Coverage

Mitchell’s WWE SmackDown Results & Report! (8/12/22)

SmackDown’s golden!

Published

2 years ago

August 12, 2022

Steven Mitchell

The King of Strong Style VS Der Ring General!

WWE keeps heading for Clash at the Castle, with SmackDown pitting Gunther against Shinsuke Nakamura for the Intercontinental Championship!

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Vacated WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Tournament, Opening Round: Raquel Rodriguez & Aliyah VS Xia Li & Shotzi Blackheart; Raquel & Aliyah win and advance.
Kofi Kingston VS Ivar w/ Erik; No Contest.
Hit Row VS Brandon Scott & Turner Irvin; Hit Row wins.
The Usos VS Drew McIntyre & Mad Cap Moss; McIntyre & Moss win.
WWE Intercontinental Championship: GUNTHER w/ Ludwig Kaiser VS Shinsuke Nakamura; Gunther wins and retains the title.

PLAY BY PLAY

WWE mourns the loss of MMA and fight sports legend, Gene LeBell.

1932-2022, and the innovator of THE LeBell Lock.

Vacated WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Tournament, Opening Round: Raquel Rodriguez & Aliyah VS Xia Li & Shotzi Blackheart!

Big Mami Cool teams with #Aliyah317, the same as the Eliminator and the wild child, because they all want to be the NEW WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions! Raquel was a former NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions, same as Shotzi, but who will lead their team to victory?

The teams sort out and we start with Raquel and Shotzi. They tie up, Raquel puts Shotzi in a corner but Shotzi dodges the splash. Shotzi dropkicks Raquel to the corner, then runs in, but Raquel puts her on the apron. Shotzi ROUNDHOUSES and bumps Raquel off buckles, then climbs up to reel her in for a HANGING HEADSCISSORS! But Raquel drags Shotzi up! Shotzi victory rolls, and holds onto the ropes! The ref sees that, Shotzi runs and tilt-o-whirls, but Raquel powers up to THROW Shotzi away! But then Raquel spots Natalya & Sonya Deville standing by the title belts! Natty & Sonya are in this tournament, but still have their first match next week.

Raquel storms up on Shotzi but she tags to Xia. Xia runs in but Raquel CLOBBERS her! Tag to Aliyah, and Raquel lifts Aliyah to TOSS for a CROSSBODY! Cover, but Shotzi breaks it! Raquel storms back in but Shotzi slips away. Xia and Aliyah go to the apron, Aliyah CROSSBODIES Xia down! Natty and Sonya insult them both, but then Shotzi and Raquel go after them! Shotzi tosses Sonya, Raquel RAMS Natty into barriers, and then Shotzi and Raquel brawl! Xia and Aliyah also brawl, and the fans fire up as SmackDown goes to break!

SmackDown returns and Xia throws Aliyah down! Aliyah gets up and jumps for her corner but Xia catches her! Xia RAMS Aliyah into the other corner, RAMS her again and again, then brings her around to tag Shotzi. Shotzi runs, Xia gut wrenches, DOMINATOR CUTTER! Cover, TWO!! Aliyah survives but Shotzi drags her up. Shotzi drags Aliyah back over, tags Xia in, and they bring Aliyah around for a FACEBUSTER! Xia stomps a foot then KICKS Aliyah down, cover, TWO! Aliyah reaches for Raquel but Xia holds on with a chinlock. Fans rally, Xia drags Aliyah away and tags Shotzi in again.

Shotzi and Xia mug Aliyah, then Shotzi bring Aliyah around, but Aliyah JAWBREAKERS! Shotzi tris Aliyah but Aliyah kicks her away! Xia tags in, swipes at Raquel, but runs into a BOOT from Aliyah! Aliyah rushes for her corner again but Xia stops her with body shots! Xia reels Aliyah in to suplex, but Aliyah slips out to a NECKBREAKER! Fans fire up as Aliyah and Xia crawl, hot tags to Shotzi and Raquel! Fans are fired up for Ricky Desperado as she runs Shotzi over! And then hits a FALL AWAY SLAM! Raquel scoops Shotzi for another FALL AWAY SLAM! And then the TWISTING VADER!

