Coverage
Mitchell’s WWE NXT Results & Report! (5/25/21)
An epic rematch on a Tuesday!
NXT revisits TakeOver: Stand & Deliver’s top title bout!
The Prince wants his throne back, but that means taking on Doomsday a second time around! Will Karrion Kross make history repeat itself and defeat Finn Balor once and for all?
OFFICIAL RESULTS
- Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon VS Raquel Gonzalez & Dakota Kai; Blackheart & Moon win.
- Bobby Fish VS Pete Dunne w/ Oney Lorcan; Dunne wins.
- Mercedes Martinez VS VS Zayda Ramier; Martinez wins.
- Franky Monet VS Cora Jade; Monet wins.
- NXT Championship: Karrion Kross w/ Scarlett Bordeaux VS Finn Balor; Kross wins and retains the title.
PLAY BY PLAY
Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon VS Raquel Gonzalez & Dakota Kai!
It’s a rematch of the first two teams to hold the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championships! Will the wild child and Shenom #TCB and head after The Way? Or will Ricky Desperado & #CobraKai look to make up for their one-night-only reign?
The teams sort out and Raquel starts with Shotzi. The two approach, Shotzi gets around and hops on to be a sleeper hold backpack, but Raquel throws her off! Shotzi avoids the stomp but can’t drag Raquel down! Raquel shoves Shotzi down with one hand, then scoops her. Shotzi slips out and leaps, but no code breaker as Raquel shoves Shotzi away again! Ember tags in and she gets around to sunset flip! Raquel stays up, drags Ember up but Ember bobs ‘n’ weaves! Ember runs, leaps but into Raquel’s arms! Raquel pops Ember to a whip but Ember uses that to RANA! Cover, ONE!! Ember hurries to Oklahoma Roll, TWO! Schoolgirl, TWO!!
Ember says it was that close, but Raquel is pissed! It becomes a cat ‘n ‘mouse game, Ember turns it around and leaps but Raquel catches her again! Dakota tags in, Raquel SLAMS Ember, then Raquel gives Dakota a boost for the DOUBLE STOMPS! Cover, TWO! Dakota keeps Ember from Shotzi, tags Raquel back in and Raquel stomps a mudhole. Raquel whips Ember to an open corner, tags Dakota, but Ember avoids the boot wash! Dakota is stuck, hot tag to Shotzi! Shotzi arm-drags Dakota around, runs but Dakota dodges. Shotzi goes up and over and clotheslines to roll Dakota for a SLING-DOG!
Fans fire up as Shotzi runs, and welcomes Dakota to the BALLPIT! Cover, TWO! Shotzi keeps her cool, drags Dakota away and tags in Ember. They whip, trip and elbow drop on Dakota! Ember hits a STANDING MOONSAULT! Cover, TWO! Ember tags Shotzi back in, they wrench Dakota to whip her to a corner. Shotzi runs in but blocks boots! Figure four SLAM, then a CLOVERLEAF! Shotzi bends Dakota back but Dakota endures! Fans rally, Dakota reaches, and Raquel helps her get to the ropes! The ref reprimands but Dakota is free, and tags to Raquel! Raquel drops elbow after elbow on Shotzi, then powers her to a cover, TWO! Shotzi gets to ropes while Raquel seethes, and NXT goes to break.
NXT returns and DOUBLE CLOTHESLINES take down Dakota and Shotzi! Fans fire up, both women crawl, hot tags to Raquel and Ember! Ember dropkicks Raquel! And again! Raquel staggers, Ember JABS and JABS, then pops, locks, says eat it and DECKS Raquel with a rolling elbow! Ember runs to handstand KNEE DROP into Raquel! Raquel is in a corner, Ember runs but Raquel dodges. Ember goes up, FLYING CODE BREAKER! Fans fire up, but Dakota swipes at Ember to keep her from climbing a corner! Ember glares at Dakota, but turns around into Raquel’s BOOT! Raquel tags Dakota, they get Ember up, ASSISTED GO TO KICK! Cover, Shotzi breaks it with a senton!
Shotzi BOOTS Raquel down, then goes back to her corner! Dakota anchors Ember as she crawls, but Ember BOOTS Dakota away! Tag to Shotzi! Shotzi rallies on Dakota with clotheslines and an ENZIGURI! Dakota staggers into a KNEE, then the ROLLING ELBOW! QUESTION MARK KICK! Shotzi reels Dakota in for a fireman’s carry to a FACEBUSTER! Cover, TWO! Dakota survives but Shotzi drags Dakota away. Shotzi whips her to a corner, tags in Ember, and Ember gets Dakota up in an Electric Chair! Raquel saves Dakota but Shotzi CROSSBODIES Raquel! Dakota SCORPION KICKS Shotzi, but jumps into Ember’s QUEEN ANGELITO! Raquel drags Ember off to CLUB her down!
