Coverage

Mitchell’s WWE SmackDown Results & Report! (1/20/23)

SmackDown makes it Rumble official!

Published

1 year ago

January 20, 2023

Steven Mitchell

The Tribal Chief and the Prizefighter sign on the dotted line!

Before fighting over the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens meet on SmackDown to sign the contract!

OFFICIAL RESULTS

SmackDown Tag Team Championship #1 Contenders Tournament, Opening Round: Drew McIntyre & Sheamus VS The Viking Raiders; McIntyre & Sheamus win and advance to the second round.
LA Knight VS Brett Jones; Knight wins.
SmackDown Tag Team Championship #1 Contenders Tournament, Opening Round: Los Lotharios VS Hit Row; Hit Row wins and advance to the second round.
SmackDown Tag Team Championship #1 Contenders Tournament, Opening Round: The Brawling Brutes & Imperium; Imperium wins and advance to the second round.
SmackDown Tag Team Championship #1 Contenders Tournament, Opening Round: Legado del Fantasma VS Maximum Male Models; Legado wins and advance to the second round.

PLAY BY PLAY

The Bloodline arrives backstage.

Sami Zayn is fired up to be with his dawgs! The Usos, Solo Sikoa, Paul Heyman, and of course, the Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns. Sami secret handshakes with Jimmy, has one with Jey, and offers a fist bump to Roman. Roman leaves Sami hanging, is that a bad sign?

SmackDown Tag Team Championship #1 Contenders Tournament, Opening Round: Drew McIntyre & Sheamus VS The Viking Raiders!

Friday is once again Fight Night! The Celtic Connection wanted vengeance on Erik & Ivar for their blindside attack a couple weeks ago, so Adam Pearce is taking care of two birds with one stone! Will McIntyre & Sheamus take down the Vikings? Or will the raid make its way towards the Usos and their titles?

The teams sort out, but the Vikings attack before the bell! Ivar CLOBBERS McIntyre out of the ring while Sheamus and Erik brawl in the ring! The ref reprimands, Sheamus ROCKS Erik in return and the bell rings! Sheamus fires off hands on Erik, Ivar fires off on McIntyre, but Sheamus whips Erik to a corner. Erik elbows back, throws haymakers, then he whips. Sheamus reverses but Erik holds ropes, only for Sheamus to clothesline Erik and himself out of the ring! Ivar CLUBS McIntyre, POSTS him, but Sheamus TOSSES Erik into barriers! Ivar rushes over but Sheamus fires forearms and haymakers on him!

Erik gets up, Sheamus throws hands on him, then TOSSES him into more barriers! Fans fire up, the ring count climbs, but Sheamus puts Erik in the ring. Ivar goes to the apron but Sheamus KNEES him first! Sheamus turns Ivar around, for BEATS OF THE BODHRAIN! Sheamus gest seven before Erik CLUBS him! Erik whips but Sheamus reverses to throw Erik to the apron! Sheamus drags Erik up to ROCK him, then gives him BEATS OF THE BODHRAIN! Fans fires up and count along, Sheamus goes past TEN, to hit FIFTEEN! Fans fire up while Erik flops down! Sheamus drags Erik up to a fireman’s carry!

Sheamus climbs the corner, but Erik slips free! Ivar runs in, Sheamus elbows him down, but Erik ROCKS Sheamus! Erik throws Sheamus to the floor! Tag to Ivar, and he runs to SPLASH Sheamus against barriers! Detroit boos but SmackDown goes to break.

SmackDown returns and Erik has Sheamus in a chinlock. Sheamus endures, fights up, and fans rally as he stands. But Erik turns Sheamus for a NECKBREAKER! Cover, TWO! Fans boo Erik as he looms over Sheamus, but Erik clamps on with a chinbar and armlock. Sheamus endures but Erik throws down elbow after elbow! Erik returns to the chinbar, he grinds Sheamus down, but Detroit rallies as Sheamus endures. Sheamus fights up again, pushes Erik, and he throws body shots! Sheamus EuroUppers but Erik ROCKS him! They go forearm for forearm! Erik kicks low, CLUBS Sheamus down, then tags in Ivar.

Fans boo but Ivar CLUBS Sheamus back down. Ivar keeps Sheamus from McIntyre and gives him a crossface forearm! Tag to Erik, and he stands Sheamus up, only for Sheamus to throw body shots and forearms! Erik shoves, Sheamus KNEES Erik, then gets him for an IRISH CURSE BACKBREAKER! Detroit fires up as both men crawl! Hot tags to Ivar and McIntyre! McIntyre rallies on the War Beard! McIntyre whips, Ivar reverses and scoops, but McIntyre slips off to shove and CLOBBER Ivar! Erik rushes in but into an OVERHEAD Belly2Belly! McIntyre doges Ivar to NECKBREAKER! Then he dodges Erik to NECKBREAKER!

