monster Among Men dared Bray Wyatt to confront him in person, and that challenge was accepted! What happens when Bray and Braun meet?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Mandy Rose VS Sonya Deville; Deville wins.
8 Man Tag: The New Day & Lucha House Party VS The Miz, John Morrison & The Forgotten Sons; Miz, Morrison & The Forgotten Sons win.
Tamina & Lacey Evans VS Bayley & Sasha Banks; Tamina & Evans win.
Six Man Tag: Baron Corbin & The Artist Collective VS Daniel Bryan, Drew Gulak & ???; Corbin & The Artist Collective win.

PLAY BY PLAY

Otis checks on Mandy Rose backstage.

Is she okay? Is she ready? Oh she is so ready. Her match with Sonya Deville tonight has been a long time coming. Is there anything Otis can do to help? He just needs to focus on Money in the Bank this Sunday. Mandy’s got this. She gives him a kiss on the cheek then heads to gorilla.

Meanwhile, Sonya is fired up as Ziggler checks in on her. Is she ready? She’s never been more ready for anything in her life. This is five years of beatings she’ll be giving Mandy in one night. Ziggler will be waiting here to celebrate the victory. Just do him a favor and go easy on Mandy’s face. No promises. Sonya pats Ziggler on the back then heads to gorilla. Is the Fire about to burn the Desire to ash?

Mandy Rose VS Sonya Deville!

The bell rings and Mandy KNEES Sonya down! Mandy won’t let Sonya put her hair up or square up! She puts her in a corner to thrash and stomp! The ref has to pull Mandy off and Sonya kicks the bad leg! Sonya kicks Mandy in the stomach, but Mandy dodges to DECK Sonya! Mandy rains down angry hands but Sonya scrambles away. The ref keeps Mandy in the ring and Mandy shouts for Sonya to come back for more. Sonya takes her time going around the way before getting on the apron. Sonya sees Mandy’s shoulder coming and kicks her back in! Chop block to the bad leg, SLIDING WIZARD! Cover, TWO! Sonya grows frustrated with Mandy already and pulls her by the hair. “You think you’re better than me?” Sonya mocks the pain as she stomps the bad leg. She SLAPS Mandy down then stalks her to a corner. Sonya waistlocks to slam Mandy down, and puts on a body scissor!

“Do you really think you’re better than me?! Because you’re embarrassing yourself!” But Sonya is having a lot of fun. She even feels bad as she puts on a dragon sleeper, and CHOPS Mandy in the ribs! Sonya pulls off the fake eyelashes and digs her elbow into Mandy’s chin. “We know you’re literally nothing without your looks, so let’s make you ugly, too.” But Mandy bridges back to a cover! TWO as Sonya lets Mandy go. Mandy staggers up but Sonya kicks the bad leg out! Sonya continues to taunt Mandy as she pushes her around. “You are in MY world, and if you don’t stop embarrassing me, I’m gonna have to hurt you.” Sonya BOOTS Mandy down! Mandy clutches her ribs and shoulders but still sits up. Sonya drags her up, runs, but into Mandy’s LARIAT! Mandy rallies with more clotheslines! She runs and KNEES Sonya out of the ring!

Mandy hurries after Sonya and brings her up at the announce desk. “Who’s the b*tch now, b*tch?!” Mandy bounces Sonya off the desk! She stalks Sonya and drags her up to bump her off steel steps. The ring count climbs but Mandy brings Sonya up to RAM into the steps! Mandy gets some payback but she wants more. The count is at 7 but Mandy tosses Sonya over the desk! Mandy dares Sonya to show her what she’s got! Mandy drags Sonya up and into the ring, then dares Sonya to stand. Sonya rises, Mandy reels her in, and underhooks but Sonya slips out. Sonya catches the knee to a roll up, with tights! Sonya wins!!

Winner: Sonya Deville, by pinfall

Mandy can’t believe it! Sonya stole that one, but this is just the first round! Will Sonya continue to rain down ruin upon the Golden Goddess?

8 Man Tag: The New Day & Lucha House Party VS The Miz, John Morrison & The Forgotten Sons!

AWWWWW~ people at hooome~! These four teams will compete for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships at Money in the Bank! But tonight, Big E & Kofi Kingston team with Lince Dorado & Gran Metalik to settle some scores with the Greatest Tag Team of the 21st Century and the savage Steve Cutler & Wesley Blake. Which side gets the momentum going towards the gold?

