Coverage

Mathew’s AJPW Champion Carnival Results & Review: Day 8 (4/28/21)

Mathew is back and the Champion Carnival is coming to a head! The top of the standings are still a little congested. Does anyone break away in the home stretch?

Published

3 years ago

May 2, 2021

Mathew Sarpraicone

Hello everyone, and welcome back to another Champion Carnival show. I want to thank Andrew for covering me for that previous show while I was out with both a tooth pain, and being a responsible adult by getting my 2nd shot. We got three shows left to cover and three people are eliminated so far while three people are tied for first. Will we see more eliminations? Will more people climb up the ladder?

All this and more as we…dive right in.

Star Rating System:

0 Stars: Dave Meltzer
1 Star: Vince Russo
2 Stars: Tony Schiavone
3 Stars: Eric Bischoff
4 Stars: Bruce Prichard
5 Stars: Jim Cornette

Quick Results:

Yuma Aoyagi vs Koji Doi: Yuma wins via End Game – *** 1/2
Shotaro Ashino vs Zeus: Zeus wins via Jackhammer – *** 1/2
Jake Lee vs Kohei Sato: Jake wins via Giant Killing – *** 1/4
Shinjiro Otani vs Suwama: Suwama wins via Manriki Sleeper – *** 1/2
Shuji Ishikawa vs Kento Miyahara: Shuji wins via Giant Killer – ****

Champion Carnival 2021 Match
Yuma Aoyagi vs. Koji Doi

Review: It’s been since day 2 since we had a show with everyone involved but it’s time to kick things off as Yuma Aoyagi takes on Koji Doi. The two have a little bit of history as Koji attacked Yuma in one of his Carnival matches last year and Yuma defeated him after the tournament. Yuma is in a position where he cannot afford a single loss or else he’s out. Koji is already eliminated but he could still played the spoiler card. Will Yuma be eliminated or will he continue to hold on?

The two started off with some nice chain wrestling for a brief moment until Koji would knock him down with the shoulder. Yuma would get Koji back to have him down, rolling out of the ring as the two are now fighting on the outside of the ring. Yuma was able to block a turnbuckle shot and slams Koji’s head on the post. Nice little spot with Koji tossing Yuma into the corner, catching his feet to turn him as he stomped on his chest. Koji is someone who can be a reliable worker but when it comes to elevating in the card, he’s still missing that thing to put him over, despite being a solid worker. Yuma has been great in this Carnival and seeing him in these matches give me hope for his future once this tournament is all over.

Yuma would find a way to fight back as he ducked the Lariat and hits him with a flying forearm, then runs to the turnbuckle, bouncing off as he hits a Crossbody. Yuma climbed to the top ropes and waits for Koji to get up and hits another Crossbody as Koji kicked out at two. Yuma went to grab him but Koji grabbed his arm to pull him down, applying the Rings of Saturn! Koji has it locked in but Yuma had his foot on the ropes to break the hold. Koji runs the ropes to attempts the Murder Lariat but Yuma ducks to hit a German Suplex but Koji got up to try again as Yuma ducked once more, hitting another German Suplex. Yuma attempted to hit a third one but Koji reversed it into a DDT, and hits a Brainbuster as they’re both down! The two slowly get up as they exchange blows back and forth but Koji hits a forearm before picking him up for Swinging Side Slam. Koji went for the Murder Lariat but Yuma ducked once more to turn it into the Backslide as Koji kicked out. Yuma tried to apply the End Game but Koji stood up with Yuma holding onto the Guillotine, getting him down as he applies the End Game to get the victory!

Rating: Eric Bischoff and a half

Champion Carnival 2021 Match
Zeus vs. Shotaro Ashino

Review: It’s time now for our next match as Zeus takes on Shotaro Ashino. This one hurts a little since both of these men have six points each, meaning that one of them is going to be eliminated today after this match is over. Shotaro has been making a bit of a small comeback lately but Zeus is one that lost three of his matches in a row. Who’s staying in the game and which one is out?

