Coverage
Mitchell’s NJPW G1 Climax 33 Results & Report! (8/2/23)
C & D, Round 6!
Will the Rebel slay the Dragon?
David Finlay leads Bullet Club and he leads C Block! But will the G1 Climax get tranquilo as Shingo Takagi takes down The Rebel?
OFFICIAL RESULTS
- G1 Climax 33, D Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi VS Alex Coughlin; Coughlin wins.
- G1 Climax 33, C Block: EVIL VS Mikey Nicholls; Mikey wins.
- G1 Climax 33, D Block: Toru Yano VS Shane Haste; Yano wins.
- G1 Climax 33, C Block: HENARE VS Tomohiro Ishii; Henare wins.
- G1 Climax 33, D Block: Hirooki Goto VS Jeff Cobb; Goto wins.
- G1 Climax 33, C Block: Eddie Kingston VS Tama Tonga; Eddie wins.
- G1 Climax 33, D Block: Tetsuya Naito VS Zack Sabre Jr; Naito wins.
- G1 Climax 33, C Block: Shingo Takagi VS David Finlay; Takagi wins.
PLAY BY PLAY
Here are the current C Block standings.
David Finlay: 4-1, 8 points
EVIL: 4-1, 8 points
Tama Tonga: 3-1-1, 7 points
Eddie Kingston: 3-2, 6 points
Shingo Takagi: 2-2-1, 5 points
Mikey Nicholls: 1-4, 2 points [ELIMINATED]
Aaron Henare: 1-4, 2 points [ELIMINATED]
Tomohiro Ishii: 1-4, 2 points [ELIMINATED]
Here are the current D Block standings.
Jeff Cobb: 4-1, 8 points
Zack Sabre Jr: 4-1, 8 points
Hiroshi Tanahashi: 3-2, 6 points
Tetsuya Naito: 3-2, 6 points
Shane Haste: 2-3, 4 points
Hirooki Goto: 2-3, 4 points
Alex Coughlin: 1-4, 2 points [ELIMINATED]
Toru Yano: 1-4, 2 points [ELIMINATED]
G1 Climax 33, D Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi VS Alex Coughlin!
The Ace of the Universe just won in the main event of the last round, and he looks to keep this hot hand going! But will he be able to trump the Deadeye Dreadnought? Or will this War Dog refuse to go down easy?
The bell rings and fans rally up as the two circle. They tie up, and are in a deadlock as Tanahashi can’t push Coughlin back. But then Coughlin pushes Tanahashi right back to the ropes! The ref counts the break, Coughlin lets off slowly, then swings. Tanahashi dodges and fans cheer. The two tie up again, Tanahashi headlocks, but Coughlin stands up to lift Tanahashi! Tanahashi kicks and flails to hold on, but Coughlin powers up and powers out. Coughlin then runs Tanahashi over! Fans cheer, as Coughlin is still physically impressive. Coughlin shows off the abs and flexes, then he stomps Tanahashi, and UPPERCUTS him to a corner!
Coughlin talks smack, whips Tanahashi corner to corner, but Tanahashi dropkicks the legs out! Coughlin goes to a corner and fans rally behind Tanahashi. Tanahashi storms up to stomp Coughlin, and Tanahashi puts a leg on the ropes. Tanahashi stomps the leg, the ref reprimands and counts, and Tanahashi lets off with a dropkick to that leg! Fans cheer as Tanahashi air guitars. Tanahashi brings Coughlin out, grabs the leg, then trips Coughlin so he can step through for a standing toehold! Fans rally with “Let’s Go, Ace! Let’s Go, Ace!” as he leans on the hold. But Coughlin IRON CLAWS Tanahashi’s face!
Coughlin fights his way up but Tanahashi breaks free! Tanahashi fires forearms, but Coughlin CHOPS Tanahashi right down! Fans fire up as Tanahashi rises, and Coughlin CHOPS him back down! Tanahashi rises again, Coughlin runs in to CHOP Tanahashi up and out of the ring! Fans fire up and Coughlin goes out to fetch Tanahashi. Coughlin SMACKS him off the apron, RAMS him into the apron, then CHOPS again! Tanahashi drops to his knees but Coughlin RAMS him into railing! The ref wants this back in the ring, but Coughlin stands on Tanahashi’s face! The ref reprimands, Coughlin lets off, and he scoops Oskar Leube!
Coughlin SLAMS Leube onto Tanahashi like a human weapon! Fans cheer, and then Coughlin kicks the Young Lion away. Coughlin drags Tanahashi up and puts him in the ring. Fans rally behind Tanahashi as Coughlin goes to the apron. Tanahashi CHOP BLOCKS through the ropes! Then Tanahashi puts the leg through the ropes, but Coughlin DECKS him first! Coughlin steps in and storms up to Tanahashi. Coughlin fires forearms against the ropes, then he whips Tanahashi, only for Tanahashi to FLYING FOREARM! Fans fire up with Tanahashi and he waits on Coughlin. We hit five minutes as Tanahashi fires fast hands!
Tanahashi brings Coughlin around to scoop and SLAM him into the drop zone! Fans fire up and Tanahashi hops up, for the SUNSET SENTON! Cover, TWO! Tanahashi keeps his cool and he waits on Coughlin to rise. Fans rally, Tanahashi runs, but Coughlin stops the Slingblade to hit a SPIN-OUT BACKBREAKER! And then a deadlift back suplex! Fans cheer, that is still impressive. Coughlin slashes his throat, drags Tanahashi back up and fireman’s carries, but Tanahashi fights free! Tanahashi DRAGON PALMS! And then he blocks Coughlin’s kick to spin him into TWIST ‘N’ SHOUT! Tanahashi then runs to SLINGBLADE!
Fans fire up, Coughlin roars as he rises, but Tanahashi runs in to SLING-DOG! Cover, TWO! Coughlin hangs tough but Tanahashi goes to the corner again. Tanahashi climbs, Coughlin stands, into the HIGH FLY ATTACK! FALL AWAY BRIDGE?!? TWO!! Coughlin deadlifts Tanahashi again, to fireman’s carry! DEATH VALLEY DRIVER! Cover, TWO!! Coughlin roars and rises again! Coughlin BLINDSIDE LARIATS! Cover, TWO!! Tanahashi survives and Coughlin is furious! Fans fire up, Coughlin goes back for more! Coughlin drags Tanahashi up, reels him in, and suplexes! But Tanahashi fights it! But Coughlin blocks the cradle!
Coughlin deadlift suplexes, to the JACKHAMMER! Cover, COUGHLIN WINS!!
Winner: Alex Coughlin, by pinfall (gains 2 points; Tanahashi earns 0)
Everyone is shocked as Coughlin trumps The Ace! The Dreadnought may not be going to the quarterfinals, but did he just make sure Tanahashi won’t, either?
G1 Climax 33, C Block: EVIL w/ Dick Togo VS Mikey Nicholls w/ Kosei Fujita!
The King of Darkness keeps on stacking the deck every time, and he’s made it work so that he is at the top of the block! But will Darkness Fall on Mad Mikey? Or will even Evil fail to make the Mighty kneel?
Wait, the House of Torture attacks Mikey & Kosei at the ramp! Dick beats Kosei down while Evil claws Mikey’s eyes! The ref reprimand but this isn’t a match yet so there’s not much he can do! Evil CLUBS Mikey and puts him in the ring. Evil CLUBS Mikey again, the bell rings, and Evil covers, TWO! Fans rally for Mikey but Evil stomps him around. Evil CLUBS Mikey yet again, and Mikey finally gets his shirt off. Mikey throws it at Evil, but Evil uses that to CHOKE Mikey! The ref counts, Evil lets off at 4. Evil drags Mikey up but Mikey fights the suplex! Evil knees low, reels Mikey back in, but Mikey suplexes!
Fans fire up as Mikey holds Evil for TWENTY before the SLAM! Cover, TWO! Evil writhes and the fans fire up as Mikey CHOPS him! And CHOPS him again! Mikey bumps Evil off buckles, headlocks, and scrapes Evil on the ropes! Dick protests but Mikey lets off quickly. Mikey whips, Evil reverses, and Dick trips Mikey! Fans boo but Evil throws Mikey out. And guess what? Evil RAMS Mikey into the timekeeper! Abe-san goes down and Evil grabs the mic to CHOKE Mikey with the cord! Evil tells Mikey that he’s already done. But then Mikey gets the mic to call Evil a POS! Evil stomps Mikey then drags him into the crowd area!
Fans get up already, and Evil BOWLS Mikey into their chairs! Fans rally, the ref reprimands, but Evil CHOKES Mikey with a chair! The ref reprimands and counts, Evil lets off and storms around. Evil goes back to ringside and fans rally up for Mikey. The ring count starts, Mikey stands at 3 of 20 and hurries back to ringside. His ribs are hurting, though, and that slows him down. He makes it back to ringside at 12, stumbles a bit, and he falls at 16! But he springs up and in at 18! Fans fire up but Evil is on Mikey with a cover. TWO, and Evil CHOKES Mikey with the shirt again! Fans boo and the ref counts!
Evil lets off, throws the shirt at Kosei, then acts like the ref has to stop Kosei. Evil puts Mikey in the Cobra Twist, and links up with Dick! The House gets away with that one and Evil pushes Mikey down. Cover, TWO! Fans cheer but Evil is frustrated. We’ve only just hit five minutes, and Mikey pushes Evil. Evil stomps Mikey, drags him up, and wrenches an arm to then whip corner to corner. Evil runs in but into an ELBOW! Mikey swings, misses, Evil waistlocks but ducks an elbow, and Mikey DDTs! Fans fire up while both men are down! Mikey and Evil go to opposite ends, and then Mikey runs in to clothesline!
Mikey whips Evil corner to corner, runs in, but into a BOOT! He still clotheslines Evil! Fans fire up and Mikey fireman’s carries! Dick gets on the apron! Evil slips free, shoves Mikey, but Mikey reverses to send Evil into Dick! And then fireman’s carry! DEATH VALLEY BOMB! Mikey runs, SLIDING LARIAT! Cover, TWO! Evil is still in this but Mikey fires up! Fans rally with Mikey and he drags Evil up. Mikey brings Evil around, whips, but Evil holds ropes. Evil BOOTS Mikey, then shoves him at the ref! Evil then rushes up, but Mikey blocks the low blow with a knee! Mikey whips, Evil reverses, and now Mikey goes into the ref!
Dick gets in to attack Mikey! And Dick BLASTS Kosei, too! Fans boo but Dick soaks up the heat. Dick drags Mikey up, he and Evil bump Mikey off buckles! And then whip corner to corner! Dick whips Evil but Evil thinks he’s to whip Dick. The miscommunication aside, Evil still clotheslines Mikey in the corner! Dick then BACK ELBOWS! Feed to a scoop SLAM! Evil gets Mikey’s legs, and Dick goes up top! FLYING DICK PUNCH!! In more ways than one! Fans boo and tell Dick to go home, but Dick fetches the ref instead. Evil covers, TWO! Fans fire up and Evil is furious! Evil covers again, TWO!! So Dick drags the ref out!
Dick gets back in, he and Evil mug Mikey! Fans boo, but the House drags Dick up. But Kosei makes the save! Kosei TOSSES Dick, fans fire up as Mikey body scissors to DOUBLE LEG BRIDGE! Mikey wins!!
Winner: Mikey Nicholls, by pinfall (gains 2 points; Evil earns 0)
Now Evil is REALLY mad at the ref! The King of Darkness loses in under ten minutes, to a man who is already out of the running! Will this loss be what keeps Evil out of the G1 quarterfinals?
G1 Climax 33, D Block: Toru Yano VS Shane Haste w/ Kosei Fujita!