Fans are all fired up as Raquel hauls Shotzi up. But Xia distracts so Raquel has to swipe at her. Shotzi runs in to RANA Raquel into a corner! Shotzi then storms up to cravat and SLICED BREAD! Cover, TWO!! Raquel survives and Shotzi is furious! Shotzi hurries to tag Xia back in, and they bring Raquel around to wrench and- ALIYAH SPEARS SHOTZI! Raquel scoops but Xia slips out! Raquel kicks Xia low, gets her up, TEXANA BOMB!! Cover, Raquel & Aliyah win!

Winners: Raquel Rodriguez & Aliyah, by pinfall (advance to the next round)

The power of Big Mami Cool and the heart of #Aliyah317, will this be a winning competition all the way to the finals?

Karrion Kross speaks.

“In the midst of chaos, opportunity tends to present itself. Last week, that is exactly what happened. The rebirth of a darkened soul. Drew McIntyre, Roman Reigns, the Chosen Ones. Must be nice. Us? Cast out of Paradise. Disregarded like a broken toy to be forgotten. But we never forgot. We prepared. And we waited for the perfect time to strike with vengeance! Everybody knows about The Bloodline. Now? Now we’re going to show them the new timeline. Because no matter where the time is tolled, in the end, everybody pays the toll. Tick-tock.” Kross and Scarlett watch Drew McIntyre going to gorilla!

Drew McIntyre heads to the ring!

North Carolina State is loving the Scottish Warrior as he makes his way out. The pyro hits and McIntyre is fired up, but what will he have to say in response to Kross’ ambush, and about his coming Universal Championship opportunity? We’ll see, after the break.

SmackDown returns and fans fire up again as McIntyre has the mic. “Raleigh, let me hear ya scream!” The fans do scream and McIntyre wonders where to begin. It’s an exciting time in WWE. A lot of new faces are showing up! Speaking of, McIntyre was jumped from behind by Karrion Kross last week. A lot of people probably think he’ll rant and rave about what he’ll do to Kross, and he will, but Kross has been waiting a whole year, and what bigger impact than to attack the #1 contender and stare down the champion? But here’s the problem. That #1 contender Kross left like a piece of trash is Drew McIntyre.

And McIntyre was going to get back up and say this: “My hands are a little full right now, buddy. And we’re going to play a little game. It’s multiple choice, I’m gonna give you three choices. One: Knockout. Two: The hospital. Or three: The graveyard! And I will send you back to that dungeon you crawled out of! Also, I suggest you check out Drew McIntyre VS Roman Reigns at Clash at the Castle. Everybody, I’m about to break some bad news, shocking news! Roman Reigns is not here tonight!” Fans boo and McIntyre says he knows, they’re all shocked Roman’s not at work! Someone will pass Roman this message but McIntyre will be honest with him.

Roman’s surrounded himself with Yes Men who have him believing his own hype. Roman is as good as he says he is, but here’s a reality check: His last two matches with Brock Lesnar took Roman, his family, weapons, and sacrificing the Wise Man to get the job done. But McIntyre, the man Roman faces, walked into the main event of WrestleMania, and McIntyre beat Lesnar with his bare hands! Roman’s delusional! He’s making up places! The Island of Relevancy is not a real place! But wait, the music hits, and Scarlett is on stage! She then struts to the ring, gets in the ring with him, but it’s the USOS who jump McIntyre!

Jimmy & Jey stomp away on McIntyre and rain down fists while Scarlett smiles. The Usos even have to push each other away to take turns. But McIntyre fights back! Fans fire up but a SUPERKICK takes McIntyre down! The the Usos double whip to hit ONE AND DONE! Fans boo but Scarlett smiles at the Usos. The Usos tell her to tell her man that if he sneaks up on the Tribal Chief, the Bloodline puts Kross down! She says that’s funny, Kross had the same idea. Will Doomsday come for everyone? Or will Roman make McIntyre and Kross #AcknowledgeHim?