Raquel drags Ember back up, has the leg, DESPERADO- STUNNER!! Ember got free of the bomb, and she goes after Dakota! Shotzi joins in, CLIFFHANGER CUTTER!! Cover, Ember & Shotzi win!!
Winners: Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon, by pinfall
The first time wasn’t just a fluke, this is why they were the tag team champions! But then Raquel COBBERS Ember, and BOOTS Shotzi! Raquel is still THE NXT Women’s Champion, and she tells Dakota to make Ember watch! Raquel gets Shotzi up for a PLEXIGLAS BOMB, that then becomes a POST BOMB, and then back to the boards! Raquel tells Ember she’s next, after this GORILLA PRESS BARRIER SNAKE EYES!! Big Mami Cool says it doesn’t matter, those tag titles are still coming home to her and Dakota! Will Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell make sure they stay far away from Raquel & Dakota?
Tommaso Ciampa & Timothy Thatcher speak.
“Take two steps forward, one step back. Such is life.” But the second they called out MSK, they made a mistake of putting the cart before the horse. “Enter GYV. Clearly, they had different plants for us. A certain grudge. And that’s okay. Because the final destination has many paths.” And now their path runs straight through the Grizzled Young Veterans! So while GYV won round one, Ciampa & Thatcher won round two. And there will be a round three. Ciampa storms off and Thatcher smiles before throwing his chair. “I am gonna enjoy breaking your limbs!!” Will Old Man Ciampa and Toothless Timmy make Liverpool’s Number One and Mr. Mayhem into number two?
Bobby Fish VS Pete Dunne w/ Oney Lorcan!
The Infamous One is finally back in action! But while he and Kyle O’Reilly are still good, this is something he has to do alone. Will Fish’s thirst for vengeance be quenched? Or will the Bruiserweight break him apart all over again?
The bell rings and Dunne ducks a kick but not the elbow! Dunne flounders and Fish KNEES him in the corner! But Dunne wrenches an arm, only for Fish to break free and KICK the legs out! And KICK Dunne down! Fish taunts Dunne while throwing body shots and knees! Dunne is in the ropes, the ref counts and Fish lets off at 4, but Dunne DECKS Fish with a sucker punch! Dunne snarls, drags Fish up for a neck wrench, and fish hooks Fish’s face before raining down rights! Fish gets away, Dunne gets his legs, and twists the ankle in a standing toehold! Fish fights, Dunne drops down to tie up legs, but Fish hooks Dunne!
Dunne pries free, gets a mount and throws hammering hands! Fans rally and duel as Dunne stomps Fish! Fish mule kicks but Dunne KICKS the leg! Dunne wrenches an arm, snapmares Fish then hooks the arm to JAM it! Fish crawls, Dunne gets him for a headlock and takeover. Dunne traps an arm, cranks the headlock, but Fish fights up. Fish powers out but Dunne puts him in a corner! Fish back elbows, BOOTS Dunn’s arm, but Dunn cravats to another snapmare! Dunne tries a chinlock but Fish slips through to get a Fujiwara! Dunne rolls, gets up, but Fish stays clamped onto the arm! Dunne endures and fights up as Fish has the shoulder.
Dunne throws forearms but Fish holds on tight! Fans still rally and duel, Dunne whips but Fish reverses to wrench, hammerlock, and HOTSHOT the arm! Fish KICKS the arm, ROCKS Dunne with a right, then BOOTS him out of the ring! Oney is in a bit of shock as Dunne writhes and NXT goes to break!
NXT returns and Dunne tortures Fish by bending him back in a modified Half Crab! Fish powers up but Dunne shifts to get both legs and hook them up. Dunne SLAPS Fish on the back of his head and shoulders then rains down fists! Fish powers out of the leg hooks but Dunne is after his arm! Dunne kicks Fish in the face but that only fires Fish up! Fish eggs Dunne on, Dunne kicks more, and Fish RAMS Dunne into a corner Fish fires off on the legs then DRAGON SCREWS! Fans fire up for Fish as he gets legs, but Dunne BOOTS him away! Dunne hobbles up but runs into a SPINEBUSTER! Fish rains down knees and hands, then drags Dunne back up. Fish has a sleeper!