The Clown Prince is out of the running but he still got a win off the seemingly unstoppable Jeff Cobb! However, will he fail to make even Hysterical Haste crack a smile? Or will he bring down one of The Mighty?
Shane has his orange top hat, and Yano has some sort of bag on his head as if it were a hat. The bell rings and the fans rally up for Yano. Yano offers a trade? Shane’s top hat for the bag hat? Shane says okay, but don’t throw this away. Naito got him with that last time. Fans applaud as they trust Yano. Shane and Yano trade, and fans cheer. Shane puts on the bag hat, then Yano DOES throw the hat away! And he yanks the bag down to blindfold Shane! Roll-up, TWO!! Yano goes for a buckle pad! Yano unties that while Shane takes off the bag. Shane puts the bag on Yano! Roll-up, TWO!! Yano staggers around, gets the bag off, but Shane kicks low!
Shane throws hands, then runs, but Yano atomic drops! And then trips Shane, to CATAPULT him! Shane stops from hitting the buckles! Fans cheer, but Yano runs in! Only to get buckles! Fireman’s carry, but Yano slips off to SLAP Shane! Yano runs, into a DROPKICK! Fans fire up as Shane flexes. Yano bails out, and curses in frustration. Shane dares Yano to come back and fans rally up. Yano waits, Shane slides out and Yano slides in! Now Shane curses in frustration. Yano waits on Shane, fans rally up, and Shane vents about losing another hat. Shane slides in, but Yano bails out! Fans cheer and Yano sneaks something from his corner.
Yano goes around the way, Shane rushes out, but he shields himself from the disinfectant! He saw Cobb fall for that! Shane snatches the spray, and Yano apologizes! Shane storms up on Yano, the ref tells everyone to hold on. Yano gets under the ring! Shane and Kosei coordinate, they can outsmart Yano together. Kosei goes under to find Yano, and then Shane waits to see what happens. We hear something going on, Shane hurries in after them both! The ref looks all around, but they haven’t resurfaced yet. Something wild is happening under the ring, and a ring count starts. The count passes 5 of 20 but still nothing.
Wait, Yano spits out the side! He’s fine, so what happened to Shane and Kosei? They come out the way they came, with a blindfold bag, and a BUCKET! The bucket has been taped around Shane’s head!! We’re at 15 of 20 and Shane feels around blindly! Kosei coaches him, we’re at 18! Shane rolls in at 19! But Yano SMACKS the bucket! And SMACKS it again! Shane staggers around, Yano plays a mocking Marco Polo and Shane swings wildly. We hit five minutes, and Yano kicks Shane! But Shane grabs hold of Yano to fire UPPERCUT after UPPERCUT! Fans fire up, but then Yano shoves the ref at Shane!
Shane scoops the ref, but Kosei shouts that’s not Yano! Shane puts the ref down, Yano rushes up, but Shane blocks the low blow?! Oh, of course, the bucket still lets Shane see what’s below him! Shane wags his finger, and LARIATS! Cover, TWO! Shane powers up, even with the bucket on his head! Shane powers up to RIP the tape, and he gets the bucket off his head!! Fans cheer, but then Yano shoves Shane into the ref! The bucket ends up on the ref’s head, and Yano LOW BLOWS Shane!! Yano then TACKLES Shane, rolls him up, and wins!!
Winner: Toru Yano, by pinfall (gains 2 points; Shane earns 0)
Now that was hysterical! Yano pulls one over on Shane and the ref, and he brings Shane down out of the running! Will Yano finish strong and spoil one more run in the final round?
G1 Climax 33, C Block: HENARE VS Tomohiro Ishii!
Well, neither the Face of Fury nor the Stone Pitbull will be moving on to the quarterfinals. But in the end, this is them fighting for pride! Will Henare go on another Rampage? Or will Ishii be unbreakable when he has nothing to lose?
The bell rings and the two rush right in! They RAM shoulders, and again, and again! Ishii runs, RAMS Henare, but Henare rebounds to RAM Ishii! Ishii rebounds, they RAM shoulders, and Ishii staggers! Henare runs to RAM Ishii, but Ishii roars! Ishii ROCKS Henare with a forearm, but Henare roars back! Ishii ducks the roundhouse, Henare blocks the clothesline! Ishii blocks a kick but Henare ducks the enziguri! But Ishii avoids the Penalty Kick! Fans fire up as the two stare down! Ishii shoves Henare, Henare shoves Ishii, and then Henare kicks and CLUBS away! Henare HEADBUTTS, runs, and RAMS Ishii! Ishii rebounds, but Henare runs him over!
Fans fire up as Henare paces around. Henare sits Ishii up to KICK him in the back, but Ishii’s right up! Ishii fires forearms on Henare, but Henare CLUBS him! And fires a forearm! Then snapmares to KICK and SENTON! Fans rally up as Henare paces around Ishii. Henare drags Ishii up, to KICK him to ropes! Fans rally and Ishii stands back up. Ishii storms up to fire forearms on Henare! Henare ROCKS Ishii back! And KICKS him again! Ishii goes to a corner now, and drops down to the mat! Henare growls and paces while fans rally up again. Ishii sits up and Henare KICKS him down! Fans rally and Henare eggs Ishii on!
Ishii rises, and Henare KICKS! Ishii doesn’t budge! Henare KICKS but Ishii blocks! Ishii CLUBS the leg then KNEE JAMMERS, then he dropkicks the leg out! Fans fire up as Ishii stands up again. Ishii then whips Henare to a corner, runs in and clotheslines! Ishii whips corner to corner but Henare reverses. Ishii comes back to run Henare over! Fans fire up and Ishii drags Henare up. Ishii suplexes high and hard! Cover, TWO! Fans cheer and Ishii keeps his cool. Ishii sits Henare up to KICK him in the back! Ishii HEADBUTTS right where the shoulder’s taped! Ishii KICKS Henare in the back, and Henare pounds the mat!
Henare throws off the tape but Ishii fires forearms! Henare swings, Ishii dodges, but Henare blocks a kick to step over WHEEL KICK! Fans rally up, Henare storms over and Ishii rises. Henare fires body shots and he backs Ishii down to a corner! Henare fires off more shots and fans fire! We hit five minutes, Henare whips corner to corner to clothesline! Henare then whips to ropes, and scoops Ishii for the BERZERKER BOMB! Cover, TWO! Ishii is still in this and the fans rally up again. Henare rises, and he watches Ishii sit up. Henare runs to PENALTY KCIK, but Ishii just tanks it! Ishii stands, and Henare fires forearms! Ishii DECKS Henare with just one!!
Fans fire up and the ref checks Henare. Ishii paces, and Henare is still conscious so Ishii drags him up. Ishii fires boxing elbows, but Henare BODY BLOWS! Fans fire up and Henare drags Ishii up to half nelson! Ishii fights the full nelson and elbows free! Henare goes to a corner, Ishii runs in but into an ELBOW! Henare goes up, FLYING CHUCK! But Ishii rises!? LARIAT! Henare tanks it! Henare swings, into a GERMAN SUPLEX! Henare rises!? Henare runs in, but Ishii LARATS him down! Cover, TWO!! Fans are thunderous as Henare survives, and they rally up while both men are down!
Ishii crawls over to Henare, sits him up, and then runs. But Henare ducks the sliding lariat! Ishii avoid the Penalty Kick! But Henare SPINEBUSTERS! Both men are down again and fans rally back up. Henare snarls, he aims from a corner, and he runs in, but Ishii fights the Rampage! Henare BACK ELBOWS! Henare runs, but Ishii SWATS the lariat to ENZIGURI! Both men are down again! Fans fire up with Ishii as he pushes up off the mat. Ishii roars and slaps some sense into himself. Ishii runs, to LARIAT Henare inside-out!! Cover, TWO!! Henare survives again but Ishii won’t give up! Ishii roars and fans fire up again!
Ishii drags Henare up, but Henare SLAPS! Ishii SLAPS! And SLAPS! Henare ducks, SLAPS, both men SLAP! ELBOW JAB from Henare! Ishii ducks the heel kick to headbutt low, headbutt high, but then Henare JUMP KNEES! We hit 10 minutes and Henare goes to the corner! Fans fire up as Henare takes aim! Ishii rises, Henare runs in, RAMPAGE!! Cover, TWO!?! Henare is shocked and the fans are thunderous that Ishii survives! Henare stands, he brings Ishii up, and he half nelsons! Ishii again fights the full nelson, but Henare powers it through! ULTIMA NELSON!! Ishii endures but Henare thrashes him around!
Ishii is fading, and Henare spins him, URENAGE!! Cover, TWO!?!?! Ishii survives again and fans are thunderous! Henare snarls and brings down his kneepad. Ishii goes to a corner, Henare runs in, SHINING WIZARD! Henare snapmares Ishii to run and PENALTY KICK! Fans fire up with Henare as he drags Ishii back up! Henare fisherman’s to the torture rack, but Ishii fights free! Wrench and HEADBUTT!! Both men are down and Henare is dazed! Ishii crawls to ropes and fans rally up again. Ishii drags himself up with the ropes, runs in, SLIDING LARIAT! Cover, TWO!! Ishii roars again and fans fire back up!
Ishii drags Henare up, reels him in, and suplexes, but Henare knees free! Henare swings, but Ishii spins him, only for Henare to fight the suplex! Henare wrenches, dodges a haymaker, and hits a JUMP KNEE! Ishii staggers into the HAYMAKER, HEEL KICK and HEADBUTT!! Henare roars, fisherman’s, STREETS OF RAGE!!! Cover, Henare wins!!
Winner: Henare, by pinfall (gains 2 points; Ishii earns 0)
The Face of Fury breaks through the Stone Pitbull and sends Ishii to the bottom of the block! Will Henare be able to finish just as strong in the seventh round?
G1 Climax 33, D Block: Hirooki Goto VS Jeff Cobb!
The Fierce Warrior may have lost to The Ace last round, but there’s still a chance he can bring down the Imperial Unit? Or will there be a Tour of the Island in Goto’s future?
The bell rings and Cobb taunts Goto about the rib tape. The two circle, fans rally up, Cobb points out the fans cheering him on. They tie up, Goto headlocks, but Cobb powers up. Goto grinds the headlock, Cobb powers out, and they RAM shoulders! Cobb doesn’t budge and fans cheer. Goto runs, RAMS Cobb, but still Cobb doesn’t budge! Fans rally up and Cobb eggs Goto on. Goto goes again, goes to turn hip toss into hip toss but Cobb blocks! Goto dodges Cobb’s haymaker and runs but Cobb runs him over! Fans cheer as Cobb then drags Goto up and ROCKS him with a right. Goto goes to a corner, Cobb whips him corner to corner, but Goto reverses.
Goto runs in but blocks a boot, to put that leg on the ropes and KICK the leg! Cobb flops out of the ring, Goto goes out to CLUB Cobb and put him back in. Fans cheer as Goto stalks Cobb. Cobb hobbles up but Goto kicks him, and puts the leg on ropes again. Goto stomps away, the ref counts, and Goto lets off at 4. Goto then pulls the leg! The ref counts, Goto lets off, and he stomps Cobb again. Goto whips corner to corner, Cobb reverses and puts Goto in the corner to FLYING BACK ELBOW! Cobb keeps moving, “JOHN CENA!” FLYING SHOULDER! Fans fire up while Goto flops out of the ring.
Cobb goes out to fetch Goto and bring him up. Cobb whips Goto into railing! Goto goes down in a heap and the ref checks him. Goto is okay to continue, and Cobb walks off the pain in the bad leg. Cobb steps on Goto! And he pretends he didn’t see Goto there! Cobb “apologizes” and then stomps Goto! The ring count starts, Cobb puts Goto in at 5 of 20, and fans cheer. Cobb takes a bow, steps inside, and lounges for the cover. TWO, and Cobb is annoyed. Cobb sits Goto up to KNEE him in the back again and again, and then UPPERCUT him in the back! Cover, TWO! Goto is hanging tough and fans rally up.
