Coverage

Mitchell’s WWE SmackDown Results & Report! (7/9/21)

The last spots must be filled!

Published

3 years ago

July 9, 2021

Steven Mitchell

Will Money in the Bank have a king or a Baron?

SmackDown has two more spots open in the Men’s Money in the Bank match, and they will be filled! But will it be Nakamura or Corbin? Rollins or Cesaro?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Men’s Money in the Bank Qualifier Match: Shinsuke Nakamura w/ Rick Boogs VS Baron Corbin; Nakamura wins and advances to the Men’s MITB Ladder Match.
Natalya & Tamina VS ???; Shotzi Blackheart & Tegan Nox win.
Men’s Money in the Bank Qualifier Match: Seth Rollins VS Cesaro; Rollins wins and advances to the Men’s MITB Ladder Match.

PLAY BY PLAY

Paul Heyman is outside Roman Reigns’ room.

Jimmy Uso walks up and says hey, but Heyman won’t let him in the room? Heyman wants Jimmy to understand that the Tribal Chief has so much on his plate, and Roman’s about to go handle something, but that’s not as important to him as Jimmy. Jimmy deserves Roman’s full attention, and Heyman promises Jimmy will get it tonight. Really? Yes, Heyman assures him. Jimmy nods and heads back to his room, but what exactly will Roman have for Jimmy later tonight?

Roman Reigns heads to the ring!

Just as Heyman said, the Head of the Table, with Heyman by his side of course, holds up the Universal Championship to cue the pyro. Then they go to the ring, Roman again holds up the belt, and again pyro goes off. Heyman then holds onto the title for Roman as he takes a moment to think. The ThunderDome chants “Roman Sucks!” but Heyman hands Roman the mic so he may speak. “I know a lot of you at home didn’t like the fact that I wasn’t present last week. There’s a lot about last week I didn’t like, either.” But one thing that stuck out, one thing that Roman will not stand for is a liar like Edge coming out here and saying that Roman fears him. That Edge is in Roman’s head.

Roman is an honest man so he will tell the truth. “In our main event WrestleMania match, maybe for like one moment, and you ask any fighter, ask Brock, they’ll all tell you, fear can sometimes happen.” So maybe 10, maybe 20 seconds, in that crossface with the bar in his mouth, there was a little fear. But what did that fear do? It propelled Roman! Like every bit of adversity, Roman fought through it and what happened? Smashed ’em, stacked ’em and pinned ’em, then made a sure about it! So don’t come out and say you’re in Roman’s head, that’s not true. Edge only got to Roman not because of fear, but because of Roman’s split focus!

Roman has so much to deal with, from Jey to Jimmy, that he wasn’t even thinking about Edge! Edge wasn’t a worry in Roman’s mind! But if we’re talking family, this might be a good point to handle some business. Heyman agrees there. Roman waits, and here comes Jimmy. Jimmy goes to the ring and stands with Roman, the moment Heyman mentioned happening now. “Yo, Uce, why do you think I got in Edge’s face last week? It wasn’t for me. It was for us, just like you said, Uce.” Jimmy doesn’t remember seeing Roman. Roman must’ve been on vacation. Jimmy showed up. First off, when did Roman say anything about doing this for them? To make decisions for them?

And secondly, vacation? Roman laughs at that idea. If anyone earned a vacation, it’s Roman, but he doesn’t take vacations! Roman was busy doing what Jimmy couldn’t! And by that, he means here’s JEY! Both Usos are back on the show again, and Jey joins his family. “Yes, sir. Uce, I’m back. But not for you, not for anyone of us, but for all of us.” Jey the Right Hand Man is back! As for Jimmy, Jey always has his back. They going through these hard times now, but just keep your head up, and they can get back to work doing what they do. And that means becoming seven time WWE tag team champions, Uce! The Usos hug it out and Roman smiles.

Roman’s been saying this all along. This is al he’s ever wanted. They choose what they want to hear but Roman’s been saying it. Seven time tag team champions! Universal Champion for however long he wants to be! And the way they do it is together. On the same page, all of them working together. No one can touch them, if they do it Roman’s way. Roman has the Usos come in for a big family hug. Has Roman finally united the tribe under his banner? Is there any stopping the Bloodline now?

