Coverage

Mitchell’s WWE NXT UK Results & Report! (3/11/21)

Who is truly worthy?

Published

3 years ago

March 11, 2021

Steven Mitchell

NXT UK holds its first-ever Mixed Tag Match!

Jinny cost Piper Niven the NXT UK Women’s Championship, and this has been brewing ever since! Will Jack Starz help Piper get revenge on the Spoiled Princess and her Righteous Knight?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

British Rounds Rules: Tyler Bate VS Dave Mastiff; Bate wins.
Teoman VS Danny Jones; Teoman wins.
South Wales Subculture VS Amir Jordan & Kenny Williams; Jordan & Williams win.
Mixed Tag: Jinny & Joseph Conners VS Piper Niven & Jack Starz; Niven & Starz win.

PLAY BY PLAY

British Rounds Rules: Tyler Bate VS Dave Mastiff!

These two men want back at the Heritage Cup, so they’re going to compete under the rules of the Heritage Cup Division! Will Bate start the long road back to the top? Or will the Bomber be too much even for the Big Strong Boy?

The bell rings and the first round begins. Bate and Mastiff fist bump to show there’s respect, and then the tie up. Mastiff puts Bate on the ropes then lets off fast. They circle, Bate stays back a bit but comes in to get a waistlock. Mastiff pries free to wrench, elbow breaker and wrench to a wristlock. Bate rolls, hooks a leg, but Mastiff wrangles him down to the mat. Bate moves around, kips up, but Mastiff wrenches again. Bate spins, dips, pries free and headlocks. Mastiff powers up to throw Bate away and the two reset as the BT Sports Studio cheers. Bate and Mastiff tie up with knuckle locks and have a test of strength!

Bate stays up as Mastiff tries to push him over, but Mastiff makes him bend! Cover, TWO as Bate gets a hand up! Mastiff pushes it down, TWO as Bate gets the other hand up! Mastiff puts that hand back, TWO as Bate bridges! We’re under a minute as Mastiff goes to put his full weight down, but Bate stays up! Mastiff tries again but Bate makes that a monkey flip, then sunset, but Bate can’t get Mastiff down! Bate lets off and the two smirk as they circle again. Bate considers Bop but doesn’t put it up. Mastiff waistlocks, Bate fights the lift, pries the hold, and wrenches to a wristlock.

Final 10 seconds as Bate rams shoulders then wrenches the arm, only for Mastiff to wring him out! Bate gets to a corner, and the round ends!

Bate: 0; Mastiff: 0

The two refresh in their corners and are ready for round two! They circle again, tie up, but Bate wrenches an arm. Bate clamps on tight but Mastiff chinbars to slip through and wristlock back. Bate rolls, arm-drags Mastiff, but Mastiff holds onto the arm. Bate rolls, gets to his feet and steps in, but that’s too much to scoop! Mastiff wrenches the wrist, Bate rolls and rolls and handsprings and breaks free, but Mastiff clinches. Bate headlocks, and uses his foot to bop Mastiff! Mastiff lifts but Bate bops him again! Mastiff powers Bate to a corner, Bate comes back and they ram! They stay up, Bate runs and Mastiff chases, Bate sunset flips!

Mastiff stays up but Bate kicks and pulls him down to a cover, and Bate scores a fall!

Bate: 1; Mastiff: 0

The Big Strong Boy is already closing in on victory, can Mastiff rebound? The two refresh in their corners again and we begin round three! BT Sports Studio rallies up as Bate and Mastiff circle. They feel out the grapple, Mastiff much more wary now that he’s on the defense. Bate JABS him quick and gets away with a smirk. They circle again, Bate KICKS Mastiff’s leg! Mastiff gets annoyed, Bate kicks but gets caught and Mastiff throws a forearm! Bate throws forearms but Mastiff ROCKS him! Mastiff brings Bate up to whip to a corner, then runs in. Bate boots, Mastiff blocks, Bate pries free and knees him away! Bate hops up and leaps for a FLYING UPPERCUT! But Mastiff stays up!

