Coverage

Mitchell’s WWE NXT UK Results & Report! (4/29/21)

Will Gallus Boys still be on top?

Published

3 years ago

April 29, 2021

Steven Mitchell

Who will be the alpha predators of NXT UK?

Eddie Dennis has helped The Hunt evolve into a new beast, and they’re looking to make Gallus their prey! Will NXT UK’s food chain change after tonight?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Teoman VS Rohan Raja; Teoman wins.
Sha Samuels VS Levi Muir; Samuels wins.
Aoife Valkyrie VS Meiko Satomura; Satomura wins.
Six Man Tag: Gallus VS Symbiosis; Gallus wins.

PLAY BY PLAY

Teoman VS Rohan Raja!

The Man with the Evil Eye declares himself the Babo (boss) of NXT UK! But will he be able to get respect, admiration and FEAR out of the British born, Australian raised and Canadian trained Indian Prince?

The bell rings and the two tie up. Teoman wrenches to a wristlock, but Raja switches, snapmares and goes for a cover! Teoman scrambles to the ropes, Raja lets off, and Teoman SLAPS him! Teoman throws elbows into Raja’s arm, YANKS the arm, then whips him to ropes to WRING him out! Teoman keeps on the arm with a twist of the wrist. Raja gets up, rolls and arm-drags Teoman away, then things speed up. Raja turns arm-drag into a takedown and press, TWO! Raja is on Teoman’s arm now with a standing armlock. Teoman fights up, throws forearms, but Raja kicks low! Raja whips, Teoman reverses, but Teoman misses in the corner!

Raja slides under, slips back out and ROCKS Teoman, to then slingshot and NECKBREAKER! Teoman gets up, into a SLAP! Raja gives as good as he got, and tells Teoman to respect him! Teoman grins before he winds back and CHOPS! Teoman shoves Raja down, rains down forearms, then lets up to stomp Raja down! Raja gets up and Teoman whips him to ropes. Teoman CLOBBERS Raja with an elbow, then paces around. Teoman KICKS Raja in the back of the head! Raja clutches his neck, Teoman tells Raja to respect HIM. Teoman chinbars to the neck wrench, but Raja gets up. Teoman ROCKS Raja with a right, stomps him in the corner, and CHOPS him.

Teoman whips Raja out to throw him back in! Teoman goes corner to corner but Raja goes up and over! Raja dodges to CROSSBODY! Cover, TWO! Raja keeps moving, but Teoman hits low and hard! Teoman goes to a corner, runs and SLIDING FOREARMS Raja down! BT Sports Studio rallies as Teoman covers, TWO! Teoman gets another neck wrench on Raja, but Raja fights up. They go around, Raja puts Teoman in a corner but Teoman throws hands! Teoman ROCKS Raja, but Raja comes back with a LARIAT! Raja rallies with big elbows, then he shoves Teoman to ropes. Teoman blocks the whip, whips Raja away, but Raja comes back with a dropkick! Cover, TWO!

Raja fires up, builds speed, but Teoman follows, only to run into a POP-UP SPINEBUSTER! Cover, TWO!! Teoman survives and Raja is surprised! Raja grits his teeth, paces about, and waits as Teoman rises. Raja ripcords but Teoman breaks free to dropkick a leg out! Raja writhes, Teoman aims from a corner and goes up. Teoman leaps for a DEEP IMPACT DDT! Teoman fires up, clamps on and has the CROSSFACE!! Raja endures, reaches, claws his way forward, but Teoman cranks back! Raja reaches out, but Teoman rolls Raja away from the ropes! Raja manages to loosen the grip on the chinlock, but Teoman CRANKS back hard, and might have just snapped Raja’s arm!!

Raja writhes and shouts in pain, and the ref checks his arm. Raja is done, Teoman wins!!

Winner: Teoman, by referee stoppage

Raja’s debut wasn’t just ruined, it was shattered! What level of damage did Teoman just deal to NXT UK’s newest recruit? Teoman gets a mic to tell Raja, “I don’t know if you’re just stupid, or brave. Perhaps you will see the eye is watching, all of all.” Will the rest of the roster start to fear facing The Babo?

NXT UK hears from Dani Luna & South Wales Subculture.

