Coverage

Mitchell’s NJPW New Japan Cup 2020 Results & Report Part 4!

The second round begins!

Published

4 years ago

June 24, 2020

Steven Mitchell

The New Japan Cup’s second round begins!

NJPW keeps moving forward, and the Sweet Sixteen begins! Will the Ticking Timebomb keep ticking? Will Blue Justice shock the Rainmaker?

NOTE: NJPW no longer wants to feed AXS TV now that it is with Anthem and Impact Wrestling. But never fear, I will cover NJPW in the spirit of AXS in providing the most important matches of the show.

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Taiji Ishimori VS Yoshinobu Kanemaru; Ishimori wins and advances to the quarterfinals.
Tomohiro Ishii VS Togi Makabe; Ishii wins and advances to the quarterfinals.
Hiromu Takahashi VS Toru Yano; Hiromu wins and advances to the quarterfinals.
Kazuchika Okada VS Yuji Nagata; wins and advances to the quarterfinals.

PLAY BY PLAY

Taiji Ishimori VS Yoshinobu Kanemaru!

Bullet Club’s Bone Soldier Reborn and Suzuki-Gun’s Heel Master are two nasty pieces of work, and now they collide to open the second round! Who proves to be nasty enough to make it into the quarterfinals?

But just as Taiji makes his entrance, Kanemaru attacks from behind! Kanemaru takes the lead in being nasty as he brings Taiji down and whips him into railing! The ref reprimands but Kanemaru keeps stomping away on Taiji at the railing. Kanemaru drags Taiji up to whip into more railing! Kanemaru hops up onto the railing, only for Taiji to get clear, kick him, and whip him all the way to the other railing! Taiji throws off his jacket and the bell rings to finally put this on the record. Taiji puts Kanemura in the ring, stomps Kanemaru around, then brings him up for a whip corner to corner. Kanemaru reverses, Taiji uses the tiger feint to turn around and slide under to then slip around and shoulder into Kanemaru. Taiji springboards for the seated senton! Kanemaru is down and Taiji fires up!

Taiji drags Kanemaru up to club him and stomp him back down. Kanemaru slowly gets up but Taiji throws haymakers. Taiji whips, Kanemaru reverses, but Taiji handsprings! Kanemaru catches the back elbow to back suplex, but Taiji slips out and runs, into the basement dropkick! Taiji clutches the knee while Kanemaru checks his neck. Kanemaru storms over to Taiji at the ropes and stands on the bad leg. The ref counts but Kanemaru lets off at 3. Kanemaru looms over Taiji and stomps him down again. Kanemaru SMASHES the knee on the mat! Taiji clutches the knee but Kanemaru drags him up and whips. Kanemaru dropkicks the leg out again and then goes after it with a standing toehold. Kanemaru steps through to get a Figure Four!

Taiji tries to fight it off but can’t, and now endures the hold as Kanemaru cranks on it. Taiji pries at the hold but Kanemaru stops that. Taiji turns and gets the ropebreak! Kanemaru undoes the hold with help from the ref, and he looms over Taiji again. Taiji hits back but Kanemaru stomps the knee. Kanemaru brings Taiji up for a SHIN BREAKER! Taiji writhes out of the ring and flounders to railing but Kanemaru pursues. Kanemaru drags Taiji up, has the leg and loops it ont the railing. Kanemaru BOOTS the knee and Taiji falls! The ref backs Kanemaru off to check on Taiji. Kanemaru talks smack as he goes back in the ring. The ref starts the ring count, and Taiji hobbles up at 6. Taiji gets in the ring at 10 of 20, but Kanemaru is already on him with stomps.

Taiji hits back with CHOPS but Kanemaru stomps the knee again. Kanemaru whips, Taiji manages the handspring and NEURALIZER! Both men go down but Taiji works to get the bad knee working. Taiji runs corner to corner, double knees! He snapmares Kanemaru and runs, but Kanemaru avoids the Penalty Kick to roll Taiji up! TWO, but Kanemaru wants the Figure Four! Taiji cradle counters, TWO! Kanemaru escapes the surprise but runs into a body shot! Taiji manages a gut wrench, but Kanemaru slips out. Taiji runs and Kanemaru uses the ref as a shield! Taiji still kicks Kanemaru first, then runs again, only to get the POP-UP ATOMIC LOW BLOW! The ref misses Kanemaru’s nastiest act yet!