Zeus is still your god and you should worship is beefcake as such. Zeus shoved Shotaro down twice after two lock-up attempts but would get him into the corner after the third one, taunting him a little. Shotaro is showing more agility here as he went for the Ankle lock right away but with Zeus’ godlike physique, he was able to maneuver around to stop him. I also must mention that this is the first time these two have shared a ring together one-on-one, and was one I wanted to see for quite some time. The two have a chop battle and you just hear every single slap happening but it would come to a quick end when Zeus gets Ashino into the corner. I love how more ruthless Shotaro is being in these matches ever since he was on that losing streak since he knows that he cannot afford to mess around and hurt his opponent as much as he can to ruin his opponents arsenal, and make them tap out. Shotaro lifted him up with the gutwrench and tossed him over as Zeus kicked out at two.

Shotaro wrenches Zeus’ arm in a Kimura position and Zeus is struggling quite a bit here but Shotaro transitions it into an Armbar! Zeus is wiggling and fighting around to try and find the rope but eventually finds one to break the hold. Shotaro hits uppercuts on the arm and ran the ropes but is caught with a Dropkick from Zeus. Zeus splashes him onto the corner and would lift him up to toss him over his shoulders. Zeus goes for the Chokeslam but Ashino reverses it to push him down, going for the ankle as he applies the Ankle Lock! Shotaro has him in the center of the ring and has his leg on Zeus’ injured arm for more pressure but Zeus grabbed the ropes. Shotaro applies the Kimura but Zeus tossed him over with ease and hits him with a beautiful Chokeslam as Shotaro kicked out! Zeus hits a Lariat to turn him inside out as Shotaro kicked out again! Zeus finally hits the Jackhammer as he wins the match, eliminating Shotaro in the process. Bittersweet to see and wish this match took place at the next show where the stakes would’ve been higher but still a solid match.

Rating: Eric Bischoff and a half

Champion Carnival 2021 Match
Jake Lee vs. Kohei Sato

Review: We’re now at the halfway point for today’s show as Kohei Sato is set to take on Jake Lee. Jake is still in the lead but a win here would give him the top spot. Kohei is another one who is in the same position as him and a win here will put him in the top spot as well. Which one of these men will rank above the rest of the standings?

The two lock-up and chain in the center of the ring as Jake would have the advantage until Kohei has his foot on the rope but Jake rolls him back in the middle for a headlock until Kohei turned it around. The chain finally broke as the crowd would clap for them in the stalemate and now it looks like they’re going to kick it up a little. Kohei got Jake into the ropes and went for a forearm until Jake ducked to grab his arm, working on it to apply pressure since his arms are dangerous. Jake still held onto his arm and would work on it to weaken it more. Jake’s heel persona would tone down a little here and just focuses his on his wrestling to bring this man down. I also enjoy how technical this match has been so far, mostly focusing on wrestling holds to bring the other down while working on a body part, it shows Jake can wrestle most styles to match his opponents and Kohei is one that can still hold his own.

Kohei finally fights back and pushes him down to apply a Heel Hook to work on Jake’s leg but would grab the rope quick enough before it got worse. Kohei would apply it again as Jake tries to kick Kohei to make him break the hold but failed until he grabbed the rope again. Kohei picked Jake up but Jake grabbed his arm to hit it more before being hit in the gut. Kohei delivers the stiff kicks to Jake and knocks him down as he kicked out at two. Kohei would attempt the Falcon Arrow but Jake reversed it into the Fujiwara Armbar until Kohei grabbed the rope right away. Jake knees him in the face and hits a DDT but Kohei kicked out at two as Jake quickly attempts to apply the Armbar but Kohei tries to fight it until Jake would roll him to turn it into an armlock. Jake is pulling onto Kohei’s arm tight but Kohei had his foot on the rope again. Jake would hit Kohei’s arm with a knee and charged at him, meeting Kohei’s forearm. Jake retaliated with the Giant Killing as Jake pinned him for the win! Jake is now officially in first place!

Rating: Eric Bischoff and a quarter

Champion Carnival 2021 Match
Suwama vs. Shinjiro Otani

Review: Time for our pre-main event with our Triple Crown Champion, Suwama taking on Shinjiro Otani. Suwama is one loss away from being eliminated, so a win here for him would put him in a good position along with the others who have 8 points. Otani is another one who is already eliminated but he can still play spoiler, and what better way to do that than by defeating the champ. Can Suwama win once more or will the champ be gone?