The teams sort out and we begin with Kofi and Miz. They circle, tie up, and Kofi wrenches to a wristlock. Miz rolls and wrenches back, but Kofi rolls and handsprings to wrench again. Kofi hammerlocks but Miz elbows out. Miz powers Kofi to the corner and grinds him into buckles. The ref calls for the break and Miz backs off, but Kofi ducks the sucker punch to put Miz in his place! Kofi throws hands on Miz, Morrison and the Sons, and then a brawl breaks loose! All eight men are all over the ring! The New Day and LHP throw Miz and the Sons out. Big E gives Kofi a boost to FLY! Down go Cutler and Blake! Lince and Metalik DIVE onto Miz and Morrison! The champions and the luchadors regroup in the ring while SmackDown goes to break.

SmackDown returns and Blake stomps away on Big E in a corner. He lets up at the ref’s count then runs, but Big E dodges and hurdles to catch Blake! Big E gets the cobra twist on, but Cutler runs in. Big E runs Cutler over, then elbows Blake down. Tag to Kofi and Big E has him leap frog for the leg drop! Cover, TWO! Kofi keeps on Blake and brings him back with a wrench and a whip. Blake reverses but Kofi goes up to dropkick back! Kofi snapmares then tags Big E. Kofi hits a splash, then Big E tags in Lince. Big E runs and runs and SPLASHES! Lince tags in Metalik and gives him a boost for an elevated splash! Lince hits the planking splash, then Metalik adds another splash! Cover, TWO! Blake survives the splash party but Metalik has the cravat. Metalik wrenches and tags in Kofi. Kofi climbs up to drop stomps on the arm! Cover, ONE!

Kofi keeps on Blake and whips again. Blake hits buckles but Cutler saves him from the corner splash! Miz tags in and stomps away on Kofi. Miz glares at Big E but the ref keeps Big E out. Big E coaches Kofi but Miz runs to BOOT Kofi down! Tag to Morrison, they double whip Kofi, and Morrison whips Miz. Miz hits the A-List lariat, then feeds Kofi to Morrison’s ROLLING ALABAMA! Morrison runs, SHINING WIZARD! Cover, TWO! Morrison keeps Kofi down and Cutler tags in. They mug Kofi then stomp away again. Cutler drags Kofi up to whip and elbow hard against ropes! Cutler chokes Kofi on the ropes but the ref backs him off. Jaxson Ryker CLOBBERS Kofi while the ref isn’t looking! Big E protests but Cutler drags Kofi over to tag in Blake. The Sons scrape laces off Kofi’s face, then Blake wraps on a thrashing chinlock. Miz mocks Kofi then Big E while Kofi endures.

Kofi fights his way up and out of the hold, and jawbreakers Blake back! Kofi staggers, but slips out to the apron to swing kick Blake away! Miz runs over into a SUPERKICK! But Blake blasts Kofi off, then DIVES! The low-pe takes them both out but the Sons are still in control as SmackDown goes to break.

SmackDown returns again and Miz keeps Kofi away from his corner with a knee. Miz lifts Kofi and Morrison tags in, for a springboard FLYING CHUCK style Hart Attack! Cover, TWO! Morrison stays in Kofi’s way and knees him down. Morrison grounds ‘n’ pounds with forearms, then drags Kofi up to tag in Blake. Blake mugs Kofi with Morrison’s help and then clamps on the cobra twist! Blake digs his elbow and knuckles into Kofi’s ribs, then tags in Cutler. Kofi hip tosses free and manages to arm-drag Cutler. The Sons keep Kofi from Big E but Kofi kicks Cutler away, then dumps Blake out. Kofi dumps Cutler out, but Miz anchors a foot! Miz drags Kofi but Kofi boots him away! Kofi leaps but the Sons yank Big E and LHP off the apron! Cutler throws Big E into steel steps! Kofi catches Miz to hit SOS! But both men are down!