Dunne endures, reaches around and finds fingers! Dunne bends the fingers back, wrenches Fish to put the arm on the mat, and DROPS KNEES on the bad arm!! Fish writhes and rolls out of the ring, and Oney gives Fish space. Dunne goes out, but runs into a back drop! Fish grits his teeth, runs at Dunne and KNEES him into the barriers! Dunne staggers into the ring, Fish follows but Dunne ENZIGURIS! Fish drops to his knees, Dunne gets him up and has body scissors! Dunne wants to get the bad arm in a Kimura, but Fish EXPLODERS free! Dunne hits ropes, is down, and Fish covers, TWO!! Dunne survives and clutches his head now, but he’s alright to continue.
Fish gets Dunn up but Dunne clinches back. Dunne throws knees, Fish gives knees in return! They both give knee back and forth, but Fish gets the edge! Fish backs Dunne into a corner with knee after knee! The ref counts, Fish lets off and Dunne falls in a heap! Fish walks into a trap! SNAP GERMAN! STOMPS to the hands! BUZZSAW! Fans fire up as Fish gets up, but he ducks Dunne’s kick to JUMPING KNEE! Cover, TWO!! Dunne survives but Fish keeps his cool. Fish crawls after Dunne but Dunne drags him into an ARMBAR! Fish clasps hands but Dunne bends the fingers and SNAPS them!! Fish rolls back to pop free and CLUB away on Dunne!
Fish gets Dunne’s arm for a mounted Fujiwara! Fish bends it as far as he can but Dunne rolls through, pump handles, BITTER END!! Cover, Dunne wins!
Winner: Pete Dunne, by pinfall
Oney raises Dunne’s hand in victory as Dunne snatches victory from the jaws of defeat! And then Oney rains down fists on Fish! The ref backs Oney off but Oney gets Fish up to RAM him into the corner! Oney drags Fish to the corner and puts the bad arm through the apron skirt’s strap! “We’re going to put you on the shelf again, Fish!” Oney stands on Fish’s bad arm to bend it back! Dunne chuckles as Fish suffers! More refs rush out to stop this, and Dunne shrugs. Oney PUNTS Fish’s bad arm!! Oney and Dunne leave while Fish roars in pain! Is Fish already going to be back on the sideline? Or will he not stop until he has satisfaction?
Mercedes Martinez speaks.
“Raquel? I took her to her limit. Did I win? Nah. Did I learn from it? Hell yeah, I did. Tonight, it starts. Night one on the road back to the title!” But wait, is Boa lurking just behind her? What does Tian Sha want with Mean Ms. Martinez?
NXT hears from Hit Row.
B-Fab says, “Last week… No, every week, we’ve been putting people on notice, and they’ve been mad.” Top Dolla says they need a big bag, and the boys say, “And that’s big facts.” Thankfully, NXT is the land of opportunity. Facts. They’ve been shining, like a light switch, and now they need the gold. Tick-tock, tick-tock. All eyes are on the main event, but Swerve wants us to listen quick: He can’t wait to cross Karrion, or Finn, off his hitlist. And as for MSK and Legado, Hit Row has both of them covered! Slap L’s on their heads like they Mario’s brother! And Adonis sees Kushida, the so-called Time Splitter. Adonis might just split his wig! Hit him so hard, knock him back to the future!
Time’s almost up, and fools like them and Reed thinking Hit Row’s just here to sing songs. Bronson’s colossal, but what’s Godzilla to King Kong? NOT NADA! Talk to ’em, B! This is Hit~ Row~! And if you didn’t know, now you know! Will this fearsome foursome look to top the charts in all of the divisions?
Mercedes Martinez VS Zayda Ramier!
She said it herself, she’s back on the road to a title opportunity! But will she hit a road bump against the young star who’s already gotten some major upsets?
The bell rings and the two circle. Fans rally as the two tie up. Mercedes waistlocks and SLAMS Zayda, drops down onto a facelock, and then floats to slap Zayda around. Mercedes has the facelock again, then drags Zayda up. Zayda arm-drags free, dropkicks Mercedes to a corner, and hits a corner uppercut! Mercedes blocks the whip, but Zayda ROCKS her! Zayda whips, Mercedes reverses but Zayda goes up and over! Zayda swings but into a lift! Zayda fights free and fights back, but Mercedes ducks the heel kick, only for the ENZIGURI to hit! Cover, ONE!! Mercedes gets up and pushes Zayda to then DECK her with a forearm!
Mercedes gets mad, drags Zayda up and hits a butterfly suplex! Mercedes holds on, gets Zayda up and hits another butterfly suplex! Mercedes then elevates Zayda for the third! Cover, TWO! Mercedes keeps cool as she clamps onto Zayda’s arm. Mercedes gets a dragon sleeper, but Zayda fights up and goes up and around to roll Mercedes up! TWO, and Mercedes hits a SPINEBUSTER! High stack, TWO!! Zayda survives but Mercedes drags Zayda up to whip. Zayda ducks and dodges to hop up and RANA! A little rough, but Zayda shifts to a sleeper hold! Mercedes fights up to her feet and RAMS Zayda into buckles! Mercedes throws some back elbows, then hoists Zayda up top.
