Coverage

Mitchell’s WWE SmackDown Results & Report! (3/17/23)

St. Patrick’s Day FIGHT NIGHT!

Published

1 year ago

March 17, 2023

Steven Mitchell

The Celtic Connection continues to break down!

Last week, Sheamus and McIntyre BOTH won the Fatal 5! But tonight, there can only be ONE #1 contender to Gunther’s Intercontinental Championship! Who will head for Der Ring General at WrestleMania?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Mixed Tag Match: Santos Escobar & Zelina Vega VS Dominik Mysterio & Rhea Ripley; Dom & Rhea win.
WrestleMania Women’s Tag Team Showcase Qualifier: Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez VS Emma & Tegan Nox; Liv & Raquel win and advance to WrestleMania.
Xavier Woods VS LA Knight; Woods wins.
WWE Intercontinental Championship #1 Contender’s Match: Drew McIntyre VS Sheamus; Double Disqualification, both men will challenge Gunther for the title.

PLAY BY PLAY

Cody Rhodes is here!

Kansas City fires up as the American Nightmare once again visits SmackDown! Fans cheer and chant his name as Cody gets the mic. “So… Kansas City, whaddya wanna talk about? We could talk about WrestleMania. In the last few weeks on the Road to WrestleMania, tempers have been what they’ve been, the stakes are incredibly high. But I do wanna take a moment, I do wanna point out that I have the utmost respect for our current champion, Roman Reigns.” Fans boo, but Cody says Roman is the greatest champion in sports and sports entertainment alike. Cody looks forward to seeing Roman in this ring on Monday Night Raw, and forward to beating Roman Reigns at WrestleMania.

Fans cheer and chant Cody’s name again, and Cody continues with, “But I don’t wanna talk about somebody, I wanna talk to somebody. I know he’s back there, I know he’s watching, so please, Kevin Owens, come on out.” Fans cheer and Cody waits, but there’s no music yet. Cody says there’s a lot of respect between them, so he’s asking nicely. So here comes Kevin! Kevin makes his way to the ring, sore as he is from what happened on Monday against Solo Sikoa & The Usos in that Street Fight screw job. Fans chant for “KO! KO!” as Kevin gets a mic. Kevin says, “Thank you, Cody. But I’m pretty sure I know what this is about.”

Cody has Kevin stop there. He wants Kevin to hear him out. This isn’t just a conversation between the two of them. Kevin and the fans know where this is going as Cody says this involves a third party: Sami Zayn! Sami makes his way out a lot faster than Kevin did and fans fire up. Cody already gets another mic to pass it to Sami as he enters the ring. Kevin is reluctant to be there now but he stays put. Cody literally stands between the two as mediator and says in the spirit of WrestleMania, he’ll do this again. Cody is peeling back the curtain, and this is the perfect place for the world to find out. Cody has incredible respect and love for Kevin.

It’s true, because six or seven years ago when Cody was bold enough to say to the WWE, “Good luck in your future endeavors,” he said it with a confidence that was false. He needed help, context, structure. He needed someone who knew the system out there, and Kevin introduced him to some friends and made that easy for Cody, and bettered his livelihood. Fans cheer and Cody says that was a favor he could never repay, but he wants to try it here. They’re all here, let’s have that conversation. Fans chant, “Hug It Out! Hug It Out!” Kevin says he’s heard everything Sami has to say.

But Sami says he hasn’t heard everything Kevin had to say. That’s why Sami doesn’t know what to say. Sami feels like throughout the years, whether as friends or enemies, they’ve done some awful stuff to each other. They’ve turned on each other, hurt each other many, many times, and yet they’ve always found a way to come back, forgive each other and get on the same page. So Sami can’t, for the life of him, figure out why this time is so different. He doesn’t understand. So if there’s something Kevin has to say, has to get off his chest, then just tell him! If he needs to scream at him, punch him, do whatever you have to do so they can get back together!

Fans cheer, and Kevin sighs. Kevin tells Cody, “Look man, I came out here like you asked, I listened, I heard him out. Are we good? Did you get what you want? Can I go now?” Cody says, “Did I get what I wanted? Did I get what I wanted?” They both know that this is the service industry, the people pleasing business! It doesn’t matter what Cody wants. Yes, this is what Cody wants, it’s what Michael Cole and what all the fans want! This guy, that guy, that lady, every single person here wants to see these two back on the same page! Fans again chant, “Hug It Out! Hug It Out!”

