Coverage

Mitchell’s WWE Superstar Spectacle Results & Report! (1/26/21)

WWE Universe, are you ready for a spectacle?

Published

3 years ago

January 26, 2021

Steven Mitchell

WWE brings the spotlight to the prospects from India!

Though WWE is on the Road to WrestleMania, it is time for some new stars to shine! Watch as the top prospects from India tie up with the stars of today!

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Finn Balor VS Guru Raaj; Balor wins.
8 Man Tag: Ricochet, Rey Mysterio, Giant Zanjeer & Dilsher Shanky VS King Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, Shinsuke Nakamura & Cesaro; Ricochet, Mysterio, Zanjeer & Shanky win.
AJ Styles w/ Omos VS Jeet Rama; Styles wins.
Charlotte Flair & Sareena Sandhu VS Bayley & Natalya; Flair & Sandhu win.
Six Man Tag: Drew McIntyre & Indus Sher w/ Ric Flair VS Jinder Mahal & The Bollywood Boyz; McIntyre & Indus Sher win.

PLAY BY PLAY

“India has been a central heartbeat of the WWE Universe.”

Triple H speaks to the connection that spans more than two decades! HHH himself, and other legends like Bret Hart, Kane and The Undertaker have made the journey. “Fueled by a passionate culture, expressing unmatched energy.” John Cena, Daniel Bryan and the New Day were overwhelmed by the welcome. Fans there have been fans for life, and the unbreakable bond is cemented by respect and heart. Charlotte Flair says WWE unites us universally, and she could feel that in India. “India’s proud history is rich in competitive spirit, embodying strength, honor, and resiliency.”

There have been championship reigns and global celebrations, paving the way to a bright future. That new future grows brighter by a new generation motivated to represent a nation. So tonight, on this, India’s Republic Day, we will hear the 1.3 BILLION voices that celebrate the vibrant culture. “Then, now and forever.” WWE is honored to bring you the Superstar Spectacle!

Finn Balor VS Guru Raaj!

The Prince welcomes the first challenge from this new generation of India superstars! But his opponent has quite literally been working for this his whole life! Will the dream come true against the two-time NXT Champion?

The bell rings and Balor circles with Raaj. They tie up, Balor gets the arm and wrenches to a wristlock. Raaj rolls, rolls, and wrenches back to a wristlock. Balor rolls, wrenches back, slips around and goes after the arm. Balor grinds the shoulder, Raaj fights up but Balor shifts to a hammerlock. Raaj does the splits to get a snapmare! Raaj has the arm, Balor breaks out to get a leg pick but Raaj makes it a cover! ONE, Raaj headscissors but Balor pops out! Raaj grins as he and Balor stand off. They circle, tie up, and Balor headlocks. Raaj powers out but Balor runs him over with a shoulder! Raaj is right up but Balor headlocks to the takeover.

Balor grinds Raaj, Raaj fights up and powers out again. Raaj drops then hurdles then dropkicks Balor down! Raaj hits the headlock takeover! Balor fights his way up, powers up but Raaj hits another takeover! Balor moves around, rolls Raaj to a cover, ONE! Raaj holds onto the hold, Balor fights up but Raaj holds on tighter as Balor tires to power out! Balor keeps trying, gets free on the third try but Raaj sunset flips! Balor rolls through to basement dropkick! Balor checks his chin as WWE takes a quick break.

Superstar Spectacle returns and Balor has Raaj in a standing cobra twist. Raaj fights out and hip tosses Balor away! Raaj goes to a corner, Balor runs in but Raaj boots him! Raaj CHOPS and CHOPS and whips, to then clobber Balor with an elbow! Cover, TWO! Raaj hurries to back senton! And kip up! Basement dropkick! Raaj fires up as he runs in at Balor in a corner, but Balor kicks back! Balor stomps Raaj in the corner, lets off as the ref counts, and then storms back over to CHOP Raaj in return! Balor wraps an arm around the ropes, pulls it, then CHOPS Raaj again! Balor whips Raaj corner to corner, runs in and CHOPS! Raaj staggers into a SLINGBLADE!

