Coverage
Mitchell’s WWE NXT Results & Report! (12/16/20)
Who heads for New Year’s Evil?
Who will challenge THE NXT Champion?
Before going home for the holidays, NXT has some business to sort out! Kyle O’Reilly and Pete Dunne fight for the right to challenge Finn Balor for his title!
OFFICIAL RESULTS
- Johnny Gargano & Austin Theory VS KUSHIDA & Leon Ruff; Gargano & Theory win.
- Tommaso Ciampa VS Tyler Rust; Ciampa wins.
- NXT Championship #1 Contender’s Match: Pete Dunne VS Kyle O’Reilly; O’Reilly wins and will challenge Finn Balor for the title at New Year’s Evil.
- Shotzi Blackheart VS Indi Hartwell w/ The Way; Shotzi wins, by disqualification.
- Karrion Kross w/ Scarlett Bordeaux VS Desmond Troy; Kross wins.
- Toni Storm VS Rhea Ripley; Storm wins.
PLAY BY PLAY
Johnny Gargano & Austin Theory w/ Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell VS KUSHIDA & Leon Ruff!
#TheJohnnyGarganoWay is growing, from having the North American Championship to having a new member in #TheRealSuperstar! But things might not go The Way’s way now that the Time Splitter is Ruff’s tag partner! Will Kushida help NXT’s top underdog get one over on #TheWayAllDay?
The teams sort out, Kushida insists on starting and he wants Gargano! Gargano steps up, circles with Kushida, but then no look tags to Theory. Theory avoids Kushida’s drop toeholds, drops down for a headlock but Kushida facelocks back. Kushida rolls with Theory then floats all over him, and gives him spanks! Kushida still wants Gargano but he dodges Theory to fire off hands! Theory knees, whips but Kushida reverses to atomic drop and knee lift! Kushida wrenches an arm, tags Ruff in, and Ruff kicks Theory’s arm! Ruff wrenches but Theory kicks low and snap suplexes! Ruff writhes, Theory drags him up and DECKS him with a left!
Theory has Ruff in a corner, whips him corner to corner and runs in but Ruff slips out! Ruff throws a forearm back, then springboards, goes all around Theory in the corner and dropkicks! But Ruff stares Gargano down too long and turns around into an ELBOW from Theory! Tag to Gargano and Gargano drops ax handles and rains down fists! Gargano tells Ruff this is HIS world, then he swipes at Kushida! Kushida stays clear but stares Gargano down. Ruff comes back to RANA! And then he arm-drags Gargano around! Roll up, kip up and calf kick! Cover, TWO! Ruff keeps on Gargano with clubbing forearms and a CHOP in the corner!
Ruff stands on Gargano at the ropes to show his rough side, but he lets off as the ref counts. Gargano throws hands but Ruff boots him down! Gargano goes to the corner, hits Ruff back then taunts Kushida. Gargano suplexes Ruff for the gourd buster! Ruff sputters as Gargano looms over him. Gargano drags Ruff up, bumps him off buckles and tags in Theory. Theory CHOPS Ruff, and taunts Kushida with that hand. Theory whips Ruff out to whip him back in hard, then he tags Gargano back in. Theory feeds Ruff to Gargano’s boots! Gargano drags Ruff up and tags Theory back in, and The Way double suplexes, but Kushida makes the save! Double dropkicks sends the Way out!
Ruff whips Kushida and he handspring kicks Theory down! Ruff builds speed to go up, up, but he slips off a rope and has a hard landing! He barely clips Gargano and the ref hurries out to check on him! Theory drags Ruff up and bumps him off the apron! Theory puts Ruff in, Ruff gets up to SATELLITE DDT! Cover, TWO! Ruff is okay to continue but Theory fireman’s carries. Ruff slips out and shoves Theory but Gargano tags in! Ruff hits Gargano then tilt-o-whirl headscissors Theory away! Ruff sees Gargano on the apron, but Theory slingshot somersault SHOTGUNS Ruff into Gargano’s slingshot SPEAR! Fans boo but The Way is feeling great as NXT goes to break.
NXT returns as Theory has Ruff down in a chinbar and armlock. Ruff endures, fights up, throws body shots, but Theory shoves him to ropes. Ruff rebounds to LARIAT! Theory flounders and tags in Gargano! Gargano drags Ruff away but Ruff enziguris! Hot tag to Kushida! Kushida springboard ax handles Gargano down then tackles him for ground ‘n’ pound! Theory gets in but Kushida KICKS away! Kushida whips, Theory reverses but Kushida handspring back elbows Theory away! Gargano whips Kushida but he reverses to hip toss, cartwheel and basement dropkick! Fans fire up with Kushida as he drags Gargano by his arms. Theory saves Gargano from the stomps but Kushida gets Theory’s arm for a BULLDOG!
Kushida runs at the corner but Gargano goes up and over to roll him. Kushida ducks the kick to Penalty KICK Gargano’s arm! Gargano rises, Kushida goes after the arm but Gargano spins through to ROCK Kushida with a right! Kushida still winds up but the enziguri intercepts the fast ball! Ruff tags in, springboards and missile dropkicks Gargano down! Ruff and Kushida run at the corner to ENZIGURI SANDWICH Gargano! Cover, TWO!! Gargano survives but Ruff doesn’t lose focus. Ruff drags Gargano up, hops on but Gargano slips out to CLOBBER him!