We pass five minutes and Cobb brings Goto up. Goto CHOPS and CHOPS and CHOPS! Cobb throat chops! Cobb whips, Goto reverses, and Goto runs in to MURA- NO! Cobb catches Goto to RUNNING POWERBOMB! Cover, TWO!! Goto survives but Cobb drags him back up. Fans rally as Cobb stomps away. Cobb then sets up, GACHIMUCHI MOONSAULT FLOPS as Goto moves! Fans rally again as Goto and Cobb rise. Goto drags Cobb up but Cobb CHOPS! Cobb runs, but Goto follows to LARIAT! Fans fire up and Goto brings Cobb up again for forearms! Goto whips Cobb to a corner, runs in, MURAMASA hits!
Goto then SAIDOS!! Cover, TWO! Cobb survives and fans rally up. Goto roars, he drags Cobb up, and he goes to fireman’s carry. Cobb is too big, and he throws down elbows! But Goto fires a forearm! Cobb ROCKS Goto back! Goto ROCKS Cobb, and the forearms start flying! Fans fire up as they go back and forth, and then Goto gets the edge! Goto ROCKS Cobb to the corner! Goto headlocks, but Cobb stops the bulldog to ATHLETIC- NO, Goto slips around to a SLEEPER! Cobb endures but Goto squeezes tight! Cobb reaches out, but Goto sits him down! Fans rally, Cobb is turning red, and Goto lets go! But Cobb blocks the Penalty Kick!
Cobb stands, and he DROPKICKS Goto down! Fans fire up and Cobb pounds the mat. Cobb storms over, drags Goto up, and he reels Goto in for the ATHLETIC PLEX! Cover, TWO! GACHIMUCHI MOONSAULT! Cover, TWO!! Goto survives those consecutive impacts and Cobb can’t believe it! Fans rally up, Cobb rises and he drags Goto up. Cobb whips Goto to ropes, but Goto holds ropes to stop himself! Goto BOOTS back, then fireman’s carries!? USHIGORO- NO, Cobb manages to land out! SUPERKICK!! Cobb runs, but Goto follows! Cobb dodges, follows, but Goto dodges! Fireman’s carry, USHIGOROSHI hits!!
We pass 10 minutes and fans fire up! Goto roars and he brings Cobb back up! Goto dragon sleepers, but Cobb spins it around! Cobb suplexes, Goto slips off and has the SLEEPER! But Cobb pries the hold open! Cobb ROCKS Goto, then YANKS Goto into the TOUR- NO, Goto slips free to HEADBUTT! And HEADBUTT again! And hop on!? CODE RED!! Cover, TWO!??! Cobb survives but fans are thunderous! Goto powers up and rips away the rib tape!! Goto dragon sleepers, to G T R!!! Cover, GOTO WINS!!!
Winner: Hirooki Goto, by pinfall (gains 2 points; Cobb earns 0)
Another shocker! Goto brings down Cobb, the top of the block! Goto is still just on the outside with his 3-3 record, but did he just ruin things for the Imperial Unit?
G1 Climax 33, C Block: Eddie Kingston VS Tama Tonga w/ Jado!
The Mad King and the Good Bad Guy are still within reach of those top spots in the block, but time is running out! Will a Backfist to the Future keep Eddie’s G1 future alive? Or will Tama keep his promise to be the very best Tama he can be?
The bell rings and fans rally up as the two circle. They feel things out, Eddie shoots in but Tama avoids the takedown. They tie up collar ‘n’ elbow, and are in a deadlock as they go around at center. Eddie powers Tama back but Tama turns it around, and they end up in a corner. The ref counts the break, Eddie lets off and Tama does slowly. The fans applaud as the two reset. They circle and tie up again. Eddie headlocks, Tama powers up, but Eddie holds on tight. Tama tries again, but still Eddie holds on! Eddie grinds the hold but Tama throws body shots. Tama powers up and out, but Eddie CHOPS him!
Fans cheer as Tama stays up. And he takes off the vest! Things are getting serious already! Eddie CHOPS, but Tama just nods. Eddie CHOPS again, but Tama tells him to keep going. Eddie CHOPS, but Tama JUMP FOREARMS! Eddie falls, and Tama drops an elbow! Eddie sputters, but Tama sits him up to CLUB away on his chest! Tama then ELBOWS Eddie in the head, and Eddie goes to ropes. Tama storms up but Eddie throws body shots. Tama throws hands, then stomps Eddie against the ropes! The ref counts, Tama lets off, and Tama drags Eddie up. Tama fires body shots, whips, but Eddie reverses to kitchen sink knee!
Eddie underhooks the arms to BUTTERFLY SUPLEX! Fans fire up and Eddie stomps Tama around. Eddie checks his nose, no blood, so he stomps Tama again. Eddie then snapmares Tama, to DOUBLE STOMP! Fans rally and Tama rolls away. Eddie storms over to cover, TWO! Eddie keeps on Tama with a rear bearhug! Tama endures, fights up, but Eddie squeezes tight! Fans rally, Jado coaches Tama, and Tama stands to throw elbows. Eddie just shifts to a half nelson! Tama throws more elbows, Edide lets off and runs, but into Tama’s scoop and SLAM! Both men are down and we pass five minutes.
Fans rally, Eddie goes to a corner, and Tama runs in to BACK ELBOW! And then he throws another elbow! Tama whips Eddie back in to BACK ELBOW again! Fans rally, Tama whips but Eddie reverses, only for Tama to come back and LARIAT! Eddie staggers up, goes to the corner, and Tama STINGER SPLASHES! Eddie flops down and fans rally up! Tama drags Eddie up, and he fires off forearms! But Eddie CHOPS back! Tama fires off body shots! Tama whips corner to corner, runs in, but the splash hits buckles! Eddie storms up to MACHINE GUN CHOP! Eddie then goes up and FLYING SHOULDERS!
Fans fire up and Eddie stretches out his back as he stands. Eddie CHOPS Tama, half nelsons, but Tama fights the lift! Tama throws elbows but Eddie throws RIDGE HAND after RIDGE HAND! Tama goes to a corner, Eddie runs in but into a BOOT! Tama goes up, FLYING NECKBREAKER! Fans fire up and Tama hurries to fireman’s carry! S R C! And then Tama goes up top, to SUPREME FLOP!! Eddie runs in to SLIDING D! Cover, TWO!! Tama is still in this and the fans rally up. Eddie sits Tama up to throw a forearm! Tama falls over, but Eddie sits him up to throw another forearm! Eddie headbutts, but that hurts Eddie more than it does Tama.
Tama throws a forearm, Eddie throws another headbutt! Tama throws another forearm, so Eddie CHOPS! They stand, and Eddie CHOPS again! And CHOPS again! And again! And again, and again! Tama staggers, Eddie winds up and runs, but Tama ducks the lariat to EXPLODER! Eddie gets up to give Tama an EXPLODER! Tama clinches, Eddie fires off elbows! SAIDO!! Fans fire up and Eddie aims as we hit 10 minutes! Tama stands, and he blocks the backfist! TONGAN TWIST!! Cover, TWO!! Eddie survives and fans rally back up! Tama roars and he brings Eddie up to reel him in! But Eddie wrenches out, HALF ‘N’ HALF SUPLEX!
Eddie roars, Tama stands, URAKEN!! Cover, TWO!! Tama survives and fans are thunderous! Eddie drags Tama up again, scoops, but Tama fights the Northern Lights Bomb! Eddie ENZIGURIS, Tama JUMP FOREARMS! GUN- NO, Eddie powers out to URAKEN!! And then NORTHERN LIGHTS BOMB!!! Cover, EDDIE WINS!
Winner: Eddie Kingston, by pinfall (gains 2 points; Tama earns 0)
The Mad King is showing how NJPW Strong he is as he takes down one of the top runners in the block! Will Eddie shake things up and be a quarterfinalist? Is the Good Bad Guy’s best just not good enough?
G1 Climax 33, D Block: Tetsuya Naito VS Zack Sabre Jr w/ Kosei Fujita!
The Uncontrollable Charisma and the Front Man are no strangers to each other. ZSJ once injured Naito and took him completely out of the G1, but then Naito snatched a blink-of-an-eye victory on ZSJ in the New Japan Cup. Which way will this rivalry split tonight?
ZSJ knows to be patient with Naito’s routine of taking time with the entrance attire. But given that, Naito decides to take longer. Naito even throws the shirt to ZSJ. ZSJ offers it to Jushin Thunder Liger. Naito then gives ZSJ the belt? ZSJ puts that on, but it doesn’t quite fit so he hands that to Kosei. Naito finally throws the pants but ZSJ kicks those away. The bell rings and fans rally for “NA-I-TO! NA-I-TO!” Red Shoes is pretty sure it’s almost all for Naito. ZSJ shrugs that off and circles with Naito. The two tie up, and are in a deadlock. ZSJ uses his height for leverage and puts Naito on ropes. ZSJ lets off slowly, and he pats his “amigo” on the shoulders. Then pie faces him!
Naito SPITS back! ZSJ kicks, Naito blocks, CLUBS the leg and throws ZSJ out! Naito builds speed, but ZSJ trips Naito! ZSJ drags Naito out and then ZSJ builds speed?! But ZSJ fakes Naito out, and somersaults into his own version of Tranquilo! Fans fire up but Naito isn’t even bothered. Naito slowly rolls back in, and the two reset. They circle, and Naito calls for knuckle locks. ZSJ is not falling for that old trick of the taunting hands. Naito keeps offering, so ZSJ kicks him low! ZSJ whips, Naito reverses but ZSJ comes back! They dosido as ZSJ tries for the Cobra Twist, but Naito rolls him up! TWO!!
Naito kicks, runs, and RANAS! ZSJ flops out of the ring and fans fire up! Naito builds speed, but then he still fakes ZSJ out to properly Tranquilo! Fans cheer but ZSJ shrugs it off. ZSJ applauds Naito, then takes his time stepping back into the ring. But Naito rolls out! ZSJ hurries out after Naito but Naito kicks him and whips him into railing! And then puts him in No Man’s Land, to bring along the railing! NECKBREAKER to the railing! ZSJ writhes and Red Shoes goes out to check him. Kosei also hurries over, but ZSJ is okay to continue. Naito relaxes in the ring and the ring count starts. ZSJ sits up at 8 of 20 and crawls over at 11.
Naito goes out to bring ZSJ up! Naito CLUBS him, then turns him, NECKBREAKER to the floor! Naito then goes back into the ring while ZSJ writhes again. We pass five minutes, the ring count starts again, and fans rally up. ZSJ sits up at 10, leans against railing, and then gets in the ring at 14. Naito is on him with a cravat neck wrench! ZSJ endures, moves around, and has the ROPEBREAK! Naito thrashes but Red Shoes reprimands, so Naito lets go. Naito pie faces ZSJ around, brings him up and whips. ZSJ reverses, wrenches, and he traps the arm to TWEAK it! ZSJ then whips, but Naito reverses, only for ZSJ to turn arm-drag into ARMBAR!
Naito scrambles around, ROPEBREAK! ZSJ holds on but Red Shoes counts. ZSJ shifts to have the other arm! Red Shoes counts again, and ZSJ lets go quickly. Naito bails out but ZSJ follows him. ZSJ wraps the bad arm around railing, then BOOTS the railing to jam up the arm! Naito falls over but ZSJ looms over him. ZSJ drags Naito up, and wrenches the arm for an ELBOW BREAKER! ZSJ puts Naito in and fans cheer. The fans rally for “NA-I-TO!” as ZSJ storms over to him. ZSJ has the arm and he isolates it in a top wristlock, to STOMP it! Naito writhes as he clutches the elbow, but ZSJ stomps him around!
