Coverage

Mitchell’s WWE SmackDown Results & Report! (10/21/22)

Another Im-PAUL-sive SmackDown!

Published

2 years ago

October 21, 2022

Steven Mitchell

Guess who’s back?

With just weeks left before Crown Jewel, Logan Paul returns to SmackDown! Will he have another way to anger the Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Sheamus w/ The Brawling Brutes VS Solo Sikoa w/ The Bloodline; Solo wins.
Liv Morgan VS Sonya Deville; Double Count-Out Draw.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships: Damage Control VS Shotzi Blackheart & Raquel Rodriguez; DMG CTRL wins and retains the titles.
Rey Mysterio VS Ludwig Kaiser w/ Imperium; Rey wins.

PLAY BY PLAY

Sheamus w/ The Brawling Brutes VS Solo Sikoa w/ The Bloodline!

A brawl between Brutes and Bloodline in last week’s Fatal 4 Way is what leads us to tonight’s FIGHT NIGHT! The Celtic Warrior and the Street Champion go 1v1, will the Fella unleash his full force on the Enforcer?

Whoa, the White Rabbit cuts in during the entrances. He, and therefore Bray Wyatt, is here, but when will he appear? But for now, the bell rings and and the two tie up. Fans rally as Solo puts Sheamus on ropes but Sheamus turns it around. They go around and end up in a corner. The ref counts as Solo digs a shoulder in, but he lets off at 4. Solo and Sheamus tie up again, Sheamus gets an arm and wrenches to a wristlock. Solo endures, he ROCKS Sheamus, but Sheamus smirks. Sheamus throws a forearm, Solo throws it back, repeat! Solo CHOPS, Sheamus throws heavy shots but Solo rakes eyes!

The ref reprimands but Solo CHOPS! Solo ROCKS Sheamus with a right, whips him to ropes, but Solo reverses, only for Sheamus to CLOBBER Solo! The Brutes and Bloodline yell at each other as Sheamus stomps and uppercuts Solo. Sheamus CLUBS Solo, puts him in a corner and digs in forearms. The ref counts, Sheamus lets off and he ROCKS Solo. Solo throws body shots and CHOPS, then a kick and a HEADBUTT! Solo whips, Sheamus blocks the hip toss to CLOBBER Solo! Sheamus kicks Solo around, he clamps on with an armlock and chinbar, but Solo endures. Fans rally as Solo fights his way up. Solo throat chops free!

Sheamus swings, Solo dodges and WHEEL KICKS! Sami and the Usos are all fired up for Solo and he storms up on Sheamus. Sheamus puts Solo on the apron, then drags him up! Fans fire up as Sheamus CLUBS Solo, but Solo fights the Beats of the Bodhrain! HOTSHOT to the arm! Sheamus still storms up on Solo but Solo throws him out to the floor! Solo stalks Sheamus, run sin and HIP ATTACKS Sheamus into the steel steps! The Bloodline is fired up but the Brutes are furious as SmackDown goes to break.

SmackDown returns and Solo stomps a mudhole into Sheamus! The ref counts, Solo lets off, and he goes corner to corner, for the HIP ATTACK! Sami is loving it and Solo mocks Sheamus by beating his chest. Solo runs in again, but Sheamus gets up to LARIAT! Both men are down and Solo its up in a daze! Fans rally and duel while the Brutes and Bloodline coach their guys. Sheamus snarls and rises as Solo goes to a corner. Sheamus runs in a the corner to clothesline! And then clothesline again! And again! And again! Sheamus reels Solo in for a fireman’s carry, and then WHITE NOISE! Cover, TWO! Solo survives and the Bloodline fires up!

Fans rally as the Brutes tell Sheamus to finish it. Sheamus goes to a corner and climbs up top. Sheamus shakes out the bad arm, but Solo ROCKS him first! And he YANKS and YANKS and YANKS the bad arm! Solo climbs up after Sheamus, fireman’s carries for a SUPER SAMOAN DROP! Cover, TWO!! Sheamus survives and fans are fired up! Solo is frustrated but Sami coaches him through it. Solo stalks Sheamus as he rises, vows to end it here, and he reels Sheamus in. But Sheamus fights the clinch and puts Solo in the corner! Sheamus throws elbow after elbow, but Solo runs, into a scoop! ONE ARM POWERSLAM!

