Paul Heyman was interviewed by Kayla Braxton, and he said Roman Reigns withdrew his eligibility for the draft which starts tonight because he is not going to return in the immediate future.
Jackie Remond is at the Performance Center and will be there to interview anyone drafted tonight.
Corey Graves opens Smackdown in the ring with tables set up in the middle of the ring as he is going to moderate the contract signing between AJ Styles and Cody Rhodes.
AJ is out first and as Cody comes to the ring AJ is sitting and reading the contract. AJ starts and after talking about LA Knight, AJ says that he respects Cody, and they traveled the same roads and had to prove themselves outside of WWE. Dusty gave AJ a lot of advice and he was a good man.
AJ signs the contract and Corey hands it to Cody and of course before he signs it, he asks Cincinnati what they wanted to talk about. Cody says the locker rooms all respect AJ and he is the modern-day excellence of execution. Cody says no matter how phenomenal you are, and this is not a dream match for me, it is a must win.
AJ tells Cody it was wonderful to watch him finish the story but it’s too bad his title reign is already going to end at Backlash. They shake hands and AJ leaves the ring.
As Cody is leaving the ring The Game’s music comes on and Triple H is out to announce a draft pick after he shook Cody’s hand and raised his arm.
Champions are protected so Cody is staying on Smackdown so Cody will read the Smackdown picks, and Triple H will read the Raw picks.
Smackdown picks Bianca Belair first.
Raw picks Main Event Jey Uso.
Smackdown picks Carmelo Hayes.
Raw picks Seth “Freakin” Rollins.
Carmelo Hayes comes out and he tells Cody he always says you come for the king you better not miss, and Melo don’t miss and there is no better way to shoot his shot than against you. Cody tells him he is on tonight, and they shake hands.
Angel & Humberto VS. Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee
Lee hits his finisher project Dragon for the win.
Winners: Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee
Santos Escobar comes out and says he is a lot of things, but a liar is not one of them and he meant he did not attack Dragon Lee before WrestleMania. They show a video of Carlito attacking Dragon Lee.
Carlito then shoves Lee into Rey and hits a backstabber on Lee and runs through the crowd.
Bron Breakker VS. Cedric Alexander
Cedric started with chops but a reversal into the ropes leads to a spear and a quick win for Breakker.
Winner: Bron Breakker
Nick Aldis is with Tiffany Stratton, and he told her he almost sent her home last week but Bayley changed his mind so she will face Naomi and the winner will face Bayley at Backlash for the title.
Michelle McCool will announce the next round of Smackdown picks and Tori Wilson is here to announce Raw’s next picks.
Smackdown picks Randy Orton.
Raw picks Bron Breakker.
Smackdown picks Nia Jax.
Raw picks Liv Morgan.
Car pulls in and Paul Heyman is waiting for it, and he starts yelling sorry, and Solo gets out and Paul says he is sorry he always got the door for Roman and Solo asked about the draft and Paul said not yet.
Solo tells Heyman he needs him to tell him one more time and Tama Tonga comes out and stands by Solo and then they get attacked by Kevin Owens.
Kayla Braxton interviews Bianca Belair. She says Jade Cargill is the perfect partner to end this problem with Damage Control and when they win the titles at Backlash, Damage Control will have no need to show up on Smackdown ever again. The Kabuki Warriors come out and Jade Cargill quickly follows and as they argue the fight between Tama Tonga and Kevin Owens spills into the arena.
Solo and Tama bear down Kevin and throw all the officials and security out of the ring, but Randy Orton comes out and chases off Solo and Tama.
Bubba Ray Dudley to announce the next round of Smackdown picks and Devon Dudley will announce the next round of Raw picks.
Smackdown picks LA Knight.
Raw picks Ricochet.
Smackdown picks Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga and Paul Heyman “The Bloodline”.
Raw picks Sheamus.
Tiffany Straton VS. Naomi with winner facing Bayley at Backlash
As the match is going on, Nia Jax comes out and attacked Bayley and Naomi tries to help Bayley but is hit by Nia.
Tiffany throws both Naomi and Bayley in the ring and hits the prettiest moonsault ever.
Winner: No Contest
Byron Saxton interviews The Street Profits and B-Fab and they will challenge A-Town Down Under for the Tag Team championships.
A-Town Down Under comes in and trash talk until Bobby Lashley comes in and tells them to get going.
Teddy Long is here to announce the next round of Smackdown picks and JBL will announce the next round of Raw picks.
Karrion Kross says there is more random acts of violence and AOP are beating Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne.
Smackdown picks AJ Styles.
Raw picks Chad Gable, Otis, Maxxine Dupri, and Akira Tozawa – Alpha Academy.
Smackdown picks Andrade.
Raw picks Kiana James.
Jackie Redmond interviews Kiana James. She said she is ready and was surprised and Shawn Michaels comes in to congratulate her.