Mercedes ROCKS Zayda, climbs up, but Zayda shoves her away. Mercedes ROCKS Zayda then TOSSES her off the top! RUNNING KNEE! Mercedes isn’t done, she gets Zayda up to a fireman’s carry for the AIR RAID CRASH! Mercedes wins!
Winner: Mercedes Martinez, by pinfall
Zayda put up a fight but it wasn’t enough to derail Mercedes! But wait, the lights go out! And when they come back up, everything’s red, and there’s smoke everywhere, and Mercedes looks to the titantron to see Tian Sha! The Dragon Lady of NXT has marked Mercedes as her prey! Then the lights go back to normal, but Mercedes sees the black paint on her hand! What does Tian Sha have planned for Mercedes’ future?
Toni Storm talks with Ted DeBiase!
The Million Dollar Man likes the Lightning From Down Under’s style, and then heads out. The Robert Stone Brand tries to schmooze with him, but he just throws money in their face. Better than nothing! DeBiase laughs while Stone still tries to talk to him. The Million Dollar Face-Off happens after the break!
Cameron Grimes heads to the ring!
The Carolina Cash Money Caveman is first out for this Million Dollar Face-Off, but before he can introduce the concept, here comes DeBiase! Grimes is not amused, but DeBiase has the fans on his side. Grimes is sure we all want to know, “Why, man?” Grimes seriously wants to know why. Grimes wasn’t always rich, live this lavish lifestyle and have all this stuff. He starts flaunting it a bit and DeBiase shows up to show him up. DeBiase may not see this, but Grimes looks up to him. Grimes saw that because of DeBiase, money can help you treat people terribly and they’d still like him! Grimes could make kids dribble a basketball and he’d kick it away and the people would still like him!
But maybe it’s true what they say: Never meet your idols. DeBiase says he likes Grimes, he really does. They have more in common than Grimes knows. Would you consider the fact that DeBiase put him through all that hell because he sees a bit of himself in Grimes? And another thing: Why is DeBiase back? He’s here because he is looking for that one person, whoever it might be, that embodies everything the Millions Dollar Legacy stands for! It isn’t all about the money or about humiliating people. It’s also about performing in the ring. That’s right! DeBiase will tell Grimes that he’s got “it!” But here’s another thing: Since Grimes got rich, he’s lost his focus.
But wait! Here comes LA Knight! What does he want with DeBiase and Grimes? LA Knight soaks up the heat and then says, “Let me talk to ya!” Ted, Knight hears about the “legacy” and sees himself a million dollar opportunity! He’s searching and searching but Knight will take that burden off him. This is a man who does get a job done! This is a man who has the undeniable “it,” and this is a man who is a perpetual motion machine of badassery, YEAH. And not just someone who struck it lucky with virtual money, but is personified, walkin’, talkin’ gold! Grimes says Knight needs to stay out of this! This is a conversation of millionaires, not Mr. Nickel ‘n’ Dime!
DeBiase wants Grimes to hold on a moment. Let’s hear Knight out. Fans taunt Knight with “Nickel ‘n’ Dime!” but Knight says no one asked the incels. But Knight says Grimes is right, he’s not a millionaire. But with DeBiase by Knight’s side, they can put that last piece of the puzzle in! You could search high, low and everywhere in between but the answer is the same: Whose game is it? L A Knight! DeBiase knows who Knight is, and that he’s been around the world with a great deal of success. He could be a MEGA STAR here. He has a million dollar body, a million dollar mindset, but-
Grimes stops DeBiase right there! We get it, Knight’s got this, that, shoulders here, there and everywhere! He’s jacked, but he’s not Grimes! This was a Million Dollar Face-Off just between millionaires! So Grimes tells Knight right here and now, “You, get out of this ring, or I’m gonna kick your ass to… the… Moon.” Knight is taken aback but he kicks Grimes and hits the CRAVAT FACEBUSTER! Knight storms off while DeBiase stands over Grimes. “Kid, you’re just never gonna get it, are ya?” DeBiase laughs, but does this mean he’ll pass the torch on to Knight instead of Grimes? Can Grimes redeem himself before it’s too late?
Franky Monet finishes in the make-up department.
She heads out, leaving Preston the Pomeranian with his trusted puppysitter. Will Monet put her money where her mouth is and cash in big in her in-ring debut?
Backstage interview with Indi Hartwell.