Fans fire up while Solo goes to the apron. Sheamus storms up on Solo and he drags Solo up! The Bloodline says don’t do it, but Sheamus fires BEATS OF THE BODHRAIN! Sheamus goes past 10, he gets 15 as Solo is falling to the apron! Sheamus then goes to a corner as fans fire up! Sheamus runs in but Solo dodges the Brogue to SUPERKICK! Sheamus comes back with a KNEE! But Sami distracts from the cover! Pete Dunne YANKS Sami down! Jimmy SUPERKICKS Dunne over the desk! Ridge fires off on Jimmy but Jey SUPERKICKS Ridge! The Usos tip the desk over! They bury the Brutes! But Sheamus is up top!? SUPER FLYING LARIATS!!

Sheamus hurries into the ring, he ROCKS Solo, but Sami anchors Sheamus! Sheamus kicks Sami away but Solo ROUNDHOUSES Sheamus down! Clinch, SPINNING SOLO!! Cover, Solo wins!

Winner: Solo Sikoa, by pinfall

But the win isn’t the end! The Bloodline drags Sheamus out but he starts fighting back! BUt that’s 4v1 while the Brutes are stuck under stuff! The Bloodline grabs chair after chair, and they put Sheamus’ arm through one! They put that arm on the steps, they beat Sheamus down to keep him there, and Jey says this is what Sheamus gets for disrespecting them! CON-CHAIR-TO to the arm!! And again! And again! And again!! Sami has Jey let off and they let Sheamus fall to the floor! The fans boo but the Bloodline stands tall, will anyone ever defy them again?

Rey Mysterio arrives backstage.

The King of Lucha runs across Imperium’s Giovanni Vinci & Ludwig Kaiser. They tease “little Rey Mysterio,” and say he is all alone on SmackDown. And yet, he thinks he stands a chance against Der Ring General, Gunther. Ludwig says this is the end of Rey. Hopefully, he knows that. Rey says no, this isn’t the end. In fact, it’s a new beginning for Rey. Rey moving to SmackDown is just what he need. And instead of passing a word along to Gunther through them, Rey will just say it to his face. But hey, he’s not looking for trouble. He just doesn’t appreciate disrespect. So if either one of them have the huevos, step to Rey in the ring.

Ludwig will make sure to punish this disrespect. Then see you in a few. The #1 contender, the living legend, is ready to go, will he dial it up against the Impeccable German?

Bray Wyatt speaks.

He’s backstage as he apologizes for last week, “I didn’t get to finish what I was saying. But that’s okay. I will now. I used to say all the time that revenge is a confession of pain. And it is. I still believe that. But I feel like confessing some things to you guys today. I feel like that can help, right? So here goes. I confess that I have problems. I know I have problems, I’ve always had problems. It’s not hard for people to see. But there’s a few of ’em, like anger. Sometimes, it can take me to places that I don’t want to be, and this past time, it took me this place that I shouldn’t have come back from. I really shouldn’t have.

“But for whatever reason, I get chances. Chances most people won’t get. Well, I confess that this time, I was happy, I was content with just being left alone. I was okay with it being over. I wanted you to stop saying my name I wanted you to leave me the hell alone. But I confess that I’m really glad you didn’t. Because I needed you. I needed all of you. You pulled the spears outta my ribs and yanked me up. You told me what I was supposed to do without even having to tell me. I’m thankful for that.

“Because now, I can see. I know who you are. I know what you want, I know what you’re trying to do. But it won’t work. I confess that along this journey, I am going to do horrible, horrible things. But I will never feel sorry for them. I’m just a servant. I go where the circle takes me.” Then just where is Bray’s journey going to take him this time?

The Bloodline celebrates backstage.

Sami Zayn says that is what the people want! He and Jimmy chant, “We, the ones! We, we, the ones!” Sami knows Sheamus can’t break it down like them. Because they just broke Sheamus’ arms! That was great! Jey says that’s how you level up, Solo! Every week, level up! Sami tells Solo that he means this: Solo has been an absolute gem for the team. Solo is doing so good! As far as Sami’s concerned, that was a message sent not just to Sheamus but to the entire roster! So the work here is done tonight. Jey asks Sami what he means. They’re just getting started! When Logan Paul show sup, they’ll get him, too! Complete the mission!