Balor paces, takes aim from another corner, and he runs, into Raaj’s enziguri! Roll-up, TWO!! Raaj almost had an NXT Champion! Balor flounders up, Raaj kicks, kicks and kicks away on the legs! Raaj goes even faster! Raj says BANG, ROUNDHOUSE and SOBAT! Balor is down and Raaj fires up! Raaj goes to a corner, climbs up top, and leaps for CROSSBODY! Cover, TWO!! Raaj is shocked that Balor escapes! Balor and Raaj slowly rise, Raaj is on Balor first with a scoop, but Balor fights free to ELBOW DROP DDT! Balor is furious now and he takes aim again. SHOTGUN DROPKICK! Raaj hits buckles and then hits the mat!

Balor goes up top, he takes aim, and hits the COUP DE GRACE! But Balor isn’t done with Raaj, he tops it off with the 1916!! Cover, Balor wins!

Winner: Finn Balor, by pinfall

It was a valiant effort from the young star, but this is the difference between a new star and 20 year veteran! But Balor does show Raaj respect with a handshake. Will Raaj one day be in Balor’s shoes, “welcoming” a new generation to the spotlight?

Giant Zanjeer speaks.

“I am from India Punjab. I make my family proud.” When he was 14 years old, he lost his parents. He had to grow up fast, be the man of his home, and has worked very hard. It is time for Zanjeer to live his dream. Seeing the Great Khali become India’s first-ever WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Zanjeer felt it was destiny that he would become a WWE superstar himself. Big, scary, strong, and determined to be a champion, too!

8 Man Tag: Ricochet, Rey Mysterio, Giant Zanjeer & Dilsher Shanky VS King Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, Shinsuke Nakamura & Cesaro!

That dream to become a champion could start right here! Giant Zanjeer and Dilsher Shanky are teaming with two great former champions in the WWE, going against great former and even current champions! Will the King of Flight and King of Lucha Libre help Zanjeer and Shanky make dreams come true?

Superstar Spectacle returns as Ricochet makes his entrance, followed by the TOWERING Shanky and Zanjeer. Then One half of the SmackDown Tag Team Champions in the Show-Off, followed by the Wolf King, the King of Strong Style and the Swiss Cyborg. Teams sort out and we begin with Shanky and Ziggler. They circle, Ziggler rushes in but he can’t even budge Shanky! Ziggler goes after a leg, Shanky pries him off and tosses him to the corner! Shanky stomps, ROCKS Ziggler and then throws a back elbow!

Ziggler flops around but Nakamura runs in! Nakamura hits Shanky but that doesn’t even faze him! Shanky just throws Nakamura in on top of Ziggler and SPLASHES them both! Tag to Zanjeer, and Zanjeer CHOPS Nakamura! Even Ziggler feels it! Corbin runs in but he’s added to the stack! Zanjeer SPLASHES all three men! Cesaro gets in but Shanky, Mysterio and Ricochet are there to back Zanjeer up! Cesaro backs down, and we go to break!

Superstar Spectacle returns as Cesaro has Mysterio on the outside. Cesaro throws Mysterio back in, drops elbows, then drags Mysterio up to tag in Nakamura. Cesaro has Mysterio on the ropes, Nakamura KNEES Mysterio then Cesaro hits the suplex! Nakamura drops a knee, covers, TWO! Nakamura drags Mysterio up, bumps him off buckles and tags in Corbin. Nakamura digs a boot in and Corbin stomps him! Corbin taunts Zanjeer and Shanky before he DECKS Mysterio! Corbin tags Ziggler and they mug Mysterio. Ziggler scrapes Mysterio’s eyes on the ropes! Nakamura and Cesaro keep Mysterio in the corner but Mysterio fights back!

