Coverage
Mitchell’s WWE Raw Results & Report! (5/1/23)
The Draft wraps up!

WWE finishes up the new rosters!
The WWE Draft finishes up tonight, and Backlash is this Saturday! Plus, BROCK LESNAR is in town! Will he and Cody Rhodes cross paths tonight?
OFFICIAL RESULTS
- Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez VS Bayley & Dakota Kai; Bayley & Kai win.
- Braun Strowman & Ricochet VS The Alpha Academy w/ Maxxine Dupri; Braun & Ricochet win.
- Matt Riddle w/ Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn VS Jimmy Uso w/ Jey Uso; Riddle wins.
- Omos w/ MVP VS Anthony Alanis; Omos wins.
- Mixed Six Tag Match: The Judgment Day VS The Latino World Order; The Judgment Day wins.
- Seth Rollins VS Solo Sikoa w/ Paul Heyman; Rollins wins, by disqualification.
PLAY BY PLAY
Triple H is here!
Just as he did on Friday Night SmackDown, The Game is here to open night two of the WWE Draft! But this time, he has the NEW WWE World Heavyweight Championship belt by his side at the podium. HHH says it is sold out and LOUD in the arena! Fans cheer, and HHH welcomes us to Monday Night Raw and the last night of the 2023 WWE Draft. “Now this Friday night on SmackDown, things got a little crazy and shook the WWE right down to its foundation. Tonight, I’m sure will be no different. But before we get into the fun, let’s set some ground rules.
“All remaining undrafted WWE superstars on Raw and SmackDown are subject to the possibility of transferring to other brands. Half the roster was drafted on Friday, the remaining half will be drafted here tonight.” Fans cheer that, too. HHH says, As a result of the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, Roman Reigns, being drafted to SmackDown, we will be crowning a new World Heavyweight Champion. That title and it’s holder will be exclusive to Monday Night Raw.” Fans like the sound of that. And HHH says out of everyone eligible tonight, we could see a new champion emerge.
Tonight’s draft pool is: Akira Tozawa; The Alpha Academy; Los Lotharios, Angel Garza & Humberto Carrillo; Asuka; Austin Theory; Baron Corbin; Braun Strowman & Ricochet as a dynamic duo; Bronson Reed; Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin as a tag team; Charlotte Flair; Dana Brooke; Elias; Emma; Johnny Gargano; The Judgment Day as a unit; Karrion Kross & Scarlett; Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn as a unit; LA Knight; Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez as a unite; Nikki Cross; Piper Niven; Rick Boogs; Riddick Moss; Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler as a unit; Seth Rollins; Shotzi Blackheart; Tamina; Tegan Nox; The Brawling Brutes as a unit; The LWO as a unit; The New Day as a unit; The Usos as a unit; Trish Stratus; and Xia Li.
HHH continues to say that before we get started, there is one superstar that is NOT eligible to be drafted tonight in Brock Lesnar. Fans boo but HHH says earlier today, Lesnar renegotiated his status as a free agent, and can appear on any brand at any time. Superstars from NXT are also eligible tonight, and these new rosters go into affect next week, May 8th, after Backlash. But enough about the rules, let’s get to it! Are you ready? No, no, ARE! YOU! READY!? Then with the very first pick of night two, Raw selects… THE ERADICATOR, RHEA RIPLEY! The SmackDown Women’s Champion stays on Raw to counter SmackDown taking Bianca Belair.
SmackDown uses their pick to select… THE NOW, AUSTIN THEORY! The United States Champion now goes to SmackDown as a counter to Imperium and the Intercontinental Championship coming to Raw! Raw now selects… THE VISIONARY, THE REVOLUTIONARY, SETH FREAKIN’ ROLLINS! That’s right, we are still watching Monday Night Rollins! Fans sing “OH~ OHH~ OHHH~!” and HHH nods along. To finish up the first round, SmackDown selects… THE QUEEN, CHARLOTTE FLAIR! Charlotte stays on the Blue Brand, will SmackDown continue to bow down?
And now, HHH introduces the Wise Man, Paul Heyman. Fans boo as Heyman walks out on stage, and he shakes his head while chuckling. Heyman and HHH shake hands, and HHH walks him to the podium to show him the World Heavyweight Championship. Heyman says it is beautiful. Heyman continues on to the ring, what will he have to say about all the Bloodline’s business heading towards Backlash? Heyman gets the mic to say, “Ladies and gentlemen. My name is Paul Heyman. I serve as Special Counsel to YOUR Tribal Chief, Roman…! Reigns!
“The Tribal Chief has asked me to address a number of business items for the entire WWE Universe to just revel in my wisdom. Item number one: The Draft. Roman Reigns, Solo, and Paul Heyman have been drafted to Friday Night SmackDown. Which leaves tonight for us to determine the fate of the Usos. The Usos, who did not, NOT, NOT win back their tag team titles this past Friday from Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn.” Fans cheer that but Heyman says he will address the Usos in private later tonight. But the Usos will address their problems this Saturday at Backlash in Puerto Rico when they team with the problem solver, Solo Sikoa, against Kevin, Sami and of all people, Matt Riddle.
“Now these items will not only be addressed by your Wise Man tonight, but one week from this Friday, on SmackDown, live, and I don’t even know what city we’re in, so long as it’s not in the state of Texas.” fans boo, but Heyman says the Tribal Chief will take care of all business items. As a preview, one is that hunk of beautiful gold up on that podium right now. Guys, c’mon. Wouldn’t that title look relevant around the waist of Your Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns? Fans boo, he already has titles. But here we are, almost 1000 DAYS into a title reign!
Talk about Undisputed! Not one, not two, but three! You create a championship, and Roman Reigns will dominate that title to the main event of WrestleMania! But Roman can’t compete for it, because Roman is not here on Raw anymore. Fans cheer that. But the worst thing about that is that all the “children” in the locker room who think that they’re men are running around, flapping their gums, about the Tribal Chief. Those are people who should know better. Men who need to start acting like men! Men who are freakin’ jokers! Men who are freakin’ jokes. Men who are freakin’ clowns! Who are-
“BURN IT DOWN!” Rollins interrupts Heyman! Fans sing “OH~ OHH~ OHHH~!” as Rollins makes his way to the ring. Rollins joins Heyman, and Rollins smiles as he motions to the chorus. Heyman shakes his head and Rollins laughs. Rollins says, “Pauly! Good to see you! Why the long face? C’mon, man.” Today is Christmas for Heyman! Roman Reigns is drafted away to SmackDown, and Rollins is still on HIS show! Which means Roman doesn’t have to run away from Rollins anymore. And Heyman doesn’t have to waste all that energy pulling strings backstage to make sure Rollins never gets a title match again.
Heyman can use all that extra energy to make sure The Bloodline doesn’t go POOF, right in his face. Heyman’s a “spoiler” guy, right? Loves a good spoiler, right? Here’s a spoiler for Heyman: At Night of Champions, ROLLINS wins the WWE World Heavyweight Championship! Fans love the sound of that! And the entire world will see what a real champion looks like. Heyman gets his phone out to call Roman. Fans boo and Rollins says it’s gonna be hard for Heyman to have a phone conversation with all this singing. “OH~ OHH~ OHHH~!” Heyman shouts, “I can’t hear My Tribal Chief!!” That just makes fans sing more.
Heyman finishes up talking with Roman, and tells Rollins, “You’re pissing off your Tribal Chief.” GASP! Aww… Well, if Roman’s upset now, he’s really not gonna like this one. Texas, Rollins has ha question! How long do you think it’d take for Rollins to get Heyman down on the mat so he can stop that big bald head into it? Would it take five seconds? No! Four? NO! Three? NO! Two? NO! But wait, here comes Solo Sikoa! The Enforcer of the Island is storming out to ringside to defend the Wise Man, but Rollins just smiles. Heyman still has Solo stand down. Here’s a spoiler: All the strings are being pulled at this moment!
And after the break, the match will be made for Fort Worth! Seth Rollins VS Solo Sikoa!! Rollins says they don’t need to wait! Solo wants to fight tonight? “YOU’RE ON! HAHAHAHAHA!” The Visionary is not afraid, will he put Solo down as we prepare for Backlash?
Adam Pearce talks with Cody Rhodes backstage.
Pearce wants Cody to know, this is a huge night, and it’d be nice if it didn’t spiral into chaos. Cody sighs and heads out. We know Lesnar is going to be here tonight, will the American Nightmare be able to wait for Backlash?
The NXT roster is having another watch party!
Indi Hartwell, Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn were drafted on Friday, who will be the lucky ones to be chosen tonight?
Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez VS Bayley & Dakota Kai!
The WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions can go on any brands, so they don’t sweat the Draft. But DMG CTRL is all on SmackDown now. Will the Role Model & #CobraKai earn themselves a title opportunity to match the Evil Genius’ shot at Bianca Belair’s belt?
The teams sort out, Kai starts with Liv and the two circle. They tie up, Kai headlocks, but Liv powers out. Liv dodges Kai, gest around her, O’Conner Rolls, TWO! Kai rolls Liv up, ONE! Liv ducks a kick, Kai ducks the enziguri, and Kai waistlocks! Liv booty bumps and victory rolls, TWO! Liv SHOTGUNS Kai down! Fans fire up, but Kai HOTSHOTS Liv! Tag to Bayley, and she drags Liv up to scoop and SLAM! Liv avoids the elbow drop, tag to Raquel! Raquel scoops, Bayley slips out, and Bayley SLAPS Raquel! Big Mami Cool is mad now! She RAMS Bayley into the corner, RAMS her more, then tags Liv.
Liv taunts Kai, Raquel whips her in to back body block Bayley! Then Liv RANAS Raquel into Bayley! SHINING WIZARD added on! Cover, TWO! Liv keeps Bayley from Kai, Kai tags a foot but she was away from the corner! The ref stops Kai but that allows Bayley to rake Liv’s eyes! Bayley throws Liv out, tags Kai, and Kai BOOTS Liv down! DMG CTRL takes control as Raw goes to break.
Raw returns and Bayley BOOTS Liv in the corner! Tag to Kai, she goes side to side to BOOT WASH! Cover, TWO! Kai grows frustrated, she drags Liv to the corner, and she stomps away on Liv! The ref counts, Kai lets off at 4, but Bayley pulls hair! Liv still BOOTS Kai and ELBOWS Bayley! Liv then goes up and over, Kai hits buckles! Fans fire up as Liv crawls, but Kai CLOBBERS her first! Liv fights Kai off but Kai gets the arm! Kai keeps Liv away then DECKS her! Kai laughs but Liv blocks a kick! Liv rolls Kai, then hot tags Raquel! Fans fire up as Raquel rallies on Kai! Kai ducks the lariat but not the SOUTHPAW!
Raquel scoops Kai to FALL AWAY SLAM! Bayley gets Kai out of the way to take the SPLASH! But Raquel just FALL AWAY SLAMS Kai again! TWISTING VADER! Cover, TWO!! Kai survives but Raquel drags her back. Tag to Liv and Liv climbs up onto Raquel! But Bayley trips Raquel! That throws off the senton, and Kai gets her KNEES up! Bayley drags Raquel out and RAMS her into the apron! Kai mule kicks Liv, hops on, KAI-ROPRACTOR!! Cover, Raquel breaks it in time! Bayley gets in but Raquel TOSSES her out! Bayley holds Raquel in place, kai BOOTS Raquel! But Kai turns around into a CODE BREAKER!
Bayley sneaks a tag! ObLIVion for Kai! Sunset flip from Bayley! DMG CTRL WINS!
Winners: Damage CTRL, by pinfall
Bayley snuck that one from the tag team champions! Will DMG CTRL take control with all the gold once again?
The guest speakers are here tonight!
Booker T is here for Raw, but his Queen, Sharmell, is here for SmackDown! The Royal Couple of WWE heads to the stage, who will Raw and SmackDown choose next?
Adam Pearce finds Brock Lesnar backstage now.
Pearce knows Lesnar knows Cody is here, and as big as tonight is, Pearce would love if they kept the peace. Lesnar laughs. “Good luck with that.” The Beast isn’t promising anything, will tonight end up like that night almost a month ago?
Booker T & Sharmell make their entrance!
They go to the podium, and he asks, “What up, D Town?” With the first pick of the second round, Raw selects, the UNDISPUTED TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS, Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn! The Prizefighter & Great Liberator stick together one way or another! Sharmell says SmackDown selects… THE USOS! Jimmy & Jey stay with The Bloodline on SmackDown, but will they still be on the Island of Relevancy? Raw selects… JUDGMENT DAY! Finn Balor, Damian Priest & Dominik Mysterio stick close to Mami! SmackDown finishes the round by selecting… LATINO WORLD ORDER! They get Santos Escobar, Cruz Del Toro, Joaquin Wilde, Zelina Vega AND Rey Mysterio!
Braun Strowman & Ricochet VS The Alpha Academy w/ Maxxine Dupri!
The dynamic duo didn’t win on SmackDown in that massive Triple Threat Tag, but perhaps they’ll make an impression on Raw here tonight. Or will Chad Gable & Otis (Otise?) make them SHOOOOSH?