Sami says the thing is, The Tribal Chief was very specific to NOT engage Logan. Roman’s words. NOT at all. And that is right, they can’t let Logan think he is in any way in the heads of The Bloodline. The whole thing wouldn’t be very Ucey. Sami isn’t crazy, right? Jimmy, back him up. “My dawg.” Jey accepts that, but well, he is a hot head! So we’ll see by the end of the night what really happens. Jey storms off and Sami isn’t sure if Jey was joking or not. Will Jey lose his cool on the Influencer?

Liv Morgan VS Sonya Deville!

The LIVing Embodiment is having a blast going to the extreme, it’s almost like she doesn’t mind she lost the title to Ronda Rousey. Will Liv make an example out of the Jersey Devil that she’ll go to any lengths to get back to the top?

The bell rings and the two circle. They tie up, Sonya pulls hair to put Liv in a corner, and the ref counts. Sonya lets off at 4 but Liv just smiles. Liv storms up but Sonya knocks her down! Liv grins again, she rolls Sonya up, ONE! Sonya runs Liv over and taunts her, but then things speed up. Liv hurdles, Sonya slides, then Sonya leaps but into a SHOTGUN! Cover, ONE! Liv chases Sonya to ropes and the ref has her back off. Liv says okay, but then she blocks the cheap shot! She spins Sonya around for a BACKSTABBER! Fans fire up as Liv grins and runs in, back body block! Liv rolls, comes back, slips around and backslides, but Sonya slips through to KNEE! Cover, TWO!

Sonya tells Liv, “Who do you think you are, huh?!” Sonya drags Liv up and talks some trash, then she throws knees. Sonya bumps Liv off buckles again and again and again but lets off as the ref counts. Sonya drags Liv up, bumps her off more buckles, and again and again and again! The ref counts, Sonya lets off and argues with the ref, but Liv still smiles! Liv blocks a punch to give some haymakers! Fans fire up as Liv whips but Sonya reverses. Liv stops herself to BOOT Sonya! Liv runs in, but Sonya slips away to BOOT Liv! Liv hits the floor but is still smiling as SmackDown goes to break.

SmackDown returns and Sonya taunts Liv while she has the chinlock. Liv fights up as fans rally, and Liv throws body shots. Liv rolls and arm-drags, Sonya rushes back in but into an ELBOW! Liv BOOTS Sonya, then dodges a haymaker to kick, KICK and ENZIGURI! Sonya goes to a corner, Liv roars and fans fire up! Liv runs in to back body block! Liv runs in again to SHINING WIZARD! Liv snapmares Sonya, she goes up and up, but leaps into a KNEE! Cover, TWO! Sonya grows frustrated but she drags Liv up. Sonya whips Liv to a corner hard and Liv bounces off buckles. Liv crawls, Sonya drags her up and KICKS her!

Sonya KICKS Liv again and again, and Liv falls over! Sonya runs, but Liv wants her to hit her? So Sonya BOOTS her! Cover, TWO! Sonya is frustrated again as she pie faces Liv around. Liv keeps laughing it all off as Sonya says she’s not extreme. Sonya keeps slapping Liv but Liv wants her to hit harder! Sonya SLAPS and SLAPS and SLAPS, but Liv trips Sonya up! Liv fires off fists! Liv goes after Sonya on the apron, Sonya manages to get away but Liv SMACKS her off the desk! Liv RAMS Sonya into the apron! Then TOSSES her into barriers! The ring count is 7 of 10 but Liv is dribbling Sonya off the steps! The count hits ten!!

Double Count-Out Draw

Liv still smiles, surprised to hear the match is over! Fans boo but Liv brings out a chair! Fans fire up now as Liv puts the chair in the ring, then puts in another. Fans chant, “We Want Tables!” but Liv drags Sonya up and into the ring first. Liv fetches chairs from the timekeeper’s area, that’s her choice of furniture for tonight. Liv makes a little chair pile while Sonya is in a corner. Liv ROCKS Sonya, hoists her up top, and Liv climbs up after her! Fans fire up but more refs rush out to tell her no! Liv doesn’t care, she CLUBS Sonya and hits a SUPERPLEX onto the chairs! Double-edged, but Liv is loving it! Liv crawls after Sonya while fans lose their minds!