Kanemaru gets to his feet and grabs his bottle of whiskey. He takes a big chug, aims at Taiji, but Taiji blocks the whiskey mist! Kanemaru sputters as Taiji smothers and covers, TWO! Kanemaru gasps and sputters as he had to forcibly swallow all that alcohol. Both men slowly rise, Taiji runs into a mule kick! Kanemaru scoops to a dragon sleeper, for the reverse DDT! Cover, TWO!! Taiji survives, Kanemaru goes up top, Taiji rises, and Kanemaru leaps! But Taiji catches him, pops him around, to Cipher- NO! Kanemaru sits on the cover, TWO!! Taiji denies Kanemaru’s tilt-o-whirl, then tilt-o-whirls himself, to go after the arm! Kanemaru resists the takedown, rakes eyes, and then gets space. Taiji still KNEES back, then gut wrenches, to CIPER UTAKI!! Cover, TWO!?! Kanemaru survives but Taiji fires up more. Taiji brings Kanemaru up, underhooks, BLOODY CROSS!! Cover, Taiji wins!!

Winner: Taiji Ishimori, by pinfall

Kanemaru may’ve been nasty but Taiji was tougher! The Bone Soldier moves on, will all of New Japan be reborn?

Tomohiro Ishii VS Togi Makabe!

What happens when a Stone Pitbull goes against an Uncaged Gorilla? We’re about to find out in a slug fest of heavy hitters! Who hits harder and who lasts longer to make it to the third round?

The bell rings and the two run right at each other! They collide shoulders, neither budges, so Ishii runs. Ishii rams Makabe, Makabe rebounds and rams back, but Ishii does the same. Makabe eggs Ishii on, rams him, but Ishii throws a forearm and runs again. They collide again, then both run, and collide! Collide! Collide! Ishii wobbles and Makabe bumps him, to then finally run him over! Makabe roars and brings Ishii up for big forearms. Ishii is in the corner, Makabe throws more forearms, but Ishii CHOPS back. Makabe doesn’t flinch! Makabe forearms, Ishii CHOPS, repeat. They go back and forth, pick up speed, and Makabe backs Ishii down to whip. Ishii reverses and hits a spinning powerslam!

Both men are down but Ishii sits up first. Ishii looms over Makabe and toys with him. Makabe gets up and throws forearms but now Ishii doesn’t budge. Makabe throws more, Ishii CHOPS back, and Makabe falls to his knees! Ishii takes a moment to finally wince, but he comes back to put Makabe in a corner. Ishii CHOPS again, and again, and again, even as Makabe sits down. Ishii toys with Makabe as he scuffs his head with his shoe. Makabe powers up and backs Ishii down with forearms. Makabe whips Ishii to a corner, Ishii comes running back, but into a belly2belly suplex! Ishii goes to the other corner and Makabe runs in to clothesline! Makabe climbs up and rains down right hands! Makabe gets all 10, then brings Ishii into a NORTHERN LIGHTS! Bridging cover, TWO!

Makabe is annoyed but he keeps on Ishii with a waistlock. Ishii resists the lift and elbows free, but Makabe throws forearms back. Ishii gets in Makabe’s face and Makabe throws more forearms. Ishii SLAPS Makabe, Makabe forearms back, and they go back and forth, fast and furious again! Ishii doubles down on the palm strikes but Makabe gets the edge with forearms! Ishii staggers back and Makabe falls to a knee, but Makabe gets up and runs in. Ishii catches him for a GERMAN SUPLEX into the buckles! The ref checks on Makabe as he clutches his head and neck, but Ishii stands on Makabe, to then drop a knee! And again! And again! Ishii finally backs off and the ref checks on Makabe again.

Makabe is dead weight as Ishii tries to bring him up. Ishii gets Makabe back in the corner to throw forearm after forearm into Makabe’s back and neck! The ref counts, tries to pull Ishii off, but Ishii keeps going! Ishii finally lets up and brings Makabe around. The ref has Ishii back away again to check on Makabe. Makabe revives but Ishii is on him with a cranking facelock! Makabe flails, but Ishii turns him for a SAIDO! Cover, TWO! Makabe survives despite all the damage done to his head and neck. Ishii dares him to stand, then runs, but Makabe blocks the lariat! Makabe runs but Ishii swats the lariat, only to get the SOUTHPAW! Both men are down from exhaustion, but Makabe rises to bring Ishii back up. Makabe throws big sledgehammer fists, then runs, but Ishii dodges. The two COLLIDE with clotheslines! And again! And again! They both fire up, go again, Makabe LARIATS Ishii down!

