Coverage

Mitchell’s NJPW World Tag League Results & Report! (11/20/23)

Get ready to tag in!

Published

1 year ago

November 20, 2023

Steven Mitchell

World Tag League returns and it’s bigger than ever!

NJPW World Tag League 2023 is so big, it has two eight-team blocks! Block A gets opening night, will the Reiwa Musketeers, Umino & Narita, start off strong?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Kickoff Match – Oskar Leube VS Shoma Kato; Leube wins.
DOUKI & Taka Michinoku VS Atlantis Jr. & Soberano Jr; Atlantis Jr. & Soberano Jr. win.
8 Man Tag: Bullet Club VS Alex Zayne, Lance Archer, Yuji Nagata & Minori Suzuki; Zayne, Archer, Nagata & Suzuki win.
Six Man Tag: Just5Guys VS BUSHI, Yota Tsuji & Zandokan Jr; Just5Guys win.
Six Man Tag: Chaos VS El Phantasmo, Hikuleo & Jado; ELP, Hikuleo & Jado win.
2023 World Tag League, Block A: TMDK VS The Gates of Agony; TMDK wins.
2023 World Tag League, Block A: Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii VS EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi; Evil & Yujiro win.
2023 World Tag League, Block A: Kaito Kiyomiya & Ryohei Oiwa VS Gabe Kidd & Alex Coughlin; Kaito & Oiwa win.
2023 World Tag League, Block A: Shota Umino & Ren Narita VS Great-O-Khan & Henare; Shota & Narita win.

PLAY BY PLAY

2023 World Tag League, Block A: TMDK w/ Kosei Fujita VS The Gates of Agony!

Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls, the OG Mighty, are up against some strong competition in from AEW. Will Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona fail to make The Mighty kneel? Or will they Open the Gates on Hysterical Haste & Mad Mikey?

The teams sort out and Kaun starts against Shane. The fans rally up with the bell and Shane circles with Kaun. They tie up, go around, and Kaun puts Shane in a corner. The ref counts, Shane and Kaun both pull hair, but they both let off at 4. Kaun lets Shane out of the corner and the two reset. Shane gets around to waistlock, Kaun switches, but Shane switches back. Kaun wrenches out, Shane rolls, kips and UPPERCUTS! Fans cheer and Shane whips Kaun to ropes. Shane drops, hurdles, but Kaun shoves so he can hurdle and drop. Kaun ELBOWS Shane down and fans cheer. Kaun then powers up, to SENTON!

Kaun drags Shane up and whips him to the corner. Shane CLUBS Liona, but Liona just roars! Kaun SPLASHES Shane, tags Liona, and Liona BLASTS Mikey! Liona shoves Kaun and Kaun SLAPS Liona to fire each other up, and then Kaun sends Liona in to SPLASH Shane! Liona feeds Shane to Kaun’s forearm, then Liona HEADBUTTS Shane! Kaun full nelsons and Liona grabs the legs, for a POWERBOMB BACKSTABBER COMBO! Cover, TWO! Shane survives and fans fire up. Liona drags Shane over, tags Kaun back in, and the Gates haul Shane up. But Mikey makes the save and ROCKS Kaun! Liona KNEES and TOSSES Mikey!

Liona pursues, runs in, but is sent into railing! Mikey then distracts Kaun, Kaun swings and misses, and Shane DROPKICKS Kaun down! Mikey drags Kaun out to whip him into railing! And then more railing! And then back into the ring for Shane to snap suplex! Cover, TWO! Fans rally as Shane tags in Mikey, and Mikey stomps Kaun. Mikey drops a knee, then slaps Kaun around. Mikey drags Kaun up but Kaun ROCKS him! And CHOPS him! And ROCKS again! Mikey knees low, whips him to the corner and tags Shane. TMDK get Kaun up to double whip, kick, and then whip again. They DOUBLE ELBOW, then FIST DROP SENTON COMBO!

Liona takes a swipe at Mikey while Shane covers Kaun, TWO! Fans rally, Shane has Kaun’s arm, and KICKS him in the back! Shane shakes out that leg, then he covers, TWO! Shane drags Kaun up, fans rally again, and Mikey tags in. TMDK mugs Kaun, stomp him down, then Mikey snapmares for a chinlock. Kaun endures, the fans rally up, and Mikey BITES Kaun’s forehead! The ref reprimands, but Mikey lets off. Mikey ROCKS Kaun, whips him back to the corner, but Kaun ELBOWS Mikey and DECKS Shane! Mikey returns, Kaun dodges and returns to LARIAT! The fans fire up while both men are down!

Mikey and Kaun crawl, hot tag to Liona! Liona CLOBBERS Mikey! And CLOBBERS him again! Liona whips then back drops Mikey! Shane returns to kick and whip, but Liona blocks! Liona whips but Shane KICKS! Liona LARIATS in return! Fans fire up while Liona seethes. TMDK is in opposite corners, Liona SPLASHES Shane, then SPLASHES Mikey, repeat! Liona keeps going back and forth, SPLASH after SPLASH, then he TOSSES Shane! Mikey staggers into a fireman’s carry, but he fights free! Mikey runs, but Liona POP-UP SAMOAN DROPS! Cover, TWO! Mikey survives and the fans rally while he goes to a corner.

Liona goes to the other end, roars and runs, but Mikey avoids the hip attack! Hot tag to Shane and Shane KICKS and BOOTS and UPPERCUTS! Liona stays up so Shane throws more UPPERCUTS! Again and again and again! Shane roars, but Liona grabs him with both hands! Liona TOSSES Shane to a corner, runs in, but Shane ducks! Liona’s splash sends him tumbling up and out! Shane then aims to SLINGSHOT DIVE! Direct hit and down goes Liona! Fans fire up with Shane and he hurries to get Liona up. Shane puts Liona back in, and fans rally up as he stands Liona up. Shane fireman’s carries, but Liona slips free!

Shane elbows Liona, swings, but Liona spins around to GUT WRENCH SUPLEX! Fans fire up again and Kaun tags in. The Gates haul Shane up, to OPEN- NO, Shane fights free and throws hands! Shane sunset flips but Liona stays up. Shane avoids the fist drop, but Liona avoids the roundhouse! Kaun SHOTGUNS Shane down! The Gates reset, to DOUBLE FACEBUSTER! Kaun covers, Mikey breaks it! Fans fire up, but Liona TOSSES Mikey out! Liona then pursues, but Kaun drags Shane up. Mikey sends Liona into railing, btu Liona’s right back! Kaun has Shane up top, climbs up to join him, but Shane fires forearms!

Shane UPPERCUTS Kaun down but Liona TOSSES Mikey at the ropes, tripping Shane up! Kaun then hurries back up after Shane, for a SUPER DUPER PLEX! Both men are down and the fans fire up again! Kaun crawls to the cover, TWO!! Shane survives and Kaun grows frustrated. Kaun roars and Liona returns! They haul Shane up, to OPEN THE- NO, Shane RANAS Liona and Mikey dumps him out! Mikey RAMS Kaun, Shane ROUNDHOUSES, scoop and TANKBUSTER!! Cover, TMDK WINS!

Winners: TMDK, by pinfall (gains 2 points; The Gates of Agony earn 0)

A wild opening match on opening night, but The Mighty didn’t kneel! Will Shane & Mikey use this strong start to go all the way to the finals? Will Kaun & Liona be able to slam the gates shut on their next opponents?

2023 World Tag League, Block A: Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii VS EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi w/ Dick Togo!

The Crown Prince & Stone Pitbull reunite for this year’s WTL, but they’re up against the King of Darkness & Tokyo Pimp. Will Yano be able to pull out more tricks than the whole House of Torture? Or will Darkness Fall on the opening round?