Tag to Theory and Theory looms over Ruff. Theory reels Ruff in, lifts, but Ruff throws hands to get to a corner! Theory slips out to CLUB Ruff on the back! Theory then torture racks Ruff, spins him, TOWER HACKER BOMB! Cover, TWO!! Ruff survives and Theory smirks as he shakes his head. Theory drags Ruff back over, tags Gargano back in, and The Way brings Ruff up. Gargano DECKS Kushida but Ruff fights against The Way! That’s 2v1 and they double whip Ruff to ropes. Ruff tries his rebound but he runs into DOUBLE SUPERKICKS! Cover, Kushida breaks it! Fans fire up as Theory goes after Kushida, but Kushida slips around to FAST BALL Theory down!
Gargano SUPERKICKS Kushida! Theory drags Kushida out to RAM Him into barriers! Ruff drags Gargano down to roll him up, Gargano slips out, but Ruff dodges the superkick to give a SUPERKICK! Gargano staggers to his corner, Theory tags in before Ruff runs in! Ruff dodges Gargano, hops up and DECKS Theory, to then LEAP for the TWISTING CUTTER! Ruff hops on, CRUCIFIX DRIVER! But Theory SUPERKICKS Ruff, reels him in, “This is the Way!” TWISTING COMPLETE SHOT! Cover, The Way wins!
Winners: Johnny Gargano & Austin Theory, by pinfall
Theory’s losing streak from before he “quit” no longer matters now that Theory is with Gargano! Will The Way have their way in NXT?
Dexter Lumis is watching.
He seems to be “inspired” by the match we just saw. What art piece will he create tonight?
NXT hears from Toni Storm.
The Lightning From Down Under says Rhea Ripley VS Toni Storm is nothing new. “Tonight, we renew our rivalry.” Toni makes it clear that she is why Rhea is in the States in the first place. Toni ran “that so-called nightmare” out of the UK when she won the NXT UK Women’s Championship off her! Toni knows Rhea better than anyone in NXT. Toni lets us in on a secret: Rhea uses fear and intimidation to get a leg up. But Rhea knows when she’s in the ring with Toni, “it just doesn’t work like that.”
Last time they were in the ring together, it was Worlds Collide. Rhea won, but she won’t be in the ring with that Toni Storm. That Toni respected Rhea. The new Toni does not care about approval or acceptance. She just care about #ToniTime. And tonight, Toni ends the rivalry on her terms.
Backstage interview with Shotzi Blackheart.
Though her team lost at WarGames, she gets a match with Indi Hartwell tonight. “First of all, McKenzie, I just want to say I am damn proud of my team at WarGames. We gave Team Candice a beating that they barely survived. But now, Candice wants to claim she’s a general? Calling herself ‘Ms. WarGames,’ walking around with a trophy that her husband stole- I mean, ‘imported,’ from a Little League banquet.” WarGames may be over, but Shotzi’s war with Candice is far from done. Shotzi broke Candice’s arm, and now she’ll break he bestie! Shotzi howls to the moon, will she make Indi howl in pain?
Tommaso Ciampa VS Tyler Rust!
The Psycho Killer dealt with the Professor of Pain, but now he wants to teach the student the same lesson! Will Timothy Thatcher’s prized pupil be pummeled to a pulp?
Ciampa sets a chair up on the ramp and puts a Thatch As Thatch Can shirt on it, as if to invited Thatcher to watch up close and personal again. The bell rings and Ciampa hopes Thatcher is at least watching. Fans chant, “Ciampa’s Gonna Kill You!” Ciampa and Rust tie up, Ciampa powers Rust to a corner, but the ref counts. Ciampa pie faces as he backs off but Rust keeps his cool. Rust and Ciampa circle, tie up, and Rust gets the arm for a wrench and wristlock. Rust slips through to wrangle Ciampa down but Ciampa headscissors back. Ciampa squeezes tight, Rust moves around, and Rust pops out to then get Ciampa for a headlock. Ciampa slips out to a facelock and has Rust again.
Fans rally as Rust fights up. Rust wrenches free, leans on the arm and shifts to a cording hold. Ciampa trips Rust up with a leg then gets the headlock back! Fans cheer as Ciampa traps an arm and keeps Rust down. But now Thatcher appears to accept the invitation. Ciampa knew it was a matter of time. Rust gets up and he powers Ciampa to a corner by pulling on an ear. Rust throws a forearm but Ciampa CHOPS back! Ciampa bumps Rust off buckles, CHOPS him down, then drags him up to whip and CLOBBER with an elbow! Ciampa throws Rust out to Thatcher, but Thatcher keeps his distance. Ciampa goes out and DECKS Rust.
Ciampa asks Thatcher what’s up but then Rust shoves Ciampa into Thatcher! Thatcher shows the ref he hasn’t done anything to Ciampa, but then Ciampa moves and Rust’s BOOT hits Thatcher! Rust freaks out and Ciampa puts him in the ring! Ciampa sees Thatcher getting up and the ref hurries to keep Thatcher back. The ref calls for back-up to keep Thatcher away, and Ciampa goes back to the ring. Rust ROCKS Ciampa with a right, goes out to the apron and WRINGS Ciampa’s arm out into the apron! Thatcher ended up a distraction after all, and Ciampa is down as NXT goes to break!
NXT returns as Rust reels Ciampa in for a modified cobra twist. Russ pulls on the arm, fish hooks Ciampa’s face, but lets off as the ref sees. Ciampa powers up and lifts Rust up, for a SAMOAN DROP! Both men are down but fans fire up as the two stir. Ciampa is up first but Rust KICKS the arm! Ciampa CHOPS, Rust wrenches the arm and uppercuts the shoulder! Ciampa throws an elbow then rallies with clotheslines! Ciampa only builds up speed as he clotheslines again and again, then LEAPING LARIATS! Fans fire up with Ciampa as he runs at Rust for a big corner clothesline! Ciampa hoists Rust up for an AIR RAID CRASH! Cover, TWO!!