Raw returns and The Alpha Academy make their entrance. The teams sort out and Gable starts against Ricochet. They tie up, Gable waistlocks, wrenches and wristlocks. Ricochet rolls, kips up and flips to slip through to wristlock! Gable rolls, bridges, handsprings and wrenches to break and trip Ricochet to a cover! ONE, Ricochet trips Gable to a cover, ONE! Gable CHOPS! Fans “WOO~!” but Gable “SHOOSH!” Gable whips, Ricochet rolls off his back, rolls under then handsprings back to headscissor and DROPKICK! Fans fire up with Ricochet and he runs in again. Gable blocks a kick, waistlocks, but Ricochet switches.
Gable switches, Ricochet elbows free but Gable GERMAN SUPLEXES! Ricochet lands on his feet! Gable rushes in, Ricochet goes up and out to GAMANGIRI! Ricochet springboards, Gable gets under, and he wiastlocks to O’Conner Roll and CHAOS THEORY! Fans fire up while both men are down, and they crawl, hot tags to Otis and Braun! Fans fire up as these titans shove each other! Otis dodges, fires off hands, and he puts Braun in a corner! Otis runs side to side to SPLASH! Maxxine loves it! But then Braun CLOBBERS Otis! And keeps moving, breaks through the lariat, and CROSSBODIES?!
Fans fire up as Braun’s shirt comes off but Maxxine is upset. Braun scoops and SLAMS Otis! Fans fire up more as Braun tags Ricochet! Ricochet climbs up onto Braun, MONSTER SWANTON!! Cover, Braun & Ricochet win!
Winners: Braun Strowman & Ricochet, by pinfall
The dynamic duo does it again! Speed and strength combined, but will they stay together? And on what brand?
The next guest speakers are headed to gorilla.
Shawn Michaels is back to select for Raw, and Adam Pearce is going to select for SmackDown! The third round of the night goes down after the break.
Shawn Michaels makes his entrance!
NXT goes nuts for their General Manager, and then Adam Pearce makes his entrance. HBK gets right to it by saying Raw’s- OH SNAP, BROCK LESNAR?! That’s not the pick because HHH said earlier that he’s a free agent. But because Brock’s a free agent, he’s doing what HE wants! Pearce tries to tell him not to do this, but Lesnar just stares at him and Pearce backs off. Lesnar goes to the ring, he gets the mic, and while fans boo, Lesnar says, “Fort Worth, Texas. How does it feel to be looking at the only real cowboy in the state?” Fans boo but Pearce brings security out now. Lesnar was asked politely, the Draft trumps everything, so please, leave peacefully.
With all due respect- Oh, with all due respect, it’s gonna take more men than these. So Pearce calls on even more security. Lesnar has about twenty guards telling him to leave, but then CODY RHODES makes his entrance! But from BEHIND! Cody CLOBBERS Lesnar! The brawl is on and fans go nuts! Security rushes in to stop this, Lesnar slips away and taunts Cody. Cody fights his way free, but gets caught again at the ropes! Cody still hammers guards away, but the other half tells Lesnar to stand down. Lesnar smirks and takes his leave. Perhaps Lesnar got what he wants, but Cody didn’t. Cody shouts, “MAKE ME EARN IT!” Will that happen at Backlash?
Raw returns and HBK is back at the podium.
“Alrighty. I think we’re gonna try this again, shall we?” With the first pick of the third round, Raw selects… THE WWE WOMEN’S TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS, Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez! And without Pearce here, HBK reads the SmackDown choice! SmackDown selects… THE EMPRESS OF TOMORROW, ASUKA! Will Fridays not be ready for Asuka? Raw selects… THE NEW~ DAY~! Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods and even Big E get to bring the Power of Positivity to Mondays! And SmackDown closes out the round with… THE BRAWLING BRUTES! Sheamus, Ridge Holland & Pete Dunne stick together on Friday Fight Night!
Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn talk at gorilla.
Kevin looks at the blue SmackDown Tag Team Championship belt. Kevin & Sami are both on Raw, but obviously as tag team champions, they should be able to go to SmackDown, too, right? Matt Riddle finds them and says this is the best week ever! Kevin & Sami beat the Usos and retained the titles, and they’re all on Raw! they can hang out together all the time! Plus, Backlash and the Six Man Tag means they’re gonna put the hurt on the Bloodline! And Riddle gets to do that tonight against Jimmy Uso! Riddle pats them both on the back, Sami is excited but Kevin isn’t so sure about this.
Matt Riddle w/ Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn VS Jimmy Uso w/ Jey Uso!
The Original Bro has the Prizefighter & Great Liberator watching his back here tonight, will they be rolling into San Juan, Puerto Rico? Or will the Riddle be solved one way or another tonight?
The bell rings and the two fire off fists! Riddle gets the edge, whips, but Jimmy reverses. Riddle holds ropes, BOOTS Jimmy, but Jimmy distracts and Jey ENZIGURIS Riddle down! Fans boo but Jimmy CHOKES Riddle at the ropes! KO & Sami get at Jey but Jimmy sees that. Jimmy focuses on Riddle with haymakers, but then Kevin falls over? And Sami SMACKS a chair against the desk! To then toss it to Jey! They’re playing some Latino Heat on Jey! The ref sees what he thinks he sees, and Jey is stunned! Jey is mad, he didn’t do nothing! But the ref EJECTS him anyway! Fans fire up and Jimmy protests, but the decision is final!
Riddle joins Kevin and Sami in having a laugh as Jey has no choice but to leave. Now things are in their favor as Raw goes to break.
Raw returns and Riddle fires off forearms on Jimmy! Riddle runs, but into a SAMOAN DROP! Cover, TWO! Riddle is still in this but Jimmy puts him in the corner. Kevin tells Corey Graves not to spread disinformation on commentary, Jey really did hit him. Jimmy throws hands in the corner but Riddle counter punches! And again! And again! Riddle fires off palm strikes, a BOOT, and then spins Jimmy for a PELE! Jimmy staggers, Riddle kips up and he forearm smashes in the corner! Then he runs side to side to SMASH! And BROSPLODER! And BROTON onto knees! Jimmy saves himself and Riddle goes to a corner.
Jimmy runs in but into an ELBOW! Riddle goes up, but Jimmy SHOVES him off the top! Riddle hits barriers on the way down! Kevin checks on Riddle, coaches him up, but Jimmy goes out to SUPERKICK Kevin! That really did happen! Jimmy puts Riddle in, but Riddle gets around to ripcord. Jimmy breaks free, Riddle blocks the kick but not the DRAGON WHIP! Jimmy SUPERKICKS Riddle down! Cover, TWO!! Riddle survives and Jimmy grows frustrated. So he SUPERKICKS Riddle again! Cover, TWO!! Riddle survives and Jimmy might be getting flashbacks to Friday and how Kevin kept surviving.
Jimmy puts Riddle on the ropes, the ref checks on him, but Jimmy pulls at a buckle pad! Sami protests to the ref but the ref just argues with him, so Kevin SMACKS Jimmy off the buckles! Jimmy staggers into a FINAL FLASH! Riddle goes up for the FLOATING BRO!! Cover, Riddle wins!
Winner: Matt Riddle, by pinfall
Turnabout IS fair play! Riddle, Kevin & Sami use numbers against Jimmy to get even, but will this work out the same way at Backlash? Or will facing the full Bloodline be a different story?
The next guest speakers are…
ERIC BISCHOFF for Raw!! And Rob Van Dam for SmackDown! Elias & Boogs are there to geek out over him being here, they all do the “R! V! D!” thumbs. Will Elias & Boogs be picked in the fourth round? And if so, by which side?
Heyman talks with Solo Sikoa backstage.
The Wise Man says The Tribal Chief has so much faith in The Enforcer to take out “this clown,” Seth Rollins, with his big nose and floppy feet. The Tribal Chief wants Solo to take Rollins out! Heyman tops it off with some Samoan, but then Jey walks in. He has a quick question. Why wasn’t Solo ringside tonight? The brothers stare down but Heyman says Solo is “pent up.” Roman has assigned him the extermination of one clown here on Raw, so he had to stay focused on that. Jey accepts that. Is there something else? Oh, Jey wants the room! Introspection after last Friday. Heyman understands.
Heyman says he and Solo can leave the room to Jey. The Tribal Chief loves you, by the way! Loves! #WeTheOnes! Jey is a bit confused now. Just what games are being played by the Tribal Chief now?
Eric Bischoff makes his entrance!
The WWE Hall of Famer and former General Manager of Raw is back! But then so is the One of a Kind! Fans join in on “R! V! D!” and Eric asks if the fans are ready. He’s been ready for this! RVD hears the fans chanting for him and says he loves them, too. Okay, the first pick of the fourth round, Raw selects… THE WWE HALL OF FAMER, TRISH STRATUS! Stratusfaction comes to Raw! And SmackDown selects… MR. & MRS. DOOMSDAY, KARRION KROSS & SCARLETT! Will the clock continue to count down on Fridays? Raw selects… THE BADDEST WOMEN ON THE PLANET, SHAYNA BASZLER & RONDA ROUSEY!
SmackDown finishes up with… THE MEGA STAR, L! A! KNIGHT, YEAH!! And that’s not an insult, that’s just a fact of life, dummy!
The Miz is here!
And the Hollywood A-Lister welcomes us to the Most Must-See WWE Talk Show, MizTV! What a draft it has been, and Raw is stacked! They’ve got Cody Rhodes! The title Miz made prestigious again in the Intercontinental Championship is back on Raw with the addition of Imperium! A women’s champion in Rhea Ripley! And someone Miz can’t stand but everyone else loves, Seth Freakin’ Rollins. But the biggest acquisition was none other than yours truly, THE MIZ! Fans boo but Miz says tonight’s guest is someone who was drafted to Raw for the first time ever. It is the KING OF STRONG STYLE, SHINSUKE NAKAMURA!
Fans fire up and even Miz rocks out to Nakamura’s classic theme song as Nakamura makes his way out. Nakamura and Miz bow, and just in time for the long chord. Miz says he is the first to welcome Nakamura to Monday Night Raw! They take their seats, and Miz notes Nakamura has done a lot in the WWE: NXT Champion; United States Champion; Intercontinental Champion; Royal Rumble winner; and here on Raw, he could become the inaugural NEW WWE World Heavyweight Champion! Does Nakamura think he has a chance? Nakamura says, “Hai.” Hi? Hello, yes, we did introductions.
Maybe Nakamura doesn’t wanna answer that question. But when HHH said he wants this title to be on a workhorse champion, he clearly meant Miz. The TWO-TIME Grand Slam Champion! He main evented Mania! Always up for whatever, from press conferences to media appearances! Miz is the epitome of a workhorse! Nakamura chuckles, and Miz says he’d be a great number two. They can help each other out! Think about it! They could be a partnership, a merger! They could be #Mizuke! Fans boo that idea but Miz says things are different on Raw. You need someone to watch your back, and who better than the Face of Mondays?
Look, bottom line is Miz helps Nakamura, Nakamura helps Miz, what does he say? Nakamura says thank you, and Miz has more experience in the WWE, but Nakamura knows Miz has… “Chisai kintama.” What? Chisai kintama? Yes! That sounds positive! Is it awesome? Kinda… Miz takes pride in saying “CHISAI KINTAMA!” They say it together! Nakamura does his best not to laugh but the fans join in. Miz says it sounds amazing. What does it translate to? It means… Tiny balls. Miz is no longer happy. But now fans really love it! “TINY BALLS! TINY BALLS!” Miz takes a swing, but Nakamura dodges!
Nakamura kicks Miz’s legs out, then hits the KINSHASA!! The King of Strong Style is Raw, but will he soon be World Heavyweight Champion?
Omos w/ MVP VS Anthony Alanis!
As of this moment, The Nigerian Giant is a free agent, just like Brock Lesnar. Will he continue to make a huge impression no matter where he goes?
The bell rings and Alanis rushes in with fast hands! But Omos swats him down! Alanis gets up and throws a BIG right! He asks how that tastes, then he kicks and whips. But Omos blocks, reels Alanis in, and scoops to SNAKE EYES! Then BOOT! Fans rally up as Omos drags Alanis up again, for the MOUNTAINTOP CHOKE BOMB! Cover, Omos wins!
Winner: Omos, by pinfall
Alanis sank like Atlantis, and Omos grinds his boot in harder! Will nothing stop Omos from decimating Seth Rollins this Saturday?
BREAKING NEWS on the WWE World Heavyweight Championship!
A tournament is in the works! Superstars will compete starting next Monday on Raw, and all of this culminating at Night of Champions! Who will make the cut to head for the gold?
The next guest speakers are…
Molly Holly is here for Raw, and Road Dogg is back for SmackDown! What big moves will happen this late in the draft?
Oh you didn’t know?
You better call somebody! The Road Dogg makes his way out first, followed by Molly Holly! Molly starts us right off with Raw’s first pick of the fifth round: BRAUN STROWMAN & RICOCHET! The superpowers stick together and are here on Raw! SmackDown selects… THE BALLSY SHOTZI BLACKHEART! Will she turn Fridays into TankDown? Raw continues by choosing… THE COLOSSAL, BRONSON REED! And SmackDown finishes the round with… well, HBK won’t like this. PRETTY DEADLY, Elton Prince & Kit Wilson! #YesBoy~! And they’re at the Performance Center celebrating, especially since they survived sleeping with the fishes…
The Judgment Day is here!
