Coverage

Mitchell’s WWE NXT UK Results & Report! (7/15/21)

Will the French Hope survive the Final Boss?

Published

3 years ago

July 15, 2021

Steven Mitchell

Both the NXT UK Heritage Cup AND the Women’s Championship are on the line!

One night, two titles! Tyler Bate defends against Mark Coffey while Meiko Satomura defends against Amale! Will the Big Strong Boy and Final Boss both retain?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Ashton Smith & Oliver Carter VS Teoman & Rohan Raja; Teoman & Raja win.
NXT UK Women’s Championship: Meiko Satomura VS Amale; Satomura wins and retains the title.
NXT UK Heritage Cup: Tyler Bate VS Mark Coffey; Bate wins and retains the cup.

PLAY BY PLAY

WWE and NXT UK mourn the loss of “Mr. Wonderful,” Paul Orndorff.

Triple H speaks.

“On October 29th, 2020, NXT UK brought you a match that the WWE Universe still speaks about. A match that was so intense, that it defined a brand, and it redefined brutality. Next week, we will finally see the long awaited rematch between NXT UK Champion, Walter, and Ilja Dragunov.” Walter is THE longest reigning champion in modern WWE, and has dominated the brand for over 800 days, defending the title both in the UK and the US. “Dragunov is an enigma, one of the most dedicated to ever enter the squared circle. Next week, the world will be watching NXT UK. And we are proud to bring you Walter Dragunov II!”

Sid Scala is already in the ring with Walter and Dragunov.

The Assistant GM welcomes us to BT Sports Studios, and as HHH said, the main event next week will be what is without question the most anticipated rematch in NXT UK history. Dragunov will once again challenge Walter for the NXT UK Championship. Scala reminds both men that there will be no physicality here tonight. At this time, Scala will have the press ask questions. Alex McCarthy of TalkSport leads off with a question for Walter. “Over 800 days, you’ve been NXT UK Champion. Do you believe that your historic championship reign is under threat?”

Walter says no, he does not believe his mission is under threat. Because the difference between him and Ilja is that Walter is in this for “the greater good.” Walter is in this for the reputation and tradition of this great sport. And every time he steps in the ring, it is an honor for him to represent pro-wrestling the way he and Imperium think it should be done. Ilja is a fantastic athlete, unlike anyone Walter has ever seen. “But he does not have the mental ability to step up to my level.” Walter will have to prove that again when they face off.

Next is BBC 1Xtra’s Ace, and he asks Dragunov about what he learned from that defeat in last October. “I’m not gonna lie, there’ve been some very, very dark days for me. Quite a rough time. If you step as a fighter into some matches, you lose and with the lesson learned, you get better. But failures like this… They just don’t hurt you like a strike or whatever. They keep something, like they hurt your mind. You can’t forget, you feel the pain and the memories haunt you.” Ilja has felt haunted, and he lost control. But he found himself again and he admits, Walter was right, he wasn’t ready to be on that level. He needed this time to prepare, and now he’s ready.

Alistair McGeorge for Metro.co.uk asks both men, with how highly the first match is still spoken of, what can we expect in this rematch? Ilja says that undoubtedly, you can expect brutality, violence, intensity. Everything like Ilja promised, and it has been that the first match “redefined violence.” But this rematch… People will forget what “violence” means because Walter VS Dragunov II will replace that word. The outcome will be different. Walter shouldn’t be arrogant, he should get over his god complex. Walter asks what Ilja said. Arrogant? Is Ilja calling Walter arrogant? What is Ilja talking about, redefining violence?

Every time Walter steps into the ring, he redefines this sport! And Ilja was just lucky enough to be part of it. Walter’s seen enough of Ilja being sad for himself. Ilja is a fraud! All show! Last time, Ilja realized he isn’t man enough. He is fantastic, but he is not on Walter’s level. And all this intensity, motivation, all of it, his character problems, it’s just a show. Ilja wants the attention to get into this position. That’s what Ilja does! Ilja gets emotional now as Walter demands he look at him. Walter warns Ilja that he isn’t taking this seriously. NXT UK is for superstars, not fakers! Ilja says he thought it was enough. He thought it was enough last time, he really did.

All his will, all his strength, all his stamina, it wasn’t enough. Ilja had respect for Walter, because every time they fought, Ilja got better. But all that respect, after what Walter did to Ilja with purpose, the respect is gone. All that is left is hate. Ilja hates Walter. Ilja gets up, says he hates Walter for making Ilja the way he is. For breaking something inside him. But Ilja promises to break Walter and walk out with the NXT UK Championship, or not at all. Walter and Ilja stare down as Scala backs off. They get face to face, Ilja keeps his cool while Walter is getting heated. Will this be an explosion of fire and fury when the bell rings?

