Coverage

Mitchell’s WWE SmackDown Results & Report! (11/18/22)

Ole~, ole ole ole ole~!

Published

1 year ago

November 18, 2022

Steven Mitchell

The SmackDown World Cup kicks it up a notch!

While Survivor Series approaches, the SmackDown World Cup continues at high speed! Sami Zayn VS Pete Dunne and Ricochet VS Mustafa Ali close out the opening round!

OFFICIAL RESULTS

SmackDown World Cup, Opening Round: Ricochet VS Mustafa Ali; Ricochet wins and advances.
Mad Cap Moss VS Karrion Kross w/ Scarlett Bordeaux; Kross wins.
Shotzi Blackheart VS Shayna Baszler w/ Ronda Rousey; Shotzi wins.
Six Man Tag: Imperium VS The New Day & ???; The New Day & Braun Strowman win.
SmackDown World Cup, Opening Round: Pete Dunne VS Sami Zayn; Dunne wins and advances.

PLAY BY PLAY

Sheamus & The Brawling Brutes head to the ring!

The Fella is back and Hartford fires up for Fight Night! But they’re not alone, because DREW MCINTYRE is joining them! Fans fire up even more now that the Scottish Warrior goes with the Celtic Warrior, the Yorkshire Grit & the Bruiserweight to the ring. They’re reunited because of their common enemies in the Bloodline, and they’ll be taking them on at Survivor Series: WarGames! The Brutes and Drew get the mics, and Sheamus says, “Is this on this time? Yeah? You can all hear me, yeah? Hartford, how’re ya bleedin’ doing?

“Now I’m gonna start off with this. I know there’s a lot of people that’re happy that Drew McIntyre is standing by my side as the Brawling Brutes prepare to go to war with The Bloodline, considering the fact that you and me, man, we’ve had a 20 year storied feud, a rivalry. How many times have we gone to war, fella? How many people have questioned if we can actually trust each other? The truth is, though, man, the 20 year rivalry has created mutual respect.” Fans cheer that! Sheamus says it has created a bond so strong that Sheamus asked McIntyre to be his best man when he got married in New York three weeks ago.

Sheamus says the truth is… Fans start chanting “UCEY! UCEY!” Well, they may have an Ucey, but the Brutes want the “Brutey.” Brutey? Yeah. Well, okay. McIntyre’s feeling Brutey! Because when it comes down to it, there is no one Sheamus would rather be in the trenches with than Drew McIntyre. So what’s he say? Will he be their Honorary Brute? McIntyre grins and notices the fans chanting “BRUTEY! BRUTEY!” McIntyre says no one knows what it’s like to be outnumbered by the Bloodline more than him. Just when you think you’ve got them beat, another one appears! They multiply like friggin’ rabbits!

But when the odds are even, the story is different. If McIntyre’s going to war, he’s going to war with his brother. McIntyre offers a handshake, and Sheamus takes it! Fans fire up and Ridge says this is nice and all, but let’s get serious> Hartford, it’s FIGHT NIGHT! Fans fire up for that! And “Butch” says it’ll be WARGAMES!! And lads, McIntyre sees four. But who could be their fifth man, brother? Well Sheamus says he’s gonna tell ya! But then Sami Zayn comes out saying, “My dawgs.” And the “UCEY! UCEY!” chants start again.

Sami says he speaks on behalf of the Bloodline when he says they don’t care! The Bloodline is feeling good, feeling great, and yes, they’re feeling… Gassy? No, UCEY! But you think you’re getting in the Bloodline’s heads? Sami is the Master Strategist, AKA the Honorary Uce, AKA Sami Uso, AKA Ucey in the Sky with Diamonds! And you all think the Bloodline is worried? Sami doesn’t make a lot of guarantees, but he is putting his name on this one. As the Honorary Uce, Sami personally promises the Bloodline WILL win WarGames! And the Brutes look wound up. But Dunne doesn’t need to wait, he and Sami have a match in the SmackDown Cup!

So Sami is going to run through Dunne and give him a taste of what they can all expect next Saturday at Survivor Series! Wow, Sami, Sheamus is delighted to see he’s so confident. But when Sami finds out who the fifth man is, well… He’ll probably crap his bleedin’ pants. Because… It’s the last thing Sami’s gonna expect. Sami isn’t sure what to make of that, but will we all be in for a shock come Survivor Series?

SmackDown World Cup, Opening Round: Ricochet VS Mustafa Ali!