Otani gets Suwama in a headlock as Suwama delivers a couple punches to the gut, trying to push him off as Otani would hold his ground as the fans clapped. Otani is refusing to let go of the hold no matter how many times Suwama tries to push him off but finally does as they meet with shoulder tackles but Otani won the exchange after a Dropkick, making Suwama roll out the ring. Otani wasn’t done as he jumped off the apron to land on the champ on the outside. It looks like Otani is hurt on his shoulder as the referee starts counting him out until he fights the pain to roll in the ring, however, the champ would be on the attack on his arm once he’s in the ring. Judging by how he’s selling it, it looks like he could actually be legit hurt and is trying his best to fight through the pain and continue the match. I will say that Otani’s performance during the entire Carnival so far is enough to make a good argument as to why he could be an MVP of the tournament, every match he’s been in has had great performances while making his opponents look good in the process. Otani is showing his fighting spirit but Suwama would deliver a stiff chop to make him fall into the corner.

Suwama grabs his injured arm to roll him over and wrenches it, trying to get Otani to tap out he doesn’t wan to quit as Suwama has him up on his feet just to throw him down to apply the hold on his arm once more. Suwama turned it into the Fujiwara Armbar while the fans would clap for Otani to fight out of it, he eventually does when he grabs the ropes. Suwama hits a forearm as Otani tells him to do it again, fighting him off to soften the blows from the champ, and Suwama topped him with a kick to the gut. Suwama charges at Otani towards the corner but Otani moved to make the champ crash as he delivers stomps to the champ in the corner. Suwama delivers forearms to Otani and sees that he’s still standing and delivers one more to make Otani fall to his knees. Otani fights back with chops while Suwama does the same, crowd getting pumped up with the two hitting each other until Suwama turned him around for the Sleeper Hold! Suwama has it locked in while fans clapped for Otani again to try and keep him going as he held onto the ropes to save himself! Suwama calls for the Last Ride but Otani flips him over and chops him some more. Suwama was able to knock Otani down again and goes for the Backdrop but Otani gets by the ropes to make him break it. Suwama with the short-arm Lariats to stun him before applying the Sleeper once again as the referee has no choice but to call it, giving Suwama the victory!

Rating: Eric Bischoff and a half

Champion Carnival 2021 Match
Kento Miyahara vs. Shuji Ishikawa

Review: It’s now time for our main event of the show as we close out with Kento Miyahara taking on Shuji Ishikawa. The two are no strangers with each other, they always deliver great matches, and it’s usually around when it’s a big moment in the tournament. Kento has a chance to tie with Jake Lee again if he can win the match here. Shuji, unfortunately, is already eliminated but he could have a chance to stack up on some points and prevent another person from advancing up. Will Kento beat Shuji in two Carnival matches in a row or will Shuji prevail?

Intense lock-up to start off as they’re already by the ropes with Kento teasing Shuji, pretending to hit him before backing away. The two lock up again with Shuji pushing Kento into the ropes, referee calling for them to break it up as Shuji hits him with a forearm before backing away as Kento is on the ring apron. Shuji gets outside of the ring to pull Kento with him, twisting his head in front of the crowd while Kento screams in pain, selling it wonderfully. Kento fights back with a stiff headbutt to stop Shuji before kicking him in the face and delivers another headbutt. I always love their work together in the ring, their chemistry never disappoints me and now that Shuji is on his own again, we could see one more serious single run from Shuji down the line, especially as the GAORA TV Champion. After the two of them are done beating the crap out of each other outside the ring, Shuji finally rolled Kento back in and keep punishing the ace. Shuji gets Kento into the Abdominal Stretch to apply more pressure into the midsection of Kento, his elbow pressed onto his ribs but Kento grabbed the ropes. Loving how dominating Shuji is looking in this match while Kento is selling it off well to match his dominace, this is just great stuff. Kento would find some energy to roll under his Lariat, kick his leg out, and hits a Dropkick.

