Coverage

Mitchell’s WWE NXT UK Results & Report! (4/15/21)

The Gallus boys are back!

Published

3 years ago

April 15, 2021

Steven Mitchell

A huge grudge match headlines NXT UK!

After betraying the Bhangra Badboy during their NXT UK Tag Team title match, Kenny Williams will have to face Amir Jordan’s wrath!

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Nathan Frazer VS Saxon Huxley; Frazer wins.
Emilia McKenzie VS Isla Dawn; Dawn wins.
Jack Starz w/ Piper Niven VS Ashton Smith; Starz wins.
Kenny Williams VS Amir Jordan; Williams wins.

PLAY BY PLAY

Nathan Frazer VS Saxon Huxley!

The British Prodigy is building his legacy, but now he runs into the Divine Beast of the Astral Plane! Will Frazer add Huxley to his legend? Or will he learn to walk away when he sees Huxley coming?

The bell rings and Frazer circles with Huxley. Frazer gets around to a waistlock, Huxley throws him away! They go again, Frazer dodges the boot and keeps moving. Frazer dodges again, CHOPS, but Huxley just growls! Frazer headlocks, Huxley powers up to back drop but Frazer makes that a sunset flip! Huxley stays up, drags Frazer up and tosses him to the corner! Frazer dodges again to CHOP again! Frazer keeps avoiding Huxley’s hands and headlocks again. Huxley powers up again to back suplex, but Frazer lands on his feet! Huxley blocks the single leg to gut wrench, but Frazer slips free, springboards, but into Huxley’s arms! BIG scoop slam!

Huxley runs and drops an elbow, only to miss! Frazer gets to a corner, Huxley huffs and puffs and catches Frazer again to RAM him into a corner! Frazer is stuck in the ropes, Huxley corner clotheslines from behind! Huxley drags Frazer out of the Tree of Woe just to STOMP him down! Frazer sputters, Huxley stomps him down more, then drags him up. Huxley runs with Frazer corner to corner and RAMS him into the buckles! Huxley drags Frazer while the BT Sports Studio boos, and he TOSSES Frazer! Huxley fires himself up, drags Frazer back up, and ROCKS him! Huxley puts Frazer in the corner, then TOSSES him again! But Frazer rolls to his feet and dropkicks Huxley’s leg out!

Frazer runs, but into a BOOT! Huxley drags Frazer around to dribble him off the mat! Huxley lets off to cover, TWO! Huxley drags Frazer up and scoops him, but Frazer escapes to dropkick! Huxley stays up, runs and drops the elbow! Huxley digs his knee in for the half camel clutch! Frazer endures, he moves around, and pries at the hold. Frazer slips out from under the knee, gets to his feet and throws body shots. Huxley CLUBS Frazer down, then STOMPS him for good measure! Huxley drags Frazer up by his hair, and CLUBS him with a crossface forearm! Frazer is in a daze as Huxley drags him back up. Huxley lifts, heads for a corner, but Frazer blocks with his feet!

Frazer fights with fists and pushes off the corner for a crossbody! Frazer tumbles off the cover and both men slowly rise. Frazer runs and RAMS Huxley! Huxley stays up, Frazer keeps trying, then he ducks and dodges to RAM Huxley out of the ring! BT Sports Studio fires up as Frazer grits his teeth. Frazer builds speed to DIVE! Direct hit and both men crash into barriers! The ref checks on Huxley, he’s somehow still alright, but Frazer has the mad eyes now! Frazer hauls Huxley up but Huxley throws him into the ring. Huxley storms in, Frazer gets around his clothesline but Huxley blocks the suplex.

Huxley suplex Frazer, but Frazer slips out to duck and QUEBRADA, to the ELBOW DROP DDT! Frazer goes right up top, aims, leaps and missile dropkicks Huxley back down! Frazer returns to the top rope, FROG SPLASH!! Cover, Frazer wins!!