Mysterio hits Corbin, boots Ziggler then ducks under! Ziggler grabs a leg to keep Mysterio back, ducks the enziguri, and drags Mysterio away! Tag to Corbin, but the entire team DECKS the other side! Zanjeer and Shanky go down and Corbin goes after Mysterio. Corbin puts Mysterio up top but Mysterio kicks back and leaps to RANA Corbin into buckles! Ricochet fires up, Mysterio hurries over, hot tags to Ziggler and Ricochet! Ricochet dodges Ziggler to handspring headscissor! And a dropkick! Ricochet taunts Cesaro then throws hands on Ziggler! Ricochet knees, wrenches and Northern Lights Suplexes! Roll through to a dead lift ANARCHY SUPLEX!

Ricochet hits the STANDING SHOOTING STAR! cover, TWO! Ricochet does a dance, drags Ziggler up and wrenches him to a fireman’s carry. Ziggler slips out to ZIGZAG! Ziggler can’t make the cover, but he tags to Cesaro! Cesaro covers, TWO!! Ricochet still lives but Cesaro mocks the dance moves. Cesaro scoops, Ricochet slips out, tag to Zanjeer! Zanjeer runs Cesaro over, runs Nakamura over and runs Corbin over! Zanjeer is fired up and he tags in Shanky! Zanjeer scoops and SLAMS Cesaro for Shanky to power up! BIG ELBOW! Cover, but Corbin and Nakamura break it up! Ziggler gets in, they all go after Zanjeer!

But Zanjeer explodes out! HEADBUTT for Nakamura, and a SHOVE for Corbin out of the ring! Ricochet gets in, and he gets a GIANT boost from Zanjeer to FLY out onto Ziggler, Corbin and Nakamura! Cesaro slides back in and dumps Zanjeer out! But Shanky BOOTS Cesaro a la Khali! Tag to Mysterio, dial it up! 6 1 9!! LARIAT from Shanky! Mysterio climbs Shanky for a SUPER SPLASH!! Cover, Mysterio’s team wins!

Winners: Rey Mysterio, Ricochet, Giant Zanjeer & Dilsher Shanky, by pinfall

Talk about a huge victory! The titans of India lift Mysterio and Ricochet onto their shoulders in celebration! Is this the beginning of some powerful legends in the WWE?

WWE teams up with Girl Up again in 2021!

It is important for young girls to see the confidence, leadership and equality possible through sports! Learn how you can help at GirlUp.org!

Roman Reigns speaks.

Or rather, Paul Heyman speaks first. Today is a day of great celebration, but not for what you think. It’s day 149 of Roman’s Universal Championship reign. Roman says his responsibility of putting food on the table is not limited to SmackDown. That responsibility extends to every superstar that steps foot in the WWE ring. But at a price. That price won’t be paid tonight. Be that as it may, Happy Republic Day.

AJ Styles w/ Omos VS Jeet Rama!

The Phenomenal One may be heading for the Royal Rumble, but he’s always up for a spectacle! Will he be a phenomenal gatekeeper for the new generation, just as he has to the Men’s Rumble?

The bell rings and Jeet circles with Styles. They tie up, Jeet pushes Styles to a corner, and lets off as the ref counts. Styles shakes that off and circles with Jeet again. They tie up, Styles gets around and headlocks, but Jeet pries free to then arm-drag Styles to an armlock! Jeet cranks on the arm, Styles fights up to a corner, but Jeet lets off at the count. Styles puts Jeet in the corner, rams in and rams again, then again! Styles lets off to bump Jeet off buckles then roll him up, TWO! Jeet gets up but Styles KICKS him! Styles kicks but Jeet catches it and RAMS Styles into the corner! And rams in again! And again!

Jeet lets off as the ref counts, dares Styles to get up, then wrenches his arm for another arm-drag! Jeet clamps onto the arm again, but Styles endures. Jeet shifts to a keylock but Styles fights his way up. Styles rakes eyes and ROCKS Jeet with a right! Jeet ROCKS Styles back! Jeet throws haymakers but Styles throws Jeet out to the floor! Jeet gets up, but Styles SLINGSHOT FOREARMS! Styles takes Jeet down as we go to break!