Metalik returns to the apron and rallies for Kofi. Kofi and Miz crawl, hot tags to Morrison and Metalik! The King of the Ropes springboards and crossbodies! Morrison gets up to waistlock but Metalik elbows him off. Metalik springboards and huricanranas, to then SUPERKICK! Metalik runs the ropes and tags Lince in, before hitting a missile dropkick! Lince LEAPS but the Sons catch him. The Sons throw Lince, but Lince lands on his feet like a cat. The Sons double whip, but they get DOUBLE GOLDEN REWINDS! Lince CHOPS Morrison then tags in Metalik. Metalik enziguris then springboards, but Morrison catches the seated senton! Metalik still sunset flip BOMBS! Cover, TWO!! Morrison survives but Lince tags in. SUPERKICK, and alley-oop SPIKE-RANA! Metalik goes up, to moonsault! Lince goes up, GOLDEN SHOOTING STAR! Cover, but the Sons break in!

Cutler throws Metalik out and Blake avoids Kofi. Blake brings Kofi to ropes but Kofi body scissor throws Blake out. Big E returns to scoop Cutler and snake eyes him off Kofi’s kick! Big E scoops Cutler again, but Blake yanks Kofi out of the springboard. Miz throws Big E out and tells the Forgotten Sons to finish. MEMORY REMAINS to Big E! Blake POWERBOMBS Kofi on Big E! But Metalik dropkicks Miz out! Metalik climbs but Morrison enziguris him down! Lince springboard sunset flips, TWO! He avoids the Wizard and rolls up, TWO! Lince runs but Morrison blocks the huricanrana to a fireman’s carry. Samoan Drop and handspring! Then, STARSHIP PAIN! No, Lince evades! He dodges Morrison but Miz tags in. POISON RANA to Morrison, but Miz hits the FINALE! Cover, Miz and team win!

Winners: The Miz, John Morrison & The Forgotten Sons, by pinfall

This was a tag team match tonight, which is why Miz is very congratulatory to Cutler, Blake and Ryker. But two days from now, it becomes every team for themselves. Will the Greatest Tag Team of the 21st Century be able to win without help from the Forgotten Sons?

Backstage interview with King Corbin.

The Money in the Bank is coming, but tonight he teams with “two assassins” in Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro to beat down Daniel Bryan and “his stupid coach,” Drew Gulak. Bryan and Gulak got beat so bad last week, and were made to kiss the king’s feet. But who is going to join Bryan and Gulak tonight? Corbin doubts anyone will. Corbin looks past tonight to the MITB Corporate Ladder match. He is already picturing how he’ll torture his opponents in that match. There’s Rey Mysterio. Corbin wants to see how far Mysterio can fly off the roof. If Aleister Black likes hiding behind doors, Corbin will go knocking on every door in the office to find him. Then there’s “that fat idiot,” Otis Dozovic. Otis probably won’t even make it off the ground floor. And if he does, he’ll just clog the elevator shaft like he does his arteries. And then Otis will feel like Mandy Rose: a loser. Corbin can already feel that fresh air from the roof of Titan Towers when he becomes King in the Bank. Will Corbin become a two-time MITB winner? Or will the king be trumped by another?

SmackDown returns to Renee Young in the ring.

She introduces the Charismatic Enigma, Jeff Hardy! Hardy is back on SmackDown and in the ring tonight as he takes up a mic. Renee says we’ve been watching the four part mini-documentary of Jeff Hardy. The rise, the fall, the redemption and the comeback, truly an incredible life story. With all the history and all the titles, what is left for Hardy to prove? He isn’t so sure. Hardy has climbed tall mountains, leapt off of them, and hit some lows. But through it all, he’s back. Those lows taught him how to get back up. But Sheamus is backstage watching this, and talking smack! Hardy knows the WWE Universe is full of survivors. Usually they’re all here cheering him on, but he can hear them none the less. “Hardy! Hardy!” He knows they’ve stuck with him this far, so he hopes they will stick with him for one more good run. Hardy knows he’s not done yet.