Winner: Nathan Frazer, by pinfall

That was definitely a big win for the young legend! Will Frazer only win bigger matches from here on?

NXT UK Media interviews Noam Dar and Sha Samuels.

How is Dar feeling after his loss at NXT UK Prelude? Sha asks, “How do you think he feels?!” It winds Sha up, gets on his nerves, that Dar works so hard every single day to make sure this brand is at the TOP of the WWE! And Tyler Bate and his “old man,” Trent Seven, just get handed things on a silver platter! Dar has Sha calm down, and says those boys play checkers, but he and Sha play chess. Dar has friends in high places, and he has guaranteed himself and Sha a tag team match with Moustache Mountain! Sha likes that, and Dar says they’ll see those dafties next week. EEEEAST!!

NXT UK presents an all new Supernova Sessions!

“Hello, hello, hello! Hear me now, live from the moon,” Dar welcomes us back to his show. Now they say two is better than one, and usually Dar is a one man team. But as we heard, Dar and Sha will team up to make tag team history as they knock Seven & Bate off the tag team mountain! Now, all the way from Scotland, it’s GALLUS! Wolfgang, Mark & Joe Coffey walk out and they take the couch. Dar tries to say that’s his seat but he can’t get Gallus to go to the chairs. Dar tries to sit on the arm, but Gallus tells him no, there’s chairs over there. Dar sighs as he has to sit in the “guest” section, and then tries to get comfy.

Dar says Gallus is looking fantastic and fresh! Where did they go on holiday? And more importantly, what gift did they bring back for him? Mark tells Dar it wasn’t a holiday. It was time to train and refocus. They worked in the morning, had a drink in the afternoon, and didn’t “break any rules.” Gallus is held to a higher standard than any team here, so they picked themselves up and got going again. Dar likes that. How is Wolfie feeling? Well he’s been away, focusing on controlling his temper, and not let anyone get under his skins. Well said. Is Joe okay, though? That wing alright? Joe’s been kinda quiet. Joe says he’s had time to reflect. The next thing he wants to do is another go on the pitch.

But out walks a surprise guest! Eddie Dennis is here! Dennis has a mic already and he throws their words at them: Gallus is “held to a higher standard,” but the only reason they had the NXT UK Tag Team Championships to lose to Pretty Deadly is because Joe got involved in their business! Dar says Dennis shouldn’t go there. Well, if Joe wants to go on a rampage, start with the one guy who he’s been avoiding since the start of this brand. Joe tells Dennis that if he wants a round, they can go next week! No, Dennis didn’t mean himself. It’s those lads. PRIMATE & T-BONE JUMP GALLUS! It’s a brawl between all six men, Dar staying far away!

Referees rush out to stop this, but that’s not that easy! Gallus chases off Dennis and his new pack of animals, Dar having fun while munching on breadsticks and sipping juice. Play the funky music! Gallus wants to be back on top, but is there a new trio of alpha males moving into their territory?

NXT UK Media catches up with Sam Gardwell.

“Don’t accost me, journo, I’m busy.” But Gradwell can’t get in the door because it’s locked. Dave Mastiff gets it for him and Gradwell gets on his case. Mastiff tells him to shut up, then slams the door shut to lock it again! Gradwell is furious and shouts, “I’m the Thunderstorm! I’m the season! Come back, yogurt!!” Will Gradwell’s big mouth continue to get him on people’s bad sides?

Moustache Mountain “quiz” each other.

“I am…” “Trent Seven. And I am…” “Tyler Bate!” And together, they are Moustache Mountain! For the very first time in a year, and in BT Sports Studio Arena! It’s unbelievable, really. Bate is going after the Heritage Cup as a singles competitor, but until then, they’re back as a tag team against Dar & Sha! The Big Strong Boy & the Artful Dodger are back in the BT Sports Studio Arena, but will it be another big win?

Emilia McKenzie VS Isla Dawn!