Liv just showed Sonya just how extreme she can go, but how much further will she go to get back to the title?

LA Knight speaks.

“You wanna know about the Mega Star? About talking the talk, backing it up, walking the walk, and taking care of business. Well if you don’t know anything, which you obviously don’t, then just know this: There’s a difference between beating the game and ruling the game. And whose game is it? The Mega Star’s! L A Knight, YEAH!” Will LA Knight rule the game here on SmackDown?

The Viking Raiders speak.

“The words of the gods will haunt our victims. The gods preach patience.” “We obey.” They beat their drums and shields, “Valhalla awaits.” The time is drawing closer, when and where will the Viking Raiders return?

BRAUN is here!

The Monster of All Monsters returns to SmackDown to answer the invitation of Montel Vontavius Porter and the Nigerian Giant! But before MVP and Omos appear, Braun gets the mic. “Look at me. I mean, really look at me. Clearly, I am not someone that’s easy to miss. And if you got a problem with me, I promise you, I’m not hard to find.” Braun heard MVP running his mouth, so let’s get to the point! MVP, Omos, come on out so you can look in the eyes of a REAL monster. MVP’s music hits, but there’s no Omos?

MVP tells Braun, “Let me make this clear. At no point have I ever referred to you as anything less than an absolute monster of a man, because that is what you are. I’m sure you’ve always been the biggest. Biggest kid on the playground. Biggest athlete in the locker room. Strongest athlete in the weight room. Braun Strowman, always the biggest and the strongest. That is until last week, when you found yourself in the vicinity of a literal giant. A 7’3″, 403 pound Nigerian Giant named Omos.”

Now, Braun represents himself as the Monster of All Monsters, and the WWE Universe believes that. Fans cheer in agreement there. So if Braun would like to maintain that, MVP advises he stay away from Omos. Because once the fans see Braun face to face with a literal giant, he is exposed. Braun tells MVP, “enough. I don’t need any of your damn advice. So why don’t you tell this so-called giant, if he’s so destined to show the world that I’m normal, then why don’t he try it at Crown Jewel?” Oh, so, that’s a challenge? Yeah, you heard him. Okay, then on behalf of Omos, MVP accepts. And at Crown Jewel, when Omos rag dolls Braun-

Braun again says, “Enough, enough, enough. We can talk about what we’re going to do to each other at Crown Jewel all night long, but let’s be for real. Everybody in here knows I’m more for action than talking.” Fans cheer for that, too. Braun says since MVP is here and Omos didn’t show- Whoa, hold on! What gave Braun the idea that Omos wasn’t here? MVP never said that. So here comes Omos after all! Omos struts his way out in his suit and Braun stares him down. Omos goes to the ring but Braun stands his ground. Braun then steps closer to Omos, and while he looks up at Omos, he isn’t intimidated.

Omos steps, Braun doesn’t move, so Omos SHOVES Braun out of the ring! MVP says time to go, and Braun gets up to chuckle. Braun says, “Okay, big boy.” Omos says HE’s the alpha! HE’s the tyrant! Braun says Omos is gonna learn real quick the truth. Will Crown Jewel look more like a Godzilla movie now that this match has been made?

Backstage interview with Drew McIntyre.

Kayla Braxton asks Drew that “upper management” isn’t too happy with what happened last week. Have there been any repercussions? McIntyre says at Extreme Rules, Karrion Kross pushed him past his breaking point, but y’know what? That’s irrelevant. Yes, McIntyre was called into WWE HQ. They had some “uncomfortable conversations,” and it was made clear that if McIntyre and Kross get in each other’s way, start throwing hands, there will be severe consequences. “But… We all agreed that this thing has to end. And it will, at Crown Jewel. Cuz it’s gonna be Drew McIntyre VS Karrion Kross in a Steel Cage Match!”

Someone pulls into the parking lot in the back.

It’s Logan Paul! The Influencer, the ImPAULsive challenger is here! Will The Bloodline control themselves or not?