Kento hits a Blackout into the corner but Shuji stops him, making Kento be by the ring apron again until Shuji is on the apron with him. The two are now fighting on the apron until Kento gets Shuji down with a Blackout after fighting off the Fire Thunder as both men are outside the ring again. The finally slide back into the ring as Kento is ready to strike, hitting a Blackout on the back of his head into the corner, topping it off with a German Suplex. Kento goes for another Blackout but Shuji grabbed his leg as Kento hits him to hit a Brainbuster and Shuji gets up to hit a Lariat as they both go down again. They get up as they exchange forearms to each other until Shuji would hit the last one to make Kento feel dazed. Kento hits a kick, Shuji blocks the second one as he hits a Dragon Suplex from behind and then a Tsunami as Kento kicked out at two! Shuji gets him up on his shoulders as Kento reverses it into a Hurricanrana and then charges at him for a Blackout. Kento hits another Blackout as Shuji kicked out at two. Kento is going for the Shutdown German Suplex hold as Shuji is struggling and eventually breaks free, catching Kento for the Fire Thunder but Kento kicked out at two! Shuji finally gets him up to hit the Splash Mountain but Kento kicked out at two again! It looked like Shuji was going for the Giant Killer but Kento fought off him to hit another Blackout and gets him up for the Shutdown German Suplex hold again but Shuji hits him and applies the Regal-Plex, Kamigoya, and a Tsunami but Kento kicked out! Shuji wasted no time as he hits the Giant Killer to get the victory!

Rating: Bruce Prichard

Overall: there was no bad match on this show, all five of the matches would deliver great quality with all of them being unique. Four people are eliminated now as Jake is also the only one in first place. We have two more shows left and this next one could be a deciding factor as to what could happen on the final day.

Favorite Match: Kento Miyahara vs. Shuji Ishikawa

Least Favorite Match: Jake Lee vs. Kohei Sato

Score: 8/10

Champion Carnival Standings:

Jake Lee: (5-2) (10 Points)
Kento Miyahara: (4-3) (8 Points)
Kohei Sato: (4-3) (8 Points)
Suwama: (4-3) (8 Points)
Yuma Aoyagi: (4-3) (8 Points)
Zeus: (4-3) (8 Points)
Shotaro Ashino: (3-4) (6 Points) (Eliminated)
Shuji Ishikawa: (3-4) (6 Points) (Eliminated)
Shinjiro Otani: (2-4-1) (4 Points) (Eliminated)
Koji Doi: (1-5-1) (2 Points) (Eliminated)

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

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Mathew’s AJPW Champion Carnival Results & Review: Day 9 (4/29/2021)

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AEW Coverage

Mitchell’s AEW Rampage Results & Report! (12/1/23)

Best Friends are on a Rampage!

Published

24 mins ago

December 1, 2023

Steven Mitchell

Will tonight be Very Nice, Very Evil or whatever?

Greetings humans! Danhausen is back in AEW, and to celebrate, he teams with Orange Cassidy, Trent Beretta & Hook in a Very Nice, Very BIG 8 Man Tag!

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Six Man Tag: Penta El Zero Miedo, El Hijo Del Vikingo & Komander w/ Alex Abrahantes VS Brian Cage & The Workhorsemen; win.
The Don Callis Family VS ???
Six Woman Tag: Anna Jay & The Outcasts VS Hikaru Shida, Skye Blue & Kris Statlander; win.
8 Man Tag: Orange Cassidy, Hook, Danhausen & Trent Beretta VS Matthew Menard, Angelo Parker & The Dark Order; win.

PLAY BY PLAY

[Due to scheduling conflicts, coverage of AEW Rampage will begin later tonight]

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

Coverage

Mitchell’s WWE SmackDown Results & Report! (12/1/23)

SmackDown hears voices!

Published

2 hours ago

December 1, 2023

Steven Mitchell

The Viper is here for The Bloodline!

He returned at WarGames, he returned to Monday Night Raw, and now, The Apex Predator, Randy Orton, returns to Friday Night SmackDown! Will he be able to strike at The Bloodline tonight?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Pete Dunne VS Bobby Lashley w/ The Street Profits; Lashley wins.
Santos Escobar VS Joaquin Wilde; Santos wins.
Kevin Owens VS Grayson Waller w/ Austin Theory; wins.
Bianca Belair w/ Charlotte Flair & Shotzi VS Kairi Sane w/ DMG CTRL; wins.

PLAY BY PLAY

Bianca Belair is here!

Brooklyn cheers The EST as she skips to the ring, her team victorious against Damage Control in WarGames! After a recap package, fans chant for Bianca and she gets the mic to say, “Man, it is so cool to be in one of the best boroughs in one of the greatEST cities in the world, Brooklyn!” The fans cheer that! Bianca says DMG CTRL really tried to take them out, but her team did what needed to be done. So shout out to Becky Lynch for coming through, showing up and showing out. Shout out to Shotzi for her guts and passion. And shoutout to Charlotte Flair for being a bigger person and making that call to Becky.