Speaking of that World Cup, the One and Only takes on The Beacon in what will surely be a fast and furious first round match! But who will be the one moving on to the next round?

SmackDown returns and Ali makes his entrance. Ali is worse for wear after a brutal match with the All Mighty, Bobby Lashley. But even with ribs taped, Ali wants to prove that if he can breathe and move, then he can fight! The bell rings and fans rally up as the two circle. They tie up, Ricochet waistlocks, then rolls Ali, ONE! Ali gets up but Ricochet trips him to a jackknife! ONE, Ali sunsets, ONE! Ricochet spins things around to a backslide, ONE! Ali waistlocks, Ricochet switches, O’Conner Rolls, TWO! Ali runs in but into a leg sweep! Cover, ONE! Ali scrambles to a corner and fans fire up as Ricochet waits on Ali.

Ricochet says they didn’t have to do this, and asks why Ali is doing this at all. Think of your future! Ali says he is, and he ties up with Ricochet. They break, tie up again, and Ricochet puts Ali in the corner. Ali turns it around, Ricochet turns it back, Ali switches again but Ricochet backs him into the corner. The ref counts, Ali hooks the leg but Ricochet throws an elbow. Ali CLOBBERS Ricochet from behind! Ali throws haymakers, he bumps Ricochet off buckles, then whips corner to corner. Ricochet staggers forward into a LARIAT! Cover, TWO! Ali is annoyed but he keeps on Ricochet in the corner with a CHOP!

Ali whips corner to corner, Ricochet puts Ali out on the apron and ROCKS him with a right! Ricochet climbs up, drags Ali up, but Ali throws haymakers! Fans rally and Ali climbs, but Ricochet throws body shots. They brawl up there, Ali CLUBS Ricochet, and then Ali adjusts to SUPER BACKSTABBER! Ricochet writhes and falls out of the ring but Ali writhes inside as SmackDown goes to break!

SmackDown returns again and Ali sits up for Ricochet to KICK down! Ricochet again asks Ali what’s the point of this, but Ali sits up so Ricochet KICKS him again! Ali sits up again, Ricochet KICKS him again. Ricochet drags Ali up to KICK and run, but Ali dodges and returns to tilt-o-whirl RANA! Ricochet flounders out of the ring but hurries back up, into a SHOTGUN! Ricochet hurries up again, Ali KICKS him back out! Ali grits his teeth as he takes aim, to PLANCHA! Direct hit but Ricochet rolls through to MICHINOKU DRIVER to the floor! Fans fire up while both men writhe at ringside at the ramp!

Ali crawls away, drags himself up with the barriers, but Ricochet goes to the ring. Ricochet doesn’t go in, he drags Ali up and puts him in first. Ricochet then climbs up the corner and takes aim, PHOENIX SPLASH FLOPS as Ali moves! KOJI KLUTCH!!! Ricochet flails, endures, moves around, reaches out with a leg, and gets the ROPEBREAK! Ali lets go in frustration, almost snatching that one away! Fans fire up, Ali drags Ricochet up and fireman’s carries, but the ribs hurt! Ricochet shoves Ali to a corner but Ali elbows him away! Ali goes up but Ricochet drags him off with a waistlock! Ali throws elbow after elbow but Ricochet SNAP DRAGON SUPLEXES!

Ali stands, into the DISCUS LARIAT!! Ricochet keeps moving, LIONSAULT! Cover, TWO!! Ali survives and shocks Ricochet! Ricochet wants the ref to check on Ali but Ali refuses to let this end that way. Ali stands up again, Ricochet runs in, but Ali dodges the knee! Wheelbarrow, VICTORY ROLL! TWO!!! Ricochet SOBATS hard, then he whips Ali to a corner. Ali reverses, Ricochet goes up and over but Ali goes up to TORNADO DDT! Ali hurries to the corner! Ali climbs but those ribs slow him down. Ricochet is still down, Ali 450 FLOPS!! Ricochet hurries to stand back up, and fans rally as Ricochet climbs again.

Ali slowly stands, Ricochet aims and SHOOTING STAR ATTTACKS!! Cover, Ricochet wins!

Winner: Ricochet, by pinfall (advances to the second round)

Another hard fought fight from Ali, but the damage done by Lashley was too much! But in the end, there is still respect between these two. Now, Ricochet goes up against the Monster of All Monsters, BRAUN STROWMAN! Will Ricochet survive his run in with the Strowman Express?

The Bloodline talks backstage.