Finn Balor, Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio and of course Rhea Ripley head to the ring together, staying on Raw despite Rhea having the SmackDown Women’s Championship. They get the mics, and Priest says, “All Rise for the Judgment Day staying united right here on Monday Night Raw! And all rise for tonight’s first draft pick, your champion, our champion, RHEA RIPLEY!” Rhea says, “Was there really any doubt who the first draft pick would be, huh? Mami’s always on top. And you guys thought you could get rid of us that easily? Nuh uh! Because I said it before and I’ll say it again, The Judgment Day, we run Monday Night Raw!”
Rhea says this Saturday, Zelina Vega will regret everything she’s done to her on SmackDown when Rhea pretzels her and reminds us all why Rhea is the most dominant champion in the WWE! Finn says that’s right! Zelina gets rolled up like snot and flicked! And they have some bad news for Bad Bunny: Damian is gonna tear Bunny apart and leave fluffy little pieces all over Puerto Rico! Tell ’em, Damian. “Bad Bunny. I want you to listen to my words very carefully. Because I choose them very, very carefully.” Priest then fires off in Spanish that he is the best Puerto Rican wrestler!
And while he knows that Bunny is a big star in the music world, this is the world of wrestling. That means Bunny can try to be a wrestler, but he’s not better than Priest. There is nothing Bunny can do against Priest, and the fans aren’t going to help, either. Priest tells “Bonito” that in front of his fans, his friends and his family, in his home of Puerto Rico, he’s done. In Puerto Rico at Backlash, Bunny receives his punishment. Dom starts to speak but then all the fans boo. Finn says to ignore all that and speak anyway. Dom says he can’t wait. But then the fans boo more! Dom tries again, but still gets more boos.
The boos just get louder and louder, so Dom shouts that he can’t wait until Mami and Priest DOMINATE at Backlash! Fans chant “YOU SUCK! YOU SUCK!” Dom just smirks as the fans keep booing. He repeats what he said: He can’t wait until Mami & Priest DOMINATE at Backlash! Just like they’re gonna dominate Santos, Zelina and his “deadbeat dad,” Rey! And since the LWO got drafted to SmackDown, this will be the last night Dom gets to embarrass his dad and his “loser friends.” They’ll go run away and hide on Friday nights! But then here comes Rey and the Latino World Order!
Fans fire up as Rey tells Dom, “No one’s running or hiding anywhere. We were selected by SmackDown to compete Friday nights. That’s how the Draft works. Don’t you get that, son?” But Rey is glad that they’re being separated. If Dom thought getting whooped at Mania with a belt was bad, the next time, it would’ve ben LA CHANCLA! Fans fire up for that, and Rey says he can’t wait to see Zelina leave with Rhea’s belt around her waist! And he is looking forward to watching Bad Bunny beat down Priest and anyone else from the Judgment Day who is stupid enough to get in his way! “But before all that, the Judgment Day is gonna get smacked right now by the L! W! O!”
The tension rises again as we get what could be the final fight between father and son! Who rolls into Puerto Rico? We see, after the break!
Mixed Six Tag Match: The Judgment Day VS The Latino World Order!
Raw returns and the bell rings as Rey starts against Dom. But then Rhea tags right in, and she taunts Rey. Rhea pie faces Rey, but Rey helps Zelina hit the RANA! Rhea flounders, Zelina runs up, dodges, but Rhea BOOTS her down! Rhea talks smack, drags Zelina up and pump handles, but Zelina DDT- NO, Rhea counters the counter to a suplex! Zelina knees free, but Rhea grabs her by the hair! Zelina JAWBREAKERS free, Rhea stumbles back and Priest tags in. Escobar steps up but Priest kicks him low. Priest whips, Escobar ducks ‘n’ dodges and CLOBBERS Priest! Priest goes to a corner, fans count along, “Uno! Dos! Tres!” DOUBLE KNEES!
Escobar brings Priest around, throws hands, CHOPS and ROCKS and repeat! Escobar whips, Priest reverses but Escobar kicks him back! And again! Escobar runs, but into a BIG forearm! And then Priest DECKS Rey with a sucker punch! Fans boo but Judgment Day applauds. Priest glares at Zelina but she backs away. Priest drags Escobar up, runs, but Escobar KNEES Priest first! Dom runs in, but into a BACKBREAKER! They both bail out, Rey tags in, SEATED SENTON for Priest! Rhea protects “Dom-Dom” but Rey goes into the ring to pose with Escobar and Zelina. Fans fire up and Raw goes to break.
Raw returns again and Priest ROCKS Escobar! Escobar goes to a corner, Priest runs in to clothesline! And then another clothesline! Priest wants uno mas, but Escobar DROPKICKS him down! Fans rally up as both men crawl, hot tags to Dom and Rey! Rey dodges Dom to DECK him! And DECK him again! Rey whips, Dom reverses but Rey tilt-o-whirls to RANA Dom! Dom staggers around into the corner, and Rey goes after him with fists! Fans fire up but Dom slips out to CLUB Rey! Dom whips, Rey KICKS, and then Rey returns to springboard CROSSBODY! Cover, but Rhea breaks it!
Zelina runs in but Rhea DECKS her! The ref reprimands but Rhea stalks Rey! Rhea fireman’s carries, lifts, but Zelina 619s low!! Rhea staggers, runs back in, but Zelina dumps her out! Rey drags Dom up but Dom DROPKICKS! Hot tag to Priest! Priest runs in at Rey, but Rey dodges! Priest POSTS himself! Rey then dropkicks Priest onto ropes! Dial it up, 61- NO, Finn distracts the ref as Dom trips Rey up! Fans boo but Escobar DIVES onto Dom! Escobar then hurries up, but Rhea DROPKICKS him! Zelina FLYING METEORAS Rhea to the floor! Priest mule kicks Rey, drags him up, crucifix for the RAZOR- NO, Rey slips free!
Rey RANAS Priest onto ropes! Redial, but Finn takes the shot!! SOUTH OF HEAVEN SLAM!!! Cover, Judgment Day wins!
Winners: The Judgment Day, by pinfall
The LWO couldn’t finish this off all because The Prince was a wild card! Will all this momentum help Rhea retain her title and Priest “punish” Bad Bunny? Or will there be shocker after shocker in San Juan?
Backstage interview with Cody Rhodes.
Cathy Kelly catches Cody on his way out and asks him if Lesnar is in his head after tonight. Cody admits, Lesnar is in Cody’s head. He’s been in Cody’s head ever since the Raw after WrestleMania. And now, Lesnar has negotiated his “free agent status,” where he can come and go as he pleases, on either Raw or SmackDown. Lesnar gets what Lesnar wants. “Just not on Saturday. Not at Backlash.” The most decorated combat sports athlete, and Cody has made sure to point that out, but here is what we found out tonight: Doomsday bleeds. Lesnar is human. And Lesnar doesn’t even need to win this match. It’s Cody who HAS to win!
Because if Cody doesn’t… The whole idea of Cody finishing his story ceases to exist. And then he moves to the back of the line. And Cody refuses to do that. He won’t be the back of the line now, not ever. Cody thanks Cathy, and heads out. Will there be no stopping the American Nightmare from making a dream come true?
The next guest speakers are…
JBL is back, ready to represent for Raw! And for SmackDown, it’s Teddy Long, player! Will the sixth round be the biggest one yet?
Backstage interview with Bianca Belair.
Byron Saxton is with the RawEST Women’s Champion, and asks her initial reaction to finding out she was drafted to SmackDown. She says it doesn’t matter what brand she’s on, so long as she’s able to represent the WWE Universe to the best of her ability. And that means retaining this title on Saturday. Even though she’ll rep blue from now on, she still has love for Monday nights. So best believe she’s sending Iyo Sky along emptyhanded. But in come DMG CTRL, Bayley and Kai chuckling. Good one, Bianca.
But Bayley has a question for Byron: Why is he here interviewing Bianca when he should be talking to the top three draft picks in the WWE? Did you see that Bayley & Kai are the future WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions? And Iyo Sky is gonna give Bianca a real reason to be blue, when she beats you for that title! Get it? Blue like sad. Bianca says what actually makes her sad is that she has always been impressed by Sky. In fact, when Sky showed up at SummerSlam last year, Bianca knew Sky would be the unique, talented and competitive athlete this division needed. Bianca was excited to see what Sky was gonna do next.
But what’d she really do? Went and got influenced by two chicks who have done nothing but hold her back. Yeah, that’s what she said. So hopefully Saturday gives Sky a taste what it feels like to finally step out on her own and shine. After Bianca beats her, that is. Sky says in Japanese that Bianca will not leave Backlash champion after Sky gets through with her! Bianca says Kai doesn’t need to translate that. They understand each other. DMG CTRL leaves, but will they be able to take control away from The EST?
Teddy Long walks on stage!
Fans cheer for the Hall of Fame SmackDown General Manager, and then here comes John Bradshaw Layfield! They tease each other, and JBL says with the first pick of the final round, Raw selects… SHOOOOSH! The Alpha Academy, Chad Gable & Otis! But will this only prolong the push and pull of Alpha Academy and Maximum Male Models on Otis? Teddy says SmackDown selects… “THE MEAT MOUNTAIN,” RICK BOOGS! Fridays are about to rock! Raw selects… NXT’s KATANA CHANCE & KAYDEN CARTER! KC Squared is about to face Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn for the NXT Women’s Tag titles, what’s gonna happen now?
As for SmackDown, the final pick of this final round of the 2023 WWE Draft, they select… CAMERON GRIMES! SmackDown is finally going TO! THE! MOON~! The rest of the picks will be part of Raw Talk tonight on Peacock, who will avoid being left in the void of undrafted and unsigned free agency?
Xavier Woods speaks.
“Ooooh~! It’s Xavier Woods here, and it looks like ya bois, the NEW~! DAY~! Just got drafted to the red brand. They said, ‘Hey, we need you to inject a little life back into Monday nights.’ So USA Network, get ready. BECAAAUSE~! NEW! DAY ROCKS!”
Seth Rollins VS Solo Sikoa w/ Paul Heyman!
The Visionary saw through Paul Heyman’s not so subtle message earlier and responded in kind, only for The Enforcer of the Island of Relevancy to respond right back. Rollins is preparing for Omos at Backlash while Solo is going to join his brothers against Kevin, Sami & Riddle. Will Rollins #BurnItDown tonight? Or will Solo “exterminate” on behalf of the Tribal Chief?
Raw returns and Rollins makes his entrance. The fans sing along again, “OH~ OHH~ OHHH~!” as Rollins swaggers in his fur coat. The bell rings and Rollins stares Solo down. They circle, approach, but then Rollins dodges to revel in the singing. Rollins grins at Heyman, then circles with Solo. They tie up now, and Solo powers Rollins to a corner. The ref counts, Solo lets off at 4, but then swings! Rollins avoids the sucker punch, and the singing continues. Solo works to tune out the “OH~ OHH~ OHHH~!” Solo and Rollins tie up, Solo headlocks but Rollins powers out. Things speed up, Rollins hurdles then redirects!
Rollins slides out and he uses the singing to get on Solo’s nerves. Solo rushes out but Rollins slides in to keep the trolling. Solo slides in, but then quickly slides out to avoid the Curb Stomp! Rollins says it was that close. Solo storms into the ring, they approach but Solo kicks low! And HEADBUTTS! Solo fires off on Rollins in the corner, the ref counts, but Solo lets off with a furious roar! Fans boo but Rollins fires haymakers in return! Solo shoves Rollins away, runs in, but Rollins dumps him out! Rollins WRECKS Solo with a dropkick, then builds speed! But Solo intercepts Rollins with a WHEEL KICK! Solo solved that problem while Raw goes to break.
Raw returns once more and fans sing as Rollins throws body shots! Rollins runs, but Solo fireman’s carries! Rollins fights free, dodge the clothesline and PELES! Solo staggers to ropes and Heyman looks worried. Rollins goes to a corner, Solo runs in but only gets buckles! Solo staggers around again, and Rollins CHOPS! And ROCKS with a haymaker! And CHOPS again! And another haymaker! Rollins repeats, fires off fists from all sides, and fans fire up! Rollins whips, Solo reverses but Rollins reverses back to ROCK Solo with a forearm! And LARIAT! Solo stays up so Rollins LARIATS again!
Solo still stays up so Rollins tries again, but Solo catches him into a clinch! Rollins fights with elbow after elbow, gets free, and he mule kicks! And front kicks! And DISCUS LARIATS! Fans fire up and Rollins is feeling it while Solo bails out. The fans sing, Rollins builds speed, and Rollins DIVES! Direct hit and Solo hits the desk! Rollins gets back in, he builds more speed, and he DIVES again! Another hit and Solo is on the desk! Rollins slides back in, builds more speed and he DIVES again! The hattrick sends Solo tumbling over the desk! Fans fire up and sing some more, and Rollins brings Solo back into the ring.
Rollins aims from the apron, springboards in, but Solo gets under! Rollins comes back, into a SAMOAN DROP! Cover, TWO! Solo grows frustrated, and Heyman is muttering into his phone. Another call to Roman? Solo storms up on Rollins, drags him up, and clinches, for the SPINNING- NO, Rollins slips free to roll Solo up! TWO!! SUPERKICK! Solo wobbles, into the ROLLING- SPINNING SOLO!! Cover, TWO!! Solo is shocked that Rollins survives! Solo stands Rollins up, but Rollins SLAPS him! Rollins laughs and eggs the “big boy” on! “Is that all you got? Or are you just Roman’s little b*tch?”