Kayla Braxton interviewed Nick Aldis. He announces that there will be a triple threat match Bayley VS. Tiffany Stratton VS. Naomi. And he let Teddy Long announce Kevin Owens & Randy Orton VS. Solo Sikoa & Tama Tonga.
Carmelo Hayes VS. The American Nightmare Cody Rhodes
Great match but it was Rhodes with the Crossroads to gain the victory.
Winner: The American Nightmare Cody Rhodes
After the match Cody helped Hayes sit up in the ring and said something to him.
As Cody got off the ropes from celebrating, he turned around right into AJ Styles. The two went face to face and shook hands again as Smackdown went off the air.
Tonight’s Smackdown will kick off the 2024 Draft and will also welcome Undisputed WWE champion Cody Rhodes as a full-time member of the blue brand roster.
Rhodes, who missed last week’s show due to being part of the Euro tour, will be meeting AJ Styles in the ring to sign the contract for their Backlash match.
The only match announced for the show so far is Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee taking on Angel and Berto.
Oh, and CM Punk is also scheduled to be part of the show in some fashion.
The Draft tonight will have four rounds for a total of 16 picks and Smackdown will make its first pick.
Those who are available to be drafted tonight are (in alphabetical order) AJ Styles, Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn, Alpha Academy (Chad Gable, Otis, Akira Tozawa, and Maxxine Dupri), Andrade, Bianca Belair, Bron Breakker, Cedric Alexander and Ashante “Thee” Adonis, Ivar, Jey Uso, LA Knight, Liv Morgan, Nia Jax, Randy Orton, Ricochet, Seth Rollins, Shayna Baszler, Sheamus, The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Paul Heyman), The OC (Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, and Michin), and Zoey Stark.
According to a report on JohnWallStreet.com, WrestleMania XL had $38.5 million in gate money over the two nights, smashing all WWE gate records.
The report said that the revenue from ticket sales was a 78% increase from WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and 147% increase over WrestleMania 38 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Those figures put the gate revenue for those two events at $21.6 million and $15.6 million respectively.
WrestleMania XL broke all kinds of WWE records including merchandise, viewing, social media, etc. This year’s event outpaced last year’s show by 41% in terms of viewers.
WWE has yet to announce the location of WrestleMania 41 and according to rumors, it’s between Minnesota and Las Vegas. WWE President Nick Khan said that the show will not go against the NCAA Final Four and will be held later in April or in May. While there have been WrestleManias which were held in March, April is usually the month for the show of shows. There has never been a WrestleMania held in May.
WWE will be opening a Backlash store in Lyon as thousands of European fans storm the city for the premium live event next week.
Run by Fanatics, the store is free and open to the public and will be located at 19 bis Quai Victor Augagneur, around 18 kilometers away from the LDLC Arena. It will offer hundreds of different WWE and Backlash merchandise including apparel, replica title belts, posters, and everything you can imagine.
The store will be open on Thursday, May 2 from Noon to 7PM, Friday, May 3 from 10AM to 7PM, Saturday, May 4 from 10AM to 7PM, and Sunday, May 5 from 10AM to 3PM.
UPDATE: Mysterio refuted Meltzer’s report, writing on X, “No surgery for this guy…”
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer is reporting that Dominik Mysterio will be undergoing elbow surgery for an injury he suffered on the April 15 episode of Raw in his match against Andrade.
The injury revolves around his ulnar collateral ligament, the ligament that runs on the inner side of the elbow.
Recovery period for surgery on this ligament takes around nine months according to the Cleveland Clinic, and on certain occasions, it takes even more.
It’s often associated with baseball players and it’s also called a Tommy John surgery, based on the baseball pitcher Tommy John who in 1974 went for the first procedure.
Mark your calendars because the NXT Battleground is heading your way on June 9th, and this time it’s all taking place at UFC Apex! Shawn Michaels told ESPN in a statement that he felt honored to introduce this event. He said it would push the envelope for NXT. This partnership with the UFC is sure to take wrestling to the next level! People are discussing the NXT Battleground today because many betting fans will certainly enjoy the opportunity to determine the winner through top sport betting sites. These resources will certainly allow you to fully enjoy the anticipation.
Last September, the world of professional sports was shaken by the sensational announcement of WWE and Endeavor coming together to form TKO. While there have been some sneak peeks of this collaboration before, get ready for the ultimate showdown as the WWE gears up for its first major event at a UFC stadium.
The organizers at NXT Battleground have made a strategic maneuver and rescheduled the event to take place on May 26th at the prestigious Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia. A bold move indeed! Meanwhile, in the glitzy world of UFC, Las Vegas remains the undeniable hub of all mixed martial arts action. The initial scheduling hiccup, which coincided with AEW’s Double or Nothing extravaganza, a thrilling pay-per-view affair organized by a rival promoter, caused quite a stir over the Memorial Day weekend.
Top NXT Performers Are Expected to Compete
Roxanne Perez is known as the WWE fan-turned-superstar. She has done the unimaginable by winning the title of the first Women’s Breakout Tournament Champion. She has a passion for wrestling deep in her roots. Perez has smoothly transitioned from idolizing WWE legends to making her own path to glory in the ring.