Superstar Spectacle returns as Styles grinds Jeet down with a chinlock. Jeet endures, fans clap on their screens, and Jeet fights up. Jeet elbows free but Styles elbows Jeet back down! Styles brings Jeet up but Jeet throws haymakers! Jeet fires up, eggs Styles on, and reels Styles in for a HALF HATCH SUPLEX! Styles flounders, Jeet is right on him, for ANOTHER Half Hatch! Jeet keeps firing up as Styles flounders back up. Jeet reels Styles in but Styles blocks the lift with more elbows. Styles ROCKS and KICKS Jeet, but swings into Jeet’s GERMAN SUPLEX! Cover, ROPEBREAK! Styles survives and Jeet is frustrated with himself.

Styles crawls to a corner, Jeet runs in but Styles boots him! Styles hops up, Jeet comes back and ROCKS Styles! Jeet sits Styles back up, climbs up, but Styles slips under! Styles trips Jeet up and Jeet hits hard off buckles! Omos applauds as Styles drop toeholds Jeet into buckles! Styles fireman’s carries Jeet for an USHIGOROSHI! Cover, TWO! Jeet survives and Styles is surprised! Styles drags Jeet back up, but Jeet denies the Clash to RAM Styles into buckles! Jeet RAMS Styles again, but Styles gets him for a roll to the CALF CRUSHER! Jeet endures as Styles cranks back on the leg, and twists the foot!

Jeet refuses to give in, moves around, and finds Styles’ head, to SLAM him into the mat! And again! Styles lets go and Jeet is spared! Jeet and Styles slowly sit up, and Styles goes after the leg again! But Jeet choke grips Styles! Styles breaks that grip but swings into a clinch! BELLY2BELLY! Jeet crawls over after Styles but Styles rolls away. Jeet follows Styles to a corner, puts him back on the top rope and then climbs back up after him. Omos creeps close, and grabs a foot to anchor Styles as Jeet goes for the Super Belly2Belly! Jeet crashes ‘n’ burns, Styles hops down to aim from the apron, PHENOMENAL FOREARM! Cover, Styles wins!

Winner: AJ Styles, by pinfall

A huge assist to Omos, and it’s Jeet who gets beat! But will AJ Styles be able to stay phenomenal if he needs help? And if Jeet pushed Styles this far, will we be cruising down #JeetStreet soon enough?

Indus Sher speaks.

“I will tell you something that you may already know.” Rinku was India’s very first pro baseball player, but there is no better feeling than being a WWE superstar. The dream started when he turned 15 and he wished to change his family’s life for the better. India knows Saurav already as a star of a Top 5 TV series, but now he is living a dream in the WWE. They are here representing their country, and had an immediate connection when they met. They are brothers as well as tag team partners, and have the pride of 1.3 BILLION people behind them!

AWWWWW~ INDIAAAA~!

Don’t you dare be sour! Clap for your world-famous TEN TIME champs, and FEEL~ the POWER~! The New Day is reunited thanks to the Superstar Spectacle! Well, without Kofi Kingston as he has an injured jaw, but Xavier Woods is with the WWE Intercontinental Champion, Big E, for a special presentation, after the break!

Superstar Spectacle returns and Big E says it is a beautiful Republic Day! And ya bois, the NEW~ DAY~ are so excited to be part of the Superstar Spectacle! Now they’ve had the pleasure of seeing some of the greatest talent from around the world. But here is something truly special! Without further ado… It’s the Street Profits? Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford join in on the fun because they know, they know, they KNOOOOW~! The WWE isn’t about to introduce these national, global individuals today without them.

No, the New Day would never ever dream of introducing Southeast USA’s premier entertainment dance company representing South Asian culture without them! Then what we talked about over OJ and protein! Let’s all do this together. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages! They finally and proudly present to you… SPINNING CANVAS~! Yes, live and in person, it’s a special performance by the top dancing troupe of India! A great display of culture for the world to see! There are even dancers in the ring! Spectacular!

The Great Khali speaks.

He says hello to his people and says he has been so proud to see this newest crop of superstars coming from India, and those we saw already tonight in Jeet Rama, Giant Zanjeer, Dilsher Shanky and Guru Raaj. Have a Happy Republic Day!