Mastiff fights off Bate’s scoop, Bate ROCKS him with a right! Bate wrenches, fireman’s carries, but Mastiff make sit a CRUCIFIX TAKEDOWN! Cover, Mastiff ties it up!!

Bate: 1; Mastiff: 1

It could all come down to this! Bate has a harder time recovering, naturally, but he has no choice but to get up for round four! Mastiff and Bate circle again, but Mastiff is basically chasing Bate. They tie up, Mastiff scoops and SLAMS Bate down! Bate writhes, the ref checks but he’s alright to continue. Mastiff gets Bate up to TOSS him! Bate is still in this but Mastiff is on him with a scoop and another SLAM! And then another SLAM! Bate sputters but he still wants to continue. We’re under two minutes as Mastiff clinches and whips but Bate rolls to dropkick! Mastiff stays up, blocks Bate’s rana and brings Bate up to POWERBOMB! High stack, TWO!!

Mastiff drags Bate back up to bomb position, shifts to a fireman’s carry, and hits a ROLLING SENTON! Bate is sore as he bails out, and the ref has Mastiff stay in. Mastiff goes out and whips Bate all around into the apron and barriers! We’re under a minute and Mastiff TOSSES Bate into barriers! Mastiff leaves Bate behind and the ring count begins! The count is 5 of 10 as we’re nearing 30 seconds. Bate gets up at 7, crawls at 8, and drags himself in at 9! Mastiff stalks Bate, and hits a BACK SENTON to bring him down! Cover, TWO!?! Bate is still in this, under 10 seconds, Mastiff keeps trying to cover but Bate keeps kicking free, and the round ends!

Bate: 1; Mastiff: 1

Bate was saved by the bell, but he only has so much time to recover again. Will round five end it?

Mastiff storms over, Bate ROCKS him, but Mastiff CLUBS Bate! And CLUBS him again! Mastiff drags Bate up to throw elbows over and over into the shoulders! Bate blocks to KICK from below! Mastiff staggers and shakes his head, Bate runs and leaps, but into Mastiff’s arms! Mastiff gets Bate up but Bate slips out to waistlock! Bate tries but his back won’t let him German Suplex Mastiff! Mastiff CLUBS Bate, drags him up and whips him to a corner, and Bate flops over before Mastiff can run in. The ref checks, Bate refuses to quit so Mastiff hauls him up for a MASSIVE GERMAN SUPLEX!! The ref checks on Bate again, Mastiff runs in but Bate ROLLING KICKS first!

Bate powers up and he tries to fireman’s carry but that back refuses to do it! Bate fires up to power through the pain, and he gets Mastiff up for the AIRPLANE SPIN!! He only goes for about 5 rotations but he comes back to CLOBBER Mastiff! Bate hurries to a corner, climbs up top, and TORNILLO SENTONS! Cover, Bate wins!!

Winner: Tyler Bate, by pinfall

And it’s the Big Strong Boy in the fifth! True focus lies somewhere between rage and serenity, and Bate used that focus to win! Will Bate focus in on another try at the Heritage Cup?

NXT UK hears from tonight’s tag team match opponents.

Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster are going up against Amir Jordan & Kenny Williams tonight, and Andrews says that they respect those guys. They know what it’s like to be underdogs and you never underestimate the underdog. Williams & Jordan say they’ve faced some “bomber” tag teams, and beaten them, too. So who says they can’t do it again? The last six months have been hard on South Wales Subculture facing The Hunt and Eddie Dennis, but they’re not looking back, they’re looking forward.

Williams & Jordan are ready to win fair and square, but getting through SWSC means they’ll be dancing all the way to the NXT UK Tag Team Championships! Well, maybe not dancing. But either way, one team takes a step forward, will Williams & Jordan beat another pair of former champions to head for Pretty Deadly?

BREAKING NEWS for next week!

NXT UK changes the start time for the United States, as it will now be live at 4 PM Eastern!

Aoife Valkyrie speaks.

“After everything I’ve gone through, and everyone I’ve beaten, you are my toughest battle.” She talks to herself in the mirror. “You used to push me, and now you’re pulling me down. Well I’ll show you that there’s a difference between those that aim for the top and those that settle. And that difference counts. A Valkyrie is only drawn to the toughest challenges. I’ll show you.” Will Aoife prove to herself that she can still reach the highest point in NXT UK?

