Coverage

Mitchell’s WWE NXT UK Results & Report! (6/25/20)

Another round of Superstar Picks!

Published

4 years ago

June 25, 2020

Steven Mitchell

Even more favorites of NXT UK Superstars!

The NXT UK retrospective keeps on rolling! Who shares their favorite matches in all of wrestling? Has your favorite been shared yet?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

6/28/17 – NXT Women’s Championship Last Woman Standing Match: Asuka VS Nikki Cross; Asuka wins and retains the NXT Women’s Championship.
4/7/86 – WWF Tag Team Championships: The Dream Team w/ Johnny Valiant VS The British Bulldogs w/ Lou Albano & Ozzy Osbourne; The British Bulldogs win and become the new WWF Tag Team Champions.
7/4/15 – NXT Championship: Kevin Owens VS Finn Balor; Balor wins and becomes the new NXT Champion.

PLAY BY PLAY

Andy Shepherd welcomes us back to the show.

It’s time to dig deep into the archives as the NXT UK superstars showcase matches that mean something special to them. And we start with the woman who feels she has the best taste in all of the WWE, Jinny! And her choice? Last Woman Standing, between “two of the most ruthless women in WWE History,” for the NXT Women’s Championship. Asuka and Nikki Cross made NXT history as they put everything into a match to walk away with the title. Jinny still questions both women’s fashion choices, but the desire and passion and the lengths they went to shows exactly what it means to be a champion. “This match in the years to come would be watched by so many.” When the future wrestlers watch this, they will learn exactly what the Women’s (R)Evolution was all about.

NXT Women’s Championship Last Woman Standing Match: Asuka VS Nikki Cross!

Back when the Empress of Tomorrow was building that historic undefeated streak and when the Loony Lass still had her SAnitY, they collided in a true test of who was the top female in NXT! Streak, title and history were all on the line to cap off this furious feud!

The two circle each other, rush each other and tie up, then break. Repeat, then they start swinging strikes but both women successfully dodge. Nikki powers Asuka to a corner and rams in her shoulder but Asuka clubs away on her back. Asuka and Nikki brawl against the ropes, Asuka unleashes kick after kick before pulling on Nikki’s hair. Asuka whips Nikki, Nikki reverses, crossbody then Nikki bounces Asuka’s head off the mat. Nikki backs off, Asuka gets up, Asuka ducks Nikki’s next attack to get running and hit a low kick! Asuka is fired up, so are the fans, Nikki rolls outside and Asuka gets running again. Asuka slides, Nikki traps her in the apron skirt a la Finlay! Nikki just clobbers and thrashes on Asuka, then backs off to let the champ rest limply in the apron skirt.

With Asuka stuck, Nikki brings out steel chairs from under the ring, one after the other until she has a nice pile of about half a dozen, and though NXT went to break, NXT UK keeps things going. Naturally, Nikki has brought Asuka towards those chairs. Nikki wants to suplex Asuka onto that chair pile, Asuka resists and turns it around, Asuka tries but Nikki resists. Nikki throws Asuka stiffly into steel steps! The ref starts the first ten count of the match, Asuka gets up so Nikki keeps on her by whipping, but she’s reversed and thrown into the other steel steps. A double count begins, Asuka is up first and then Nikki. Asuka bounces Nikki’s head off the top of the steps, clubs her on the back, then puts her in the ring. Asuka’s turn to find things under the ring, and brings out a trash can!

Asuka shoulders that can as she walks up the steps. Asuka tosses that can inside, the fans chant “E C Dub!” right up to Asuka ramming that trash can into Nikki’s ribs. Asuka puts the trash can over Nikki to trap her inside, and kicks the can like it’s her heavy bag! The can gets dented from those swift kicks, Asuka drums on top to keep it on then climbs up. Missile dropkick to the can! Asuka grins as she points at Nikki being counted. Asuka counts along, the count gets to 5, then 8 but Nikki stands up. So Asuka is right upon her with knees and a switchblade kick, then goes back under the ring for even more chairs. Asuka puts them in the ring, Nikki stops her part way, they tug-o-war over a chair but Nikki lets go to let Asuka bump into the barrier. Nikki gets to the apron, jumps down, but gets hit by a knee!