Backstage interview with Baron Corbin.

Kayla Braxton knows it’s been a long road, and considering the history he has with King Nakamura, what can he tell us about that match? Corbin says he needs this. His life is a mess right now! He’s trapped in a box, he’s lost his money, his crown, his car, and even some payments on his house, and the bank is starting to call. Corbin has to win, needs to win, wants to win. Corbin’s won the Money in the Bank ladder match before, he can do it again, and he must do it again. That championship opportunity is the only opportunity he has to turn his life back around. Things are dire for the former Wolf King, but will this hunger propel him back to the top?

Men’s Money in the Bank Qualifier Match: Shinsuke Nakamura w/ Rick Boogs VS Baron Corbin!

Corbin comes out and doesn’t even have music? Can he not afford to change it to something that doesn’t remind him of his days as king? Will Corbin go for broke and redeem himself? Or will he just end up broken?

SmackDown returns and Big E makes his entrance? The Powerhouse of Positivity is already in the Men’s MITB match, but he seems like he wants to watch this grudge match for the golden ticket in person. Big E invites Pat McAfee to join him in the lounge of positivity, too, so it seems like Big E is rubbing this in. Wait, video footage plays of earlier today, Boogs and Nakamura arriving in a Mercedes Benz! The same make and model as Baron Corbin’s, too! Wait, they won this at auction? IT IS Corbin’s Mercedes!! What of Corbin’s isn’t going to go to the King of Strong Style? And then, the rockin’ bard plays his electric guitar and gives Nakamura his introduction!

Corbin goes after Nakamura at the ramp! Corbin stomps Nakamura, Boogs throws Corbin into barriers! Boogs helps Nakamura up and to the ring as SmackDown goes to break.

SmackDown returns again and Corbin mugs Nakamura in a corner. Corbin whips Nakamura corner to corner, runs in but Nakamura dodges to KICK back! Nakamura goes up, leaps, but into a choke grip, to a half nelson GUTBUSTER! Corbin snarls as he paces, CLUBS Nakamura down, then paces more. Big E says he enjoys frivolity and nonsense as much as anyone, but this is a big moment for everyone involved. MITB can change your career and your life. Corbin stands on Nakamura’s head, lets off as the ref counts, then gets mad at the ref. Corbin drags Nakamura up, suplexes and hangs him out to dry! Nakamura falls to the mat, Corbin covers, ONE!!

Corbin keeps on Nakamura with clubbing forearms, puts him on ropes and throws heavy forearms into ribs! The ref counts, Corbin lets off and whips Nakamura to ropes. Nakamura ducks and dodges and DYNAMIC DROPKICKS! Both men are down but fight up. Big E knows how devastating that foot can be. Nakamura fires off strikes, Corbin blocks but Nakamura ENZIGURIS! Nakamura hits a forearm in the corner, puts Corbin on the rope, and runs to TOP SHELF KNEE! Nakamura gets Corbin for a BACKSTABBER, then a SLIDING KNEE! Cover, TWO! Corbin survives but Nakamura keeps his focus.

Corbin gets up as Nakamura runs in, but Corbin turns Kinshasa into takedown and HALF CRAB! Nakamura endures, reaches, and gets the ropebreak! Corbin lets go and drags Nakamura up for a GERMAN SUPLEX! Cover, TWO! Nakamura is tough and Corbin’s frustration grows. Big E says he wouldn’t mind seeing Corbin spiral a bit. Corbin waistlocks, Nakamura elbows free and ENZIGURIS him out of the ring! Boogs fires up for Nakamura but Corbin DECKS him! Nakamura leaps in but is caught! Nakamura fights free but Corbin gets him for a suplex to the announce desk! Corbin hurries away and the ring count climbs as SmackDown goes to break!

SmackDown returns again and Corbin throws hands on Nakamura in a corner. Corbin whips corner to corner hard, then runs in, but Nakamura moves! Corbin POSTS himself and Big E laughs as he says, “Hate to see it!” Nakamura gets Corbin in a sleeper but Corbin throw shim off! Corbin ducks one kick but not the LEFT! Nakamura fires up, runs, but into a DEEP SIX! And very deep at that! Cover, TWO!! Corbin grows frustrated, storms over after Nakamura, and gets him up on the apron for a suplex back into the ring! Cover, TWO! Corbin seethes, he gets Nakamura back up, and he hoists Nakamura up top.