The WWE looks at the legacy of the Intercontinental Championship.

“A symbol that has changed through the years, yet remains timeless, with a storied past steeped in tradition for over four decades. Contenders have come and gone, only those most worthy have held it high.” Pat Patterson, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, The Ultimate Warrior, Rick Rude, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, The British Bulldog, Bret Hart, “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig, Shawn Michaels, The Rock, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Booker T, Triple H, Ric Flair, Randy Orton, and on and on and on.

“As generations evolved through waves of change, the Intercontinental Championship has been a pillar of excellence. It demands the very best and more from its champion. A catalyst to superstardom, Hall of Fame careers, and iconic moments. A title that signifies pride and prestige. Tonight, two decorated champions will right the next chapter in the historic lineage of the Intercontinental Championship.” Will the King of Strong Style become a THREE-TIME IC Champion? Or will Der Ring General keep the title and the mat sacred?

Backstage interview with Shinsuke Nakamura.

Nakamura knows what Megan is going to ask, and he tells her to tell Gunther, “C’MON!” Will Gunther fall prey to that goading like everyone else?

Kofi Kingston VS Ivar w/ Erik!

After whooping both Viking Raiders with a kendo stick, Kofi then beat Erik 1v1 with a quick pin! Will Kofi do the same to the Warbeard tonight? Or will the new and vicious Vikings avenge themselves?

But while the Vikings make their entrance, Kofi attacks from behind! And he has a THICK kendo stick! He SMACKS away on Erik, then breaks that stick off on Ivar! Fans are thunderous as Kofi goes up onto the barriers and LEAPS at Erik! Erik guards the kendo stick attack with his shield! Kofi keeps firing off, Erik shoves him away then Ivar BLASTS Kofi with his own shield! The Vikings rain down fists on Kofi at the stage while fans boo! Erik drags Kofi up and scoops him, then TOSSES him to the Ivar’s SHIELD BASH! Fans rally for New Day but Erik drags Kofi around on stage as Ivar climbs the barriers! VIKING SPLASH on the stage!!

The ref rushes over to check on Kofi, but it’s clear this match isn’t happening now. Has the New Day completely fallen to the raid?

Sami Zayn walks the halls.

He’s clearly mulling over last week’s ultimatum from the Bloodline. He ends up by Roman’s dressing room again but hesitates to knock. Then he works up the courage to knock, and the Usos answer. Sami wants them to know he’s been thinking. Everything they said, they were right about. So- MCINTYRE ATTACKS!! McIntyre RAMS Jimmy into the wall then rains down fists on Jey! And then smacks him off a case, and RAMS him into the wall! McIntyre tells the Usos that they keep getting involved in his business! If they do it again, he’ll beat their damn asses! And then McIntyre hunts down Sami! Will Sami decide that being the Honorary Uce ain’t worth it?

Hit Row VS Brandon Scott & Turner Irvin!

Brandon Scott & Turner Irvin did NOT think they were going to be part of the return of Top Dolla, Ashante “THEE” Adonis & B-Fab tonight, but here we are! Will Raleigh’s own #BeMad that they weren’t better prepared?

The teams sort out and Dolla starts, and he CLOBBERS Scott! Then he DECKS Irvin just because! Fans fire up and Dolla drags Scott right back up. Dolla TOSSES Scott to the corner, lines up the shot and KNEES Scott so hard, he tumbles up and out, to land on his feet! Adonis tags in, SWINGING DROPKICKS Scott, and Hit Row poses for the fans. Adonis drags Scott up to a FLAPJACK, then he drags Scott back up. Adonis whips Scott into the corner, tags Dolla back in, and Irvin runs in, but into a pop-up fireman’s carry! Scott leaps, into Dolla’s arms! “Who better than Top Dolla?” POWERSLAM WASTLAND COMBO! “Not nada!”