Asuka keeps gathering chairs as the ten count begins, Nikki gets up so Asuka kicks her back down. More chairs gathered, there’s about ten of them in the ring now, so Asuka gets Nikki back on the apron. The two brawl on that edge, Asuka gives forearm after forearm but Nikki ducks one to then grab Asuka and give her a reverse DDT to the apron! Asuka writhes in pain as Nikki sees her chair pile.

NXT UK skips ahead in the action to after Nikki headbutts Asuka in the stomach and goes for her swinging neckbreaker. Asuka spins through, so Nikki gives her stiff forearms across the chin. Nikki hits the swinging fisherman neckbreaker! Nikki grins as she looks at Asuka writhe and roll in pain. Nikki wants Asuka to get up, she does, so Nikki gives her another, and another, and ANOTHER swinging fisherman neckbreaker! The ten count begins and Nikki lounges by the ropes. Nikki already expects to have the title so she fetches the belt. Asuka beats the count just in time, Nikki rushes in wielding the belt as a weapon, roundhouse from Asuka knocks her down! Nikki is dazed as the count begins, Asuka shakes her head “No” as if to say the belt isn’t Nikki’s yet.

Asuka’s spinning heel kick rocks Nikki again, Nikki is once again dazed and another ten count begins. Asuka watches as Nikki slowly stirs, the Psycho Scot makes it to her feet and rubs it in Asuka’s face. Asuka rushes in, Nikki dumps her to the apron but Asuka fights back. Remember that chair pile Nikki made before? Asuka does. Asuka prepares to suplex Nikki out and onto them, but Nikki resists. Closer and closer Asuka gets, but a hotshot snaps her back. Nikki slips down, gets Asuka in position, powerbomb to the chairs!! The fans are losing their minds with that spot! Nikki lounges on the apron as the ten count begins on Asuka. Asuka finally stirs after 6, we get to 9 but Asuka stands up! Nikki is distraught over how close she was to a win.

The fans chant for Asuka, Nikki drags Asuka up the ramp, but Asuka turns things around and tries to give Nikki a German Suplex! Nikki resists, Asuka keeps trying, Nikki spins around but Asuka just attempts a Northern Lights, which Nikki resists. Nikki turns it around but Asuka knocks Nikki away, Nikki tumbles to the floor. Asuka fires up, flying hip attack knocks Nikki down! A ten count begins on Nikki, Nikki wills herself up with her obsession over Asuka and the title. The two continue as they get closer to the announce table, Nikki ducks and Asuka kicks a light stand, hurting her own foot! Nikki laughs at Asuka’s pain, a new ten count begins. Nikki stalks Asuka as the champ stands up, Nikki lifts Asuka onto guard railing… Hanging swinging neckbreaker!

Nikki again laughs at Asuka’s pain as a new ten count begins. The fans are fired up, they cheer for Asuka to get up, and somehow Asuka gets up before 10! Nikki is again distraught, she goes after Asuka but Asuka gives her a spinning backhand. So Nikki comes back with a ladder battering ram! Nikki stands over Asuka, she’s not satisfied. She brings Asuka to a table and bounces her head off it, then repositions the table! The fans anticipate what’s coming, Nikki sets that table up very close to the announce table. Asuka is bounced off the table again and Nikki stands that ladder up. Nikki stuns Asuka with another bounce off the desk before finishing up with the ladder. Nikki has it all lined up as she puts Asuka right on that table.

Nikki gives fierce clubbing hands to Asuka’s head, and then Nikki climbs! Asuka stirs and anchors Nikki but only for a moment. Asuka gets up and climbs, commentary clears out for their own safety. Asuka and Nikki brawl way up high, and the Empress is the one to Superplex Nikki, to the announce table!! The table explodes apart from the impact!! “HOLY SHIT!” echoes through the Full Sail Arena as a double ten count begins. Neither champion nor challenger stirs until after 6. Asuka stands, Nikki doesn’t, Asuka wins!!

Winner: Asuka (still NXT Women’s Champion)

Asuka is now the Undefeated Last Woman Standing! And we know now, that NO ONE was ready for Asuka in NXT! The Empress’ reign only ended because she left NXT for Raw and SmackDown! Will we ever see a force as unstoppable as this again?

Oliver Carter and Ashton Smith video chat.