Corbin climbs but Nakamura throws forearms! Nakamura grabs Corbin for an ARMBAR TAKEDOWN, into the TRIANGLE! Corbin endures, powers up, and POWERBOMBS Nakamura down! But Nakamura holds on!? Nakamura squeezes tighter, Corbin fades, but Corbin gets a second wind! Corbin fights up but Nakamura drags him back down! Corbin uses his leg to get a ropebreak! Nakamura lets go but makes it a cover, TWO!! Big E thought this was over but Nakamura aims form the corner! “YAO~!” Nakamura runs in, but into a LARIAT!! Both men are down again and McAfee is stunned by that one! Corbin looks to the briefcase as inspiration, but Nakamura kicks back!

Nakamura kicks and knees Corbin, then aims from a corner. “YAO~!” KINSHASA!! Cover, Nakamura wins!!

Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura, by pinfall (advances to the Men’s MITB Ladder match)

Boogs celebrates with his guitar, because the King is in! Will Nakamura leave Houston as the King in the Bank? And just how much lower will Corbin fall after this?

The Usos talk backstage.

Jey and Jimmy are happy to be back together. Jimmy apologizes for what he said but Jey says it’s alright. They fight and make up, ever since they were kids. A common enemy like Edge will bring a family together. But Jey asks Jimmy if he wants to handle some business so Roman doesn’t have to. Really? For the family. Just think about it, Uce. What does Jey mean? Does it mean something bad for the Rated R Superstar?

Natalya & Tamina VS ???

The WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions have been called out by a brand new team making their debut! Will the Queen of Harts & Daughter of Superfly be ready for whoever is coming?

SmackDown returns and Natty has a mic to say, “So we were told before we even got out here that we have a tag team match. But not for the titles. But with two women that nobody’s ever seen before on SmackDown, Tamina.” Big surprise, they want after the tag team champions! Tamina says she knows, this is a lot of ish and gall. Whoever they are, they better get out here so this can be done already. Wait, it’s NXT’s Shotzi Blackheart and Tegan Nox?! Normally, Shotzi teams with Ember Moon, but either way, these two look ready to run wild on SmackDown! Will they #TCB, Take Care o’ Business, against the second generation superstars?

The teams sort out and Nox starts with Natty. They tie up, Natty wrenches but Nox wrenches, bridges, handsprings and wristlocks. Natty waistlocks to slam Nox, but Nox kips up to arm-drag! Nox wrenches, Shotzi tags in, they double whip and trip Natty for a camel clutch and basement dropkick! Shotzi then body scissors to a clutch, TWO! Shotzi facelocks, brings Natty over, and Nox tags back in. Shotzi whips Nox out then in to uppercut Natty down! Shotzi tags back in, Nox gives her a boost into the CANNONBALL! Cover, Tamina breaks it! Tamina is fuming but Natty gets a waistlock. Shotzi switches, Natty bucks her off and Tamina tags in!

Natty throws Shotzi into the ropes, then Tamina BOOTS her down! Cover, ONE!! Tamina keeps on Shotzi, whips her into a corner and clotheslines her! Tamina reels Shotzi in for a BIG clothesline! And then she drops an elbow! Cover, TWO! Tamina gets mad but she brings Shotzi back up to choke on ropes. The ref counts, Tamina lets off and CLUBS away on Shotzi’s back. Tamina throws Shotzi down, sucker punches Nox, then tags in Natty. Natty catapults Shotzi into the SUPERKICK! Cover, Tamina intercepts Nox, but Nox slips off to break up the pin! Nox BOOTS Tamina and CANNONBALLS! Natty runs in to DISCUS Nox, but Shotzi CLOBBERS Natty!

Shotzi gets Natty in the drop zone, goes up top, and SUPER SENTONS!! Cover, Shotzi & Nox win!!