Sami says that the fans want it. He wants it. It’s in Kevin’s best interest, it’s in Sami’s best interest, and if they could come back together, they could do something magical! They could do something remarkable! They could be the ones that bring down the ones! It might take years until this is totally repaired, but this isn’t even about friends. They can work together. Kevin knows! He heard Sami say that for weeks. He doesn’t need a friend, doesn’t want to be friends, he just needs someone to fight alongside him. Sami, Kevin and Cody could take down The Bloodline together. That’s what’s best for business and they don’t even have to be friends.

But why would Kevin fight for someone who doesn’t wanna be his friend? Look, Cody, thanks for trying to do this, he appreciates it. But Kevin’s all set. Fans boo as Kevin leaves the ring! Did Kevin sink the friendship once and for all?

Kevin heads for the parking lot.

But Sami chases after! Sami wants Kevin to wait and listen to him. Sami says forget what he just said out there, Bloodline and all that. None of that matters. What Kevin said, he’s wrong. They ARE friends! They always will be friends! Not just that, they’re brothers! If Kevin never wants to talk to Sami ever again, fine. Just know, Sami loves you, Kevin. That’s all. Kevin doesn’t say anything, he just gets in his car and drives away. So then, is that the end of everything?

Mixed Tag Match: Santos Escobar & Zelina Vega VS Dominik Mysterio & Rhea Ripley!

Rey Mysterio continues to get no respect from his son or the Judgment Day, but the Emperor of Lucha and La Muneca have Rey’s back. Will Legado Del Fantasma finally give “Ex-Con Dom” the beating he deserves? Or will Dom and Mami be rolling on the Road to WrestleMania?

The teams sort out and the men start first. Dom rushes in to DROPKICK Escobar! Dom rains down fists while fans boo, but he lets off to soak up the heat. Dom whips, Escobar ducks ‘n’ dodges and CLOBBERS Dom! And then CLOBBERS him again! Escobar rains down fists now but Dom bails out. Rhea gets in, but Escobar blocks the boot! Escobar keeps Rhea at a distance, tags in Vega, and she hops up to leap frog SEATED SENTON! Fans fire up, Vega runs to SPIKE-RANA! Rhea bails out, Dom hurries to check, but Escobar CLOBBERS Dom! Vega goes up top and takes aim, to ARIHARA MOONSAULT! KC fires up for LDF as SmackDown goes to break!

SmackDown returns and Dom fires off forearms on Escobar in the corner! “You want me to respect you?!” Dom whips, Escobar reverses, and Escobar runs in but Dom slips out to GAMANGIRI! Dom HOTSHOTS Escobar down, then slingshot sentons! Cover, TWO! Rhea is upset but Dom rains down fists. Dom drags Escobar up, gives some Latino Heat and whips Escobar, but Escobar reverses, drops down to then DROPKICK! And then tilt-o-whirl BACKBRAEKER, some big Latino Heat, LEG DROP! Cover, Rhea breaks it! The ref reprimands but Rhea atomic SLAMS Dom onto Escobar! Cover, but Vega breaks it!

Fans fire up, Vega and Rhea argue, but Dom taunts Vega. Escobar whips Dom to then dodge. Dom dodges, but then heads collide! Fans fire up while both men are down, and they crawl for their corners. Hot tags to Rhea and Vega! Vega dodges, dropkicks legs out, and then runs to KNEE! Vega keeps moving, tilt-o-whirl DDT! Fans fire up more as Rhea staggers, into a roll-up! Dom drags Vega off! Fans boo but Escobar runs in to KNEE Dom down! Escobar puts Dom up top, but Rhea tosses Vega! Escobar GAMANGIRIS Dom, goes up after him, but Rhea adds on! TWOER OF DOOM! Dom still takes the superplex!

Vega goes up top, and she CROSSBODIES Rhea down! Then KNEES her in the face! Vega goes up, but Dom runs in, so Vega FLYING RANAS Dom! But that leaves Vega open, RIPTIDE!! Cover, The Judgment Day win!