With Meiko Satomura on her side, #SuplexMillie got a win over the not-so-good witch of Scotland. But now, they go 1v1 to see if Millie can repeat the performance! Will Dawn turn her fortunes around like a tarot card on the table?

The bell rings and Millie ties right up with Dawn. They go around on the ropes and corners, and Dawn pushes Millie in. The ref counts, Dawn CHOPS Millie! Millie kicks low, headlocks and grinds. Dawn powers up, pulls hair but can’t power out as Millie grinds tighter! The ref reprimands as Dawn pulls hair again. Dawn throws body shots, powers out, but Millie arm-drags Dawn down! And again! Dawn blocks the third but Millie wrenches through to hit a SWINGING NECKBREAKER! Cover, ONE!! Dawn gets up but Millie seethes as she waistlocks. Dawn scrambles and hotshots Millie in the ropes! Dawn dropkicks Millie down to the corner!

Dawn grins as she brings Millie up to bump her off buckles. The ref counts as Dawn KICKS away on Millie in the corner! Dawn lets off, brings Millie out and SNAP SAIDOS! Dawn looms over Millie, stomps her down, then sits her up. Millie hits back, Dawn clubs her, and gets the fisherman hook. Millie cradle counters, just like last week! TWO, but Millie kicks low! Millie whips, Dawn reverses and KNEES Millie against ropes! Millie gasps and sputters, Dawn drags her up to CLUB her down! Cover, TWO! Dawn drags Millie up and underhooks the arms. Millie resists, but Dawn shifts to a STANDING BUTTERFLY LOCK! Millie endures, fights, and breaks the grip!

Millie CLUBS Dawn on the back, throws big forearms, but Dawn shoves her away. Millie comes back to dropkick a leg out! Millie keeps moving to BASEMENT UPPERCUT! Dawn flounders to a corner, Millie runs in but Dawn dodges. Millie slips out and Dawn hits buckles. Millie ROCKS Dawn, then uses the corner for a HANDSPRING SPEAR! Cover, TWO!! Millie is beside herself but Dawn grabs at her. Millie shrugs Dawn off, clubs her on the back, then waistlocks. Dawn elbows free, bumps Millie off buckles, and then runs corner to corner to KNEE her! Fisherman to the PERFECT PLEX! Cover, TWO!! Millie survives and Dawn’s furious!

Dawn looms over Millie, drags her up and Millie shoulders into her! Millie pump handles for a BIG back suplex! Cover, TWO!! Dawn survives again and Millie is seething! Millie glares at Dawn, pushes her around, and waistlocks again. Dawn drops and victory rolls, TWO! Millie SHOTGUN dropkicks Dawn to a corner! Then Millie runs in to RAM Dawn! Millie fires off shoulders, fires off haymakers, but the ref backs her up. Millie spins around him, but Dawn ROUNDHOUSES Millie first! Millie staggers into Dawn’s HALF ‘N’ HALF! Bridging cover, Dawn wins!!

Winner: Isla Dawn, by pinfall

The SORCERESS of Scotland redeems herself! Will Dawn only get darker before she has her chance at the championship?

Jinny and Joseph Conners speak.

The Spoiled Princess tells “Dani Luna, sweetheart, I know what you’re capable of. You’re one of the strongest girls in this division, if not the strongest. But you walk around with your ugly, miserable looking face and you act like you don’t even want to be here. But in reality, you don’t deserve to be here. You’re a small fish in a big pond, who wears the same dirty outfit to the ring every time. And next week, when you step into the ring with the Fashionista, you’re just gonna end up another fashion victim.” Will Jinny show the punk rock powerhouse the pecking order of NXT UK?

BREAKING NEWS!

After the brawl we saw earlier, Eddie Dennis VS Joey Coffey is happening next week! Will the Welsh Dragon dethrone the Iron King or be slain instead?

NXT UK shares footage from backstage last week.