Well, not exactly, as Indi is too busy looking for Dexter Lumis. Congratulations, blah blah blah, where is Dexter?! She interrupts Ever-Rise’s show! What show? She only cares about Dexter! What show?! This is Ever-Rise Live! It sounds like Indi’s got a problem! Does she want to take a swing?! No, she’s just- Drake Maverick walks in and says Indi’s been through enough. If she’s looking for Dexter, Drake last saw him in that room back there. Indi hurries to a darkened room, and calls out his name. The lights turn on, and there are many, many, many pictures, mostly about broken hearts and Indi rejecting Dexter. Indi feels awful for how she treated him, and hurries away! Does #InDex still have a chance?
Franky Monet VS Cora Jade!
Finally, after weeks of waiting and wondering, NXT is going to see Franky get in the ring and show what makes #LaWeraLoca big money! Will the debut be worth they hype?
The bell rings, Monet and Jade tie up and Monet puts Jade in a corner. Monet lets off, pats Jade on the shoulder, and they reset. They tie up again, and Monet throws Jade down by her hair! “Do you know who I am?! I am La Wera Loca!” Jade BOOTS Monet! Jade tries to scoop but Monet CLUBS her! Monet stomps Jade to a corner, then CHOPS her down! Monet pulls Jade’s hair and bumps her off buckles, to then go corner to corner for a BLINDSIDE METEORA! Side to side for the HIP ATTACK! Corner to corner again for another METEORA! Monet smiles as she looms over Jade and drags her up. Monet puts Jade against ropes and CHOPS her again!
Fans rally and duel, Monet whips and mule kicks! And KNEES, then LARIATS! Monet grins, drags Jade back up, and taunts Jade more. Jade ROCKS Monet with forearms in return! Jade fires up, whips, but Monet reverses and scoops! Jade tilt-o-whirls through for the RUSSIAN LEG SWEEP! Cover, TWO! Monet SPEARS Jade down! Monet is mad now and she gets Jade up for a BLUE THUNDER BOMB! “You wanna play, Cora?!” Monet drags Jade up, chicken wings, GLAM SLAM!! Cover, Monet wins!
Winner: Franky Monet, by pinfall
Beth Phoenix approves of Monet’s power and aggression, will #BougieBad be taking over NXT soon enough?
Grizzled Young Veterans speak.
Zack Gibson tells Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher, “Last week, when we cost you a victory, that was nothing personal. That was simply a receipt from some veterans not put you in your place.” James Drakes says before those two get carried away, GYV “didn’t travel halfway across the world for some petty rivalry with some chair throwing hooligans.” They’re here for the tag titles. They’re done with Ciampa & Thatcher, but they’re not done with MSK. The GYV will watch MSK defend those titles against Legado, because the fact remains the same: GYV are the leaders this tag division needs. Not Ciampa & Thatcher, not Legado, and definitely not MSK.
Gibson adds, “If MSK were wrestling at the Garden, I would close the curtains.” They are Grizzled Young Veterans, and they promise they are SSSSSOON to be recognized as the next NXT Tag Team Champions!
Imperium does not accept failure!
That is why Alexander Wolfe was purged from the group. His weakness has cost the faction for the last time. Going forward, they will continue to set things straight. It is on Barthel & Aichner to right the first wrong, and that was the loss to Breezango! Those two are showmen, but they are wrestlers! When you stand in that ring against them, they are restoring the honor of their beloved sport! Because the mat is SACRED! Will the Ring General’s orders be carried out?
Bronson Reed is here!
The Colossal and NEW NXT North American Champion is back to celebrate his victory inside the Steel Cage! Fans chant, “You Deserve It!” and he thanks them for saying that. “Fourteen years to get here. And it wasn’t an easy road to become the North American Champion. It wasn’t just fourteen years of climbing the mountain. It was fourteen years of falling and getting back up, and climbing the mountain, then falling and getting back up!” He had his doubters, he had the people telling him, “No.” But this win is proof is that you don’t need to take “no” for an answer! You work hard, grind it out, and you can become champion!
Now that Reed has this, good luck trying to take it from him! To anyone in the locker room that things they can get a shot, well, Reed had a big mountain to climb, but they have a Colossal one to climb! But here comes El Legado, led by Santos Escobar! Escobar “applauds” Reed and says bravo! Reed has some telenovela going on! Reed brought tears to his eyes. Escobar mockingly dabs his eyes with tissues. But he has to say, he can’t relate to anything Reed just said. Escobar was born a champion! And not just to belong in this business, but to OWN this business! After Reed’s victory, something caught Escobar’s eye. And it wasn’t the colossal mass in the ring. No, it was the title.