Jey Uso asks Sami what he was doing out there, talking on behalf of the Bloodline. Jey knows Sami ain’t dumb enough to actually go and guarantee a W at WarGames! They don’t even know who the fifth member of Sheamus’ team is! Sami asks Jey back what he possibly did wrong this time! All Sami did was say they’re going to win! What’s wrong with that? Does Jey not believe they’ll win? No, Jey KNOWS they’re gonna win. Okay, then why is he upset? Because Sami is running his mouth! Sami says, “My dawg,” but then Jimmy speaks up. They need to be on the same page. Roman Reigns is on his way, they all need to calm down before he gets here. Take a chill pill.

Jey tells Sami to chill. Sami say she is chill! Jimmy suggests he just take a breath. Sami accepts that. Sami heads out, and Jimmy tells Jey not to worry about Sami. This is Bloodline business! They need to figure out who the fifth man is! Jey agrees. They’ll handle business. Sami returns and gives Jimmy the secret handshake, and says that thing they talked about earlier is handled. Sami will let Jimmy know more later. Sami heads out again, but just what is he talking about? And will Sami be able to handle Pete Dunne with Jey on his case?

Backstage interview with The New Day.

Kayla Braxton tells Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston that she understands how much the longest tag team title reign record meant to them. How are they feeling? Woods says it’s not the best day. They know that when you want to become tag team champions, you have to win just one match. But in order to set such a record, you have to become champs and successfully defend those championships night after night for more than a year. So of course, they’re not in the best mood right now. Kofi says that losing the record was incredibly disappointing, more so because of how hard they worked.

But then Imperium walks in! Giovanni Vinci tells the New Day not to be so disappointed. They still have a record: the record of being the biggest bunch of clowns in WWE history. Ludwig Kaiser says the New Day is “exactly what is wrong with our beloved sport today. For the past eight years, you were making a mockery of it with your trombones and your dancing in the ring and all that nonsense. And of course now, it’s up to us to pick up the pieces of your work in order to restore the honor of that mat that is so sacred to us!” “Oh, he vants to westore ze honor~! He vants to shake ze hands!” “And grahb ze buttocks! UGH! YAH~!”

Gunther has Ludwig calm down and Kofi tells Woods, “You know who this dude looks like?” Who who who? That goofy guy from the Addams Family! LURCH! Yes, Gunther is Lurch! That has to be his uncle. But listen here, young bloods. Y’all don’t wanna settle this like gentlemen, so the New Day can find someone, and y’all can meet them in the ring. Gunther says, “Thank you for proving our point. We accept.” Imperium heads out, but will the New Day restore their honor by knocking down the naysayers?

Emma finds Mad Cap Moss at gorilla.

She says hey, and asks how Riddick’s doing. It’s been three weeks and he can still barely talk because of that damn Kross Jacket. Three weeks… But tonight is about revenge. It was humiliating! Emma stops him there. Tonight is a fresh start. She knows how good he is, and he’s way more athletic, so he should use his speed as his weapon. Then he can take the fight to him. Moss nods and heads out. Will the pep talk help Moss get even with Kross?

Mad Cap Moss VS Karrion Kross w/ Scarlett Bordeaux!

SmackDown returns and Kross makes his entrance. The bell rings and Moss KNEES Kross into the corner! Moss fires off fast hands and fans fire up! The ref backs Moss off but Moss jukes him to get after Kross again! The ref counts, Moss stomps but lets off, all fired up! Kross stands but Moss runs in, and Moss blocks a boot to throw a hand! Kross hits Moss back, facelocks, but Moss wrenches out to kick low! Moss suplexes Kross up and over! Moss hurries after Kross but Kross knees low! Kross whips Moss to ropes but Moss reverses and hurdles! And drops, to then CLOBBER Kross with an elbow!

Kross wobbles, Moss runs and clotheslines Kross out of the ring! Moss hurries out after Kross to RAM him into barriers! The fans rally as Moss puts Kross back in the ring. Moss swings but into the chicken wings! TIGER SUPLEX! Moss flounders but Kross stalks him to the corner. Kross stomps a mudhole into Moss, the ref counts, and Kross stops at 4. Kross snarls and puts Moss on the ropes, to CHOKE him! The ref counts, Moss sputters, and Kross argues with the ref so that Scarlett can SLAP Moss! The fans boo but Moss is pissed now! Moss stands up and he fires off forearms! Kross knees low again and whips.