Winners: Dominik Mysterio & Rhea Ripley, by pinfall

Dom distracts and Mami puts it away, the story of Judgment Day in a nutshell! But Dom gets the mic to call out “Jefe” Rey! Fans boo but Dom says, “I just wanted to come out here and say…” Fans boo and say “DOM, YOU SUCK!” But Dom says Rey the Hall of Famer is a disrespectful deadbeat! Rey was never there for all those sleepless nights! But wait! Cameras catch Rey backstage! Rhea tells Dom it’s alright, they’ll get what they want. Rey is headed to gorilla, will he accept that WrestleMania challenge? We’ll see, after the break.

Rey heads to the ring!

KC fires up and Rhea and Dom are waiting as the King of Lucha Libre walks down the ramp. Dom says, “Look at that, Mami. he actually decided to show up. Do you know how many nights I went without a father? I went a lot of nights.” Rey has them stop now. He wants a moment with Dom alone, so Rhea shrugs and says the ring is theirs. She moves aside, and Dom says, “So now that we’re in the middle of a ring, you have time for me? Is that how this is gonna go? Where were you when I needed you? All those late nights. But you’re so selfish that you took away MY WrestleMania moment. Because at the end of the day, you’re just a scared, pathetic excuse for a father.”

Fans boo, but Dom says he has something to get off his chest. Rey is a piece of- HEY! Watch your mouth. If Dom wants the truth, yeah, Rey hasn’t been the best father in the world. He missed birthdays, Christmases, graduations, football games. He knows he hasn’t been there for Dom all the time! But that doesn’t take away his love for Dom. Rey still loves his son. Whether Dom believes Rey or not, Dom is his world. But soon, Dom will find out that this business is selfish, and that Rey made sacrifices so that Dom, his mom and his sister could have a life that Rey only dreamed of! Fans applaud that!

All those cars, the brand names, Gucci, Prada, et cetera! All Dom’s! And what’d happen every time he got into trouble? Oh, yeah, the Mysterio name would bail him out. But hear Rey out. He’s really having a hard time coping with all of this. Rey is choked up as he says he’s being inducted into the Hall of Fame. This hurts, but Rey would love nothing more than have Dom standing by his side on that stage. Fans chant “You Deserve It!” for Rey, and Rey says maybe it’s too late. But his biggest regret is what Dom has become. If someone like Dom, “some ungrateful, disrespectful, pathetic, punk ass kid called me out at WrestleMania, I would gladly whoop their ass!!”

Fans fire up hearing that! Fans even chant “BEAT HIS ASS! BEAT HIS ASS” But Rey tells Dom, “Unfortunately, you’re my son. And fighting you would be the biggest disgrace as a father.” Dom’s not worth it, Rey won’t fight him now or ever. And not at WrestleMania, either. Rey leaves and fans are disappointed, but Dom asks why. Is this just what Rey does? Run away? Mr. Future Hall of Famer running away from his own son? That’s what Dom thought. Like he said before, Rey is doing the only thing he ever taught Dom to do: what not to be, and that is a scared little man. Rey ignores all the taunting, but then how will he get Dom to stop?

BREAKING NEWS!

WrestleMania is going big for Hollywood with two Fatal 4 Way Tag showcase matches, one for the men’s division and one for the women’s! Qualifiers for those matches start… NOW!

WrestleMania Women’s Tag Team Showcase Qualifier: Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez VS Emma & Tegan Nox!

Morgan & Rodriguez are living large, but they’re up against the Aussie with Attitude and the Welsh Firecracker! Who wins big to then have their WrestleMania Moment?

SmackDown returns Nox & Emma are already in the ring. The teams sort out, Nox starts against Raquel and the two tie up. Raquel throws Nox down, then gut wrenches her up to a Canadian Rack! Nox fights free and SLAPS Raquel, but Raquel just grins. Raquel grabs Nox with both hands to pick her up! Nox panics but Raquel throws her to the corner! Tag to Liv, they taunt Emma and whip Liv in to back body block! Liv sends Raquel in to SPLASH! Snapmare and ENZIGURI! Cover, TWO! Fans rally, Liv drags Nox up and whips, but Nox breaks free to UPPERCUT! And PENALTY KICK! Nox HAMMERS away on Liv, then bumps her off buckles.