Oba Femi, ascended through the ranks with remarkable speed to win his title gold. Femi has drawn notice for his exciting in-ring approach thanks to his distinctive combination of agility and technical skill. Femi will put his skills to the test against a deserving opponent at NXT Battleground, demonstrating his tenacity and talent as a champion.
Axiom and Nathan Frazer have proven to be tough opponents in the tag team division. They are now the best tag team in the world. This is thanks to their unmatched chemistry and faultless coordination. These guys will try to show why fans consider them one of the best tag teams in NXT.
Not just the champions, but also some other hotshot NXT stars are seriously shaking things up around here. Their distinct personalities and skill sets have given the NXT roster more depth, resulting in exciting storylines and matchups that build into NXT Battleground. Fans can expect amazing performances from these budding talents during the event as they continue to develop in NXT.
With each competitor bringing their unique blend of athleticism, showmanship, and determination, the stage is set for an exhilarating display of professional wrestling prowess. Stay tuned as these rising stars collide in a spectacle that promises to leave fans on the edge of their seats!
There’s a new baby coming in the WWE family as Sarah Logan, who plays the Valhalla character, and her husband Raymond Rowe, who is Erik of The Viking Raiders, announced that they are expecting their second child.
“November of 2024 NEW ROWE BOY INCOMING,” the two wrote in a post on social media accompanied by a photo of their son wearing a “big brother” t-shirt. “We are so unbelievably happy.”
Valhalla has not wrestled since the Royal Rumble and of course will not be featured anymore for now due to her pregnancy. Erik is injured and has been out since September of last year following neck fusion surgery.
During the NFL Draft last night, Tony Khan sported a neck brace during the broadcast to sell the attack from The Elite and Jack Perry from Wednesday.
Khan took a Meltzer Driver, renamed the Tony Khan Driver, from The Young Bucks and was left motionless in the middle of the ring after he got played by the returning Jack Perry.
On the NFL Network, the commentator said Khan becomes “the first-ever NFL executive in the draft room shaking off the effects of a pile driver he received on national television in a wrestling ring the other night.”
Pat McAfee on The Pat McAfee Show discussed why Khan was wearing a neck brace and another host said that while he respects the kayfabe, someone should tell Tony Khan that when you’re selling a neck injury and are in a neck brace you should not move around and act like nothing’s wrong!
Facing heavy competition from NBA and NHL competition, being live on the West Coast, and audio issues throughout the whole show, Dynamite this week drew just 683,000 viewers, down 79,000 viewers from the prior week. This was the least-watched Dynamite since January 2021. The show had a 0.23 rating, down 0.03 from last week and was #6 on the top 50 cable chart for the night. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)
The Grizzled Young Veterans are coming to AEW and will be making their debut this Saturday live on Collision.
The announcement was made by the GYV themselves in an interview with Lexi Nair which was published on AEW’s social media.
The team of Zack Gibson and James Drake worked for WWE from 2018 till their release last year and towards the end of their run were renamed The Dyad as part of The Schism with Joe Gacy and Ava.
Following their release, the duo made their TNA Wrestling debut at the Hard To Kill pay-per-view.
Appearing on the latest episode of political show The Vanguard, former Minnesota Governor Jesse “The Body” Ventura said that he is once again talking with WWE.
In an eight-minute clip released by the show on YouTube, Ventura discussed Vince McMahon’s legal trouble, his exit from WWE, and now how that the big stumbling block is out of the way, he’s back to discuss something with WWE, teasing a future appearance.
“I will tell you this, now that wrestling has chosen this new direction, shall we call it… Jesse Ventura is in talks with them,” the WWE Hall of Famer said. “It required them going in this new direction. I hope you get what I’m saying about the new direction. The direction the company is now going was good enough for Jesse Ventura and the WWE to begin talking again.”
Ventura has not appeared on WWE television since the November 23, 2009 episode of Monday Night Raw and he was joined by Vince McMahon to do commentary for a match.
Deadline.com is reporting that Ari Emanuel, the CEO of TKO Group Holdings, received a pay package valued at $64.9 million in 2023.
TKO is the parent company of both WWE and UFC and was created this past September when Emanuel, through his Endeavor company, took over WWE.
Emanuel has a base salary of $911,000, a cash bonus of $24 million, and stock awards valued at $40 million.
His right hand man, TKO COO Mark Shapiro, has a package worth $16 million.
“The compensation committee noted revenue, adjusted EBITDA gains, cost reduction, strong turnout for UFC and WWE live events, and a set of media rights deals for WWE, including a long-term deal with Netflix,” Deadline writes.
Emanuel will now add a private jet to his collection as well as part of Endeavor’s sale to investors Silver Lake. Silver Lake is purchasing Endeavor for $13 billion but will not include TKO Group.