Moss CLOBBERS Kross! And again! Moss ducks ‘n’ dodges and builds up speed to run Kross right over! Fans fire up with Moss as he runs corner to corner, and he RAMS into Kross! Moss keeps moving, he RAMS into Kross again! Scarlett is worried as Moss RMAS Kross a third time! Moss then scoops to FALL AWAY SLAM! Kross flounders out of the ring but Moss goes out the side! Scarlett stands in his way and Kross gets back in the ring. Moss goes around her, but into a BOOT from Kross! Kross then POSTS Moss, and Moss flops back into the ring. Kross shrugs, and he wraps on the SLEEPER!

Moss flails, he fights the jacket being locked on, and he RAMS Kross backwards into buckles! Kross holds on, Moss picks him up as a backpack! BACKPACK SENTON!! But Kross rises up! KROSSJACKET!!! “You remember this?! You remember this!?” Moss TAPS, Kross wins!

Winner: Karrion Kross, by submission

But Kross won’t let go! He’s repeating what he did just last month! Kross lets go, fans boo, but in the end, Moss lost just like before. Emma hurries out to check on Moss as Kross & Scarlett laugh on their way out. Will no one stop Kross from taking control of SmackDown?

Bray Wyatt is here!

Hartford fires up and the fireflies come out as Bray makes his way through the mysterious door. Bray then goes to the ring, and he blows his lantern out. “My name is Bray Wyatt.” Fans cheer and Bray chuckles. “Lately, I’ve started to realize that I have been conditioned my entire life to be a certain way. And when you’re conditioned to be a certain way for that long, you start to feel like changing is impossible. I was conditioned to be strong, I was conditioned to take. I was taught that fear is respect. Lately, I’ve started to look at the path I’ve left behind me. And when I look at it, it is covered in ashes and blood.

“And I start to think, ‘Why do I do the things that I do? And can I actually change?’ If I was LA Knight, I know exactly how I would handle this situation, and that makes me sad, man. But I wanted to come out here to do this, and I feel real strongly about it. I wanted to apologize to LA Knight for what I did to him.” Fans boo, they don’t think he has to. But Bray “had a moment of weakness. And I strayed from my path.” But wait! Here comes LA Knight! “Lemme talk to ya! For seven days, I’ve run it over and over again, the cheap shot heard ’round the world, your head connecting with my chin. And each time, it gets me a little bit hotter than the last.”

But now Bray’s out here, talking about apologizing. To be honest, LA Knight’s a little conflicted. Because Bray talked about fear and respect. LA Knight is looking at Bray now and… Fans start to boo as Knight says that there’s something that tells him that last week, the fact that Knight didn’t fear Bray garnered him some of Bray’s respect. Because thinking about it, the rarest commodity around here is respect. It’s more valuable than money and it’s something Knight’s always wanted. Bray says he “gets” Knight, and no one’s every really understood Knight. Knight isn’t sure, but as he steps in the ring with Bray, Knight isn’t sure what to make of the apology.

But looking at Bray here, maybe Bray does respect him. So for that, Knight SLAPS Bray, and then walks away! Now they’re even, apology accepted! Knight says he and Bray can go their separate ways. Fans boo even harder as Bray tries to contain his anger. “Alright. We’re even, right? Even. Look, man. There’s a lot I wanna do to you right now, but I’m not going to, okay? There are a lot of urges, my brother. But listen. The decision you’re about to make right now is going to change the rest of your life, you understand me? We’re even.” Bray offers a handshake. Knight asks if Bray means it and Bray nods. Knight hesitates, but he SLAPS Bray again!

Knight says that was a two-for-one special, because that’s how Knight does it! Knight has wanted to do that all week. But then UNCLE HOWDY appears on the tron!! Bray’s face also says it all. Will the Mega Star regret playing games with the Eater of Worlds?

The Usos find Kross and Scarlett backstage.

Jey asks Kross straight up if he’s the fifth man. Jimmy says, “Nah, that ain’t him, Uce.” Kross wants to explain something to them: he is not a follower. Well, then we won’t see him around when Sami takes on Dunne, right? And he won’t try and make a name for himself off The Bloodline, right? Right? Kross says when he comes for Roman’s titles, which he will, he’ll do it on his own time. And when he does, it won’t be part of a pack. It’ll be all on his own. Kross & Scarlett leave, and the Usos let him be. That’s one name off the list, but who else will the Usos ask?

Shotzi Blackheart VS Shayna Baszler w/ Ronda Rousey!