After Aoife Valkyrie’s message to Meiko Satomura, the Final Boss finds her again. “I know what this means. I accept.” The black feather is returned to Aoife, and now the Best in the World will battle the winged warrior! Will Meiko be used as the updraft to raise Valkyrie to the next level?

Jack Starz w/ Piper Niven VS Ashton Smith!

Training with Piper Niven has unleashed the fire inside Starz! But will that fire be quickly put out by The Prestige?

The bell rings and Starz circles with Smith. They tie up, Starz goes for a leg but Smith blocks. Smith tosses Starz off but Starz gets back up to go again. Starz and Smith tie up, Smith turns Starz to waistlock but Starz reaches to headlock. Smith thrashes Starz around, but Starz pries free to roll and get the leg! Starz is after an ankle lock but Smith boots him away. Starz comes back, clinches and whips Smith but Smith runs him over! Starz gets to a corner to cool off, and comes back to circle with Smith. They tie up again, Smith has a cording hold and then wrenches to a wristlock. Starz fights up, rolls, handsprings and breaks free to dropkick! And dropkick again!

Smith stays up but Starz whips. Smith reverses and reels Starz in for a standing fireman’s carry takeover! Smith clamps onto the arm again, Starz endures and fights up. Piper coaches Starz but Smith wrenches again. Smith reels Starz in to RAM shoulders! Smith sits Starz up, brings him around, and wrenches again. Smith whips but Starz uses that to roll Smith up, TWO!! Starz runs back in but into a BIG knee from Smith! Smith drags Starz up, whips him to a corner hard, then CLOBBERS him on the rebound! Cover, TWO!! Starz survives and Piper coaches him up. Smith gets Starz up to CLUB him back down!

Starz writhes, Smith drags him back up, and Smith shoves Starz to ROCK him with a body shot! Starz falls to his knees, Smith waistlocks and dead lifts to a BIG back suplex! Cover, TWO! Starz survives and Piper coaches him as BT Sports Studio rallies. Smith gets Starz up to EuroUpper! Smith scoops Starz to military press and SLAM him! Cover, TWO!! Starz survives again and Smith drags him up again. Starz throws heavy body shots, then EuroUppers of his own! Smith shoves, whips but Starz goes up and elbows back! Starz goes up again to leap, but into Smith’s arms! Smith pops Starz up to a suplex, but Starz fights free! Starz EuroUppers, but leaps into a catch!

Smith catapults Starz up and out of the ring! Starz crashes down and Piper looks concerned. Piper checks on Starz, coaches him up again as the ring count climbs. Smith dares Starz to get in, and Starz is in at 5 of 10! Smith brings Starz up to ROCK him with a EuroUpper! Smith stalks behind Starz at the ropes but Piper coaches him. Smith stands on Starz’s hand, brings him up and ROCKS him with another EuroUpper! Piper tells Starz to get that fire going, show that he isn’t just going to take this! Starz gives the EuroUppers back! Starz runs and rallies with big shoulder tackles and a BACK DROP! Starz reels Smith in, hooks al eg, but Smith fights the suplex off.

Smith turns Starz, back suplexes but Starz lands on his feet! Things speed up, Starz slips out of Blue Thunder to roll up DEEP! Starz wins!!!

Winner: Jack Starz, by pinfall

Smith is shocked, but three is three! Starz gets his very first singles win in NXT UK! Piper is so happy for him, and says she knew he could do it! Will Starz build on this momentum to be an even bigger star?

Kenny Williams VS Amir Jordan!

Two years ago, as this brand began, so did a friendship between these two young superstars. They trained together, struggled together, won and loss together, and supported each other when the other was injured. But as times got tough, something started to sour. When they disagreed on how to win, that was the last straw, and The Chancer cheated his tag partner out of the titles! A promise broken, a tag team broken, a friendship broken. But now, as these two face each other as enemies, will one of them be left broken in the ring?