Flash Morgan Webster says, “Being from a small mining town, individuality wasn’t always celebrated; it was feared.” Luna says, “Camden Town is my home. I grew up being surrounded by the spirit of anarchy.” Mark Andrews says, “Growing up in South Wales, I was always living on the fringe. Everyone knows that’s where the most exciting things come from.” Fitting in was easy, standing out was hard. The people around Luna lived how they wanted and could be who they wanted to be. To be noticed, you have to take risks, whether on stage, in the ring, and just for fun.

The Mod life taught FMW how to jump through anyone. Punk rock taught Luna how to create her own destiny and have the strength to live on her terms. Skating taught Andrews taught how to get back up. Will these three define NXT UK subculture?

NXT UK Media checks in with Ilja Dragunov.

They bring up the “change” in him lately, and asks how he’s doing. “I mean, what should I say?” But Dave Mastiff walks over and notes how Dragunov’s had a bit of a temper problem. Mastiff knows what that’s like. How about, in the spirit of competition, they beat the temper out of each other? Dragunov accepts that challenge. Will the Bomber and UNBESIEGBAR bulldoze the ring with this battle?

Sid Scala is in the ring!

“NXT UK Universe, it is my pleasure to introduce a champion whose historic reign has been like no other that we’ve seen before on this brand. She is the current and longest reigning NXT UK Women’s Champion, Kay Lee Ray!” The Scary Queen of Scots returns to her show, and even has some steam pyro for her entrance now! The #ForeverChampion smirks as she goes to the ring but is a bit annoyed Sid chivalrously holds the ropes for her. KLR gets a mic, and tells Sid that was a good intro, but not quite good enough. She is not just the longest reigning NXT UK Women’s Champion, but she is the longest reigning women’s champion in all of the WWE today!

And it doesn’t matter how many little schemes Scala cooks up, “no one compares to Kay Lee Ray.” Toni Storm, Piper Niven, Jinny, and even Meiko Satomura. None of them could do what Scala wanted them to do. So let’s just cut to the chase: Sid isn’t here to congratulate her so what does he really want? Yes, there is a reason he asked her to be here today. The NXT UK Women’s Division is stronger than ever, and it is for that reason that Sid and Johnny Saint are giving an opportunity to five women in a Gauntlet Match! The sole survivor will be the NEW #1 contender to the NXT UK Women’s Championship!

And those five women are: Jinny! Isla Dawn! Xia Brookside! Dani Luna! And Emilia McKenzie! All five appear on stage! KLR hopes they all get their hopes up, because she’s letting them know right now, “none of you are good enough to beat the FOREVER Champion!” KLR riles up The Spoiled Princess, the Wicked Witch, Xia High Flya, the Punk Rock Powerhouse and Suplex Millie! Which one rises up above the others to go for KLR’s crown?

NXT UK hears from Pretty Deadly.

“YES, BOY~!” The NXT UK Tag Team Champions said they were gonna do it, and well, they did it! Sam Stoker & Lewis Howley are all over the place with media appearances, magazine shoots, interviews and more! They feel great being champions in the WWE, and they have side plates! They’re progressive, they’re going to take the titles and the brand to the next level, and their reign is proof! #YESBOY!

NXT UK hears from A-Kid.

“First-ever Spanish born superstar in the WWE. First-ever NXT UK Heritage Cup Champion. A lot of people see this as pressure. I don’t. I see it as fuel. I see it as motivation to keep pushing forward to the next goal. And here we are now: A-Kid VS Tyler Bate for the third time.” The very first time was February of 2020, a non-title situation, and Bate won. The second was for the Heritage Cup in December 2020, and A-Kid won. The series is tied, and the cup is back on the line! Bate is someone AK has always looked up to, but now he gets to look him in the eye. AK will find a way to beat Bate one more time, and still be NXT UK Heritage Cup Champion.

Will the Spanish Ace be high against the Big Strong Boy? That battle happens in three weeks!!

Sha Samuels VS Levi Muir!

The East End Butcher and Scottish Supernova couldn’t topple Moustache Mountain, but that won’t stop Sha from scratching and clawing his way to the top! Will he make Muir into minced meat for the sake of momentum?

The bell rings and the two circle. They tie up, Muir powers Sha back to a corner, and gets a bit cocky. Sha clamps on with a headlock, Muir powers up and powers out! The two ram shoulders and Muir eggs Sha on! Sha knees low and CLUBS Muir hard, then DECKS him! Sha gets Muir up, whips him to a corner, and throws haymakers! Sha brings Muir around, whips him but Muir goes up and over. Muir runs, ducks and dodges to CROSSBODY! Cover, TWO! Muir scoops and SLAMS Sha, then runs to drop an elbow, only to miss! Sha gets up, and stomps Muir down! Sha drops an elbow on Muir and hits the mark! Sha sits Muir up to drive elbows into the shoulders and neck!