Winners: Shotzi Blackheart & Tegan Nox, by pinfall

Welcome to the Ball Pit, SmackDown! These upstarts from NXT just won against the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions! Will they use this to get a second round and take the gold?

Backstage interview with Edge.

The Rated R Superstar is here and Megan asks if he has anything to say about Roman and the Usos reuniting. He does, actually. But he will save it for when goes out to the ring and once again calls Roman out. Edge is interested to see if Roman has a “big enough set of jewels to come out by himself, or if he needs Dumb & Dumber with him.” Either way, the family reunion won’t be a happy one. And that’s not a prediction, that’s a spoiler. Edge is ready to turn the tables on the Head of the Table once again, but will giving that much away only come back to bite him?

Sonya Deville heads to the ring.

Sadly, Bayley got injured during training and will be out at least nine MONTHS! Sonya must now figure out who challenges Bianca Belair for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at Money in the Bank! We’ll hear who she chooses, after the break.

SmackDown returns and Sonya says this is the kind of announcement she hoped she’d never have to give. It is true, Bayley has sustained an injury and be out for nine months at least. She will not be competing at Money in the Bank, but she did have words for the WWE Universe. Footage plays of Bayley sitting in her Hall of Bayley, and she knows some out there feel this sucks. They wanted to see her, the longest reigning SmackDown Women’s Champion in history, regain what was rightfully hers when she beat Bianca Belair once and for all. But she’s hurt. And now that she thinks about it, that’s NOT what fans are thinking! Because fans don’t care!

The fans don’t care that Bayley did this while trying to get better for MITB, to be the best she can be, and be there for us. This is OUR fault! She doesn’t care who is put in her place, they’re not as good as her! Sonya says the WWE wishes Bayley a speedy recovery, and with that all said, there has to be something done about this situation. Obviously, the stipulation will be changing, and after careful consideration, Sonya has chosen that Bianca will NOT be defending her title at MITB. Instead, Bianca will be defending it next Friday on the first-ever SmackDown back in front of a live audience! And her opponent for that match is a former champion, a two-time MITB winner, it will be… Carmella!

Carmella makes her entrance and gets a mic to say fans are just mad that she’s hot and we’re not. But she thanks Sonya for this overdue and much deserved honor. Once again, Sonya forgot to add something to the introduction. On top of being a two-time MITB winner and the next SmackDown Women’s Champion, she is the most beautiful woman in ALL the WWE! Wait, here comes Liv Morgan! “Are you kidding me?!” Liv just doesn’t understand! Sonya just appoints people? First Mella is appointed to the MITB match, and then Mella is appointed as Bayley’s replacement? Mella hasn’t earned anything! Talk about favoritism! You can’t just do this!

Mella thinks Liv is obsessed, but Liv tells her if she keeps talking, Liv’s gonna slap the smile right off her pretty little face. Again. Liv gets in the ring now and asks Sonya how many times Liv has to beat Mella to get her opportunity!? This is blatant favoritism, it is absurd, and she’s sick of it! Sonya tells Liv that next time, she should wait and listen to everything Sonya has to say. Because while she was giving Mella next week’s title opportunity, Sonya was going to appoint Mella’s replacement in the Women’s MITB! And it’s Liv. Mella is out, Liv is in, now she has 30 seconds to get out of here before Sonya changes her mind and makes it so Liv never gets another opportunity in the WWE! Understood? Yes.

Before she goes, Liv tells Mella, “I hope you win the title next week. Because when I win Money in the Bank, I’m cashing in on you!” An ultimatum has been issued, but here comes Bianca Belair to respond to it all! Bianca sees Liv on the ramp, and Liv points to the briefcase. Bianca likes that and lets her move on. Bianca then tells Mella that she’ll gladly accept this change. But Bayley, is this injury real? If it isn’t, shame on her for stooping this low. But if it is, then Bianca respects the competitive skills. She doesn’t like Bayley, but she respects her, and looks forward to finishing this when Bayley’s back. Bianca then holds up the belt and tells Mella, “I’ll see you next week.”

The first SmackDown back in front of fans might be the greatEST in a long, long time! Will Bianca make it the BEST SmackDown when she retains? Or will Mella be a three-time SmackDown Women’s Champion for the summer?