The bell rings and Williams rushes Jordan but Jordan dodges to clothesline him first! Jordan rallies with more lariats, throws his scarf off and fires hands on Williams in a corner! The ref backs him off, Williams rushes Jordan again but Jordan punches him first! Jordan fires haymakers, whips Williams to ropes but Williams reverses, only for Jordan to CROSSBODY! Jordan rains down furious fists, but Williams gets away to the outside. Jordan chases him, but Williams baits him into a knee on the apron! Williams runs, Jordan dodges the dropkick to KICK Williams down! Jordan bumps Williams off apron, then CLUBS him around the way.

Jordan bumps Williams off apron again, but won’t let him get away yet! Williams knees back low and hard, and whips Jordan at steps. Jordan stops himself, then dodges as Williams rushes back in! Williams crashes into and over the steps! Jordan stomps Williams down, gets in the ring, and watches Williams on the outside. Williams gets in the ring, begs for mercy and says he’s hurt, but Jordan knows not to trust that! Williams swings on Jordan, Jordan blocks and LARIATS! BT Sports Studio fires up, Jordan runs in to SPLASH Williams in a corner! Jordan whips, Williams reverses but Jordan comes back to LEAPING LARIAT! Cover, TWO!

Williams bails out but Jordan pursues. Williams stays away, tries a sweep but Jordan kicks him back. Jordan WRECKS Williams with a dropkick! Jordan puts Williams back in, shoulders but into a KICK! Williams scowls as he climbs the corner just to KICK away on Jordan’s hand! Williams runs to WRECK Jordan with a dropkick in return! Jordan writhes, Williams paces about, and he goes out at 5 of 10 to get Jordan up. Jordan hits back, Williams CLUBS Jordan, then tears the tape away from the shoulders. Williams CLUBS Jordan more, then puts him in the ring. Cover, TWO! Williams CHOPS Jordan on the back, and brings him up to ROCK him!

Jordan ends up in a corner, Williams snapmares and scrapes Jordan’s face! Cover, TWO! Williams seethes, clamps onto Jordan’s arm, and KNOCKS him down with a straddle attack. Williams clamps onto one arm, pushes Jordan’s head down, and puts so much pressure on that bad arm! Williams steps over, mule kicks Jordan in the head while pulling on the arm. Jordan endures so Williams rolls back to armbar! Williams stomps away on Jordan’s head, then shifts to a cover, TWO! Jordan is still in this but Williams seethes more. Williams brings Jordan up but Jordan body shots. Williams headbutts low, whips Jordan to ropes, but Jordan sunset flips! TWO, and Williams CLOBBERS Jordan! Cover, TWO!!

Williams smirks as he clamps onto Jordan, stomps him down, and then drags him up to throw clubbing crossface forearms! Williams covers again, TWO! Jordan hasn’t given up yet! Williams is annoyed, but Jordan throws body shots and haymakers in return! Jordan CHOPS, throws more hands, then reels Williams in. Williams NORTHERN LIGHTS, then rolls back to basement dropkick! Cover, TWO!! Jordan grits his teeth, Williams starts to lose his cool, and he CLAWS Jordan’s back. Williams “apologizes” to the ref, then brings Jordan up to snapmare and dig his knee into the back. Williams clamps onto the arm, grinds the shoulder and stands on Williams’ head!

Jordan endures, Williams pulls Jordan’s arms into a straitjacket! Jordan endures, even as Williams pulls him back against a knee. Jordan fights up, turns things around, but Williams kicks low. Williams bumps Jordan off buckles, throws forearms, but Jordan kicks low! Williams rams into Jordan, hoists him up top, then ROCKS him with a slapping palm strike! Williams climbs up to get Jordan, but Jordan resists! Jordan fires body shots back, then GOURD BUSTERS Williams to the mat! Jordan adjusts as Williams staggers up, and Jordan missile dropkicks! Williams tumbles all the way to a corner and Jordan runs in to fire off!