ZSJ stomps Naito more, then steps over to omoplata, then hammerlock, then ARM TWIST! Naito writhes more and fans rally up. ZSJ drags Naito up, wrenches the arm again and again, but Naito throws a forearm! And another! And another! But ZSJ YANKS the arm, but Naito avoids the Pele! Atomic drop, and NECKBREAKER! Both men are down and the fans fire up! Naito and ZSJ rise and Naito fires off shots! Naito whips, arm-drags, then ELBOWS ZSJ down, to basement dropkick! ZSJ flounders to a corner and fans rally up. Naito storms up, he whips corner to corner, and then runs in to JUMP KICK! And leg sweep!
COMBINACION feint, and then Naito SPITS on ZSJ! Then the dropkick, CABRON! Fans fire up as Naito poses. Naito then goes to cover, TWO! Naito puts on the PLUMA BLANCA! We hit 10 minutes, ZSJ endures as Naito puts on the pressure! Naito slaps ZSJ, spits at him, and thrashes the hold! ZSJ moves around to the ROPEBREAK! Those long legs help out here! Red Shoes reprimands, Naito claims he needs help. Red Shoes knows this tactic, starts counting, and Naito lets off on his own at 4. ZSJ goes to a corner, Naito brings him up and throws back elbow after back elbow! Naito then puts ZSJ up top and climbs, only for ZSJ to get a KIMURA!
ZSJ tortures the arm as he JAMS the fingers into Naito’s side! Then ZSJ shifts to HANGING ARMBAR!! Red Shoes reprimands and Naito endures! Red Shoes counts, ZSJ lets go at 4! Naito staggers away, ZSJ storms up and wrenches the arm, to WRING Naito out! ZSJ then catches his breath in the corner. Fans rally up and ZSJ goes back to Naito. ZSJ kicks Naito around, then drags him up. Naito ROCKS ZSJ! ZSJ comes back so Naito ROCKS him again! ZSJ eggs Naito on so Naito ROCKS ZSJ again! And again! ZSJ UPPERCUTS! Naito ROCKS ZSJ with forearm after forearm! ZSJ BOOTS the arm!
ZSJ whips, Naito reverses, TORNADO- NO, ZSJ wrenches to PELE the arm! But Naito still SPINEBUSTERS back! ZSJ flounders, Naito runs in, but into a BOOT! So Naito throws those HEAVY back elbows! ZSJ stands, Naito runs in, CORRIENDO SHIKI DESTINO! Cover, TWO!! ZSJ survives and fans fire up for “NA-I-TO! NA-I-TO!” ZSJ goes to a corner, Naito storms over and goes up the corner. Naito brings ZSJ up, reels him in, ESPER- NO, ZSJ rolls through to trap an arm! ZSJ wants the other but Naito resists! ZSJ powers that arm through for CLARKY CAT! Naito endures and fans fire up for him as ZSJ keeps pushing the arm!
ZSJ shifts his grip, rolls Naito around, TESCO MEAL DEAL! Naito endures again, and ZSJ stands to then shift around, back to CLARKY CAT! We hit 15 minutes and Naito scrambles around! Naito reaches out, ROPEBREAK by a foot! The fans cheer as ZSJ lets off in frustration. ZSJ drags Naito up but Naito fights the scoop! ZSJ UPPERCUTS, then full nelsons, but Naito arm-drags free! Atomic drop, takedown, jackknife roll!! TWO!! ZSJ has the sunset, TWO! Naito has the jackknife back, TWO! ZSJ has the sunset again, TWO!!! Naito escapes, but ZSJ UPPERCUTS! Naito roars then ENZIGURIS! But ZSJ PENALTY KICKS!
Fans are thunderous as ZSJ scoops! But Naito shifts weight, DESTINO!! Naito drags ZSJ up, wrenches, tilt-o-whirl, but ZSJ blocks to ZACK DRIVER!! Both men are down and fans are thunderous again! ZSJ stirs, as does Naito, but we hit the three minute warning! ZSJ flops his way to the corner and Naito pushes himself up off the mat. Fans are thunderous for Naito but time is running out! ZSJ sits up in the corner, he shouts at Naito, and both men rush in! ZSJ UPPERCUTS Naito down! Naito rises but ZSJ UPPERCUTS again! ZSJ runs in at he corner, Naito moves but ZSJ goes up and TORNADO DDTS!
ZSJ fires up, but Naito suplexes first! We hit the two minute warning and Naito shakes out the cobwebs. Tilt-o-whirl, but ZSJ goes for the arm! Fujiwara into a GHOST PIN! TWO!!! ZSJ hurries to uppercut but Naito backslides! ZSJ rolls through, ducks the back elbow and YANKS the arm! ZSJ roundhouses but Naito blocks! Naito kicks and reels ZSJ in, TORNADO cradle!??! NAITO WINS!!!
Winner: Tetsuya Naito, by pinfall (gains 2 points; ZSJ earns 0)
ZSJ thought he knew all of Naito’s tricks, but he just showed us a new one! And now things shift in the D Block again! Will Naito again snatch away an opportunity from ZSJ? Or can The Front Man finish strong and still move into the quarterfinals?
G1 Climax 33, C Block: Shingo Takagi VS David Finlay w/ Gedo!
The Rampaging Dragon and Tama Tonga had a draw last round that could have truly altered the course of this block! Will Takagi alter it again by bringing down Finlay? Or will the G1 need the Rebel?
The bell rings and fans fire up as the two stare down. They approach, fans behind “TA-KA-GI!” and the two circle. They tie up, are in a deadlock, but then Takagi powers Finlay to ropes. Finlay turns it around, Takagi turns it back, but Finlay turns it back. Red Shoes calls the break, and Finlay lets off slowly. But Takagi avoids the cheap shot! Fans applaud as the two reset. The two circle, but Finlay rakes eyes! Finlay headlocks, Takagi powers out and RAMS shoulders with Finlay! Neither man falls, so Takagi dares Finlay to try. Finlay runs, they RAM shoulders, but neither falls! The fans fire up as the two argue over who goes next.
Takagi decides he’ll go, but Finlay pulls Takagi’s hair to reel him into a headlock! Red Shoes reprimands but Takagi already powers out. Finlay RAMS Takagi but Takagi rebounds to run Finlay over! Fans fire up and Takagi encourages them to get louder. Takagi stalks Finlay to ropes, he stomps Finlay and brings him up to knee low against the ropes. Takagi wihps and KNEES Finlay against ropes, then runs, but Finlay flops over. Gedo tells Red Shoes to check Finlay. Takagi drags Finlay up but he’s dead weight. Fans boo Gedo, tell him to go away, and Takagi tells him to leave, too. But Finlay CHOP BLOCKS Takagi!
Finlay was of course faking, and he goes out after Takagi to throw hands. Finlay RAMS Takagi through the gate! Takagi is down in No Man’s Land, and Finlay brings out a table! Gedo says he loves this but Red Shoes reprimands. Finlay finishes setting the table, then he BOOTS Takagi. Finlay brings Takagi over to SMACK him off the table! But Takagi fights the suplex! Takagi turns things around and Gedo freaks out! Finlay fires hands, and he snap suplexes Takagi to the floor! Fans boo but Finlay drags Takagi up to SMACK him off the apron! Finlay puts Takagi in, drags him around and he bends Takagi’s fingers!
Finlay JAMS Takagi’s fingers into the mat, then BITES the fingers! Red Shoes reprimands and counts, Finlay lets off at 4 and argues with Red Shoes. Fans rally for Takagi but Finlay UPPERCUTS! Takagi kicks and kicks, but Finlay ROCKS him with forearms, then HEADBUTTS! Finlay digs his knee in, but lets off as Red Shoes counts. Finlay drags Takagi up to snap suplex! Cover, TWO! Fans cheer but Finlay wraps on a chinlock. Fans rally as Takagi endures and we pass five minutes. Takagi fights up, throws elbows, but Finlay throws Takagi by his hair! Gedo applauds but he’s the only one. Finlay kicks Takagi around and eggs him on.
Takagi blocks a kick to fire off forearms and JABS! JABS! JABS! But Finlay ducks the haymaker to pull hair! Takagi uses that to RAM Finlay into a corner! Finlay storms up, into an ELBOW! JAB! YUKON LARIAT! Fans fire up with how fast the Takagi combo was! Finlay goes to a corner, Takagi waits on him to rise, and then he runs in. Takagi blocks the boot, and clotheslines through! Fans fire up with Takagi as he fires off forearm after forearm, and then returns those HEADBUTTS! Finlay sits down but Takagi drags him back up. Finlay pulls hair, so Takagi pulls hair! Takagi TOSSES Finlay across the ring!
Fans fire up and Takagi runs in to clothesline! And then a suplex high and hard! Cover, TWO! Takagi looks to cameras, and says IT’S TIME! Fans fire up with Takagi and he watches Finlay rise. Takagi runs, Finlay dodges, but Takagi ELBOWS! JABS! YUKON feint to a DDT! And then SLIDING LARIAT! Fans fire up and Takagi stalks Finlay to the apron. Takagi drags Finlay up but Finlay holds ropes. Takagi CLUBS Finlay, fireman’s carries, but Finlay slips off to HEADBUTT! Takagi wobbles, Finlay runs in, but Takagi blocks the spear! Takagi drags Finlay to the apron, and aims for the table! But Finlay fights for dear life!
Finlay drops down, and he trips Takagi! Finlay then gets Takagi up, POWERBOMB through the table!! Fans boo but at least the table broke cleanly. Finlay soaks up the heat and he goes back for Takagi. Fans rally up for “TA-KA-GI!” but Finlay just leaves him behind. The ring count starts as Finlay flips everyone off. Fans boo but Finlay and Gedo just soak up the heat. Takagi stirs at 6 of 20, rises at 10, needing the railing’s help. But he’s still down at 15! Takagi hobbles up at 17, and lunges into the ring at 19! Finlay is upset but the fans fire up! Finlay drags Takagi up but Takagi fights the lift with elbows!
Finlay shoves Takagi, scoops him, BLUE THUNDER BOMB! Cover, TWO! Finlay hurries to sit Takagi up at 10 minutes, BLINDSIDER! Cover, TWO! Takagi is still in this and the fans are still with him! Finlay drags Takagi up, reels him in, but Takagi blocks! Finlay throws body shots, suplexes, but Takagi fights it to TWISTING NECKBREAKER! Fans fire up as both men are down! Takagi rises, grits his teeth and stands Finlay up. Finlay UPPERCUTS, then UPPERCUTS again! But Takagi blocks one to Gory Especial, NOSHIGAMI! Fans rally up and Takagi stalks Finlay to a corner.
Takagi powers up, brings Finlay up, and suplexes him to the top rope. Fans fire up but Gedo freaks out! Takagi throws headbutt after headbutt, then brings Finlay up! SUPER DUPER PLEX!! Both men writhe and fans are thunderous! The fans rally behind “TA-KA-GI!” and he rises again. They fire up with “OI! OI! OI!” and Takagi brings Finlay up. Pump handle, but Finlay fights the lift! Finlay swings, into a spin and suplex, but Finlay fights that to hang Takagi out to dry! Takagi flops down and sputters, but Finlay storms up. Finlay hoists Takagi up top backwards, and brings him out in the Canadian Rack! DOMINATOR!! Cover, TWO!!
Finlay is furious that Takagi survives! The fans are thunderous again as Takagi staggers up. Finlay runs, to LARIAT! Finlay paces, brings down the kneepad, and slashes his throat! Fans boo but he just flips them off. Finlay then goes back to Takagi, suplexes, but Takagi slips free! GROUD COBRA CRADLE! TWO!! Finlay hits an IRISH CURSE BACKBREAKER! Fans boo but Finlay drags Takagi up again, scoops and swings, for another IRISH CURSE BACKBREAKER! Cover, TWO!! Fans fire up as Takagi is still in this! Finlay is frustrated and he storms back up on Takagi. Finlay vows to end this now!