Subculture speaks.

Mark Andrews says it’s weird, he has like deja vu. Flash Morgan Webster agrees, because only a couple years ago, Andrews was fighting for a chance at the NXT UK Tag Team Championships in a singles match, and what happened? He won! Dani Luna is fired up, too, as it happened all over again. And next week, when Subculture is 2v2 with Pretty Deadly, history will repeat itself again. But the difference is this time is that they will be the first ever TWO TIME NXT UK Tag Team Champions! Dani makes sure to spray paint “2X” over the Subculture logo to make a point. Will Andrews & Webster score and get the gold back?

Ashton Smith & Oliver Carter VS Teoman & Rohan Raja!

The Prestige and the Predator Hunter are finally reunited, and they’re after the man questioning their bond. The Babo surprisingly converted the British Born, Australian Raised and Canadian Trained Young Prince and added him to “the family.” Will the brothers in arms be #ReadyAndForward #AlwaysForward against Teoman’s Evil Eye?

The teams sort out and Carter wants Raja right away! Teoman steps up and so Smith goes right after him! Smith runs him over, fires off hands, and CLUBS Teoman around the ring! Teoman kicks low, throws forearms back and forth with Smith, but Smith ROCKS him with an uppercut! Smith whips, and JUMP KNEES Teoman down! Teoman gets to a corner but Smith fires off body shots! Smith shoves Teoman to ropes and ROCKS him with a forearm to the body! Smith gets Teoman up to whip but Teoman reverses. Smith blocks, Teoman kicks and tries again but Smith still blocks! Smith reels Teoman in for a pop-up and suplex! Teoman scrambles away to tag Raja!

Carter wants in and Raja dares him to tag. Smith tags Carter, and Carter fires off on Raja with body shots and clubbing forearms! Raja hits back, shoves, but Carter LEG LARIATS! Cover, Teoman breaks it! Carter runs Teoman off, but turns around into Raja’s SCRAPBUSTER! Cover, TWO! Raja gets Carter up, CLUBS him, tags in Teoman, and they mug Carter in the corner. Teoman throws kicks, stomps Carter down, but lets off as the ref counts. Teoman gets Carter up, snapmares and KICKS him in the back! Carter gets up to throw hands, but Teoman wrenches. Carter CLUBS away but Teoman body shots hard and low! And then KICKS an arm!

Teoman shoves Carter to the corner, tags in Raja, and they mug Carter more. Raja scrapes his laces off Carter’s face, then throws hands. Carter his back, Raja knees low! Teoman brings Carter up and suplexes for a BIG slam! Cover, TWO! Raja clamps onto Carter with a grounded cobra twist, CLUBS away on Carter’s ribs, but Carter fights up. Carter throws body shots, Raja CLUBS him right back down! Tag to Teoman, they stomp away on Carter together, but Raja exits as the ref counts. Teoman wrenches Carter’s arm, gets a hammerlock, then drops a knee on the shoulder! Tag to Raja and he stomps the bad arm! Raja gets Carter up to YANK the arm!

Tag back to Teoman, they stomp away on Carter again! Carter fires off body shots! He DECKS Teoman and DECKS Raja, then hurries for his corner! But Teoman CLOBBERS Carter before he can reach Smith! Teoman shoves Smith and eggs him on, then clamps onto Carter! He has the arm but Carter flails and moves around to resist the crossface! Teoman isolates the bad arm to STOMP it! Teoman shoves Carter away from Smith and tags Raja. Raja gets Carter up, fireman’s carries, but Carter fights free to EDDY GORDO! Tag to Teoman and he gets in to swin gon Smith! Smith avoids it, Carter gets around, hot tag! Smtih rallies on Teoman and Raja!

Smith fires fast hands on Teoman, then reels him in for a shoulder and a LARIAT! Raja runs in but is sent into buckles, and gets a LARIAT! Smith gets Teoman right up to a fireman’s carry and DEATH VALLEY BOMB! Cover, TWO!! Smith is still fired up as he stomps Teoman and gets him up. Teoman shoulders Smith, Smith fires off on him in a corner, but Teoman gets a BUCKLE SHOT! Raja tags in, Teoman baits Smith, Raja BACKSTABBERS! Teoman ENZIGURIS Smith into Raja’s POP-UP SPINEBUSTER! Cover, TWO!! Smith survives and Carter calls to him! Raja gets up first and he gets Smith up. Smith back drops out of the suplex, hot tag to Carter!