Ciampa shakes his bad arm out and he brings Rust up for a CHOP! And another CHOP! Rust grits his teeth as Ciampa brings him up, and Rust avoids the suplex to mule kick and SCISSOR KICK! Cover, TWO! To the ARMBAR! Ciampa clasps hands, rolls to a cover, TWO! Rust runs but the kick is blocked, only for Rust to turn Ciampa’s counter punch into a takedown! ARMBAR! Ciampa again clasps hands, sits up and moves around, and then stomp Rust off his arm! Ciampa stalks up behind Rust and KNEES him down! Rust is in a daze but the fans fire up as Ciampa keeps on him. Ciampa reels Rust in, underhooks the arms, but Rust breaks free from the bad arm to BOOT Ciampa!
Rust cravats Ciampa for a FLIPPING CRAVAT SLAM! Cover, TWO!! Ciampa survives whatever Rust calls that and Rust can’t believe it! Rust grabs the bad arm, and pulls back for a Fujiwara! Ciampa reaches with the free arm but Rust grabs that and hooks it with a leg!! Ciampa endures Rust’s take on the Jim Breaks Armbar, reaches out and gets a ropebreak with a foot! Rust holds on until 4 and lets go in frustration. Ciampa clutches both arms and he glares at Rust. Rust KICKS the arm, then KICKS again! Ciampa blocks the next kick, puts the leg on the ropes and uppercuts the thigh! Then he elbows the knee! And CHOPS Rust while he’s stuck in the ropes!
Ciampa fires off until the ref backs him off, but Ciampa BOOTS Rust down, then runs to KNEE Rust through the ropes! He drags Rust back in through them, WILLOW’S BELL!! Cover, Ciampa wins!
Winner: Tommaso Ciampa, by pinfall
Rust was almost on par with “Professor” Thatcher, but that still means he wasn’t enough to stop Ciampa! Ciampa gives a nod of respect as he leaves, but Thatcher comes back wanting more! The refs barely hold him back and Ciampa waves bye. Will Thatcher get a second try at the Psycho Killer?
The Grizzled Young Veterans speak.
“If there is one thing that is important in this job, it is momentum. And no other team had more momentum heading into 2020 than the Grizzled Young Veterans.” Just look at who they’ve beaten! The Time Splitters, Kushida and Alex Shelley! The Undisputed Era’s reDRagon! And they were so close to winning the Dusty Rhodes Classic! A lot has changed these last eight months. New tag teams have emerged, a lot of new faces are on the scene. “But the more things change, the more they stay the same.” The GYV are still the very best tag team of this generation! The very best tag team you will find anywhere in the world! They are still soon to be recognized as NXT’s number one! Who will be added to the list of top tier tag teams Zack Gibson and James Drake put away?
NXT shares footage from the commercial break.
After the match with Ciampa, Malcolm Bivens came out to talk to Tyler Rust. Bivens told Rust, “You’re a star!” He told Rust to pick himself up, and Rust got up. They gave a fist bump, and Rust is officially with Bivens Enterprises!
Dexter Lumis works on his art.
Lumis is drawing the NXT New Year’s Evil logo, but what special changes will he make to it?
NXT Championship #1 Contender’s Match: Pete Dunne VS Kyle O’Reilly!
The Bruiserweight has the NXT Tag Team Champions, Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch, with him while the Undisputed Era back up the man that pushed The Prince to his limits! This will be a completely uninterrupted broadcast, who comes out of this as Finn Balor’s New Year’s Evil challenger?
Lorcan and Burch talk trash with Adam Cole and Roderick Strong, but Killian Dain and Drake Maverick come out to go after the tag team champions! Big Damo and Rockstar Spud throw hands, Oney throws Maverick away but the UE help out! The tag champs are 3v2, but then TYLER BREEZE wrecks the group with a dropkick, so that FANDANGO can FLY up and out and wipe them all out! Dunne and Kyle don’t even care, they’re staring each other down! The bell rings as referees get the four tag teams away from ringside, and both Dunne and Kyle fire off furious fists!
Fans are fired up already as Kyle bobs ‘n’ weaves then throws kicks. Dunne tackles Kyle, goes for knuckle locks but Kyle wants a double wristlock! Kyle gets around Dunne to have the top and then hooks up legs to roll Dunne to a waistlock. Dunne slips out, wrenches the arm, hammerlocks, but Kyle slips through to waistlock. Dunne hooks a leg, drop toeholds and locks the legs up for part of a Queen Angelito. Kyle endures the deathlock and fans rally for “UNDISPUTED!” but Dunne adds a half straitjacket to this! Dunne puts Kyle to a cover, ONE and Kyle dumps Dunne down. Dunne wants an arm, Kyle has the legs, and Kyle mounts. Dunne slaps and chops at Kyle but Kyle gives those back, for an ARMBAR!
Dunne rolls, gets free, but kicks into a dragon screw, only to roll through and omoplata Kyle! Dunne wants both arms but Kyle resists. Kyle rolls to omoplata, shifts to a headlock, but Dunne powers up to power out. Dunne drops, hurdles and drops again to CLOBBER Kyle with a clothesline! The fans are fired up for “NXT! NXT!” as Kyle bails out. Dunne goes up and out and moonsaults but Kyle moves! Kyle leaps but Dunne dodges to BOOT! A ring count starts as Dunne suplexes, but Kyle slips out to hop on for a sleeper! Dunne pries at Kyle’s fingers to free himself! The count is 5 and the forearms fly again! The count is 9, they get in at 9.9!! And then the forearms fly again!