But Takagi fights the lift! We hit 15 minutes as Finlay CLUBS Takagi. Finlay gets Takagi up but Takagi slips free! Finlay fires off forearms, then short arm LARIATS! Takagi drops to a knee, Finlay runs, LARIAT! But Takagi just roars! Finlay fires off a flurry, but spins into a JAB! Finlay comes back, into a HEADBUTT! Takagi swings, Finlay backslides and suplexes, but Takagi gets free! Pump handle, MADE IN JAPAN!!! Cover, TWO!?!? Finlay survives and fans fire up as both men sit up. They give each other junkyard dog headbutts, and then stand to give more headbutts! Then the forearms start flying! Then they shift to SLAPS!
Takagi ROCKS Finlay, ROCKS him with boxing elbows, and the fans fire up with each shot! But Finlay ROCKS Takagi! And again! And again, and again, and ROLLING ELBOWS! Takagi comes back, but Finlay dodges, to SPEAR! Finlay hauls Takagi up at the three minute warning, for a POWERBOMB! Fans rally for Takagi but Finlay says he’ll go for one more. Finlay hauls Takagi up, to POWERBOMB! Gedo is loving this as Finlay throws up the Too Sweet. Finlay decides he’ll give us one more, and he drags Takagi up. INTO O- NO, Takagi slips free to SLIDING FOREARM! Fans fire up as both men are down again!
Takagi goes to a corner, Finlay flounders to the other, and we hit the two minute warning! Fans are thunderous as Takagi drags himself up with the ropes! Takagi headbutts the buckle to fire up! They both run in, DOUBLE LARIATS collide! But then Takagi comes back with a PUMPING BOMBER! And LAST OF THE DRAGON!!! Cover, TAKAGI WINS!!!
Winner: Shingo Takagi, by pinfall (gains 2 points; Finlay earns 0)
And with just minutes to spare, The Dragon slays The Rebel!! Finlay is still holding onto the top spot, but he’s up against The Mad King in the final round! Who will win the battle that determines it all?
As for Takagi, he gets the mic, makes sure it’s on, and he reviews his current record: 3 wins, 2 losses, 1 draw, and still with a shot. “Finally… Finally, my time is here!” Fans cheer that! But Takagi admits, he was feeling the pressure yesterday. “If you lose, you go home. Yes, that. But not just that, but Naito is in his ‘hometown’ in the semi-main, underneath me! And he won, so it was all on me!” Fans cheer that, too. “If I lost here, can you imagine how hard he’d taunt me tomorrow?” Fans can understand that. But Takagi won! And right here in Hiroshima, where he once defended the KOPW Championship.
However, the fans weren’t allowed to cheer back then! “So how about it, Hiroshima? They cheer now! “HIROSHIMA!” The fans keep cheering, but Takagi says they can get louder than that! “I won today, thanks to your support. Thank you!” Fans cheer for “TA-KA-GI! TA-KA-GI!” and he says their good mood has put him in a good mood. This is his fifth G1 already, and he is only looking for the top, for the trophy! And as he mentioned, Naito keeps saying he wants a main event in the Tokyo Dome. “Oi oi oi oi! You’re not the only one! You’re damn right Shingo Takagi wants to be there!”
Fans cheer that, too, and Takagi says that reminds him. “He beat Naito, Hiromu and Yota. Oi, Sanada! You haven’t beaten me! And I don’t like you as World Heavyweight Champion!” Fans cheer that, too! Takagi says he’ll let his actions do the talking, so “like a Rampaging Dragon, I’ll be there to do something about it!” Fans cheer again as Takagi drops the mic! He’s put Naito, Sanada and the rest of the G1 hopefuls on notice, will Takagi fight his way all the way to WrestleKingdom?
Here are the NEW C Block standings!
David Finlay: 4-2, 8 points
EVIL: 4-2, 8 points
Eddie Kingston: 4-2, 8 points
Tama Tonga: 3-2-1, 7 points
Shingo Takagi: 3-2-1, 7 points
Mikey Nicholls: 2-4, 4 points [ELIMINATED]
Aaron Henare: 2-4, 4 points [ELIMINATED]
Tomohiro Ishii: 1-5, 2 points [ELIMINATED]
Here are the NEW D Block standings!
Jeff Cobb: 4-2, 8 points
Tetsuya Naito: 4-2, 8 points
Zack Sabre Jr: 4-2, 8 points
Hiroshi Tanahashi: 3-3, 6 points
Hirooki Goto: 3-3, 6 points
Shane Haste: 2-4, 4 points [ELIMINATED]
Alex Coughlin: 2-4, 4 points [ELIMINATED]
Toru Yano: 2-4, 4 points [ELIMINATED]
My Thoughts:
Another awesome round for the G1, and there is such great chaos, I suppose you could say, in the C and D Blocks. A Block is all about Sanada and time limit draws creating a fight for second, and then B Block is all about Okada and another fight for second. But in both C and D, we have three men with 4-2 and 8 points, but also two men just outside that with three wins and at least 6 points. This makes their seventh rounds on August 8th and 9th incredibly dramatic. Goto VS ZSJ, Tanahashi VS Naito, Cobb VS Shane are the matches that matter, though Yano is giving us his best gags to finish out.
There are scenarios in this where even though you could have FIVE 4-3 records, you could end up with it being Tanahashi and Goto as dark horse quarterfinalists. Though at the same time, Cobb could/should beat Shane, so he’ll solidify a spot for D Block. If I have this right, Goto needs Tanahashi to lose while he beats ZSJ. If ZSJ wins, he’d still need Goto to beat Naito since Naito just beat Goto. If Tanahashi wins, he already beat Goto so he’d need Goto to beat ZSJ because Tanahashi lost to ZSJ. And of course, if Naito wins, he’s just in.
I think there are similar paths in C Block, with Tama facing Henare, who is already out. Henare can definitely spoil things for Tama if he wins, but even if Tama wins, he would need Eddie and Evil to lose. Takagi needs to win against Evil, so he can kinda help Tama out at the same time. Then with Finlay VS Eddie, not only does each man need to win, but Finlay needs Tama AND Takagi to lose, while Evil needs just Finlay to lose. Honestly, I’d be pleasantly surprised if Eddie made it through to give us more dream matches with the guys from the other blocks, and I’m personally a fan of Takagi so it’d be cool if he got in.
While Finlay is building up his strength as newest Bullet Club leader, he has plenty he can do outside of the G1, such as defending the NEVER Openweight Championship and fending off the enemies of Bullet Club, like ELP & The Guerillas of Destiny. Still waiting on a Bullet Club Civil War of some kind, but that may never happen.
My Score: 8.9/10
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And with the first overall pick of the 2024 WWE Draft, SmackDown selects…
The WWE Draft returns for 2024, the first four rounds being right here on Friday Night SmackDown! With champions protected, who ends up where to challenge them?
OFFICIAL RESULTS
- Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee w/ Zelina Vega & Carlito VS Angel Garza & Humberto Carrillo; Rey & Dragon win.
- Bron Breakker VS Cedric Alexander; Bron wins.
- WWE Women’s Championship #1 Contender’s Match: Naomi VS Tiffany Stratton; No Contest.
- Cody Rhodes VS Carmelo Hayes; Cody wins.
PLAY BY PLAY
Backstage interview with Paul Heyman.
Kayla Braxton is with the Wise Man and says that here on night one of the Draft, there are already rumors circulating, including those about The Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns. Heyman will clarify these are not rumors regarding The Tribal Chief, Roman… Reigns. These are facts! Ladies and gentlemen, Your Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns, has voluntarily withdrawn from eligibility for this year’s Draft. That is not a negative but a positive. Who built SmackDown since the Pandemic? Roman Reigns. Who is the biggest star in the entire industry? Roman Reigns. Why would Roman Reigns hog the number one draft pick spotlight when he won’t be returning in the immediate future?
Read into his words, Kayla, that is not what a real Tribal Chief would do. Instead now, the pressure is on Nick Aldis. Because if Roman Reigns isn’t the first draft pick, then who is? The first two picks make history in a brand new era. And Heyman doesn’t know about you, but he is intrigued. No Tribal Chief up for grabs, who gets their opportunity to shine in the spotlight?
SmackDown throws it to the NXT Performance Center.
Jackie Redmond says the emotion down here is palpable! There is excitement, hope, and a little bit of nerves. But for these NXT Superstars, tonight is the culmination of a lifetime of hard work, dedication, a little bit of luck and a whole lot of self-belief. It was just last year that the NEW WWE Tag Team Champion, Grayson Waller, was hoping his name would be called. And it is funny this is NXT, but time to buy a vowel, throw in an E! Who is next? We find out tonight! The draft pool is deep, who rises to the top of the list?
Corey Graves is in the ring.
Corey welcomes Cincinnati and all of us at home to night one of the 2024 WWE Draft. Understandably, the GMs have their hands full, so Corey will be moderating the contract signing for the WWE Championship match that takes place next Saturday for Backlash: France. Without further ado, it’s the #1 contender, The Phenomenal AJ Styles! Styles makes his entrance, taking a seat at the table on camera right. And now, the Undisputed WWE Champion, the American Nightmare, Cody Rhodes! Cincy fires up and sings along, “WHOA~ OH~!” as Cody makes his entrance and gets his pyro before joining everyone in the ring.
Styles looks over the contract, absolutely tuning out the fans going wild for “CODY! CODY!” Styles then gets the mic to say before he signs, he doesn’t know if we realize that we’ve got two Georgia boys about to mix it up for the first time, and for the biggest prize in the game. Styles understands why they boo, but they gotta know that he doesn’t respect LA Knight, LA Knight got under his skin. He accepts that. But that’s why Styles lost at Mania. But what happened? Styles got his composure back and realized that he is Phenomenal. Styles BEAT Knight to earn the right to face Cody Rhodes at Backlash.
Now unlike Knight, Styles does respect Cody. They hadn’t crossed paths yet, but they’ve been down the same roads. They had to prove themselves outside of the WWE. And Styles is willing to believe that the same man who gave him advice a long time ago gave Cody the same advice, on how to stand on their own two feet and be the men they are today. That man was The American Dream, Dusty Rhodes. The fans cheer for “DUSTY! DUSTY!” Styles learned a lot from Dusty. Styles gets a little emotional thinking about Dusty, he was a good man. Dusty taught Styles how to carry himself, and to carry the weight of a championship.
And Styles looks at this WWE Championship here. The weight of this isn’t just the leather and gold. And at Backlash, we see if Cody can carry it. Styles goes back to his table, signs the contract, and then hands it off to Corey. Corey brings that to Cody, and Cody picks up his mic. “So… Cincinnati…! Whadda we wanna talk about? Certainly, we can talk about respect. There is not a locker room on Earth that you’ll find where everyone in it, every single person, they all respect AJ Styles. Last week, I went on to say you are the modern day Excellence of Execution. I respect the roads that you have traveled down to get here, the parallel paths that perhaps you and I have.
“Mutual respect, much respect. But that respect goes by the wayside at Backlash. I can feel it in your words to a degree. You’ve been here before. And it seems you’re implying that I cannot carry the weight of that championship. Well, good thing the man who trained me not far from where I sit now used to tell me all the time, it’s not about winning the title, it’s about keeping it.” The fans cheer that. Cody says boy does he respect Styles’ familiarity with Cody’s last name. But when you put C O D Y in front of it on this paper, that means they’ve never touched before. That means Backlash is a level playing field.