Makabe brings Ishii back up, SIT-OUT POWERBOMB! Cover, TWO!! Ishii survives and Makabe can’t believe it! Makabe brings Ishii back up, but Ishii breaks free. Makabe throws forearms again, then runs in to clothesline. Ishii stays up so Makabe uses the Polish hammers. Ishii fires off elbows from all sides! Makabe spins to LARIAT again! Again, both men are down! Makabe gets up first, brings Ishii around, and bumps him off buckles. Makabe hoists Ishii up to the top backwards, then climbs up behind him. Ishii holds on for dear life and elbows Makabe back. Ishii adjusts his position but Makabe throws more forearms. Ishii headbutts, Makabe falls into the Tree of Woe, but sits right up! SPIDER BELLY2BELLY SUPLEX! Ishii rises as Makabe sits up, and Ishii CLOBBERS Makabe on the top rope!

The ref checks on both men but they’re okay to continue. Ishii sits up and goes back to Makabe on the top rope. Ishii brings Makabe up but now Makabe holds on and resists. Ishii still powers Makabe up for a STALLING SUPERPLEX!! But Makabe crashes and rolls away, and stands up!? Makabe runs, into a LARIAT! Cover, TWO!! How did Makabe survive all of that?! Ishii doesn’t ask questions, he just sits Makabe up. Ishii runs, into Makabe’s haymakers! Makabe SNAP GERMANS! Bridging cover, TWO!! Ishii escapes but Makabe heads up top! Makabe leaps but the King Kong Knee only gets mat! Both men are down again, but Ishii slowly rises. Ishii dares Makabe to stand, then he runs. LARIAT, but Makabe stays up!

Makabe roars, clotheslines Ishii back, but Ishii stays up to headbutt! They collide with shoulders again, and Ishii HEADBUTTS! Makabe falls, eyes glazed over! The ref checks on Makabe and he responds, but Ishii wants him to stand. Makabe rises, Ishii runs, LARIAT! Makabe goes back down but Ishii wants him to stand up again. Makabe does, Ishii runs in, LARIAT! Makabe stays up this time and eggs Ishii on, to get a point-blank headbutt! Ishii brings Makabe back up, throws forearms again and again, but Makabe comes back with his Kong Chops! Makabe runs, LARIAT but Ishii stays up! Back hand, but Ishii ENZIGURIS! Ishii runs, LARIAT!! Cover, TWO!?! Ishii suplexes Makabe for the BRAIN BUSTER!! Cover, Ishii wins!!

Winner: Tomohiro Ishii, by pinfall

The Pitbull sunk his teeth into the Gorilla and didn’t let go! Ishii is victorious again, and just leaves without even enjoying the celebration. Will he finally let himself celebrate when he takes the New Japan Cup?

Hiromu Takahashi VS Toru Yano!

The Ticking Timebomb likes to have fun, but will he be in the mood for the antics of the Clown Prince of NJPW? Will #YTR ruin the run of this LIJ member?

Hiromu makes his entrance wearing a hard hat, and then is very wary of Yano and his movie he’s trying to hock. Yano sprays his water bottle to make sure things are clean. Hiromu doesn’t trust that, either, and has the ref hurry with the check. The ref says the hard hat needs to come off and that Yano needs to put the bottle away. Yano gives up his spray bottle but Hiromu still doesn’t trust that. The bell rings, and Yano brings out an electric razor! Yano wants to shave Hiromu’s head! Now the hard hat makes sense… Hiromu gets away to the outside, and far away from the ring. The ref reprimands Yano and Hiromu slowly returns. Yano won’t give up the razor, so Hiromu goes under the ring! Yano drops the razor and goes looking for Hiromu. The ring count begins, passes 7 of 20 but then Hiromu appears out the other side!

Hiromu goes into the ring at 10 of 20, picks up the electric razor, and throws the hard hat away. The count reaches 15 and Yano gives up the search, to see Hiromu in the ring! Yano jumps in at 18 and Hiromu stomps him down! The ref still wants that razor to leave the ring, but Hiromu wants to shave Yano! Hiromu turns the razor on, but it doesn’t even work! Yano didn’t even charge the battery! It was all a bluff! Yano clobbers Hiromu, and brings out a second electric razor! Hiromu scrambles to a corner but Yano is after the hair! The ref takes the razor from Yano, and this one does work. But Hiromu kicks, whips and runs into the corner for a clothesline! Snapmare and basement dropkick! Hiromu keeps going, another whip, reels Yano into a forearm and puts him on the ropes. Hiromu kicks the ropes to jam Yano, then runs only to miss the dropkick!