Dunne fires off from all sides but Kyle clinches to knee and KICK! Kyle KICKS Dunne’s leg out, but Dunne gets to the apron. Kyle runs to PENALTY KICK Dunne off the apron as NXT goes picture in picture!
Kyle watches Dunne writhe and then goes out to fetch him. Kyle throws a forearm, then brings Dunne around to throw into boards! Dunne grabs Kyle’s arm to hammerlock and ram THAT into the boards! Dunne puts Kyle in at 8, and BOOTS Kyle down! Dunne stands on one hand and grabs the other to torture the fingers! Kyle endures but Dunne bends the other arm, and then pulls all the way back on the other. Dunne STOMPS Kyle’s shoulder, but Kyle comes back to tackle Dunne! Kyle throws elbows and knees in, floats around then throws in more elbows and knees! Kyle runs to sliding knee Dunne in the ribs!
Kyle sits Dunne up, ties his legs together and traps an arm to have a modified cobra twist! Dunne hits Kyle as best he can in that position but it isn’t enough! Kyle makes it a cover, TOW! Dunne ties Kyle’s legs up now, chinbars and pulls in him into the Bow ‘n’ Arrow stretch! Kyle endures, Dunne lets him down and drops knees on the legs! Dunne pulls Kyle back into the Bow ‘n’ Arrow! Kyle continues to endure, Dunne even pulls on an arm to add to the stretch, but again Dunne lets Kyle down to drag him to ropes. Dunne wraps an arm around ropes and pulls! The ref reprimands and counts, Dunne lets go at 4 to STOMP Kyle down!
Dunne steps in but Kyle gets his leg in the ropes! Dunne ROCKS Kyle but Kyle forearms back! Kyle throws more forearms, drags Dunne up but Dunne resists the suplex! NXT returns to single picture as Dunne tries to suplex Kyle out! Kyle fights that off to suplex Dunne in but Dunne waistlocks. Kyle switches, Dunne switches, they go around and around, Dunne shoves Kyle to REBOUND GERMAN SUPLEX! Dunne drags Kyle up, pump handles, BITTER- NO! GUILLOTINE! Kyle has Dunne in the facelock but his arms can’t hold on! So Kyle KNEES Dunne down instead! Fans are thunderous as Kyle drags Dunne up, but Dunne X-PLEXES first!
Dunne’s own arms keep him from making a cover, and he’s got blood from his mouth. Dunne just grits his teeth as he digs a knee into Kyle’s hand. And then he STOMPS the entire arm at once! Dunne stands on Kyle’s head, pulls on the arm and even digs knuckles into Kyle’s head! Fans rally as Kyle endures being bent, Dunne STOMPS Kyle’s ribs! Dunne stalks Kyle and basement dropkicks him down! Kyle kicks from the mat but Dunne pulls hair and KICKS Kyle in the back! Dunne drags Kyle up with a facelock, turns Kyle and hits a neckbreaker! Dunne sits Kyle up for a cobra clutch and a grapevine on one leg!
Kyle endures as fans rally. Kyle throws body shots with the free arm but Dunne gives him kicks in the head. Kyle gets up to throw body shots, Dunne JABS and back hands over and over! Dunne whips, Kyle reverses but Dunne goes up and over. Kyle gets under, dodges the kick to KITCHEN SINK KNEE! Fans fire up for Kyle as he staggers back to Dunne. Dunne ROCKS Kyle with a right! Dunne runs, into a pop-up KICK! Kyle fires off muay thai knees and more strikes! Sweep the legs! Dunne goes to a corner and Kyle grits his teeth. Kyle runs in and forearm smashes! Wrench to an elbow breaker! Dunne forearms back, Kyle knees low, BUTTERFLY SUPLEX! Kyle holds on, ANOTHER BUTTERFLY! And then, a butterfly TOSS! Cover, TWO!! Dunne survives and fans say “This is Awesome!”
Kyle drags Dunne up, reels him in, hooks a leg, but Dunne blocks the suplex! Dunne elbows Kyle over and over, but Kyle KICKS a leg! Kyle whips Dunne corner to corner, Dunne goes up and over but Kyle kicks a leg out! Dunne is stuck on the top rope, Kyle positions him and climbs up behind him, but Dunne bends the fingers! Kyle has the sleeper and sits Dunne down with it! Kyle clubs Dunne, waistlocks again, SUPER GERMAN! But Dunne lands on his feet?! Kyle is in a Tree of Woe and Dunne BUZZSAWS him! Then Dunne grabs the arms for DANIELSON WOE STOMPS! The ref counts, Dunne stops at 4 and then DROPKICKS Kyle out of the Tree! Both men are down as NXT goes picture in picture again!
Dunne and Kyle stir and the ref makes sure Kyle is still okay to continue. Dunne hobbles over, drags Kyle up and sets him on a buckle, to STOMP him! Dunne goes to the apron to STOMP from that side! And stomp and stomp and stomp! The ref counts, Dunne stops at 4, and he goes back into the ring. Kyle crawls but Dunne puts him against ropes to ROCK with a right! And then another! The ref counts for the ropebreak but Kyle eggs Dunne on with a look, so Dunne ROCKS Kyle again! Dunne twists and clubs Kyle’s ear! The ref reprimands again but Kyle still has a defiant look. Kyle shoots at Dunne but Dunne counters with a facelock!