That means no matter how Phenomenal Styles is, this isn’t a dream match for Cody. It’s a must-win! Cody signs while the fans cheer, and it is official! Cody even throws the pen to the crowd as a free souvenir. Cody then offers a handshake, and Styles says y’know what? It was a beautiful thing to see Cody #FInishTheStory and win the title. But it’s a shame that Cody’s title reign will end at Backlash. Styles still shakes Cody’s hand, and then walks away. Cody picks up the belt and holds it high, will he get to hold it high again in Lyon, France?
Triple H is here!
Just as Cody was on his way to the back, The Game makes his way out here! HHH raises Cody’s hand, then invites him over to the podium. HHH welcomes us to the first round of the 2024 WWE Draft. It is a night that changes the landscape of the WWE going into the future, and things are a bit different this year. As the GMs ponder their next steps, they have to understand it is about protecting the roster they have as it is making the roster they want. Meaning that when they use their picks, they have just as much of a chance gaining a superstar as they do losing one they already have.
HHH just felt that since champs are protected and Cody will be staying here on SmackDown, maybe Cody could help read the SmackDown picks and HHH can read the Raw picks. And since SmackDown goes first, Cody reads first. Cody takes the card to say that with the first pick of the 2024 WWE Draft, SmackDown selects… The E S T, Bianca Belair! The stongEST, fastEST, roughEST, toughEST stays on Friday nights! HHH reads that for the second pick of the 2024 WWE Draft, Raw selects… YEET! JEY USO! Monday nights will still have Main Event Jey Uso! And the fans “YEET!” Cody says for the third pick, SmackDown selects… NXT’s Carmelo Hayes!
The fans fire up as SmackDown manages to snag… HIM! The former NXT Champion makes history again by being the first NXT superstar to be chosen this high in the Draft! HHH says that’s a hell of a pick. But then the fourth and final pick of this first round, Raw selects… SETH! FREAKIN’! ROLLINS! It is still going to be Monday Night Rollins as the Visionary stays on the red brand! Cody and HHH shake hands, and then Melo makes his way out! Melo has the mic to say when they talk about who’s next up, about who’s the hottest out, they don’t call them “the hottest out,” they just call him “Carmelo Hayes.”
The fans chant “WHOOP DAT TRICK!” to remind Melo how he’s leaving NXT. Melo says okay, okay. But then to Cody Rhodes, ever since Cody won the title, he’s been talking about “If you aim for the king, you best not miss.” Well, funny how that works. Because when Melo shoots, Melo don’t miss. And as a first round draft pick, what better way to shoot his shot on SmackDown than to shoot it right at Cody? Melo leaves the mic with Cody but Cody picks it up to say, “Fortune certainly favors the bold, but I dunno. You folks don’t wanna see me in action tonight, do ya?” The fans go wild! Oh, but what if Cody forgot his gear?
Oh that’s right! He didn’t forget his gear! And this title right here, for Cody, means absolutely 100%, Melo’s on! They shake on it, and we’re about to see a huge first-time-ever showdown! But will this bold first move work out for… HIM?
Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee w/ Zelina Vega & Carlito VS Angel Garza & Humberto Carrillo!
The LWO is still not convinced Legado Del Fantasma had nothing to do with the beating that took the Boy Wonder out ahead of WrestleMania. Will the King of Lucha help get to the bottom of things? Or will Angel & “Berto” make it as easy as ABC, 1-2-3?
The teams sort out, Dragon runs up on Humberto but Humberto LARIATS him down! Humberto drags Dragon up, tears the shirt away and CHOPS! Humberto whips, Dragon ducks ‘n’ dodges to RANA! Humberto tumbles out, Dragon builds speed and FLIES! Direct hit and down goes Humberto! The fans fire up as Dragon pushes Humberto into the ring, goes up a corner, and then CROSSBODIES! Cover, TWO! Dragon facelocks to drag Humberto up, but Humberto wrenches out to CLUB Dragon down. Humberto waistlocks but Dragon throws elbows. Angel tags in as Humberto shoves Dragon. Dragon ducks but Angel holds ropes open, and Dragon tumbles to the floor!
The fans boo and LWO hurries to check on Dragon! Angel & Humberto just soak up the heat as SmackDown goes to break.
SmackDown returns and both Dragon and Humberto are down! They crawl, hot tags to Angel and Rey! The fans fire up as Rey ducks ‘n’ dodges and tilt-o-whirl RANAS! Angel ends up in a corner, he puts Rey on the apron, but Rey ROCKS Angel! Rey goes up to SEATED SENTON! Rey keeps moving, wrenches and kicks, then hops on! CODE RED! Cover, Humberto breaks it! The fans boo but Humberto hauls Rey up. Rey fights and RANAS Humberto up and out! But Angelo kicks, scoops, but Rey slips free! Angelo kicks low, reels REy in, and underhooks, but Rey fights those to RANA Angel onto ropes! Rey dials it up to 619!
Tag to Dragon and he takes aim! Angel stands, into the tilt-o-whirl, PROJECT DRAGON!! Cover, LWO wins!
Winners: Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee, by pinfall
Carlito and Zelina hug it out with the team, but then Santos Escobar & Elektra Lopez walk out here. Santos says whoa, whoa, whoa, hold that celebration. Because Santos is many things, but a liar is not one of them. And when Santos said he did NOT attack Dragon that night before Mania, he meant it. Elektra has been working for weeks to track down the security footage from that night. And Rey… Oh, Rey. What you’re about to see, you will find very, very interesting. The footage plays, and it was CARLITO!! Carlito throw Dragon around backstage! No one can believe it, because of how well Carlito fooled even Dragno.
Speaking of, Carlito RAMS Dragon into Rey, then hits a BACKSTABBER! Never has that move’s name been more fitting! Carlito runs away in a panic, and Rey stands back up in a rage! Santos says he told Rey that he was right all along. They were supposed to be family, and yet look how that turned out. How will the LWO recover from this shocking development?
Bron Breakker VS Cedric Alexander!
The Big Bad Booty Nephew has been making a case for himself ever since showing up on SmackDown, and he’s already bringing the straps down! Is he going to break PRIMED Alexander while also breaking match time records? Or will Cedric prove he’s too fly for Bron?
The bell rings and Cedric dodges Bron to CHOP and ROCK! Cedric whips, Bron reverses and Cedric handsprings, into a SPEAR!! Cover, Bron wins!
Winner: Bron Breakker, by pinfall
Well, hard to say if that’s an all-time fast match, but that was a fast match! QR Code stuff going on, but will we all see Bron take the world by storm?
Nick Aldis heads out.
And waiting is Tiffany Stratton. She asks if he saw what she did last week. Wait, of course he did. Because she is the Center of the Universe. She dropped Naomi and Bayley, where is her title match? Aldis tells Tiff to look at his watch. It is NOT set to #TiffyTime. And he was this close to sending her to the back of the line. But then someone convinced him otherwise, good for her. Tonight, she goes 1v1 with Naomi again, and the winner faces Bayley for the title at Backlash. Whose stupid idea was that?! Bayley says DING DONG, it was hers. It is a win-win situation here. If Naomi wins, she gets the match she got cheated out of.
And if Tiff wins, then she’ll find out when she attacks the Role Model. Tiff gasps as she has a #TiffanyEpiphany. Bayley should be ringside for that match so she can see Tiff do what Bayley couldn’t, and that’s beat Naomi. Tootles. Tiff leaves, but will the only thing she gets is to #FeelTheGlow?
Michelle McCool and Torrie Wilson are here!
One is a former WWE Women’s Champion, the other is a WWE Hall of Famer, but they’re both here to present Draft picks! Michelle says with the first pick of the second round, SmackDown selects… The Viper, Randy Orton! SmackDown will still have to watch out for an RKO outta nowhere! Torrie says that with the second pick of the second round, Raw selects… BRON BREAKKER! We just saw Bron make quick work of opponents here on SmackDown, but now he’s gonna be rampaging on Raw!
Michelle says that with the third pick of the second round, SmackDown selects… NIA JAX! The Irresistible Force may have to change targets from the Women’s World to the Undisputed Women’s title, but will she be unstoppable all the same? And with the fourth and final pick of this round, Raw selects… LIV MORGAN! The Revenge Tour will still be part of Monday nights, will we watch Liv rise to the top?
The Bloodline arrives backstage.
Paul Heyman is there to greet them and open the door to the SUV. He apologizes for not being faster about that, but Solo Sikoa asks The Bloodline if they’ve been drafted. Not yet. Then give Solo the details. Okay, well, Roman Reigns withdrew right before the show began, and then Solo keeps adding members, so no one really knows what they’re getting if they draft The Bloodline! Solo sighs, and here comes Tama Tonga. Heyman asks they be patient but Solo wants Heyman to repeat that for him. Heyman gets scared, but then KEVIN OWENS jumps in! Kevin fires off on Tama, security and refs rush in to stop it!
The Prizefighter wants Solo’s “MFT” to bring the fight like he did last week! Security still drags Kevin away, but will he get that fight he wants?
Kayla Braxton is on stage.
SmackDown returns and Kayla welcomes us back to the show. And please welcome out the first overall pick, Bianca Belair! The fans fire up as The EST walks out on stage, and Kayla congratulates her on being the first overall pick. But let’s talk Backlash. Breaking news, Bianca and Jade Cargill are going to challenge for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships, against the Kabuki Warriors. How satisfying would it be to dethrone them on the stage of this magnitude? Bianca says so satisfying. She really hopes Jade gets drafted to SmackDown because given all this history with Damage CTRL, all the partners by her side, Bianca has never been the one to finally end it with them.
For everything they’ve done to her and this division, Bianca feels Jade is the perfect woman to help her end this. Now, DMG CTRL is falling apart piece by piece, and that final piece is the tag titles. So once Bianca & Jade take the gold at Backlash, the Kabuki Warriors won’t even have a reason to come back to SmackDown. But wait, they’re here now! Asuka & Kairi walk out here and Kayla moves aside. The Empress of Tomorrow and the Pirate Princess taunt the EST, but here comes The Storm! Jade makes her way to stand right by Bianca’s side. The four shout and argue, but this will be settled on May 4th!
WHOA! Tama and Kevin are brawling their way out here! The ladies move aside so the gentlemen can brawl all the way down to ringside! Tama hits low, gets in the ring, but Kevin pursues! Kevin TACKLES Tama, but Solo CLOBBERS Kevin! The fans boo as The Bloodline beats Kevin down! The refs hurry out here but clearly Solo’s Bloodline won’t listen! Tama DECKS producers, DECKS guards, HEADBUTTS them, throws hands and even THROWS the guards! Tama and Solo beat Kevin down again, but here comes Randy Orton! The Viper is still on SmackDown and he’s still pals with Kevin, so here he comes!
Orton DECKS Tama, fires hands on Solo, then RK- NO, Solo gets free and gets away! Orton wants to pursue, almost runs Jamie Noble and refs over to do it, but the Bloodline has gotten away! The fans cheer Randy on, and KAevin even hugs him! But then Kevin and Randy try to give chase! Security stops this, when and where will we see #RKKO strike down Solo and Tama?
The Dudley Boyz are here!
The fans fire up as Bubba Ray & D-Von are both here for the next round of picks! Cincy chants for “E C DUB! E C DUB!” Bubba and D-Von look at the cards, it’s hard to read. So out come the glasses! Bubba says with the first pick of the third round of the 2024 WWE Draft, SmackDown selects… L A KNIGHT! YEAH!! The Mega Star stays on Fridays! D-Von says with the second pick of the third round, Raw selects… RICOCHET! Mondays still has the One and Only, is Ricochet going to bring that WWE Speed Championship home to Raw, too?