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships: Damage Control VS Shotzi Blackheart & Raquel Rodriguez!

While Bayley is still trying to get that Raw Women’s Championship, Dakota Kai & Iyo Sky are ready to defend their championships here tonight! Will #CobraKai and her new partner put away The Ballsy & The Badass? Or will Big Mami Cool get some payback on her old partner while also getting some gold?

The introductions are made, the belts are raised, and we see if Shotzi & Raquel can Take Care o’ Bidness, after the break!

SmackDown returns and the teams sort out. Sky and Raquel start and they stare down. They each talk some trash, Sky pie faces but Raquel clamps on both hands! Sky wheelbarrows free to STOMP 182! Sky scuffs Raquel, tags Kai, and Sky sunset flips! Raquel stays up to sit on Sky, but Kai PENALTY KICKS! Cover, TWO! Kai smirks as she SCORPOIN- NO, Raquel blocks that to a STRETCH MUFFLER! Shotzi tags in, STRETCH MUFFLER NECKBREAKER! Cover, TWO! Shotzi brings Kai up, whips her to a corner and runs in, to SPLASH! Shotzi rolls and comes back to CANNONBALL! Shotzi drags Kai to a drop zone and heads up top!

Fans rally but Sky hurries to drag Kai to safety! Shotzi is annoyed but Raquel POUNCES Sky into Kai! Tag and Raquel is legal. She helps Shotzi up onto her shoulders, and fans fire up as Shotzi hits a SUPER CROSSBODY onto the champions! DMG CTRL is down but Shotzi & Raquel put Kai in the ring. Fans fire up, Raquel covers, TWO! Raquel drags Kai over, tags in Shotzi, and then Raquel Electric Chair Lifts Kai! Shotzi is up top, SHOTGUN DOOMSDAY! Cover, TWO! Kai survives and Shotzi can’t believe it! Shotzi drags Kai around, tags Raquel back in, and they mug Kai in the corner.

The ref counts as Raquel RAMS her shoulder in. Tag to Shotzi, Shotzi runs in to back body block! Shotzi drags Kai around, covers, TWO! Bayley is concerned as Shotzi drops an elbow! Cover, TWO! Shotzi drags Kai up but Kai JAWBREAKERS! Tag to Sky, Kai baits Shotzi in and there’s a chase! Kai lures Shotzi into a MISSILE DROPKICK from Sky! DMG CTRL is back on top as SmackDown goes to break.

SmackDown returns again and Kai throws Shotzi down y her hair! Tag to Sky, Kai & Sky double whip but Shotzi KIKCKS back! Shotzi ELBOWS Sky, BOOTS Kai, then tosses Kai out! Sky rushes in, Shotzi dodges but Sky gets a leg! Shotzi kicks Sky away, hot tag to Raquel! Fans rally as Ricky Desperado rallies on DMG CTRL! Bayley is freaking out but Raquel FALL AWAY SLAMS Sky! And then she scoops Kai for another FALL AWAY SLAM! Raquel goes up but Sky goes after her! SO Raquel deadlifts Sky! But Kai adds on! Shotzi ELBOWS Kai down, but Sky kicks Raquel away. Sky adjusts, leaps, FLYING DDT!! Cover, TWO!!

Bayley is furious but Sky steps on Raquel to go up the corner! OVER THE MOON- NO, Raquel moves! Sky comes back, into a LARIAT! Hot tag to Shotzi and Raquel helps her. SLICED BREAD! BOOT for Kai, Shotzi covers! But Kai slips out of the bomb to break the pin!! Bayley rallies for her team, but Raquel snarls and storms over. She pops Kai up but Kai fights with fists! Kai RANAS Raquel and herself out! Bayley storms in but Shotzi DECKS her! Sky Alabama Lifts Shotzi for an AIR RAID CRASH! Sky goes up top, OVER THE MOONSAULT! Cover, DMG CTRL wins!

Winners: Damage Control, by pinfall (still WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions)

Fans boo as Bayley’s assist helps her team survive! With the Role Model as the outside factor, will any team be able to dethrone them?

Backstage interview with Ronda Rousey.