Charlotte Flair & Sareena Sandhu VS Bayley & Natalya!

The Queen is honored to be teaming with one of the female prospects of India, but they’re up against the longest reigning SmackDown Women’s Champion and the winningest woman in WWE history! Will Sareena be able to shine alongside such spectacular superstars?

The teams sort out and Charlotte starts with Natty. They circle, tie up, and Charlotte wrenches an arm to a wristlock. Natty rolls, spins and handsprings to wrench back to a wristlock. Charlotte cartwheels, wrenches back, but Natty knees low! Natty snapmares Charlotte and runs to step on her, but Charlotte kips up! Natty tags to Bayley but Charlotte dodges Bayley to DECK Natty! Charlotte CHOPS and CHOPS Bayley, whips her into the corner then CHOPS her on the rebound! Natty runs in but gets a CHOP! Tag to Sareena and she climbs up to CROSSBODY both Natty and Bayley down!

Sareena and Charlotte coordinate, and they DOUBLE BASEBALL SLIDE! Natty and Bayley are shocked but Sareena just shows Charlotte some dance moves as we go to break.

Superstar Spectacle returns, Natty whips Bayley in at Charlotte but Charlotte KNEES Bayley down! Natty runs in but Charlotte BOOTS her! Charlotte spins Natty around to hit a neckbreaker, to an EXPLODER! Bayley tags in and runs at Charlotte, but she gets a kick and an EXPLODER, too! Charlotte kips up, fires up, but Bayley dodges in the corner! Bayley runs back in into a backbreaker! Charlotte tags Sareena and Sareena dodges Bayley to arm-drag! And arm-drag! And then dodges to tilt-o-whirl to SPIKE Bayley down! Sareena kicks low, butterfly SUPLEX! Cover, TWO!! Bayley survives but Sareena keeps on her with a toehold.

Bayley scrambles to a ropebreak, then elbows Sareena away! Tag to Natty, Natty kicks low and reels Sareena in, but Sareena cradle counters! TWO, Natty is pissed and she SLAPS Sareena! Sareena gets around, spins Natty and hits a neckbreaker! Cover, TWO! Sareena drags Natty up and whips her to a corner but Natty reverses. Natty runs in but Sareena elbows her away. Bayley runs in but Sareena DECKS her! Natty BOOTS Sareena out of the ring! Natty poses, tags to Bayley, and Bayley stalks Sareena, to chop block a leg! Charlotte storms over as Bayley talks smack, but Bayley puts Sareena in. Cover, TWO!

Tag to Natty, Natty drags Sareena up and together they throw Sareena down! Natty spins through to drop down on the toehold, then she ties the legs up in a butterfly lock! Sareena endures and even hits back! Sareena finds a way to slip through into a modified toehold of her own! Bayley stomps Sareena down then goes back to her corner. Sareena crawls but Natty CLUBS her down! Natty drags Sareena away, but Sareena hurries again. Natty CLUBS Sareena back down and Bayley DECKS Charlotte! Natty rains down rights on Sareena, Sareena does her best to guard, but Charlotte BOOTS Bayley on the outside!

Natty swings on Charlotte but Sareena rolls Natty! TWO, and Natty CLOBBERS Sareena! Natty gets the legs, drags Sareena in and puts on the SHARPSHOOTER! Sareena endures, Charlotte gets in, NATURAL SELECTION! Sareena is free, she covers, Sareena and Charlotte win!

Winners: Charlotte Flair & Sareena Sandhu, by pinfall

The Queen had Sareena’s back and that was enough to turn the tide! Will this big victory be a big boost to Sareena’s young wrestling career?

Ric Flair is here!

The Nature Boy loves a good party, so of course he’s here for the Superstar Spectacle! He’s also here for the main event with the WWE World Champion and the Modern Day Maharaja!

Kavita Devi speaks.

The first Indian female superstar in the WWE, she did things her way in the Mae Young Classic. “Growing up, I wasn’t supposed to have a dream. When I grew up, little girls like me had nobody to look up to.” There are thousands of girls looking up to her now, and that motivates her to keep going. Follow her into the future, because if her dream can come true, so can yours!