Roman Reigns sits in his room.

Heyman walks in and says they may have a problem. It’s Edge. “Edge intends on going out to the ring tonight and pulling your punk card, calling your bluff, and… calling you out to the ring tonight.” What else did Edge say? Heyman sighs as he apologizes. Edge also questioned Roman’s manhood… Roman starts to scowl, but how will he respond to the Rated R Superstar’s disrespect?

SmackDown, there’s a storm on the horizon!

It’s NXT’s Toni Storm that’s coming soon! Will the Lightning From Down Under look to shock SmackDown this summer?

Men’s Money in the Bank Qualifier Match: Seth Rollins VS Cesaro!

The Architect is another former Mr. MITB winner and perpetrated the #HeistoftheCentury with the contract. However, the Swiss Superman is hungrier than ever before, especially after the nail-bitingly close loss at Hell in a Cell. Will Cesaro be back on the upswing with one more win in the ThunderDome? Or will Seth Freakin’ Rollins look to #BurnItDown one more time?

SmackDown returns and Cesaro makes his entrance. Kevin Owens has joined commentary much like Big E did earlier, he says these two here are two of the best. Even if Rollins is a jerk. But Kevin has beaten Rollins, too, and at WrestleMania. Cesaro and Rollins tie up at the bell, Cesaro waistlocks and slams Rollins then rolls to a cover. ONE, Cesaro tries again, ONE! Rollins gets up, fights the waistlock, gets a headlock, but Cesaro powers up to back suplex. Rollins lands on his feet, rolls Cesaro, ONE! Rollins tries an Oklahoma Roll, ONE! Cesaro headlocks, Rollins powers out but Cesaro runs him over! Cover, ONE!

Cesaro headlocks again but Rollins endures the grind. Rollins fights to a cover, ONE, but Cesaro holds on. Rollins fights up, powers out, things speed up and Cesaro catches Rollins for a tilt-o-whirl BACKBREAKER! Cover, TWO! Cesaro runs in at the corner but Rollins puts him on the apron. Cesaro ROCKS Rollins with a right, then climbs up the corner. Rollins runs over, springs up top but Cesaro knocks him back down! Cesaro CROSSBODIES! Cover, TWO! Cesaro reels Rollins in, Rollins slips under and out of the ring! Rollins throws a fit, Kevin says be careful with the desk. “What an attitude problem. Yeah, stomp the thing, that’ll help.” Rollins is furious but SmackDown goes to break.

SmackDown returns again and Cesaro fires EuroUppers in a corner! Cesaro whips, Rollins kicks back, but Cesaro clotheslines Rollins out of the ring! Cesaro fires up while Rollins gets up. Cesaro goes out after him but Rollins gives him a Complete Shot to the desk! Rollins RAMS Cesaro into steel steps, then drags him up into the ring at 6 of 10. Rollins pushes Cesaro to a cover, TWO! Rollins grows annoyed with Cesaro but he cravats for a neck wrench. Rollins snapmares, KICKS and then drops a knee! Cover, TWO! Cesaro gets to a corner but Rollins storms in to whip him to ropes. Rollins KNEES Cesaro low, then whips to KNEE him again. Then he WRINGS Cesaro’s arm out! Cover, TWO!

Rollins keeps on Cesaro with a fish hook to the face and a chinlock to grind him down. Cesaro endures, fights up, and Kevin lists the gripes he has with both current champions, Roman Reigns and Bobby Lashley. Kevin also does take possible champions into consideration, such as Edge and Kofi Kingston. Cesaro throws EuroUppers but Rollins tries a backslide! Cesaro blocks, turns things around, and he backslides, but Rollins flips through! Rollins kicks low, runs, BOOMERANGE HEEL KICK! Cover, TWO! Cesaro goes back to a corner, Rollins keeps his cool, but Rollins digs his boots into Cesaro! The ref counts, Rollins stomps as he lets off, and Rollins “apologizes” to the ref.