Carter rallies on Raja, gets around but Raja standing switches. Carter elbows free, Raja shoves him but Carter slips out of the scrapbuster to waistlock and GERMAN SUPLEX! And SUPERKICK!! Cover, TWO!! Raja survives but Carter tags Smith in. Smith gets Raja up in the Electric Chair, Carter springboards in, DOOMSDAY CUTTER!! But Teoman drags Raja out before anyone can cover! Carter tags back in, Smith builds speed and FLIES! Direct hit and down go Teoman and Raja! Carter helps get Raja up and into the ring. Carter hurries to SCISSOR KICK! Smith grabs at Teoman but they get in! The ref reprimands but Teoman gets out, so Smith is caught.

Carter runs, but Teoman trips up his lionsault! Raja hurries to DECK Smith off the apron! Raja gets Carter for PAYDIRT! Teoman tags in, for the CROSSFACE! Carter taps, Teoman’s “family” wins!

Winners: Rohan Raja & Teoman, by submission

Carter & Smith could not see the sly tricks coming, but the Evil Eye is always watching! Will Raja and Teoman win for the glory of their newfound family?

NXT UK Media interviews Sid Scala.

Is there any word on the condition of A-Kid’s leg injury? None as of yet, but fingers crossed. A-Kid walks out of the medic’s office with a heavily wrapped leg. Scala asks AK his injury update, and AK says he’s sick and tired of Jordan Devlin, that’s the update. He wants Scala to talk with Johnny Saint to arrange a rematch as soon as AK is medically cleared. Scala says he and Saint will take it into consideration and AK gets angry. AK doesn’t want that, he needs to teach Devlin a lesson. AK needs thirty minutes to punish Devlin. AK wants an IRONMAN MATCH with Jordan Devlin! Scala promises he will take care of it. How long will we have to wait for this certified barn burner rematch?

Aoife Valkyrie speaks.

“I’ve learned all I need to learn about you, Jinny. You saw me lose to Meiko Satomura. Something you might never understand is that the best have short memories when it comes to failure.” Aoife will be the best, so to get to the time, she’s prepared to climb. But Jinny doesn’t seem like she is ready to even take off her high heels. Jinny only ever picks a fight when she thinks the odds are already in her favor. This time, Jinny’s declared war on the wrong person. Will Aoife cause a change in fortunes for the Spoiled Princess?

Side plate check~!

Pretty Deadly make sure we get a good look, and then Sam Stoker brings up how Lewis Howley took on Mark Andrews and “had it in the bag.” Subculture’s a bunch of weirdos! They attack Stoker, they distract Howley, that’s daylight robbery! Taking Andrews lightly was on Howley, but Mark getting his “reject pals” involved was Mark’s mistake! Pretty Deadly runs the tag division, the best team ever, everyone loves to see them! There’s no one like them! Subculture was the past for a reason. Now, this is Pretty Deadly! Howley likes Stoker’s fire, but will these two be put out when they take on the Modfather and the high-fiving, stage-diving, skateboarding, no-quit rockstar?

NXT UK Women’s Championship: Meiko Satomura VS Amale!

The Final Boss, the Best in the World, finally has a title in the WWE! And ironically, it is all because the French Hope took Xia Brookside out of the running! Amale wants to prove she should’ve been in Meiko’s position all along, but is that even possible? Or is she going to learn firsthand why Meiko IS a living legend?

The introductions are made, the belt is raised, and we see if there’s any hope for the French Hope!

Amale and Meiko circle, tie up, and Meiko puts Amale against ropes. The ref counts the ropebreak as Amale shouts, but Meiko lets off to get a leg. Meiko KICKS Amale then circles with her again. They tie up, Meiko headlocks to the takeover, but Amale makes it a cover. ONE, and Meiko grinds the headlock. Amale fights up, Meiko shifts to a drop toehold then floats to a chinlock. Meiko grabs a leg for a bit of Bow ‘n’ Arrow, but then focuses on the leg into a figure four deathlock. Amale reaches, crawls, but can’t get to ropes, so she grabs Meiko’s hair! The ref reprimands as Amale thrashes Meiko around and gets free. Amale CLUBS then bumps Meiko off buckles, then snapmares to an armlock.