Kayla says we all expect the SmackDown Women’s Champion to issue an open challenge as she has in the past. Ronda says, “Oh, is that what they’re expecting?” Ronda says she only issues challenges to prove she’s the best, not to entertain all the fans. She owes the fans nothing! She gave them everything before and only got hate for it. If Ronda kept chasing approval, how pathetic does that make her? She didn’t come back for the fans, and she doesn’t win for the fans. Ronda ripped this title off “Glitter Cinderella” just to spite fans. The fans want their favorites to win, but now they’re stuck with the best! So then, there’s no open challenge tonight?

Ronda says next week, it’ll be an open challenge when Ronda feels like it. Now she’s gonna get the hell out of Ohio. The Baddest Woman on the Planet is even worse, but will someone step up to her?

The White Rabbit speaks…

“Wowie zowie! Live a lie. Lie to the ones you love.” And now we get a new face… “Howdy.” Just who is this? And just what do they have planned as part of this twisting story between Bray Wyatt and himself?

Legado del Fantasma speaks.

Santos Escobar says, “Legado del Fantasma’s family business is growing into an empire. Businesses grow stronger and prosper through mergers and acquisitions. And our latest acquisition is the beautiful, ruthless and powerful Zelina Vega.” La Madrina says Escobar is right. She’s been successful at everything she’s done, and you can’t mess with her when it comes to recruiting power. LDF has no peers, no competition, because they are head and shoulders above everyone else. They are “an unbreakable force,” fueled by tradition, heritage, and culture. Their legacy begins by destroying Hit Row! Salud!

But Hit Row is watching.

Top Dolla questions how LDF says they’re head ‘n’ shoulders above the rest when none of their heads reach Dolla’s shoulders. Adonis is tired of these fools jumping them from behind. LDF doesn’t wanna see Hit Row face to face. B-Fab says Legado del Dummies talking about destroying Hit Row, acting like they ain’t just playing the numbers game. But that doesn’t matter, because B has an idea. Let’s go. What will this idea entail? Will it succeed or fail against the scheming Zelina?

Rey Mysterio VS Ludwig Kaiser w/ Imperium!

The King of Lucha is once again #1 contender after choosing not to quit and simply move back to SmackDown. With an encounter with Gunther on the horizon, will Rey be red hot going into their Intercontinental Championship match? Or will the Impeccable German tell him “NEIN” tonight?

The bell rings and Ludwig storms up on Rey. They tie up, Ludwig puts Rey in a corner, Ludwig lets off to kick and headlock. Ludwig hits a takeover and he grinds Rey down. Ludwig throws hands, Rey rolls to a cover, ONE! Rey fights up, Ludwig shifts to wrench and whip, but Rey goes up and over! Rey keeps moving, he slides under and ENZIGURIS! Ludwig staggers, Rey whips but Ludwig reverses. Rey hits buckles but he elbows back! Rey then BOOTS Ludwig, goes up, and leaps, into a BIG right hand! Gunther tells Ludwig to keep on Rey, and Ludwig PENALTY KICKS! Fans boo but Imperium soaks up the heat.

Ludwig drags Rey up, but Rey throws body shots and haymakers! Fans fire up but Ludwig rakes eyes! Ludwig kicks, whips but Rey KICKS back! Rey ducks ‘n’ dodges to tilt-o-whirl and headscissor! Ludwig’s on ropes, Rey dials it up, but Vinci stands in the way! Rey swipes at him, but now Gunther distracts Rey. Fans boo but Rey still runs to WRECK Ludwig with a dropkick! Rey runs, slides, but has to bail out as Ludwig moves! Ludwig CLOBBERS Rey with the European Uppercut! Fans boo as Imperium stands tall and SmackDown goes to break.

SmackDown returns and Ludwig has Rey down with an armlock. Ludwig taunts Rey, Gunther talks trash, but fans rally up. Ludwig stomps Rey down, swaggers around, and Imperium soaks up the heat. Rey goes to the apron and crawls to a corner. Ludwig runs in but Rey dodges the kick! Rey ROCKS Ludwig, goes up and fans cheer, only for Ludwig to throw hands! Ludwig climbs, he throws down elbows on Rey’s neck, and then he hauls Rey up. Rey holds the corner to fight things off, and he fires off body shots! Rey HEADBUTTS Ludwig down, Gunther and Vinci shout at Ludwig and Ludwig gets up, for the SEATED SENTON!