The tag team reunites and Carter has a surprise. He has made matching ring gear for them! “Always Forward” and “Ready And Forward” read on the knee pads. Ashton’s only problem with it is that the colors are so loud! Didn’t they say black? What? Like everyone else? No way! They’re not being like everyone else! Rock orange and green, it’ll make them look good ‘n’ tasty. What? Tasty? Carter says he has a hidden talent, an eye for measurements. Okay, maybe they’re a bit baggy but… Smith doesn’t want to be wearing MC Hammer pants out there! Burn those! Carter is just joking, man. He got the measurements from Smith’s wife. Well that’s good. But it’s a good thing Carter called, Smith wanted to talk with him anyway. When this lockdown is over, it’s time to take the tag division by storm! And they’re going right for those tag titles!

NXT UK hears from Nina Samuels.

The Leading Lady has her pick, and it is all the way back at WrestleMania 2! The British Bulldogs became the first British wrestlers to compete on the Grandest Stage of Them All against the Dream Team for those tag team titles. Winning would mean they would be the first British wrestlers to hold gold in the WWE. Take your seats and witness the historic match that paved the way for superstars just like her.

WWF Tag Team Championships: The Dream Team w/ Johnny Valiant VS The British Bulldogs w/ Lou Albano & Ozzy Osbourne!

Brutus Beefcake and Greg Valentine held the titles for 226 after winning them at a house show. But Davey Boy Smith and the Dynamite Kid were determined to make history on the biggest night of WWE’s calendar! And yes, they had the lead singer of Black Sabbath on their side. Watch history be made in Chicago’s Allstate Arena, back when it was the Rosemont Horizon!

The teams sort out and Davey Boy starts with Valentine. The circle, tie up, and DBS shoves Valentine right down! Valentine comes back with forearms and elbows but DBS throws them back. Valentine backs into the corner but comes back to tie up and go low. Valentine gets a takedown but DBS dodges the elbow drop. DBS wrenches an arm and yanks on it. Valentine endures as DBS wrenches again. Valentine whips DBS away, hip tosses him down, then runs but misses his ax handle! Tag to Dynamite Kid and he kicks and clubs away on Valentine. Dynamite bumps Valentine off buckles, covers, TWO! Dynamite drags Valentine up to a headlock but Valentine powers out. Things speed up and Dynamite blasts Valentine to a corner! Dynamite stomps away, then snap suplexes Valentine for an elbow drop!

Tag to DBS, he drags Valentine up for a suplex but Valentine blocks. Valentine suplexes but DBS fights out to suplex Valentine up and over! Cover, TWO! Valentine backs away to a corner and the ref has DBS stand down. Valentine bails out and Valiant coaches him up. DBS waits patiently while Captain Lou glares at Valiant. Valentine goes back into the ring, stays back, but doesn’t tag out. He and DBS tie up, Valentine puts DBS in the corner and throws forearms. Valentine whips, DBS reverses, but Valentine comes back with a clubbing forearm! Valentine grabs the legs and headbutts low! The ref reprimands Valentine but he tags out to Beefcake. Beefcake wrenches DBS’s arm, gets the wristlock, but DBS powers Beefcake up in the military press and slam!

Tag to Dynamite, Dynamite brings Beefcake up to whip and hit with a clothesline! Dynamite CHOPS, covers, TWO! Dynamite brings Beefcake up to small package, TWO! Dynamite feeds Beefcake to DBS’s boot, then DBS tags in. DBS has the fisherman, for the suplex! Bridging cover, TWO! Beefcake flounders up and DBS is on him with a facelock. DBS cranks on the hold as Beefcake reaches back. Valentine tags in, climbs up and CLUBS DBS with the ax handle! Valentine brings DBS up for a suplex then covers, TWO! Valentine sits DBS up to drive elbows in then clamp on a chinlock. DBS endures while Lou and Ozzy watch intensely. DBS gets up, reaches and Dynamite tags in! Dynamite and Valentine brawl with big forearms fast and furious!

Dynamite gets the edge, clobbers Valentine to a corner and throws shoulders in over and over. The ref counts, Dynamite lets up but clubs Valentine down again. Cover, TWO! Tag to DBS and he brings Valentine back over. Tag to Dynamite, double whip and double shoulders run Valentine over! Cover, TWO! Valentine waves to Valiant and Beefcake, and Beefcake runs in. They go after Dynamite together but the ref reprimands. Valentine whips, Dynamite sunset flips and covers, ONE! Valentine’s height advantage helps there, but Dynamite scoops Valentine for a backbreaker! Cover, but Beefcake breaks it up! The ref warns Beefcake but Dynamite drops knees on Valentine. Cover, TWO! Valentine sputters up to his feet but Dynamite throws haymakers.