Teoman VS Danny Jones!

The kid who fought for everything he had so that he could give his family everything they’ve ever wanted is making his in-ring debut in NXT UK! Will he fight hard enough to make everyone respect, admire and even fear him?

The bell rings and Jones ties right up with Teoman. Teoman wrenches, wristlocks and grinds Jones down. Teoman wrenches, Jones rolls and handsprings, but Teoman wrangles him back down! Teoman wrenches the wrist, Jones kips up but Teoman waistlocks then facelocks. Jones powers him into a corner but the ref calls for the break. Jones lets off but Teoman SLAPS him down! Teoman headlocks, Jones reverses to his own headlock, but Teoman powers out. Teoman hurdles, drops and trips Jones for a hard basement dropkick! And a KICK to the side! Teoman grins as he talks trash to Jones and dares him to get up.

Jones sits up but Teoman SLAPS him again! And again! And again! Jones fires up, they brawl back and forth, Jones fires off but Teoman ROCKS him with a body shot! And then runs to CLOBBER him with the forearm! Teoman stands on Jones’ face just to toy with him. Teoman clamps onto an arm while standing on Jones, then sits him up with a motorcycle stretch. Jones fights up, turns things around on Teoman, but Teoman gets a ropebreak. The ref calls for a break but again Teoman hits a sucker punch with that elbow! Teoman run sin but Jones turns it around to ROCK Teoman and hit a BACKSTABBER! Jones whips but Teoman dropkicks a leg out!

Teoman goes up to the top rope, leaps, and missile dropkicks Jones in the back! Teoman DOUBLE STOMPS the back, then DOUBLE STOMPS again! Teoman is toying with Jones as he DOUBLE STOMPS again! Then, he clamps on the CROSSFACE! Jones taps, Teoman wins!

Winner: Teoman, by submission

The Evil Eye is upon NXT UK! What prize will Teoman look to take for his own?

Xia Brookside has more work for Nina Samuels.

The Leading Lady turned personal assistant now has to clean Xia’s room! Why not call housekeeping? No, no, Xia gave them the day off. This is all for Nina. From making the bed to doing the dishes, though perhaps not perfectly, Nina thinks she’s done. But then she forgot about the dishes in the washer. Will Nina be able to get it together? Or will the month mercifully fly by with Brookside?

Eddie Dennis speaks with Wild Boar.

While Boar has been a “model student,” and made great progress, he committed a “Cardinal sin.” Boar separated himself from the pack and made it weaker! In the Street Fight, Dennis suffered the consequences! Primate suffered the consequences! So now Boar faces the consequences, as Primate and Tyson T-Bone punish him! And now that T-Bone has joined The Hunt, will they be more dangerous than ever?

Amale speaks.

The French Hope is the first French-born female in the WWE, and though having barely started, she’s already in history books. She is going for the opportunities she deserves in NXT UK. She has blessed the brand with hope, class, and has the support of her people. Will Amale look to become the first French-born women’s champion in WWE, as well?

Gallus spends time alone in their bar.

Wolfgang may not be pretty, but he knows a cheat. Mark Coffey tell shim not to beat himself up, everyone else will try to do that. Joe Coffey walks over and says they need to go back to go forwards. They need a plan. The Gallus boys aren’t on top. But they need to remind everyone that they were ruthless. It isn’t about titles or grudges. It is about making a statement. Gallus shakes hands on it, but just how will they rebuild and redeem themselves?

South Wales Subculture VS Amir Jordan & Kenny Williams!

The High-Fiving, Stage-Diving Welsh Rockstar and the Modfather have tasted the tag titles and want another, but the Bhangra Badboy and the Lucky Yin just want their first bite! Which team will be hungrier and head for the self-proclaimed “tasty” Lewis Howley & Sam Stoker?