The Spring Breakin’ week one episode of NXT drew 661,000 viewers this week, up 36,000 viewers from the prior week and the best number since January 16. The show had a 0.20 rating in 18-49, up 0.03 from last week and placed #8 on the top 50 cable chart for the night. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)
AEW had several technical problems during last night’s Dynamite on TBS where the audio was not cooperating.
The show experienced problems both during the live segments and also on commentary, resulting in AEW President Tony Khan addressing the issue on X during the broadcast.
“Our partner TBS is having some audio issues on tonight’s show, thankfully we understand our other worldwide partners aren’t affected, but TBS is working to fix the issue immediately,” Khan’s message read.
It was sent late in the show which didn’t really have any effect since the broadcast was almost over.
This is not the first time that AEW had audio issues during live broadcasts and it happened on several occasions in the past.
Week 8 of WWE programming on A&E continued this past Sunday with an episode of Rivals and season three of Most Wanted Treasures.
Rivals came back on the air with an episode focusing on Hulk Hogan vs Macho Man Randy Savage. The show had 361,000 viewers, up 28,000 viewers from the last episode and had a 0.08 rating in 18-49, down 0.02 from the prior one. It finished #40 on the chart for the night.
Most Wanted Treasures featured an episode on Dusty Rhodes stuff and also had an appearance from Cody Rhodes. It drew 296,000 viewers, up 15,000 from last week’s show and had a 0.08 rating in 18-49, down 0.01. It placed #42 on the top 50 cable chart for the night. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)
WWE has published a list of Superstars who will be eligible for the Draft this Friday and Monday, with a smaller pool of Superstars available tomorrow.
For both nights, certain NXT stars are also eligible to be drafted and NXT will also be receiving some main roster stars in return in a bid to continue to build up the brand.
Some individuals were left out, most notably Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, and Jimmy Uso, all of whom are injured. CM Punk, despite also being injured, is available to be drafted and he will be appearing on both nights of the draft. Brock Lesnar is also not part of the draft.
Those who are available to be drafted on Friday are (in alphabetical order) AJ Styles, Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn, Alpha Academy (Chad Gable, Otis, Akira Tozawa, and Maxxine Dupri), Andrade, Bianca Belair, Bron Breakker, Cedric Alexander and Ashante “Thee” Adonis, Ivar, Jey Uso, LA Knight, Liv Morgan, Nia Jax, Randy Orton, Ricochet, Seth Rollins, Shayna Baszler, Sheamus, The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Paul Heyman), The OC (Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, and Michin), and Zoey Stark.
Eligible to be drafted on Monday are (in alphabetical order) Apollo Crews,
Braun Strowman, Bronson Reed, Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell, Chelsea Green and Piper Niven, CM Punk, Damage CTRL (Iyo Sky, Dakota Kai, Asuka, and Kairi Sane), DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa), Drew McIntyre, Giovanni Vinci, Imperium (Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser), Jade Cargill, Judgment Day (Finn Balor, Dominik Mysterio, and JD McDonagh), Kayden Carter and Katana Chance, Kevin Owens, Legado del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Angel, Humberto, and Elektra Lopez), Naomi, Natalya, New Catch Republic (Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate), New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods), Odyssey Jones, Pretty Deadly (Elton Prince and Kit Wilson), Shinsuke Nakamura, Tegan Nox, The Creed Brothers (Julius Creed, Brutus Creed, and Ivy Nile), The Final Testament (Karrion Kross, Scarlett, AOP, and Paul Ellering), The LWO (Rey Mysterio, Carlito, Dragon Lee, Cruz Del Toro, Joaquin Wilde, and Zelina Vega), The Pride (Bobby Lashley, The Street Profits, and B-Fab), and Tiffany Stratton.
The reigning champions – Cody Rhodes, Damian Priest, Becky Lynch, Bayley, Awesome Truth, A-Town Down Under, Logan Paul, and Sami Zayn will stay in their current respective brands.
Everybody knows that when people think of gambling, Australia is at the top of the list. When it comes to gaming, the typical Australian spends $1,300 each year. This figure stands out when compared to other countries’ figures. This data suggests that the gaming market in Australia is sizable. Another important factor to consider is that Australia has more slot machines per capita than any other country.
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Eric Bischoff was powerbombed from the stage by the nWo in WCW, Vince McMahon ate a lot of Stunners in WWE from Stone Cold Steve Austin, Dixie Carter was powerbombed through a table by Team 3D in TNA…so it was just a matter of time when Tony Khan would be on the receiving end of something in AEW.
And that time was yesterday on Dynamite in a show-closing angle which saw The Elite and Jack Perry turn on the AEW President.
Closing the show, Jack Perry came out to call out Khan and promised to work with Khan to continue changing the world of professional wrestling for the better. After the two agreed, shook hands, and arms were raised, Perry turned on Khan by punching him in the stomach.
That brought out The Elite who were seemingly going to take care of Khan…until they also turned on him and hit the Tony Khan Driver, leaving him motionless in the middle of the ring.