The Wild Child is the #1 contender and ready for war at Survivor Series, but it was the Queen of Spades who fired the first shot. Will Shayna soften Shotzi up for Ronda? Or will the Baddest Women in the WWE learn not to piss off a girl with a tank?

SmackDown returns and Shotzi makes her entrance. The tank fires its pyro and Shotzi hops into the ring. The bell rings and Shotzi is wary of Ronda on the apron. Shayna sucker punches Shotzi and sweeps the legs! Shayna rains down forearms, then smirks as she stalks Shotzi. She taunts Shotzi, brings her up, and clinches to throw a KNEE! Shayna CLUBS Shotzi down, talks trash, but Shotzi SLAPS Shayna and cradles! TWO! Shayna rushes in but Shotzi LARIATS first! Shotzi runs at the ropes but Ronda takes a swipe! The ref reprimands but Shayna CLUBS Shotzi! Shayna puts Shotzi in a corner to stomp a mudhole in!

The ref counts, Shayna lets off at 4, then she drags Shotzi up to snapmare and KICK! Cover, TWO! Shayna clamps on a top wristlock and Shotzi endures. Fans boo Shayna then rally up for Shotzi. Shotzi fights up, throws body shots and haymakers, but Shayna CLUBS her back down! Shayna stalks Shotzi, runs in, but Shotzi deflect the knee to KICK, KICK and ROLLING ELBOW! Shayna wobbles, the QUESTION MARK KICK hits its mark! Shayna bails out and Ronda is there! Fans boo but Shotzi hurries out. Shotzi gest in Ronda’s face, puts Shayna in the ring, but Ronda dares Shotzi to do something.

Shotzi gets on the apron, Shayna calls to the ref, but Ronda gets up on the apron. Ronda messes with Shotzi’s hair but Shotzi tells her to stay outta this. Shayna runs in but Shotzi dodges! Shotzi ENZIGURIS Shayna down! Cover, TWO! Ronda is annoyed now but Shotzi goes out to tell her, “Is this what you want?” But Shayna YANKS Shotzi back in! And then GERMAN SUPLEXES her! Shotzi flops and Shayna covers, TWO! Fans rally but Shayna sends Shotzi back out. Shayna tells Shotzi to go after Ronda. The ref reprimands Shayna and Ronda, Shayna goes out to stomp Shotzi and put her in the ring.

Shayna and Ronda high-five, but then Shotzi SHOTGUNS Shayna! And SPLASHES in the corner! Shotzi snapmares, runs, and SLING-DOGS! Fans fire up and Shayna is on the ropes, Shotzi hits the BALLPIT! Shotzi cravats, but Ronda gets on the apron again! Shayna POSTS Shotzi! Ronda talks trash while Shayna has Shotzi in a SLEEPER in the ropes! But wait! RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ appears! That startles Ronda as now Big Mami Cool is here to back up Shotzi! Shayna is upset that Raquel’s here, and she hurries to pick Shotzi up. Shayna isolates an arm, taunts Raquel, but Shotzi avoids the stomp! ROLL-UP, SHOTZI WINS!!

Winner: Shotzi Blackheart, by pinfall

And that’s what the bullies get! Shotzi & Raquel have the last laugh tonight, but what about the title match? Will Ronda need her sidekick to have a chance of surviving Survivor Series?

Backstage interview with LA Knight.

Megan Morant catches him on his way out of the arena to ask if he’s leaving because he’s afraid of Bray. Knight says, “Who’s afraid? Who just apologized to who out there?” Does Megan hang around work when she’s done working? No, probably not. So Knight’s done with these trash interviews. And that’s not an insult. That’s just a fact of life, YEAH! But when he opens the door, UNCLE HOWDY’S THERE!! Is this going to be Knight’s last night on SmackDown?

SmackDown returns and Knight’s been buried!

Referees and officials hurry to clear off chairs, tables, kegs, trash cans, and whatever else was backstage off of Knight! Did Bray give into those urges of violence and anger?

Six Man Tag: Imperium VS The New Day & ???

The Pride of Italy and the Impeccable German belittled the legacy of the ELEVEN-TIME W, W, E, World, Tag, Team, Champions~, and now Kofi & Woods vow to show them who the real jokes are around here! But who (who who who) is going to be the third man? BRAAAUN~! The Monster of All Monsters once again reinforces the New Day, will Imperium all #GetTheseHands?