The teams sort out and Williams starts with FMW. They circle, tie up, and then break. They go again, break again, and FMW has to worry about his sore ribs from that Street Fight. They tie up again, FWM wrenches and wrangles Williams down. Williams fights up, FMW wrenches again and drags Williams back down. FMW chinbars with the armlock but Williams pries free. Williams wrenches, chinbars, then elbow breakers to a wristlock. FMW rolls, bridges and handsprings to wrench and wring Williams out! Jordan says it’s all good and Williams circles with FMW. Williams rolls to get a leg but FMW gets the ropebreak. Williams lets go cleanly, and they go again.

FMW and Williams tie up, Williams wrenches and wrings FMW then whips. Andrews tags in, FMW slides under and is a step stool, MANDREWS in Motion! Williams bails out, Jordan rushes in, but FMW triangle dropkicks him out! SWSC waits for Williams & Jordan as they cool off. Jordan tells Williams it’s good, and Williams gets in. Jordan then tags in, which surprises and perhaps annoys Williams. Jordan and Andrews circle, tie up, Andrews wrenches and wrangles Jordan down. Jordan kips up, Andrews wrenches again, but Jordan rolls and arm-drags, only for Andrews to wristlock again. Andrews grinds the arm, YANKS the arm, then wrenches again.

Jordan rolls, gets under and NORTHERN LIGHTS! Bridging cover, TWO! Jordan has the arm now, wrenches and jams the arm, then wrenches again. Andrews rolls, spins, handsprings and wrings the arm but Jordan handsprings through. Jordan dodges Andrews, FMW tags in, and SWSC double hip toss Jordan for the back suplex SPLASH and STANDING MOONSAULT! Cover, TWO! FMW ROCKS Jordan to a corner, rams his shoulder in again and again, then snapmares Jordan for a NECK SNAPPER! Cover, TWO! FMW whips Jordan in the corner, tags in Andrews, and they snapmare Jordan for a basement dropkick! Cover, TWO!

Andrews keeps on Jordan, Jordan throws body shots but Andrews uppercuts! Andrews stomps Jordan, rams his shoulder in, and FMW tags in to RAM in a shoulder! FMW drags Jordan up for a snap suplex, covers, TWO! FMW stays between Jordan and Williams but Jordan throws hands! FMW hits back, but Jordan jawbreakers free! And then dropkicks FMW to a corner! FMW runs back at Jordan but Jordan boots him then hits a NECKBREAKER! Cover, TWO! Williams calls to Jordan, Jordan tags him, and they mug FMW. Williams snapmares FMW, then drops knees! Cover, TWO! Williams SLAPS FMW on the back, then again, then straddle attacks!

Williams gets the arms, hooks them up for a camel clutch but FMW resists. Williams gives crossface forearms, shoves FMW down but FMW boots him away! Jordan tags in, CLUBS FMW, throws big forearms, but FMW shoves, only for Jordan to DECK him! Cover, TWO! Jordan camps on with a chinlock and pushes back to add leverage. FMW fights up, throws elbows, and arm-drags free. Jordan comes back but FMW dropkicks him! Hot tags to Andrews and Williams, but Andrews keeps going after Jordan with fast hands! Williams gets in but Andrews throws hands on him! Andrews CHOPS, whips, but Williams reverses. Andrews slides under the double clothesline to DOUBLE PELE!

Andrews CHOPS and whips but Williams reverses again, only to get a 619! Andrews MOONSAULTS Jordan down, then STOMP 182 for Williams! Andrews runs in to forearm smash, tag to FMW, SWSC KNEE-ENZIGURI combo! Then the ASSISTED SLICED BREAD, and a SENTON! Cover, TWO!! Williams lives but FMW drags him up. FMW reels Williams in but Williams back drops free to tag in Jordan! Andrews tags in, fires off on Jordan, but Jordan shoves. Jordan runs but is put on the apron, but he slingshots in, into Andrews’ roll up! TWO, and Jordan SUPERKICKS! Jordan is fired up, suplexes, but Andrews hits STUN-DOG MILLIONAIRE!