Yano brings Hiromu up, but Hiromu throws forearms. Yano grabs the hair, Hiromu kicks and runs to huricanrana Yano down! Yano bails out of the ring and is down on the ground. Hiromu goes out to fetch Yano and whip him into railing! Hiromu trashes Yano’s things then brings Yano up and around for another whip. Yano reverses and sends Hiromu into railing! Yano wants the electric razor and is furious when the timekeeper refuses to give it over! Hiromu attacks Yano from behind and then brings him out to whip into the folded bleachers! But Yano has SCISSORS!! This could get dangerous! Hiromu holds Yano off, kicks the scissors out of his hand, then hurries to get back in the ring. Yano hurries back to the ring and goes back to his classic move of untying a buckle pad!

Hiromu and Yano talk trash from across the way, Hiromu runs corner to corner, but narrowly avoids hitting bare buckles! Yano doesn’t realize this until he runs and Hiromu follows to then shove him into ropes. Hiromu rolls Yano, Yano slips out but Hiromu mule kicks! Hiromu paces, looms over Yano, then brings him up. Hiromu CHOPS Yano, then whips him towards the bare buckles! Yano reverses but Hiromu slides under and out, only for Yano to pursue. They go around the corner, back into the ring, and Hiromu SUNSET FLIPS, but no powerbomb! Yano holds onto the ropes, reaches into his tights, and Hiromu panics! But it was a fake out! Yano didn’t have anything else! Hiromu kicks Yano back, then bumps him off the stage! Wait, Yano brings out ANOTHER pair of scissors?! When did he have time to hide all of these?!

The ref tries to take the scissors away but Yano pushes him away. Yano knocks Hiromu down, then brings out a med kit?! He wants to use the tape to tie Hiromu up! A Young Lion tries to stop Yano, but Yano knocks him down, and ties Hiromu’s leg to the Young Lion’s! It’s like a three legged race as Hiromu and the Young Lion try to get up. Yano brings the scissors over and starts CUTTING Hiromu’s hair!! Yano has a lock of the red-black hair from Hiromu! But Hiromu and the Young Lion get up, hobble over to Yano, and attack! Hiromu keeps on Yano and drags the Young Lion along! Hiromu uses the tape to tie Yano’s hands together! The ref reprimands all of this, but then Hiromu uses tape to blindfold Yano! And puts him inside the elevator! Yano is stuck as the elevator door closes! The ring count begins as Yano heads down!

Hiromu hurries, and the true three legged race begins! The count passes 10 but Hiromu has made it to ringside. He helps the Young Lion along as they get to the apron! They’re both in at 19! Yano is counted out, Hiromu wins!!

Winner: Hiromu Takahashi, by count-out

Perhaps the most unique victory in NJPW history! Hiromu raises the Young Lion’s hand in victory, because he quite literally couldn’t have done this without him. Hiromu gets his belt and hard hat back and brings the Young Lion along as he makes his exit. They even go up the steps to the stage together. Will Hiromu cut the tape before the third round begins?

Kazuchika Okada VS Yuji Nagata!

In the first round, The Rainmaker got revenge on the traitorous Gedo while Blue Justice shocked the Meanest Man in the World! Will Okada underestimate the grizzled old warrior? Or will Nagata be washed away by the rain?

The bell rings and the two circle. They stare down a moment, then tie up. Nagata waistlocks, wrenches and wristlocks, but Okada rolls to wrench back. Okada hammerlocks, Nagata reaches back to get the headlock and then throws Okada with the takeover. Okada endures as Nagata cranks on the hold, and fights his way up to his feet. Nagata keeps on that hold but Okada pries free, but not for long! Nagata gets the headlock back and grinds down even harder. Okada throws body shots then pries at the hold, but Nagata just powers him back into the headlock. Okada powers Nagata to ropes, Red Shoes calls for the break, and Okada uses the classic fake out. Okada pats Nagata on the shoulder, but Nagata kicks him back! Okada throws forearms, Nagata KICKS away on the leg!

Nagata kicks again but Okada blocks to elbow the knee. Okada runs, but Nagata BOOTS him down! Okada ducks the Penalty Kick and bails out of the ring. Okada catches his breath and Nagata dares him to get back in. Nagata even holds the ropes open for him. Okada still takes his time and the ring count starts. Okada waits until the count is past 10 of 20, but Nagata is still on him. Nagata has the double wristlock at the ropes, then wrenches through. Okada resists the shoulder breaker, even pulling on hair. Nagata instead yanks and elbows the arm, then runs, into a boot! Okada snapmares Nagata, runs and basement dropkicks Nagata down! Okada throws Nagata out then pursues, to RAM Blue Justice into the blue rails! Okada brings Nagata up to RAM him again!