Valentine forearms then runs to clobber Dynamite. Valentine brings Dynamite in, up, holds him, and PILEDRIVERS! Cover, TWO!! Dynamite survives and the fans are going wild! Valentine covers with wristlocks, TWO! Valentine puts the shoulder back down, TWO! Valentine tries his whole weight, but gets knees real low! Lou and Ozzy are going wild with the fans but Valentine still gets to a corner. Valentine climbs, but Dynamite throws him down! Dynamite crawls to a cover, DBS intercepts Beefcake, TWO! The four men brawl, Dynamite scoop slams Valentine! DBS uses Dynamite as a weapon, but Valentine gets away before that British Bulldog press slam could hit. Dynamite chases after but Valentine hits back.

Valentine stomps Dynamite down at the ropes, with big knees. Dynamite tags DBS and DBS throws hands on Valentine. DBS scoops Valentine for a POWERSLAM! Cover, TWO!! Valentine lives but DBS stays right on him. DBS suplexes high and hard, covers, TWO! Valentine survives again but DBS brings him back up to whip to a corner. Valentine reverses and POSTS DBS at the same time! Valentine stomps DBS then brings him up to a hammerlock. Tag to Beefcake and he hops up. Valentine holds DBS in place for Beefcake’s flying ax handle! Beefcake clubs DBS more then wrenches the arm to a hammerlock. DBS reaches back to Slice Bread, but Beefcake lets him drop! And then STOMPS him down! Beefcake fires up while the fans are riled up.

Beefcake brings DBS up, shoves him into the buckles, then tags Valentine in. Valentine climbs up to drop an ax handle of his own. Valentine stomps the bad arm, brings DBS up, and scoops him. Valentine hits a SHOULDER BREAKER! Cover, but Valentine lets up?! Valentine’s ego spares DBS, but DBS powers Valentine to the British Bulldog corner! But Valentine and Dynamite crash head to head! DBS covers, Beefcake stumbles, the Bulldogs win!!

Winners: The British Bulldogs, by pinfall (NEW WWF Tag Team Champions)

Beefcake and Valiant are so furious, they attack the referee! But that won’t change the result, the Bulldogs make history!

NXT UK hears from Ridge Holland.

“I’m from Yorkshire, England. And I’ve been dragged up most of my life, scratching and clawing.” It made him the man he is today, and he will show the world what Yorkshire grit is all about. When he tips his cap to you, don’t get it twisted. It isn’t a show of respect. It is Ridge Holland taking the brand by the throat. Ask the poor souls that are about to be scraped off the mat after he wipes his hands with them. To the “champions” of NXT, don’t look over your shoulder. He’ll stand right in front of you, and you will find what it is to be on the wrong side of a Holland style beating.

Next week’s Superstar Picks will be even more special!

Nikki Cross was featured tonight, but she’ll join fellow Scot and current WWE World Champion, Drew McIntyre, in sharing a favorite match of all time! As will NXT General Manager, William Regal!

NXT UK hears from Aoife Valkyrie.

“For my pick, I want to revisit the Beast in the East live event special, where Finn Balor took on Kevin Owens for the NXT Championship.” This was her favorite era of NXT. Kevin destroyed Sami Zayn to become champion, and was just hated by the fans. There is a point before the match where Kevin is given the bouquet of flowers per the Japanese tradition, and just THROWS it away. You can truly feel the hate coming from the audience. Then there was Finn Balor, who left Japan on top and returned as a hero to the fans who had followed his entire journey. Balor is a big reason why Aoife got into wrestling, and it was inspiring to watch a fellow Irishman fight for the top title in NXT, in WWE’s first ever live broadcast from Japan.

NXT Championship: Kevin Owens VS Finn Balor!

We are nearing the five year anniversary of this match! And the Prizefighter wasn’t just going up against The Prince. This was DEMON BALOR that was coming for the title! Witness the rise of one of the greatest NXT Champions ever!