Dunne drags Kyle up, and HALF HATCH SUPLEXES Kyle into buckles! Kyle tumbles down and crawls to the apron, but Dunne climbs up the corner. Kyle gets a leg for a DRAGON SCREW through the ropes! Dunne ends up on the apron on the other side of the corner, and both men slowly climb the corner. Kyle throws hands but Dunne gives them back. They brawl as NXT returns to single picture. Kyle has Dunne’s arms through the ropes and he YANKS Dunne into the buckle. But Dunne does the same and YANKS Kyle back! They go back and forth, a tug of war into the buckle faster and faster and faster! Both men wobble and flop back in through the ropes!
Fans hope these two “Fight Forever!” at this point as Dunne grabs Kyle’s foot. Kyle gets free but runs into a KNEE! Dunne drags Kyle up, SIT-OUT BOMB! Cover, TWO!! Kyle survives but Dunne has his arm! Dunne gives Danielson Stomps before the ARMBAR!! Kyle’s other arm is caught underneath him! But Kyle rolls, and his legs get the ropebreak! Dunne lets go but he keeps his focus on Kyle. Dunne drags Kyle up and in, Gotch lifts, but Kyle fights off the driver to a back drop, and ARMBAR! Dunne clasps hands but Kyle shifts to get the other arm! Dunne rolls and has an ANKLE LOCK! Kyle rolls to get an ANKLE LOCK!
Dunne gets up, hops on and has a Hoverboard Kimura! Kyle grabs his own trunks to block the wristlock! Kyle throws body shots, clinches Dunne and has an ARM TRIANGLE! Dunne lets go of the body scissors to grab the arms, and he reels Kyle in for a HEADBUTT! Kyle is down but Dunne isn’t done with him! Powerbomb, but Kyle slips out and BRAIN BUSTERS! The fans are thunderous as both men are down! Kyle sits up first but Dunne slowly follows. Fans still want them to “FIGHT FOREVER!” and Kyle knees Dunne low! AX AND SMASH!! Dunne ends up in a corner, Kyle runs in and he SHINING WIZARDS! Dunne’s mouth piece is on the mat, Kyle reels him in for the FISHERMAN BACK SUPLEX! Bridging cover, TWO!!
Both men are down again and fans continue to fire up! Dunne finds his mouth piece but Kyle stomps his hand! And Penalty Kicks but Dunne ducks! Dunne kicks but Kyle catches it! Dunne SLAPS Kyle, but Kyle just drops down for the HEEL HOOK! Dunne fights up to get the TRIANGLE HOLD! Kyle stays up, Dunne tips him over and goes after the hand! Kyle resists the finger snap, but he’s just back in the Triangle! Kyle fights up to make it a cover, ONE and Kyle uses a body scissor to pry free! Dunne grabs at a hand, Kyle throws big forearms with the other! Kyle lines it up and PENALTY KICKS! Dunne springs up to STOMP the hands and BUZZSAW! Kyle yoyos but into an ENZIGURI! Kyle rebounds again, but Dunne gets the arm! SNAP go the fingers!
Dunne goes to the apron and he KICKS Kyle in the ropes! Kyle ends up on the apron with Dunne, Dunne pump handles but Kyle shifts out of the Bitter End into a DDT OFF the apron! Kyle gets up, puts Dunne in as fans lose their minds, and he climbs up top! GUILLOTINE KNEE DROP!! Cover, Kyle wins!!
Winner: Kyle O’Reilly, by pinfall (NEW #1 Contender to the NXT Championship)
A brutal instant classic, and now New Year’s Evil will be a TakeOver: 31 rematch! Will the new year bring with it a new champion?
Backstage interview with Rhea Ripley.
What are her thoughts on the tense confrontation she and Raquel Gonzalez had as last week’s NXT ended? “Raquel backed down, period.” At WarGames, Raquel had back-up. But Rhea has known Raquel for a lot longer than most people realize, and Raquel is “a whole different animal when she’s all by herself.”
Well speaking of someone she’s known a long time, that brings McKenzie to Toni Storm tonight. “Yeah, Toni and I have a lot of history together.” And while Toni says she’s not the same Toni back then, this isn’t the same Rhea from back then, either. To be honest, Rhea doesn’t care if she’s stepping into the ring with the new Toni or the old Toni. “She’s still the piece of trash that I knew back then.” Rhea vows to be the one to finish this once and for all. What happens when these two forces of nature meet 1v1 once again?
The brutal training continues.
Xia Li is in tears as she begs Shifu to let her stop, but he tells her to do it again! “She” is watching as Xia kicks and hits something. But what is it? As for Boa, he wants his training to stop, too. Shifu refuses, and Boa keeps getting hit with something. “Please… no more!” But Shifu says to just do it “AGAIN!” Xia shouts, and she’s been hitting BOA! She is forced to show no mercy to Boa, no matter how much they both want to stop. But what will “she” do once the training is finally over?
Shotzi Blackheart VS Indi Hartwell w/ The Way!
We heard from the wild child about what she wants to do to the #Impressive addition to The Way! But with Candice LeRae, Johnny Gargano and Austin Theory nearby, will Shotzi be able to #TCB and get the win?