Bubba says with the third pick of the third round, SmackDown selects… THE BLOODLINE! That means Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga and Paul Heyman are staying right here on Friday nights. And D-Von says with the final pick of this round, Raw selects… SHEAMUS! The Celtic Warrior just got back, but he won’t have to worry about going anywhere else but Monday nights.
WWE Women’s Championship #1 Contender’s Match: Naomi VS Tiffany Stratton!
It’s time to run it back once again! The Glow got robbed by the Spoiled Rich Girl, but supposedly, it’s #TiffyTime. Will Naomi prove there’s no such time on the clock? Or will Bayley be the one feeling the Backlash over giving Tiffany one more chance?
The bell rings and Naomi hits a THESZ PRESS! Naomi rains down fists, Tiffy shoves her away and goes to ropes, but Naomi gets up in Tiff’s face. Naomi whips, Tiff holds ropes to bail out and fans boo. Naomi scowls, runs in and WRECKS Tiff with a dropkick! Naomi then gets Tiff up, SMACKS her off the apron, and then SMACKS her off it again! And again! Naomi puts Tiff in, goes up a corner, but Tiff gets under the jump! Naomi runs back up but Tiff YANKS her into ropes! Tiff runs to HIP ATTACK! Naomi sputters, Tiff scowls and drags Naomi up, to then put through ropes. But Naomi RAMS into Tiff!
Naomi reels Tiff in, for a HEATSEEKER! Tiff flops to the floor, and then Naomi SPLIT LEG DROPS! Naomi says it’s #NaomiTime, but SmackDown goes to break.
SmackDown returns and Naomi runs, but into a SPINEBUSTER! High stack, TWO! Naomi survives and Tiff is frustrated but the fans rally up. Tiff drags Naomi up, whips her to a corner, but Naomi goes up and sunset flips! TWO! Tiff escapes, knees Naomi low, then whips. Naomi slides under the lariat to then mule kick! Then she headscissor SPIKES Tiff down! Cover, TWO! Tiff survives but barely, and Naomi keeps her cool. Naomi headlocks, but Tiff shoves her into buckles! Tiff runs, but Naomi follows, DOUBLE RUNNING FACEBUSTERS take them both down! The fans fire up as the two rise!
Naomi KICKS, ROCKS and ROCKS Tiff again! Naomi fires shots again and again but Tiff knees low! Tiff reels Naomi in, but Naomi wrenches out to ENZIGIRI! And then BUCKLE BULLDOG! But then NIA JAX attacks Bayley!? Nia SMACKS Bayley off buckles, rains down fists, and this momentarily distracts Naomi. Naomi refocuses, but by now, Tiff’s slipped away! Nia KICKS Bayley in the side, so Naomi goes out to ROCK her! Nia POSTS Naomi and that throws the match out!
No Contest
The fans boo as Nia ruins the fun, then runs Bayley over! Nia smiles as she blows kisses to Cincy. Tiff smiles, she drags Naomi up and puts her in the ring. Then she drags Bayley in! Tiff wants a repeat of last week as she puts them side by side in the drop zone! Tiff then goes up and up for the PRETTIEST MOONSAULT EVER!! Tiff says it’s her time, but the #1 contendership is still in question. Who gets their shot at the Role Model at Backlash?
B-Fab and the Street Profits meet up backstage.
Angelo Dawkins has a “WHO-DEY” sign, but Montez Ford is wondering where Bobby Lashley is right now. B-Fab says calm down, he’ll be here. Byron Saxton walks over and apologizes for interrupting. He doesn’t know what the Draft destination for this group will be until Monday Night Raw, but we do know that The Profits will challenge A-Town Down Under for the WWE Tag Team Championships. YESSIIIIIIR~! B-Fab says it doesn’t matter where they get drafted. The Profits are going to take down A-Town Down Under and take those titles. Then they’ll have their first class tickets right back to SmackDown.
SmackDown? Did someone say SmackDown~? In walk Austin Theory & Grayson Waller, showing off the titles. And Theory says you can’t have SmackDown without the GREATEST undefeated tag team of all time. And sorry, Dawkins, but these are championships, something the Bengals know nothing about! B-Fab keeps Dawkins back, but then in steps Bobby Lashley! The All Mighty scares Theory & Waller right off, and Dawkins says see y’all next Friday! Will there be nothing keeping these Profits down the night before Backlash?
The Final Testament speaks.
Karrion Kross says good evening. What’s going on here? You guessed it! More random acts of violence! Just follow him. Kross & Scarlett lead the way to show The Authors of Pain beating down New Catch Republic! Rezar beats down Pete Dunne while Akam victimizes Tyler Bate! Paul Ellering says they will know about sacrifice! Kross says whether they get drafted to Raw or stay on SmackDown, the violence will continue until they get what they want! So sayeth The Final Testament!!
Teddy Long and JBL are here!
The Hall of Famer General Manager and the Hall of Famer WWE Champion are both here, ready to give us the fourth and final round of picks tonight! Teddy gets right to it! The first pick of the fourth round, SmackDown selects… AJ STYLES! The Phenomenal One is really an obvious choice, because one way or another, the WWE Championship stays with SmackDown! JBL says the second pick of the fourth round, Raw selects… THE ALPHA ACADEMY! Raw keeps Chad Gable, Otis, Maxxine Dupri & Akira Tozawa, A THANK YEW~!
Teddy says with the third pick of this round, SmackDown selects… ANDRADE! A big move as now El Idolo will be part of Friday nights. And with the final pick of this fourth round, Raw selects… NXT’S Kiana James! The Calculator, the former NXT Women’s Tag Team Champion, has the Raw hat to put on, and after a quick hype package, Jackie Redmond is there to interview her. Kiana, congratulations! You are heading to Monday Night Raw! How much does this mean to her? This means the world to her. She is filled with gratitude, but also knows every decision she has made up to this point has been by design to get her here.
Kiana is so proud of her time in NXT, but she’s ready to show Raw why she is the One Percent. Was she surprised? Of course she was! HBK is here to wish her luck and congratulations. Is Kiana going to start the hostile takeover of the Raw Women’s Division?
Backstage interview with Nick Aldis.
Kayla is with the SmackDown GM and says that with night one in the books, how does he feel about SmackDown’s selections? He feels really good about them. SmackDown’s future is bright, he can’t wait for the new recruits to show up and show out for the blue brand. But he also wants to turn attentions to Backlash, because he’s got some new matches to announce! The first PLE in France, this is exciting stuff, Kayla. Aldis says that the WWE Women’s Championship will now be on the line in a Triple Threat! Bayley VS Naomi VS Tiffany Stratton! Will the odds make it that much harder for the Role Model to succeed?
There’s one more match to announce, but Aldis will let the GM GOAT take it from here. Teddy Long steps in, and don’t forget. We’ll talk about this tag team match. The Bloodline VS Kevin Owens & Randy Orton! Holla, players. Solo & Tama will have to face The Viper and the Prizefighter, will #RKKO strike fast and strike hard?
Cody Rhodes VS Carmelo Hayes!
The American Nightmare just put pen to paper for his match with the Phenomenal One, but he isn’t one to shy away from a challenge. The former NXT Champion is shooting his shot, but will this be nothing but net? Or will it be a frustrating airball?
The bell rings and the two circle. They tie up, the fans rally for Cody as he puts Melo in a corner then arm-drags him away. Melo runs up, Cody headlocks, Melo powers out then drops. Melo hurdles, but Cody kicks low to RHODES UPPERCUT! Melo staggers to ropes, the fans fire up, but then melo throat chops and springboard FLYING LARIATS! Melo says that’s why he’s a first round pick! But then Cody CLOBBERS him! Cody asks if Melo’s ready for this, and SmackDown goes to break.
SmackDown returns once again and Cody has a headlock. Cody hits a takeover, Melo flails and kicks around, but Cody grinds him down. Melo pushes with his forearm, then headscissors, but Cody kips free. Melo CHOPS, the fans “WOO~!” but Cody brushes himself off. Melo pie faces Cody! Cody fires forearms on Melo, then whips, but Melo reverses. Melo ELBOWS Cody, then runs up to KICK him in the side! Melo fires forearms and CHOPS in a corner, then throws body shots. Melo digs his boot in, the ref counts, and Cody goes to another corner. Cody eggs Melo on, Melo storms up, but Cody puts him in the corner to CHOP!
Cody swings, Melo dodges and CHOPS! Cody turns things around to CHOP! The fans rally, Cody whips corner to corner, then he back drops Melo away! Melo staggers up, Cody runs, and he rallies on Melo with forearms! Cody goes up and over in a corner but Melo tilt-o-whirls, LA MYSTICA! Melo springboards, FADE AWAY! Cover, TWO! Cody survives that flying DDT, but we see the NXT roster all fired up watching Melo take it to the champ. Melo sits Cody up, drags him into a facelock, but the fans rally for Cody. Cody fireman’s carries but Melo slips free to dragon sleeper! Melo grins, but Cody cradles! TWO!!
Melo swings, Cody boots, then Cody springboards to BEAUTIFUL DISASTER! Melo flips inside-out, Cody covers, TWO! Melo is still in this and he snarls up at Cody. Melo gives a forearm, Cody gives it back, and the fans rally up. Cody scoops Melo, storms around, and then hits a RUNNING POWERSLAM! Cover, TWO! Melo survives and Cody grows frustrated. Cody pounds the mat, the fans rally up, and then Cody goes to ropes. Cody springboards again, CODY CUTTER! Cover, TWO!! Melo survives yet again, proving why he’s a former NXT Champion, on top of NXT North American Champion! But then Cody drags him up!
Cody back suplexes, Melo lands out of it, then FIRST 48! Doe goes Cody and Melo goes up! Melo is setting up for the game winner! NOTHING BUT- NO, Cody avoids the flying leg drop! Melo rolls through, Cody dodges to SUPERKICK! Cody brings Melo around, but Melo gets free! They both run, both springboard, but completely miss each other, and Cody takes a rough landing! Melo drags Cody up, reels him in, but Cody wrenches out to dragon sleeper! CROSS RHODES!! Cody shakes out the bad arm but still makes the cover, and Cody wins!
Winner: Cody Rhodes, by pinfall
Melo took his shot but it was blocked! Even so, Cody sits Melo up to show him respect and tell him he’s still the future. But did this match end up more of a trap game for Cody after that crash landing? Or will he be alright in time for Backlash and his phenomenal opponent?
Speaking of, Styles sneaks right into the ring! Cody sees him in time and Styles stays back. Cody and Styles stare down, but Styles says it was that close. Styles offers a handshake, and Cody takes it. There’s still respect here, for now. But will nothing stop Styles from turning Cody’s story into a tragedy after all?
My Thoughts:
A great SmackDown to open the WWE Draft but to also set up Backlash. To recap, SmackDown took Bianca, Melo, Orton, Nia, LA Knight, The Bloodline, Styles and Andrade while Raw took Jey, Rollins, Bron, Liv, Ricochet, Sheamus, The Alpha Academy, and Kiana. Many of those choices made sense, as picks won’t be wasted on keeping champions on brands, and just need to be used to keep most stories alive and change up a few others. Kiana is perhaps one of the more surprising moves, but well-deserved. She has been a solid character and solid in-ring performer almost from the start, she’s a solid addition to Raw.
Bron of course demolished his opponent tonight, it’s just a shame it was Cedric and not local enhancement talent. But Bron will also be a good addition to Raw, but maybe he can move past his squash match phase and get right to story. Melo being a first round pick was great stuff, and he had a great promo with Cody to give us tonight’s main event. That double springboard whiff was definitely a timing problem, but at the same time, a Fade Away countered into a Cody Cutter would’ve been way too epic just for TV. Cody with a great win, and we got a really good contract signing segment, but you can bet Cody retains.