Jordan uppercuts, runs and hits a NECKBREAKER! Williams staggers up, swings but into Jordan’s EDGE-O-MATIC! Cover, TWO!! Jordan hurries to a corner, climbs up top, and SWANTON BOMBS!! Cover, TWO!! Williams still lives and shocks Jordan! Williams crawls to a corner, Jordan stalks him and Electric Chair lifts! Williams fights that, slips off, hurdles over and table top sunset flips, TWO! Jordan jackknife to a prawn hold, TWO!! ENZIGURI! Williams wobbles, yoyos, and #LETSKILLIT LARIATS Jordan down! Both men are down and BT Sports Studio is fired up as a standing count begins! Williams sits up first, kicks at Jordan, and stands on his hand.

Jordan sits up to kick Williams away! Jordan throws haymakers but Williams throws body shots back! Williams ROCKS Jordan, and DOUBLE CHOPS! Jordan boots but it’s blocked! Williams wheelbarrows for a FACEBUSTER! Cover, TWO!! Jordan survives again and Williams is beside himself! Williams gets up, goes to a corner, and starts undoing the padding on the crossbar? The ref stops him there, but Williams just goes to a different corner! Jordan rolls Williams up first, TWO!! Williams hurries up, Jordan gets him, waistlock but they end up heading for the ref!

Jordan knows what’s coming! Jordan gets away from the low blow mule kick, to SUPERKICK in return! Cover, TWO!?! Williams survives and Jordan is frustrated! BT Sports Studio slowly builds to a rally, Williams drags himself to a corner, and Jordan storms over. Williams boots him away, then gets him in a clinch to RAM him into the second buckle! It was just loose enough for Jordan to hit the steel behind the padding! Williams hits a HEADLOCK DRIVER!! Cover, Williams wins!!

Winner: Kenny Williams, by pinfall

The Chancer took a chance and it paid off! He gets away with another one, and has a big smile on his face over what he just did to his former friend. “Luck is all I need!” Will Williams leave the Bhangra Boy behind as he goes for his own glory and gold?

My Thoughts:

A pretty good episode for following Prelude and WrestleMania Week. All singles matches tonight but we got a very good tag match set up for next week. Dar & Sha VS Moustache Mountain is going to be great, and I have a feeling Moustache Mountain wins so that Bate can continue strong into the Heritage Cup match. Otherwise, I think Seven loses the match for them so that Dar & Sha can build themselves in the UK Tag Division while not costing Bate. Supernova Sessions was fun, with Gallus taking the couch and Dar unable to do anything about it. Gallus taking on Dennis, T-Bone and Primate already sounds like a lot of fun, and starting with Joe Coffey VS Dennis is a good call.

Frazer VS Huxley was a great opening match, Frazer winning was natural since he is that good and is building up. McKenzie VS Dawn was good, though I’m not sure the point of it other than to keep Dawn strong with her new Heel persona. Meiko responding to Aoife was good, and that match will be great, but I do feel like Meiko could put Aoife over so that Aoife can start to chase Kay Lee Ray and the title now. Jinny starting a thing with Dani Luna is interesting, but it will be good for Dani to get reps with someone as experienced as Jinny. Starz VS Smith was a great match, especially for Starz since he won. Not sure where he and Piper are heading, but it’s fun for Piper to be a coach now while the UK title is still tangled with KLR.

That quick interaction with Gradwell and Mastiff was good, because Mastiff is just shrugging Gradwell off as opposed to letting him get under his skin. That match is going to be great as a fight of “proper British heavyweights,” and could be a chance for Gradwell to get a big win. Jordan VS Williams was great stuff, great amount of story given their history. Two years sure flies, huh? I forgot it had been that long. Williams winning with sneaky tactics was perfect for him, as he is now able to go into the Heritage Cup Division, where A-Kid the current champion is a Face. A-Kid could win, or he could lose to Bate and it’d still be alright, Bate could be a strong Face against Williams, too.

My Score: 8.3/10

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

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

It’s Draft Day!

Published

11 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!