Tag to Adonis, Dolla gets Scott up for Adonis’ DROPKICK into the BACK SUPLEX! #HeavyHitter! Cover, Hit Row wins!

Winners: Hit Row, by pinfall

B-Fab gets the mic to ask, “Did you miss us?” Adonis says, “Yeah, they did!” B-Fab introduces herself, and she’s called that cuz she be fab. Top Dolla is the top shotta, he spit hot lava, who hotta? NOT NADA! And Ashante “THEE” Adonis adonisly, the details is crucial. They’re here to roll, the OG3! If you didn’t now, NOW you know. Will everyone know that Hit Row means business soon enough?

Imperium talks backstage.

It’s in German, but Gunther & Ludwig are clearly talking strategy. Kayla Braxton walks over to mention to Gunther that Nakamura had a message for him. Gunther already knows that message, and wants Kayla to go tell Nakamura, tonight, he will suffer at the hands of Der Ring General! Gunther & Ludwig head out, will Nakamura respond to that message in the ring?

Ronda Rousey storms to the ring from the crowd!!

The Baddest Woman on the Planet is currently suspended but she’s going right to the ring where a table waits for a contract signing! Ronda drops a duffel bag on the table while the fans go nuts, and she gets a mic to say, “I know, I’m not supposed to be here because I was suspended for my actions at SummerSlam. I was also fined a lot of money.” She dumps the bag out and a LOT of money comes out! Ronda says this is double what she was fined, because let’s be honest, that won’t be the last time. “Being the baddest gets expensive, but I can afford it.” And she’s glad to see they’re sending security out after her.

Fans boo but Ronda asks the security guards, “You wanna make me leave? Let’s see how that works out for ya.” Ronda goes out of the ring, a female guard takes her arm, but then Ronda takes that guard down! The refs freak out as Ronda stands over the guard, then lets her go. Ronda is merciful, but she is also leaving under her own power. Will Ronda just keep piling up the fines acting like this? Shayna Baszler then comes out and tells her friend, “You can’t just do that! What are you doing? That’s not how this place works! That’s not how you get what you want. You play by the rules, you get what you want.” Wow, Shayna’s acting as the voice of reason?

Ronda can’t believe Shayna is the one telling her that. Shayna used to be a killer. Ronda storms off, and Shayna officially makes her entrance to the ring. Will the Queen of Spades shrug off what Ronda said and focus on the title? Shayna gets a mic to say, “Last week, every single one of you watched me win the gauntlet match against the entire SmackDown Women’s locker room. Liv just so happens to be the next one on the list, and Liv will be the next one to fall.” Shayna signs on the contract and has done her part. “Liv, you got a pretty good looking target on you with that injured arm, so why don’t you prance your way out here and let’s make this official?”

Shayna can’t wait for Cardiff, because she will tear Liv apart limb by limb! Or maybe just put her to sleep. Either way, Shayna walks over Liv’s lifeless carcass as the NEW SmackDown Women’s Champion! Liv makes her entrance and gets a mic while moving the chair out of the way. “Shayna, you won’t beat me. Do you know what? You’re actually kinda like a bootleg Ronda Rousey. Yeah, and y’know what? I know that because I beat the real deal twice. And at Cardiff, I’m gonna beat you, too.” Liv tosses the mic, signs her part, and now it’s official! Liv holds up the belt, but Shayna gets the bad arm! And SLAMS it on the table!

Shayna gets the arm, twists it and Liv cries in pain as Shayna stands on it! And then BENDS it! Shayna isolates the arm to STOMP IT!! Liv writhes as she clutches the bad arm but Shayna is still after her! Shayna kicks Liv, gets the arm again, and wrenches into an ELBOW BREAKER! Shayna scowls, then gets Liv gain for a wrench into a-BULLDOG from Liv through the table!! Liv finds another way to survive an MMA machine, will she be able to do it again in Cardiff?

Sami Zayn is safe, but still worried.