Escobar IS the Emperor of Lucha Libre! He runs the bingo, which is why he took the Cruiserweight Championship. But now he sees the North American Championship, he sees USA and Mexico! Oh wait, what about Canada? Canada doesn’t count, Wilde, we talked about this. But as Escobar was saying, that’s the North American Championship. That means it also belongs to Escobar! So realize now that this little party is over, mate. Escobar is going to do what he does best, and that is take what’s his! But here comes MSK to back Reed up! Wes Lee & Nash Carter even the numbers, and swing on Mendoza! They get Wilde, and DOUBLE SUPERKICK him out!
Escobar slithers in but Reed BODIES him! Escobar bails out, Legado regroups and retreats! Wilde & Mendoza will face MSK soon enough, but will Escobar bite off more than he can chew with Auszilla?
William Regal speaks.
“Hello. I’m incredibly excited for tonight’s main event, as Karrion Kross will face Finn Balor for the NXT Championship. But after that match, we’ll need a new #1 contender for the NXT Championship, and I’ve evaluated the NXT roster. And next week, there will be a Triple Threat: Kyle O’Reilly VS Pete Dunne VS Johnny Gargano, and the winner of that match will go on to face the N XT Champion at NXT TakeOver: In Your House.” A huge showdown next week, but who will even be meeting that contender? We’re about to find out!
NXT Championship: Karrion Kross w/ Scarlett Bordeaux VS Finn Balor!
TakeOver: Stand & Deliver was one for the ages, and it was Mr. Doomsday who came out on top. But The Prince says that you only die if you stay down. Will Balor rise back up and take the throne for the third time in NXT? Or has time passed him by, with the apocalypse as the future?
The introductions are made, the belt is raised, and it’s like a TakeOver on a Tuesday as these two go around again!
Balor and Kross circle, fans rally and duel, and Balor tries testing kicks. Kross stays up so Balor gets a headlock! Kross tries to power out but Balor holds on tight. Kross tries again, gets free and he runs Balor over. Balor gets up to ROCK Kross with a forearm! Kross KNEES low, throws Balor out but Balor comes back for more forearms! Balor headlocks, Kross powers out right away but Balor ducks and dodges to dropkick legs out! Kross bails out and is furious but Scarlett calms him down as NXT goes picture in picture.
Balor waits as Kross paces. Kross goes up the steps while fans rally and duel, and he enters the ring. Balor and Kross circle, Balor gives more kicks, but Kross stays up. Kross shots in, waistlocks and SLAMS Balor, then keeps hold as Balor scrambles around. Balor gets an arm, switches and floats and SPANKS Kross?! Balor is back to pushing Kross’ buttons, though that only did so much at TakeOver. They circle, Balor gives more of those testing kicks, and then he goes after that leg. Kross stays up, shifts around to get Balor’s arm, and drops for an ARMBAR! Balor moves around to make it a cover, TWO as Kross pulls on the hold! Balor keeps moving around but Kross wrangles him down again!
Balor keeps his hands clasped, keeps his shoulders off the mat, and pushes to turn Kross. Balor has the legs laced up, pulls on the hold and adds a chinlock! Kross endures this modified STF, fights up and around, but Balor facelocks. Balor wrenches, uppercuts the arm, then clamps onto the shoulder. Kross endures, Scarlett coaches him, and he fights up to scoop Balor! Balor slips out, is right after the arm and grinds it down again! Kross endures, fights back up, but Balor arm-drags him back down! Balor pulls on the arm, and the fingers! Kross endures, shifts his weight but Balor has the armlock again.
NXT returns to single picture and fans rally. Balor grinds the shoulder, Kross endures and fights up, and he scoops to SLAM Balor this time! Kross takes off the gladiator pleats and bumps Balor’s head off buckles! Kross runs corner to corner to clothesline Balor, then spins around to CLOBBER him! Scarlett loves it but fans are divided as Kross looms over Balor. Kross gets Balor up, snap suplexes, then looms over Balor. Kross stomps down on Balor’s foot and grinds in his heel before he stomps Balor again! Kross clamps on a chinlock, Balor endures and pries at the hold, but Kross stays on tight. Fans rally, Balor fights up and pops out the bottom but Kross CLUBS him down!
Kross DEKCS Balor with a forearm, but holds onto the wrist as he dares Balor to get his ass up. Kross drags Balor up but Balor swings around to get a Cobra Twist! Balor throws elbow after elbow, then drops elbow after elbow as Kross is down! Cover, TWO! Kross grits his teeth and clutches his ribs, but Balor stomps him in the corner! Balor throws body shots, then wrenches the arm to go after the ribs more! Kross headbutts Balor away! Kross RAMS Balor in a corner, turns him around and RAMS into his back! The ref counts, Kross lets off, and BOOTS Balor in the back! Balor writhes, the ref reprimands Kross, but Kross dares Balor to get back up.