Okada wrenches Nagata’s arm to whip him into railing. Okada walks around to catch his breath, then throws a European Uppercut to rock Nagata. The ring count begins again, Okada throws more EuroUppers, then RAMS Nagata into railing again! Okada leaves Nagata behind at 10, but Nagata crawls after. Nagata is at the apron at 15, but he has to catch his breath, and gets in at 18! Okada brings Nagata back up, for a neckbreaker! Okada stands with a cocky pin, but Red Shoes doesn’t approve. Nagata sits up in a huff, but Okada brings him up to bump off buckles. Okada throws big forearms but Nagata just eggs him on! Okada keeps throwing forearms, then back elbows! Nagata sits down while Okada paces.

Okada brings Nagata up again, wrenches and whips him corner to corner, but Nagata reverses. Nagata runs in, Okada boots, but Okada runs into Nagata’s kitchen sink knee! Okada is down but Nagata powres up. Nagata throws a KICK into Okada’s chest! And again! And again! Okada ends up in a corner, Nagata whips corner to corner and BOOTS! Okada blocks the exploder to whip Nagata away. Nagata rolls under Okada’s boot, fakes Okada out and dropkicks the knee! EXPLODER! Cover, TWO! Nagata keeps his focus as he brings Okada back up. Okada blocks the suplex, so Nagata knees low and whips. Okada avoids Nagata’s boot to then come back with the back elbow! Both men are down but stirring.

Okada stands but Nagata follows. Okada whips Nagata into a corner, hits a back elbow and the DDT! Cover, TWO! Okada keeps his cool as he looms over Nagata. Okada brings Nagata up but Nagata blocks the gut wrench! Okada clubs Nagata on the back, but Nagata gives forearm sback. Okada EuroUppers, runs, but Nagata hits an OVERHEAD suplex! Both men are down again but that means the old man is keeping pace with the young icon. Nagata gets up first and eggs Okada on! Nagata brings Okada up for forearms, but Okada comes back with forearms of his own. Nagata hits, Okada hits back, and they build speed! They brawl, neither backing down. Nagata hits harder, then gets forehead to forehead with Okada. Nagata eggs Okada on and the brawling begins again.

Okada eggs Nagata on and each man is just throwing forearms as hard as they can! Nagata ROCKS Okada but Okada stays up. Nagata KICKS Okada to a corner, Okada comes back with a shotgun dropkick! Both men are down again but Okada sits up first. Okada brings Nagata up, Alabama lifts, for the REVERSE NECKBREAKER! Cover, TWO! Nagata isn’t done just yet! Okada brings Nagata up, scoops and slams, and per his formula, heads for a corner. Okada climbs up top but Nagata pursues! Okada throws many forearms, but Nagata roars as he stands back up! Okada throws more forearms, but again Nagata returns! Okada throws another round, but Nagata still won’t fall! Nagata gives forearms back now, then brings Okada up, SUPER EXPLODER!! Cover, TWO!!

Okada survives and shakes his head. Okada roars as he and Nagata both stand. Nagata KICKS! Okada wobbles about! Nagata KICKS again! Okada still stays up, but Nagata KICKS again! Okada flops down but Nagata brings him back up! Nagata suplexes, Okada slips out, dropkick to the back! Okada brings Nagata up, whips and dropkicks again! But Okada isn’t done there, he brings Nagata up for the gut wrench, and TOMBSTONE! But Okada doesn’t cover?! Okada goes for Deep In Debt, his new arm triangle! But Nagata slips out and gets a CROSSFACE! Nagata cranks back on Okada’s head and neck, but Okada endures! Okada moves around but Nagata pulls harder on the hold! Okada is turning red, but he uses his legs to get around, and gets a ropebreak! Nagata lets Okada go to bring him back up.