Solo drags Rollins right up for a SPINNING SOLO!! But Solo isn’t done, he rains down hammer fists! The ref reprimands, Solo storms up on him, but Heyman has him stand down. Solo pursues Rollins out of the ring, around the way, and SMACKS him off the desk! Rollins staggers around, Solo scoops him, but Rollins slips off! Rollins POSTS Solo! They both slide into the ring, and Rollins SUPERKICKS! Solo wobbles, into the ROLLING ELBOW! But THE USOS ATTACK!
Winner: Seth Rollins, by disqualification
But here come Riddle, Kevin & Sami! They all brawl with the Bloodline! Rollins joins in to mug Solo, and Raw is going off the air! Which side will even make it to SmackDown this Friday in Puerto Rico?
My Thoughts:
A really good Raw, but this still had a bit of that Go-Home Syndrome with a lot of video packages to hype up superstars, even those staying on Raw. As for the Draft, HHH overhyped it by quite a bit. This didn’t really shake WWE to its core. We got the same dumb change Vince pulled: move the women’s champions to force them to trade belts. That means with Rhea staying on Raw and LWO staying on SmackDown, Rhea keeps the title. And after a really good Mixed Six, the Judgment Day finds a way to beat the LWO again, so how is Zelina supposed to believably beat Rhea? I will say, Priest had a great promo (and Fort Worth was stupid to “What” him just cuz it was in Spanish), but with Priest being the one standing tall, pretty sure Bad Bunny wins that Street Fight.
On the flipside, Bianca and DMG CTRL all being on SmackDown means there’s a tiny chance Iyo Sky can get the Raw Women’s title, and then she trades belts with Rhea. And good match from Bayley & Kai VS Liv & Raquel, and good win for DMG CTRL. Now, them challenging for the belts make sense, but I don’t see Bayley & Kai winning them, because the logical move is that DMG CTRL is falling apart and Bayley will be to blame. But Ronda & Shayna are on Raw to be on the same brand as Liv & Raquel, so pretty sure they’re still going to give us that feud and that will get Ronda & Shayna the titles.
Another title outcome ruined by the Draft is the US Championship. Bronson Reed is staying here on Raw, so he’s immediately out of the running since Theory and Lashley are on SmackDown. And it’d be a shame if Theory retained because of another Triple Threat. And Sheamus no longer gets a chance at the Intercontinental Championship because the Brawling Brutes stay on SmackDown. But at least that means they can feud with LA Knight, which could actually be a lot of fun. Asuka going to SmackDown is also a little odd, if only because she already feuded with Bianca and DMG CTRL. Why not give us Asuka VS Rhea on Raw?
Also a little disappointed there wasn’t more thought put into Pretty Deadly getting called up. NXT showed them supposedly being drowned, but there could’ve been something that showed them surviving and making it back in time to be picked here tonight. And then Kayden & Katana being called up when they’re facing Alba & Isla on NXT tomorrow night, what good is that? Who are supposed to be the NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions after next Monday? But at least Cameron Grimes is going to resurface on SmackDown. He’d been off NXT TV so long, I wasn’t sure what was going on. He should’ve been called up sooner, really.
Good match from Braun & Ricochet VS Alpha Academy, good win for Braun & Ricochet, but surprising everyone ends up on Raw. Where’s the drama of Gable not getting to stick with Otis to keep him from going full Otise? Or is that going to finally play out after Backlash, where Otis has to choose? Of course Lesnar is a “free agent”, and he had a great segment with Cody with that ambush and haymaker. But Omos is a Lesnar-esque free agent? What? I suppose it’s fine, as he’ll move to whatever brand needs a big monster for some kind of build. And I actually like that Boogs got picked but Elias hasn’t been. Kinda humbles Elias a bit, doesn’t it?
Really good stuff out of Miz and Nakamura, and I knew right away where Nakamura was going with “chisai kintama.” With word of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship having a tournament (which replaces the King of the Ring tournament for the time being), I bet Nakamura beats Miz to have an easy first round win. And again, great stuff out of The Bloodline stories. Great interaction between Heyman and Rollins to set up Rollins VS Solo, and great stuff from Riddle VS Jimmy, especially the very complex Eddie Guerrero play where Kevin played hurt and Sami did the reporting. And of course Rollins wins by disqualification. This keeps Solo strong where his only clean loss was against Cody Rhodes, and we get a great brawl to close.
My Score: 8.6/10
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London calling to the champion crowns!
SmackDown brings gold to London as LA Knight defends his WWE US Championship and The Street Profits defend their tag team titles! Will the landscape change this close to WrestleMania?
OFFICIAL RESULTS
- WWE Tag Team Championships: The Street Profits VS Pretty Deadly; The Profits win and retain the titles.
- Kayden Carter & Katana Chance VS The Secret Her-vice w/ Chelsea Green; The Secret Her-vice wins.
- WWE United States Championship: LA Knight VS Braun Strowman; Braun wins, by disqualification, and Knight retains the title.
- Charlotte Flair VS Mia Yim w/ B-Fab; Charlotte wins.
- Randy Orton VS Drew McIntyre; McIntyre wins.
- Jimmy Uso VS The Miz; Jimmy wins.
PLAY BY PLAY
Cody Rhodes is here!
We follow The American Nightmare as walks to gorilla, then through the curtain, and London sings along with the song, “WHOA~ OH~!” Cody gets his pyro, says hello to fans along the ramp, and then we get the second “WHOA~ OH~!” and pyro. Cody goes to the ring, grabs a mic, then kneels down to kiss the WWE logo on the mat. The fans continue to sing along all the way to the end, “I AM MY KINGDOM!” The fans then cheer, and Cody holds up the belt to fire them up even more! The fans now sing for “CODY! CODY RHODES~!” and he soaks it in. The fans cheer again as Cody smiles, and he finally says, “So, London~! Whaddya wanna talk about?”
The fans chant “Let’s Go, Cena!” “CENA SUCKS!” Cody hears that dueling, and he smiles again. The song of “CODY! CODY RHODES~!” returns, then they cheer. Cody says, “At WrestleMania 41, I will be facing John Cena…” The fans boo, but Cody says, “I will be facing John Cena as he goes to break the record and win 17. But that is WrestleMania 41. In just a few nights, I will be standing face to face with John Cena in this very same city, in this very same arena.” The fans cheer that, but then here comes Randy Orton! Now the fans sing along with Voices as The Viper heads to the ring. Orton also high-fives fans before he joins Cody.
Orton grabs a mic, paces while the fans keep singing on their own, and then the fans cheer. Orton says he’s not really the sentimental type, but for Cody and for London, screw it. The fans chant “R K O! R K O!” and Orton tells Cody, “Look at you. Look at who you are now, the man you are now. Look at where he came from.” The fans cheer and sing “CODY! CODY RHODES~!” and Orton says he remembers a Cody in his early 20s, just breaking into the business. Cody was busting his ass harder than anyone else. He wasn’t exactly happy, and in fact, he was frustrated. But Cody was man enough, smart enough, to know he needed to grow, and that he couldn’t grow in the WWE.
Cody wasn’t exactly treated fairly in the WWE, so Cody left the WWE! That took some big ass balls to do what he did! Cody changed the business singlehandedly, and everyone in the back knows it. And Orton appreciates Cody for it. But then Cody came back, as they all knew one day he would. And the industry has been changed forever since the day Cody came back to the WWE. Cody is a bit teary eyed as Orton says Cody’s still the same guy, he just did what he set out to do, and he grew. Orton teases he would sing along with the fans, but the fans might leave. The fans again sing “CODY! CODY RHODES~!”
Orton asks if they remember when Cody Rhodes faced Seth Rollins in Hell in a Cell. The fans cheer because they do. Orton says that was impressive, and even impossible, as he started with a partially torn pec and then ended with a fully torn pec! His body changed all kinds of shades of purple that Orton’s never seen on a human body. The pain he must have been in. Cody persevered not just for himself. Maybe not even at all for Cody. It was not even for his family legacy; it was for each and every single fan out there! Then Cody went on to WrestleMania, beat Roman Reigns and finished the story!
But there’s always another story, isn’t there? And Cody’s right in the middle of one. Cody is in charge of his legacy, and it is a privilege for Orton to watch Cody take control of it. Ticket sales have been up, there’s more intrigue around the world, and listen to the people! It is 99.9% all because of Cody! The fans cheer that, and of course they sing. Orton says what he’s trying to say is a long-winded version of he respects Cody, loves him, and is very, very proud of him. The fans cheer that! Orton then says, “But… But now it is time for WrestleMania.” They both look to the sign, and Orton says he can guarantee Cody that Orton will kick Kevin Owens so hard in the head…!
Orton can just feel it already! He forgets how many days are left, but he can’t wait to remove Kevin’s head from his shoulders. And Orton knows Cody will enter champion, exit champion, but not before he beats the holy hell outta Cena all up and down the Vegas strip! But after all the smoke clears and the dust settles, just like Orton wants Number 17, there will come a time when Orton will want Number 15. But Orton won’t kick Cody in the balls like a coward. Orton will look Cody in the eye because he respects Cody, is proud of Cody, and sees him as an equal. Orton will look Cody in the eye and tell him that he’s coming for the title.
The fans cheer but wait! Drew McIntyre is here! The fans cheer the Scottish Terminator as he steps out on stage, mic in hand, and has a wry smile on his face as he looks at the ring. Drew waves as the fans now sing, “OH~ Drew McIntyre~!” Drew says, “Isn’t this wonderful? A couple of nepo babies having a love fest in the middle of the ring> It makes me absolutely sick. What’d you just say, Randy? if Cody gets through Cena at WrestleMania, you’re coming for that title? What exactly have you done since that big comeback to justify that title match? Aside be Randy Orton. The only big moment I can remember is you being on the shelf for months and months and months.
“People like to make jokes about it, but more people talk about my five-minute-45-second title reign than your entire comeback so far! So get to the back of the line, sunshine! As for you, Cody, you should’ve listened to me. But you shunned me. You attacked me. Everybody should’ve listened to me about John Cena, but they didn’t. And the next night, he kicked you right in the twig ‘n’ berries, proving me right as usual. And the main event of WrestleMania should be Cody Rhodes VS The UK’s only ever world champion, Drew McIntyre!” Fans do like that idea. But sadly, it’s not, because of that guyliner wearing Temu Undertaker, Damian Priest!
Drew wants to talk about what is happening. And what’s gonna happen! Drew steps up to the ring while fans sing for him again. Drew says it will not be Randy that takes the title from Cody, should he get through Cena; it’ll be McIntyre. The fans cheer, but Orton says they were trying to have a moment. Can Drew just cut the crap already? Drew says okay, sure. He’ll tell the truth, because that’s all he ever does. The truth is, Kevin might have a point! If those Voices are talking to Orton again, then they know Drew very, very well. And he’s thinking, “My God, Randy looks great! Absolutely jacked! On the outside.”
On the inside, that back is hanging by a thread. And if Orton provokes McIntyre, McIntyre will break him. And as for Cody- Cody kicks Drew and UPPERCUTS him! The fans fire up, and Orton R- NO, Drew gets away! The fans boo, but the battlelines are drawn! Even if Cody makes it out of the frying pan that is Las Vegas, it’ll be into the fire that is these contenders waiting in line! Will the American Nightmare be ready for whoever comes for the crown?
WWE Tag Team Championships: The Street Profits VS Pretty Deadly!
Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins are finally golden again, but it’s time to put the titles on the line already! And while they’re ready for the grind, they’re up against the hometown heroes! Will the Profits still be up in the O2? Or will Kit Wilson & Elton Prince say #YESBOY to a new reign of their own?
The introductions are made, the belts are raised, and we see who really wants the smoke!
The teams sort out and Kit starts with Dawkins. They tie up, Dawkins headlocks, but Kit powers up and out. Dawkins runs Kit over, the fans fire up, and Dawkins fires hands on Kit in the corner! The fans rally for Pretty Deadly, Dawkins whips Kit to a corner, but Elton takes that bump! Kit CLOBBERS Dawkins, then tags Elton! Atomic drop into DROPKICK! Ford runs up, but into a DOUBLE HIP TOSS! Dawkins whips, Elton reverses, and then Elton hurdles so Kit can DDT! The fans fire up with Pretty Deadly while the Profits bail out. Pretty Deadly has control while SmackDown goes picture in picture.
Elton is right on Dawkins as he gets in, and UPPERCUTS him to the corner. Elton clinches Dawkins for another UPPERCUT! Tag to Kit, and Elton RAMS into Dawkins so Kit can UPPERCUT! Dawkins flops over, Kit drags him up to wrench the arm. Kit whips, Dawkins reverses, but Kit grabs ropes. Kit ELBOWS Dawkins, DECKS Ford, but Dawkins CLOBBERS Kit! The ref reprimands but Dawkins RAMS Kit into the corner again and again! The ref counts, Dawkins fires fast hands, then he tags in Ford. Ford says, “SUCK IT!” then he KICKS Kit! Ford scuffs Kit, then drags him to a cover, TWO!
Ford keeps Kit down with a facelock, but Kit endures the grind. Kit fights up, fires body shots, but Ford whips him away. Kit sunset flips! Ford rolls through, and PENALTY KICKS! Ford mocks Elton with the Scott Hall fingers, and the ref has to keep Elton back. Ford drags Kit up, tags Dawkins, and the Profits mug Kit. Dawkins CLUBS Kit down, then stalks him. Dawkins stays between Kit and Elton, then whips Kit into the Profits’ corner. CYCLONE- NO, Kit dodges! Ford tags in, he keeps Kit from Elton now, but Kit slips out of the suplex! Kit fakes high to go low, hot tag to Elton! Elton rallies with LARIAT after LARIAT!