Rollins tells the ref, “Do you know how much this contract means to me?” Rollins goes back to Cesaro but Cesaro fires EuroUppers! Rollins throws forearms, Cesaro EuroUppers, repeat! Cesaro throws uppercuts from all sides, then whips to a corner for another uppercut! And then back the other way! Cesaro runs the ropes but Rollins ducks the discus to turn, but no elbow! Torture rack, POWERSLAM! Cover, TWO!! Cesaro goes to the apron and climbs up the corner. Rollins stands, gets up top in a flash, and hits a SUPERPLEX! Roll through to Cesaro’s suplex, and the FALL OUT OF THE RING!! Both men crash and burn as SmackDown goes to another break!

SmackDown returns yet again, and Cesaro has Rollins in the swing! A dozen rotations, then the SHARPSHOOTER! Rollins scrambles to the ropebreak! Cesaro turns it around, but Rollins gets a cradle! TWO, and Cesaro pops Rollins up for an uppercut! Cover, TWO!! Rollins survives and Kevin says this IS for the last spot, so that explains how hard they’re fighting. Cesaro gets Rollins up, reels him in and has the Gotch hold, but Rollins back drops! Cesaro sunset flips, ONE! Cesaro wants the legs, Rollins drags himself up the corner, but Cesaro YANKS him into a POWEBOMB! The ref is distracted by how a buckle pad came flying off! He finally counts the cover, TWO!!

Cesaro is annoyed, kicks the pad out of the ring, then drags Rollins’ dead weight back up. Cesaro wants the Neutralizer but Rollins back drops free! Cesaro dodges, springboards, but into a BIG forearm! Both men are down and Cesaro is in a daze! Rollins gets to a corner, takes aim, and runs in, but into another pop-up, but Rollins huricanranas and sends Cesaro into the bare buckle!! Cover, TWO!! Rollins tries another cover, and even has ropes! TWO!!! Cesaro isn’t giving up, but he is busted open! And then Rollins hits the DREAM SMASHER ELBOW!! Cover, TOW?!?! Cesaro flops out of the ring, but how is he still in this?!

Rollins is furious, and he storms out after Cesaro. Rollins whips Cesaro hard into barriers! And then bounces him off the desk! Rollins leaves Cesaro behind this time, the ring count climbs, but somehow Cesaro crawls over! Cesaro gets up and in at 7! Rollins is after him again, another DREAM SMASHER ELBOW!! Cesaro flops out of the ring and Rollins wants the count to be faster! It isn’t good enough for him, he goes out to get Cesaro to the ramp, for a DDT!! Bloody head to steel panel, and Rollins leaves Cesaro behind! The ring count restarts, Cesaro still moves?! Cesaro is at ringside at 8, and in at 9.99!! Rollins is beside himself, runs in, but Cesaro rolls him up! TWO!!

SHARP- NO, Rollins BOOTS free! But Cesaro ROCKS him with a EuroUpper! CURB STOMP!!! Cover, Rollins wins!!!

Winner: Seth Rollins, by pinfall (advances to the Men’s MITB Ladder Match)

The Savior of SmackDown shouts, “I TOLD YOU!” He is back in the MITB match, but look at how much it took just to stop the Swiss Superman! Will Rollins be able to do enough to overcome seven opponents at once?

The Usos find Edge’s dressing room.

They’re ready, but Jey doesn’t want Jimmy knocking on the door. Wait for Edge to come out, then they jump him! Jimmy sees what Jey means, and they wait. Will the Rated R Superstar be on the bad end of an ambush?

SmackDown returns, the Usos still wait, but Jimmy is getting impatient. He just barges in, Jey follows, but Edge isn’t in here anyway. Well he’s lucky he ain’t in here! The Usos start a search for Edge, but will they get him before he gets Roman?

Seth Rollins celebrates backstage.

“I DID IT!” Kayla comes over and he hugs her. She congratulates him, and he thanks her for it. Congratulations are in order, but knew that that idiot, “that nincompoop, Zazaro,” didn’t stand a chance! Rollins admits Cesaro put up a hell of a fight, he is a great competitor, but he’s just not on Rollins’ level! Rollins is the present and future Mr. MITB! And the last time he did that, who did he cash in on? Oh that’s right! The Tribal Chief, the Head of the Table, the current Universal champion, Roman Reigns! And last time, Rollins waited and waited, bided his time, and waited for the perfect moment. Maybe this time, Rollins won’t wait? Maybe when Rollins wins this time, he’ll cash in AT MITB!