The bell rings and Shotzi ties up with Indi. Indi waistlocks then clubs Shotzi but they tie up again and Shotzi throws Indi. They tie up again, go around, and Shotzi waistlocks but Indi switches for a slam! Indi keeps on Shotzi with another waistlock and slam! Indi floats to a facelock, waistlocks again but Shotzi throws elbows. Indi holds on so Shotzi runs at ropes to hotshot her off! Shotzi rams shoulders, Indi stays up but Shotzi dropkicks her down! Shotzi slams one of Indi’s arms on the mat then stomps a foot! Shotzi grabs the arm to drop a knee on it! Indi only just got over a neck injury and now Shotzi turns her around to get both arms! Indi gets a ropebreak with a leg and Shotzi lets go at 4.
Indi gets up in a huff and shoves Shotzi! Shotzi wrenches Indi and hammerlocks, then ducks the elbow to ROUNDHOUSE! Indi wobbles into the enziguri! Indi goes to a corner, Shotzi runs in to CANNONBALL, but Indi blocks just enough with her boots! Indi gets up and stomps away on Shotzi! Indi drags her to a cover, ONE! Shotzi flounders but Indi looms over her. Indo throws haymakers, whips Shotzi to ropes and elbows her down! Cover, TWO! Indi keeps on Shotzi and drags her up to throw her through roughs for a clubbing forearm! Indi full nelsons, lifts and TOSSES Shotzi down! Cover, TWO!
The Way coaches Indi as she drags Shotzi up. Shotzi throws body shots, Indi knees low and fireman’s carries. Shotzi slips out, BOOTS back, then hops up to go over. Shotzi comes back to splash in the corner, and she pushes Indi to another corner for forearms! Shotzi bumps Indi off buckles again, and Indi is down, for Shotzi to CANNONBALL! Direct hit this time! Indi flops out to the apron, Shotzi runs again, and she WRECKS Indi with a dropkick! Shotzi goes out to fetch Indi back into the ring but Candice is creeping around! The ref warns Candice, Shotzi is distracted, Indi has the trophy! The ref turns around just in time to see the TROPHY SHOT! DISQUALIFICATION!
Winner: Shotzi Blackheart, by disqualification
Now the trophy is broken for nothing! But Indi jams Shotzi with it again! And then stomps her down! Gargano and Theory see if the trophy can be fixed while Indi and Candice stomp Shotzi more. They bring Shotzi up for WICKED STEP SISTER! Theory uses the trophy to mock Shotzi, but will Shotzi find a way to turn the tide of this war with The Way?
NXT, prepare for a COLOSSAL return!
Bronson Reed is ready to make a comeback! Will he bulldoze his way back towards the top?
Karrion Kross w/ Scarlett Bordeaux VS ???
Tick-tock, time’s up! The apocalypse was merely put on pause, and now Kross is back! Will there be nothing NXT can do but to #FallAndPray?
The bell rings and Desmond Troy ties up with Kross. Troy tries to get a leg but Kross floats to rain down furious forearms! Kross drags Troy up and throws him into a corner to clothesline! And then he whips corner to corner to clothesline and uppercut, and clothesline again! Kross has Troy for an EXPLODER! Troy flounders into a ROUNDHOUSE! Kross hits the DOOMSDAY SAIDO! And then the KROSSJACKET! Troy taps, Kross wins!
Winner: Karrion Kross, by submission
He was surprisingly merciful at the end by letting Troy go, but Kross wishes not to waste time. Will Kross quickly be back to the top of NXT as champion again? “Priest! Time’s up! January 6th, New Year’s Evil, tuck your chin because your ass is mine!” Kross has called out the Archer of Infamy! Will Priest no longer #LiveForever after facing the one man apocalypse?
Backstage interview with Isaiah “Swerve” Scott.
After losing to Jake Atlas last week, he refused to shake Atlas’ hand. Why did he blow Atlas off? Swerve asks back, “Why is everyone making a big deal about this?” This is getting blown out of proportion. Swerve lost, he was frustrated, he gets frustrated when he loses, especially to someone like Atlas. Swerve cools off and compliments Atlas as “a hell of an athlete,” and he deserves to be here in NXT. But Swerve has been here longer, and has been working harder, so he let the loss get to him. To show his respect to Atlas, Swerve talked with William Regal and a rematch has been made for next week. And this time, Swerve promises a different result.
But then Ever-Rise walks in and asks McKenzie if she saw what happened to them last week. That Triple Threat Tag was more like a 2v1 situation! But where they’re from, that’s a handicap match, an unfair situation! So what did they do? They went to “corporate” and requested to have that match stricken from the record like it never happened! Ever-Rise is STILL on a winning streak! How do you like that, Goldberg?! Ever-Rise is coming for you! But McKenzie is pretty sure their request won’t be granted, as it was a fair match and a fair loss. Is she trying to say something? Well, does Ever-Rise want a rematch with Grizzled Young Veterans? Rematch?! Does McKenzie have a problem with them?! Does she want to take a swing?! Why is Matt Marthel yelling…?
Chase Parker calms things down and says this isn’t about matches or taking swings. They just want to be heard by management. Thank you. But also, EVER-RISE RULES!!!
Dexter Lumis is almost done with his artwork.
Wait, he has added something to the logo for New Year’s Evil after all. It reads… “Host,” with an arrow pointing to a doodle of HIMSELF! Lumis is going to host New Year’s Evil!? He barely talks, how can he host something?!
NXT hears from Finn Balor.
“NXT TakeOver 31. Kyle, you answered all the questions. You proved you weren’t an underdog. You proved you belong in the main event, you proved you belonged in the ring with Finn Balor. You broke my friggin’ jaw!” And yet, Kyle still lost. So what’s next, Kyle? New Year’s Evil, 1/6/21, this isn’t just Finn VS Kyle 2. It’s Finn Balor VS Kyle O’Reilly, THE END. Will the next chapter be the last chapter for these two?