The Usos show up and he’s thankful they’re okay. Well what about him? Mr. track star here ran away! Sami says he was getting security! That’s an excuse! Jey said if Sami doesn’t step up, he’s being left behind! Maybe we all call Drew’s ass to the ring to settle this? The Usos head out and Sami is freaking out. Again, is Sami rethinking being the Honorary Uce?

The Usos head to the ring!

Jimmy & Jey storm out, just as they promised a minute ago. They get mics and Jey shouts, “HEY, DREW! DREW! Pick a tag partner, anybody of your choosing, and come out here for a tag match and get this damn work!” McIntyre makes his way out, throws off his shirt, but doesn’t seem to want a tag partner?! Well then for now, it’s unofficially a Handicap match!

The Usos VS Drew McIntyre & ???

The bell rings and McIntyre fires off hands on Jey! Jey hits back, it’s a brawl, and McIntyre whips! Jey stops to UPPERCUT, but McIntyre CLOBBERS him in return! Then McIntyre DECKS Jimmy! McIntyre TOSSES Jey out, goes out after him, and whips Jey into the barriers! Then he CLOBBERS Jimmy! Fans fire up and McIntyre drags Jey up to CHOP! McIntyre stalks Jey, puts him in the ring, and puts Jey in the corner. McIntyre stomps, CHOPS, and whips, but Jey reverses. McIntyre stops himself, elbows Jey away, but Jimmy GAMANGIRIS! The ref missed that checking Jey but Jey stomps away on McIntyre!

The ref counts, Jey lets off and tags Jimmy. The Usos drag McIntyre around to SPLIT the wishbone! Jimmy CHOKES McIntyre on the ropes, the ref counts and Jimmy lets off and Jey gets a cheap shot in! Jey tags in, The Usos stomp away on McIntyre but the ref counts. Jimmy lets off, but wait! Here comes MADCAP MOSS! No more handicap, Moss wants in! Jimmy tags, Moss dodges and CLOBBERS Jey! He CLOBBERS Jimmy, then runs to run Jey over! Jimmy leaps into Moss’ arms! FALL AWAY SLAM! Moss RAMS into Jey, then RAMS into Jimmy! Fans fire up as Moss and McIntyre lock eyes. They work together to DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE the Usos out!

Raleigh is fired up as Riddick Moss joins McIntyre against the Bloodline while SmackDown goes to break!

SmackDown returns and the Usos mug Moss with a mule kick. Moss staggers to a corner and Jey storms up on him. Jey raises the finger, #WeTheOnes, “UCE!” “SO!” “UCE!” “SO!” HIP ATTACK for Moss! Moss flounders, Jey aims again and he SUPER- NO, Moss blocks the kick to lift and SLAM! Moss and Jey are down and the fans fire up! Moss and Jey crawl, hot tags to Jimmy and McIntyre! McIntyre rallies on Jimmy with big lariats, then whips Jimmy to ropes to CLOBBER him! McIntyre then clinches to OVERHEAD Belly2Belly! Jey runs in but gets a NECKBREAKER! Jimmy swings, but into a NECKBREAKER!

Fans fire up as McIntyre kips up and McIntyre calls for the countdown! But then Sami runs into the ring! McIntyre runs Sami off, Jimmy SUPERKICKS McIntyre down! Tag to Jey and he’s up top, USO SPLASH!! Cover, TWO!!! McIntyre survives and Sami is furious! He thought he’d helped the Usos win this but nope! The ref tells Sami to back off and Sami hops off the apron. Sami says the Usos have this, though, and Jey tags Jimmy. The Usos say #WeTheOnes, but Moss drags Jey out! Moss RAMS Jey into barriers, Jimmy is stunned, but Jey dodges Moss to clothesline him into the timekeeper’s area!

But Jimmy turns around to get McIntyre! McIntyre slips off to GLASGOW KISS! A SUPERKICK on the rebound! But McIntyre rebounds, dodges and CLAYMORES!! Cover, McIntyre & Moss win!!