“Now while it feels great to be standing in this ring and celebrating that W from WarGames, my war with DMG CTRL, it ain’t over~! Cuz Iyo Sky, I’m still coming for you, cuz I want my title back!” Fans also cheer that. But speaking of Iyo, here she comes! The Evil Genius leads DMG CTRL out, though where’s Bayley? That aside, Dakota Kai is the one to tell Bianca, “It’s really great how uh, you can get all of these people to cheer for you.” The fans boo her but Dakota tells them to shut up! Dakota says just earlier, Iyo was saying how gross it is here in Brooklyn! It smells! Who would want to live here?!

DMG CTRL slide into the ring, and Dakota says Iyo was also saying that Bianca is in way over her head, dude. Iyo already beat Bianca twice. So… if Bianca wants to get yet another shot, she’ll have to go through all of DMG CTRL. Well that ain’t nothing new. So who wants it first, huh? But wait! Here come Charlotte & Shotzi to back Bianca up! Fans cheer as Charlotte says “Ladies~…! Bianca isn’t the only one coming for you. And I’d love to go through all of DMG CTRL.” Shotzi says it seems to her that there’s enough DMG CTRL to go around. They rush in, and the brawl is on! Fans fire up but Iyo TOSSES Bianca and helps Asuka against Charlotte!

Shotzi and Kairi brawl in a corner, Bianca returns, Charlotte BOOTS Asuka way while Bianca RAMS Iyo into a corner! Bianca stomps Iyo down, Charlotte helps Shotzi with Kairi, and Charlotte sets Kairi up for Shotzi’s BOOT! Iyo ends up isolated, and Bianca hits a SPINEBUSTER! Iyo scrambles out, DMG CTRL regroups, are their days on top numbered?

DMG CTRL regroups backstage.

And Bayley is confused as to what’s going on. Iyo angrily asks where Bayley was but Bayley says no one told her they were going out there! Maybe if she knew, things would’ve been different! The joshi talk in Japanese, Dakota cools it off. What matters is that Kairi is facing Bianca tonight. No one knows Bianca better than Bayley so Kairi would appreciate the help. Kairi says yes, they’re “tomodachi <friends>,” that’d be appreciated. Bayley says okay, but are they really Bayley’s friends?

Pete Dunne VS Bobby Lashley w/ The Street Profits!

With Sheamus recovering from injury and Ridge Holland just ditching him last week, The Bruiserweight is all alone against The All Mighty! Will Dunne stand a chance against the overwhelming strength of Bobby Lashley?

SmackDown returns and Lashley makes his entrance, Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins by his side. But before the bell, Lashley gets a mic to say “Hey, listen, kid. When I told you to make a name for yourself…” The fans chant “BOBBY! BOBBY!” and Lashley says that’s a name. Does Dunne know what Lashley can do to him? Lashley will break Dunne into pieces! Is Dunne ready for that? Dunne SLAPS Lashley! Fans fire up, Lashley grins, and the bell rings. Dunne then BOOTS Lashley! And BOOTS! And fires off furious fists! Lashley carries Dunne to then TOSS him! Dunne flounders but also snarls. Dunne swipes at the Profits, but Lashley run sin to CLOBBER him!

Lashley whips Dunne hard into buckles, then storms around. The Profits high-five Lashley and Brooklyn is behind him as he stands Dunne up for haymakers! Lashley smothers Dunne in the corner, lets off to whip corner to corner, then storms up on Dunne. Lashley digs hands into Dunne’s face, the ref counts and Lashley lets off. Lashley runs in but Dunne BOOTS again! Dunne runs up to DROPKICK Lashley out of the ring! Fans are torn as Dunne goes out to FLYING KNEE! Lashley staggers back, Dunne sets up to MOONSAULT! Down goes Lashley and Dunne hurries back up! Dunne ARIHARA MOONSAULTS! Down goes Lashley and fans fire up as SmackDown goes to break!

SmackDown returns and Lashley clotheslines Dunne in a corner! Lashley then brings Dunne around to snap suplex! Dunne writhes, Lashley paces around him and the fans cheer. Lashley drags Dunne up, suplexes again, and this time he holds Dunne up! Dunne throws knees, gets free, and he runs, ducks ‘n’ dodges, but Lashley hits a MILE HIGH SPINEBUSTER! Fans fire up again and Lashley drags Dunne up. Lashley TOSSES Dunne out, storms out after him, and then drags Dunne up again. Fans cheer as Lashley fireman’s carries Dunne, to then POST Dunne! The Profits say this is an extended Black Friday!