And the brawl is on! Gunther is in shock seeing Braun while Kofi has Ludwig and Woods has Vinci! Those four go into the ring and Gunther backs up as Braun approaches. Kofi shoves Ludwig to then duck and clothesline Ludwig out! Vinci whips, Woods reverses, and Kofi clotheslines him out, too! Fans fire up as Kofi climbs, and Kofi SUPER TRUST FALLS, into the arms of Imperium! FACEBUSTER on the apron! But Woods builds speed, but Gunther CHOPS him down! Braun gets in now, and he turns Gunther around! The bell rings and the giants start this one! Fans fire up as the two circle, but Gunther bails out!

Gunther regroups with Imperium as fans boo and Braun shouts at them to come get some! Imperium talks strategy while SmackDown goes to break.

SmackDown returns and Vinci has Woods down with a chinlock. Fans rally up, Woods fights up and he JAWBREAKERS free! Vinci keeps Woods from his corner but Woods throws forearms! Woods reaches, throws forearms, but Vinci whips him and throws him down! Vinci taunts Kofi while fans boo, and Vinci tags Ludwig. They whip and SPINEBUSTER to PENALTY KICK! Ludwig then sucker punches Kofi! Ludwig stays clear of Braun while fans boo. Ludwig grins as he looms over Woods, then he whips Woods to the corner. Woods ROCKS Gunther! And ROCKS Vinci! And he ROCKS and CHOPS Ludwig on repeat!

Fans fire up as Woods DECKS Ludwig! Ludwig anchors a foot to keep Woods from Braun! Ludwig reels Woods in, but Woods lands out of the back suplex! Woods slides under, reaches, but Ludwig gets his foot again! Woods BOOTS Ludwig away, hot tags to the Monster and Vinci! Braun rallies on Vinci, DECKS Ludwig, scares off Gunther, then whips Vinci to ropes. Vinci kicks Braun, tags Gunther, then dodges Braun to springboard, only for Braun to CLOBBER him out of the air! But Gunther gets in to CHOP! Braun just snarls! Fans fire up and Gunther wants Braun to hold on. Braun chases Gunther around the ring!

Braun CLOBBERS Vinci, and he CLOBBERS Ludwig, still chasing Gunther! They get in the ring, Gunther runs but into a scoop! Gunther slips off, CHOPS, but Braun just winces! Gunther runs, into a SPINEBUSTER! Cover, TWO!! Braun is surprised, but he fires up and Hartford is with him! Braun reels Gunther in, but Gunther slips away to KICK the leg! Gunther tags Ludwig, but Kofi tags in! Kofi CROSSBODIES Ludwig! And KNEES Vinci away! Kofi spins, Ludwig ducks but Kofi BOOTS back! Woods tags in, Kofi scoops Ludwig! MIDNIGHT HOUR!! Cover, Braun scares Gunther, and Braun’s team wins!

Winners: The New Day & Braun Strowman, by pinfall

Hartford is fired up as Braun stands tall with Kofi & Woods! Will ya bois find their way back to the top of the tag team mountain? And will this mountainous monster manhandle everyone in the SmackDown World Cup to have an Intercontinental Championship opportunity?

Braun returns backstage and Kayla is there to interview him.

She congratulates Braun on that win in the tag match, he certainly sent a strong message to Gunther. Braun says that’s right! “You never take your eyes off the Monster of All Monsters, and I’m looking forward to winning this World Cup tournament and taking that Intercontinental Championship off Gunther’s hands.” But Ricochet walks in to say, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Listen, Braun, I know you’re not one for big thinking, you’re looking way too far into the future. Because if you keep looking past these, uh, ‘flippy flippers,’ your words, not mine… It might come back to bite you.”

Ricochet leaves Braun to think that one over. Will the monster double down on what he said? Or will speed beat strength to move on to the finals?

BIG matches for next week!

On the eve of Survivor Series, we will see some rather high stakes tag team matches! After Raquel backed Shotzi up against Shayna & Ronda, we see The Ballsy & The Badass team up against the Baddest Women! Will Ricky Desperado help Shotzi #TakeCareofBidness before going after Ronda? Or will Shayna & Ronda both make someone #TapNapOrSnap?

And while the fifth man has yet to be revealed, the advantage in the Men’s WarGames will be on the line! It will be McIntyre & Sheamus VS The Usos!! Can the Celtic Connection conquer the Undisputed Tag Team Champions to go man-up in the sinister steel? Or will the Usos be the ones to get it #OneAndDone for the Bloodline?