Elton kicks and whips Ford to a corner, then UPPERCUTS! Elton whips the other way, UPPERCUTS again, and then does it again! Elton adds to the hattrick with a lift, Ford says a quick prayer before the SUPLEX! Ford flounders, gets to his feet, but Elton dodges to springboard and FLYING UPPERCUT! Cover, TWO! Ford stays in this, but Elton stays on him. SmackDown returns to single picture and fans rally for Pretty Deadly as Elton gives Ford a back suplex. Ford lands out, waistlocks, but Elton switches and shoves Ford. Ford CLOBBERS Elton in return! Ford is also dazed but he covers, ONE!
Kit reaches out, Elton and Ford both crawl, hot tags to Kit and Dawkins! The fans fire up as Dawkins wrenches Kit, underhooks and SILENCER! Dawkins Electric Chair Lifts Kit, Ford climbs, but Kit slips free! Kit shoves Dawkins into Ford! Ford falls to the floor, but Dawkins ENZIGIRIS Kit! Elton tags in, and Kit LARIATS Dawkins! Pretty Deadly combine for DRY MARTI-KNEES! Cover, TWO!! Dawkins survives and the Profits are a bit unsure of what to do next. Dawkins crawls to a corner, Elton runs up, but Dawkins dodges! Elton hits buckles and Dawkins TOSSES Kit, then Dawkins hits a SKY HIGH on Elton!
Dawkins hurries to tag Ford and Ford climbs up! But Kit pushes Elton out of the way! Kit takes FROM THE HEAVESN, and Elton ghost pins Ford! TWO!! Ford escapes, and he ROCKS Elton! Elton UPPERCUTS Ford! Dawkins sneaks a tag, Ford SUPERKICKS! POUNCE SAIDO COMBO!! Cover, KIT BREAKS IT! The fans fire up while all four men are down! The teams go to opposite ends, then they all stand up in the corners. They all roar, all run in, and Kit SPEARS Ford while Elton FLYING UPPERCUTS Dawkins!! London is thunderous, and Kit hurries to tag in! Pretty Deadly gets Dawkins up, for SPILT MILK!! Cover, FORD BREAKS IT!
The fans are shocked, as is Elton, but Ford saves this for his team! “This is Awesome!” as Ford runs up and Elton TOSSES him out! Now DRY MARTI- NO! Dawkins doesn’t accept the second serving, and he DUMPS Kit out! Kit skins the cat while Dawkins DECKS Elton! Dawkins catches Kit to an Electric Chair! Ford rises, DOOMSDAY BLOCKBUSTER!! Cover, Profits win!
Winners: The Street Profits, by pinfall (still WWE Tag Team Champions)
Pretty Deadly put up a heroic fight, but the hometown heroes could not capture the gold. Dawkins & Ford hold onto the gold, will this be the strongest the Profits have ever been?
Kayden & Katana talk with Zelina Vega.
Carter & Chance know La Muneca got screwed over by The Green Administration. Chelsea thinks she’s untouchable, but someone’s gonna stop them eventually. Well, speaking of, Alba Fyre leads the way in as she & Piper Niven “scope the perimeter.” There’s one small threat. They frisk the “miniscule” threat, but nothing they haven’t dealt with before. Chelsea struts in and says, “The Eagle has landed~!” Zelina says she is so glad the “Bootleg Men in Black” have crashed the party. Now, yeah, they all know she’s small. But clearly this small “threat” is a big threat to Chelsea’s title reign. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have taken all three of them to beat her.
KC Squared agree with that. How about tonight, we see what happens when the odds are even? Chelsea says that’s fine, because Agents P & A are ready. The Secret Her-vice has been given their next mission, but will they be able to crash the party? Or will the party crash them?
Kayden Carter & Katana Chance VS The Secret Her-vice!
SmackDown returns and The Green Administration makes their entrance. The teams sort out, Alba starts against Katana, and the two tie up. Alba KNEES low, CLUBS Katana down, then fireman’s carries. Katana fights free, tags Kayden, and they KICK, double whip, and then trip Alba up for the basement DROPKICK! Katana adds a slingshot SENTON, Kayden covers, TWO! Kayden tags Katana, they double whip Alba to a corner, then Kayden runs in. Alba DUMPS Kayden out, ROCKS Katana, and she tags Piper! Katana arm-drags Alba out, then goes out to run up. Kayden gives her a boost, Katana CROSSBODIES Alba down!
The fans fire up, but Piper goes up and out?! CANNONBALL and down goes KC Squared! Piper salutes Chelsea and SmackDown goes to break.
SmackDown returns, Kayden rallies on Alba while the fans rally up. Kayden fires up, runs in and whips, but Alba reverses. Kayden wheelbarrows, victory rolls, then SUPERKICKS! Kayden fires up again but the fans are torn. Kayden runs in at Alba to BOOT WASH her against the ropes! Chelsea protests, Kayden kicks at her, then Kayden springboards for a LEG DROP! Cover, TWO! Alba survives, Kayden whips, but Alba KICKS back! Tag to Piper, but Kayden jackknife bridges Alba! The ref explains bout the tag, Piper runs up, but Kayden moves! The SENTON hits Alba! Piper panics, Kayden tags Katana!
Katana goes up onto Kayden’s shoulders, VICTORY ROLL LAUNCHER, but Piper catches Katana! Katana fires hands, BOOTS, and then hurries to go up again. Kayden ROCKS Piper, and fireman’s carries?! SAMOAN DROP! Kayden then gives Katana the boost, for the KEG STAND SPLASH!! Cover, ALBA BREAKS IT! Kayden runs up on Alba to BOOT her out! Katana gives Kayden the boost now, SUPER CROSSBODY onto Alba! Kayden hurries to tag back in, and she brings Piper up. Piper swings, Kayden dodges and SUPERKICKS! Katana goes up, Piper staggers over that way, but Chelsea distracts the ref!
The fans are torn as Alba grabs Katana. Katana kicks Alba down, chases Chelsea off, but Piper sends Kayden into her! Piper scoops to PIPER DRIVER!! Cover, Secret Her-vice wins!
Winner: The Secret Her-vice, by pinfall
The Women’s US Champion helps her team, and now they all mug Kayden & Katana! But here comes Zelina! Vega runs down the ramp, CLOBBERS Alba, and then she gets in the ring! Zelina tilt-o-whirl DDTS Piper! And she KNEES Alba off the apron! But Chelsea CLOBBERS Zelina! Chelsea fires up, the UK is oddly with her, and she chicken wings Zeina. But Zelina fights free to fire forearms and body shots! And a BACK ELBOW! Zelina reels Chelsea in, CODE- SUPERKICK from Alba! SENTON from Piper! The Green Administration is just too much for Zelina to fight against alone! But can she, Kayden & Katana find a way to turn things around?
WWE United States Championship: LA Knight VS Braun Strowman!
Did the Mega Star just get this title back from Shinsuke Nakamura? YEAH! Did he help the Monster of All Monsters fight off Solo Sikoa’s rouge bloodline? YEAH! And now, does he have to defend this title against the monster he just helped? YEAH!! But will Knight still reign this close to WrestleMania? Or will Braun #GetTheseHands back on a championship?
The introductions are made, the belt is raised, and it’s time for Knight’s biggest challenge, YEAH!
The bell rings and the fans rally up as the two circle. The two tie up, and Braun SHOVES Knight away. Knight comes back, Braun SHOVES him down again! Knight gets up, gets around, and he headlocks. Braun powers up to back suplex, but Knight lands out! Knight tries but Braun’s too big to suplex! Braun ELBOWS Knight, storms up on him, but Knight fires haymakers! Knight whips, Braun reverses, but Knight KICKS back! Knight runs, but Braun HIP TOSSES! Cover, TWO! Knight stays in this, but Braun brings him up. Braun puts Knight in a corner, CHOPS, then runs, for a SPLASH! Knight sputters along ropes, Braun keeps moving, but Knight DUMPS him out!
The fans fire up as Knight then WRECKS Braun with a dropkick! Knight keeps moving, and he WRECKS Braun again! The fans fire up with Knight, but then Braun BOOTS Knight down! The fans are torn but Braun stands tall as SmackDown goes to break.
SmackDown returns and Braun puts Knight back in the ring. The fans cheer as Knight KICKS Braun! Knight tries again, but Braun’s still too big to back suplex! Braun CLUBS Knight, then runs in at the corner. Knight BOOTS Braun, goes up, and FLYING BULLDOGS! Both men are down and the fans fire up! Knight and Braun rise back up, and Knight dodges a shot to JAB! Then he dodges to JAB! JAB! JAB! “YEAH! YEAH! YEAH!” But Braun KNEES low! Braun scoops, Knight slips free, and Knight RAMS Braun into buckles! Then the BACK SUPLEX! The fans fire up and Knight rises again! Knight spells it out, “L! A! KNIGHT! YEAH!” ELBOW DROP! Cover, TWO!
Braun has plenty left in the tank but the fans rally for Knight. Knight stands Braun up to kick low, but Braun THROWS Knight away! Knight rises, and Braun LARIATS Knight up and out! The fans fire up as Braun rips the shirt! Braun gets on the track, and he runs in, STROWMAN EXPRESS MEETS JACOB FATU!! The Samoan Werewolf strikes Braun down!
Winner: Braun Strowman, by disqualification; LA Knight retains the title
The fans boo as Jacob now goes after Knight! He just ruined what was becoming a great match, but Jacob fires HEADBUTT after HEADBUTT on Braun! SAMOAN DROP onto the desk!! The desk doesn’t budge, but Braun might’ve been broken in half! The UK fires up for Fatu as he puts Braun in the ring! Jacob fires more HEADBUTTS, then HEADBUTTS away on Braun in the corner! The fans sing “OLE~ OLE OLE OLE, FATU~, FATU~!” Jacob runs corner to corner, but Knight kicks him first! Knight fires haymakers, “YEAH! YEAH! YEAH!” Jacob denies the BFT to POP-UP SAMOAN DROP! And then HIP ATTACK for Braun anyway!
Jacob keeps going, HIP ATTACK for Braun again! Jacob throws off his jacket, glares at Braun, and he runs in for a third HIP ATTACK! Braun flounders into the drop zone, so Jacob goes up, up, BEST MOONSAULT EVER! Direct hit on Braun, but the fans want that “ONE MORE TIME!” Jacob obliges, BEST MOONSAULT EVER! The Samoan Werewolf just tore up #OneBigSOB and LA Knight, will there be no stopping him from taking the United States Championship?
Backstage interview with Jimmy Uso.
Jackie Redmond is with #BigJim, and she says that while she knew WWE was going global this month, she did not know they’d get the slap heard ’round the world! Jimmy says he’d do it again, and he’ll slap Gunther as many times as he needs! Jimmy knows Jey is up in his own head, doubt is creeping on him. But just because Jey’s 0-3 against Gunther doesn’t mean Gunther’s unbeatable! The Ring General CAN be got! Jimmy’s going to Raw this Monday, he will bust Gunther’s ass, Jey will go to Mania and bust Gunther’s ass to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. And then they leave Las Vegas just like this: YEET!
Jimmy heads out, but then The Miz & Carmelo Hayes walk by. Miz is mocking Jimmy’s words, and he asks excuse me. Miz says it’s just funny that suddenly, Jimmy is a tough guy, even though for most of his career, he’s been “The Other Uso.” Doesn’t Jimmy get it? Jimmy and Jey are career sidekicks while Gunther is a main character. Gunther is the lead, neither Jimmy nor Jey can beat him. And here’s another thing: The Usos are just blips on the trailer that was Roman Reigns’ Bloodline. Melo says Jimmy & Jey are stuck outside the club, they can’t even get in.
Miz says as a former WWE Champion, a former WrestleMania main eventer, Jimmy will never know what it is to carry this industry. And after this year’s WrestleMania, neither will Jey. Oh, and by the way, if Jimmy ever slapped Miz like that, Jimmy would still be on the ground. Jimmy feints the slap and Miz freaks out. Jimmy says it may be him and Gunther on Monday, but he’ll holler at Aldis real quick so it can be Jimmy VS Miz here tonight. Yeah, YEET! Jimmy heads out, Melo says he thought Miz was gonna do something about the slap. Will Miz have to do something about running his mouth before he gets his teeth kicked in?
Solo Sikoa & Tama Tonga find Jacob Fatu backstage.
Solo asks Jacob what the Hell he was doing out there. Jacob goes out there alone without saying a thing to them? Jacob says he ain’t gotta say nothing to nobody! Matter fact, didn’t Solo not tap in with him last week? Tama says, “But Jacob,” only for Jacob to say, “But nothing, Tama!” Solo wants Jacob to lower his tone, but Jacob says okay. Let him be very clear with them. When it comes to Braun Strowman, Jacob WILL be the last man standing. Y’all better get in where you fit in, cuz that US title? Oh, Jacob’s bringing it home to the family. And he will do it with them, or without them! Yadada mean? Fatu heads out, is the Samoan Werewolf no longer following Solo?
Naomi speaks.