FMW tags in, goes up, RUDE BOY BLOCK! Cover, Williams breaks it! Andrews gets in, Williams throws him out and BOOTS him down, to then WRECK him with a dropkick! FMW drags Jordan up, suplexes but Jordan blocks. Jordan suplexes, FMW slips out, Jordan elbows him away, tag to Williams! SPRINGBOARD UPPERCUT! Williams facelocks, FMW slips out and swings but Williams ducks. Williams waistlocks now, FMW switches, Williams switches. FMW slips around but Williams shoves him into Jordan! Roll up, TWO! FMW HEADBUTTS, Williams rewinds for the CLOTHESLINE!!

Both men are down, BT Sports Studio fires up, but Williams can’t find Jordan because how he accidentally hit him down! Williams runs to CLOBBER Andrews but FMW rolls Williams up! TWO, Williams swings but into a waistlock! Williams grabs at the ref as FMW tries to O’Conner roll, and Williams LOW BLOW MULE KICKS!! The ref didn’t see that, but Jordan did! Jordan thought they were doing this fair and square, but Williams doesn’t care, he drags FMW up for the HEADLOCK DRIVER!! Cover, Jordan & Williams win!

Winners: Amir Jordan & Kenny Williams, by pinfall

They beat former NXT UK Tag Team Champions, but not the way the Bhangra Badboy wanted to! Will he and Williams sort things out before their next match? Or will Williams continue to take every chance he gets?

NXT UK profiles Ilja Dragunov’s recent developments.

The “Moscow Madman” was always just a nickname, but now it may be becoming his reality. Every time he’s been in a match, a reminder of Walter sets him off and he goes into a berserk rage. We will hear from Dragunov next week on what is next for him.

Trent Seven speaks.

The weigh-in will be live on WWE’s The Bump! He is excited, because he has worked his butt off harder than ever before. He has never worked this hard for anything! He feels like there are a lot of people supporting him, but most of all he had Tyler Bate. Trent was there for Bate, so the least he could do is be here for Trent. Trent is in the best shape of his life and it is truly inspiring. Seven vows to do this. Seven is inspired by Bate, too, as they’ve both had the same attitude towards pro-wrestling. So to use the skills and the platform they have to motivate others, it’s a great feeling. Seven has avoided scales just so as not to get in his own head.

We will all learn together if Seven has made it under 205! Will Seven be ready to challenge for the Cruiserweight Championship? If he makes weight, that match happens NEXT WEEK!

NXT UK hears from Ben Carter.

“It’s been a pretty wild 12 months for me, to say the least.” He was in the US for soccer, and then in his spare time, doing everything he could to make a name for himself in pro-wrestling. No one knew who he was, but then fast-forward a year, and he’s living a dream. Carter had many options, but he wanted to come to NXT UK, and to come home. It’s like a brand new start. And with that new start comes a brand new name! Nathan Frazer will become a champion, grab the brand by the throat and take it wherever he wants it, and become the greatest to ever do it. Will the Prodigy formerly known as Ben Carter still carve an impressive path to the top?

BREAKING NEWS!

Walter has become THE longest reigning NXT UK Champion ever, but is going to return to issue a statement! What will Der Ring General have to say about the state of the brand?

Mixed Tag: Jinny & Joseph Conners VS Piper Niven & Jack Starz!

History is being made every day, and for NXT UK, it is having their first-ever Mixed Tag! But history aside, this is about settling scores and ending grudges! Will the Fashionista finally pay for blocking Piper’s path to the NXT UK Women’s Championship? Or is Starz not worthy of fighting alongside her against Jinny and her Righteous Killer?

The teams sort out and it’s ladies first as Piper and Jinny step up. Jinny asks if Piper is “thick” in the head. She backs off to tag in Conners, and so Starz comes in by default. Conners and Starz circle, tie up, and Conners goes around to wrench and fireman’s carry takeover. Cover, ONE, and Starz gets away. Conners asks “Shorty” if he knows what he’s gotten himself into. They tie up, Conners wrenches and arm-drags to clamp onto the shoulder. Conners half nelsons to snapmare to a cover, ONE! Conners mocks Starz to keep climbing and let the 15 minutes of fame run out. Starz keeps his cool, ties up with Conners, but Conners gets a cravat.