Kross stands Balor up to TOSS him across the ring! Kross drags Balor back up and GERMAN SUPLEXES him back the other way! Kross drags Balor up into another waistlock, but Balor wrenches the arm back to the FUJIWARA! Balor wants and gets the CROSSFACE! Kross powers up but Balor fires off shouts into the ribs! Kross blocks the Penalty Kick but Balor makes it a victory roll to DOUBLE STOMPS! Kross gasps for air as he clutches his ribs! The fans are thunderous as Balor runs in and CHOPS Kross! And again! Balor RAMS into Kross now, lets off at 4, but Kross CLOBBERS him from behind!
Kross drags Balor back up, throws him out of the ring, but Balor trips him up at the apron! Kross is in the skirt and Balor fires off! Balor gets on the apron to stomp away on Kross’ head and shoulders! The ref counts, Balor lets off at 4, and Kross gets free of the skirt, for Balor to PENALTY KICK down! Scarlett is worried as NXT goes picture in picture again!
Balor gets back in the ring while Kross winces and stands up slowly. Kross catches his breath but the ring count is climbing. Balor wants to go out after him but the ref stops him. Balor goes out around the side, builds up speed and CLOBBERS Kross against boards! Balor fires off kicks, goes back into the ring just to refresh the count, and then stomps away on Kross against barriers! Balor lets off to throw up a Too Sweet! Balor gets Kross up and into the ring, then aims from a corner. Balor runs, but into Kross’ BOOT! Kross snarls as he stomps Balor’s arms! Kross drives elbows into Balor’s shoulders, then drags him up for another hard snap suplex!
Kross paces, almost toying with Balor as he dares him to get back up. Kross stands Balor up but Balor fires off forearms! Kross NORTHERN LIGHTS, rolls through, and CLOBBERS Balor! Cover, TWO!! Balor survives and Kross can’t believe it! Kross gets Balor up again, reel shim in, but Balor back drops free! Kros sunset flips but Balor rolls through to basement dropkick! Both men are down as NXT returns to single picture again! Fans rally and duel as Balor and Kross slowly stand. Balor throws forearms, Kross gives them back, and we have a brawl! Balor fires off fast hands but Kross scoops and RAMS him into a corner! OKLAHOMA STAMPEDE! Cover, TWO!!
Scarlett is furious but the fans are fired up as Balor survives! Kross smirks as he stalks Balor to a corner. Balor CHOPS back! Kross stalks Balor again but Balor kicks low! Kross is still coming, he scoops Balor but Balor slips out to ELBOW DROP DDT! Cover, ONE?!? And he glares at Balor! Kross choke grips, but Balor breaks free and trips Kross to DOUBLE STOMP again! Cover, but Kross makes it the KROSSJACKET!! Balor flails but Kross has him caught!! Balor fades, but he gets a second wind for the ROPEBREAK! Kross holds on until 4, and is furious! Balor survives but Scarlett says Kross can finish him now!
Kross throws Balor out of the ring, then dribbles him into the Plexiglas over and over and over! Kross reels Balor in, and hopes fans are watching as he RAZOR’S EDGE Balor into the boards!! The ring count climbs but Kross puts Balor in at 8! Kross drags Balor back up, reels him back in, and gets Balor up but Balor hits a DDT!! Balor has a third wind as he hurries to a corner! Kross staggers up into a SLINGBLADE! And then Balor clotheslines Kross out of the ring! Balor builds speed and FLIES! Direct hit in front of commentary! The fans are thunderous but Kross stands back up! BACK SUPLEX TO THE DESK!! “This is Awesome!” but the ref says this has to get back in the ring!
Kross takes his time dragging Balor from the desk’s hood and into the ring. Kross waits until 9 of 10 to get in, and Balor fires off on him in the ropes! Kross shoves Balor away but Balor trips him and DOUBLE STOMPS again! Balor aims from a corner, runs and SHOTGUNS Kross into buckles! Kross is in the drop zone and Balor heads up top! Fans are electric as Balor is up top! COUP DE- NO! Kross dodges, gets Balor up and RAMS him into the far corner! And then turns him around for a GERMAN SUPLEX! Kross roars and says it’s done now! Kross hauls Balor back up, reels him in, DOOMSDAY SAIDO! But he isn’t done there, he winds up the hands of time!
Balor slowly rises and Kross aims from a corner. But Balor catches Kross to a victory roll! TWO!! Balor gets around, Cobra Twist! Grounded Twist but Kross keeps off his shoulders! Kross pries free, and rains down forearms! But Balor slips out to rain down forearms on Kross! Balor hits the ribs, the head, the shoulders, over and over! The ref gets Balor to stop to check on Kross! Kross is still conscious but he crawls to Scarlett to focus. Balor puts a SLEEPER on Kross! Kross is holding the ropes, he lets go, and Balor drags him into a body scissors of his own!! Scarlett is furious, Kross is prying free! But Balor makes it a TRIANGLE HOLD!!