The bell rings and Balor shotgun dropkicks Kevin right away! Then hurries up top! Kevin scrambles away, Balor adjusts, and crossbodies Kevin down! The fans are fired up already as Balor throws haymakers on Kevin. Balor puts Kevin in, follows, but Kevin hits back with stomps and chops! Japan chants for “NXT! NXT!” as Kevin whips. Balor dodges and comes back but Kevin counters the flying forearm with a big back elbow! Kevin whips Balor again, Balor reverses but Kevin holds ropes to deny the dropkick. Kevin bails out and shouts, “Screw this!” He wants to use Champion’s Advantage but Balor wrecks him with a dropkick! Kevin isn’t going to run away with the belt! Balor brings Kevin up and around to throw into barriers! Balor then gets space, runs in, and shotgun dropkicks down even harder!

The ring count climbs but Balor drags Kevin up and into the ring at 5 of 10. Balor follows at 6 and throws hands. Balor CHOPS Kevin in a corner, then throws more haymakers. Kevin kicks low, throws forearms, but Balor CHOPS back. Kevin knees low, whips, but Balor kicks him! And CHOPS! Balor throws forearms then whips, but Kevin reverses. Kevin catches Balor’s leap, swings him around, AIR RAID CRASH! Cover, TWO! The fans cheer but then boo as Kevin rains down rights and stomps Balor down. Kevin digs his foot in as the fans rally up for Balor. Kevin brings Balor up, CHOPS him in the corner, then stomps him down while talking trash. Balor chops, Kevin DECKS him. “That’s not gonna work with me, buddy.” Kevin throws haymakers and stomps, “And that’s why I’m the champ!” The fans boo but Kevin mocks them for it.

Kevin whips Balor into a corner hard! Balor hits the mat and Kevin bows. The fans boo as he bows more, so he goes back to stomping Balor. Kevin brings Balor up but Balor throws forearms! Balor runs, Kevin drops down then comes back to elbow Balor down. The fans boo again but Kevin just soaks it all in. Kevin covers, TWO! Kevin pulls on Balor’s face and the ref reprimands him, but Kevin wraps on a chinlock. The fans rally up, Balor endures and fights up. Kevin wrangles Balor back down and leans on the hold. Balor fights his way up, the fans rally harder, and Balor throws body shots! Keivn knees low, whips Balor to a corner, but Balor dodges! Balor shoulders in from the apron, but slingshots into a punch! Kevin goes out to drag Balor down and whip him into steel steps! Kevin leaves Balor behind as the ring count climbs.

Balor stirs at 4, rises at 6, flounders at 8, and gets in the ring at 9.5! Kevin drops a senton right on him! Cover, TWO! Balor grits his teeth and fans cheer, but Kevin whips him back out of the ring. Kevin wants the ring count to take Balor out, and Kevin counts along as it reaches 5. Balor stands at 6, hurries to the ring and gets in at 8. Kevin stomps Balor down again, brings him up for a snapmare, then runs to simply put on another chinlock. Kevin cranks on the hold and asks if the fans are impressed. It doesn’t matter to him if they’re not, because he doesn’t care about Japan. The fans rally up and Balor fights up to his feet. Kevin uses tights to yank Balor down! Balor endures again, fans rally harder and Balor fights back up. Balor throws body shots, Kevin ROCKS him with a right, and then Kevin mocks the fans.

Kevin whips, Balor reverses, Kevin sunset flips but Balor rolls through to basement dropkick! Both men are down and a standing count begins. Kevin and Balor rise, Balor BOOTS and forearms! Balor whips, CHOPS in the corner, then hops up to hit a flying forearm! Cover, TWO! The fans cheer as Balor fires up. Balor brings Kevin up, Kevin throws haymakers. Balor hits back and we have a brawl. Kevin dodges, runs and shoulder tackles! Kevin is mocking John Cena! Kevin gets Balor for the spin-out bomb! The fans boo as Kevin mocks “You Can’t See Me!” Kevin runs, Five Knuckle Shuffle! Balor stumbles up, Kevin fireman’s carries, but Balor slips out to trip Kevin for DOUBLE STOMPS! Both men are down again, but Balor sits up first. Kevin flounders to ropes, then the corner.