Sheamus can’t believe this is what we’ve been waiting for this last month. Just as Hardy wonders where he is to interrupt, the Celtic Warrior heads for gorilla. Hardy calls Sheamus out, and here he comes! Sheamus tells Hardy that “If this isn’t the saddest thing I have ever seen in the WWE.” The junkie crawls back asking for one more sip, and yet no one is here to even give him a pity swig. Who does Hardy think still cares about him here? No one will say it to Hardy’s face because he’s a legend, but Sheamus will. Fans love the high-flying maniac from the early days of the TLC match. They love the WWE Triple Crown to Grand Slam Champion who has held every title possible. But they’re tired of this. They’re tired of suspensions, releases, no shows, and all the wasted second chances. Hardy says that for Sheamus to be such a hater, he knows a lot about Hardy.

That’s just the thing, Hardy. Sheamus doesn’t hate him. In fact, he deeply respected Hardy. Sheamus watched the video packages, and those made him realize, “How many false comebacks can one man have before we realize he’s never really coming back?” Hardy wants Sheamus to ask himself that question, “fella.” Yes, very clever, Hardy. But Sheamus isn’t afraid of the hard truth. Everyone knows Hardy’s next failure is around the next corner. Everyone, but Hardy himself. Sheamus’ return is about snuffing out the weakest flames. And Hardy’s is barely burning. Time to put it out. Sheamus heads for the ring but Hardy dropkicks him out! Sheamus throws Hardy to a corner but Hardy boots him away! Hardy hits WHISPER IN THE WIND! And TWIST OF FATE! Hardy throws off the shirt, heads up top, and hits the SWANTON! Hardy roars, because there is still fire inside! Sheamus gets up and shouts at Hardy to not disrespect him! But will the Fella regret disrespecting the extreme?

SmackDown returns with BRAUN!

The WWE Universal Champion grabs a mic to say, “Truth be told, I debuted with the Wyatt Family. But if Bray thinks he created me and I owe him all my success, then he’s even more deranged than he looks.” Bray was threatened by Braun then, and should be even more threatened by him now. The gifts and the puppets are all mind games, but Braun said then and will say it again: if Bray has something to say, say it to his face! Braun waits, and Bray heads out on stage! Bray waves hi and smiles the entire way down the ramp. Bray wants Braun to keep his cool as he enters the ring. “Hi, Braun!” It’s a shame it had to come to this. All Bray wanted was for Braun to say he was sorry. Braun doesn’t owe Bray anything. Not true and Braun knows it. Braun knows that this Sunday, Bray will be sorry. Bray says this is hard for him, and he still cares about Braun. Bray knows Braun. A good creator knows his creation, right? He knows what Braun will say, will do, and what is best for him.

Shut up, Bray. You don’t know a thing about Braun. Bray says Braun needs to come home. Braun doesn’t belong out there with “them.” Bray can show Braun how to be special, just like him! He just needs to remove the burden that is around his waist. Then Braun can come home. “It’s the only thing that’s standing in your way.” Bray needs to get back that title. He needs to get it back. Braun isn’t going to say his catchphrase just to prove a point, Bray. Bray doesn’t know Braun. And at Money in the Bank, it all ends. Oh, silly Braun. Their journey is just beginning. Not to spoil the fun, but here is a taste of things to come. Bray magically produces the Black Sheep mask! Put it on and come back home. Abigail, Mercy and all the puppets want Braun to come home.

Braun tells Bray, “I am home. And I’ve got the Universal Championship.” And on Sunday, Braun will keep it, leaving Bray stuck playing with puppets. Braun waves bye and laughs his way out. Bray says he tried, he really did. Sorry, Braun. What does Bray mean by that? What will Bray do in order to take the “burden” from Strowman?

Daniel Bryan and Drew Gulak find Otis backstage.

They ask him how Mandy is doing. She’s upset, but she’ll be okay. Good. Did Otis hear what Corbin say about him? No, he was with Mandy. What did he say? Well, let’s take a walk and talk about it. Could The Dozer be the third man joining Gulak and Bryan against Corbin tonight?

Tamina & Lacey Evans VS Bayley & Sasha Banks!

The Samoan steamroller is ready to strike this Sunday, especially after the SmackDown Women’s Champion and The Boss tried to take her out last week. The Sassy Southern Belle joins her in this fight, will they shut up the nasty mean girls with a Woman’s Right?