But before the introductions are over, Evil & Yujiro attack! Evil goes after Ishii while Yujiro is after Yano, and the ref reprimands as the House TOSSES them out of the ring! The bell rings to get this on record and Evil CLUBS Ishii down. The ref reprimands, but Yujiro whips Yano. Yano reverses and sends Yujiro hard into railing! Yano puts Yujiro in the ring, Ishii storms up to stomp him, then Yano joins in. They drag Yujiro up to double whip and run him over! Evil slides in but Ishii gets him to bail back out. Ishii throws his shirt at Evil, Evil rushes back in, but then Ishii chases him back out. Yujiro distracts the ref, Dick CLUBS Ishii!

Fans boo as Evil & Dick whip Ishii into railing! Yujiro kicks and whips Yano, but Yano holds ropes. Yano then dodges Yujiro, SLAPS him, then says he’s too smart for them. Yano runs but Dick trips him and drags him out! The fans boo but Dick slips away. Yujiro then goes out to kick Yano, and RAM him into railing! Evil RAMS Ishii into more railing, the ref reprimands them all, and the House focuses on Yano. They put Yano back in, Yujiro stomps him, and then Yujiro drags Yano up to bump off buckles. Tag to Evil and Evil tells the ref to check Ishii. Evil then CHOKES Yano with a House of Torture shirt! The ref has to keep Ishii back because Ishii’s mad!

Evil lets off, covers Yano, TWO! Another cover, TWO! A third cover, TWO!! Evil is frustrated with the ref but the fans cheer. Evil CLUBS Yano, tags Yujiro, and Yujiro sits Yano up for a chinlock. Yujiro claws the eyes, runs, and SLIDING BOOTS! Cover, TWO! Fans rally as Yano hangs in there, but Yujiro kicks him around. Yujiro drags Yano up, knees low, and ROCKS him with a forearm. Yujiro stands Yano against ropes, but Yano blocks the boot! Yano clinches to BELLY2BELLY! Fans fire up while both men are down! Yano crawls, hot tag to Ishii! Ishii dodges, blocks a boot, then runs to CLOBBER Yujiro!

Evil runs in, Ishii dodges him and CLOBBERS him now! Fans fire up as Ishii storms over to Yujiro. Ishii reels Yujiro in but Yujiro fights the back suplex. Yujiro whips, Ishii reverses, BIG back suplex! Cover, TWO! The fans rally up as Ishii brings Yujiro up and reels him in. But Yujiro BITES Ishii’s hand! The ref reprimands, Yujiro CLUBS and whips Ishii, but Ishii reverses. Yujiro grabs ropes, Ishii runs in but Yujiro dodges and Evil anchors Ishii! Yujiro BOOTS Ishii, then hits a REVERSE DDT! Fans rally for Ishii but Yujiro drags him up. Yujiro reels Ishii in, FISHERMAN- NO, Ishii fights free to suplex high and hard!

Fans fire up while both men are down, and the two crawl for their corners. Hot tags to Evil and Yano! Yano dodges, pulls hair, but Evil kicks and whips. Yano reverses to throw Evil by his hair! Yano unties a white buckle pad! Evil runs in but gets bare buckles! Roll up, TWO! Yano fires up and he stands Evil up. Evil blocks a kick, hands it to the ref, then mule kicks Yano! Evil runs, but Yano hits an atomic drop! And a trip, to CATAPULT Evil into the bare buckle! Ishii returns, but Yujiro trips him! Yujiro drags Ishii out to throw into railing, then runs in. Yano kicks first, whips, but Yujiro reverses! Yano hits bare buckles!

Evil & Yujiro storm up to whip Yano corner to corner. Yujiro BOOTS, Evil clotheslines, and then FISHERMAN BUSTER to SLIDING BOOT! Cover, Ishii breaks it in time! Yujiro fires forearms on Ishii but Ishii ROCKS him! Evil kicks Ishii, sends him into bare buckles, but Ishii just comes back! Evil LARIATS Ishii down! Yujiro distracts the ref so Dick can get in! MAGIC KILLER on Yano!! Cover, TWO!!! Yano survives and shocks Evil! The fans fire up but Evil slashes his throat. Evil drags Yano up, spins him around, EVERYTHING- NO, Yano slips free, and throws him into Dick! Yano pushes the ref aside so he can LOW BLOW Evil!!

Yano rolls Evil up, but Yujiro YANKS the ref out! Fans boo as Dick gets in to stomp away on Yano! Dick drags Yano up, Yujiro has his cane, but Yano dodges! CANE SHOT to Dick! Yano grabs the pimp cane to CHOKE Yujiro! But Kanemaru & Sho are here! WHISKEY BOTTLE to Yano! Ishii CLOBBERS Kanemaru! Sho kicks Ishii and has his Murder Tool! But Yano dodges and then shoves Sho, only for Sho to CLOBBER Ishii! Evil LOW BLOWS Yano! And then WHISKEY MIST from Kanemaru! Fans boo as Evil shouts to the ref. The ref crawls in, Evil drags Yano up, EVERYTHING IS EVIL!! Cover, The House wins!

Winners: Evil & Yujiro Takahashi, by pinfall (gains 2 points; Yano & Ishii earn 0)

The Clown Prince couldn’t counteract all the tricks the House had, but Ishii rushes them! Ishii gets mugged, and then Sho CLOBBERS Ishii with the Murder Tool! Will all of Block A have to watch out for these snakes?

2023 World Tag League, Block A: Kaito Kiyomiya & Ryohei Oiwa VS Gabe Kidd & Alex Coughlin!

The Green Supernova and his new protege team up to go for the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships, but these War Dogs are hunting after them, too! Will Pro-Wrestling NOAH be making waves in NJPW? Or will #WarReady and the Dreadnought bring bodies to The Rebel’s door?

Kidd does his best Lance Archer impersonation by knocking down a Young Lion during his entrance. Kidd also wants after Kaito after their G1 Climax draw, and Kaito eggs him on. Red Shoes restores order with the help of the other Young Lions, but it doesn’t last as Kidd gets loose! Kidd and Kaito throw hands and the bell rings to get this on record! Fans fire up as the forearms keep flying, and then they start shoving! The forearms fly again, Kidd has the edge, and he ROCKS Kaito! Kaito shakes that off and fans fire up as he comes back with more! They go back and forth again, but Kidd claws the eyes!

Kidd puts Kaito in a corner, Red Shoes reprimands, but Kidd whips corner to corner. Kaito comes back to CLOBBER Kidd! Fans fire up and Kaito tags Oiwa. They double whip Kidd, to DOUBLE DROPKICK! Fans fire up as Coughlin runs in, into DOUBLE ARM-DRAGS! And then DOUBLE DROPKICKS! The fans fire up with the Noah duo, and then Kaito goes out to stomp away on Kidd. But Coughlin CHOKES Oiwa, then CLUBS him! Oiwa throws body shots in return while Kaito whips Kidd hard into railing! Coughlin waistlocks but Oiwa throws elbows to get free. Coughlin CLUBS Oiwa but Oiwa CHOPS back!

Sounds like Kaito whips Kidd into more railing while Coughlin CHOPS Oiwa! And SLAPS! And SLAPS! Oiwa just CHOPS in return! And again! Coughlin kicks and UPPERCUTS, Kidd comes around to SMACK Oiwa! Coughlin waistlocks Oiwa, Kidd runs up and they LARIAT GERMAN SUPLEX COMBO! Kidd flips off the fans while they boo, turns out it was Kaito who was sent into railing. Coughlin stomps Oiwa while Kidd goes back to Kaito. Coughlin CLUBS away on Oiwa while digging his knee into his chest. Then Coughlin CHOPS Oiwa! Kidd is in the ring and Red Shoes starts the count. Coughlin puts Oiwa in at 9 of 20 and Kidd stands on Oiwa’s face.