Nox runs in to UPPERCUT, then tags Emma. Nox holds Liv in place and Emma runs in, EMMAMITE SANDWICH! Nox adds the CANNONBALL! Emma drags Liv to the corner, TWO! Liv hangs tough but Emma rains down fists! Emma drags Liv up, underhooks and BUTTERFLY SUPLEXES! Cover, TWO! Emma drags Liv over, tags Nox back in, and they mug Liv. Nox brings Liv up to GOURD BUSTER, and then she pie faces Liv. Fans rally, Nox kicks at Liv, but Liv laughs. Nox drags Liv up but Liv slips around to a BACKSTABBER! Both women are down, they crawl, hot tags to Raquel and Emma!

Big Mami Cool rallies on Emma with big lariats! Emma dodges but the SOUTHPAW comes around! Raquel scoops to FALL AWAY SLAM! Raquel then runs to go up and up and TWISTING VADER! Cover, Nox breaks it! Liv runs in to CODE BREAKER Nox! Liv then runs at Emma but is TOSSED out of the ring! Raquel runs in but into a BOOT! Emma tilt-o-whirls, but Raquel blocks it, to hoist her up! Liv tags in, before the TEXANA BOMB! Raquel sets Emma up, Liv hits ObLIVion! Cover, Liv & Raquel win!

Winners: Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez, by pinfall (advance to WrestleMania)

That’s one team in on the Fatal 4 Way! Who else will live it up in Hollywood with Morgan & Rodriguez?

Charlotte Flair is here!

Kansas City cheers as The Queen struts her way to the ring. The SmackDown Women’s Champion knows Rhea is in the building, what will she have to say to her WrestleMania opponent? We find out, after the break.

SmackDown returns and Charlotte has the mic. “The more things change, the more they stay the same. When I was a baby in my mom’s arms, this business was built on Rhodes as a challenger, Flair as a champion! Now here we are in 2023, two weeks away from WrestleMania, the Road to WrestleMania, and this WrestleMania in LA is built on Rhodes as a challenger, Flair as a champion. I am walking into my seventh WrestleMania. And going into WrestleMania, I was either the challenger, the champion, but I’ve always been the star.” Fans cheer that!

“Now Rhea Ripley, wannabe the champion, wannabe the star, but Rhea can’t be the star until she becomes the champion, and she can’t become the champion until she goes through me!” Fans also cheer that. “Three years ago, Rhea Ripley couldn’t go through me, and today she can’t go through me. Because the more things change, the more they stay the same.” But here comes Rhea! She and Dom make their way back to the ring, but Charlotte stays put. Rhea gets the mic and she has Dom step back. Rhea says Charlotte is 100% right, Rhea chose Charlotte. She didn’t choose Bianca Belair because she had her reasons, but she’ll get back to that some day.

“When I walk through the locker room, men, women, they all turn their back and walk away, because of fear. Because I am dangerous. I am bloody good at what I do, and everyone fears me. Except for you. I mean, look at you right now. You’re staring me down without an ounce of fear in your eyes.” Fans “WOO~!” and Rhea says to be frank, that pisses her off! Charlotte is SmackDown Women’s Champion for a reason. She’s been FOURTEEN-TIME Women’s Champion for a reason. It’s because Charlotte’s a superstar. One of the biggest stars in the WWE, and Rhea can give her all the credit in the world.

“But that right there, your SmackDown Women’s Championship, I want- Hell, I NEED it! Because I don’t want to be a star, I bloody need to be a star. And after WrestleMania, once everything is done and dusted, you’re gonna learn to call me, ‘champion.’ And you’re gonna learn to fear me.” Rhea and Charlotte stare down, and Dom steps up to say Mami is gonna beat Charlotte at WrestleMania and you know it. And then Rhea sucker punches Charlotte down! Fans boo but Charlotte just smirks. Rhea says she’ll see Charlotte at WrestleMania, and fans boo as Dom and Rhea leave again. But Charlotte gets up and takes her shoes off, to storm out after them!