SmackDown World Cup, Opening Round: Pete Dunne VS Sami Zayn!

Butch has the Brutes backing him up as we close out this first round of the Cup! And surely, the Honorary Uce will have the Bloodline watching his back. Who fires the first shot towards WarGames with this golden opportunity on the line?

SmackDown returns and Sami makes his entrance, and yes, he has Solo Sikoa & The Usos with him. The bell rings and the two tie up. Dunne powers Sami to a corner but Sami turns Dunne around. Dunne dodgse the sucker punch to wrangle Sami with an arm! Dunen bends the fingers and Sami endures! Dunne isolates the arm, to STOMP the arm! Dunne then steps over, and hits the La Magistrol! TWO, but Dunne is right after Sami with another wrench. Dunen whips and CLOBBERS Sami, then he covers, TWO! Sami gets up and kicks Dunne low. Sami headlocks but Dunne powers out. Things speed up, Dunne hurdles, but into a POWERBOMB! Cover, TWO!

The Usos say that was pretty good, and Sami rains down fists on Dunne. Sami glares at Ridge and then drags Dunne back up. Sami throws Dunne out, and the ref tells the Bloodline to back off. The Bloodline eggs on the Brutes, and so does Sami. Sami goes out to fetch Dunne and puts him in the ring. Sami hurries in but Dunne goes up to TORNADO DDT! Cover, TWO! Sami is still in this and the Usos coach him up. Dunne runs in to GAMANGIRI! Sami goes down, Dunne goes up, but Sami anchors Dunne! Dunne pulls Sami’s fingers! So Sami SHOVES Dunne down! Dunne his LED barriers and the Bloodline fires up as SmackDown goes to break!

SmackDown returns again and Dunne has Sami up top. Sami resists so Dunne bends the fingers! Sami throws body shots, then a HEADBUTT! Dunne falls from the corner, Sami stands up top, and Sami leaps, into a BIG forearm! Cover, TWO!! Sami survives and Sheamus can’t believe it! Sheamus and his team rally up and so do the fans. Dunne shouts out Sheamus by beating his chest while aiming from the corner. Jey gets up but Dunne DECKS him! But Sami rolls Dunne up! TWO!! Dunne ENZIGURIS Sami back down! But Jimmy distracts now and Jey ENZIGURIS Dunne!! The Brutes protest but Sami hits BLUE THUNDER! Cover, TWO!!

Fans are torn, the Brutes rush the Bloodline and the brawl is on! McIntyre is after Solo, payback from Clash at the Castle! Ridge has Jimmy, Sheamus has Jey, and Sami is shocked! McIntyre and Solo spill over the desk! The Usos mug Sheamus and SMACK him off the desk! Dunne goes to the apron, but Sami grabs at him! But Dunne bends Sami’s fingers! And SNAPS them! Sami falls back, the Usos SUPERKICK Ridge, but then Dunne ASAI MOONSAULTS the Usos down! Dunne hurries back into the ring, he runs corner to corner, but Sami catches him! EXPLODER into buckles! Sami goes to the far side while Sheamus brawls with Jey!

Jey scurries into the ring, and he’s in Sami’s way! Sheamus drags Jey back out to TOSS into barriers! Dunne pump handles Sami! BITTER END!! Cover, Dunne wins!!

Winner: Pete Dunne, by pinfall (advances to the second round)

But before Dunne can celebrate, Solo CLOBBERS him! Solo scoops Dunne for the SPINNING SOLO! But Solo turns around into haymakers from Drew! Fans fire up as the brawl continues in the ring! Ridge TOSSES Jimmy, Solo fires hands on Drew, but Drew turns it around! Ridge and Jimmy brawl, but here comes ROMAN! The Tribal Chief has arrived, but McIntyre still beats down Solo! Roman SUPERMAN PUNCHES Ridge! And SPEARS Dunne! McIntyre stares Roman down and fans are thunderous! Roman gets in the ring, but Solo whips Drew! Drew reverses to toss Solo, but Roman SPEARS McIntyre!

Roman looks at the downed Honorary Uce, but then he looks at Sheamus as he steps in! The Fella brings the straps down and circles with Roman. Fans fire up and the brawl is on! They throw big haymakers back and forth, then Sheamus gets the edge! But Sami CLOBBERS Sheamus! Sheamus knocks Sami back down, but the SUPERMAN PUNCH hits Sheamus! Roman is all fired up, and fans are torn as Roman aims from the corner. But wait!! KEVIN OWENS is here?!? The Prizefighter knows WarGames, he knows Roman, and he knows Sami! This is just what Sheamus meant by the shocking fifth man!