BREAKING NEWS for next week!
With it being the holidays, Johnny and Candice want us to celebrate with them! It’ll be “A Very Gargano Christmas” on NXT! Will this go down as a timeless Christmas classic?
Toni Storm VS Rhea Ripley!
These two went back and forth, defining the first year of NXT UK. Now they clash again in the States in what could just be one of many more matches to come! But will it be the Riptide or the Lightning From Down Under that strikes?
The bell rings and the two stare down and circle slowly. They tie up, Rhea powers Toni to ropes but Toni turns things around. Toni lets off clean but she taunts Rhea. Rhea shrugs that off to circle with Toni again. Fans rally and duel as the two tie up again. Rhea powers Toni to a corner but Toni turns it around again, only for Rhea to turn it right back! Rhea lets off clean but with a sharp pat on the shoulder. Toni and Rhea circle again and there are more Rhea fans than Toni fans right now. They tie up, Toni waistlocks then headlocks and grinds Rhea down. Rhea tries to power out but Toni holds tight. Rhea fights up and throws body shots to then power out and ram shoulders. Toni is surprised Rhea stays up, and then Rhea runs Toni over!
Rhea runs but Toni trips her! Toni Oklahoma Rolls, ONE and Rhea had a cover, ONE! Toni ghost pins, ONE, Rhea ghost pins, ONE! Toni kicks low, whips Rhea to a corner, but Rhea goes up and over and keeps moving. Toni drops, side steps but Rhea rolls and gets a leg to roll Toni. Toni stays up, sits on Rhea, ONE as Rhea sunsets! ONE as Toni sits back up, ONE and the two stand. Rhea kicks low now and fans cheer! Rhea reels Toni in, suplexes, but Toni resists to cradle, TWO! Toni CHOPS Rhea but Rhea CHOPS back! Toni CHOPS, Rhea swings a haymaker! Toni CLAWS Rhea’s back but Rhea CHOPS! Rhea fakes Toni out to DOUBLE CHOP her on the back!
Toni is stinging and Rhea is grinning as she drags Toni by her legs. Toni kicks Rhea away, but runs into a wrench and clothesline! And another! Rhea ripcords to HOOK KICK Toni down! Toni gets to ropes, Rhea Electric Chair lifts her, but Toni wiggles free to shove Rhea out. Rhea gets on the apron, Toni runs in but gets caught! Rhea drags Toni out but Toni POSTS her and BOOTS her! Toni stands tall as NXT goes to break!
NXT returns and Toni grinds Rhea down in a chinlock. Rhea endures, fights up, throws body shots, but Toni throws her by her hair! Toni drops an elbow but Rhea moves! Toni hurries after Rhea to whip but Rhea reverses, Toni dodges one kick, then the next, but the SUPERKICK hits! Toni wobbles, Rhea cravats and knees her over and over! Rhea snapmares and runs to basement dropkick hard! Fans fire up with Rhea and she drags Toni up for an atomic SLAM! Cover, TWO! Rhea grows frustrated, checks her mouth but no blood. Rhea drags Toni up, pump handles but Toni fights out. Rhea AX KICKS Toni down, then stomps her!
Toni gets up, Rhea runs in but the boot misses! Toni HEADBUTTS! Both women are down but fans fire up again! The standing count climbs to 5 but Toni sits up. Rhea follows, and they both slowly stand at 7. Toni throws a forearm, Rhea throws it back! They brawl back and forth with big hands and clubbing forearms! Rhea gets the edge, runs, but Toni follows to ROCK Rhea t ropes! Toni runs but Rhea returns the forearm! Rhea runs, Toni follows but Rhea dodges to dropkick her down! Cover, TWO! Rhea grows frustrated but fans rally up. Rhea stomps Toni and gets the legs, for PRISM TRAP!
Toni endures the hanging cloverleaf, crawls for ropes, but then rolls to send Rhea into the ropes! Toni runs to SLIDING LARIAT! Toni drags Rhea up, GERMAN SUPLEX! Bridging cover, TWO!! Rhea survives and Toni can’t believe it! Fans hope these two “Fight Forever!” like they did for Kyle and Dunne! Toni scowls as she drags Rhea up and tosses her to a corner! Then she tosses Rhea the other way! Toni runs in but Rhea avoids the hip attack! Rhea Electric Chair lifts to SLAM Toni on buckles! Cover, TWO!! Toni survives and Rhea is again frustrated! Rhea drags Toni around to drop a leg! And then another! And then a third! Cover, TWO!
Rhea grits her teeth as she drags Toni back up. Pump handle and lift, but Toni flails! And who is this?! Raquel Gonzalez helps Toni stay on the apron!? But Rhea runs and BOOTS Toni onto Raquel! Raquel tumbles over barriers and Rhea drags Toni up and into the ring. Toni distracts the ref and Raquel yanks Rhea down! To LAWN DART her into buckles! HIP ATTACK from Toni!! Toni underhooks and hits STORM ZERO!! Cover, Toni wins!!
Winner: Toni Storm, by pinfall
Big Mami Cool laughs as she just screwed Rhea over! Will Rhea make sure Raquel regrets this for a long time to come? As for Toni, a win is a win, will she be heading for a new #ShinyShiny?