Sha stands on Muir’s shoulders, then KICKS him in the back! Sha shouts, “How’s that, ya mug?!” Muir gets to a corner, Sha runs in, and corner splashes! Sha keeps moving and he LARIATS Muir down! Sha sits Muir up and clamps on a chinlock to grind him down. Muir endures as Sha thrashes him around, but Sha shifts to isolate an arm. Sha throws more elbows into the shoulder, then he clamps tight on the arm. Muir fights up and hits body shots, but Sha cranks the shoulder! Muir keeps fighting, throws more body shots, and kicks Sha low! Muir fires big haymakers, then whips Sha, but Sha reverses to ROCK him! Sha wants the Butcher’s Hook, but Muir arm-drags free!

Muir rallies with big clotheslines and then gets Sha to a Russian Leg Sweep! Muir drops a knee as BT Sports Studio fires up. Muir gets Sha for a torture rack! Sha rakes Muir’s face to get free! Sha ROCKS Muir, runs in but Muir boots him away! Muir goes up top, but Sha YANKS him to the mat! Muir staggers up, into a SPINEBUSTER! Cover, Sha wins!

Winner: Sha Samuels, by pinfall

Sha still talks trash even after he’s won! Will the East End Butcher get his hooks into the top ranks of NXT UK?

NXT UK Media catches up with Trent Seven.

He’s been inspiring a lot of people lately, so how is he feeling? It’s been a great couple of months, he’s got a chance to influence even just one or two people, and that’s a job well done. He’s been here since day one, it’s time to kick it into a new gear. But then Sam Gradwell walks over and takes offense to Seven being proud of being a “founding father” in NXT UK. They both signed the exact same contract at the exact same time. Gradwell is a founding father who came back from a career ending injury in the shape of his life, no one bats an eye. Seven drops “a few dodgy pounds” and loses a title match, and somehow he’s a role model?!

The fans may have put Seven on a pedestal, but not Gradwell’s. Gradwell will knock Seven off his! Seven has been given a lot to think about, how will he respond to the Thunderstorm?

Aoife Valkyrie VS Meiko Satomura!

Though she has not reached the heights she’s aiming for, the Valkyrie is still undefeated in NXT UK! Will she finally get where she wants to be after facing the Final Boss? Or will we be reminded why Satomura is the best in the world?

The bell rings and Aoife bows respect to Meiko before they circle. They approach, tie up, and are in a deadlock. Meiko manages to get leverage and pushes Aoife back to ropes. The ref counts, Meiko lets off but gives a swift KICK to a leg! Meiko is making sure Aoife is taking this seriously as the two go again. Another deadlock in the collar ‘n’ elbow, but now Aoife finds the leverage needed. Aoife puts Meiko on ropes, lets off, and gives that kick back, only to get caught! Meiko turns things around to ROCK Aoife with a forearm! The ref counts, the two get off the ropes as Meiko arm-drags Aoife down! They fight for control on the mat, Meiko avoids a cover but Aoife gets a ropebreak.

Meiko lets off just long enough to get Aoife back up. Aoife blocks a judo throw but Meiko shifts to throw Aoife from a new angle! Meiko has the cording hold, but Aoife fights up and pushes Meiko to ropes. Meiko holds on tight as Aoife tries to whip her away, but Aoife jumps up to headscissor! Meiko SLAMS Aoife down and still has the armlock! Aoife moves around, Meiko wrenches and wristlocks, but Aoife moves around and gets another ropebreak. The ref counts, Meiko kicks the arm as she lets it go! Aoife is learning just how savvy Meiko is as the two circle again. They tie up with knuckle locks now, but Aoife kicks a leg to arm-drag, roll and arm-drag again!

Aoife shifts around to chicken wing and ghost pin, TWO! Meiko kicks low, snapmares but Aoife gets a wristlock! Aoife wrangles Meiko, twists the wrist and pulls the arm. Meiko headscissors and squeezes tight, but Aoife kips free! BT Sports Studio loves the exchange as the two reset. Meiko and Aoife tie up, Meiko headlocks and grinds tight, but Aoife powers out, only for Meiko to FLYING SHOULDER TACKLE! Meiko watches Aoife get up, and KICKS her in the chest! Meiko whips Aoife to a corner and runs in to KNEE her down! Meiko whips her corner to corner again, runs in, but Aoife boots her!