“I mean… How did we even get here? I don’t know. One thing that I do know is that I’ve always been the woman to do the right thing. I’ve always been the woman to do the right thing. So Bianca, what makes you think that my attack on Jade was anything different from me doing the right thing? When I sit here and I think about all that I’ve sacrificed, all that I’ve given, and that’s what really breaks my heart. Because through all of that, I’m made to be the bad one in this situation. I just don’t understand, how does Jade come in outta nowhere and take my place with you? I want you to ask yourself this, Bianca. Who inspired you? Hmm?
“Who’s inspired women over the last decade? Who’s always had your back from day one of you being here? Me. Not Jade. Hmm. But you know what? What I’ve learned through all of this: You teach people how to treat you. And I’m done with being treated as a third wheel. I’m done being pushed to the side, I’m done with being too nice, I’m done with being undervalued, underutilized, underappreciated! So moving forward, hmm… Moving forward, here’s my message to you, Jade. If you continue to be in my way, I strongly advise you to proceed with caution.” The Glow shows her dark side, but will the storm be moved?
Nick Aldis meets with Jade Cargill.
Speaking of, the SmackDown General Manager understands things have been rather difficult for her as of late. Jade says she’s been trying to get her hands on Naomi for the past few weeks, now where is she? No one has seen her all day, so as far as anyone knows, Naomi’s not here. Well, when Jade catches Naomi, it’s on sight. Jade leaves, B-Fab & Michin are there. They let her know that what Naomi did to her was straight trash, totally uncalled for behavior. And after Jade gets her hands on Naomi, she’ll handle that business. Jade agrees. Mia says they’ve all got business to handle. Jade’s got Naomi, and Mia’s gonna get Charlotte for messing with her girl, B.
B-Fab says Naomi’s got what’s coming to her: no sympathy, no regrets. Jade, just do what you gotta do. Oh, she will. Jade also wishes Mia luck tonight. Mia & B-Fab head out, will the Head Baddie in Charge make the Queen bow down in London?
The darkness approaches.
“You are as I was. As I am, you will be.” The shadows are starting to take shape, but is SmackDown about to fade to black?
Charlotte Flair VS Mia Yim w/ B-Fab!
The Queen looks down on everyone, so it’s no surprise that everyone else wants to take her down. Charlotte may have checked off B-Fab, but will the HBIC be a much different story? Or will Charlotte only sharpen her edge before facing Tiffany Stratton at WrestleMania?
WAIT! NAOMI ATTACKS B-FAB & MICHIN! Naomi drags Mia up for a FACEBUSTER! Naomi rains down fists, the ref reprimands and the fans boo, but Naomi tells the ref to back off. Naomi then BOOTS B-Fab off the apron! Naomi goes out after B-Fab to THRWO her into barriers! Naomi SLAPS B-Fab, tells her to stay down, but B-Fab gets up. Naomi fires hands, then she SMACKS B-Fab off the desk! Naomi rains down fists, but here comes Jade! Jade hurries down the ramp, she runs around the way, but Naomi runs away! Jade makes sure B-Fab is okay, but refs have to help her to the back. And what of Mia? Will she even be able to compete?
Charlotte makes her entrance, not really caring about what Naomi just did to Mia. But that means she also crosses paths with Jade. The fans like the look of this stare down, but Jade and Charlotte both let the other slide. Charlotte gets her pyro, and it seems she’ll still get her match. Will Mia be little more than an appetizer now?
The bell rings, and Charlotte BOOTS Mia down! Cover, TWO! Mia stays in this and the fans rally up. Charlotte just struts around while SmackDown goes to break.
SmackDown returns, Charlotte has Mia down with a chinlock, but the fans rally up. Mia fights up, fires body shots, and she then blocks a shot to ROCK Charlotte! Mia ROCKS Charlotte again and again, then reels her in for a TORNADO DDT! The fans fire up as Mia hurries to cover, TWO! Mia drags Charlotte up, wrenches, but Charlotte says no to Da Feet! BIG back suplex! Mia stagger sup, Charlotte whips her, but Mia reverses! Charlotte goes up and out, BOOTS her away, then slingshots in and rolls Mia! Mia rolls through and BUZZSAWS! Mia runs corner to corner, but Charlotte avoids the cannonball!
Charlotte YAKUZA KICKS Mia down, then fires herself up! The fans “WOO~!” as Charlotte has Mia in the drop zone,. Charlotte steps on her, goes up the corner, but Mia gets underneath her! SIT-OUT POWERBOMB! Cover, TWO! Charlotte survives and Mia is shocked! Mia nods as the fans rally back up, and she brings Charlotte up. But Charlotte ROCKS Mia! Mia SOBATS, PELES, and then runs to PENALTY KICK! Cover, TWO! Charlotte stays in this, Mia grows frustrated, but the fans continue to rally. Mia uses that energy to stay focused, and she stalks Charlotte to waistlock. But Charlotte ELBOWS her away!
Charlotte CHOPS, and CHOPS, and CHOSP! Charlotte winds up, and she CHOPS again! Mia sputters, but then she dodges the boot! Charlotte is caught, and Mia hits a SAIDO! Charlotte flounders to a corner, the fans rally behind Mia, and Mia runs up, CANNONBALL! Mia hurries to wrench and EAT- NO, Charlotte shoves Mia away! Charlotte gets under, back suplexes, but Mia lands out! EAT DA FEET!! Cover, ROPEBREAK!! Charlotte’s long legs help her survive by a literal foot! Mia is beside herself while Charlotte bails out. Mia storms after Charlotte, runs up, but Charlotte dodges! Mia’s kick hits steel steps!
Mia hobbles away, goes to the apron, but Charlotte CHOP BLOCKS the bad leg out! Charlotte grabs Mia’s leg, drops a KNEE on the knee, but fans chant, “We Want Tiffy!” Charlotte just steps through, FIGURE FOUR, into FIGURE EIGHT!! Mia taps, Charlotte wins!
Winner: Charlotte Flair, by submission
Charlotte got more of a fight out of Mia than expected, but she still won. Will The Queen be more than ready to reign again after WrestleMania?
Backstage interview with Tiffany Stratton.
Jackie Redmond is with the WWE Women’s Champion and says Charlotte certainly looks confident. Let’s be real, Charlotte came at Tiff pretty hard. It got a lot of people talking. Tiff says yes, people talk. And Charlotte sure loves to hear herself talk. Ten years into the business and Charlotte is still so insecure that she can’t let a “rookie” get a word out. But last week, Tiff did learn something: She learned that walking into WrestleMania, she isn’t the one with something to lose. Truth is, if Tiff loses, then she lost to the great Charlotte Flair, as just a 25-year-old rookie with one year into SmackDown.
But if Charlotte loses… Well, then she lost to an “undeserving, delusional, unoriginal, backflip doing, blonde-hair-having, little girl.” Did she get it all? And Tiff can’t wait to hear the look on Charlotte’s face when they hear the words, “And STILL!” Then maybe Charlotte will finally shut up for the sake of literally everyone! They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, and Tiff will make damn sure what stays is Charlotte’s massive ego. Tiff is walking into and out of Mania as the WWE Women’s Champion. Tootles! Tiff heads out, will it still be #TiffyTime after WrestleMania?
Randy Orton VS Drew McIntyre!
The Viper told Cody how proud he was, but also how he wants the next shot after John Cena. The Scottish Terminator took offense to that, and basically said he is taking that shot instead. Will this match be an unofficial #1 contender’s match between these two former world champions?
SmackDown returns and McIntyre makes his entrance. The bell rings and the fans sing, “OH~, Drew McIntyre~!” and chant “R K O! R K O!” Drew and Orton circle, tie up, and they go around in a deadlock. Drew powers Orton to a corner, but Orton headlocks back. Drew powers up and out, then he runs Orton over! Orton hurries to ropes and Drew mockingly asks, “How’s the back feel, Randy?” Orton stands, he and Drew reset, and the fans duel some more. Drew calls for a knuckle lock, Orton accepts, but then Drew kicks low! Drew bumps Orton off buckles, then climbs up, but he panders for too long and Orton YANKS him down!
The fans fire up as Orton climbs now! Orton rains down fists, and the fans count to nine. Orton hops down, brings Drew around, and POSTS him for ten! Drew tumbles out of the ring, Orton goes out after him, and they’re by the desk! But Drew kicks Orton first and SMACKS him off the desk! Drew clears the desk, and he brings Orton up for the DESK- NO, Orton fights free! Orton turns things around, DESK BACK SUPLEX for Drew! The fans fire up while Orton leaves Drew behind, and SmackDown goes picture in picture.
Drew writhes on the floor, but Orton goes out to fetch him! Orton brings Drew around, UPPERCUTS him, then says one more time! DESK BACK SUPLEX! Drew writhes as that desk stays standing! Orton grins, refreshes the ring count, and then he storms up on Drew. Drew pokes Orton in the eye! Drew POSTS Orton now, then brings him around to RUSSIAN LEG SWEEP into barriers! Orton slumps down, and Drew also grits his teeth from that double-edged attack, but Drew fires up as he stands tall. Drew drags Orton up, puts him in the ring, then stalks Orton. Drew looms over Orton, and HIP DROPS him!
Orton sputters, Drew says one more time, and he winds up for the HIP DROP! Drew paces around Orton, says maybe one more time, and he pretends he can’t hear the fans. Drew winds up again, but Orton flips over! Hip drop meets kneecaps! And then Orton pokes Drew in the eyes! The ref reprimands but Orton rises up. Drew sputters and flounders, Orton ROCKS him with a right! Drew ROCKS Orton back! Drew storms up, Orton kicks low, but Drew fires another haymaker! The haymakers go back and forth, Orton gets the edge, but Drew GLASGOW KISS HEADBUTTS! Cover, TWO! Drew clamps onto Orton with an armlock!
SmackDown returns to single picture and the fans rally up. Orton fights up, pries at the chinbar, and then throws right hands! Drew CHOPS Orton in return! The fans “WOO~” and Drew winds up. Drew ROCKS Orton again, eggs him on, then CHOPS again! Drew shoves Orton to a corner, CHOPS again, then dares Orton to fight! Drew whips corner to corner, but Orton comes back to LARIAT! And LARIAT! Drew swings, Orton dodges, SNAP POWERSLAM! The fans fire up as Orton stalks Drew to the apron. Drew HOTSHOTS Orton first! Drew then runs in, but Orton puts him through the ropes!
The fans fire up as Orton has Drew for the DRAPING DDT! The fans fire up for Orton, and Orton hears those voices! Drew rises, but then Orton spots KEVIN OWENS! The Prizefighter is on the ramp, Orton glares at him, but then he turns around into a CLAYMORE!! Cover, DREW WINS!
Winner: Drew McIntyre, by pinfall
Kevin’s mere presence costs Orton, and now Drew has a huge win propelling him down the Road to WrestleMania! As for Orton, Kevin drags him out of the ring, SMACKS him off the desk, and then climbs up to join him! The fans boo but Kevin and his hot pink sneakers have Orton in position, but Orton slips free and TRIPS Kevin up! Kevin hits the desk then the floor! Orton staggers around, the fans rally behind him, and Orton stalks Kevin to the corner of the barriers. Orton lines up the shot! Orton runs in, but Kevin jumps over barriers! Security is there to stop Orton from pursuing, so Kevin runs away into the night!
The fans boo, but The Viper was that close! Will Orton be able to strike Kevin down and completely take him out?
Fire, thunder, smoke…
The force of nature is drawing ever closer. And he’s ready to fly! REY FENIX arrives next Friday Night SmackDown!
Jimmy Uso VS The Miz!
#BigJim gave Gunther a piece of his mind and a mark on his cheek, but it seems not everyone got the message. Will the Hollywood A-lister soon star in the Uso Penitentiary? Or will he prove Jimmy is NOT ready for a world champion level opponent?
The bell rings and the two tie up. Jimmy powers Miz to a corner, Miz turns things around, and the ref counts. Miz takes a swing, Jimmy ducks it to CHOP! And CHOP! Miz shoves Jimmy back, then runs up, but Jimmy TACKLES Miz! Jimmy rains down fists, Miz shoves him away to go to ropes, but Jimmy storms back up. Miz ELBOWS Jimmy away, then runs back up, only for Jimmy to LARIAT him down! The fans fire up while Jimmy storms up on Miz. Jimmy CHOPS Miz, has him in a corner, then whips corner to corner. Miz reverses, Jimmy goes up and over, then UPPERCUTS! Miz staggers back to ropes, but Jimmy is right on him.
Jimmy whips, Miz reverses and kitchen sink knees! Then basement BOOTS! The fans fire up, Miz scowls, and Miz KNEES Jimmy in the back again and again. Miz stalks Jimmy to the ropes now, and he CHOKES Jimmy! The ref counts, Miz runs, and Miz STRADDLE ATTACKS! The fans boo, but Miz runs again. Jimmy ducks the boot, then dodges a lariat! Jimmy runs up to LARIAT Miz up and out! The fans fire up and Jimmy builds speed, but Miz runs away! Jimmy smirks as he goes out the side, and UPPERCUTS Miz over the barriers! Jimmy makes sure Gunther knows he’s coming to get him, but SmackDown goes to break.
SmackDown returns and both men are down. Miz and Jimmy crawl, and Jimmy pounds the mat. The fans rally, Jimmy rises and runs up to LARIAT! And LARIAT! And mule kick! Jimmy then UPPERCUTS Miz, dodges a lariat, then SAMOAN DROPS! The fans fire up, Jimmy goes to the corner, “UCE! OH!” Jimmy runs in, but Miz puts him on the apron! Jimmy UPPERCUTS again! Jimmy climbs, leaps, but Miz gets under! Miz then waistlocks, ripcords, and MOVIE MAKER! Fans boo that blatant parody, but Miz full nelsons! Jimmy drops, victory rolls, TWO! Miz has the cover, TWO! Miz hurries to BASEMENT DDT! Cover, TWO!