Six Man Tag: Drew McIntyre & Indus Sher w/ Ric Flair VS Jinder Mahal & The Bollywood Boyz!

There are some rather interesting reunions here. Once upon a time, the Scottish Warrior and the Modern Day Maharaja were part of a Three Man Band! And more recently, Samir & Sunil Singh were once the sidekicks to WWE’s first Indian WWE Champion. The Superstar Spectacle brings them all back together, will Suarav and Rinku be powerful back-up for McIntyre on this historic day?

Ric Flair is honored to be here for this first-ever Superstar Spectacle. “Everyone knows that the WWE brings the world together like no one else.” Ric is so excited to see the members of the WWE Universe from India to be on the ThunderDome screens. But before he introduces this great Six Man Tag main event, Ric wants to wish everyone a very happy Republic Day, “WOO~!” With that, Mahal & the Bollywood Boyz make their entrance together, and Mahal has a mic of his own as Samir & Sunil film. “If there is one thing we should be celebrating, it is the return of the Modern Day Maharrrrraja, Jinder Mahal!” The now 1.4 billion have tuned in to see HIM! But here comes McIntyre!

McIntyre has a mic and says, “Jinder Mahal, my old buddy, welcome back.” No one is happier to see him than McIntyre. But there are some things you don’t do around here. First: you don’t interrupt the limosine ridin’, jet flyin’, kiss stealin’, wheelin’ dealin’ son of a gun, Ric Flair! Second: this isn’t about Mahal, but about the WWE and India! The time for talking is over, the time for fighting begins! Mahal has a trio, McIntyre has created his own Three Man Band of DESTRUCTION! Introducing Rinku and Saurav, INDUS SHER! The “Indian Tigers” are back!

The trios sort out, and Mahal steps up to McIntyre. They stand off, but then Mahal tags out to Sunil! Sunil tags out to Samir! McIntyre dares Mahal to get back in but Samir SLAPS McIntyre first! Samir apologizes but McIntyre throws him to a corner! McIntyre stomps away on Samir, throws hands and CHOPS! McIntyre gut wrenches Samir just to bring him over and tag in Rinku. Rinku ROCKS Samir then stalks him. Rinku stomps Samir, whips him to ropes and CLOBBERS him with a shoulder! Samir is in a daze, and Rinku drops an elbow! Rinku drags Samir up, tags Saurav in, and Samir scrambles away to tag in Sunil!

Sunil wants them to take it easy, and he dodges Saurav over and over, to CHOP! Saurav doesn’t budge! Sunil runs, leaps but into Saurav’s arms, for a POWERSLAM! Cover, ONE! Saurav tags Rinku and Rinku drags Sunil up on the ropes. Saurav runs in to BOOT Sunil out of the air! Mahal reinforces Sunil and Samir runs in, but he gets a whip to a DOUBLE HIP TOSS! McIntyre joins in and he scoops Samir to TOSS him onto Sunil! Mahal is furious but McIntyre stands with Indus Sher as we go to break!

Superstar Spectacle returns and Saurav puts Samir in the corner! Tag to Rinku and he’s fed Samir for a scoop! Samir slips out, bailts Rinku in and throws body shots and haymakers! RInku shoves Samir, knocks Mahal and Sunil off the apron, but Samir comes back with haymakers! Samir whips, Rinku reverses, but Mahal saves Samir from the corner splash! Rinku bounces off buckles and Samir kicks back! Samir wrenches, tags in Mahal and Mahal POSTS Rinku! Mahal drags Rinku up from the apron and SLAMS the arm into the post! The ref reprimands, Mahal drags Rinku back in but Rinku has the ropes. The ref counts, Mahal lets off but he CLUBS Rinku down.