Tamina starts for her team but Bayley and Sasha “argue.” They want to play rock-paper-scissors, but Tamina clobbers them both! Tamina backs off and waits on the “role models,” and a ring count begins. Sasha and Bayley talk and Sasha slides in. Tamina rushes her and Sasha scurries away, but Tamina senses Bayley’s sneak attack! Just like last week, Tamina grabs Bayley by the head, and throws her to a corner. Bayley elbows back, slips under Tamina to boot her away, but Tamina grabs Bayley by the hair! Tamina whips but Bayley dodges and holds ropes. Tamina still keeps her from Sasha, and scoops to slam her down! Bayley writhes and Lacey mocks the pain. Tamina hits a corner splash but Bayley hops on for a sleeper! Tamina rams Bayley into buckles but Sasha tags in. Tamina goes after them but they both dodge, and Bayley chop blocks! Sasha KNEES in then hammers away!

Sasha rams Tamina in the corner but lets up at the ref’s count. Bayley tags in and the best friends stomp away on Tamina. Bayley grinds her boots in but lets up at the count. She digs her knee in now and tags Sasha. Sasha and Bayley drags Tamina up to crisscross but Tamina sends them into each other! Tamina fireman’s carries but Bayley saves Sasha. They decide to bail out and cut their losses. But Lacey is on the ramp and blocks their path. Sasha swings but Lacey elbows her down! Bayley is alone now, and Tamina drags her into the ring by her hair! Bayley hotshots Tamina away, then hurries up top. She leaps, into an UPPERCUT! Bayley flops out of the ring and Sasha checks on her while SmackDown goes to break.

SmackDown returns as Sasha whips Lacey to a corner. Sasha runs in but Lacey dodges and knees back! Lacey knees Sasha over and over between the ropes but lets up at 4. She sweeps the legs then slingshots for the elbow drop! Lacey goes up top, but Bayley distracts her from the moonsault! Sasha trips Lacey up and Lacey ends up in the Tree of Woe! Sasha runs in to basement dropkick Lacey down! Cover, TWO! Sasha drags Lacey up to jam her knee into Lacey’s head. Tag to Bayley and they double whip Lacey for double elbows! Cover, TWO! Bayley looms over Lacey and stomps her down. Bayley chokes Lacey on the ropes but counts along with the ref. She lets up at 4 and Sasha sucker punches Lacey! Tamina protests but Bayley tags Sasha in. Bayley bumps Lacey off buckles, then the best friends crisscross Lacey into the corner.

Sasha tags Bayley back in, and they drag Lacey up again. Lacey fights back with body shots and back hands! But Bayley and Banks club Lacey down! They double whip again, and hip toss but Lacey lands on her feet. Hot tag to Tamina, but Bayley and Banks knock her off the apron! Sasha leaps, but Tamina catches her! Tamina SLAMS Sasha into barriers! Bayley hops on for another sleeper, but Tamina throws her off! Tamina drags Bayley up and into the ring, and rallies with clotheslines and headbutts! Bayley flounders but Tamina runs in, big corner splash! And another toss! Tamina runs corner to corner, HIP ATTACK! Tamina puts Bayley in a drop zone and heads up top. Sasha interferes but gets punched away. Bayley punches Tamina but Tamina headbutts her back! Tamina adjusts, leaps, but onto knees! Bayley wants commentary to talk her up, and she hits the BAYLEY2BELLY!

But she’s not done there, she stomps Tamina into a stomp zone. Bayley goes up top, for the MACHO ELBOW!! Cover, TWO!?! Tamina survives and Bayley is furious! Bayley wants commentary to watch this. She hooks the arm, but Tamina fireman’s carries! Sasha kicks a leg out, but the WOMAN’S RIGHT takes Sasha out! Bayley knees Lacey out hard, but turns around into a SUPERKICK! And then the SAMOAN DROP! Cover, Tamina and Lacey win!!

Winners: Lacey Evans & Tamina, by pinfall

Tamina has pinned the SmackDown Women’s Champion again! Will she be able to do it a third time at MITB? Will Lacey climb the corporate ladder to become the Lady in the Bank?

Backstage interview with Carmella and Dana Brooke.