Lashley puts Dunne in, Dunne crawls away but Lashley aims. Lashley runs in, but Dunne sends the Spear into the POST! Lashley staggers back, the Profits coach him up, but Dunne GAMANGIRIS! Dunne runs up to ENZIGURI! Lashley ends up in a corner, Dunne GAMANGIRIS again! And again! Dunne KICKS and KICKS and KICKS, then pushes Lashley out so he can go up. Dunne DOUBLE STOMPS an arm! Dunne bends the fingers, isolates the arm, and STOMPS the arm! Lashley grits his teeth but Dunne reels him in. ASAI DDT! Cover, TWO! Lashley is tougher than that but Dunne keep son him with HAMMER ‘N’ ANVIL ELBOWS!

But Lashley fights up! Fireman’s carry, then an adjustment, for the OKLAHOMA STAMPEDE! Cover, TWO!! Dunne survives and Lashley is annoyed. Ford says yeah, Dunne’s got heart, but that’s about it. Lashley hauls Dunne up but Dunne SLAPS him! Lashley LARIATS Dunne inside out! Lashley then drags Dunne up, MILE HIGH- ENZIGURI! Dunne gets up, Lashley SPEARS him back down!! Cover, Lashley wins!

Winner: Bobby Lashley, by pinfall

The Bruiserweight put up a fight, but Lashley is still Lashley. Will The All Mighty soon head for a title as we head for the New Year?

Paul Heyman walks into Nick Aldis’ office.

The Wise Man seems rather indignant looking at the SmackDown General Manager. Heyman then dusts off the New York Jets NFL Legacy belt before speaking. “Did you invite Randy Orton to SmackDown tonight?” Aldis says yes, he did. And Aldis intends to sign Randy to a SmackDown exclusive superstar contract tonight. Heyman looks around and asks if the Tribal Chief knows about this. Aldis says Heyman has forgotten that there are countless memos: All communication to Roman Reigns must go through Paul Heyman. So consider this a communication to Roman: Aldis WILL sign Randy to SmackDown.

And if Aldis has to offer up the entire Bloodline as leverage, so be it. So the question to Heyman is… “What’re you gonna do about it?” Heyman says, “Anything it takes.” Heyman gets on his phone to call Roman Reigns. But is there nothing that can stop The Viper from finally being within striking distance of The Tribal Chief?

Backstage interview with Pete Dunne.

Kayla Braxton says he lost to Lashley, but she wants to talk about last week. Why did Ridge walk out on him? Dunne says he doesn’t know. And he doesn’t care. Because right now isn’t about the Brutes, it’s about Dunne! He is going to focus on himself. He is here to fight, and he will fight anyone! But in walk Pretty Deadly. They say this is so tough. But don’t be sad, use this as a learning opportunity. Sometimes, being abandoned can help you find your own path. Even if that path, like Dunne’s career, hits a dead end. Dunne HITS them! Dunne fires off but that’s 2v1 and Pretty Deadly turns it around! They TOSS Dunne into a road case!

How’s that, Butch?! HUH!? You’re alone! ALONE! And always will be! Elton Prince & Kit Wilson have numbers on their side, but will Dunne still get revenge?

Backstage interview with Santos Escobar.

Cathy Kelley says given his recent history with the LWO, what can we expect in his match with Joaquin Wilde here? Santos says he’s only trying to finish what Rey started. Rey turned his back on the LWO when he chose Carlito over Santos. And now Santos’ own brothers in arms are blinded by their hero, not seeing that Rey will do the same to them. Cruz is still recovering from the last time he tried standing up to Santos. And if Wilde can’t see the truth, Santos will put him on the shelf, too. The Emperor of Lucha is becoming a tyrant, but will he be unstoppable in destroying what he helped create?

Santos Escobar VS Joaquin Wilde!