It is all a formality, anyway! He should just be competing against Roman at MITB for the title, because he earned it! Wait, Edge sneaks up behind him! Edge smiles as Rollins turns around. Edge heard this nasally whine and was wondering where it was coming from. Seems Rollins hasn’t changed since 2014. Or did Rollins forget? The difference between them is that Rollins bitches, moans and complains, while Edge just takes his shot. So Edge is going to go out to the ring an call Roman out. Edge leaves Rollins behind, but will Rollins get after Edge with the MITB briefcase?

The Alpha Academy talks backstage.

Chad Gable says, “There’s something beautiful about a demolition video, isn’t there? Especially when it features my prized pupil, my number one guy, the human wrecking ball, Otis.” It doesn’t matter if it’s Montez Ford, Angelo Dawkins, Big E, Edge or even Roman Reigns. You step to the Alpha Academy, the result is the same. Otis says he will destroy anyone. Will he get to do just that as the WWE returns to the road?

Edge goes to the ring!

The Rated R Superstar is doing as he promised, but will Roman respond in kind? Or will the Uso Penitentiary show up to put Edge on lockdown? We’ll see, after the break.

SmackDown returns and Edge has the mic. “So I guess congratulations are in order. Roman reunited his family. They came out here, they had a nice group hug. Bless your hearts. Are you guys registered anywhere? Maybe I can get you matching leis.” But the thing is, Edge doesn’t care how many minions Roman has brainwashed, because he’s “exposed the cracks in the table.” At MITB, Edge promises to take the Universal Championship. And anyone who gets in his way will end up like this: the picture of Roman AND Jimmy taking the crossbar to the mouth while in the crossface. “The eyes don’t lie, and those eyes, they scream fear.”

Roman, Heyman and the Usos are watching from the private suite as Edge says he feeds off their fear. Edge vows to take the title at MITB, and without that title, Roman’s island isn’t relevant anymore! Can Roman deal with that? Edge will roam inside Roman’s head until the job is done. So it’s real simple: Edge is throwing down the punk card! Get your ass out here, Roman!! Edge paces, and Roman stands up from his chair. He tells the Usos to stay here so he can handle this on his own. The Usos nod and Roman heads out, Heyman right behind him. Edge gets impatient and shouts, “Where you at?!” Roman arrives at gorilla, and then stops. He has Heyman hold onto the belt, and then he goes through the curtain.

Edge smiles as he sees Roman on stage. Roman takes his time, the Usos watch from the suite, and Jey says something doesn’t feel right. He and Jimmy sense a trap, so they go out there, despite what Roman told them. Roman and Edge stare down as Roman makes it to ringside. The Usos make their entrance, and that upsets Roman. Roman tells them to stay put, “What’d I say? He’s calling me out one-on-one, I’m going to handle this.” The Usos accept, Roman walks up to the ring and takes off his tracksuit jacket. Edge is ready as Roman gets on the apron, and Edge even gives Roman space to enter. Roman does enter, and the two get face to face.

Edge throws the first punch but Roman responds! They’re fast and furious with the haymakers, but Edge gets the edge! Edge has Roman in a corner, and here come the Mysterios! Rey and Dominik come in from the crowd side and have chairs! They SMACK away on Jimmy & Jey!! Jimmy SUPERKICKS Dom down, Edge bumps Roman off buckles! Edge throws hands, forearms, then more. Rey JAMS Jimmy, Roman headbutts Edge! Rey sets the chair up but Jey SUPERKICKS him down to save Jimmy! Edge escapes a powerbomb to hit an IMPALER! The Usos mug the Mysterios then look to the ring. Edge aims from a corner but they grab at him! SUPERKICK!!