A mass exodus from the locker room followed, with referees, medics, and wrestlers coming out to help their boss. Even Shad Khan, the billionaire father of Tony, came out for his AEW debut to attend to his son.
London mayor Sadiq Khan has vowed to work to bring WrestleMania to London if he is re-elected in next week’s elections.
“London is already the sporting capital of the world. If I’m re-elected next Thursday – we’ll go even further,” Khan wrote in a message on X. “We’ll look to bring WrestleMania, Superbowl and the NBA to London, and put together another bid for the 2040 Olympics.”
WrestleMania in London, although far fetched, has already been brought up by John Cena last year when he appeared unannounced at the Money in the Bank premium live event held at the O2 Arena in the English capital and the fans went absolutely bonkers.
But another Khan, WWE President Nick Khan, stated last week that all the big five PLEs will be held in the United States and Canada moving forward, pouring cold water on the idea.
Khan, the mayor, said that he believes London has the potential to host the first international WrestleMania and will be setting up a Taskforce to attract more US sports if he’s re-elected.
WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H noted the tweet from Khan and reposted it, adding, “Let’s talk.”
To the Elite arriving earlier today with their belts. Matt said he loved when Okada flipped off the crowd Sunday. That makes two of us.
Jack Perry arrived right behind them. To a huge cheer. The others had been booed. Security told Perry he couldn’t come in but the Bucks pulled their EVP status. Excalibur said Perry had torn up his AEW contract and was a New Japan talent.
Interesting hook to start the show.
*****
Orange Cassidy’s music played, he tumbled through the entrance having apparently been beaten up by Trent. Off-screen. Which is becoming a nasty trend. We’re supposed to be desperate to find out who Chuck’s siding with.
This atmosphere and layout is so flat – lights down, clearly not many people here.
Trent asked Chuck to come out. And said he was sorry. Sorry they’d spent years ‘hugging this narcissistic prick.’ Orange made them his lackeys and gave them nothing. A weak ‘freshly squeezed’ chant started and quickly died.
Trent said he cares about Chuck, loves him. Asked him to give the people what they want and held out his arms for a hug. Chuck looked like he was going to hug then stopped short. ‘You know Trent, I’ve always thought you were a piece of shit.’
So why the F have you teamed with him for like nine years? What a dumbass.
Chuck hit him with a microphone then said he’s not cleared so he’ll fight Trent in the parking lot. Starting Dynamite with this following a ppv and everything that happened on it is certainly a choice.
This is doing nothing but dragging down Orange.
*****
To Mox. He’s confident he’ll retain his title.
We all are Mox. Every single damn one of us. Because it’s obviously going to happen.
He tried to put over Hobbs and his chances. And said he knew what the Family were willing to do to win. He tried to put over tonight’s match as him having to walk through hell and arrows and etc.
Solid because it’s a Mox promo; pointless because the match is. Possibly confusing to viewers who didn’t watch the pay-per-view and saw Mox talking about defending a title before Swerve was even mentioned.
*****
Now this is how the show should’ve started. Nana brought Swerve out. Figured he’d at least get a promo before the match but nope. It’s another pointless match instead vs a guy who almost literally never wins. Kyle Fletcher’s music sounds like a CAW theme.
Swerve Strickland vs Kyle Fletcher (Eliminator)
Backstory: NONE
Callis joining on comms as the pair started with mat wrestling till Swerve got the better. They implied Callis was recruiting guys for the Family.
Swerve got two with a cradle then popped up into a short arm scissors. They then wrestled to a stalemate.
Swerve avoided a corner charge then hit a spin kick, back elbow in the corner, snapmare out, diving elbow to the spine off the top, stupid dance. Nice sequence. Fletcher responded by leg lariating Swerve off the apron, new champ clutching his arm but countering a piledriver outside into a body drop.
Then punting the Aussie down to bring the break.
Ads.
Swerve ducked under into a backbreaker before working the spine with his elbow, Fletcher aimed shots with the wrist captured then landed a thrust kick, Michinoku driver, both down.
They cut away to the Elite going to see Tony Khan. Perry looked a little wary.
Back to Swerve landing an apron neckbreaker. Nana is semi-permanently leading ‘Whose house?’ chants in a bid to create some sort of atmosphere. Strickland hit a Stomp from the top to the apron and seemed to hurt his left ankle. A weak house call was obviously intended to miss, being snatched into an ankle lock. So clearly that wasn’t a real injury. Nice selling.
‘I like Swerve but I would like to see him crippled right now,’ said Callis. Like you might say ‘I like cheese on my burger.’ Such a heel.
He fought free but Fletcher went to work with kicks to the chest, up into an exchange of rights, Swerve hiptoss through into a brainbuster which was countered, Swerve kicked up then popped up into a flatliner, sweeping through into the brainbuster for two.
Time for the new champ to win now.
They reversed in and out of a tombstone, Fletcher just about pulling off the last one before hitting the move for two. Callis yelled ‘Melbourne’ like he was calling a play and Fletcher looked for a table but changed his mind to hit a leg lariat in the corner. Then went for a superplex.