Charlotte CLOBBERS Rhea! Fans are thunderous as Charlotte RAMS Rhea into barriers and the hands fly! Dom freaks out, the refs run out and separate the two, but KC wants to “ETL THEM FIGHT!” Charlotte gets loose, so does Rhea, and the brawling continues! Producers rush out, Rhea POSTS Charlotte, but Charlotte RAMS Rhea into barriers! And SPEARS her down! Fans are loving it but the refs, producers and security separate the two again. Only for Charlotte to break free! Charlotte BOOTS a guard down! Rhea DECKS Charlotte with another sucker punch! Rhea stomps Charlotte, drags her up, and TOSSES her over the announce desk!

The security focuses on Rhea but she wants after Charlotte more! Charlotte gets up to CROSSBODY Rhea and the guards down! Fans are loving all of this as the brawling just continues! Charlotte ROCKS Rhea, Rhea RAMS Charlotte, they keep moving around ringside! Reinforcements are brought in but Charlotte DECKS a ref!! Rhea HEADBUTTS a guard! Rhea runs in, and they both fall over the barriers! The fans go wild being even closer to the action! Charlotte and Rhea keep fighting off security and refs, but the fight finally stops! Charlotte raises her hands, showing she does NOT fear Rhea!

Rhea still wants after Charlotte, but even Dom holds her back. Will there be nothing to stop the Queen and the Eradicator once the bell rings at WrestleMania?

Backstage interview with Sami Zayn.

Kayla Braxton says it was a very emotional start tot he night with Sami, Kevin and Cody. Does this affect Sami’s headspace before he gets to formally confront Jey Uso tonight? Sami admits, that was emotional. A man who once considered Sami a brother drove off, the other is waiting to take Sami out the second he’s in the ring. And when enough people that cared about you start saying you’re the problem, you start to believe it. Sami knows Jey wants to meet in the ring, fine. Whatever happens next, fine. if Sami brought all this upon himself, then he will handle it by himself. Jey wants Sami to pull up, fine. Time to pull up.

There is a lot on Sami’s heart, but will he be able to withstand it all? Or does his Road to WrestleMania end here?

Xavier Wood VS LA Knight!

The New Day is beat up but they’re not down yet! Will Woods represent and shut the Mega Star’s mouth? Or will Knight fight his way to his LA WrestleMania moment?

SmackDown returns and Knight makes his entrance while Woods mocks his catchphrase, “YEAH!” The bell rings, Woods and Knight tie up, and Woods headlocks. Knight powers up to a back suplex but Woods lands on his feet. Woods waistlocks but Knight runs to RAM Woods into buckles! Knight stomps away, “YEAH!” and fans echo “YEAH!” Knight drags Woods up, whips him to ropes, but Woods ducks ‘n’ dodges to slide and ROLLING- NO, Knight ROCKS Woods first! Then DDT! Cover, TWO! Knight stalks Woods to a corner, hoists him up top and he throws haymakers.

Knights climbs up, Woods throws hands in return, and he windmills to then HEADBUTT! Knight staggers away, Woods MISSILE DROPKICKS him down! Fans fire up while both men are down. Knight crawls to ropes and drags himself up. Woods stands, Knight runs in but into a mule kick! Woods suplexes Knight and runs for a FALCON ARROW! Cover, TWO! Woods fireman’s carries, but Knight slips off and shoves Woods into buckles! NECKBREAKER on the rebound! And then an Atomic FACEBUSTER! Cover, TWO! Woods hangs tough, but Knight suplexes him up. Woods turns it into a cradle! WOODS WINS!

Winner: Xavier Woods, by pinfall

Knight gets lost in the #BackWoods! If he gets caught like that, how can he make it to WrestleMania?

The second 2023 WWE Hall of Fame inductee is…

THE GREAT MUTA! AKA Keiji Mutoh, a great innovator of moves like the Shining Wizard, Dragon Screw, and of course the use of the mist, Muta finally retired this year in epic battles in both NJPW and Pro-Wrestling Noah. Now he joins Rey Mysterio in this year’s class to be immortalized in the WWE HOF!

Backstage interview with LA Knight.

Kayla asks for a word, and he says, “Lemme talk to ya!” But then he changes his mind when he sees Rey Mysterio signing autographs. Knight tells Rey that he saw what happened out there. If Rey isn’t gonna fight his “goofy son,” Knight will! Knight will give Dom his LA moment. In fact, Knight will make Rey proud and call himself LA Mysterio! He’ll be a deadbeat dad, too! Rey SLAPS Knight! Rey tells Knight off, but in Spanish. Knight asks what Rey said, but it seems pretty clear Knight needs to stay out of family business.