Winners: Drew McIntyre & Mad Cap Moss, by pinfall

The Scottish Warrior and the all-business beefcake just took out the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions! But Jey rushes in! McIntyre blocks the superkick to FUTURE SHOCK! McIntyre kips up, reloads and gives us the countdown! Sami shoves Jey away to take the CLAYMORE!! McIntyre shrugs, he was gonna get what was coming to him anyway. But will the Bloodline get what’s coming to them soon enough?

Maximum Male Models has a photoshoot.

Maxxine Dupri directs her boys to flex those arms. Max Dupri wants the photographer to get close on those pecs, and Maxxine likes the abdominals. “What is this? Amateur hour?” The traps, the lats. No, no, shut it down! This is a closed set, what are Los Lotharios doing here? Angel & Humberto says if Max wants the agency to take off, sign them! They are the most handsome tag team in the WWE, after all. Max gets in close and says sorry, they’re just not MMM material. Humberto gets in closer to say they weren’t talking to Max. They were talking to Maxxine. Give them a call and let them know.

Los Lotharios leave, and Maxxine seems intrigued. But Max has everyone get back to work. Time is money and this is not cheap. Will Angel & Humberto convince Maxxine to replace Maçè & Mansôör?

Backstage interview with Ricochet.

Kayla brings up how The One and Only laughed at Baron Corbin about Pat McAfee getting Corbin right in the junk, and then in a match with Corbin, McAfee was a major distraction to Corbin, allowing Ricochet to win. Ricochet admits that was a lot of fun. He is more locked in now than he has been in a long, long time. he has bene shot right out of a cannon! He is ready to head full speed at what is ahead of him. It doesn’t matter if it’s Nakamura or Gunther, each man needs to know that Ricochet is waiting in line- CORBIN ATTACKS! Corbin says Ricochet thought they were done, but they’re just getting started! Will Corbin regret jumping Ricochet like that?

SmackDown hears from NXT’s entries for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship tournament.

Nikkita Lyons loves to sing and dance, and can bust a move both on the dance floor and in the ring. Zoey Stark doesn’t sing or dance, but she does kick ass. She got back from a torn ACL, so you best believe she and Lyons will go balls to the wall for this tournament. This is an opportunity of a lifetime, and they’re hungry for the competition Raw and SmackDown have to offer. They are a killer combo, with Zoey’s unlimited gas tank to Lyons being a whole lot of woman. They will bust brackets, make waves and take that gold! But will they get through the Queen of Harts & “Cruella” Deville in the opening round?

WWE Intercontinental Championship: GUNTHER w/ Ludwig Kaiser VS Shinsuke Nakamura!

The former and longest reigning NXT UK Champion ever says that when it comes to this title, opportunities will always be earned, never handed out in open challenges. As such, the King of Strong Style fought his way through the Impeccable German multiple times, and now we have this match! Ludwig gives the introductions for “YOUR Intercontinental Champion,” but will Der Ring General make it out of here still champion?

The introductions are made, the belt is raised, and we see just how hard both men will fight to carry the workhorse title forward, after the break!

SmackDown returns, the bell rings and the two circle. Fans fire up and the two feel out the grapple. Gunther powers Nakamura back but Nakamura turns things around. Nakamura lets off in the corner and then mocks the Imperium pose. Gunther rushes him, clamps on but Nakamura standing switches. Gunther switches back, Nakamura backs him up but Gunther puts Nakamura in the corner. Gunther swings but Nakamura dodges the chop to KICK and KICK and KICK! The ref counts, Gunther gets out of the corner but Nakamura keeps firing off KICKS! Nakamura KICKS away on the leg, and he brings Gunther down!

Fans fire up and Ludwig looks worried. Nakamura headlocks Gunther but Gunther powers out. Nakamura ducks, Gunther hurdles and BOOTS Nakamura down! Gunther drags Nakamura up, EuroUppers, then EuroUppers again! Gunther drags Nakamura up off the mat to CHOP him right back down! Fans fire up and Ludwig applauds as Gunther gets the legs. Nakamura resists the turn but Gunther kicks him into the BOSTON CRAB! Nakamura endures as Gunther sits deep on the hold! Nakamura fights around but Gunther shifts to an STF! Nakamura endures, reaches out, and gets the ROPEBREAK!