Swerve fought free, Fletcher politely hung on to the middle ropes so Swerve could hit a Stomp. And then kicked out. Are you serious? Swerve then hit the House Call to win.
Good match for the most part but too long vs someone who never ever wins. Swerve did take the majority of the match, but kicking out of his finish already?
Champions are defined by their opponents.
Winner: Swerve Strickland
They pushed Kenny Omega returning next week in Winnipeg.
*****
Renee with Thunder Rosa. Renee asked what went wrong Sunday. Rosa said she could complain but won’t. But mentioned Deonna. Who just happened to be nearby. They got into a shoving match and were separated.
Deonna really seems like someone who would get into a loud argument in a public place. Which is a great heel trait.
Ads.
Mina Shirakawa vs Anna Jay
Backstory: NONE
They sort of explained Shirakawa as she came out. Including replaying her kiss with Mariah May a couple weeks back. May accompanied Mina and held the ropes for her. And wasn’t dressed like Toni Storm.
We got started as each ducked a lariat and preened until the presumably babyface Jay aimed a cheap shot. The announcers all but said Mina and Mariah had been/are lovers. Jay kicked Mina away to block a figure four but took an enziguri off the top for two.
Mariah led a very brief ‘Mina’ chant. Before Mina landed a Russian leg sweep. Then went to work with elbows to the inside of the knee. Before applying the leg lock. Anna got the ropes. Then raked the eyes before hitting a draping neckbreaker across the top rope. She and Mariah had a few words before Jay got two.
Ads. So… who’s the heel?
Back to a stinging right from Mina, another, exchange until a discus elbow strike then back fist from Mina. Who the crowd seem to like more than Anna. Mina blocked a pump kick, dragon screw, back to the figure four. Jay got right to the ropes again. Mina hit a missile drop kick and an enziguri for two.
Time to end.
Jay blocked a reverse ddt into Queenslayer but couldn’t quite hook it. Mina got the win the way anyone in AEW does over someone who isn’t a jobber, with a cradle.
Mariah danced to Mina’s music and brought in champagne. Anna attacked without provocation from behind. To boos. Then tried to get the Queenslayer on May. Bringing heel champ Toni Storm in to save the day. She hugged Mariah after running off Anna. As the crowd cheered.
Serena Deeb came out. She held the belt which Toni had left on the ramp. She spoke to the camera and promised that next time she touched the title it would belong to her as the women’s champ.
Could be a good match; will be a sucky feud. Deeb hasn’t been since for like six weeks and all she’s done this year is beat a couple enhancement talents.
Just rotten booking here btw, the heels were absolutely the babyfaces and vice versa. Meh match too.
Winner: Mina Shirakawa
Back to Stokely and Statlander in the ring to celebrate Willow. Stokely said he felt like the Bill Withers song ‘Lovely Day.’ Statlander eulogized Willow via a rhyming poem. Stokely said with ‘all due disrespect that was two packs of ass.’
Caprice Coleman joined on comms to sing and rap Willow to the ring. If they were going for obnoxious with a hint of Kurtis Blow… hit the bulls eye.
Stokely and Willow said they hadn’t liked each other at first, compared each other to fungus and stuff. Willow said in 2020 she was here in the front row trying to get her break. And tonight she’s a champion.
Mercedes decided to dance and prance through the celebration. Willow said this is like the fourth time Mone’s interrupted her. Mercedes sounded very false (presumably deliberately) while saying she came out to congratulate her. At DoN we’re looking at the new champ. Crowd booed.
All three women accused the others of attacking each other since Willow got attacked last week. She asked Mercedes if she thought she deliberately injured her last year. Mercedes sounded like she was reading from a script as she asked ‘Do I blame you for taking the one thing I love the most (away from her) for a whole year? You don’t want the truth Willow.’
This acting is dreadful.
Willow said she felt terrible after the match last year and couldn’t even enjoy the title. She wondered whether she could’ve beaten Mercedes at 100%. That title had an asterisk next to it. But this right here (she held up her belt), there is no asterisk next to this. So she wants Mercedes at 100% so she can show why she’s the TBS champ.
Mercedes said to enjoy it while she can cause Willow knows she can’t beat her. Crowd seem split now. Statlander grabbed Mercedes who thought it was Willow so slapped her. Mercedes then left.
Mercedes is adding nothing else to AEW. Robotic, obviously rehearsed lines that don’t sound like things a human being would say and are delivered in overdramatic fashion. Such a let down after such a positive start.
*****
‘Al Scoops’ (eugh) was outside Khan’s office and asked Perry if he was reinstated. He asked the same question to all four Elite. They all ignored him until Matt said that Kahn had just agreed to meet with Perry tonight in the ring.
It’s a decent hook but what’s the storyline reason for that when they were just in the same room?
They finally showed Perry costing FTR the belts Sunday.