WWE Intercontinental Championship #1 Contender’s Match: Drew McIntyre VS Sheamus!

The Scottish Warrior’s WWE career started all those years ago with the Intercontinental Championship, while the Celtic Warrior has yet to have the Intercontinental Championship. This friendship once again becomes a rivalry, will the Celtic Connection be broken once and for all?

McIntyre points his sword at the WrestleMania sign, but Sheamus puts his shillelagh at it. And then IMPERIUM makes their way to the ring! Der Ring General and his soldiers want to see this with their own eyes, but SmackDown goes to break.

SmackDown returns and the bell rings. Sheamus and McIntyre stare down while fans fire up. The two circle, Imperium is ringside, and McIntyre offers a handshake. Sheamus leaves McIntyre hanging so the two tie up. They go around, end up on ropes, then in a corner. Sheamus and McIntyre turn things around back and forth, then Sheamus headlocks. McIntyre powers out but Sheamus runs him over! Things keep moving, McIntyre kitchen sink knees! McIntyre drags Sheamus up to CHOP him! McIntyre snap suplexes, covers, ONE! McIntyre clamps onto Sheamus’ arm, but Sheamus fights up to CLUB him in the chest!

Wade Barrett convinces Gunther to join him and Cole on commentary while Sheamus whips. McIntyre reverses the whip, but Sheamus blocks the hip toss to LARIAT! Cover, ONE!! Sheamus CLUBS McIntyre and clamps onto him with an armlock and chinbar. Wade asks Gunther who he’d prefer to face, and Gunther says if it turns out to be Sheamus, Gunther will fulfill his duty as champion and beat him again. And what of McIntyre? Sheamus whips McIntyre to a corner as Gunther says that is a waste of time to talk about McIntyre. McIntyre elbows Sheamus away, but Sheamus clinches! McIntyre fights free with elbows!

McIntyre kicks low, underhooks, but Sheamus trips McIntyre up! Sheamus ties up the legs, but McIntyre boots him away! Sheamus rebounds but McIntyre scoops, MICHINOKU DRIVER! Cover, TWO! Gunther throws the headset away but McIntyre drags Sheamus up. McIntyre CHOPS, Sheamus staggers, but Sheamus ROCKS McIntyre with a haymaker! McIntyre CHOPS, Sheamus UPPERCUTS, McIntyre CHOPS and CHOPS. But Sheamus catches McIntyre for the IRISH CURSE BACKBREAKER! Cover, TWO! McIntyre is still in this, but Sheamus CLUBS him on the back. Sheamus puts McIntyre on the apron, but McIntyre blocks the Beats of the Bodhrain!

McIntyre CLUBS Sheamus, but then Sheamus blocks the Bodhrain! Sheamus ROCKS McIntyre, drags him through ropes to KNEE and fireman’s carry. But McIntyre elbows free to shove Sheamus away. But he runs into a BOOT! McIntyre goes down hard, but Sheamus kicks him from the corner. Sheamus skins the cat, is wary of the sword, and he stands up top. Gunther thinks this is foolish, but McIntyre ROCKS Sheamus first! McIntyre climbs, CLUBS away on Sheamus, then brings Sheamus up, SUPERPLEX! Both men are down and KC is thunderous as SmackDown goes to break.

SmackDown returns again and McIntyre CHOPS! And ROCKS! And CHOPS again! McIntyre whips, Sheamus reverses but McIntyre ducks ‘n’ dodges, only to run into a scoop and POWERSLAM! Cover, TWO! Imperium is surprised but the fans rally up as McIntyre crawls to ropes. McIntyre drags himself up, Sheamus storms over, but McIntyre puts him on the apron. Sheamus HOTSHOTS McIntyre, and fans fire up as Sheamus hooks McIntyre up. BEATS OF THE BODHRAIN! Sheamus goes to TEN, then roars! Fans fire up more and Sheamus encourages them to get louder. Sheamus aims from the corner as McIntyre stands.