Aoife goes up, over, handsprings and sunset flips, but Meiko stays up to stomp Aoife down! ARMBAR! Aoife clasps hands, rolls to a cover, TWO!! Meiko lets Aoife go, and the two stand off as BT Sports Studio fires up. Meiko and Aoife circle, Aoife gets around to waistlock but Meiko elbows and snapmares her down. Meiko waistlocks, Aoife fights her way up and wrenches to headbutt low! Aoife runs, ducks the roundhouse and ENZIGURIS! Meiko tumbles out of the ring! Aoife builds speed to WRECK Meiko with the dropkick! Aoife fires up and goes after Meiko on the ramp! Aoife gets Meiko up, uses a cravat to drag Meiko up and in at 5 of 10 then covers, TWO!

Aoife keeps on Meiko as she uses her legs for a full nelson! Meiko endures this chicken wing stretch, even as Aoife squeezes and pulls the arms! Meiko refuses to quit, even as Aoife bridges for leverage! Meiko falls over to get the ropebreak! The ref counts, Aoife holds on until 4! Aoife drags Meiko up, whips her to ropes, but Meiko reverses to EuroUpper Aoife off her feet! Meiko gets a leg and KICKS away on it! Then a spinning toehold and a figure four, Meiko has a Deathlock, into a TRAILER HITCH! Aoife flails and writhes, but she refuses to quit! Aoife reaches, claws, drags herself and Meiko over, and gets the ROPEBREAK! Meiko lets go at 3, and BT Sports Studio is rallying!

Meiko gets Aoife up but Aoife KICKS a leg! Meiko KICKS, Aoife KICKS, repeat! Meiko blocks a kick and flips Aoife up and over! ROUNDHOUSE! Cover, TWO!! Aoife survives but Meiko just fires up! Meiko drags Aoife up, but Aoife resists the fireman’s carry! Meiko KICKS Aoife down, then runs, but Aoife ducks the wheel kick! PELE!! Cover, TWO!! Meiko survives but Aoife just goes up the corner. Aoife wants to end this but Meiko ROCKS her first! Meiko climbs, gets Aoife up, but Aoife resists the superplex! Aoife throws body shots, adjusts her position, and sunset POWERBOMBS! Cover, TWO!! The Final Boss hasn’t been beaten yet!

Aoife drags Meiko back up, fires up and runs from the corner, but the enziguri misses! Meiko waistlocks for the DANGEROUS SAIDO!! Both women are down and a standing count begins! The count reaches 5 of 10 before Meiko gets to her feet. Meiko KICKS Aoife again, then aims from a corner. Aoife ROCKS Meiko before Scorpio Rising! HEEL KICK!! Aoife hurries to get Meiko in the drop zone then climb up top! MOONSAULT!! Cover, TWO!!! Meiko survives again and Aoife can’t believe it! Aoife fires herself back up and goes back up top. Meiko slowly rises, Aoife takes aim, PEREPETEIA FLOPS!!! Meiko hits a DDT!! And then HANDSPRING AX KICK!

Aoife shakes her head, she’s not done yet! Meiko CLUBS Aoife back down, then HANDSPRING AX KICKS again! Aoife again sits up and glares at Meiko! Meiko KICKS Aoife in the chest! And then, SCORPIO RISING!!! Cover, Meiko wins!!

Winner: Meiko Satomura, by pinfall

Perepeteia didn’t hit, but fortunes did turn! Aoife is no longer undefeated, but Meiko shows Aoife the respect she’s earned by offering a hand to help her up. Aoife accepts it, but will she be able to accept that she’s still not ready for those highest of heights?

The Hunt is evolving.

Primate was “built on a battlefield. The mask hides the scars of war.” For T-Bone, there was a point when he was unstoppable, but somewhere, he lost his way. Eddie Dennis says, “Every soldier needs a leader. And some men just need a familiar face to remind them who they are. My mind may be a machine, but these bodies are my ammunition. Symbiotic in nature, Symbiosis in name.” Will this be the three headed beast that devours Gallus and all of NXT UK?

And so, it has come to this for Kenny Williams and Amir Jordan.