Dana got an upset over Naomi, but will lightning strike twice. Well no one, not even her good friend Carmella, thought she could do it. But Mella apologized, because Dana did. Dana is just teasing. But no one knows what to expect in this unique MITB match! Dana has the same chance as anyone, and the risk is worth the reward. Mella’s win, however, was marred by controversy because of the grudge between Mandy and Sonya. Mella doesn’t want to talk about that, she just knows she won. As a former Ms. MITB, does this give her an advantage? Mella sure thinks so. This match may be the most unique MITB ever, but being a former winner accounts for something. It’ll be every woman for themselves, but that’s just fine. Mella will climb the ladder and grab the contract again, and remind us all why #MellaIsMoney. Bold words with one of her opponents right next to her. Will Mella really get a three-peat? Or will a new star shine from atop Titan Towers?

SmackDown hears from “The Messenger.”

“Are you watching?” Footage from the women’s tag match replays. Bayley and Sasha arguing. Big E hitting the Big Ending on Miz during the SmackDown Tag Team Championship singles Triple Threat. “Are you listening?” Mella and Dana arguing about the Women’s Tag Team Championships while also going for the Women’s MITB match. “Because I am. The thing about anger is, you can always hear it before you see it.” The Messenger presents a voice mail, but with warped voice! “I’ll tell you one thing. Payback is coming, and it’s coming real soon.” The truth will be heard. Who said that? And who is payback coming for?

Six Man Tag: Baron Corbin & The Artist Collective VS Daniel Bryan, Drew Gulak & ???

Clearly the alliance between the Wolf King, the King of Strong Style and the Swiss Cyborg has grown stronger in the absence of The Great Liberator, Sami Zayn. But will it be strong enough to propel Corbin towards the MITB contract? And did Otis agree to be the third man? We find out, after the break.

SmackDown returns as Bryan and Gulak make their entrance. Corbin holds up his scepter as a reminder of what he did to Gulak a couple weeks ago. But Corbin’s team gets impatient waiting for the third man. The third man IS Otis! The “fat idiot” won’t let that slide! Will Otis help Gulak and Bryan stretch and crush Corbin and the Collective this close to climbing the corporate ladder?

The teams sort out and Bryan starts against Corbin. Bryan dropkicks Corbin right at the bell! Corbin swings back but Bryan kicks and kicks. Corbin trips Bryan up to stomp him down, then turn him for a Boston Crab! Bryan rolls through to trip Corbin for some ground ‘n’ pound! Bryan then kicks the leg and brings Corbin to the corner. Gulak tags in, Bryan turns Corbin like a neckbreaker, but it’s really to expose him for a headbutt! Corbin throat chops Gulak back! Corbin stands Gulak up but Gulak throws big forearms in return! Gulak runs and shotgun dropkicks Corbin out! The Wolf King backs away but Gulak waits patiently. Corbin slides in to tag Cesaro. Cesaro runs into a takedown and cover, ONE! Cesaro headlocks but Gulak powers out, only for Cesaro to run him over. Cover, ONE, but Cesaro headlocks. Gulak powers out and things speed up, and Gulak leaps, into Cesaro’s arms! Cesaro tilt-o-whirls but Gulak slips out to shove and scoop for a SLAM! Cover, TWO!

Gulak keeps focused and heads up top. Cesaro stands but Corbin distracts the ref. This allows Nakamura to shove Gulak off the top, into Cesaro’s European Uppercut! Cesaro drags Gulak around to dead lift gut wrench suplex! Cover, TWO! Tag to Nakamura and he drags Gulak up. Nakamura snapmares and stands on Gulak for Bad Vibrations! Nakamura drops a knee but misses! Gulak tags in Otis! Nakamura boots Otis but Otis just powers up! And again! Otis runs Nakamura over, and again! Otis hits Corbin and Cesaro down, then scoops Nakamura. Nakamura slips out and waistlocks, but Otis standing switches to SLAM Nakamura down! Otis pumps and thrusts, to hit a big corner splash! Nakamura is in the drop zone, and Otis starts up the Caterpillar! ELBOW! But Cesaro runs in, only to get a flapjack! Bryan and Gulak take care of Cesaro by throwing him out! The Goat, the Stretcher and the Dozer stand tall while SmackDown goes to break.