McIntyre kips up and Detroit fires up! McIntyre waits on Ivar, brings him in for double underhooks, but Ivar RAMS him into a corner! McIntyre ELBOWS back, Ivar knees low! Ivar runs, but into a scoop! MICHINOKU DRIVER! Cover, TWO! Ivar survives but McIntyre keeps his focus. McIntyre storms up to Ivar, fireman’s carries him, but Ivar fights free! Ivar CLUBS McIntyre, McIntyre runs in, SEATED SENTON! Tag to Erik, Ivar whips him in to clothesline McIntyre! Feed to a LARIAT from Ivar! Cover, TWO! McIntyre is hanging tough but Erik tags Ivar back in. Erik drags McIntyre up but gets a GLASGOW KISS!

McIntyre ROCKS Ivar on the top rope! And CHOPS him! And climbs up after him! Fans fire up as McIntyre brings Ivar to the very top! But Erik trips McIntyre! McIntyre ends up in a Tree of Woe! Sheamus runs in but Erik ROCKS Sheamus! But Sheamus fireman’s carries, WHITE NOISE! And McIntyre sit sup! SPIDER BELLY2BELLY!! All four behemoths are down and Detroit is fired up as SmackDown goes to break!

SmackDown returns again and Ivar fires off back elbow after elbow on McIntyre in the corner! Ivar lets off at the ref’s count, and fans boo as Ivar storms around. Ivar storms up, whips McIntyre corner to corner, but McIntyre comes back to CLOBBER Ivar! McIntyre spins Ivar around, underhooks, and FUTURE SHOCKS! Kip up and fans fire up with McIntyre! McIntyre is calling for it, and he aims from the corner! “THREE! TWO! ONE!” But Ivar HEEL KICKS McIntyre down!! Both men fall and fans rally back up! McIntyre and Ivar crawl, hot tags to Erik and Sheamus! Sheamus and Erik brawl with fast and furious fists!

Sheamus gets the edge, but Erik kicks the legs out! Erik runs, but into a scoop! POWERSLAM! Fans fire up with Sheamus and he goes to a corner! Sheamus beats his chest and fans shout along, “BROGUE! BROGUE!” Sheamus aims, Erik stands, “FELLA~!” But Sarah Logan gets on the apron! Erik runs in but Sheamus BOOTS him! But Erik spins Sheamus around, EXPLODER! Tag to Ivar! Ivar goes up top, for a VIKING SPLASH!! Cover, TWO!!! Sheamus survives and Ivar is shocked! Detroit is thunderous but Erik tags back in. Erik then tags Ivar back in, and the Vikings stalk Sheamus. Sheamus sees the 2v1, but he just throws hands anyway!

Fans fire up but the 2v1 starts going the Vikings’ way. Erik waistlocks Sheamus, Ivar runs to the ropes, but Sheamus breaks free and KNEES Ivar down! McIntyre gives Erik a CLAYMORE!! Sheamus goes to the corner, fans fire up, and Ivar stands up for a BROGUE!!! Cover, the Celtic Connection wins!!

Winners: Sheamus & Drew McIntyre, by pinfall (advance to the second round)

Valhalla is furious that Ragnarok did not come! Sheamus & McIntyre are heading on, will they earn one more shot against Jimmy & Jey Uso?

Paul Heyman goes over the checklist with Roman Reigns.

Private jet, private cars, and- Before Heyman can continue, Sami Zayn walks in to ask if Roman has a second to talk. Roman says Sami can sit. Sami takes a seat, and he knows tonight is a big night, a great night, but he couldn’t help but notice the “frosty” greeting in the parking lot. Sami just wants to make sure everything is cool between them. Is everything cool? Roman tells Sami that he saw how Sami looked last week. Roman knows Sami is trying to cover up for tonight, but he should just tell the truth. What’s going on? Sami says everything is fine. No, tell him the truth.

Okay, then to be honest, Sami was disappointed last week. He felt it was a big privilege that Roman put him in the position to handle Kevin Owens on his own and he took a lot of pride in carrying his weight for the family. But then, as he was about to put Kevin away, he just didn’t realize the Usos & Solo would be coming out to the ring. He didn’t know it was all a plan. He felt a little slighted. Kevin keeps claiming Sami is being used, and he thought for a second that maybe… Well, who knows. But it’s all fine now.