Kidd digs his boot in, taunts Oiwa then steps off. Kidd KICKS Oiwa in the side, throws forearms, but Oiwa eggs him on. Oiwa then ROCKS Kidd with forearm after forearm! Kidd SMACKS Oiwa back down! Tag to Coughlin and he drags Oiwa up. Coughlin scoops and carries Oiwa with one arm. Then he flips Kaito off before he SLAMS Oiwa! Cover, Kaito kicks Coughlin! Coughlin ROCKS and TOSSES Kaito, Kidd goes right after him! Kaito is sent into more railing! Coughlin CHOKES Oiwa, stomps him, then drags him up. The fans rally up for Oiwa but Coughlin kicks him around. Oiwa gets mad and stands back up to CHOP!

Coughlin brushes that off, so Oiwa CHOPS! And CHOPS! Coughlin CHOPS, then CHOPS! Oiwa falls over and Coughlin looms over him. The fans rally up, Coughlin stands Oiwa up and RAMS him into the corner! Then Coughlin HIP TOSSES Oiwa! Cover, TWO! Coughlin drags Oiwa back up with a gut wrench! Oiwa fights and flails, so Coughlin ROCKS Oiwa! Then GUT WRENCH, but Oiwa slips free! GUT WRENCH SUPLEX from Oiwa! Fans fire up while both men are down! Oiwa and Coughlin crawl, hot tag to Kaito! Kaito BLASTS Kidd, then he whips Coughlin to CLOBBER him! And again! Kaito whips again to DROPKICK!

Fans fire up with Kaito and he climbs up on Coughlin in a corner. Kaito rains down fists! He goes all the way to TEN, then whips corner to corner. Coughlin reverses but Kaito comes back, NECKBREAKER DROP! Cover, TWO! Kaito keeps cool and he drags Coughlin back up. Kaito runs, but Kidd trips him! Coughlin drops an ELBOW! Coughlin tags Kidd and Kidd storms up on Kaito. Kidd bumps Kaito off buckles, fires off forearm after forearm, but Red Shoes has Kidd stop. Kidd shoves Red Shoes so he can rain down more shots on Kaito! Fans boo but Kidd soaks it up. Red Shoes reprimands and the fans rally behind Kaito.

Kidd SPITS at Kaito, so Kaito TACKLES Kidd! Kaito rains down fists and forearms on Kidd from all sides! Coughlin drags Kaito away, GERMAN SUPLEX! Oiwa is in and he SINGLE LEG SUPLEXES Coughlin! Kidd ROCKS Oiwa and reels him in for a SAIDO! Kidd storms up on Kaito, SLAPS and SLAPS and SLAPS him, then SLAPS him on the back! Kaito stands right up to SLAP Kidd down! And then chicken wing, TIGER SUPLEX! Bridging cover, TWO! Fans fire up with Kaito and he roars! Kaito runs in, but Coughlin FLYING SHOULDER TACKLES! Oiwa returns, Coughlin kicks and CLUBS, but Oiwa ROCKS him!

Oiwa runs to clothesline Coughlin and himself outta the ring! The fans are thunderous as now it’s just Kidd and Kaito in the ring! Kidd rises up, grits his teeth and storms over to Kaito. But Kaito ROCKS Kidd first! And again! And again! Kaito runs, jumps, but Kidd blocks! Kidd BITES Kaito’s forehead! Red Shoes reprimands, but Kidd suplexes to a BRAINBUSTER!! Cover, TWO!! Kaito survives and the fans are thunderous again! Kidd seethes, and then he stands back up. Kidd has Coughlin pull up floor mats! The fans boo, they don’t like where this is going. Kidd puts Kaito on the top rope, and SHOVES him down!

Kaito tumbles to the apron then the floor, and then Kidd goes to the apron. Coughlin hauls Kaito up but Oiwa DROPKICKS Kidd down! And Kaito fights the gut wrench! Coughlin CLUBS Kaito, but Kaito back drops him to the bare floor!! The fans go wild as all four men are down at ringside. Red Shoes starts the ring count, Kidd crawls after Kaito to CLUB him! Kidd CLUBS Kaito again and again, but Oiwa goes after Kidd! Coughlin goes after Oiwa, the brawling continues! Coughlin whips but Oiwa reverses to send him into and over railing! Kidd and Kaito still brawl while we hit 15 of 20! Kidd has a chair! He swings, but Kaito ducks and the chair hits post!

Oiwa DROPKICKS Kidd down! The count is 18 of 20!! Kaito hurries in to break it, and his team wins!!

Winners: Kaito Kiyomiya & Ryohei Oiwa, by count-out (gains 2 points; War Dogs earn 0)

Kidd is furious, and he attacks Kaito anyway! Fans boo but Young Lions have to drag Kidd off Kaito! Coughlin is after Oiwa, but more Young Lions drag him away. Kidd has a chair! He CHUCKS it at Kaito! Oiwa goes after Coughlin! Kidd drags Kaito out, whips, but Kaito reverses to send Kidd into railing! But Kidd comes back for more! The Young Lions get him back, Kaito SHOTGUNS Kidd down! The brawling goes to the back, even! The War Dogs can’t accept this embarrassing start, will they just have to redeem themselves next round? As for Kaito & Oiwa, will this first win help them #CreateTheFuture?

2023 World Tag League, Block A: Shota Umino & Ren Narita VS Great-O-Khan & Henare w/ Callum Newman!

Two of the three Reiwa era Musketeers are teaming up to see if their clash of styles can create tag team success. But they’re up against the United Empire, emphasis on “united.” Will the Dominator & Face of Fury bring down these pillars of NJPW’s future? Or will the Roughneck & Son of Strong Style use their rivalry to become a powerful team?

The teams sort out, but then Khan and Shota stare down while Narita and Henare stare down. Then the forearms start flying! The bell rings, Henare backs Narita down and Khan does the same to Shota, but Shota and Narita both CLUB away on them. Shota tosses Khan out, Narita and Henare go back and forth with forearms, and Shota whips Khan into railing! Henare ROCKS Narita, but Narita knees low. Narita whips, Henare reverses but Narita BOOTS him down! Fans fire up and Narita CLUBS Henare on the neck! Narita bumps Henare off buckles, but Henare just snarls. Narita bumps Henare off buckles again, but Henare just headbutts the buckle over and over!

Henare roars, Narita UPPERCUTS! Narita whips corner to corner, but Henare comes back to CLOBBER him! Fans fire up and Henare sits Narita up. Henare KICKS Narita, but he stands up to fire off fast hands and a KNEE! Then HALF HATCH BRIDGE! TWO, and Narita stalks Henare to ropes. Narita stomps Henare, brings him up and bumps him off buckles. Tag to Shota, Narita throws knees and Shota stomps. They double whip to DOUBLE ELBOW, then Narita SENTONS and Shota SOMERSAULT SENTONS! They shake hands for a DOUBLE ELBOW DROP! Cover, TWO! Narita BLASTS Khan and Shota drags Henare up.

Shota UPPERCUTS Henare, UPPERCUTS again, and has him in a corner. The fans rally for Henare as Shota UPPERCUTS and whips. Shota runs in but Henare ELBOWS him! And goes up to FLYING CHUCK! Henare then BLASTS Narita, and Khan is there to attack! Khan CHOPS Narita down, and Henare sits Shota up. Henare KICKS Shota in the back! Shota writhes but Henare KICKS him again, then SENTONS! Cover, ONE!! Henare is frustrated but he stalks Shota to ropes. Henare drags Shota up, CLUBS him and has him in the corner. Henare elbows then whips Shota corner to corner hard!