Starz endures as Conners snapmares him down to a chinlock, but Starz slips out to wrench, spin, and BACK DROP Conners, to then have the arm again. Conners rolls back but Starz drops to throw Conners over! Cover, ONE, but Starz ghost pins, ONE! Conners runs into an arm-drag and Starz grinds the arm down. Starz shifts to a short arm scissor and he pulls on the arm. Conners rolls back to a cover, TWO and Starz still has the hold! Conners powers up to dead lift Starz! But Starz sunset flips, TWO! Starz dropkicks Conners down and Conners gets mad! Starz grins and tags in Piper, so now Jinny has to enter. Jinny runs, dodges Piper but comes back to dodge again.

Piper and Jinny circle, Conners talks trash and that distracts Piper for Jinny to attack! Piper shoves Jinny away, blocks a punch and sweeps the leg to drop a senton! Cover, TWO! Piper drags Jinny up to scoop, but Conners tags Jinny in to save her! Starz has to come back, and he comes back with fast forearms! Starz whips, Conners reverses but Starz dodges to TACKLE Conners! Starz keeps moving to hit Conners with a basement EuroUpper, and a back drop! Conners catches Starz to a clinch, they’re on the ropes, and the ref counts, Starz powers up to push Conners away! The two stare down, Jinny swipes at Starz, but Conners sucker punches then BULLDOGS Starz!

Piper protests but Jinny gets away with a ROLLING KICK! Conners taunts Piper but Jinny orders him to stay on Starz. Conners scoops and SLAMS Starz, covers, TWO! Conners suplexes Starz high and hard, covers, TWO! Starz sits up but Conners jams his knee in the back! Conners digs his boot into Starz’s head, then taunts him to tag out. Starz throws body shots, Conners shoves him to hit a tilt-o-whirl SLAM! Cover, TWO! Conners kicks Starz to the corner, pushes him around, and tells him to hail Queen Jinny! Conners throws body shots, haymakers, then stomps Starz down. Conners taunts Piper for making a horrible choice in partners, but he runs into Starz’s elbow!

Starz runs, Conners catches him and shoves him away, but Starz rams him with a shoulder! Things speed up, Conners ducks the crossbody! Starz flops out of the ring, and Jinny is lurking. Piper storms over but Conners gets in the way. The ref reprimands and tells everyone to back off. Conners drags Starz up to put him in, and then stalks Starz to ropes. Conners drags Starz up to CHOP him, ROCK him, but Starz hits back! Starz bobs ‘n’ weaves, hits Conners, Conners hits back, they’re brawling! Starz hits EuroUpper after EuroUpper but Conners goes to backslide! Starz fights that off to DECK Conners!

Both men crawl, BT Sports Studio fires up, Conners drags Starz but Starz fights to tag in Piper! Jinny has no choice but to be legal, but she decides to run! Piper chases her into the ring, and POUNCES her! Piper drags Jinny up, whips and TOSSES her, then does it again! Piper runs to BASEMENT CROSSBODY! Cover, TWO! Piper rains down rights on Jinny, drags her up, and whips her to a corner. Piper runs in but Jinny BOOTS her, then ROLLING KICKS! Piper staggers, Jinny CHOP BLOCKS and rolls Piper up! TWO!! Piper staggers up but Jinny is after her with forearms! Piper HEADBUTTS Jinny down! Conners tags in, and he says Piper is not a queen, just a commoner!

Piper SLAPS Conners and feeds him to Starz’s EXPLODER! Conners ends up in a corner, Jinny is in the other, Starz and Piper DOUBLE CANNONBALL! Starz feeds Conners to Piper’s MICHINOKU DRIVER! Starz becomes Piper’s weapon, MILITARY PRESS SLAM onto Conner!! Cover, Starz & Piper win!

Winners: Jack Starz & Piper Niven, by pinfall

Starz & Pipes go down in history as the first NXT UK Mixed Tag winners! But more importantly, they took the fight to Jinny & Joseph! Will they leave these bullies behind on this Road to WrestleMania?