The ref counts as Amale is still holding hair! Amale lets go at 4, goes to bump Meiko off more buckles but Meiko blocks to elbow back! Meiko headlocks again, but Amale powers out. Meiko leaps for a FLYING SHOULDER! Cover, TWO! Meiko gets Amale up, snapmares her back down, then wraps on a chinbar. Meiko shifts through to a seated cobra twist! Amale endures so Meiko makes it a ghost pin, TWO! Meiko gets Amale up to bump her off buckles now. Meiko fires off forearms, whips but Amale reverses to then drop toehold Meiko into buckles! Amale stomps a mudhole, the ref stops her, and Amale gets mad. Amale SHOTGUN dropkicks Meiko down!

Amale drags Meiko to a cover, ONE!! Meiko is tough and Amale gets frustrated. Amale whips but Meiko reverses and reels Amale in for uppercuts! Meiko blocks Amale’s clothesline to wrench and KICK away, then wrench and SWEEP! Headstand knee drop! Cover, TWO! Meiko dares Amale to get up, and then she KICKS away on her! And throws forearms! Meiko whips Amale to ropes, runs and CLOBBERS her with a forearm! BT Sports Studio fires up as Meiko waits for Amale. Amale sits up and Meiko KICKS her down! And again! Amale grits her teeth as she takes these KICKS again and again! Meiko still KICKS her down! Cover, TWO!!

Meiko keeps cool as Amale is showing her own toughness. Meiko KICKS Amale’s leg, Amale blocks and KNEES back! Meiko ends up in a corner, Amale runs around the world to BOOT WASH! Amale drags Meiko up, fisherman SCREW! Cover, TWO!! Meiko survives and Amale is losing her cool! Amale gets Meiko up but Meiko fires off forearms! Amale fires them all back! Amale whips, Meiko reverses direction to PELE! Meiko fires up and gets Amale up for a fireman’s carry. Amale fights free to BOOT Meiko down! Amale shouts, “STAY! DOWN!” Amale runs, into a ROUNDHOUSE! Cover, TWO!! Amale survives again but Meiko looks to finish this!

Meiko gets Amale up for forearm after forearm! Amale ducks one but Meiko denies the Complete Shot! Meiko knees, into a fisherman! HEARTBREAKER!! High stack, TWO!?! Meiko survives and Amale is furiously shocked! Meiko ROCKS her, Amale ROCKS Meiko! Meiko mule kicks and DECKS Amale! Meiko gets Amale up again, for a DDT! Then she runs to HANDSPRING KICK! Meiko still isn’t done, she wants to make sure Amale understands respect! Meiko gives her a KICK, then SCORPIO RISING!! Cover, Meiko wins!

Winner: Meiko Satomura, by pinfall (still NXT UK Women’s Champion)

Amale proved she’s top tier, but THE top superstar is still Meiko Satomura! Who will be next to challenge the Final Boss for her golden prize?

BREAKING NEWS!

After the heated confrontation in the ring during the press conference, there was a physical altercation between Walter and Dragunov! Details are still coming in but it is confirmed that the NXT UK Champion has suffered a sever injury to the hand! The complication means that Walter VS Dragunov II will NOT be happening next week! NXT UK will keep everyone updated on this developing story.

However, what will be happening is an all new Supernova Sessions, with special guests, Jinny and Joseph Conners! Will the Spoiled Princess and her Righteous Knight have a response to Aoife Valkyrie calling her out?

NXT UK Heritage Cup: Tyler Bate w/ Trent Seven VS Mark Coffey w/ Wolfgang!

The Big Strong Boy knows Gallus likes to poke a lot of fun and play around, so Markus’ little jab to the cheek was shrugged off with a grin. But now things get serious, Bate is even willing to put up the cup for this one! Will Coffey earn big points in his friendly rivalry with Wolfie by taking out the first Triple Crown Champion to have held the NXT Tag Team Championships, NXT UK Championship and NXT UK Heritage Cup?

The introductions are made, the cup is raised, and we see if Markus can go the distance with Bate!

Round one begins, Bate and Mark circle, and they feel things out. They tie up, Coffey puts Bate on the ropes but lets off cleanly. They go again, another tie up, and Coffey wrenches and YANKS the arm. Coffey twists the wrist, Bate spins through to arm-drag, but Coffey blocks. Bate kips up and arm-drags after all, but Coffey holds onto the wristlock. Coffey cranks the arm, Bate rolls but Coffey keeps him down. Bate spins through to get up and knuckle lock. Bate wrenches Coffey’s arm now, but Coffey rolls, drops, and gets the legs. Bate tries to stay up but the toehold takes over. Bate gets the ropebreak, Coffey lets off cleanly again.