Sheamus runs in, but McIntyre dodges the Brogue to NECKBREAKER! McIntyre kips up and fans fire up! Now McIntyre aims from the corner, “THREE! TWO! ONE!” KNEE FROM SHEAMUS!!! Cover, TWO!! McIntyre survives but fans say “This is Awesome!” Gunther says the end is coming, and he’s eager to have a challenger. Sheamus and McIntyre sit up, and Sheamus throws a haymaker. McIntyre gives it back! They go punch for punch, forearm for forearm, then stand up to go LARIAT for LARIAT! Neither falls so the big swings keep going! Sheamus, McIntyre, and back again! Sheamus dodges but the HEADBUTT hits!

Sheamus KNEES McIntyre again! McIntyre and Sheamus end up in opposite corners! Gunther mockingly asks what’s wrong, and both men slowly rise. They turn, run, DOUBLE BOOTS take both men down!! A standing count start, the fans count along, and we reach 5 of 10 before either sits up. Gunther gets annoyed, but now the count is 7! Gunther gets on the apron to stop the count! Gunther wants a clear winner, not another draw! Fans boo, the ref reprimands, and Gunther tells the warriors, “Who’s it gonna be? HUH!? Who’s it gonna be for this at WrestleMania?” But now he finds himself cornered by the Celtic Connection!

But then Vinci & Ludwig CLOBBER Sheamus & McIntyre, at the same time!! The ref rings the bell!

Double Disqualification Draw

Fans boo as Imperium mugs the Celtic Connection, but McIntyre TOSSES Vinci! Gunther SHOTGUNS McIntyre down! Sheamus TOSSES Ludwig, but then Gunther LARIATS Sheamus! Fans boo as Gunther drags Sheamus up, brings him around, and GENERAL BOMBS him onto McIntyre! He wanted a challenger but just wiped out both men! Is Gunther a liar or a coward?

But wait! Adam Pearce is on the tron! He says Gunther made it clear that he wants to face a single challenger at Mania, but his actions tonight tell a different story. So Pearce is left with no choice. It is officially now Gunther VS McIntyre VS Sheamus, in a TRIPLE THREAT!! Fans love this but Imperium is freaking out! Will nothing stop someone from taking the Intercontinental Championship away from Der Ring General?

Jey Uso is in the ring!

SmackDown returns with one half of the Undisputed Tag Team Champions already waiting, so here comes Sami Zayn! Sami tells Jey that this is what he wanted. “Right, Uce? Right, my dawg?” Jey wants Sami to pull up, so here he is. How does Jey wanna do this? Jey steps closer, and fans chant “UCEY! UCEY!” Jey says he has a job to do tonight, but Sami’s gonna hear this. “From day one, I didn’t like you. From day one, I didn’t trust you. They know that. I didn’t want you around my family at all. But then, week after week, Sami, they started liking you. Jimmy liked you. Solo liked you. Wise Man liked you. Hell, even the Tribal Chief liked you, but not me. Not me, Sami.

“As a boy, I always thought it was my job to protect my family, and I will today. Tell me where to aim, I’m shooting. So the one time I put my guard down to somebody who I thought loved me, and what you do?! You betrayed me! You embarrassed me! You made me look stupid in front of the whole damn world, Sami! Hey, hey! I called you my brother! You know what that mean to me?! Hey, somebody said I second guessed myself all the time. She might be right. But I know one thing, that from day one, you have always been a fake-ass Uce! So what happens next, Sami? What happens next, I ain’t got a choice, Sami!”

Sami speaks up here to say that’s wrong! Jey DOES have a choice! He has had a choice since day one, and he chooses to take Roman’s abuse over and over and over! That is Jey’s choice! Sami loved Jey, he loved this family, but he wasn’t gonna take that every week the way Jey did! Jey took it, he keeps taking it, and he isn’t mad at Sami. He’s mad at himself! Jey isn’t mad Sami hit Roman with the chair, Jey is just mad he didn’t get to do it first! Jey is stunned and the fans are thunderous! Sami says Jey has always had a choice, fans chant, “You’re not Ucey!” Jey says he IS! And then he fires off forearms on Sami!