Mahal clamps on with a chicken wing and chinbar but Rinku fights up. Samir tags in, climbs up and leaps to drop an elbow! Sunil goes up top to drop the MACHO ELBOW! Cover, TWO! Sunil keeps on Rinku with a leg drop on the arm, then he clamps onto the arm for another leg drop. Sunil hits another leg drop to the arm, then keeps on the arm with a shoulder clamp. Tag to Samir, the Bollywood Boyz double WRING the arms! Cover, TWO! Samir keeps on Rinku’s arm but Rinku fights up to scoop Samir for a SLAM! Rinku tries to get away but Samir trips him up! Samir has the leg, tags in Mahal and Mahal stomps Rinku down! Mahal wrenches and hits an ARM BREAKER!

Mahal clamps onto Rinku with a mounted armlock but Rinku endures. McIntyre and Saurav rally up for Rinku, as do the fans on their screens. Rinku fights up, Mahal throws knees and forearms, then he sucker punches Saurav! Rink kicks Mahal back and reels him in for a suplex! Both men are down and Rink crawls for his corner, hot tag to McIntyre! McIntyre rallies on Mahal, DECKS the Bollywood Boyz then clobbers Mahal! McIntyre whips and OVERHEAD SUPLEXES Mahal! Mahal staggers up into another OVERHEAD SUPLEX! McIntyre waits for Mahal to stand, and hits the leaping neckbreaker! And the kip up!

McIntyre fires up in the corner, Mahal staggers up, but Mahal KNEES McIntyre down first! Both men are down and they crawl for their corners, hot tags to Sunil and Saurav! Saurav BOOTS Sunil, then BOOTS Samir! Saurav whips Samir HARD into buckles, then he scoops Sunil for a BIG back suplex! Saurav fires up, and drops a HUGE elbow! Sunil rolls out, Mahal gets in, but McIntyre intercepts with a CLAYMORE! Tag to Rinku and Indus Sher coordinates! BOLLYWOOD BLAST, Indus Sher style! Cover, Indus Sher and McIntyre win!

Winners: Drew McIntyre & Indus Sher, by pinfall

A powerful victory for Rinku, Saurav and the Scottish Warrior! Triple H and the other superstars walk out to join them in the ring to not only celebrate this victory, but to celebrate Republic Day and the bright future pro-wrestling has in India!

My Thoughts:

A very fun special here, with great showings from every one of the young prospects out of India. Now obviously Balor and Styles were both going to win their matches, but they gave Guru Raaj and Jeet Rama good showings, especially with Jeet losing because of minor interference from Omos. Jeet is a legitimate national champion in Indian Pehlwani/Kushti wrestling, he can and should be a frontrunner in the singles division for “NXT India” or whatever it’ll be called. It was also cool to have a musical act, much like other big WWE events have, including Sunday’s Royal Rumble having Bad Bunny.

And then we got great wins for the Indian superstars in the tag matches. The 8 Man was a lot of fun because Zanjeer and Shanky are definitely giants. It definitely works that Charlotte helped Sareena get out of the Sharpshooter and the pin, Sareena is still too new to really get the win herself off of two very accomplished women in Natty and Bayley. The Six Man was great just to see Mahal back, as well as Indus Sher as they were serving some time-out punishment after one of the two went and spoiled Adam Cole VS Keith Lee, Winner Takes All. But Indus Sher is a big, strong team, they and McIntyre were of course winning, I’m sure Indus Sher can find themselves at the top of whatever tag division they’ll be in.

My Score: 8.1/10

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

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AEW Coverage

Mitchell’s AEW Collision Results & Report! (4/27/24)

It’s a slam dunk!

Published

23 mins ago

April 27, 2024

Steven Mitchell

Guns up for all the Jacksonville Gold Members!

Another three hour block of All Elite Wrestling starts with a Collision! But will the Bang Bang Gang still be the best three man unit ever? Or will Top Flight go from the coldest to the goldest trio in the game?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

The Acclaimed VS Grizzled Young Veterans; win.
Toni Storm w/ Mariah May & Luther VS Anna Jay; wins.
Unified AEW & ROH World Trios Championships: Bullet Club Gold VS Top Flight; wins and

PLAY BY PLAY

[Coverage will begin after the NBA Playoffs on TNT]

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

Coverage

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

It’s Draft Day!

Published

1 day 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.