Rey gets in to RANA Jimmy onto ropes! Dom trips up Jey to add him on! Rey holds the Usos for Dom to dial it up, 619! SPEAR from Edge to Jey!! The Rated R Superstar sees Roman has run away to the ramp, so Edge gets himself some chairs! Rey and Dom keep Jey down and Edge breaks off another crossbar! Edge wants to complete the trifecta! Roman stays away as Edge creeps up on Jey! “Watch, Roman!” CROSSBAR CROSSFACE!!! Roman seethes but he doesn’t rush back to help Jey! The Tribal Chief lets his pawn take the pain again, and Edge finally lets Jey go. Edge glares at Roman, and Roman talks some smack, but that isn’t doing anything to help the Usos.

Edge even puts Jey BACK in the CROSSBAR CROSSFACE! Then he switches to put Jimmy in it, just like last week!! And then back to Jey!! Roman just leaves!! Is this proof that Roman fears the Rated R Superstar?!?

My Thoughts:

A very good episode for SmackDown, especially as their own good-bye to the ThunderDome. Obviously, Raw has the final episode in the ThunderDome, and it has been confirmed that 7/12/21 has been taped. Though from what they were advertising, it all feels like go-home filler. Exciting filler, but still filler. SmackDown tonight was not filler, and it works almost like a go-home to both MITB and to next week’s return to live fans. Though Bianca threw some kayfabe shade on it, Bayley’s injury is certainly legit. Not even her Heel persona would give up a chance at the title like this. It’s a bit of a bummer that the title won’t be on PPV, but this does work to make next week’s SmackDown a great return to live fans and the road, and fans will have a lot of fun seeing Bianca retaining against Mella.

The rest of the segment with Sonya, Mella and Liv was also really good. Yes, Mella is just being named the challenger but in return, Liv is being named the MITB replacement, Sonya still gets to use her authority arbitrarily as we’ve seen, and she might even have her first authority VS superstar feud with Liv at this rate. There’s still one spot, who knows who that goes to, but with them bringing in some NXT superstars to SmackDown, maybe it’s Toni Storm? Toni did put Raquel Gonzalez, the NXT Women’s Champion, on notice, but maybe she has that match with Sarray after all, and then Toni loses to move over to SmackDown.

When Natty & Tamina were taking on surprise opponents, I knew it’d be a duo from NXT, I just didn’t see it being Shotzi Blackheart & Tegan Nox. Or as the graphic and ring announcer said, “Shotzi & Nox.” I already hate this, because 1) Shotzi usually teams with Ember Moon in NXT, 2) Vince is already doing the name shortening garbage and 3) we literally just saw Nox make her return and go after Candice LeRae. The only saving grace would be if they got Kevin Owens deals where they can do double-duty for a time. He did it, why can’t these two do it? I do like that they’re going right after the titles so that Shotzi can be the first woman history to have held both women’s tag titles for for Nox to get her first title period, but this seemed more out of desperation than a well-made plan.

We did get really good MITB qualifier matches for the men tonight, though. I said this last week but they sure love piling on Corbin. His repossessed car is now Nakamura’s, and now Nakamura is in the MITB and Corbin isn’t. Nakamura does make a great addition to the MITB match and so far, they have done a good job of writing Corbin becoming this sad, disheveled form of himself, so the next bit should be really good, too. Rollins VS Cesaro was awesome stuff, they really pulled out all the stops for it. It has been quite some time since I’ve seen “suplex falls out of ring” spot, let alone someone in WWE get busted open by a bare buckle.

Rollins winning makes sense, the MITB match needs more Heels, and with how things are developing between Rollins, Edge and Roman, Rollins might try and recreate the Heist of the Century during Roman VS Edge. I could see that backfiring, and that is how Roman retains. Especially after what happened to the Usos tonight. Great stuff from them and Roman with their reunion, but also with the Usos not really listening to Roman since they went out there at the end. At the same time, they did have a point, because the Mysterios returning to attack the Usos was the trap. I also think they realized there was time to fill, which is why Edge kept going after the Usos with the crossface.

There can definitely be a big Six Man Tag for the go-home in front of the live fans, but I guess things with Jimmy in real life haven’t really affected story too much. I still couldn’t be sure if today’s episode was live or taped as the coming Raw is going to be, because wouldn’t you think Jimmy would be kept off TV as punishment? Or was getting another crossbar to the mouth the punishment? I would think that at the very least, this means the Usos lose to the Mysterios when they fight for the titles.

My Score: 8.5/10

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

21 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!