SmackDown returns and Wilde makes his entrance. The bell rings and Wilde DROPKICKS Santos! And DROPKICKS again! Then kips up and ROCKS Santos with haymakers! Fans fire up, Wilde whips and ELBOWS Santos down! Then drops an elbow! Santos bails out but Wilde PLANCHAS out onto him! Fans fire up again and Wilde CLUBS Santos. Wilde puts Santos in the ring, then aims again, but Santos bails out! Fans boo but Wilde just goes to the corner! Springboard CANNONBALL! Direct hit and the fans fire up all over again! Wilde snarls and he puts Santos back in. Cover, TWO! Wilde keeps on Santos with a shove.

Wilde then goes up a corner, but Santos sweeps the legs! Wilde tumbles down, Santos stomps away and RAMS Wilde into a corner. Santos puts Wilde in the Tree of Woe, goes to the far side and runs in, DROPKICK! Wilde falls out of the Tree, Santos snapmares to cover, TWO! Santos is annoyed but he CLUBS away on Wilde’s chest! Santos rips up the LWO shirt! Fans boo but Santos throws the shirt away. Santos drags Wilde up, CLUBS him, then clamps onto an arm with a cording hold. Wilde endures, Santos talks trash that HE is the LWO, but the fans rally up. Wilde fights up to his feet, throws knees, but Santos whips Wilde away.

Santos storms up, Wilde ELBOWS him, then bumps Santos off buckles. Wilde fires haymakers again, then whips. Santos reverses but Wilde ducks ‘n ‘dodges to dropkick a leg out! Fans rally up behind Wilde and he runs up to KNEE Santos down! Wilde roars and fans are with him! Wilde runs back in, SOMERSAULT SATELLITE DDT!! Cover, TWO!! Santos survives and Wilde grows frustrated. Wilde hurries back to a corner to aim again. Wilde runs in, into a SUPERKICK! Santos says this is what happens when you cross him! Fireman’s carry, and “This is for YOU, Rey!” PHANTOM DRIVER!! Cover, Santos wins!

Winner: Santos Escobar, by pinfall

But Santos isn’t done sending his message! He beats down Wilde with fists, the ref tells him to stop, but Santos refuses! So here comes Dragon Lee! The Boy Wonder may have lost at Survivor Series but he won’t let Santos just do what he wants! Santos bails out, he did what he wanted. Wait, he slithers back in! But Dragon is ready and fires haymakers on him! Dragon whips, Santos reverses but Dragon RANAS! Santos ends up in a corner, Dragon JUMP KICKS, leg sweeps, and SWINGING DROPKICK! Combinacion Dragon hits, and fans fire up! Dragon aims again, BULL’S HORNS!! Santos flounders away, is his fight with Dragon far from over?

Nick Aldis greets Logan Paul backstage.

The Maverick is her with his United States Championship, ready to make his first appearance on SmackDown. What will the ImPAULsive Influencer have to say about being United States Champion? We find out, after the break.

Adam Pearce visits Nick Aldis in his office.

And the Raw GM asks the SmackDown GM to tell him the rumor isn’t true. Is Aldis trying to get a Raw Legend out from under Pearce’s nose? Aldis tells Pearce that Randy is a free agent now. But yes, Aldis does intend to sign Orton right here tonight in that ring. Is that so? Yeah, Pearce had his chance on Monday. Don’t worry about what happened on Monday. If Aldis is going to the ring with a contract, Pearce will join him. Pearce also has a contract folder! Nice office, by the way. Pearce heads out, who wins the signature of the Legend Killer?

Logan Paul heads to the ring!

Brooklyn is a little torn on seeing the Maverick in person, though probably because he needed brass knuckles to load his already titanium reinforced hand to beat Rey Mysterio. But Logan gets the mic to say, “To every friend who stabbed me in the back, to every hater who preyed on my downfall, I’ve got a question: WHERE ARE YOU NOW?!” He doesn’t understand. Don’t they get it by n ow? The more they hope he fails, the harder he works. And the harder he works, the more he wins. And the more he wins, the more he gets to stand up here and bark back!

And to all the jealous superstars backstage mad at him because they’ve been doing this their whole life while he’s the fastest rising superstar in history, you want the US Championship? Of course you do! It has been on his junk, just like y’all have since he got here! But a champ is only as good as his challengers, and since Rey is hurt, Logan can’t give him the rematch he was so excited for. So good news! Logan spoke with Aldis, and they have created a tournament to determine his next challenger. It starts next week, featuring eight superstars!