Fans fire up while Shota writhes, and Henare drags him back up. Henare bumps him off buckles then tags in Khan. Khan Mongolian Chops Shota on the back, then does it again! And again! Khan stands Shota up, and fans fire up as Khan sits on his throne! Red Shoes reprimands and Shota flails, but Khan waits until 4 to stand up. Khan sits back down, Red Shoes counts again, and Khan hops off. Khan brings Shota around to scoop and SLAM, then he covers. Narita breaks it, but Khan Mongolian Chops him down! Khan kicks Narita out of the ring literally, then he drags Shot up. IRON CLAW SLEEPER! Henare steps in to throw body shots!

Khan Mongolian Chops and Henare KICKS Shota down! Khan drops an elbow, covers, TWO! The fans rally up while Shota writhes. Khan looms over Shota, drags him back up, and goes to make Shota kiss his foot! Shota refuses, and he fights his way up. Shota throws body shots, then forearms! Shota reels Khan in and turns him, but Khan fights free. Khan swings but Shota spins him to the NECKBREAKER! Fans fire up and Shota crawls for his corner. Hot tag to Narita! Narita BOOTS Khan down, stalks him to a corner, then fires off forearms! Henare CLUBS Narita, CLUBS him again, and The Empire double whips.

Narita ducks the lariats to DOUBLE LARIAT! Fans fire up again and Narita brings Khan up. Narita whips Khan to a corner, runs in and BACK ELBOWS! Then HALF HATCH BRIDGE! Cover, TWO! Fans rally and Narita drags Khan back up. Narita clinches but Khan fights. So Narita trips him! Khan reaches for ropes, but Narita rolls him away! DOUBLE HEEL CLOVERLEAF! Khan flails and reaches out, but Narita sits deep! Khan has the ROPEBREAK! Narita lets go, drags Khan up, and reels him in for a COBRA TWIST! Khan resists, fights free, and claws at Narita’s ear! Khan then switches things around, IRON CLAW COBRA TWIST!

Narita fights the hold but Khan gut wrenches to a GUT BUSTER! And then a spinning GUT WRENCH SUPLEX! Cover, TWO!! Narita survives and the fans fire up again! Khan drags Narita up, copies Ospreay’s call, and he runs the ropes. But Narita gets around to SAIDO! But Khan’s right up! IRON CLAW for the F G O PLEX! But Narita’s back up, GERMAN BRIDGE!! TWO!! Khan escapes but Narita roars! But Khan CLOBBERS him! Both men fall over and the fans fire up again! Khan crawls, hot tag to Henare! Henare storms up on Narita, and he drags Narita up to KICK him to a corner! Henare then storms up on Narita, but Narita throws forearms!

Henare eggs Narita on so Narita throws more shots! Henare just KNEES him low! Narita sputters and flops over, and Henare brings down the kneepad! Henare runs up again, but Narita avoids the Wizard! Narita clinches, Henare fights it with HEADBUTTS! Narita wobbles, Henare runs, into the WHEEL KICK! The fans fire up and Narita crawls, hot tag to Shota! Fans fire up as Shota whips but Henare reverses. Shota CLOBBERS Henare! Fans rally as Shota whips Henare to a corner, then runs in to UPPERCUT! And FISHERMAN SUPLEX! Bridging cover, TWO! Not quite perfect but Shota shrugs it off as he stands Henare up.

Shota clinches, Henare fights the lift and throws down elbows! Henare HEADBUTTS Shota, runs, but Shota pops him up for a KNEE! And then EXPLODER! The fans fire up again as Henare goes to ropes and Shota takes aim. Shota calls it a la Ospreay, to SLINGSHOT APRON DDT! Narita BOOTS Khan and fans fire up with Shota! Narita whips Khan hard into railing, and Khan tumbles up and over! The ring count starts, Shota drags Henare up at 10 of 20 to put him in at 12. Shota then goes up a corner, Henare is in the ropes, GUILLOTINE MISSILE DROPKICK! Shota then takes aim as Henare rises, IGNITION!! Cover, TWO!!

Henare survives but Shota doesn’t let that bother him. Fans rally, Shota drags Henare up to half nelson. Henare fights with elbows! Shota still tries but Henare elbows free! Henare staggers and Shota throws a forearm! Henare wobbles, Shota throws another forearm! Henare throws a shot in return! Shota throws another, so Henare gives it back! Fans rally as the forearms start flying faster and faster! Shota has the edge, but Henare just fires himself up! Henare swings, Shota blocks, ROCKS and ROLLING ELBOWS! Henare CHOPS, CHOPS, SLAPS and SLAPS! Shota CHOPS! And swings, but Henare BODY BLOWS!

Shota sputters, Henare whips, and scoops but Shota slips free! Shota shoves, runs up, but Henare denies the DDT to SLAM! Shota avoids the Penalty Kick to kick and whip! But Henare avoids the dropkick! Henare runs up but Shota ducks again. Henare whips, Shota reverses and DROPKICKS! Henare rebounds to RUGBY KICK!! Cover, TWO!! Shota survives but the fans are rallying behind Henare! Henare powers himself up, drags Shota to his feet, and whips again. Shota reverses to TORNADO DDT! Shota aims, Henare rises, and Shota runs in, but Henare scoops! BERSERKER BOMB!! Both men are down and the fans are thunderous!

Henare and Shota crawl, hot tag to Khan! Khan BLASTS Narita into railing! Khan drags Shota up, clamps on and whips him to the corner, to also clothesline! And then torture rack! Khan storms around, and he swings Narita for the GORILLA PRESS NECKBREAKER! Cover, TWO!! Shota survives but Khan clamps on, HEAD ‘N’ NECK TRIANGLE! Shota flails, reaches out, but Khan shifts to the IRON CLAW SLEEPER! Shota fights with elbows, but Khan CLUBS him! And then underhooks?! BUTTERFLY SUPLEX! Cover, TWO!! Shota survives and fans are thunderous! Khan snarls and shouts that this is over!

Khan drags Shota back up, reels him back in, and scoops, but Shota slips free! Shota trips Khan into the STF! Khan endures, Narita intercepts Henare for a COBRA TWIST! The Empire endures stereo submissions, but Khan fights his way forward! Khan reaches out, but Shota pulls back! Khan still fights and has the ROPEBREAK! Shota lets go of Khan, Narita lets Henare go. Narita fires Shota up and brings Khan around. Narita whips Khan to a corner, then Shota runs in to ELBOW! Narita runs in to JUMP KICK! Feed to Shota’s forearm! Narita BOOTS, Shota ROLLING ELBOWS, Narita BOOTS again! Shota hoists Khan up, Narita runs, HART ATTACK!! Cover, TWO!!

Fans fire up again as the Musketeers coordinate. Shota drags Khan up, whips him to Narita, EXPLODER! Shota then aims as Khan is in the corner, BLINDSIDE KNEE! HALF ‘N’ HALF! Cover, Henare barrels in to break it! Narita TOSSES Henare, and Shota calls his shot! Shota aims from the apron while Henare sends Narita into railing! Khan ducks Blaze Blade! Henare SHOTGUN BOOTS Shota down! Fans fire up as the Empire’s Monster Rage boils over! They drag Shota up, double whip corner to corner, and then Khan runs in to clothesline! Henare runs in, SHINING WIZARD! And then feed to the DOUBLE BOOT COMBO!

Khan sits Shota up for RUGBY KICK! HITSUJIGOROSHI! FUBUKI! MARINE!!! Cover, NARITA BREAKS IT!! Henare hauls Narita up to HEEL KICK him down! The Empire drags Shota up again, ASSISTED BOMB!! Cover, TWO?!?! Shota survives and shocks The Empire! Khan & Henare go forehead to forehead, the Monster Rage reaches a new level! They drag Shota up, Henare fireman’s carries and Khan runs, but Shota slips free! Shota shoves Henare into Khan, then kicks off Khan to TORNADO DDT Henare! Narita has Khan in a SLEEPER! Khan flails, but he pries Narita’s arms open to SAYANAGI!