Casino Gauntlet Match (For a shot at the International Title @DoN)
Participants: Jay White, Dante Martin, Penta, Kyle O’Reilly, Will Ospreay, Lance Archer, Komander
The gimmick here is even the announcers don’t know who’s in it. It’s sudden death rules. First pin wins.
So Jay and Dante are pretty damn good. White took a pasting as usual. Until avoiding a Dante vault to the outside. But only got a couple chops in before Dante took back over. At this point I can only assume Tony Khan is genuinely irritated with White who apparently has been unhappy with how he’s been used. Particularly in his feud with MJF.
Penta out before the break.
Ads. No pin attempts as yet. In a sudden death rules match.
Back to Kyle O’Reilly coming out. Then Will Ospreay!? So that’s Wembley then. He’s going to rename it the UK Title or whatever like he did in New Japan. But what a weird way to just throw him out there after not mentioning him all show. Piss poor promotion. And got a nice pop but boy it was a comedown after the size of that crowd Sunday.
He hit an AJ forearm to Kyle, took out Penta and Kyle with a corkscrew kick, then had a standoff with White after White tried a cheap shot. Crowd chanted holy shit. White suckered him in then teed off with chops, Ospreay quickly hit back, White bailed outside.
Most of the wrestlers are spending most of their time waiting outside. In a sudden death rules match.
Lance Archer out now. They keep doing stuff you need to have watched New Japan to understand here. He and Ospreay went face to face before Archer ran through everybody until Kyle grabbed a guillotine. Until being flung away.
Ospreay got the boots up in the corner but took Archer’s step-up knee, Blackout coming but Archer flung Ospreay at the other guys outside instead. In a sudden death rules match.
Ads. Be nice if guys tried to win.
Komander out. Okay, this is my pick. This guy’s a winner. He rana’d Archer off the apron through a table. Then used Ospreay as a climbing frame into a ddt. White uranage from behind for two. God bless you Jay White.
Bladerunner countered by Ospreay into a Liger Bomb for two. And god bless you Will Ospreay.
He was readying a Hidden Blade when the biggest star in the company was interrupted by Jay Lethal. Who smashed him and sent him outside. That shouldn’t happen if Ospreay’s on a fucking drip at the hospital, let alone if he’s healthy.
White hit a sleeper suplex but Dante hit a shotgun from the top. Everyone took out everyone until Ospreay got two on Kyle via cross body after an excellent exchange of counters. He was going to hit a tiger driver but hesitated, Excalibur mentioned he’d injured Danielson which is the first time they’ve mentioned it all night?
Komander missed something off the top and Ospreay hit the Hidden Blade to win. Damn it, was sure Komander had this. Might have booked Ospreay to run through everybody here rather than having a ‘good match’. And this was fun. But considering they blathered on about sudden death rules, no-one was in a rush to win.
The Undisputed Kingdom came out, Strong went face to face with Ospreay. The whole way he was used here was just baffling. No hype, no mention he was on the show.
Winner: Will Ospreay
‘The Learning Tree’ Chris Jericho came out. With new music. Which is a massive upgrade on his Lionheart theme but that’s a low bar. They showed him cheating to beat Hook. He got droning boos rather than actual heat.
He played to the crowd in a deliberately babyface way. He said FTW means ‘For the World, because it’s for all of you.’ That’s some good heel ish. He said Terry Funk told him years ago it was his job to teach the next generation. He asked to hear it for Hook. Who had a great effort but still has things he needs to learn.
Like getting rid of dead weight like Taz & Shibata. And needs to listen to Jericho. Like when he tells him to stay down. He forced Jericho to use the baseball bat. ‘So that’s on you.’
He’s excited about Hook and the rest of the Jericho Vortex who came out bigger stars. Big Bill interrupted to almost zero reaction. ‘He’s a massive man,’ said Schiavone. As Excalibur pointed out it was kinda in the name.
Bill came out and pretended to be a babyface then predictably kissed Jericho’s ass. Swerve Bro! He called Jericho the ‘Socrates of Professional Wrestling.’ Always willing to help and bring guys with him. Bill asked to be one of Jericho’s guys. Jericho took credit for him being in AEW (in one of those genuinely egotistical moments which has turned fans against him). And said he’d be watching. Bill left.
He still probably needs to go away for a bit. But if he must be on tv, this was a big improvement. Jericho seems to have found a fresher character he’s comfortable with.
*****
Renee with Ospreay, Callis and Fletcher. Callis said he was very happy with Ospreay but he’d told Ospreay to use the tiger driver. Will complained that he didn’t want to use it. Callis said he didn’t care about injured necks. Fletcher tried to stick up for Ospreay, Callis said he didn’t want to hear from somebody who’d lost and had to leave to manage Hobbs.
Fletcher told Ospreay he was sorry.
This is more like it. This is the sort of Callis Family stuff that should be happening every week. Especially now Ospreay’s a part of it. What are the relationships? There’s lots to play with. And featuring a heat magnet who can promo like Callis is never a bad thing.