Kevin SUPERKICKS Jimmy! He SUPERKICKS Jey! And now he has Roman all to himself! Fans fire up again as Kevin gets in the ring with Roman! Hartford is losing their minds over this one! And then the brawl is on!! Kevin gets the edge with haymaker after haymaker, and then he stomps a mudhole into the Head of the Table! Sami gets in, and now he has to choose: Tribal Chief, or best frenemy. Fans are losing their minds all over again, and they chant, “UCEY! UCEY!” But a SUPERMAN PUNCH takes Kevin down! Kevin flounders, but Ridge drags Sami out! Sami RAMS Ridge into barriers!

Roman lets out the battle cry, he runs at Kevin, but into a kick! AND STUNNER!! The Prizefighter just took the fight to the Bloodline, and his side is the one standing in the ring! Will the Bloodline survive Survivor Series with these five coming for them?

My Thoughts:

This was an awesome episode of SmackDown, and it really got things going for Survivor Series! For one, great promo from The Brawling Brutes and McIntyre to basically let bygones be bygones and give us the Celtic Connection once again. Sami also steps in it responding to them, and I just had this great feeling that Kevin Owens would be the fifth man because of all the continuity between him, Sami and Roman. This is going to be a great way to segue things back to Kevin & Sami reuniting to then take the Undisputed Tag Titles off the Usos.

And we got a great main event out of Dunne VS Sami, with everyone else around, of course. I’m a little surprised Dunne is advancing over Sami, but it still works in story that Sami can pivot to the tag titles with Kevin while we have the potential for Dunne VS Gunther for another title. I don’t know if that match is happening, but it’s great that they’re at least teasing it. The brawl to end the show and bring Kevin out was great stuff, felt almost go-home-esque, but we’ve got next week and the WarGames Advantage match to get to. That match can go either way, but it’ll be a lot of fun, and a great sampler of what we’ll see in the WarGames match itself.

Kross VS Moss II was a good rematch, but I figured Kross was going to win. Emma getting involved right away with Moss’ story is a nice way to get them both going again, but it’s really surprising that we could get Kross & Scarlett VS Moss & Emma before we get Miz & Maryse VS Dexter Lumis & Indi Hartwell. The Usos questioning Kross didn’t make much sense when we all know Kross hates McIntyre. But it was a good chance for Kross to make it clear he still wants the top titles. Maybe Kross will be more direct with Roman after or even during Survivor Series, unless we’re getting Sheamus VS Roman. We did get a nice tease of that during the brawl.

Great stuff out of the rest of the SmackDown World Cup. Ricochet VS Ali was a great match that did a great job tying in Ali’s story from Raw, but it also gave Ricochet some edge that he’s needed. Ricochet also does a great job using Braun’s Crown Jewel tweet to get at him. Big hoss VS high-flyer, tale as old as time in pro-wrestling, but after Braun got involved with the Six Man Tag, I feel like Braun is winning his way to the finals. Braun put the fear of God into Gunther, and that would be a great fight on par with Gunther VS Sheamus from Clash at the Castle. At the same time, I’m thinking Gunther finds a way to win, since he has Imperium watching his back to cheat for him.

But did you know that the SmackDown World Cup on Fox is on Fox? I would’ve never known what channel I was watching if they didn’t say it as part of the introductions AND on commentary! C’MON, WWE. I know this is Fox corporate pushing for a tie-in with actual sports, but we don’t need to be told like we’re four years old. That is something that WWE needs to stop, especially now that we’re in the HHH Era.

But what was great was seeing Bray and Knight interact tonight. Bray’s story has a bit in common when Kevin was on that “And that’s no lie” angle where he was a Heel trying to go Face. But with Bray, there’s this compulsion represented by Uncle Howdy, and Knight is the one pushing his buttons because he couldn’t just accept a handshake and an apology and instead escalated things with two cheap shot slaps. Of course, he was literally buried in the backstage area, and I’m very intrigued in where we go from here. Knight might accuse Bray of doing it, but it’ll likely be Bray’s newest alter ego(s) who did it, and that’ll push things ever closer to Bray literally fighting Uncle Howdy in a new cinematic match. After all, this year WrestleMania Goes Hollywood.

My Score: 8.8/10

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

14 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!