The two reset with just over a minute left, and the two tie up with knuckle locks. Coffey wrenches, has a wristlock, and he wrangles Bate down. Bate works his way up, goes up and over Coffey to get free, but Coffey goes to whip. Bate headlocks, Coffey powers out and the two ram shoulders. Bate keeps moving, leaps but into Coffey’s arms! Bate slips out of the toss, waistlocks, but Coffey switches. Bate arm-drags free, but Coffey reels him into headscissors. Bate kips free but Coffey arm-drags him now, only for Bate to make it a headlock! Last ten seconds as Coffey fights up, and he powers up to put Bate on the apron. Bate is saved by the bell as the round ends.

Bate: 0; Coffey: 0

Coffey lets off clean but does pat Bate on the cheek. Coffey goes to his corner and Wolfie helps him refresh. Bate keeps his cool off the little taunting, and he gets back in for round two.

Bate and Coffey tie up, Coffey wrenches to a hammerlock but Bate works on his exit. Bate slips through the hammerlock to put it on Coffey, but Coffey turns it back around on Bate. Coffey brings Bate to his knees, but Bate reaches back and gets up. Bate uses his leg to pry free, then wrenches Coffey to the hammerlock. But Coffey slips out to put it right back on Bate again! Bate moves around, Coffey wrangles him down, but Bate sits up. Bate reaches back, stands again, gets moving around, then flings Coffey off and out! Coffey comes back but into a dropkick! Coffey slides in but gets another dropkick! Bate eggs Coffey on, Coffey returns but Bate side steps to roll up, TWO!

Bate runs but Coffey catches the legs, only for Bate to use that for a body scissors takedown! Cover, Bate gets the first fall!!

Bate: 1; Coffey: 0

Coffey is a bit frustrated but Wolfgang keeps him calm as the second round is already over. Bate is also ready, and we’re on to round three!

The two tie up, Coffey waistlocks and SLAMS Bate! Coffey headlocks, Bate fights up, but Coffey holds on tight. Bate throws body shots, powers out, but Coffey runs him over! Things keep moving, Bate RAMS into Coffey’s stomach! Bate whips, Coffey whips Bate away, Bate rebounds but into Coffey’s BACK DROP! Coffey drags Bate up to DECK him with a forearm! Coffey gets Bate up again, wrenches and RUSSIAN LEG SWEEPS! Cover, TWO, but Coffey still has an arm. Coffey reels Bate in to back suplex, but Bate lands on his feet! Bate boots from a corner but Coffey blocks it, only for Bate to reel him in for a KNEE! And a HARD right! Bate springboards, into an ENZIGURI!

Coffey runs to SLIDING UPPERCUT! Cover, Coffey scores a fall!

Bate: 1; Coffey: 1

An even faster third and now we’re tied up at one apiece! The next fall wins it, will it end in round four?

Bate and Coffey go again, going around the ring, but Coffey corners Bate! Coffey fires off hands but Bate returns them! Bate uppercuts, headbutts low, then double knees! Roll up, TWO! Bate ROCKS Coffey with more EuroUppers, but Coffey deflects one to waistlock. Bate bucks the roll-up but Coffey boots the clothesline! Coffey reels Bate in for a back suplex to SIDE EFFECT! Cover, TWO! Wolfgang coaches Coffey and Coffey gets Bate up to half nelson. Bate resists, swings around, and gets a CRUCIFIX TAKEDOWN! TWO, Bate leap frogs to go up and under in the corner, and he catches Coffey for an EXPLODER! Coffey and Bate are both down but Bate kips up!

STANDING SHOOTING STAR! Cover, TWO!! Bate stays focused as he watches Coffey get up. Bate fireman’s carries, and gets the airplane spin going as we reach a minute left! Bate gets about a dozen rotations, maybe more like 20, but Coffey elbows free! Coffey staggers, half nelsons and SLAMS Bate down! But both men are down as we’re not at 30 seconds! Bate gets to a corner, Coffey runs in and clotheslines! Coffey goes up the corner and leaps, but Bate ducks the flying bulldog! BIG KNEE! Bate whips, Coffey reverses, Bate goes back up, but they COLLIDE head to head! Last 10 seconds tick away, both men are down as the round end!