Roman tells Sami to leave. What? Roman says he’s not gonna do this every single week! Roman doesn’t wanna hear “his” name every single week! Go! Get out! IT blows Roman’s mind. The Tribal Chief has to run his game plan by the Honorary Uce? When did this start? When does Roman have to ask Sami for his approval? Go, get out of here. Go find Kevin, make his own Bloodline or something. Stop using Roman. Then Roman tells Heyman to tell Sami. Sami is flabbergasted but he still leaves. Just what is going on with The Tribal Chief’s treatment of Sami Zayn?

Raquel Rodriguez speaks.

“Everything is bigger in my home state of Texas. And in San Antonio, at my first ever Royal Rumble, I plan on making it the biggest moment in my career. I am counting down the days, the minutes, the seconds, until I rush to that ring.” And in front of her family, friends and fellow Texans, she will earn her way to WrestleMania! Will Big Mami Cool make her homecoming a historic one?

LA Knight VS Brett Jones!

The Mega Star of SmackDown is preparing for something historic of his own at the Royal Rumble in the first-ever Pitch Black Match. All we know is anything goes, but will Knight show he’s ready for anything?

Before the match, Knight of course gets the mic, and he says, “Lemme talk to ya! Can someone help Bray Wyatt figure out what the hell’s going on? One week, he’s not Uncle Howdy. Next week, ‘I am Uncle Howdy! I am him!’ HUH!? Then this lunatic asks LA Knight, ‘Who are you?’ I can tell you exactly who I am! One name says it all! With everybody saying ‘L! A! KNIGHT!’ YEAH! And what that means is I’m the guy at the Royal Rumble who makes you think, ‘Maybe I shouldn’t have come back. Maybe I should’ve stayed away. After all, it is LA Knight’s game.

“Because while you’ve been living check to check on past glory, walk on into the LA Knight Bank and find out those checks ain’t worth trash! Because whether it’s pitch black or whether it’s broad daylight, at the Rumble. I will off your on switch just like that! And that is not an insult, that’s just a fact of life! YEAH!” Detroit boos but Knight tells them to shut up. Will Knight back up these words against one of Motor City’s own?

The bell rings, the two tie up, and Knight powers Jones to a corner. But then the White Rabbit makes itself known! Knight gets a bit wary and he lets off on Jones. Jones kicks back and fires hands! Jones whips, Knight reverses and CLOBBERS Jones! Knight waits on Jones to stagger up, then he kicks low for the B F T!! Cover, Knight wins!

Winner: LA Knight, by pinfall

But then wait! Is that the FIREFLY FUN HOUSE?! Knight TOSSES Jones while looking around. The funhouse has seen better days, but Abby the Witch is back! And Mercy the Buzzard! And Huskis the Pig Boy! And Ramblin’ Rabbit! And there’s Bray, fixing the place up! And he even has handyman butt crack showing… “I can see you. Welcome back to the Firefly Fun House! YOWIE WOWIE! Pardon the dust, it’s been awhile, and I know we’re all over the place, I’ll get on that. But I have seriously missed you so much.” “Aww…!” And Bray can’t wait to have lots of fun with his friends once again!

Ramblin’ Rabbit says, “Hey, dudes. Lemme talk to ya. LA Knight seems super cool. Can we invite him to the funhouse to be our friend?” Abby tells Ramblin’ Rabbit to STFU. Ramblin’ Rabbit says he’s worried about the Pitch Black match. LA Knight is cool by him. He’s like The Miz but with muscles. Plus, Ramblin’s just scared of the dark. Huskis says he loves dark chocolate. Bray was thinking, though. What kind of “deranged, damaged Woodstock dingdong names their kid Los Angeles Knight? I mean, he never had a chance!” But Bray will ‘Holler” at Ramblin’.

It’s normal to be afraid of the dark. In the dark, that’s where things like to hide under your bed and come out when you sleep. Things that want to EAT you! Now that Bray thinks about it, people should be scared of the dark. And then UNCLE HOWDY interrupts! He’s laughing, and says, “I told you so. I told you so. I told you so. All you needed was a little push.” Bray says, “I hope you’re satisfied. I hope you understand. You are the one that opened the door. And now, whatever comes through it is your problem. See you at the Royal Rumble. BYE~! Have a nice day!” Bray is back to his old ways, and it’s all Knight’s fault. Will Knight survive walking into the dark?

SmackDown Tag Team Championship #1 Contenders Tournament, Opening Round: Los Lotharios VS Hit Row!

With Sheamus & McIntyre waiting in the second round, we see another grudge settled in this tournament. Angel Garza & Humberto Carrillo are still on the Hit Row’s Hit List, will Ashante THEE Adonis & Top Dolla finally settle up with them? Or will we see the Kiss Cam continue towards the tag titles?