My Thoughts:

A pretty good episode for NXT UK all in all. Bates VS Mastiff was a very good British Rounds match, and I almost expected Mastiff to win with another knockout when he and Bate were trading hands. But Bate’s journey is the story, and he pulls out a big win to keep going towards the Heritage Cup. Teoman had a good debut, though I wouldn’t have expected his theme to be electronic, not rock. We got good promos from Amale and Aoife were decent, and I expected more from Nina Samuels having to do Xia Brookside’s chores. Her plotting to sabotage Xia only to fail felt like a good story thread but it looks more like Nina is just a bad personal assistant.

I am very surprised that The Hunt is changing up its members, but I think this means Boar legitimately got hurt during that Fatal 4 Way and they need to have a reason why he’s gone. T-Bone joining the group is good for T-Bone, he wasn’t doing anything at all. Good to know we’ll be hearing from Dragunov and Walter next week, and I hope Walter’s announcement is that he’s heading to the States to join the rest of Imperium for a spell. However, I’m very disappointed that Ben Carter has to change his name to Nathan Frazer. The new gear looks great, but why a new name? We just had “Ed Harvey” refuse to be that and become Sha Samuels! Why are we only now, a month or so after he arrived, renaming Ben Carter, who really is a prodigious talent!? That’s absurd!

It’s also odd that Trent Seven’s weigh-in is being put on WWE’s The Bump. Pretty sure it’s just so NXT UK fans will want to watch The Bump to see that segment. But this must mean Devlin VS Seven really is happening next week, I can’t imagine they’d swerve us just so The Bump could get a few more views for one week. Also, the timing of this is interesting since Devlin issued his challenge to Escobar for the near future. I suppose this means Seven loses and wonders if it was all worth it. Jordan & Williams VS SWSC was a good tag match, and I figured Williams would find a way to cheat to win. They will surely get a tag title match, and Jordan might be too distracted worrying about Williams to focus, and that is why they lose.

Gallus had a good little promo to put forward that they have to refocus. I’m hoping that means the Coffey Brothers go after the tag titles and then Wolfgang can try for the Heritage Cup or even UK Championship. And the Mixed Tag main event was good, but Mixed Tags just naturally have a harder time using the hot tag momentum for drama since one tag is basically two tags, and as we saw, Jinny did not want to face Piper if she could help it. Nigel McGuiness on commentary did a good job bringing up the controversy of Piper hitting Conners when co-ed contact isn’t allowed. But naturally, Piper and Starz win to finally give the Heels comeuppance, but I’m not sure where this goes from here. Will Piper have another try at the NXT UK Women’s Championship and Kay Lee Ray? I feel like the moment to pull the trigger on a title change has passed, so what would we even get out of it?

My Score: 8/10

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

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Coverage

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

It’s Draft Day!

Published

13 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Steven Mitchell

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

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

OFFICIAL RESULTS

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

PLAY BY PLAY

Backstage interview with Paul Heyman.

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

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

SmackDown throws it to the NXT Performance Center.

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

Corey Graves is in the ring.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Triple H is here!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Winners: Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee, by pinfall

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

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

Bron Breakker VS Cedric Alexander!

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

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

Winner: Bron Breakker, by pinfall

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

Nick Aldis heads out.

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

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

Michelle McCool and Torrie Wilson are here!

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

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

The Bloodline arrives backstage.

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

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

Kayla Braxton is on stage.

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

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

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

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

The Dudley Boyz are here!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No Contest

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

B-Fab and the Street Profits meet up backstage.

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

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

The Final Testament speaks.

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

Teddy Long and JBL are here!

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

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

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

Backstage interview with Nick Aldis.

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

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

Cody Rhodes VS Carmelo Hayes!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Winner: Cody Rhodes, by pinfall

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

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

My Thoughts:

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

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

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

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

My Score: 8.8/10

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

Coverage

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

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

Published

1 day ago

April 25, 2024

Andrew Balaz

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

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

Ratings:

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

Results:

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

#1 Contender: Frankie Kazarian vs Josh Alexander

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

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

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

ASH by Elegance vs Xia Brookside

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

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

Sami Callihan vs The Good Hands

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

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

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

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

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

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

Overall Score: 6/10

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

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

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