The fans rally up as Jimmy survives! Miz stalks Jimmy, the fans rally up more, and Miz fires a KICK! And then another KICK! The fans say “YES! YES! YES!” to the It Kicks, but then Miz winds up. Jimmy ducks the buzzsaw, Miz blocks the superkick, but the DRAGON WHIP connects! Miz rebounds to B-MOVIE KNEE!! Cover, TWO!! The parodies don’t get it done, but Miz still has his original work to fall back on. The fans rally for “UCE! OH! UCE! OH!” Miz runs in, A-LIST LARIAT! Miz shoves Jimmy down, then springboards, but into a SUPERKICK! Jimmy hurries up top, for the USO SPLASH!! Cover, Jimmy wins!
Winner: Jimmy Uso, by pinfall
Miz may be a movie star, but Big Jim’s the one winning this main event! Jimmy then borrows Joe Tessitore’s headset to call out Gunther! He’s coming after dat ass on Monday! Gunther won’t be the ring general, he will be “Private Gunther,” and he will salute Big Jim! Uh, uh, YEET! Will Jimmy be the one making examples out of the World Heavyweight Champion? Or will everything come crashing down when Gunther gets his turn?
Drew McIntyre returns backstage.
And he says hey to Lewis Capaldi, the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, and also a big fan of Drew’s. They’re ready to have a good night in the pub, but Jackie Redmond walks over to congratulate him on the win tonight. She was hoping to get some thoughts on that victory and what happened with Orton and Kevin. Drew says it’s alright, this is what happens. He doesn’t care about anybody else’s business, but no one gets away with screwing him over. And when no one meddles in his business, he wins! Drew called out Priest, where is he? Priest doesn’t have the balls! So time to get mad in the pubs, everyone’s invited!
Drew turns the corner, but PRIEST IS THERE! Priest ROCKS Drew, SMACKS him off the door, then throws him into road cases! Priest ROCKS Drew, SMACKS him off the trunk of a car, and then again! Or since it’s London, “the boot.” The driver complains, but Priest BODY SLAMS that guy through a table! Drew comes back to KNEE Priest low, SMACK him off the trunk, and then off the side! They go to the hood, or bonnet for UK. Drew drags Priest up, but Priest CLAWS Drew’s eyes! Priest then sends Drew SOUTH OF HEAVEN through the windshield! Priest tells security that he’s done for now. Any more jokes, Drew? Didn’t think so! RIP, jackass!
Priest leaves, the producers hurry to help Drew, and Drew’s got glass in his eye! Will that glass help Drew see why he shouldn’t piss off the Punisher?
CM Punk heads to gorilla.
He has a security detail with him, and he passes by Drew writhing in pain. Punk chuckles, then continues on. Will his contract signing with Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins be just as brutal? We find out, after the break.
Nick Aldis is in the ring.
The SmackDown General Manager welcomes us back, and says it is his honor and privilege to be here in the O2 in London. Now, we all know why he and this table is here, and why additional security is here tonight. Tonight, we are here to sign a contract for a Triple Threat. Perhaps the biggest Triple Threat in the history of WrestleMania: Seth Rollins VS CM Punk VS Roman Reigns! The fans cheer all those names, and here comes the OTC! London puts the ones up, and Paul Heyman accompanies THE Tribal Chief out on stage. Roman raises his finger to the sky for the pyro, then security follows him to the ring.
SmackDown goes picture in picture as Roman’s entrance continues, and he raises his finger to the sky for the second round of pyro. Roman steps into the ring, SmackDown returns to single picture, and Heyman hands him a mic. The fans sing, “ROMAN! ROMAN REIGNS~!” Roman nods, the fans cheer, and now they chant, “O T C! O T C!” Roman tells London, “ACKNOWLEDGE ME!” The fans cheer again, and again chant, “O T C! O T C!” Roman smiles, but he sees the chairs are not to his liking. Heyman makes sure to put one at the head of the table. Heyman also dusts the chair off while Roman enjoys the singing of, “ROMAN! ROMAN REIGNS~!”
Roman takes a seat and says that was beautiful. The way they sing to their Tribal Chief, it’s just beautiful. The singing continues, and Heyman even joins in! Roman smiles, and he says that is what he’s talking about. That’s the OTC for you, baby! The biggest star on the planet! The OTC came here for two reasons. One: to be acknowledged; check! And two: to sign this contract. Roman does just that, and he says he’s checked both boxes. That means- “BURN IT DOWN!” Seth Rollins interrupts! The fans now sing, “WHOA~ OH~ OHH~!” Rollins struts out in his red wine paisley suit and conducts the O2 Choir all the way into the ring.
The fans cheer while Roman frowns, but Rollins takes the seat to Roman’s left. Rollins offers Heyman a chance to sing to this song, but Heyman frowns. Rollins chuckles, and he says the fans do have beautiful singing voices. He doesn’t know why Roman is in such a hurry to leave, though! This is their building! There’s a lot of history here! 12 years ago, they landed on the roof of this place in a helicopter! They came down those stairs over there, “ready to burn down the old guard!” They put the Undertaker down through the desk, and they were going to remake this company in their image!
Now don’t get him wrong, Rollins knows a lot has happened since then. They fought against each other, with each other, a little bit of love and a whole lot of hate. But Rollins dare says, as the fans continue to sing “WHOA~ OH~ OHH~,” that Rollins and Roman accomplished their mission. The fans start to chant for CM Punk, but Rollins tunes them out. Roman says, “We? We? You keep saying we. Our mission? We died a long time ago. It’s only been ME. You been here, but I done all the work! I’ve made this place what it is today! I took us to the level that we are here today! I made this place better than we found it!
“I’m the one that made us desirable to Netflix! I’m the one that took us into billion-dollar deals! Tell me, what have you done?” Rollins shouts, “I’ll tell you what I’ve done! YOU, YOU, YOU, it’s that mindset that keeps me having to screw you! You understand that? And your biggest mistake is not understanding the danger that’s right in front of us! The danger that’s right in front of you! You let the biggest snake in the world, CM Punk, into the garden! And you could’ve cut his head off at WarGames! But instead, you shook his hand. You could’ve let me finish him inside the cage at The Garden, but you didn’t. And now, I am left to do what I always do: Clean up your mess, again.”
Rollins drops his mic, picks up the pen, and signs his part. And now, here comes CM PUNK! The fans fire up and sing along with Cult of Personality, then join in on saying, “IT’S CLOBBERIN’ TIME~!” Punk goes to the ring, but as he grabs a mic, he goes up a corner, just like he did last Friday. “I have come here to chew bubblegum and sign a contract. And I’m all outta bubblegum.” The fans cheer the Rowdy Roddy Piper reference, and Punk hops down to take his seat on Roman’s right. Punk looks over said contract, but Roman asks if Punk needs a highlighter or something. What’s he doing? Just go to page four, clause five.
Punk does as Roman says, but Roman says Punk needs to hurry, this is precious TV time. Punk reads the segment, Roman tells Heyman to just smarten Punk up. Heyman tells Punk he knows what Punk is looking for. It is in there. They’re closing the show at WrestleMania. The fans go wild hearing that! Heyman tells Punk that he gets to live his dream of dreams. CM Punk will be a WrestleMania main eventer! The fans cheer and while Roman smiles, Rollins is furious. Roman says, “One man’s dream is another man’s favor! CHECK!” Wait, this was the favor? Rollins says no! This is not something to laugh at, and Punk does not get to tear up!
Punk is NOT deserving! He does NOT deserve this! The fans boo but Rollins continues to throw a fit! Main eventing WrestleMania is SACRED, the most important thing in the world to Rollins! More than anything! Except the fact that Punk NEVER gets to main event! This is all Roman’s fault! This is all Heyman’s fault! Rollins THROWS his mic down, paces angrily, but Punk picks up the mic. The fans cheer Punk on again, and Punk stands to thank London, to thank Chicago, to thank Louisville, Kentucky, and to thank ALL the fans. As corny as it sounds, he thanks the WWE Universe who stood by him and chanted his name for TEN LONG YEARS!
Roman says hold on, hold on. Punk shouldn’t be thanking the fans! He should be thanking the Tribal Chief! It is because of Roman that Punk gets this honor! So please, take this moment, close the show with that acknowledgement! Do this the right way. The credits are already rolling as Punk kneels before Roman!? Punk smiles, and he thanks “My Tribal Chief, the holder of the ula fala, the Head of the Table, the… Big Dog? Thank you for allowing a kid from Chicago to be graced by your presence. Thank you, My Tribal Chief, for allowing me to stand in your ring. And thank you so much. Thank you, Roman Reigns, so very much.
“But because of you, I will see you in the main event of WrestleMania.” And again, Rollins is agonizing over this. Punk finishes putting his signature on the contract, and London tells him, “You Deserve It!” Punk thanks Roman again, and then says, “But that’s not the favor that I’m owed.” WHAT?! Roman looks at Heyman and Heyman can’t look him in the eye! If getting this Triple Threat made into the main event isn’t the gift of the Wise Man, then what is?!
My Thoughts:
A good SmackDown, but they pulled off quite the paradox. They made it feel like they were struggling to fill three hours, yet they also filled the show to the point where that contract signing segment was almost bleeding over the three hour mark. Ironically, part of the problem was just how excited the London crowd was for this. The superstars still wanted to enjoy the chants and songs, but that’s time SmackDown doesn’t have to spare. It made the opening promo from Cody, Orton and Drew take longer, and it kinda did the same to the contract signing at the end. Even so, we still got a very good promo, and good stuff to set up Orton VS McIntyre.
Orton VS McIntyre was a great match, but of course Kevin costs Orton. McIntyre gets his win, Kevin and Orton have a bit of a brawl, but of course Kevin ends up on the losing end and runs off. McIntyre’s trash talk also comes back to bite him as Priest gets the better of him in their brawl. Here’s hoping Drew didn’t actually get glass in his eye, but that being the thing in kayfabe can be some good stuff. I can imagine McIntyre with an eyepatch, and he takes it off at the opportune time to get the better of Priest in their match. Also what a fitting choice for Punk to be passing by Drew suffering because of real glass.
Very good title matches tonight, but of course the status quo was kept. Pretty Deadly gets to look great here in London, but the Profits only just got the belts, they’re not going to be transitional champions like that. And Knight VS Braun was really good stuff, but honestly, Jacob Fatu going after them both should’ve been a given. Jacob also had a great promo with Solo & Tama to start adding to that divide between Jacob and Solo. I would hope Solo doesn’t screw Jacob out of the US Championship, but it feels like he will as Solo won’t stand for Jacob defying his authority, even though Solo’s been trying to make Jacob the champion all along.
Very good stuff from Jimmy Uso tonight, from his promo with #MeloDon’tMiz and then a great match with Miz. Their match ended up the de facto main event match, so that’s also great for both guys. Great win for Jimmy, but that’s likely because Jimmy is losing big time to Gunther on Monday. And it might just be me, but it feels like only now is the Jey VS Gunther build really moving, largely in part because Jimmy got involved. Jimmy’s promo after his match is something along the lines of what Jey should be saying. But I suppose as brothers, Jimmy is the one who knows Jey best and knows what Jey needs to be motivated again. And seeing Jimmy get beat up by Gunther will definitely motivate Jey…
Good final vignettes for Rey Fenix and Aleister Black. I’m a little surprised they confirmed Rey Fenix is showing up next week, and that they confirmed who Rey Fenix even is. I believe commentary confirmed Rey Fenix is Penta’s real brother, even namedropped “Lucha Brothers,” but all that is still surprising considering Fenix is going to start on SmackDown. Aleister’s vignette (at least I am fairly confident it’s his) was giving us glimpses of his silhouette, but I think there was usage of AI in the snake imagery. It was fine they did it for El Grande Americano because that is all trolling, but they really should try and do things the old fashioned way of photoshop and stock imagery.
Very good stuff in the Women’s Division tonight, though the WWE Women’s Championship portion was the weaker. Naomi’s got a great Heel persona going, her promo was great, and her going after B-Fab & Michin over them supporting Jade was a great detail. Jade runs Naomi off, helps B-Fab, but there was no helping Michin in being fed to Charlotte. Tiffany had a decent promo, and it does fit how Charlotte kept her from speaking so she finally gets things out here. It didn’t really add that much, though, but they already gave us a great brawl so not sure what more they can give.
KC Squared VS The Secret Her-vice was a very good match, but of course Chelsea made sure her team won. A Six Woman Tag of Zelina & KC Squared VS The Green Administration is certainly coming, to help give us Zelina VS Chelsea for the Women’s US Championship.
My Score: 8.7/10
About Chairshot Radio Network
Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!
MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)
WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)
THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)
FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)
SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast
SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast
CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS
Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)
TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends
Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5
Classic POD is WAR
Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!
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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: 3.27.2025
Bad news out of the TNA management side, but this is a taped episode from El Paso! So we won’t see any of the fallout just yet!

Now we all heard the news about the TNA change in hierarchy, and I…have no positive outlook on that. Delirious sucked at booking and creative in the dying days of ROH before it got bought as a B show. Dreamer having even more control is concerning because his ideas the last two years haven’t been much better.