Fans rally and Balor runs in to CHOP! Balor whips Kevin corner to corner to CHOP again! Kevin reverses the third time, Balor goes up and over, Kevin has the fireman’s carry! Balor slips out, has the dragon sleeper, but Kevin snapmares to forearm! PELE!! Both men are down again and the fans are loving this! A standing count begins again, the fans cheer for Balor, and Balor gets up first at 7. Kevin storms over but is dumped out! Balor builds speed to FLY! Direct hit with the tope conjilo! Balor puts Kevin back in fast, heads to the corner and climbs up top. Japan chants for “NXT! NXT!” as Balor hits a DOUBLE STOMPS! Balor drags Kevin up with a dragon sleeper, BLOODY SUNDAY!! Cover, TWO!?! Kevin survives and Balor can’t believe it!

Balor heads back to the corner, climbs back up top, and leaps, but Kevin avoids the stomps to get a GERMAN SUPLEX! Balor is in the corner, Kevin CANNONBALLS in! Cover, TWO!! Balor lives but Kevin won’t stop! Kevin tucks Balor in, PACKAGE BOMB! Cover, TWO!! Balor shocks and frustrates Kevin but the fans are loving it! “This is Awesome!” but isn’t over yet! Balor gets up, shaking out the stars. Kevin seethes as he stalks up to Balor. Kevin brings Balor up, “You’re done!” He whips, Balor holds ropes and boots back! SLINGBLADE! Balor hurries to the corner, climbs up top, but Kevin anchors a foot! Balor clubs Kevin down but Kevin holds on to the other foot. Kevin headbutts Balor off the top, but Balor is on the apron to enziguri! Kevin goes down, Balor goes up!

Japan is thunderous for the COUP DE GRACE!! Cover, TWO!?! Balor can’t believe Kevin survives! Kevin rolls away but Balor grits his teeth. Balor brings Kevin up, bumps him off buckles and fires off furious hands! The ref counts, Balor lets up but comes back to put Kevin up top. Kevin headbutts back, but Balor keeps trying. Balor throws haymakers then hoists Kevin up top. Balor climbs to join Kevin and the fans fire up. Kevin fights back again and they brawl up top. Balor throws haymaker after haymaker, then brings Kevin up. Kevin holds onto ropes, throws body shots back, then hooks a leg! SUPER FISH- NO! Balor escapes and enziguris back! Kevin wobbles, Balor gets back up, but Kevin fireman’s carries! SUPER ROLLING SENTON!! Cover, TWO?!?! Balor lives and Kevin can’t believe it!

Kevin stomps Balor then heads to the corner. Kevin throws the demon wig away and climbs, to SWANTON onto knees!! Balor brings Kevin in, for 1916!! Cover, TWO!?!? Kevin survives again!? The fans are still on Balor’s side as he aims from a corner. Kevin stands, Balor runs, into a SUPERKICK! Kevin uses a SLEEPER SUPLEX, then covers, TWO! Balor clutches a leg but he is still in the fight. Kevin gets up, the fans rally, and he shouts, “You can’t beat me!” Kevin SLAPS Balor and the fans boo. Kevin slaps Balor more, but Balor slaps back! Kevin kicks, whips and pops Balor up, but Balor slips out to LARIAT! Balor aims, and shotgun dropkicks Kevin down! Balor goes again, hesitation dropkick! Kevin is in the drop zone, Balor goes up once more, and COUP DE GRACE!! Cover, Balor wins!!

Winner: Finn Balor, by pinfall (NEW NXT Champion)

The Prizefighter goes down and the Prince takes his throne! We know now that Balor would reign for a historic 292 days, but even that would be outdone by Adam Cole’s 387 and counting. Balor missed his chance last night to become North American Champion and #1 contender in one move, but surely the Prince will come back around to challenge for gold soon enough.

My Thoughts:

An incredible episode for the retrospective! Three title matches, all classics, all great to relive. A little disappointed they cut the Last Woman Standing short in the middle there. Other episodes went over an hour, why not let this be one of those? Asuka VS Nikki Cross is such a good match, I would’ve let that thing play out completely to make this an even better Superstar Picks episode. British Bulldogs VS Dream Team was pretty good, definitely fitting of the era. And Kevin VS Balor is still a great match, even five years later. Balor’s championship opportunities always seem just out of reach now that he’s The Prince again, but much of that is global events getting in the way rather than management’s choice. As soon as things finally settle down, I’m sure Balor goes after Walter, goes after Cole, and one way or another becomes a historic champion in NXT once again.

My Score: 8.6/10

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

Up Next

Mitchell’s WWE SmackDown Results & Report! (6/26/20)

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Coverage

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!