Rey keeps things moving, he ducks ‘n’ dodges and springboard CROSSBODIES! Cover, TWO! Imperium is furious but Ludwig blocks a whip to kick low. Ludwig runs, sunset flips, but Rey rolls through to BUZZSAW! And then LIONSAULT! Cover, TWO! Ludwig gets to a corner but Rey has the fans chanting “6 1 9! 6 1 9!” Rey runs in to ROCK Ludwig! Rey climbs up, rains down fists, and fans count all the way to TEN! Fans fire up with the Latino Heat, and Rey lets off. Ludwig EuroUppers! Ludwig goes up, but Rey ROCKS him first! Rey climbs up, he throws down headbutts, and then SUPER STEINERS! Cover, TWO!

Rey keeps his cool while Imperium shouts at Ludwig. Ludwig flounders to a corner but Rey goes out to the apron. Rey shoulders into Ludwig, then he climbs up. Ludwig CLUBS Rey, brings him around, but Rey fights the bomb to RANA Ludwig out of the ring! Rey is on the apron, he LEAPS, but Ludwig gets under! Ludwig gets in the ring while Rey is down. The ref checks Ludwig but Rey gets a chair to fend off Gunther and Vinci! Rey throws the chair at Gunther, Gunther SWATS it down, but then Rey falls over! Another shoutout to Eddie Guerrero! The ref sees Rey down and questions Gunther.

Vinci defends Gunther’s innocence, but the ref EJECTS Vinci and Gunther!! Fans are thunderous, and they sing, “Nana na na, nana na na, hey hey hey! Good bye~!” Ludwig is furious, but Rey shoulders into him! And GAMANGIRIS! Ludwig is down, Rey goes up, FALLING SPLASH onto knees! Cover, TWO!! Rey is still in this and Ludwig is shocked! Fans rally for Rey with “6 1 9! 6 1 9!” but Ludwig says “NEIN!” Ludwig hooks Rey up but Rey rolls him, slips around and RANAS Ludwig onto ropes! Dial it up! 619!! Rey goes up, springboard SPLASH! Cover, Rey wins!

Winner: Rey Mysterio, by pinfall

Fans are fired up as Rey gets the better of Imperium from top to bottom! But with just two weeks to go, will the King of Lucha have to look over his shoulder for retaliation?

Next week, SmackDown is on Fox Sports 1!

SmackDown heads to Missouri, and Ronda Rousey holds her open challenge! That, and Hit Row gets their mysterious third man to face Legado del Fantasma in a Six Man Tag! Who will be the third man, brother?

Logan Paul heads to the ring!

Though he’s from Ohio, Toledo isn’t all on board with his return to SmackDown. Logan gets the mic to say, “TOLEDOOO~! WHOA! I know I’m supposed to address the hard cam and the millions watching at home, but I gotta take a second personally to say it feels good to be back in Ohio, baby! But, back to the hard cam for all the WWE diehards back at home. I know you doubt me. But news flash, dummies: I’ve been doubted my whole life, and look where I am now! Yeah, it’s true, I run my mouth a lot. But that’s because I’m confident. I’m confident in both myself, and in my abilities.

“I don’t need some penguin looking Paul Heyman dude out here talking for me. I don’t need two guys that are basically just the same guy around me at all times to protect me. Or a guy who calls himself Solo, but personally I’ve never seen him alone. And I definitely don’t have any friends that look like Sami Zayn. What is that guy? But what I do have is the desire to be the best. And yeah, I know I’m the underdog in this fight. As I should be. No one’s expecting me, some kid from social media, to step in the ring with the GOAT and actually win. But what happens if I do? What happens if I hit Roman Reigns so hard, that I bounce his face on the canvas and bust all his teeth in, turning his little tribe into a clean-up crew?