Santos Escobar, Dragon Lee, Karrion Kross, an NXT superstar to still be determined, Bobby Lashley, Grayson Waller, Austin Theory, and of course Kevin Owens. And Logan guarantees whoever wins this will have a nightmare trying to take this title from him. But wait, speaking of! Here comes Kevin Owens! Brooklyn fires up for The Prizefighter as he heads right for the ring. Kevin gets himself a mic and he says if Logan wants to talk about a nightmare, this, Logan Paul in the ring, is a nightmare. The first time Kevin ever saw Logan was 10 years ago on that app, Vine. And back then, it only took Kevin those six seconds to realize Logan is an unbearable jackass.

Fans cheer in agreement, and Kevin says if we’re talking about “junk,” the only junk is that crap drink Logan peddles. And now, guess what? Kevin is here to tell us that if he’s in the tournament, the nightmare will end. Logan’s days as champion will be numbered. That’s funny. Kevin calls himself a prizefighter, but Logan’s been in the ring with the greatest boxers in the world. If these two were to fight, six seconds is five more than Logan needs to KO KO. Kevin will never take this away from Logan: he’s very clever. But the thing is, that’s another world. This ring, the WWE Universe, it’s Kevin’s world, understand?

Logan says we’ll see about that. But then here comes Grayson Waller & Austin Theory! Logan smiles because it’s like looking in a mirror as these two walk down here. And Waller tells Logan he is better than this. He doesn’t need to talk with Kevin, Kevin is a troll looking for attention. He isn’t a forward thinking disruptor like the three of them. They have a lot in common, really. A-Town Down Under get in the ring, and Kevin says he loves punching people in the face. Look who he is in the ring with: Logan Paul is a man who knocks people out. So after Logan is done knocking Kevin out, maybe Kevin’s days of punching people- KEVIN DECKS THEORY!

Fans fire up as Theory tumbles out, and Waller goes to check on his buddy. Logan and Kevin drop their mics, stare down, and fans fire up as Kevin dares Logan to make the first move. Logan says worry about Waller first. Will Kevin give us a preview of the US Championship Contender’s Tournament? We find out after the break!

Kevin Owens VS Grayson Waller w/ Austin Theory!

SmackDown returns and Logan is sticking around to be on commentary for this one. Logan says he is like a proud father watching his sons on the playground. The bell rings, Waller bails out and regroups with Theory. Kevin goes out to ROCK Waller! And CHOP him! And then SMACK Waller off the desk! The ring count climbs, Kevin throws hands and he puts Waller in the ring. The ref makes sure Theory stays back, but then Waller stomps away on Kevin. Waller talks trash, UPPERCUTS Kevin, but Kevin CHOPS back! Waller kicks low, CLUBS Kevin on the neck, then cravats him into the ropes! The ref counts, Waller lets off.

Waller whips, Kevin reverses and CLOBBERS Waller! Then SENTONS! Fans rally, Kevin runs in at the corner and he clotheslines! Kevin then goes corner to corner, but Waller gets up to BOOT him! Waller LEG LARIATS! Waller rains down fists, then talks trash. Logan isn’t sure how well Kevin is built for this. Waller throws hands again, Logan denies knowing anything about brass knuckles, and Waller goes along the ropes. BALLER ELBOW! Cover, TWO! Kevin SLAPS Waller! And SLAPS him again! Waller BOOTS Kevin down! Waller snarls, drags Kevin up, but Kevin fights the suplex! The fans rally, Kevin suplexes Waller up and over!

Kevin glares at Logan, then CHOPS Waller! And CHOPS again! Kevin fakes the chop to then poke Waller in the eye! Kevin goes corner to corner, but then Waller bails out! No cannonball here and fans boo. Kevin goes out after Waller but Waller ROCKS him first! And SMACKS Kevin off the desk! Logan holds onto his Prime to make sure it doesn’t spill. Waller gets in the ring, builds speed and slides, but Kevin avoids the lariat to DECK Waller! Kevin gets on the apron, to FROG SPLASH to the floor! Fans fire up with Kevin while the ring count climbs. Kevin goes out after Waller again, but Waller RAMS him into steel steps!

Waller gets in to distract the ref, Theory STOMPS Kevin’s hand on the steps! Theory signals that to Waller and Waller stomps that arm! Waller slides out to then SLAM the arm into the post! Fans boo as A-Town Down Under high-five, and SmackDown goes to break.