SmackDown returns once again, and Corbin has Bryan down in a half nelson chinbar! Bryan endures and fights his way up. Bryan fights free and kicks the leg. He forearms Nakamura but Corbin ROCKS Bryan back. Corbin back suplexes but Bryan lands on his feet to dropkick the leg out! Cesaro tags in and he BOOTS Otis down! Cesaro taunts Gulak but Bryan dodges to tag Gulak in! Gulak boots Cesaro then BOOTS him down! Gulak fires off hands and stomps Cesaro to a corner. He stomps and stomps until the ref counts 4. Gulak blocks a boot to hit an EXPLODER! Gulak fires up and goes corner to corner, but Cesaro puts him up top fast. Cesaro hits a EuroUpper, but Gulak boots again. Gulak flips and arm-drags Cesaro into a RINGS OF SATURN! Cesaro endures, frees one arm, then powers up. Cesaro lifts Gulak for an AIR RAID! Cesaro elbows Gulak away and Corbin tags in.

Gulak clotheslines Cesaro out, avoids Corbin and fires off again. Gulak has the dragon sleeper but can’t complete the hold. Nakamura dynamic dropkicks in! Otis runs Nakamura over! Cesaro kicks but Otis just powers up. Otis gyrates and jiggles but Cesaro boot shim again. Otis dumps Cesaro out! “OH YEAH~!” But Corbin throws Otis up and over! Gulak rolls Corbin up, TWO! Gulak drags Corbin up but Corbin hits low. Corbin rams Gulak into a corner, but Gulak boots back. Gulak hops up and leaps to hit a FLYING LARIAT! Cover, TWO! Nakamura and Cesaro POST Otis! Bryan flies and KNEES Cesaro! Nakamura ROUNDHOUSES Bryan! Nakamura distracts Gulak but Gulak still dodges Corbin, only to run into DEEP SIX! Cover, Corbin and the Collective win!!

Winners: Baron Corbin, Shinsuke Nakamura & Cesaro, by pinfall

But they aren’t satisfied with just winning. Cesaro and Nakamura drag Gulak up and Corbin has his scepter! But Bryan uses a KNEE PLUS to take out Corbin! Otis drags Nakamura out while Cesaro throws Bryan. The brawl continues outside, and Bryan hip tosses Cesaro over barriers! Otis tosses Nakamura out to join him, and the brawling moves towards the production area. Gulak runs, hops up and LEAPS to bowl the Collective over! Otis and Bryan keep on them, as does Gulak. They all go backstage, leaving Corbin alone on the ramp. Corbin realizes this, and decides to test out a ladder. He puts it in the ring and sets it up as a preview of Sunday. Corbin climbs, singing his own praises, but Bryan returns! Bryan clubs Corbin off the ladder and throws body shots! He gives Yes Kicks over and over in the ring, but Corbin throws Bryan into the ladder!

Corbin tosses Bryan out of the ring and resets the ladder. Corbin climbs again, but here comes Otis! Otis throws hands on Corbin, then takes the ladder for his own. Otis runs and RAMS Corbin in the corner! Now the Dozer resets the ladder and begins the climb. Wait, a rung breaks! And then the next rung! Otis grows frustrated with this weak ladder, but Corbin throws him into it! Corbin POSTS Otis and Otis tumbles out of the ring. Bryan puts in another ladder! Corbin stomps Bryan down, then goes to boot. Bryan blocks to hit a dragon screw! Bryan sets up the new ladder, climbs up top, but Corbin tips the ladder over! Bryan hotshots himself on the ropes! Corbin throws Bryan out onto Otis! Corbin again climbs the ladder, pulls the briefcase off the clip, and sits victoriously above the others. Will this be the scene we see at the end of Sunday? Or is Corbin tempting fate and fortune?

My Thoughts:

A great episode for SmackDown, especially considering it is a go-home. Mandy and Sonya opening was great, especially with us being able to hear all the trash talk Sonya was spitting. We wouldn’t be able to get this level of quality with fans around, so I’m glad Sonya was able to take advantage. They really do need to extend the feud to Extreme Rules so that the true blow-off match can be the most intense thing we’ve seen from SmackDown in a long time, especially for the Women’s Division. The women’s tag match was really good, but given the usual math, Tamina winning again means she isn’t winning on Sunday. In the end, we’re probably still getting Sasha VS Bayley. Dana and Mella have a decent promo together, but I’m still thinking Raw takes the Women’s MITB. However, I am curious as to how “The Messenger” has added Mella and Dana to the mix of a duo that could turn on each other. I feel like that’s a red herring, and the same goes for Sasha and Bayley. It’d be too easy to say Dana and Mella split given MITB is coming, and it’s just a waste if it’s about Sasha and Bayley. I’m not even sure WWE knows how this story goes.