My Thoughts:
A very good NXT with quite a bit set up for New Year’s Evil. For one, Lumis is surprisingly going to be the host. I didn’t think there’d be a host for that but I guess Halloween Havoc was just the first case of a special occasion being given an extra special something. Maybe Lumis speaks for the first time on television? That in itself will be a big moment. Kross puts away Desmond Troy quickly because obviously he was going to. And another obvious choice was that Kross and Priest are going to have a match for New Year’s Evil. That will be a very good match, and I’m fairly confident that Kross will win that.
I’m surprised Dunne VS O’Reilly wasn’t the main event, but there are a lot of reasons why it wasn’t. For one, it gave that match time to breathe, and it was all completely worth it. A bit surprised Kyle won rather than Dunne, but a rematch from TakeOver 31 is a great move. Finn getting to respond tonight rather than waiting a week was also pretty good, but could’ve still been done. And the brawling of many tag teams was a great way to get rid of ringside help so that it’d just be Dunne and Kyle 1v1.
Breezango makes a great return, and it looks like we might end up with a tag team title Fatal 4 Way. Cole and Strong are the one combination that hasn’t really worked together in the UE, and with Bobby Fish recovering from his torn tricep, this would be a great time to give that a try. But I have a feeling Lorcan & Burch find a way to hold onto the titles, as UE and Breezango have already had reigns, and I don’t think Dain & Maverick are quite there yet. I suppose Grizzled Young Veterans haven’t been back long enough to be considered for such a match, but that’s alright, I’m enjoying what’s going on between them and Ever-Rise.
I actually like that “The Johnny Gargano Way” is simplifying the name to “The Way.” This way, it isn’t just about Johnny, it’s about him and Candice. They lead The Way together as equals. Gargano and Theory had a very good tag match with Ruff and Kushida, though I was really scared there for Ruff after his fall from the top rope to the floor. Gargano and Theory win to help build Theory back up, and I like his new finisher, even though it’s hard to describe. Shotzi continuing after Candice is a good move, as WarGames wasn’t as conclusive for them as it probably could’ve have been. Of course, Candice broke her arm so it couldn’t really have ended with the two of them. Shotzi had a good match with Indi but clearly Indi still needs a few reps. The disqualification was a good way of ending that match and propelling the feud forward.
The presentation of the brutal training Xia and Boa are undergoing was done expertly. Keeping half of each part a mystery was great for the reveal of how it has escalated. I’m thinking that something is going to happen on New Year’s Evil with Xia, Boa and “her” (pretty sure it’s still Karen Q) decimating someone or a group of someones to establish themselves as a faction. Even more so if Io Shirai is defending her title, Xia and “her” can both go after Shirai to issue a challenge for whatever TakeOver special is happening next. Rhea VS Toni was a really good match, but I should’ve figured Raquel would get involved. Rhea VS Raquel in a rematch is going to be great stuff while Toni moves on to perhaps feud with Ember Moon or even go after Io Shirai to revisit their Mae Young Classic match as a match for the NXT Women’s Championship.
My Score: 9.1/10
Powered by RedCircle
Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!
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
Powered by RedCircle
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!
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.
Powered by RedCircle
Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!
Hockey Talk- 2024 NHL Playoff Preview [042224]
Hockey Talk previews the 2024 NHL Playoffs and discuss the stunning news that the Arizona Coyotes are moving to Salt...
Hockey Talk- Metro Mayhem [040924]
Hockey Talk looks at an absolutely wild playoff situation taking shape in the Eastern Conference while, out West, the battle...
The Pick N Roll: Sweet Sixteen
Join Patrick O'Dowd and PC Tunney as they breakdown the sweet sixteen of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.
Hockey Talk- Reverse Psychology [032624]
Hockey Talk looks at the resurgent St. Louis Blues & Washington Capitals. Plus, the Rangers stay hot, and can anyone...
Down the Wire: Filling Out Our Brackets and Drafting Draft Busts
Join the Brothers Wortz as they cover professional sports in unprofessional ways!
Bandwagon Nerds #232: Superhero Madness- A Top Seed Falls
Superhero Madness continues and sees the first #1 seed fall!. Plus, a trailer for a new Transformers movie, and a...
Mitchell’s Hyrule Puro-Resu News Report! (4/20/24)
HPW looks to the horizon.
Bandwagon Nerds #231: Disney News & Superhero Madness
Round two of Superhero Madness begins this week. Cinema Con gives us plenty of Disney news and a trip to...
Bandwagon Nerds #230: Superhero Madness- Resident Aliens
Superhero Madness continues with first round battles in the Aliens bracket, plus Invincible Season 2 comes to an excellent conclusion.
Mitchell’s Hyrule Puro-Resu Results & Report! (4/1/24)
We got five on it!
Mindless Wrestling Podcast: What Happened Last Week?
After a two-week hiatus, DJ gets to the bottom of why there was no podcast last week. Then, we skewer...
Mitchell’s WWE SmackDown Results & Report! (4/26/24)
It's Draft Day!
DWI Podcast #427: Get Off My Back…lash
It's time to shake things up again!
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!
Mitchell’s ROH Results & Report! (4/25/24)
Champions need challengers!
Classic POD is WAR: @PattonOswalt
Tune in for another vintage episode of POD is WAR!!!
Mitchell’s AEW Dynamite Results & Report! (4/24/24)
Anybody can get it!
Mitchell’s Road to Wrestling Dontaku Results & Report! (4/23/24)
GO ACE! GO ACE!
Mitchell’s WWE NXT Results & Report! (4/23/24)
It's Trick Williams' last shot!
Mitchell’s WWE Raw Results & Report! (4/22/24)
It's a golden Raw!