The teams sort out, Humberto starts against Adonis. They tie up, Adonis wrenches an arm to a wristlock, but Carrillo rolls, handsprings and wrenches. Tag to Garza, the Lethal Lovers double whip, double leap frog, and then double hip toss into a DOUBLE FACEBUSTER and DOUBLE SUPERKICK! Cover, ONE!! Adonis is tough but Garza keeps on him. Garza pulls hair, the ref reprimands, and Adonis throws his durag at Garza before he hits the AIR-DROP! Adonis drags Garza over, tags in Dolla, and Hit Row stomps Garza. Dolla TOSSES Garza, talks trash, and Garza bails out. Dolla goes out, talks trash on Michael Cole for still talking about that botch!

Dolla dares Cole to take this, and he CHOPS Garza in the chest! Garza slides into the ring, Dolla storms after him, and brings him up for a waistlock. Garza throws elbows, reaches out to Carrillo, but Dolla holds on. Garza throws more elbows, and OFF COME THE PANTS! Hot tag to Carrillo, tag to Adonis! Adonis runs into an UPPERCUT! Carrillo forearms, springboards, sunset flips, but Adonis rolls through! Carrillo ducks the Penalty Kick but Adonis ducks the roundhouse, only for the ENZIGURI to come back! Adonis flops out of the ring, Dolla runs in but Carrillo dodges him! Carrillo comes back and gets a boost, DROPKICK sends Dolla out!

Hit Row regroups on the outside, Los Lotharios build speed and they DOUBLE DIVE! Direct hit and Hit Row hits the desk! Carrillo says that’s how you do it! Carrillo puts Adonis in, but B-Fab trips Carrillo up! Fans boo but Adonis rolls Carrillo with tights! Hit Row wins!

Winners: Hit Row, by pinfall (advance to the second round)

Fans boo but Hit Row is laughing all the way to the bank! But will they be able to do the same thing to the bangers that are Sheamus & McIntyre?

Cody Rhodes’ comeback continues.

Victorious at Hell in a Cell, but in a bittersweet moment. The surgery was a success, but it also meant there was a long road ahead. The American Nightmare does not heal any faster than anyone else. Two months in, it already felt like six years to Cody. Nine months is the timeline, and he wants to respect that, but only four months in, he was hitting the gym. “This is the place where I can make myself bulletproof.” Brandi confirms Cody has put in the work, and that he looks and feels better than ever. Now it isn’t a question of if, but when can Cody return? Cody has made it clear what he wants, so at the Royal Rumble, HE’S BACK!!

Braun Strowman speaks.

“I’ve made a career out of chucking bodies around. That being said, the Royal Rumble match is absolutely tailor made for the Monster of All Monsters. But heed my warning: anyone that stands in my way on the Road to WrestleMania, is gonna het. These. Hands!” Will Strowman outdo his personal best and win the whole thing?

Charlotte Flair is here!

Detroit fires up as The Queen struts her way to the ring. The SmackDown Women’s Champion gets the mic to say, “Detroit! WOOOO~!” Fans “WOO~” back and she says it is great to be in Motor City. But help her out here. We saw the recap footage, and it seems Sonya Deville has a real problem with Charlotte. She isn’t sure why. Maybe cuz Charlotte beat her two weeks ago? So now Charlotte tells Sonya that if she has a problem with Charlotte, she doesn’t need to go whine to Adam Pearce or attack her from behind. Just say so to her face, woman to woman. Charlotte waits, and she tells Sonya that Detroit would love to see her.

And speak of the Deville! Sonya makes her way out and has a mic to say, “I’m sorry, I’m having a hard time understanding this. Do you think I care what this dirty, disgusting city wants? No! No, no no no no. I care about what I want, what I deserve, and that is a title opportunity. But let me guess: You don’t think I’m worthy, do you?” Fans boo and Sonya tells them to shut up. Fans chant “YOU SUCK! YOU SUCK!” Sonya gets in the ring with Charlotte to continue. “Clearly, you don’t think I’m worthy, and neither do you guys. But let me tell you something: if you’d get off your high horse, you’d all realize that every single time I walk through that curtain, I’m a star!”

Fans boo the star, but Sonya says every single time she opens her mouth and speaks, they should shut theirs and listen. Last week, it took six people to get Sonya off of Charlotte. Is Charlotte that arrogant that she doesn’t see it? Is that what it is? Fans again chant “YOU SUCK!” at Sonya, and Charlotte says Detroit’s made up their mind. But Charlotte does see that. Sonya IS a star. Charlotte has always told Sonya that. But is Sonya saying that the other women in the back aren’t stars? What is it that Sonya thinks she has that makes her more special than everyone else? She comes out demanding matches that she thinks are owed to her.