Kenny remembers first meeting Amir the night they first tagged together. That was back in November of 2018! They lost then, but gained some momentum, worked well as a team, and got their first win in January of 2019. They wanted those NXT UK Tag Team Championships, and believed they could do it. Or at least, Kenny believed Kenny could do it. Fast forward through the struggles of 2019 and the sheer disappointment of 2020, and they had their shot just last month, only for it all to fall apart. Kenny betrayed Amir and made it clear he was a Chancer. With a little bit of a Chancer, everything else is a cancer.

Amir couldn’t understand it, but Kenny says he’s had to overcompensate for all of Amir’s shortcomings. But this didn’t end with the betrayal, it only got started. Kenny cheats his way to success, Amir does it with hard work. Kenny doesn’t see himself as the bad guy, but Amir says he’s scum. So this will end, with a NO DISQUALIFICATION rematch, Loser Leaves NXT UK! It is all or nothing, and Amir vows to bring out the edge he has deep down. The end of a friendship could end someone’s career!

Six Man Tag: Gallus VS Symbiosis!

Wolfgang, Mark Coffey & Joe Coffey have slowly been rebuilding their kingdom, but there are others wanting to take their spot. Eddie Dennis leads Primate and Tyson T-Bone into battle, but who will be the alpha males of NXT UK’s animal kingdom?

Gallus dares Symbiosos to throw hands but the ref tells them to sort out. The Welsh Dragon and the Iron King start, but then Dennis tags out to Primate. Primate ties up with Joe, Joe whips then wrenches but Primate throws big forearms! Primate tags T-Bone, they hand off the wrench, but Joe wrenches back. T-Bone throws big hands, puts Joe in the Symbiosis corner and throws more hands! Joe dodges to wrench and ram shoulders with T-Bone. T-Bone kicks Joe’s leg, CLUBS him down, then drags him over to bump off buckles. Dennis tags in and now he stomps Joe. Dennis wrenches, YANKS the arm, but Joe rolls and kips up to wrench.

Joe clamps onto Dennis’ arm, but Dennis fights up to rolls free. Joe runs in but is sent to the corner. Joe goes up and comes back to EuroUpper Dennis down! Joe tags brother Mark, the Coffey brothers double wrench and double pop-up to double CHOP! Mark wrenches, tags Wolfgang, and Mark rams his shoulder into Dennis before Wolfgang CLUBS Dennis on the back. Wolfgang wrenches then knuckle locks, then one-arm suplexes Dennis down! Wolfgang grinds the arm, drags Dennis back up and tags in Joe. Gallus mugs Dennis, Joe whips Dennis to ropes, but T-Bone tags in to blindside Joe! T-Bone RAMS Joe into an open corner and rams his shoulder in again and again!

The ref counts, T-Bone lets off at 3, then drags Joe out for an OVERHEAD Belly2Belly! T-Bone drags Joe up for an EXPLODER! Joe writhes, Dennis tells his team to punish him! Primate tags in to springboard ax handle Joe down! Primate stomps away on Joe, drops ax handles again, then snarls as he tags Dennis back in. Dennis kicks Joe around, talks trash, but Joe throws body shots! Dennis forearms, Joe headbutts! Joe whips, Dennis dodges and BOOTS! Joe leaps but into Dennis’ SWINGING SLAM! Cover, TWO! Joe survives and Dennis grows frustrated. Dennis drags Joe up and over to Symbiosis for T-Bone to tag in. T-Bone hits Joe in the ribs but Joe hits back.

T-Bone CLUBS Joe, bumps him off buckles, and tags in Primate. Symbiosis whip Joe HARD into the buckles, then throw him down for a DOUBLE STOMP! Cover, TWO!! Joe survives and Primate is furious, but Primate stays between Joe and his corner. Joe throws hands, Primate kicks low but Joe headbutts low! Primate sunset flips but Joe stays up! Joe reaches for Gallus but he’s too far, and Primate finishes the sunset! Joe rolls through and gets a leg but Primate kicks him in the face! Tag to T-Bone, Symbiosis gets Joe up and whip him to ropes, but Joe kicks back! Joe sends Primate out, ROCKS T-Bone with big rights and lefts, but T-Bone knees low!