Jon Moxley vs Will Hobbs (IWGP Title)
Backstory: Mox challenged Hobbs last week since the Fam attacked Danielson, lord knows why the title’s on the line
So they’re closing with Khan/Perry. Excalibur explained what IWGP means and some of the history. Which is all well and good. But between Mox and Jericho, there are lots of established names with title belts. None of which does a thing for Swerve. Whose new moniker should be ‘the Afterthought.’
They wrestled back and forth till Hobbs popped up out of a German and hit a throw. Mox bailing outside, Hobbs following, they brawled back and forth, introducing one another to the barricade.
They continued brawling around ringside for a while till Hobbs slammed Mox on the apron.
Ads.
Hobbs still slowly dominating Mox. Until a boot up in the corner. Hobbs though shoved him clear to block a cutter but again missed a corner charge. And bailed outside. Mox following via tope. It’s so damn quiet. Sounds like the old covid days.
Back inside, Hobbs limping now having hurt his knee on that corner charge. Hope he’s okay. Presumably Perry’s just going to lay out Khan since they’re not leaving long for that angle.
Mox hit ten punches, Paradigm Shift, Hobbs kicked out, Mox went right to the Choke. Hobbs went night night. Eventually. The most boring Moxley match I can remember. Not helped by a dead atmosphere.
They at least did a nice job on comms making Callis seem, well, callous about his guys’ injuries.
Mox talked trash to Ren Narita into the camera. Takeshita then appeared on the ramp, making the belt gesture. Then left.
Winner: Jon Moxley
To Renee with Shibata. Who used his phone app to call Jericho out in Winnipeg for the FTW Title. He added a comment about Renee’s outfit like he did last time.
*****
Schiavone introduced Jack Perry. Who came out to no music. The crowd were singing ‘Oh Cry Me a River’. It occurred to me that they literally haven’t shot the crowd all night.
Perry said he’s had some of the best nights of his life here. But there’s business to handle. Face to face with Tony Khan.
Khan came out to the ring. Perry said it’s been a long road. Five years ago was the first Double or Nothing. He and Khan have had their ups and downs. But from the bottom of his heart the only thing he’s ever wanted is what’s best for AEW. Like real glass (he didn’t really say this).
So he asked Khan to please shake his hand, reinstate him ‘and go on to change the world together.’ Khan offered a handshake and a hug. Perry smirked to the camera like he’d hoodwinked Khan
Then nailed him in the gut with a mic. To cheers. The Elite ran out to ask what he was doing. The Bucks then helped Khan up but into an EVP Trigger position. Like they did with Schiavone. But instead gave him an Indytaker. Could have been a Tony Khan Driver, though it was from the buckle rather than a springboard. A spike tombstone anyway. This got some boos.
The Elite stood over Khan as refs ran out and yelled at them. They posed on the ramp, Matt said ‘It’s time to change the world baby.’ Then thanked fans for a great show. Love this character.
A bunch of lower card babyfaces then came out to check on Khan. And his dad came with them. The announcers laid out during the last few minutes and the show just left the air. Making things seem real and serious.
That’s a hell of an interesting angle. Could make for must-see tv. Could also be something we look back at as a major negative turning point. Have they got the story to follow-up and explain it? For a start, Khan should be out for a long time after a move like that. So presumably the Elite are going to run things for a bit. So Kenny’s getting the shit beaten out of him next week isn’t he.
For the first time in a long time, I can’t wait to see the next step in an AEW storyline.
Next Collision (it and Rampage are just whenever the NBA finishes Saturday):
BCG vs Top Flight & Andretti
Toni Storm vs Anna Jay
Next Dynamite:
Kenny Omega returns
Find out who Swerve faces at DoN (Excalibur sort of tried to suggest Kenny coming back was linked to this. Can’t imagine he’s ready to go yet though)
Shibata vs Jericho (FTW Title)
Double or Nothing:
Will Ospreay vs Roderick Strong (International Title)
Thumbs Up/Down
Got right into lots of angles, starting with Perry and continuing with the Best Friends and Rosa/Deonna
Callis Family developments – wrestlers throughout show and actual storyline and relationship developments
Swerve/Fletcher had nice moments
Gauntlet match was entertaining (if you can get past no-one actually trying to win)
And a hell of an intriguing finish to the show, still dubious they’ve got the follow up, but I’m also hooked
Entertaining show with lots happening but also frustrating because of…
*****
Same old problems: they don’t hype what they should, don’t make clear who the real top guys are
Beginning with the new champ who came out here to wrestle then disappeared. No celebration, no mission statement, no feud. He should be defined by what he says, does and who he wrestles, but was almost an afterthought
Flat atmospheres like this help nobody, AEW showed Sunday they can draw crowds when matches matter
But this was a show full of predictable finishes, pointless title matches & eliminators vs guys who’ve done nothing but lose
They have so many belts they didn’t even get a chance to mention Okada retaining or really focus on any of them
Appreciate you reading. Hope you’re having a good week.