Maybe Charlotte isn’t the entitled, arrogant one here. But look, Sonya called her shot, she lost, and she tapped out! Fans chant “YOU TAPPED OUT!” So maybe Sonya should do what everyone else is doing and focus on the Rumble rather than jumping to the front of the line. But if Sonya wants a fight, Charlotte will fight her here in Detroit! Oh, Charlotte wants to fight Sonya here and now? What does Detroit say? “YES!” Sonya says “No.” Sonya smirks and asks why she’d fight when there’s nothing in it for her? No thanks. Unless… Charlotte puts the title on the line.

But here comes Adam Pearce to stop this. What is this? Is Sonya serious? Pearce made himself clear last week, but Sonya DECKS Charlotte with a sucker punch! Then she runs off! Sonya shrugs, fans boo, but Charlotte nods, giving Sonya that one. Pearce is again upset, but Sonya just walks to the back. She will do this on her time, but will Pearce make her reschedule?

Roman Reigns is still upset.

He asks Heyman, “Can you believe that guy?” Heyman takes a moment to think, and he then tells the Tribal Chief that he never liked Sami. But he supports Roman’s vision for the Island of Relevancy. Heyman was trying to look at this as a special Counsel, and as the Wise Man. As such, Heyman wants Roman to take into his “ruthless consideration” that it is better, on the night of this contract signing for defending the title against Kevin Owens of all people, that when it comes to Sami Zayn, maybe it’s better to have him in the castle pissing outside, rather than outside the castle, pissing in. AKA keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Will Roman accept this wisdom and bring Sami back into the fold?

Lacey Evans continues her training.

The narrator says, “You are the weapon, and your method of destruction is… The Cobra Clutch! Your opponents have two choices: tap out, or black out. You will break their spirits. You will capture titles. And you will make every woman in WWE tremble in fear at the name, ‘Lacey Evans.’ And that’s an order.” Operation: Cobra Clutch is set to begin, will it succeed in the Royal Rumble?

SmackDown Tag Team Championship #1 Contenders Tournament, Opening Round: The Brawling Brutes & Imperium!

Sheamus fires up Ridge Holland & Pete Dunne as they head out to represent on the other side of the bracket! Will Ridge Da Fridge and “Butch” brutalize Giovanni Vinci & Ludwig Kaiser once again? Or will the Pride of Italy & the Impeccable German keep the mat sacred?

The teams sort out and Ridge starts against Vinci. They tie up, go around, Ridge headlocks but Vinci hammerlocks to a headlock. Ridge powers out, they RAM shoulders, and Ridge eggs Vinci on. Vinci kicks low, CHOPS, then whips. Ridge reverses and hip tosses! Vinci flounders, Ridge wrenches his arm and tags in Dunne. Dunne goes up to DOUBLE STOMP the arm! Dunne whips, Vinci reverses, Ludwig tags in. Vinci drops and Ludwig scoops for a GUTBUSTER! Dunne writhes but Ludwig scrapes his soles off Dunne’s face. Ludwig drags Dunne up, but Dunne fights the butterfly suplex to wrench out and isolate an arm!

Dunne wrangles Ludwig to the mat, and he STMOPS the elbow! Ludwig stands, but Dunne jumps on for a KIMURA! But Ludwig tags Vinci with his free arm! Dunne wrenches Ludwig but Vinci springboards to CROSSBODY Dunne down! Ludwig PENALTY KICKS Dunne while Vinci BLASTS Ridge! Fans boo as Imperium stands together and poses, and SmackDown goes to break.

SmackDown returns and Dunne reaches for Ridge, but Ludwig whips him away! Dunne BLASTS Vinci, but Ludwig gets around to back suplex! Dunne lands on his feet, ducks Ludwig, hot tag to Ridge! Fans fire up as Ludwig dodges once, but the LARIAT comes back the next time! And the third time! Ridge drags Ludwig up, scoops and spins, for SNAKE EYES! Ridge runs to SPLASH! Ridge keeps moving, another SPLASH! Ridge scoops again, fans fire up for the POWERSLAM! Ridge roars and he watches Ludwig stand. Ludwig blocks the fireman’s carry, Vinci jumps in and they mug Ridge! But Ridge lifts them both! DOUBLE BACK DROP!