Gunther lets off, he storms around, and he eggs Nakamura on. Gunther drags Nakamura up, EuroUppers again, but Nakamura throws a forearm! Gunther hits back, Nakamura forearms again, then fires off KICKS! Gunther CHOPS!! But then Nakamura catches the lariat to an ARMBAR! Gunther flails, clasps hands and rolls Nakamura, ONE! Gunther stomps Nakamura off the armbar then gets the legs! Nakamura twists to get a cradle, TWO! Gunther ducks one kick but not the WHEEL KICK! Nakamura and Gunther get up, Nakamura blocks the chop to fire off a strike fest! AX KICK, and PENALTY KICK to the arm!

Nakamura KICKS the arm, Gunther’s dominant arm! Gunther blocks another kick but the ENZIGURI hits! Cover, TWO! Nakamura roars and fans fire up as he brings Gunther up. Gunther blocks the whip, then CHOPS Nakamura off his feet! Gunther hauls Nakamura up to put him on the top rope, and CHOP him again! And then Gunther climbs up to STAND on Nakamura! The ref counts, Gunther lets off at 4 and Nakamura flops to the floor! Fans boo while Gunther scowls and SmackDown goes to break.

SmackDown returns again and Nakamura fires off another strike fest. But Gunther gets around the last forearm to GERMAN SUPLEX! Gunther snarls and shakes out his bad arm. Gunther drags Nakamura up, reels him in, but fans rally as Nakamura blocks the lift. The bad arm also holds Gunther back, but Gunther BOOTS Nakamura down! Gunther drags Nakamura to a drop zone then climbs up the corner. Ludwig coaches Gunther on and Gunther LEAPS into a TRIANGLE HOLD!! Gunther flails, reaches, and deadlifts Nakamura! But Nakamura shifts into a DOUBLE WRISTLOCK! Gunther powers through to a BUTTERFLY SUPLEX!

Both men are down and Raleigh is thunderous! Gunther rises as fans rally for Nakamura. Gunther drags Nakamura up and knees him low. Nakamura stays standing to Gunther knees him again. Nakamura KICKS the leg! And again! And again, but Gunther blocks to CLUB the leg! But that was the bad arm again! Gunther shakes it off, shoots in for that leg, but gets a KNEE! Cover, TWO!! Gunther survives and Nakamura can’t believe it! Nakamura throws more KNEES into Gunther and moves him to a corner. Nakamura KICKS Gunther again and again, and then gives him BAD VIBRATIONS~! Nakamura lets off and Gunther sputters.

Nakamura drags Gunther up, puts him in the ropes, and KICKS him! Then SLIDING GERMAN! Ludwig is there and Nakamura stares him down. Nakamura says “NEIN!!” but then he gets in and Gunther SHOTGUN dropkicks!! Gunther drags Nakamura up, reels him in with one good arm, and gets Nakamura up! Nakamura slips out, BOOTS the lariat, then BLINDSIDE KNEES! Ludwig is panicking as Nakamura aims from a corner! The fans are thunderous and standing up for the- LARIAT from Gunther!!! Cover, TWO?!!? Nakamura survives and Gunther is beside himself! “This is Awesome!” as both men stir.

Gunther get himself to a corner, he takes aim at Nakamura, and he CHOPS Nakamura from behind! Then he clamps on with a SLEEPER! Nakamura flails, reaches out, but gets a second wind to back Gunther into buckles! Gunther holds on, squeezes even tighter, but Nakamura pries at the bad arm! ELBOW BREAKER! Gunther holds on with his good arm, but Nakamura hits another ELBOW BREAKER! Gunther shoves Nakamura away to BLINDSIDE SHOTGUN! Gunther drags Nakamura up, reels him back in, GUNTHER BOMB!! Cover, Gunther wins!!