Really good tag match from LWO VS Legado but naturally Rey & Dragon won. I knew it was only a matter of time before Carlito was outed, and how he handled being exposed was pretty good. And with Andrade being drafted to SmackDown, you just know that means Andrade joins the LWO. The Final Testament attacking New Catch Republic was a wild moment, I almost thought Ellering was going to use the pliers in his hands to grab at fingers. Maybe we get that next week for SmackDown in France. Good promos from A-Town Down Under and the still technically unnamed faction of Bobby Lashley’s. As great as The Profits are, it feels like Theory & Waller will cheat to retain.
Really good promo with Tiff and Bayley to set up Naomi VS Tiff round 3, but I did not think Nia Jax would disrupt all that. A Triple Threat at Backlash is good stuff, it will protect Bayley if she loses, but can also protect Naomi and Tiff if Bayley uses them against each other to win. Good promo from Bianca that then turned into the shouting match of Bianca & Jade with Kabuki Warriors. Their tag title match is official, and I’m pretty sure Bianca & Jade win. I also liked that this segment ended up having Kevin and Tama brawl right through it. Orton saving Kevin was a great move, RKKO VS Solo & Tama is going to be awesome stuff, I can’t wait to see it.
My Score: 8.8/10
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Coverage
Andrew’s TNA iMPACT! Results & Match Ratings: 4.25.2024
We just got done with Rebellion, and Under Siege is two weeks away! Gotta see how these dots connect!
Rebellion had quite a few returns, Mike Santana, Sami Callihan and Broken Matt Hardy. All three of these guys could easily be main event players, and its nice to mix up and expand what felt like a rather small pool of potential challengers.
Under Siege is only like 2 weeks out, so we’ll see how the dots connect in such a short period of time.
.@AJFrancis410, Rich Swann, and rap legend @BunBTrillOG are IN THE HOUSE Meanwhile, @joehendry announces he will deliver an apology to Fir$t Cla$$ NEXT WEEK on #TNAiMPACT! pic.twitter.com/4GNe2xWfyU
— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024
Ratings:
- Mike Santana vs Myron Reed w/Trey Miguel & Zachary Wentz: Santana wins via Spin the Block – ** 1/2
- #1 Contender: Frankie Kazarian vs Josh Alexander: Josh wins via Grapevine Ankle Lock – ***
- ASH by Elegance vs Xia Brookside: Xia wins via School Girl Roll-Up – ** 3/4
- Sami Callihan vs The Good Hands: Sami Callihan wins via Cactus Driver ’97 – SQUASH
- Eddie Edwards w/Alisha Edwards & Brian Myers vs Nic Nemeth: Eddie wins via Boston Knee Party – *** 1/4
Results:
Did @NicTNemeth say BROKEN? @MATTHARDYBRAND has arrived in the iMPACT Zone! #TNAiMPACT pic.twitter.com/HbkUangt6e
— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024
A weird opening that is just framed to put Nemeth and Hardy together against The System. Feels a little awkward, but who knows how it will play out.
.@JordynneGrace vs @miyu_tjp NEXT WEEK on #TNAiMPACT will now be for the Knockouts World Championship! pic.twitter.com/YnKZjb9yjx
— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024
Mike Santana vs Myron Reed w/Trey Miguel & Zachary Wentz
Ahh I didn’t really pay attention to Santana’s theme at Rebellion, but its pretty damn cool. Good stuff.
Rascalz blindside Santana early, but the heel advantage doesn’t last more than a few moves. Santana whips Myron from corner to corner, hits a few Hip Attacks before Myron finally dodges one and starts using his unique offense and agility to his advantage. Matrix dodge, into an Leaping Outside Back in Slingshot Codebreaker. Some more offense and Santana powders to the ramp, Myron jumps over the rope and tries a Flying Cutter, but Santana blocks it, turns things around, gets pushed forward and hits the Rolling Cutter. Santana takes out the Rascalz, heads back into the ring, Myron tries to catch him unawares but eats the Spin the Block off the rope run! Santana wins fairly quickly.
Maclin’s music hits, he tries to employ the help of The Rascalz to attack Santana, but as soon as Maclin positions himself to get in, The Rascalz bail and flip off Maclin. Maclin makes it out of the confrontation relatively unscathed, but at least we know where he’s going for Under Siege probably.
OH FUCK ME WITH RUSTY KNIVES. Because Cardona is hurt Kon is paired with SDL, and she just challenges Jordynne and PCO to a tag match. WHY!? STOP IT. This is hot garbage.
Josh Alexander comes out…I wonder who’s Super Finisher he’s gonna conveniently kick out this time? Brian Myers? Frankie Kazarian? Rich Swann? Because yes, I’m still annoyed that Hammerstone has been in TNA for half a sandwich, he already connects with a Super version of his finish on tacks, and that’s not a finish. Oh Kaz’s music hits. Okay, so time for Josh to kick out of Fade to Black or Flux Capacitor. Kaz talks smack, says he won his match too so he should have a say in who’s number one contender. Josh challenges him, Kaz says not right now, but a referee runs out and says the match is official.
#1 Contender: Frankie Kazarian vs Josh Alexander
Kaz throws his jacket on Josh’s head, and attacks him with some strikes before Josh fights back and throws Kaz out. Commercial break, we see Kaz misses his Apron Guillotine, Josh goes for the Low Crossbody but Kaz dodges and Josh goes flying. Kaz starts throwing some chops and claws at the cauliflowered ears of Josh. Russian Leg Sweep from Kaz for a near fall. Josh swings wildly and Kaz ducks the strike and levels Josh with a Lariat.
Josh blocks a Vertical Suplex attempt, but Frankie pulls off a Fisherman’s Suplex after a few overhead strikes for a near fall. Josh stands up and connects with a straight right, rocks Kaz, Back Body Drop, into a Charging Forearm, Rolling Senton, 2 count! C4 Spike attempt countered into a Back Stabber and then Chicken Wing, but Josh fights it off, rolls through and into an Ankle Lock, Kaz kicks off and into a Head and Arm Cradle for a near fall and then the Guillotine Leg Drop into Slingshot DDT spot from Kaz for another 2 count!
Fade to Black, but its fought off, Big Boot but then Kaz counters the next move with a Power Slam into the Springboard Guillotine Leg Drop, but Josh grabs the Ankle Lock! Locomotion German Suplex time from Josh, Halfhatch Suplex after the Germans, floats over for a 2 count! C4 Spike attempt again, but Kaz fights it off, dumps him over the top rope, slingshots him in and into the Cutter for a near fall for Kaz! After the 2 Kaz grabs a chair and chain, the referee stops the chair of course, so he tries the chain, EY runs down and grabs the chain so Kaz pulls the Eddie Guerrero and the referee admonishes EY, but doesn’t DQ Josh. So as Kaz is busy laughing at EY, Josh picks the ankle, Ankle Lock with the Grapevine, Kaz taps.
Tensions are sky-high between @alexhammerstone and @JakeSomething_! #TNAiMPACT pic.twitter.com/LLCUJOCy7H
— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024
ASH by Elegance vs Xia Brookside
Both are jawing at each other and then throw hands before Xia gets the upper hand with a Headscissors from the Top Turnbuckle, Charging Knees, a Flurry of Kicks, but when the ref forces some space in the corner, ASH is finally able to dodge and work over Xia with her Twisting Body Splash, a few choking moves, a corner Stomp into a Snap Suplex for 2. ASH is in charge elegantly, but the referee keeps forcing space on both of them when they go for corner attacks. Xia manages to take advantage a little, but ASH regains control, kicks Xia up the ramp and then lands her Cartwheel Back Elbow up the ramp. It actually looks pretty cool executed like that.
Headlocks and Hair Pulling to keep Xia down and using energy to kick out. ASH is getting frustrated but Xia is remaining persistent. ASH goes back to the Headlock, but Xia fights up, Jawbreaker, Back Elbow, Kick to the gut and Drop Toe Hold sends ASH face first into the middle buckle. Xia rips off 4 Double Knee Smashes to the back of ASH’s head into her Flying Crossbody for a close 2! Xia pulls her up, but ASH spins out, then Xia slips it, but ASH kicks her in the chest and deposits her to the outside and demands a count from the referee. Iceman puts Jeweled Knuckles/Rings on ASH’s hand, the referee catches her, removes the stuff from her fingers and Xia hits the School Girl Roll-Up for the flash win.
Fraud has thrown the Ballot Box Battle into chaos, but also paved the way for an explosive showdown between @TheTreyMiguel and @The_Ace_Austin NEXT WEEK to determine the #1 Contender for the X Division Championship! #TNAiMPACT pic.twitter.com/lYHrtgNrc3
— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024
Sami Callihan vs The Good Hands
So the Good Hand Jobs are about to do their job to Sami. I’m just gonna assume Sami beats the hell out of both and wins with a Cactus Driver ’97. If anything interesting happens I might actually cover it, but come on now.
.@SteveMaclin has a proposition for @FrankieKazarian#TNAiMPACT pic.twitter.com/XY6lMdmSWo
— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) April 26, 2024
Kaz makes a Metallica reference with the “Wash Your Back So You Won’t Stab Mine”…and Sweet Amber is the only good song on St. Anger. So…I ain’t mad.
Eddie Edwards w/Alisha Edwards & Brian Myers vs Nic Nemeth
A little early ground wrestling and headlocks for control from both men. Nothing super flashy to start until we get to the rope run and Nemeth goes for the Flying Body Press to drop Eddie. Before Nemeth can follow up, Lish grabs his foot. Nic does have his brother Ryan in the crowd, trying to get chants going and do the old school ‘power up the babyface’ thing, but Eddie has been in control since Lish got involved. Simple offense, chokes, strikes, Snap Suplexes, Knee Drops, simple yet effective. But then Eddie ducks his head too early, Nemeth kicks him in the face, bounces his head off the buckles a few times, Dropkick sends Eddie reeling to the corner, Nemeth starts the 10 Count Punches but Myers hits the apron to distract and Eddie manages to slip the situation and push Nemeth to the floor.
Commercial break happens, Nemeth is trying to fight back with Chops, but a Kitchen Sink from Eddie puts Nemeth on the floor again! Clubbing blow from Eddie, but Eddie then misses the Hip Attack in the corner and Nemeth counters with the Rude Awakening into the 10 Count Rain of Elbows. Fame Ass-er miss, Eddie tries something but Nemeth turns it into that hesitation DDT for 2! Tuning up the band starts to build and Eddie powders to avoid it. Nemeth throws Eddie back in, goes to the top, but Eddie crotches him, rises up and hits the Superplex into Tiger Driver for 2! Eddie starts mocking with Tuning Up the band but Nemeth hits his own Superkick into an Olympic Slam for 2!
Both men just trade strikes Fighting Spirit style, Eddie says “Always Trust the System” and Nemeth shuts him up with a Headbutt. Danger Zone is blocked, Boston Knee Party gets ducked, they level each other with Lariats! Myers and Ryan Nemeth start fighting to distract the referee, Moose hits the ring and hits Nemeth with the belt. Eddie lands Boston Knee Party and The System wins again!
Overall Score: 6/10
A lame opening segment, a squash match, ASH by Elegance getting her first loss, and a weird way of just pulling the number one contender out of mid air makes for an awkward show. Also Kon still be involved in, literally anything, is negative. However, I can say there was a ton of stuff thrown at the wall this episode, so there’s a chance that some things landed better with other people than myself. The ballot segments were amusing, they overused the “I need to talk to you Santino” gimmick a bit much and personally I feel like having Jake versus Hammerstone is booking yourself into a weird corner.
But hey, the main event was fun, Nemeth getting laid out to the point that there could be a story reason to take him out of the Under Siege match. Kaz with the Metallica reference was pop worthy and I guess its a lot of ‘let’s see where it goes’ kind of angle creation. So it wasn’t complete trash, but its definitely a wait and see episode.
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