Ridge tags Dunne, and Dunne MOONSAULTS onto Vinci on the outside! Dunne and Ridge coordinate, SPLASH ENZIGURI on Ludwig in the corner! Dunne goes up but Vinci RAMS Ridge into steel steps! Dunne jumps over Ludwig, comes back, but Ludwig waistlocks! O’Conner Roll, TWO and Dunne has an ANKLE LOCK! Ludwig endures, hops up to his feet, and he LCUBS Dunne! Dunne turns that into an ARMBAR TAKEDOWN! Ludwig flails, reaches out, but he has to fight up to his feet again! Dunne keeps his shoulders up, brings Ludwig down, but Ludwig rolls back to tag Vinci! Ludwig drags Dunne over, for Vinci’s TRIANGLE MOONSAULT! Cover, TWO!!

Vinci can’t believe Dunne survives, but Ludwig gets back in the ring. Ludwig goes up, Vinci brings Dunne in, but Ridge SHOVES Ludwig down! Dunne RANAS the bomb into a cover! TWO!! Vinci escapes and Dunne can’t believe it! Fans rally up, Dunne CHOPS Vinci, CHOPS and CHOPS and CHOPS, then forearms, but into a clinch! Vinci CHOPS, runs in, but Dunne ROCKS him! Dunne goes up, leaps, TORNADO DDT!! Both men are down and Detroit fires up! Dunne and Vinci crawl, hot tags to Ludwig and Ridge! Ridge blocks a boot but not the second! Ludwig CHOPS, hops up, leaps, but into a HEADBUTT!

Ridge clinches, OVERHEAD Belly2Belly! Fans fire up as Ridge calls to Dunne. Ridge fireman’s carries, Dunne is up top, but Vinci anchors Dunne! Dunne kicks Vinci away but Ludwig slips off to shove Ridge! Ludwig DECKS Ridge, but Dunne GAMANGIRIS Ludwig! Vinci returns but gets a BOOT from Dunne! Dunne tells Vinci off but Ludwig ENZIGURIS! Dunne falls into Vinci’s suplex! BRAINBUSTER to the floor!! Ludwig goes after Ridge but Ridge whips him away. Vinci tags in as Ludwig goes up and over! Ludwig rolls Ridge, Vinci reels Ridge in! Ludwig is up top, Vinci manages to lift Ridge! IMPERIAL BOMB!! Cover, Imperium wins!!

Winners: Imperium, by pinfall (advance to the second round)

The well-oiled machine succeeds in stopping an All Brutes Finals! But who will they face in the semifinals? We’ll find out in the last opening round match!

Sami sulks backstage.

Heyman finds him. Sami stands up, and Heyman says, “Your Tribal Chief would like to see you.” Sami nods, but will Roman have good news?

Shayna Baszler speaks.

“Imagine trying to compete in the Royal Rumble with a fractured ankle. Imagine trying to throw a body over the top rope with a dislocated shoulder, or compete against 29 other women with a broken arm. Yeah, so all those other women in the locker room better stay away. Because as far as I’m concerned, I’m not just gonna eliminate you, I’m gonna tear you apart limb by limb.” Will the Queen of Spades break the field to get her ticket to WrestleMania?

Karrion Kross speaks.

“Scarlett has just brought it to my attention. That in one week, I will be stepping into the ring with Rey Mysterio. Now normally, I get really, really amped up before a fight. But this time, not so much. Because El Rey can’t figure out whether he wants to be a family man or if he wants to be the Greatest Of All Time. And in this business, he can’t be both. That’s not how it works. So now, I’m gonna take him out. Following that, I’m gonna take out all other 29 superstars in the Royal Rumble, because that’s mine, too. Time is running out for everyone. Tick… Tock.” Doomsday is coming, will Mysterio survive? Or will he just be the first victim?

SmackDown Tag Team Championship #1 Contenders Tournament, Opening Round: Legado del Fantasma VS Maximum Male Models!

Cruz Del Toro & Joaquin Wilde are ready to represent, but according to social medial, Maçé has been MIA for weeks! Will Mansôör have to go it alone? Or will LDF have to put up a fight to earn their spot in the semifinals?

SmackDown returns and Mace IS back! The teams sort out, Zelina Vega is on commentary, and she has three pieces of news! One: Wilde & Del Toro will win this tournament to then beat The Usos and become SmackDown Tag Team Champions. Two: Santos is going to win the Men’s Royal Rumble. And three: Vega is going to win the Women’s Royal Rumble! Anyway, in the match, Mansoor and Wilde start. They tie up, Mansoor headlocks, but Wilde powers out, only for Mansoor to run him over. Mansoor strikes a pose, Maxxine Dupri applauds, and then Mansoor runs the ropes. Wilde drops then jumps, but into an atomic drop!