Winner: Gunther, by pinfall (still WWE Intercontinental Champion)

Nakamura had a great game plan, but he could not break Gunther down fast enough. Der Ring General is still the champion, but will Nakamura be back to try again soon enough? Who else will want after Gunther and that gold, knowing the level of pain it’ll take to win?

My Thoughts:

Another great SmackDown in this HHH Era. For one, great to see another case of HHH undoing stupid releases under Vince McMahon’s group. Hit Row is back, though obviously without Swerve since he’s in AEW as tag team champion with Keith Lee. Though I’m sure HHH would’ve brought those guys back if he could, too. Hit Row of course win a squash match in great fashion, and they’ll finally get going on the run they should’ve had in the first place. And we got a pretty good promo from Kross to basically kayfabe how things went down for him last time. Him and Scarlett watching McIntyre from the shadows was a great touch, too.

McIntyre has a good promo calling out Kross and Roman, and it was rather interesting that Scarlett distracts McIntyre for the Usos. Though who knows, maybe in kayfabe, the Usos beat Kross to the punch. Kross right now is in a great position, because he can challenge whoever wins at Clash at the Castle and it just works. Meanwhile, Sami finds himself in a bad place because on one hand, he just got a Claymore from McIntyre. On the other, the Usos are mad at him, so he might end up with Superkicks in the face. McIntyre & Moss VS Usos was a great tag match, and I was a bit surprised McIntyre & Moss won. I don’t know who faces Usos at Clash, but it’d be cool if Moss could find someone to team with and that team gets a shot in Cardiff.

The Women’s Tag Title tournament match opening the night was really good, and it is such a nice feeling when Michael Cole gets to bring up continuity from NXT about how Raquel was a tag champion, as was Shotzi, and that they faced each other for those titles. The match was very good, but I was a little surprised Natty & Sonya showed up just to troll the other teams. Raquel & Aliyah winning makes sense, as it still doesn’t seem likely that Lyons & Stark are advancing. It’d be cool if Lyons & Stark did, but who knows how this affects things in NXT, what with NXT Heatwave giving us Mandy Rose VS Zoey Stark for the NXT Women’s Championship.

I really liked how the contract signing segment went. For one, Ronda Rousey storm out there and dumping all that money out was a very clever way for her to pay the fine. But Ronda just can’t keep a consistent pace in delivering her promos. She seemed a bit sped up in this one, but the physical aspect of everything was still on point. It was a bit surprising that Shayna came out to talk sense into Ronda, but then Ronda throwing it back at her was a nice twist. Shayna and Liv had a great part of the segment, too, and it was smart of them to do another “Liv survives” spot. Liv is the underdog champion again, who knows if/how she pulls off a win at Clash.

Good surprise with Kofi attacking the Vikings but then the Vikings beat him right down. The 2v1 wasn’t going to go Kofi’s way long, so who knows how he responds to this. Los Lotharios calling out the Maximum Male Models and flirting with Maxxine was a clever segment. Something like this should’ve happened sooner, but this will be a great feud for MMM now. Too early to say who will be the Faces and Heels in this, but it’ll be a lot of fun either way. Especially if Los Lotharios manage to take Maxxine away from MMM. Good promo from Ricochet, and of course Corbin ambushes him. Ricochet VS Corbin, as essentially a #1 contender’s match, is a good move.

And of course, just as HHH has done for the US Championship lately, the Intercontinental Championship is rising back up in its prestige. We got a great video package to profile the lineage, and Gunther VS Nakamura was definitely a match worthy of the title. Nakamura felt so close to winning, but Gunther retaining makes some sense. There are plenty of Faces for him to, well, face, such as Ricochet or even Moss and McIntyre. Michael Cole even brought up that Gunther using the STF was perhaps a way of calling out John Cena, and the IC title is the only title he hasn’t held. Now, it’d be a shame if Cena got his Grand Slam at Gunther’s expense, but Gunther also made the point that no American born wrestler will get this belt off him, and Cena has practically been Captain America in the WWE, so…

My Score: 8.6/10

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

22 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!