Kross moves around, falls on his side, but Scarlett shouts! The ref checks the arm, Kross revives!! Kross powers up, dead lifts and POWERBOMBS Balor!! Balor glares at Kross as he sits up! Fans are electric as both men stand, and Kross CLOBBERS Balor! Then CLUBS him, then DOOMSDAY FOREARM!! Kross stomps away on Balor over and over! The ref counts but Kross stops at 4 to wrap on the KROSSJACKET!! Balor is turning purple! He is OUT, Kross wins!!
Winner: Karrion Kross, by submission (still NXT Champion)
The apocalypse could not be stopped, and Kross still reigns! Balor did not pray but he did fall, is this the last time he’ll be fighting for this title? And with Kross’ path to TakeOver cleared, who will he be facing In Your House?
My Thoughts:
Another great episode for NXT! I nailed the order of the matches, other than Mercedes VS Zayda since that wasn’t advertised. Speaking of which, Mercedes was of course winning, but it is very interesting that Tian Sha (both the faction and the individual character) has taken interest in her. Mercedes VS Xia Li will be a great match, and I would love if Mercedes was Tian Sha’s first opponent. Mercedes could come out the winner of the feud, but it’d definitely help give some credibility to Tian Sha if we saw her take the fight to Mercedes.
The opening tag match was great, and I figured Shotzi & Ember would win to be seen as contenders to the tag titles. But Raquel wrecking Shotzi to send a message to Ember could be a sign that Ember challenges Raquel for the singles title. Ember and Raquel are the only two to have been NXT Women’s Champion and Tag Team Champion in their careers, so a match of those two would go a long way to having Raquel establish herself as the superior NXT Women’s Champion. Then, Franky Monet of course won her debut match, really dominating Cora Jade, but I feel like she could’ve had a slightly tougher time to imply that she was underestimating Jade and believing her own hype a little too much, similar to LA Knight when he debuted.
Speaking of which, I figured we’d get a proxy in the feud between DeBiase and Grimes, but I didn’t think it’d be Knight. Knight does make a good contrast to Grimes because he’s more muscular and is even more braggadocios in his promos, and he could trade that yellow jacket for a gold one with DeBiase’s help. I’m thinking we could get Knight VS Grimes with the “Million Dollar Legacy” on the line. They should even bring back the Million Dollar Championship belt and make it a ladder match so that the person who brings the belt down is the rightful protégé to DeBiase.
I like that Hit Row is putting every champion on notice, same as Pete Dunne did. All superstars in NXT should be greedy enough to want all the belts. Swerve could be North American Champion or even top champion. Top Dolla could even be North American Champion and Tag Team Champion with Adonis, and Adonis could even be Cruiserweight Champion and Tag Team Champion. I don’t know if Hit Row will become a golden faction like the Undisputed Era, but it would be awesome if they do. Escobar moving up to the North American title is great, I was thinking that was his next move, and it was natural to see MSK counter Legado to help Reed.
The tag titles are on the line next week, I feel that could go either way with Ciampa & Thatcher VS Grizzled Young Veterans also happening. One match will surely determine how the other goes, and then we’ll have our TakeOver match-up set by the end of it. Imperium is taking on Breezango, as well, and I’m thinking Imperium wins to move forward in their story. Or at least, the story we’re getting now that Wolfe was released. New SAnitY would’ve been great to face Imperium but oh well. Imperium can even wait on the other side of TakeOver to face whatever Face tag team champions we’re getting for a great stretch of matches over the Summer.
Fish VS Dunne was very good, but Dunne winning makes sense. Fish can’t be satisfied right away, he’ll surely have a match with Oney next, and then come back around to Dunne. Kross VS Balor rematch here was awesome, maybe even better than their Stand & Deliver match. Balor felt so close to winning this one, but again, Kross is making up for the reign he never really got to have, so he managed to come out on top. I even thought he was going to get disqualified at the end, but that would’ve felt a bit cheap. With rumblings of call-ups, and a chance Balor could return to RawDown in time for the return to touring, this loss does make sense. And even without that, Balor should try for another title to add to his legacy. Walter VS Balor maybe?
The Triple Threat contender’s match next week is going to be great, and so hard to call. Kyle had a stare down with Kross before, Gargano knocked Kross down, and Dunne called out all champions and says he’s the baddest man in NXT today. Kross plays Tweener well so he could face any of those guys and make it a great build.
My Score: 9.3/10
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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
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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!
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.
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