Mansoor says yawn, and he whips. Wilde reverses, ELBOWS and trips Mansoor, for a TWISTING ELBOW DROP! Mansoor scrambles to ropes, Wilde storms over, but Mansoor dumps him out! Mansoor builds speed, but Cruz rushes in! Mansoor dodges Cruz’s haymaker, and Mace is in to choke grip! Mace SHOVES Cruz to ropes, he and Mansoor dump him out! The models finger boop, then build speed, just to pose! Fans boo and Vega rolls her eyes. LDF regroups with Escobar on the outside. The Emperor of Lucha tells them this tournament and those tag titles are theirs, so they gotta go get what’s theirs!

Wilde & Cruz fire up, rush in, dodge the models and dropkick! Mansoor tumbles out but Mace stays standing! Mace choke grips LDF, but they break free to ENZIGURI SUPERKICK COMBO! Mace flops out of the ring, and LDF builds speed, Wilde FLIES out onto Mansoor! Cruz has to stop as Mace goes around the way. Cruz then redirects and FLIES! Direct hit and Vega is happy to see her team on top. Wilde puts Mansoor in, tags in Cruz, and they mug Mansoor. Cruz wrenches to ELBOW BREAKER, tag to Wilde, and LDF double suplex! Then they combine, Electric Chair SPLASH! Cover, but Mace breaks it!

Mace drags Mansoor to their corner, and Vega complains about what tactics are legal. Mace tags himself in, storms up on Wilde, HEEL KCIK! BOOT for Cruz! Mace Electric Chair Lifts Wilde, Mansoor tags in, and Maxxine says this is the moment! But Wilde slips off to shove Mace into Mansoor! Mansoor lands on his catwalk! Mansoor flops down next to Mace while Wilde tags Cruz! Wilde then runs in, he jumps off Mace to DDT Mansoor! Cruz is up top, he tightrope MISSILE DROPKICKS Mace! LDF then sets Mansoor up, for the LEGADO SLICE! Cover, LDF wins!

Winners: Legado del Fantasma, by pinfall (advance to the second round)

Vega asks, “Was I wrong? Did I lie?” Vega also taunts Maxxine as we will now see Legado take on Imperium! Both teams are about tradition and legacy, but which side will make it through to the tournament finals?

Roman sits and waits in his room.

Heyman looks very worried as Sami walks in again. Sami sits, and takes a deep breath. Roman says, “Look. It’s no secret. I’ve got a temper. But that’s why I put people in place like The Wise Man to counsel that anger.” Heyman smiles. Roman says he wasn’t hearing Sami out. Sami just wanted communication. He wanted to be part of the plan, part of the team. Sami is a perfectionist. He’s like Roman, really. Sami says that’s right. And Roman says you don’t become The GOAT if you don’t think of all the little details. That’s what Sami does, that’s why they get along, that’s why this works! Sami agrees! And he thanks Roman for understanding.

Sami admits, he walked in expecting the worst. But it means so much to him to hear Roman say that. Roman says that is on him. But sometimes, he just expects the same amount of love, respect and loyalty that he gives. No, don’t say that. Sami and the others all love him! He’s the Tribal Chief! The Head of the Table! The one steering the ship! They’re nothing without him. They… Sami will always put what’s best for the Bloodline first. What is best for the family first. Anytime, anything, whatever Roman needs Sami to do, he can just tell Sami, and Sami will do it. Okay.

Then clear cut communication, this is what Roman needs from Sami. Sami needs to go find the Usos. Make sure the SUVs are in place. Make sure the pilots have the jet ready to go. Roman will take Heyman and Solo to the ring, he’ll sign that contract, and then they’ll get outta here. Sami says that’s done! So we’re good? Better than good! Sami thanks Roman again, and offers the fist bump. Roman says he does owe Sami that. They fist bump, Sami smiles and heads out. Heyman then says, “Thank you, my Tribal Chief.” Roman nods, but will business go smoothly with the contract signing up next?

Adam Pearce is in the ring.

He is ready to preside over this contract signing, and here comes the Tribal Chief! As he said, he just has Solo Sikoa and Paul Heyman by his side. Heyman hands over the belts so Roman can raise them up for the pyro. They then continue to the ring, where Roman lifts the belts again for the second round of pyro. Roman takes his seat at the head of the table, putting his feet up on the table. Fans chant for “SAMI USO!” and Roman smiles. But then Kevin shows up from the crowd side!! He drags Solo out of the ring!! Pearce bails out, Kevin gets in and hits a STUNNER on Roman!!! Heyman is speechless but Detroit is thunderous!