Gail leaving makes more sense to me. Be it firing or a “you can’t quit, you’re fired” kind of situation, the Knockouts division is the worst it’s been in a long time and Gail was close with Scott D’Amore. So I don’t think Gail parting ways is as big of a problem since TNA has slowly been bleeding out with the Scott faithful.
Granted, I think the next few shows were already taped before the firing so things shouldn’t be completely unwatchable for at least a week or two. So let’s see where we’re going.
.@WeAreRosemary sends @XiaBrookside a CHILLING message!
WATCH #TNAiMPACT on TNA+: https://t.co/LaVxF6l2yc pic.twitter.com/srciTTbel0
— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) March 28, 2025
Ratings:
- Gigi Dolin & Tatum Paxley vs Elegance Clique w/Personal Concierge: Ash wins via Rarefied Air – ** 1/4
- Fir$t Cla$$ & Frankie Kazarian vs Laredo Kid, Octagon Jr & Chavo Guerrero Jr: Chavo wins via Gory Bomb into Frog Splash – *** 1/4
- Jacy Jayne vs Masha Slamovich: Masha wins via Russian Death Device – ***
- Eric Young w/two losers vs Ace Austin: Eric wins via Piledriver – ** 1/2
- Seto & Mokuba – I mean – Nic Nemeth w/Ryan Nemeth vs Leon Slater: Nic wins via Danger Zone – *** 1/4
Results:
Gigi Dolin & Tatum Paxley vs Elegance Clique w/Personal Concierge
Ash and Gigi start off, Gigi with a little Rascalz after her first takedown. So both her and Wentz are making it obvious something’s going on between them, and I’m not mad at it. Good for my man Wentz.
Tatum and Gigi get some quick tandem offense in, Ash does manage to scurry off to a tag and Heather gets bent into a Pretzel. Some kind of Inverted Tarantula from Tatum, Gigi tags in, Bronco Buster on Heather followed by Kawada Kicks. Heather sells against the ropes, Gigi goes for a Hesitation Dropkick, but Concierge pulls her away so Gigi crashes and burns. Ref is distracted, Ash gets in some cheap shots and then the Elegant duo starts working over Gigi. A few quick tags, but once Heather comes in, Gigi fights out of the corner, gets the hot tag to Tatum. Tatum stacks up both Elegance members, Corner Stacked Crossbody, Butterfly Suplex and an Elbow Drop with some some flare. Tatum goes to the top rope, Heather pulls Gigi off the apron, Concierge shoves Tatum off the turnbuckle and Ash hits Rarefied Air for the win.
Post match the Elegance Clique wants to make their wish with the cake, they light the candles and Tatum and Gigi recover enough to do what we all expected last week, the cake in the face spot. Some…suggestive licking from both of our Hot Topic Hotties, so…no complaints here.
.@Ashamae_Sebera, @Heathereckless and @IamGeorgeIceman are having a meltdown!
WATCH #TNAiMPACT on TNA+: https://t.co/LaVxF6l2yc pic.twitter.com/FnKwPqm2ff
— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) March 28, 2025
Fir$t Cla$$ & Frankie Kazarian vs Laredo Kid, Octagon Jr & Chavo Guerrero Jr
Chavo and Kaz start since he’s King Petty, a quick rope run turns into a Headscissor from Chavo. Kaz recovers, they lock up, Kaz hits the Knee Lift during the lock up to tag out to KC. KC pulls off some athletic dodges, gloats a bit so Chavo waits, measures and nails a gorgeous Dropkick. Laredo comes in on fire, quick high spots that send KC bouncing around like HBK against Hulk. KC powders after sells the Satellite Takedown, AJ checks on him and we go to commercial.
Back from commercial, Octagon is lighting up KC’s chest with overhand chops, he perches, Sunset Headscissor Flip from corner to corner, KC tries to Back Drop him but Octagon does a headstand, kicks KC away and lays him out with a high spot. AJ gets on the apron to stop Octagon from running the ropes, the referee has a stroke or something because he stops paying attention and AJ pulls Octagon out of the ring and chucks him. KC with the Tope con Hilo and tag (tag ropes haven’t mattered since the 80s we all know this). So AJ is getting taunted by the crowd in Spanish, but he’s manhandling Octagon since it looks like a Child fighting their parent. AJ knocks off Chavo and Laredo, Laredo pops up and tries to get involved but he’s caught on the shoulders, Octagon goes for the Crossbody but gets caught and AJ pulls off “World’s Strongest Wasteland” but Chavo breaks up the pinfall. AJ throws Octagon into the corner, Tennessee Whiskey, and tag out to KC. KC hits a few moves, but starts to lose the momentum until he connects with a Super Kick. Simultaneous rope run into the Dueling Crossbodies, so we get the timely tag outs from both sides. Kaz and Laredo come in, Laredo lands like two moves before Kaz hits a Sole Butt, Lariat and eats his lunch. KC and Kaz try to double team Laredo but he fights out and the crowd is chanting for Chavo.
Chavo tags in, and he’s rocking KC, Saito Suplex, Low Bridge to AJ, Reverse the Whip so Chavo goes to the corner and perches, KC feeds, Chavo Backflips to safety, rolls through and lays out KC. Chavo is feeling himself, 3 Amigos start on KC but only 2, Kaz comes in and Chavo switches to Kaz for the Amigos, only 2 again before AJ breaks it up. AJ goes for the disrespect, but Chavo counters and hits the 3 Amigos on the biggest Culero. Aztec Warriors dive to stop AJ and Kaz, KC tries a Dirty Victory Roll but Chavo kicks out. GORY BOMB into FROG SPLASH!
Chavo looked fantastic and he’s the one in the best shape in the ring. I wouldn’t be mad at more Chavito.
Jacy Jayne vs Masha Slamovich
I expect very little from this match.
Collar and Elbow, gator rolling for the first 30 seconds or so, then Jacy goes to some Hair Pull takedowns and does a little taunt before Masha pops back up and hits a Lariat into a Dive. Jacy sells it like she’s really hurt, even the ref tries to hold Masha back a little before Masha gets annoyed and just grabs her, Masha throws her in, looks for a Dive and Jacy sees it and powders. Masha tries to go back to the well for the Dive again but Jacy hits the Uppercut and then an Apron Run PK to drop Masha. Forearms rain down into a Foot Choke as Jacy continues to arrogantly play to the crowd. Another Foot Choke into a Cannonball, and near fall.
Masha gets space with a Sole Butt, tries to snap off Requiem but Jacy fights off, fights through a Sunset Flip another effective PK keeps Masha on her ass. Jacy looks for a kinda half-assed Camel Clutch as Masha is fighting up, but Jacy runs her into the corner, gets distracted mouthing off to the crowd, so Masha recovers, 5 Hole Up Kick sends Jacy into the corner, Yakuza Kick into Capo Kick for two. Requiem attempt again, but Jacy pushes off, a little back and forth, Masha tries a Backslide but Jacy gets away and hits a V-Trigger but only a 2 count. Jacy looks for the Discus Punch but Masha ducks it, they strike back and forth, but some dodges from both leave the exchange more even. Jacy with the Front Kick to the face sends Masha to the outside. Jacy wants another PK, but Masha blocks, Electric Chair Apron Snake Eyes. Masha throws her in, a PK into a near all. Requiem attempt 3, and thwarted from Jacy with a Superkick into a Neckbreaker. Senton misses from Jacy, Buzzsaw Kick, into Spinning Back Kick and Russian Death Device for the win.
Better than I expected, and Tessa attacks as soon as the bell rings. Xia Brookside and Lei Ying Li make the save after Tessa grabs the belt.
Eric Young w/two losers vs Ace Austin
Ace and Eric tie up, World of Sport start but as soon as Ace starts to get away EY punches him in the face. Eric looks at the camera and says “This is what trust looks like”, turns his back on Ace, when Ace looks to attack, the loser duo cut him off. EY takes advantage of the weird situation, but Ace with some Up and Over quick spots, into an Inside Cradle and La Magistral. EY kicks out of the quick flash attempts, but eats a Dropkick, and Ace goes all Speed Kils on him with fast strikes and then a face buster for another near fall. Strike spot very early in the match, Ace gets the best of it, goes for a Tear Drop Suplex but EY sits on it to block, Headlocks to keep him close and then a snap Lariat into beatdown bully tactics. EY takes the referee’s attention and one of the nerds punch Ace in the face.
Eric tries to lean on Ace, but Ace fires, a few strikes, Click Click Boom, the Miz Seated Lariats in the corner, Mochizuki Triangle Kick connects! Only a 2 count, but Ace seems to be in control. Ace puts EY on the ropes, a few strikes to keep him rocked, wants a Superplex, but EY blocks, bites the face and Macho Elbow gets a very close two count. EY tries the Piledriver but Ace turns it into a Jacknife Cradle,Spinning Heel Kick, calls for The Fold, but the losers hop on the apron to distract, Ace attacks them. Ace tries to time out the Triangle Kick again, but Eric dodges, throws Ace head first through the buckles. As Ace stumbles out of the corner, Piledriver, and it’s over.
Oh look it’s the “we’ll hear from Joe Hendry” segment. Again, I’ve loved this gimmick since Day 1, even didn’t hate his What Culture Pro stuff, but there is such a thing as milking a cow too much.
Elijah interrupts the whole “Who’s next” speech. When Elijah comes out he says he’s not the challenger and he believes in Joe. The crowd wants Elijah to turn on Hendry. Elijah pauses for a moment, and starts proving his friendship with stating his favorite color and a little “You Got a Friend in Me”. The crowd is into singing along and waving their cameras like Lighters to a 30 year old song. THANKFULLY Kaz breaks up the hug fest. Now he gets the “Culero” chant.
Kaz pulls out a Bass…what the hell is this Jam Session. Kaz has to warm up so he plays “La Cucaracha” on the bass. Kaz…is a national treasure. Hendry kicks Kaz out of the ring after his Heelish and playfully racially charged song choices. Kaz tries to sow dissension, but Joe and Elijah pinball Kaz between them. Kaz slips a power move and tries to shove Elijah into Joe but Elijah puts the brakes on, a small tense moment. But then Joe and Elijah play “Nah Nah Nah Nah, Hey Hey, Goodbye”…and that goes right into a commercial. Oddly…perfect.
Nic Nemeth w/Ryan Nemeth vs Leon Slater
Nic shoots the half immediately for a flash pinfall but Leon kicks out at one. Nic continues to keep things grounded with his amateur wrestling skills, and then does a little Dolph Ziggler show off. So Nic isn’t really taking this seriously, and Leon starts getting the best of things with an Arm Wringer, into drag, Shoulder Tackle and rope run as Nic tries to Leap Frog and Leon puts on the brakes and just shoves Nic on his ass. Nic gets annoyed, a few strikes, grinds his face along the ropes, but Leon keeps stringing some offense together, Back Handspring Elbow into his Corner con Hilo.
Ahh the classic formula of the commercial gives the heel the advantage, Twisting Suplex from Leon stops Nic’s offense momentum, right hand, Leon lifts Nic up for something, Nic slips it, kicks him in the gut, looks for the FameAsser, but Leon catches him into a Blue Thunder Bomb variation. Slater wants the Swanton 450, but Nic powders. Leon tries to adjust into a Dive, but Nic cuts him off, counter for counter and a FameAsser out of the counters for a two count. Nic starts the big brother tactics, bootwashes and arrogance, Slater fires, punches into a Yakuza Kick. Leon wants another Lethal Injection variant, but Nic catches him into a Rear Naked Choke. Slater tries to turn it into a pin so Nic breaks it. Leon wants a Leg Lariat but misses and gets unceremoniously dropped by Nic. Nic puts Leon up on the buckles, Superplex possibly but Slater counters, tries to collect himself for a move, but Nic falls into the ropes to crotch Leon, and finally hits the Superplex.
Twist of Slate from Leon, Swanton 450 but knees get up. Locomotion Cradles from both but they kick out, Ryan picks the ankle to trip up Leon just a touch and then Danger Zone ends the match.
Ryan starts the post match beatdown, but the Hardy’s music hits and they come down to the ring for the save. Matt challenges the Nemeths for Rebellion because they’re not medically cleared yet.
Overall Score: 6.5/10
Decent story motion, no match was offensive, and there was actually some solid match action for television standards. I don’t have a ton to complain about aside from the Knockouts Division is in a weird spot, and giving Hendry a lot of just talking and hollow payoff segments feels stupid. If we need to hear from him every week, give him a talk segment like Highlight Reel or something. Yes I know First Class just got The Penthouse, but if Hendry is going to talk more than wrestle, give him a talk segment for us to sink our teeth into.
There was the announcement that Xia, Lei Ying and Masha will face Tessa, Jacy and a mystery partner. So you gotta wonder if there’s going to be another NXT mercenary, a surprise return or if it’ll just be Rosemary since she’s got her issues with Xia. Also I just realized that Unbreakable is going to be on a Thursday, seemingly after iMPACT? I’m gonna have to see how they do it, because if there’s an Impact episode and 2-3 hour PLE…I do not want to be awake until 1am. People need to work, and I will be Unwakeable if things go that long.
About Chairshot Radio Network
Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!
MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)
WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)
THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)
FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)
SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast
SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast
CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS
Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)
TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends
Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5
Classic POD is WAR
Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!
Powered by RedCircle
Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!