Bate: 1; Coffey: 1

Wolfie wants Markus to get back up, and Coffey is even dizzier now than before. He and Bate do make it to their corners but this recovery period might not be enough. Bate and Coffey still say they’re ready, and we enter round five!

Bate trips Coffey, Coffey boots him away! Bate comes back but Coffey CLUBS him and POSTS him! Roll up, TWO!! Bate escapes but Coffey whips him to ropes, only for Bate to duck the gamangiri! Bop up, BANG!! Bate underhooks but Coffey powers out with a back drop! But Bate lands on his feet! Bate comes back, dodges, rebounds to LARIAT! Bate aims from a corner, ROLLING LIGER KICK! Bate gets Coffey up fast, underhooks to TYLER DRIVER 98!! Cover, Bate wins!!

Winner: Tyler Bate, by pinfall (still NXT UK Heritage Cup Champion)

The Big Strong Boy finds a way to finish it, with just over 2 minutes left in the fifth! Seven brings the cup over to Bate so he can celebrate, and Moustache Mountain keeps it civil with Gallus. Bate offers a handshake, Coffey takes it. Who’s next for Bate and the Heritage Cup? What will Wolfgang and Coffey look to do next in their own friendly back and forth?

My Thoughts:

A very good NXT UK, but the news we got was a little disappointing. After a great press conference style promo, the NXT UK Championship match was feeling even better than it already was. But then, with a kayfabe report about a fight backstage, we find that we’re not getting that match yet. That’s a big bummer given how big it would’ve made next week because of the tag titles also being on the line. We got good promos from Subculture and Pretty Deadly, but I feel like Dani’s spray paint can was running low. She didn’t really get a good 2 or X out of it, so I wonder if they used it to also do the huge Subculture reverse stencil style logo. That aside, the tag title match could go either way and it’ll be a great one.

We got a good promo from Aoife to further her match with Jinny. Maybe their match happens next week now without Walter VS Dragunov next week. We got a good promo from A-Kid about his injury. I love that he wants a 30 minute Ironman match with Devlin, but I feel like he needs to learn how to deliver anger better. He got mad enough to throw the crutch but his voice didn’t really change. If anything, he got quieter, like he was trying not to make a scene. But either way, Devlin VS AK in an Ironman is going to be badass. We got a very good tag match out of Smith & Carter VS Teoman & Raja, but it makes a lot of sense that the Heels win here to keep this story going.

I was a little surprised the women’s title went first, but turns out it was so the Heritage Cup could have some more time at the end. The women’s title was a great match and Amale definitely had her best match of NXT UK. Meiko retains, of course, she’s going to have a very strong, very long reign, but Amale is definitely going to be a solid upper midcard talent. The Heritage Cup match was great, too, and it was very creative with how they got to the falls, and even that double head collision to end the fourth was great. Bate retains, of course, giving Mark his first loss in this friendly with Wolfgang, I almost thought Wolfgang was going to ask for his chance. That could still happen, and I’m still curious as to where Moustache Mountain and Symbiosis are going, since we didn’t see even a hint of Eddie Dennis.

My Score: 8.3/10

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

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

It’s Draft Day!

Published

24 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Steven Mitchell

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

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

OFFICIAL RESULTS

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

PLAY BY PLAY

Backstage interview with Paul Heyman.

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

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

SmackDown throws it to the NXT Performance Center.

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

Corey Graves is in the ring.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Triple H is here!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Winners: Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee, by pinfall

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

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

Bron Breakker VS Cedric Alexander!

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

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

Winner: Bron Breakker, by pinfall

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

Nick Aldis heads out.

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

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

Michelle McCool and Torrie Wilson are here!

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

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

The Bloodline arrives backstage.

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

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

Kayla Braxton is on stage.

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

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

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

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

The Dudley Boyz are here!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No Contest

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

B-Fab and the Street Profits meet up backstage.

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

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

The Final Testament speaks.

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

Teddy Long and JBL are here!

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

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

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

Backstage interview with Nick Aldis.

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

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

Cody Rhodes VS Carmelo Hayes!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Winner: Cody Rhodes, by pinfall

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

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

My Thoughts:

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

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

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

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

My Score: 8.8/10

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

Coverage

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

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

Published

2 days ago

April 25, 2024

Andrew Balaz

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

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

Ratings:

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

Results:

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

#1 Contender: Frankie Kazarian vs Josh Alexander

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

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

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

ASH by Elegance vs Xia Brookside

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

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

Sami Callihan vs The Good Hands

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

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

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

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

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

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

Overall Score: 6/10

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

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

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