The Hardy-Sheamus segment was alright. It was obvious Sheamus was going to interrupt, and even Jeff knew that. The brawl was alright but Sheamus didn’t really sell the Swanton as much as he should have. Much like Sonya and Mandy, I think Sheamus and Hardy should wait until Extreme Rules for a blow-off. They keep making this out to be Jeff’s final run, so having a match at Extreme Rules would be fairly fitting. The 8 Man Tag was really good, and for just a moment I thought LHP was going to take this one. But instead, the Heels do with Miz & Morrison pinning. Again, given the usual WWE math, that means Miz & Morrison aren’t winning. I don’t think LHP or Forgotten Sons is going to take it in this case, either, and the New Day can get a win where the Forgotten Sons are left out and can stay strong. At the same time, I wonder if Ryker will get even more involved than he did tonight to also skew the math.

Bray and Braun had a pretty good face-to-face tonight. The puppets chiming in was good, and they did just enough to tease Braun was considering it. But Braun resists, only for Bray to still have the last word. I hope this means Bray doesn’t even care about the win at MITB now and he’s going to focus on teaching Braun what happens when he says no to Bray. Then Extreme Rules can be Monster VS Fiend in a brutal match, and maybe then Bray gets the title back. The Six Man Tag and ending segment were both great, and I’m actually a little surprised it wasn’t Elias as the third man. At the same time, Elias basically survived an attempt at murder, it should take him longer than this to recover. I do hope Elias shows up at WWE HQ to screw Corbin over. Corbin’s team wins and Corbin stands tall after the brawling to hold the briefcase. This means he is most certainly losing. Now, while I am thinking Raw has Ms. MITB, it’s hard to picture SmackDown with Mr. MITB.

Eliminating Corbin because he stood tall, Bryan either becomes a two-time winner or Otis shoots up the power rankings to win. Bryan with the briefcase could be a way to circle back to Bryan and Bray, but this assumes a lot based on what we have now. It has been reported that Roman Reigns is perfectly fine to return, but it is just a concern for his newborn twins that keeps him home. Whether Roman returns or things stay with Bray and Braun, I feel like Bryan might revisit his declared cash-in date move from almost a decade ago. I’d love if the champion he was challenging brings that up to keep Bryan honest to his word this time. WWE is using continuity here with Bray and Braun, I think they can make it work with Bryan, too.

My Score: 8.4/10

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

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

It’s Draft Day!

Published

6 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Steven Mitchell

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

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

OFFICIAL RESULTS

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

PLAY BY PLAY

Backstage interview with Paul Heyman.

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

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

SmackDown throws it to the NXT Performance Center.

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

Corey Graves is in the ring.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Triple H is here!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Winners: Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee, by pinfall

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

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

Bron Breakker VS Cedric Alexander!

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

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

Winner: Bron Breakker, by pinfall

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

Nick Aldis heads out.

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

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

Michelle McCool and Torrie Wilson are here!

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

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

The Bloodline arrives backstage.

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

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

Kayla Braxton is on stage.

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

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

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

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

The Dudley Boyz are here!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No Contest

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

B-Fab and the Street Profits meet up backstage.

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

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

The Final Testament speaks.

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

Teddy Long and JBL are here!

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

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

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

Backstage interview with Nick Aldis.

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

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

Cody Rhodes VS Carmelo Hayes!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Winner: Cody Rhodes, by pinfall

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

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

My Thoughts:

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

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

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

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

My Score: 8.8/10

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

Coverage

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

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

Published

1 day ago

April 25, 2024

Andrew Balaz

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

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

Ratings:

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

Results:

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

#1 Contender: Frankie Kazarian vs Josh Alexander

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

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

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

ASH by Elegance vs Xia Brookside

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

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

Sami Callihan vs The Good Hands

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

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

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

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

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

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

Overall Score: 6/10

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

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

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