Khan snarls as he storms over to Shota and clamps on the IRON CLAW! Khan aims for Narita, but Shota slips free! DOUBLE ENZIGURIS hit! And then the BLAZE BLADE!! But Shota’s not done there, he gets Khan up for DEATH RIDER!!! Cover, Shota & Narita win!

Winners: Shota Umino & Ren Narita, by pinfall (gains 2 points; The United Empire earns 0)

The Dominator & Face of Fury could not conquer the youth movement and are off to a rough start. Will they be able to rebound and still show the Empire’s power?

As for the Reiwa Musketeers, Shota gets the mic first to say, “We took our first win in World Tag League!” The fans cheer that, and Shota continues to say that there was some frustration for them. Back when they were just Young Lions, Shota was in WTL 2018, and he lost every single match. Shota remembers that frustration, so now he knows the sweet taste of victory, thanks to Narita. Shota says that they are the new generation and the future of NJPW. They will remind you of that, and you will not forget this main event. Shota is happy that the new generation won here in Korakuen Hall, but he is a little upset that the arena wasn’t sold out.

Shota promises that very soon, you will see him and Narita make sure NJPW sells out every stop, with them on top! The fans rally behind Shota, and Shota says that the changing of the guard has only just begun, and vows that he and Narita will sweep WTL to go on to Tokyo Dome! Then they will “create our Paradigm Shift,” so don’t take your eyes off them! Fans cheer the mic drop, but will The Roughneck & The Son of Strong Style truly lead the way into the future?

Here are the current A Block standings.

TMDK: 1-0, 2 points
The House of Torture: 1-0, 2 points
Kaito Kiyomiya & Ryohei Oiwa: 1-0, 2 points
Shota Umino & Ren Narita: 1-0, 2 points
The United Empire: 0-1, 0 points
War Dogs: 0-1, 0 points
Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii: 0-1, 0 points
The Gates of Agony: 0-1, 0 points

My Thoughts:

A great event to start World Tag League, and A Block is going to be really wild. I should’ve figured The Gates of Agony wouldn’t win their opener, but that was a great showing. And I should’ve figured The House of Torture would cheat super hard to win, because duh, it’s The House of Torture. Getting boring at this point but in such a strong block, maybe the House’s cheating only works on so many teams. Kidd and Kaito constantly going after each other was logical given how their G1 Climax match went, and it was pretty smart for the War Dogs to lose by count out. They don’t look that weak but they still lose out on points, so great for Kaito & Oiwa.

And of course, great main event. I was a little surprised Henare was getting cheered so much but I do appreciate that the fans appreciate Henare’s talent. I do wonder how fans in Japan are reacting to Ospreay joining AEW now, with WrestleKingdom 18 being the last event he does as an NJPW wrestler. And chances are, someone like Khan or Henare will have to step up in the group to be the proper leader while Ospreay is in the US with AEW, so this WTL could help bring that out of these guys. But Shota & Narita winning made a lot of sense, NJPW is strongly behind these guys, just as Ospreay criticized NJPW for. I don’t know about sweeping the block like Shota said, but he and Narita are definitely top choices for A Block finalists.

My Score: 8.8/10

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Mitchell’s WWE Raw Results & Report! (11/20/23)

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Coverage

Mitchell’s WWE SmackDown Results & Report! (1/17/25)

Will Tiffy Time be cut short?

Published

1 hour ago

January 17, 2025

Steven Mitchell

DING DONG, Hello, Tiffany!

Tiffanny Stratton just won the WWE Women’s Championship but she’s already defending it against Bayley! Will the Role Model be back on top?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Bianca Belair & Naomi VS Nia Jax & Candice LeRae; Bianca & Naomi win.
Jimmy Uso VS Carmelo Hayes; wins.
Motor City Machine Guns VS Los Garza w/ Legado Del Fantasma; win.
Piper Niven w/ Chelsea Green VS B-Fab w/ Mia Yim; wins.
Rey Mysterio VS Kevin Owens; wins.
WWE Women’s Championship: Tiffany Stratton VS Bayley; wins and

PLAY BY PLAY

Rey Mysterio is here!

San Diego fires up for the hometown hero as he makes his entrance! The King of Lucha high-fives fans along the ramp, and hugs his wife and daughter, before stepping in the ring. Rey grabs himself a mic, the fans chant “619! 619!” and he smiles. Rey tells San Diego, “Bien venidos, welcome to Friday Night SmackDown! This is the home of the 6! 1! 9!” The fans cheer, and Rey says no cap, it feels great to be back home in front of his people, his Raza, his city, and his familia. Rey requested to be here tonight because he couldn’t think of a better place to reminisce as he gets ready to do the impossible once again.

Rey officially declares for the 2025 Royal Rumble! The arena is shaking hearing that! Rey wants to look back: 2006, he entered the Rumble at #2, outlasted 28 other superstars, and became the Royal Rumble winner! And it didn’t end there. he went on to main event WrestleMania, and he became the WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION! Now, Rey won’t lie, he will be realistic. The competition is heavy this year: Drew McIntyre, who fans boo. CM Punk, who fans cheer; Seth Rollins, who fans are torn on; Roman Reigns, who fans cheer; John Cena, who fans also cheer. It will be tough, but let’s remember back to when he won.

It was 2006, and Rey did it for a friend we all know very well. The fans chant for “EDDIE! EDDIE!” But wait! Kevin Owens makes his way out here! The Prizefighter, still holding onto the winged eagle title belt, showing off his new shirt: The Canadian Dream, Son of a Security System Technician. Kevin has a mic, too, and while fans boo, he tells Rey, “Lemme start off by saying I’m very sorry for coming out here and interrupting you> I mean it, okay? But I had to come out here. Because I heard you just now talking about how you were gonna win the Royal Rumble.

“And Rey, I mean this from the bottom of my heart. It’s never been a secret. There’s a lot of people in this industry that I respect quite a bit, but very few I respect as much as I respect you. In fact, I’ll even go so far as saying there’s nobody in this industry that I respect as much as I respect you.” The fans do cheer that, and Kevin says he has had an incredible career, he’s accomplished things he’s dreamed of since he was a kid. He has main evented WrestleMania with Steve Austin. He won the tag team titles with his then best friend, Sami Zayn. He won countless other tiles, and now he gets to stand here with THIS title!

The fans boo but Kevin says this is the title that as a kid, he saw all his idols win. This is the title he dreamed of winning, and now he stands here as the TRUE, RIGHTFUL WWE Champion! The fans boo again but Kevin says there is one thing left for him to accomplish so that he can truly feel his career is complete. And that is to step into the ring and have a 1v1 match with the legendary Rey Mysterio. The fans like that idea, and Kevin says face to face, man to man, he hopes Rey wins the Rumble! Kevin will root for Rey with everything he has! Rey can and will beat “all those other idiots.”

But just promise Kevin one thing. After Rey wins the Rumble, promise that Kevin is the champion he picks for WrestleMania so that Kevin can have his dream match. Rey takes a moment, and he tells Kevin that we all know Rey loves competition. But… Kevin’s not the champion. The fans cheer that! Rey means that with all due respect, but Cody Rhodes is the champion. But, but, here’s this. If Rey wins the Rumble, and if Kevin wins the title, then yes, Rey will gladly face him for the title. Kevin takes a moment, and repeats, “I’m not the champion? I AM THE CHAMPION! This is my title! I earned it! I deserve it!”

The fans boo but Kevin says Cody has Rey brainwashed, too! Does Rey have bleached blonde hair under that mask? Is it seeping into his brain? Rey wants Kevin to calm down. What’s going on? Drew McIntyre, now Kevin, he’s acting so delusional! It’s reminding him of Dominik. Oh…! Kevin swings on Rey! Rey dodges to fire hands in return! They brawl, Kevin shoves Rey but Rey dropkicks the legs! Kevin is on the ropes, but he bails out before the 619! The fans boo but Kevin is the one offended. Will Kevin be able to let this go so he can focus on Cody?