Solo gets back up, Kevin SUPERKICKS him back out! The USOS appear, but Kevin fires off on the both of them! The Usos drag Kevin out, they brawl, and Kevin tosses Jey into barriers! SUPERKICK for Jimmy! SUPERKICK for Jey! Kevin drags Jimmy up to RAM him into the steel steps! Then Kevin goes back for Roman! Kevin drags Roman up, brings him around, whip and pop-up POWERBOMB through the table!!! Fans are loving this but Heyman is losing his mind! Pearce can’t believe Kevin did this, and then Kevin looks at Heyman. Heyman begs for mercy, but Kevin just takes the contract to sign his part!

But here comes Sami! Sami tells Kevin to get out of here, but Kevin just tosses the contract to Sami. Sami rushes in but Kevin has gotten away to the crowd! Detroit cheers, but will Kevin #StunTheWorld at the Royal Rumble? Roman comes to, and sees Sami is the only one standing. Will the trust that was just fixed between them be torn down again?

My Thoughts:

A great episode for SmackDown, and what great stuff out of the Bloodline story. Sami Zayn is being toyed with by Roman Reigns and his volitivity, and Heyman’s talk with Roman all but gave away that Roman doesn’t care about Sami, he just can’t afford Sami and Kevin to be united against them. But in the end, because Roman made Sami into his errand boy, Sami wasn’t there when Kevin got the jump on them! That was a great, and really fast, way to do a contract signing segment, and it leaves Sami stuck in a bad situation. We are getting closer and closer to that moment where Sami stands up for himself while standing by Kevin, and that’s going to be great stuff.

Of course LA Knight won a really quick tune up, but the real good stuff was Bray Wyatt reviving the Firefly Fun House! It’s technically a victory for Uncle Howdy since Bray basically “relapses” into one of his old personas, but we could also be seeing an almost Three Faces of Foley scenario for Bray, where he can call upon any of his past selves to take on his opponents. And with the Pitch Black match only being given to us as Anything Goes, but I’m still positive that the lights will be dimmed like in NXT’s Lights Out match. Also, good promos from more Royal Rumble entrants, but they didn’t sway my predictions for who wins.

Good stuff from Charlotte Flair and Sonya Deville, and that sucker punch is totally grounds for a SmackDown Women’s Championship match at the Royal Rumble. And Charlotte is definitely winning, she isn’t going to lose so soon now that she’s Face and 14-time champion. Also good promo from Kross calling out Rey one last time before their match on next week’s go-home. That match could probably go either way with the Rumble just the next day, but with Rey having gotten beat up and talked down to this whole time, it just feels like he should win to prove Kross is wrong about him being over the hill and all that.

And great stuff out of the SmackDown Tag Team Tournament. While McIntyre & Sheamus VS Viking Raiders felt too early on paper, it was also a case where it’d be too easy to say “Oh, they’re going to meet up in the later rounds, these opening round matches are predictable.” Putting such a big match at the very beginning gets a lot of that sentiment out of the way. Sheamus & McIntyre winning was probably the right move, and they’re still a heavy favorite for winning the whole thing. And looking at the brackets, I would think LDF beats Imperium just so we aren’t revisiting Sheamus taking on Imperium. But honestly, between Sheamus & McIntyre, Imperium and LDF, they’re all great choices for taking on The Usos, and by extension, the Bloodline.

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

23 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Steven Mitchell

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

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

OFFICIAL RESULTS

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

PLAY BY PLAY

Backstage interview with Paul Heyman.

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

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

SmackDown throws it to the NXT Performance Center.

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

Corey Graves is in the ring.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Triple H is here!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Winners: Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee, by pinfall

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

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

Bron Breakker VS Cedric Alexander!

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

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

Winner: Bron Breakker, by pinfall

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

Nick Aldis heads out.

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

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

Michelle McCool and Torrie Wilson are here!

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

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

The Bloodline arrives backstage.

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

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

Kayla Braxton is on stage.

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

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

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

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

The Dudley Boyz are here!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No Contest

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

B-Fab and the Street Profits meet up backstage.

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

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

The Final Testament speaks.

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

Teddy Long and JBL are here!

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

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

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

Backstage interview with Nick Aldis.

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

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

Cody Rhodes VS Carmelo Hayes!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Winner: Cody Rhodes, by pinfall

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

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

My Thoughts:

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

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

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

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

My Score: 8.8/10

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

Coverage

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

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

Published

2 days ago

April 25, 2024

Andrew Balaz

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

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

Ratings:

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

Results:

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

#1 Contender: Frankie Kazarian vs Josh Alexander

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

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

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

ASH by Elegance vs Xia Brookside

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

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

Sami Callihan vs The Good Hands

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

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

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024

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

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

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

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

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

Overall Score: 6/10

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

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

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