T-Bone elbows Mark, BOOTS Joe, then tags Dennis! Dennis drags Joe up, reels him in, but Joe slips off the Severn Bridge to BOOT Dennis back! Joe goes up and up and CROSSBODIES! Both men are down and BT Sports Studio fires up! Wolfgang and T-Bone are glaring at each other as their leaders crawl for the corners. Dennis and Joe glare at each other, Joe kicks Dennis, hot tags to T-Bone and Wolfgang! The Last King of Scotland rallies on T-Bone, and hits a corner splash! Wolfgang BOOTS Primate down, climbs and drops ax handles on T-Bone! Dennis returns but Wolfgang DECKS him! Wolfgang fireman’s carries but T-Bone clubs free!

T-Bone scoops and FALL AWAY SLAMS Wolfgang away! Tag to Primate, he keeps Wolfgang back but Wolfgang boots free! Hot tag to Mark! Mark rallies on Primate, runs him over with shoulder after shoulder, then half nelson SLAMS! T-Bone runs in but Mark CLUBS him back down! Mark runs corner to corner at Primate for a EuroUpper, clothesline, and push! Mark goes up, for a FLYING BULLDOG! Cover, TWO! Primate survives but Mark gets him up. Primate slips out of a choke slam to CLOBBER Mark! Tag to Dennis, he gets Mark up and scoops for the SIDEWINDER! Cover, TWO!! Dennis is furious and he BOOTS Wolfgang down!

Tag to T-Bone, Symbiosis works together to scoop Mark, then Primate tags in. T-Bone hits a RUNNING POWERSLAM, Primate hits a DIVING HEADBUTT!! Cover, Joe breaks it in time! Dennis gets back in but Joe throws him out first! T-Bone BOOTS Joe out, goes after Mark, but Mark shoves T-Bone out the other side! Mark dodges Primate’s springboard attack, to GAMANGIRI! Primate flounders, Mark gets him up and brings him around for a SIDE EFFECT! Hot tag to Wolfgang! Wolfgang tags Joe, before the DRIVE-BY SENTON! Wolfgang SPEARS T-Bone off the apron!

Joe runs at Primate for the GLASGOW SENDOFF!! Then he runs for ALL THE BEST FOR THE BELLS! Mark keeps Dennis out of the ring as Joe covers, Gallus wins!!

Winners: Gallus, by pinfall

Symbiosis was strong, but not strong enough! Gallus Boys are still on top, but will they be able to once again make NXT UK their kingdom?

My Thoughts:

A very good NXT UK this week, with matches you shouldn’t sleep on. I was curious what was going to happen with Teoman taking on another new star already, and I could never have guessed they’d go with an injury angle like that! It certainly turn Teoman into a ruthless Heel, and I would hope this gives Raja a reason to bring out his own aggression so that this can turn into a really heated feud already. We got good backstage promos to create some coming matches, like Dragunov VS Mastiff and Seven VS Gradwell. The first is probably going to be a hard hitting take on “the friendly,” two Faces just throwing down.

The second is great, Gradwell does have a good point about how he was here at the start but missed some time and is now like an afterthought for it. Their match is going to be great, I feel like Gradwell is going to win to build himself up and finally be where he certainly feels he should be in the brand. I like that we’re getting a huge contender’s match for the women’s title, though Jinny is in it to build someone up and put them over, I’m sure of it. I feel like it will either be Dani Luna or Millie McKenzie. Dani and SWSC had a good vignette to build them as a trio, #Subculture, and I look forward to how that builds. I’m sure they’ll still be strong even if Luna loses the gauntlet.

It’s good to see Pretty Deadly are active as champions, and we got good hype packages for the Heritage Cup Championship and the Kenny Williams VS Amir Jordan grudge match. I’m surprised we’re having to wait three weeks for the Heritage Cup match but maybe we’re getting other big things the next two weeks. Sha VS Muir was very good, but naturally Sha wins to build himself up more. I’m waiting for him and Dar to get serious about being in the NXT UK Tag Division, I think those guys could really make a splash.

Meiko VS Aoife was a great match, and I was actually a bit surprised Aoife lost. But given the women’s gauntlet, this is obviously to have Aoife take a detour and build up in the background as KLR faces the gauntlet winner. The Symbiosis video package was already on social media but it was good to see it here. The Six Man Tag main event was very good, and I’m again a bit surprised Symbiosis lost. Gallus could’ve probably taken a loss here, they don’t feel that much worse off from their time off but I suppose they did need something to help them get their momentum back. They’ve teased the Joe VS Rampage rematch so Joe needed momentum going into that, and the tag team of Mark & Wolfgang needed something to get back into the tag title race, so the math leads to one conclusion: Gallus Boys On Top.

My Score: 8.4/10

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

7 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!