Bianca Belair meets up with Naomi backstage.

Bianca asks if Naomi finished with Nick Aldis. She did. Any updates? No! No lead on Jade’s attacker. Nothing? Wow. But that’s okay, they’ll keep pushing forward. They will handle Nia & Candice, but Bianca just wants to make sure they’re good after the mishap last week. It wasn’t on Bianca, that was Candice. Naomi knows that. Plus, they have to focus. It may not be Tiffany, but they can at least get some lick back on Candice & Nia. And they still have their gold! Bianca says that’s true. Ready to go? Naomi says maybe Bianca should wrap her up. That way, last week won’t happen again. Bianca agrees, and she hurries to wrap the braid into a bun.

Now they’re good. The StrongEST Glow heads out, will they be able to get past the Irresistible Force & Poison Pixie? Or will they soon be owing some golden tickets to the Queen of the Ring and her new sidekick?

Nick Aldis talks with Rey Mysterio.

After what we saw with Kevin, and since they are in San Diego, we have to have Rey on the card. Rey VS KO happens 1v1! Rey thanks Aldis and promises to handle business. And then Cody Rhodes walks in! The American Nightmare tells Rey he saw what happened while he was going through his physical. Cody says he would’ve been out there to help, but Rey says it’s nota big deal. It is handled, Rey VS Kevin is happening. Cody just needs to heal up. Rey can handle his problems, and will leave something for Cody at the Royal Rumble. Rey fist bumps and heads out. Aldis tells Cody that Rey has a point, Cody needs to be careful.

That said, what’d the doctors have to say? Cody says he has a clean bill of health, fully cleared, and Aldis can read the report himself. Aldis says he trusts Cody, he just doesn’t know if that’s good news. There is a lot of time between now and the Rumble, and even more so to WrestleMania. But with that in mind, Aldis has an addendum to the ladder match. Cody needs to sign it, as does Kevin, because they cannot have what happened at Saturday Night’s Main Event happen ever again. Cody asks if Kevin’s signed it yet. Kevin was Aldis’ next stop. Then Cody will sign it once Kevin has. Cody heads out, will Aldis be able to get what he wants out of this?

Bianca Belair & Naomi VS Nia Jax & Candice LeRae!

SmackDown returns as Bianca & Naomi make their entrances. The teams sort out and Nia steps to Bianca, only to CLOBBER Naomi! Candice joins in to mug Bianca, but the fans boo. The ref reprimands, Candice backs off, and Nia soaks up the heat. Naomi throws Bianca down, talks more trash, then HEADBUTTS Bianca down. Nia drags Bianca up, tags Candice, but Bianca fights back. Nia CLUBS Bianca, Candice wrenches, but Bianca runs Candice over! And runs her over again! Bianca suplexes, holds Candice up, then SLAMS her down! The fans fire up as Bianca kips up, and she runs up to RAM Candice!

Bianca then climbs to rain down fists! The fans count along, Bianca goes all the way to TEN! Nia storms in, but Bianca flips up and over! Nia runs into Candice, then turns around into Bianca’s DROPKICK! Bianca runs up but Candice BOOTS her! Candice goes up, but Bianca ROCKS her! Bianca military presses Candice, and she THRWOS her out onto Nia! Nia & Candice fall, the fans fire up, and SmackDown goes picture in picture.

Bianca flexes, then waits on Nia & Candice. Bianca’s braid has unrolled so Bianca swings it to rally the fans. Bianca then goes out to fetch Candice, shoves her into the ring, but Nia anchors Bianca’s feet! Candice DROPKICKS Candice down! Cover, TWO! Candice CLUBS away on Bianca, then scuffs her. Candice stalks Bianca to a corner, KNEES her down, then steps on her to DOUBLE STOMP! Tag to Nia, and Nia stalks Bianca. Nia makes Bianca smile with fishhooks, then HIP DROPS her down! Nia swings the braid around to mock Bianca, and even intimidate the ref. Bianca gets her braid free to SMACK away on Nia!

Bianca LASHES Nia more, backing her down, then she runs. Bianca SHOTGUNS Nia, Nia rebounds, but Bianca avoids the elbow drop! Cover, ONE!! Nia CLOBBERS Bianca at the ropes! Nia argues with the ref, taunts Naomi, then soaks up the heat. Tag to Candice and Candice kicks Bianca around. Candice SMACKS Bianca off the apron, pushes her in, then CLOBBERS her! Cover, TWO! Candice CLOBBERS Bianca again, then digs her knee in for a half Bow ‘n’ Arrow stretch! Bianca endures, fights around, reaches back, and she pulls Candice’s hair! Bianca and Candice fire forearms, but Candice DECKS Bianca! Cover, TWO!

Candice is frustrated but she KNEES Bianca in the side. Candice stomps Bianca more, KNEES her down, then has her on the ropes. The ref counts but Candice bends Bianca back! Candice lets go at 4, SmackDown returns to single picture,. and Candice brings Bianca up. Bianca rolls Candice up, TWO! Candice ENZIGIRIS Bianca down! Candice hurries to a corner and goes up, to then CROSSBODY! But Bianca rolls through! The fans fire up as Bianca lifts, but Candice slips free! Candice pulls the braid! Bianca uses that to reel Candice in for an ELBOW! But Candice grabs the braid to throw Bianca down! Both women are down and the fans fire up!

Bianca and Candice crawl, Candice goes to Bianca! STEP-UP- NO! Bianca avoids the senton! But Nia YANKS Naomi down from the outside! The fans boo but Nia sends Naomi into barriers! Candice stands Bianca up, but Bianca rolls her again! TWO, and Candice SUPERKICKS Bianca down! Candice hurries to the corner, tag to Nia. Nia storms up on Bianca, mockingly reaching out to Naomi, and then CLUBS Bianca! Nia whips, LARIATS, and SAMOAN DROPS! Bianca sputters and goes to the corner, but Nia runs up! Bianca BOOTS Nia first! Bianca ELBOWS Candice, dodges Nia, then RAMS into her! Candice grabs the braid!

Bianca whips Candice into the POST! Bianca climbs, but Nia ROCKS her! Nia climbs up after Bianca, fireman’s carries, but Bianca CLUBS away! Bianca is safe, she shoves Nia away, then CROSSBODIES! Both women are down and the fans fire up! Naomi returns! Bianca crawls, hot tag to Naomi! The fans fire up as Naomi ROUNDHOUSES Nia away, then slingshots for the FACEBUSTER! Cover, TWO! Nia still has a lot left in the tank but Naomi HAMMERS away on her! Nia shoves Naomi away, runs up, but Naomi dodges! Nia POSTS herself, falls back, and Naomi goes up! SPLIT-LEG MOONSAULT! Cover, Candice breaks it!

Naomi ENZIGIRIS Candice for it! Tag to Bianca and the tag champs go after Nia. Nia fights back, SAMOAN DROP for Naomi! The fans boo but Nia looms over Bianca. Nia runs, Candice sneaks a tag, and Bianca dodges! Bianca SPEARS Nia! Bianca runs, handsprings, but Candice DROPKICKS her down! STEP-UP SENTON! Nia rises, she adds a SENTON of her own! Candice covers, TWO!! Bianca survives and the fans fire up! Candice can’t believe it, but San Diego declares, “This is Awesome!” Candice storms around, snarls, then runs up at Bianca. Bianca ALLEY-OOPS her onto buckles! Then SPINEBUSTERS her down!

Bianca runs, handsprings, and MOONSAULTS! But Nia runs up! Bianca dodges, LEG DROP hits Candice!! Nia panics, runs up on Bianca, but Bianca tosses her out! LARIAT and down goes Bianca! Naomi tags for the BUBBA BOMB! Gedo clutch, Naomi & Bianca win!