“Cuz Roman Reigns, brother, on November 5th in Saudi Arabia, at Crown Jewel-” JEY ATTACKS! The hot headed Right Hand Man rains down fists from all sides! Fans are just as torn, but Jey says he’s getting Logan for Roman! Jey puts Logan in a corner and then SUPERKICKS him down! Jey holds up the finger, HE the one who just did that. HIP ATTACK! Logan is dazed and gasping, but Sami shows up to shot out Jey. Sami tells Jey to get out of the ring, because they were told not to do this. This isn’t from Sami, it’s from Roman! Get out of the ring, Jey. Jey listens, but then rushes back in! Logan dodges this time to DECK Jey!!

Logan shakes off the damage and he grins at Sami, who is stunned silent! Fans are torn again as Logan puts his hat back on. Logan proves he can take out an Uso, but will he be able to take out the Head of the Table? And how will Roman respond to Jey’s insubordination?

My Thoughts:

A great SmackDown here, with a lot more set up for Crown Jewel. For one, a great promo form McIntyre to set up a rematch with Karrion Kross. But for me personally, a Steel Cage Match stipulation just isn’t as exciting anymore. Unless they add that there’s no winning by escape. That would be great because then there’s no reason for door interference spots, no reason for Scarlett to try and keep McIntyre from leaving with her fireballs and mace. It’ll just be a brutal fight between Kross and McIntyre inside a cage, as we want to see. But either way, I feel like this should be McIntyre’s win so that he can move on towards a title opportunity.

Really good promo segment from Braun, MVP and Omos, and that match at Crown Jewel is almost certainly to bring back the ring breaking superplex spot. Braun had the previous one with Big Show, it’d be fitting of Braun had the next one with Omos to sort of pass the torch on being a giant in the WWE. We also got a good vignette for LA Knight, another good vignette for The Viking Raiders, and good promos from Legado and Hit Row. No idea who Hit Row is recruiting for this Six Man Tag but it’ll surely be a great surprise and a great match. I also do appreciate that Legado somewhat kayfabes the reason for replacing Elektra Lopez with Zelina Vega with how they’re expanding and getting more brand recognition with the Queen of the Ring on their side.

We got a really good match out of Liv Morgan and Sonya Deville, with Liv being rather crazy an interesting direction for her character. Her using those chairs was a great spot, too. Ronda is officially back to being a Heel, but I felt she was already that with the interactions with Adam Pearce and Liv Morgan going into Extreme Rules. Anyway, that open challenge could go any which way, but I see this possibly being Shayna Baszler’s chance jumping into the title scene. Shayna and Ronda can give us a PPV level match to really get some buzz while SmackDown ends up on FS1 because of MLB’s World Series, but I don’t see Ronda losing to whoever it is answering the challenge.

Great tag title match but of course Bayley helps DMG CTRL retain. Shotzi & Raquel are a solid team but I’m not sure who is going to take the titles off Kai & Sky at this point. That is, unless Sasha Banks & Naomi return, but there hasn’t been any word on that happening yet. As for Bayley, I feel like she’s going to beat Bianca on Raw since it’s non-title, and then we see them have one more match for the Raw Women’s Championship, either at Crown Jewel or Survivor Series.

Great promo from Bray Wyatt, and I love that his theme song was playing the whole time. It fit the tone and the build of what he was getting to. I can’t be sure but it felt like he was turning Heel, but he’s definitely not going to play nice. “White Rabbit” and this rumored “Uncle Howdy” got an interesting promo, too. I’m intrigued to see where this is going to go from here, but because it is Bray Wyatt, it is going to be a very entertaining story. And a great match from Rey VS Ludwig to be the “main event.” Rey gets a lot of momentum here, but I feel like that only guarantees he’s losing in the title match. Putting that match on the go-home is smart, it’ll get the ratings and the buzz going into the weekend.

Great match from Sheamus and Solo, and of course The Bloodline helps its own win. Great use of the desk to trap Dunne & Ridge, though. And I like the tension keeps growing between Sami and Jey, where Jey basically doesn’t trust Sami is speaking for Roman when Roman isn’t around to confirm it. Logan Paul had a good promo, but of course he can talk on the mic and he’s shown he can go. Jey taking the shot here is already the comeuppance of him disobeying but I’m sure Roman’s going to get on his case, too. Jey will surely hold it against Sami instead of taking responsibility and owning up, and that’ll just add to the eventual fight between them.

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

12 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

1 day 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!