Nagata goes for the back suplex but Okada holds on with a headlock. Nagata KNEES Okada, then gets a wrist clutch pump handle! Okada fights this suplex off, then goes for D-I-D! Nagata is #DeepInDebt now!! Blue Justice turns purple, but he refuses to give up! Nagata uses a second wind to pry at the hold, then gets Okada for an EXPLODER! Both men are down again but Nagata rises first! Nagata brings Okada up for forearms at the ropes. Nagata ROCKS Okada, whips him, but Okada reverses! Nagata denies the dropkick, but Okada blocks the Penalty Kick! Okada throws forearms but Nagata doesn’t back down. Nagata eggs Okada on, so Okada keeps throwing forearms. Nagata SLAPS Okada, then again! Okada ducks the third, spins Nagata, but the discus misses and Nagata SNAP SAIDOS! Cover, TWO!!

Nagata is furious but Okada was a historic IWGP Heavyweight Champion for a reason! Nagata brings Okada up, wants another saido, but Okada headlocks to resist. Nagata shifts to a waistlock but Okada holds ropes! Nagata enziguris! Okada staggers, but slips out of the saido to a roll, and DEEP IN DEBT! Nagata is caught and Okada drags him from ropes! Nagata endures, turns purple, starts to fade, and Okada clamps on even tighter! Nagata comes back with a third wind, but Okada keeps grinding him down! Nagata TAPS, Okada wins!!

Winner: Kazuchika Okada, by submission

Once again, the Rainmaker is victorious through that submission hold! Will Okada make sure the entire tournament owes him by putting them #DeepInDebt?

Okada takes the mic to address the viewers. He decides to do things differently, and have the usual backstage interview held here in the ring. Okada realizes he should perhaps take back some of the things he said about Nagata. After facing “grandpa” in the ring, Okada realizes Nagata’s actually a “cool old guy.” And of course, after being such a tough veteran, Okada is confident he will take the New Japan Cup again and get back the heavyweight title. Will Okada once again make it rain with another reign atop NJPW?

My Thoughts:

An incredible start to the second round, and all four matches were great. Well, obviously they were, it’s why I covered them all. Ishimori VS Kanemaru was a great example of Heel VS Heel that you wouldn’t see in most other promotions, but I do give credit that Kanemaru went extra Heel while Ishimori kept things clean. Ishimori wins as the younger, rising star, and as the only Bullet Club entrant left. The sad irony of Bullet Club being mostly non-Japanese wrestlers, it seems most live outside of Japan and therefore could not be part of this tournament because of travel restrictions. A shame as Jay White would’ve probably been on a good run in the tournament, too.

Makabe and Ishii had a great match as just two beefy guys hitting each other with everything they have. Either one would’ve made for a tough fight in the next round, and Hiromu will have to put up that tough fight next round. Hiromu and Yano had a hilarious match, with a lot of unique things not seen anywhere else. I’ve certainly never seen someone be put in an elevator, tied up and blindfolded, and lose by count-out, while the winner is in a three legged race situation with someone else. And naturally, the main event with Okada and Nagata was incredible, mostly because Nagata was still going just as hard as he was last time with Suzuki. But also naturally, Okada wins because he’s still in his prime. Okada might even be getting better because now he’s using a submission hold and not his finisher that we’ve seen for years. If Okada starts changing up his game now, while he’s still in his early 30’s, he could be doing this until he’s the “ojii-san.”

My Score: 9.2/10

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

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

It’s Draft Day!

Published

16 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Steven Mitchell

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

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

OFFICIAL RESULTS

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

PLAY BY PLAY

Backstage interview with Paul Heyman.

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

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

SmackDown throws it to the NXT Performance Center.

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

Corey Graves is in the ring.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Triple H is here!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Winners: Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee, by pinfall

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

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

Bron Breakker VS Cedric Alexander!

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

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

Winner: Bron Breakker, by pinfall

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

Nick Aldis heads out.

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

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

Michelle McCool and Torrie Wilson are here!

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

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

The Bloodline arrives backstage.

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

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

Kayla Braxton is on stage.

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

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

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

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

The Dudley Boyz are here!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No Contest

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

B-Fab and the Street Profits meet up backstage.

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

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

The Final Testament speaks.

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

Teddy Long and JBL are here!

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

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

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

Backstage interview with Nick Aldis.

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

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

Cody Rhodes VS Carmelo Hayes!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Winner: Cody Rhodes, by pinfall

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

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

My Thoughts:

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

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

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

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

My Score: 8.8/10

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

Coverage

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

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

Published

2 days ago

April 25, 2024

Andrew Balaz

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

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

Ratings:

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

Results:

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

#1 Contender: Frankie Kazarian vs Josh Alexander

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

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

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

ASH by Elegance vs Xia Brookside

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

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

Sami Callihan vs The Good Hands

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

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

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

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

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

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

Overall Score: 6/10

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

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

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