Winners: Bianca Belair & Naomi, by pinfall

The tag champs find a way to survive, but now they’ll have to meet NXT’s Meta Four on January 28th! NXT goes on the road to Atlanta, Georgia, will Lash Legend & Jakara Jackson be bringing the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships home as souvenirs? Or will they only feel the StrongEST Glow?

Pregame interview with Bayley.

Byron Saxton walked through an empty Pechanga Arena with The Role Model before the show, and noted how last week, Bayley won the Fatal 4 Way #1 Contender’s match. Now, we’re in San Diego, with a sold out crowd as Bayley challenges Tiffany Stratton for the title. What does this match mean to her? Well, sold out here in her home state, that is what dreams are made of. We all dream about being in the main event and fighting for a championship. This is a huge night for her. Thinking on her career, this time last year, she won the 2024 Royal Rumble and earned a guaranteed championship opportunity.

Bayley would challenge former friend, Iyo Sky, someone she respects so much in this business. That felt like the peak of Bayley’s career, where she was going to do something different and change the world. To be honest, she isn’t sure she fulfilled her potential during that reign. Yes, she defended the title, took it all over the world, but she always felt she was just winning by the skin of her teeth. She’s a perfectionist, she loves wrestling so much. And so, that reign was certainly cut short when Tiffany helped Nia take that title from Bayley. Tonight is a big night for her.

Then how does tonight feel different from past opportunities in regaining the title? Well, we’ve seen what Tiffany has done this past year, and she just showed she’s willing to turn on her friends to get to the “Tiffy Top,” as she puts it. Part of Bayley respects her, but the other part wants to beat Tiffy that much more. Tonight, it’s personal. Byron wishes Bayley luck and they shake hands. Will this be a big first defense for Tiffy? Or will it be a big comeback for the former Grand Slam Champion?

Mia Yim talks with B-Fab backstage.

Michin just knows she would’ve had Chelsea Green if not for Piper Niven. They always gotta use numbers! B-Fab knows how they do. That US Championship should’ve been Mia’s! B-Fab tells Mia to keep her head up, because she’ll get another shot to take down sleazy- Piper Niven walks in being all Secret Service. Piper says the room is clear, no threats to the champion. Chelsea walks in, thanks “Spicy Service,” and says B-Fab and “Mimi” should stand up and properly congratulate her as the only woman to successfully defend this title. B-Fab says Chelsea please. We all know that if it wasn’t for Piper the Mall Cop, Chelsea would not be champion.

Piper steps up and tells B-Fab that if she takes another step closer, it’ll be her last. If that’s how Piper wants to play it, then how about this? B-Fab will talk with Aldis, then she and Piper can handle their problem tonight. Then after Piper, Chelsea better watch her back. Mia says that is a threat. Mia follows B-Fab, Chelsea tells Piper to neutralize B-Fab. Piper agrees. But just how will this shake out when Piper’s the one in action?

Jimmy Uso heads to gorilla.

“San Diego! The goal tonight is to make sure Carmelo stays missing. Hey, ya boi got something to prove! Hey, I’m proud of The Yeet Man. My brother got his own title match coming up, and it’s time to go get mine. But it starts tonight with Carmelo. Hey yo, Uce, between me and you, Big Jim is Him!” Jimmy heads out to the ring, will he prove he’s just as worthy of golden opportunities?

Jimmy Uso VS Carmelo Hayes!

SmackDown returns as Melo makes his entrance. Melo has a mic to tell Big Jim that he wants to get this straight. Roman’s in the Rumble, Jey’s got a world title match, and what’s Jimmy got? It just seems like Jimmy is living in the shadow of his brother who is living in the shadow of Roman Reigns. But for some reason, Jimmy’s taking shots at H1M? Then here’s a serious question: How can Jimmy take shots when he’s sitting on the bench? Do Melo a favor: Lace up those shoes real tight, Unc, because you’re about to see that Melo Don’t Miss. But then Jimmy TOSSES Melo into the ring! Jimmy borrows those sunglasses, then he fires haymakers!

The fans fire up as Jimmy pops, locks ‘n’ ROCKS Melo! Jimmy whips, but Melo avoids the superkick! Melo bails out, the fans boo, and Jimmy grins. Jimmy hurries after Melo but Melo HOTSHOTS Jimmy down! Melo storms in to CLOBBER Jimmy, and he stomps away at the ropes! The ref counts, teh fans boo, but Melo lets off at 4. Melo soaks up the heat, then he CHOPS Jimmy against ropes. Melo stalks Jimmy, CHOPS Jimmy in a corner, then brings him around for haymakers. Melo whips, Jimmy reverses, QUICK DRAW! Melo is in a corner, and the fans join Jimmy in chanting, “UCE! OH!” Jimmy runs, but Melo dodges the hip attack!

Melo comes back, but Jimmy puts him on the apron. Jimmy UPPERCUTS Melo, Melo sputters, and Jimmy goes out to join him. Jimmy suplexes Melo onto the apron! Melo writhes, Jimmy refreshes the count, and then Jimmy builds speed! Jimmy DIVES, and Melo is sent into the desk! The fans fire up for Jimmy while SmackDown goes to break.

About Chairshot Radio Network

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CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

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Classic POD is WAR

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Coverage

Andrew’s TNA iMPACT! Results & Match Ratings: 1.16.25

The Go Home for Genesis this Sunday! Let’s see what happens!

Published

23 hours ago

January 16, 2025

Andrew Balaz

So Genesis is Sunday, followed by next week’s Live Episode of iMPACT! Let’s see exactly how we get to Genesis and not to bury the lead, the fact the WWE/TNA partnership was extended for a few years is very big news for TNA. More visibility for a nostalgic brand and the younger NXT wrestlers get more opportunities with potential sprinkles of a big name here or there (yes I only really mean AJ Styles, but that’s what we all want to see one more time).

Let’s get to the show and see if it’s a Go Home worth anything.

After her shocking appearance on @WWENXT, @mashaslamovich steps into the confessional with @WeAreRosemary…

WATCH #TNAiMPACT on TNA+: https://t.co/Dw7ITswj28 pic.twitter.com/YSTXfJZw6X

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) January 17, 2025

Ratings:

Trent Seven vs Leon Slater: Slater wins via Swanton 450 – *
Fir$t Cla$$ vs Maniac Marines (Eric Young & Steve Maclin): EY wins via Macho Elbow – ** 3/4
Laredo Kid vs Jake Something: Jakes wins via Avalanche Something Bomb – **
The Hardys vs Ohio Versus Frankenstein (Sami Callihan & PCO): Hardys win via Crouton Bomb – ***

Results:

Trent Seven vs Leon Slater

British on British violence! I just appreciate that Trent’s theme is a down tuned remix of Seven Nation Army.

A little back and forth until Slater hits a Reverse Gamengiri, Trent tries to climb back to the apron after the powder, eats a Shotgun Kick. Trent dodges the dive, and Suplexes Leon down the steps at Center Stage. I feel like Slater over sold the spot, but I suppose using your surroundings is always interesting. Leon slides in at 9.5, Trent gets a little cocky and Leon hits two Flash Cradles for near falls, as Trent is reeling from the quick pinfall attempts he eats another Shotgun Kick for a near fall. Trent sells to the corner, eats a Jumping Bootwash, Leon perches Trent, goes for possibly a Spanish Fly but Trent turns it into an Avalanche Flowsion for two!