Jey has Sami on the ropes but Sami hits back! Jey shoves Sami but Sami comes back with a THESZ PRESS! But now Jimmy jumps in! Sami brawls with Jimmy, but Jey SUPERKICKS! The Usos go out after Sami, they pull the steel steps apart, and they SMASH Sami with them! Then they drag Sami into the ring, Jimmy rains down fists, but HERE COMES KEVIN!! Kevin came back!! The Usos stand their ground, but where’s the Prizefighter? He comes in from behind!! The Usos turn around, and Kevin CLOBBBERS Jey! And he CLOBBERS Jimmy! Kevin fires off on Jey as KC loses their mind! Jimmy gets in but Kevin fires off on him, too!

Kevin TOSSES Jimmy out, stomps Jey around, but Jimmy gets back in. STUNNER for Jimmy! Jey runs up, POP-UP POWERBOMB for Jey! Fans cheer as Sami realizes Kevin is here! Kevin roars, then he looks back at Sami. Fans chant “HUG IT OUT!” like earlier tonight. And y’know what? THEY DO!! Kevin and Sami hug because they’re friends again! Cody is watching backstage and he is happy to see the reunion. Is it only a matter of time now before the brothers in arms take down the blood brothers of the Bloodline?

My Thoughts:

Just an awesome episode of SmackDown with so much great development towards WrestleMania. The Bloodline story is again the strongest stuff of the night, and it was again good stuff to bookend the night with their segments. Obviously Cody has been the American Mediator between the two Canadians, and we got a great exchange out of them. I do have to say, though, Cody’s entrance has too much smoke because the cameraman didn’t know where to look. And even though I knew Kevin was gonna return after driving off, that was still awesome how he showed up from the crowd side to surprise the Usos. Sami and Kevin are definitely and should definitely take those tag titles off the Usos at Mania.

Good Mixed Tag match tonight, and of course Dom and Rhea win big there. Great promo stuff from Dom and Rey, and from Rhea and Charlotte that gave us a great brawl from Rhea and Charlotte, but I do think they should’ve done the segments back to back somehow. Why waste time when Charlotte could be the one to confront Rhea while she and Dom are still in the ring after Dom talked with Rey? If they want to establish Charlotte has no fear of Rhea, just tweak the promos so you can get to that right away. I feel like no one in Western wrestling does that and they really should, because it’s just logical.

Another mixed reaction comes in this news of tag team showcase matches for Mania. It is a great opportunity for the many superstars, and could be a way to show that HHH is hoping to hold onto many of the names he’s brought back, but it also shows that they didn’t really have anything for the tag titles. Well, the women’s tag titles, at least, since we’re getting a huge story for the men’s tag titles. DMG CTRL VS Becky, Lita & Trish is great stuff, but did that story need the tag titles? Granted, I think this is partly because Ronda Rousey can’t compete right now, and was even reluctant to get into the tag title story. I suppose that in the end, we’ll get a couple great “Just for fun” matches either way.

Woods VS Knight was a good match, and the Backwoods cradle is unstoppable. Knight mouthing off to Rey was a great touch, too, as that is just his gimmick now. He talks trash, starts trouble, gets in trouble, and more often than not gets beat because of it. Fans still really like Knight, YEAH, and maybe after Mania he goes Face to some degree. And great news about the Great Muta, Keiji Mutoh. I think part of this shows HHH’s respect for wrestling around the world, and that as World Wrestling Entertainment, WWE honors Muta’s Japanese career and WCW career with this induction.

And of course, great stuff out of the Intercontinental Championship story. Great match from McIntyre and Sheamus, even with Imperium loitering ringside the entire time. Good bit of promo from Gunther on commentary, where he definitely sounded more willing to take on Sheamus than McIntyre since he’s already beaten Sheamus. I figured there was gonna be some kind of draw, but a double count was gonna be a bit disappointing, so good way of getting the draw and putting the heat on Gunther with that double DQ. Now we get the Triple Threat, and honestly, even if Gunther loses, he won’t look weak because it is a Triple Threat.

Now, my heart says Sheamus wins to finally have his Ultimate never-before-done Grand Slam, but my brain says McIntyre to bring his story full circle from the days as The Chosen One. That isn’t to say Gunther will be left with nothing. Gunther can move up and feud for the Universal title (or whatever it’ll be after Mania) because that is how good Gunther is.

My Score: 8.9/10

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

6 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!