Bop and Bang, 7 Star Lariat, Piledriver with flourish and…still a two. Birminghammer attempt but Slater flips out of it, Crucifix pinfall for two, Uppercut by Trent and Birminghammer is hit! But Slater…kicks…out? He sells a Suplex where he slides down steps like death, but eats huge signature and finishing moves and kicks out. The psychology in this match is non-existent. Trent does the Finger Break, Leon sells away, hits another Shotgun Kick and Trent powders. X Plex gets reversed into a DDT from Slater. Trent powders off the Ramp, Leon goes to the entrance way runs and jumps off the ramp, then hits the Swanton 450.

Completely stupid match with spots that make no sense. All sizzle no steak, so dumb my IQ dropped 5 points.

The Elegance Clique have a “Pre-Launch Championship Celebration”. Tom Hannifan hates it, the crowd hates it, and the Personal Concierge uncovers a cardboard cut out with a Knockouts Title around their waists…and they are size accurate. Heather is like a My Size Barbie. Ash gives a very cringey speech where she thanks everyone except Heather, the Concierge passes the mic to Heather, Spitfire interrupts of course, and at least Dani cuts the promo to start so it’s tolerable. Yeah this is painfully bad cringe, as much as I didn’t mind the Ash gimmick to start with, this is lame. The only thing saving the segment is the crowd is hot for the the Elegance Clique getting their stuff ruined. So it was lame, but the crowd was into it and Ash sold the destruction of cardboard cut outs like Spitfire just murdered her puppy.

.@PCOisNotHuman and @TheSamiCallihan take on The Hardys! If they win, they’ll secure their spot in the TNA World Tag Team Title match at #TNAGenesis!

WATCH #TNAiMPACT on TNA+: https://t.co/Dw7ITswQRG pic.twitter.com/fO9P2F5d9d

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) January 17, 2025

Well the first 40 minutes of this show are making me wish for a stroke instead of watching this. So hopefully it picks up somewhere.

Fir$t Cla$$ vs Maniac Marines (Eric Young & Steve Maclin)

KC flips out of two of EY’s Back Body Drops and does his “First Class” taunt, so EY just slaps him upside the head and tags in Maclin to start beating on Navarro. I do really like KC’s work. He’s like WWE Lio Rush, but likable and talented. Maclin is beating the hell out of KC though, Lariats him out, goes for the SCUD, but AJ low bridges so Maclin crashes to the outside, KC hits the Tope con Hilo with blind tag so AJ is now legal and they start working over Maclin in the corner. Tennessee Whiskey, and there does seem to be a few First Class fans in the crowd.

Navarro is back in for the 305, quick tags though to keep Maclin eating offense. Splash into Big Boot into Assisted Splash while AJ leans on Maclin literally. KC starts picking on kids in the crowd near Judd Normand, he shoves the actor, the actor shoves him back and AJ comes over to mad dog the actor. Maclin takes advantage of the distraction and drops AJ on the way back in with an Olympic Slam, tags in EY and EY comes out hot. KC tags in, EY levels KC and they start messing around in the corner, AJ tries to break it up but eats a Busaiku Knee from Maclin and then a SCUD. EY manages to throw KC off the turnbuckle and then hit the Macho Elbow for the win.

After the match Eddie, Lish and Brian Myers stand at the entrance way to send a message but not cause any real chaos.

Josh Alexander and his two bitch boys come out to cut a promo on Santana or something. I am about as interested in this as I am in Norwegian Dog Sledding. Josh trying to say Santana is too hurt to go at Genesis when we all know this was filmed the same time like a month ago. You really can’t do doofus attempts a story when you’re promoting the first live episode in nearly a decade or something for next week. At least the match should be good because this build is lame, the jabronis are useless, “Bald Ass Head” is the big insult…sheeeesh.

Laredo Kid vs Jake Something

Well…someone has to win this match, so there’s that.

Nothing special start until Jake comes off the ropes and runs over Laredo sending him flying over the ropes onto the ramp. Jake panders to the crowd, Laredo tries to get something going but Jake steps on his foot to stop any Lucha things, and mollywops him. Jake runs him corner to corner until Laredo moves, strings a few moves together, tries to fly and then gets knocked out of the sky with a Forearm. Only a two count for Jake, but Laredo is definitely doing his best impression of a pinata so far in the match. Laredo gets a desperation Satellite DDT, misses his big attempt, but Jake misses the Spear in the corner, La Magistral gets a 2, a few bad spots from Laredo where it looks like he missed a Satellite Facebuster and sloppy Essex or Canadian Destroyer. Laredo goes to the top, Jake bear paw slap, goes up top and Avalanche Something Bomb for the win.

The Hardys vs Ohio Versus Frankenstein (Sami Callihan & PCO)

Before the Hardys intro, the 23 thing flashes a few times again. So at least they didn’t forget that.

Sami starts with Jeff and gets in a few early shots and goads Jeff with Hardys taunts, then all four get in, throw hands and we go to commercial. We come back from commercial to Matt Delete Turnbuckling Sami, and then Poetry In Motion the classic way! A few quick tags, but Sami eventually knocks down Matt, tags in PCO, Matt’s moves aren’t very effective, Jeff throws himself in too and they get their asses beat by PCO. PCO tags in Sami, Sami slaps around Matt, drags his face across the ropes, tags PCO back in and uses PCO as a battering ram into Matt’s chest. PCO keeps Matt in their corner, tags back in Sami, some simple tandem work and a short 2 count for Sami. Sami calls PCO back in and they’re formulating a tag move, they try the Double Back Drop, but Matt turns it into a Double DDT instead.

Jeff tries to fight them both off, Sami grabs Jeff, PCO goes for the Lariat, malfunction at the junction, Whisper in the Wind mostly hits PCO so Jeff Splashes Sami. Twist of Hate, Twist of Fate, Swanton Bomb from Jeff and the Hardy Boys win!

Before the obligatory contract signing on the Go Home before a PPV, Jordynne walks over to the announce table with the contract for her match with Tessa. Says she’ll leave it with them so she can’t miss it, but hey, “if she doesn’t show up at Genesis it wouldn’t be the first time”. That’s funny.

Joe starts the promo saying he has to win, but its on him to take the title from Nic. There’s an intensity, so it’s not all cornball jokes and shenanigans. That’s kinda nice to start with. Nic takes the babyface angle of “you’re not wrong but I don’t think you’re ready yet kid”. Then he plays the JBL clip from Bound for Glory. Nic tries to use the video to clear his name because Ryan got attacked too. Joe is about to poke a hole in the defense but then Hollywood Abyss Mokuba shows up. “MY BROTHER SETO” Ryan interferes, Nic tries to stop the stupidity but Ryan plows through is about to eat a Standing Ovation but Nic Superkicks Joe to save Mokuba. Nic does stand there as the crowd chants “kick your brother”, but Nic doesn’t pull the trigger but you can tell he’s contemplating.

OH! Sexy Tessy shows up, signs the contract but Jordynne was waiting for her and leaves Tessa laying with a Grace Driver and solid intensity. Okay most of the show was kinda mid but the ending was pretty solid.

Overall Score: 6.25/10

As I said at the very end, most of this show was mid…or mediocre for the older crowd. Indie Spotfest Dumbassery to kick off the show, a few segments that made me question if I was tasting pennies, a decent match with First Class, the stalled push never relevant squad match between Jake and Laredo, and at least the main event match was fun.

The video packages always feel lackluster because the only people really watching TNA currently are hardcore fans. I never really see too many people pull the whole “whoa first TNA episode in 11 years and I decided on the random Go Home instead of the first live episode since 2015”. See, this is why logic matters in booking. WWE gets to have the mentality of “it could be someone’s first time watching it” every week because they the biggest show in town. The name alone will garner random views or transient lapsed fans if they get a whiff of something. However when it comes down to TNA, people are only surprised its still alive.

Even with many questionable hours it wasn’t terrible. It did fine…plus like I just said, there’s opportunity for more random eyes thanks to the WWE merger AND a live episode next week. So the Go Home format won’t change, but hopefully the exposure gives us more congruent storylines.