AAA On FOX
Date: June 13, 2026
Location: Gimnasio Olimpico, Mexico City, Mexico
Commentators: Corey Graves, John Bradshaw Layfield

We’re done with Noche de Los Grandes and that means it is time to get ready for the next major show, which is likely to be announced soon. There is quite a bit of fallout to deal with from the show and that might start this week. If nothing else, we haven’t heard from Dominik Mysterio that much lately so let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Happy Birthday Jacob. I love you buddy.

Opening sequence.

Galio/Golden Jacket vs. Galeno

Galeno runs both of them over to start and sends them outside for various throwing. Back in and the rapid clotheslines have Jacket in trouble in the corner and a double cannonball has JBL begging for mercy. A frog splash to Jacket gives Galeno the double pin at 3:17.

Rating: C. This was exactly what it should have been as Galeno got to go in there and wreck some people. He’s being built up as a monster and uses the power and size advantages that he has rather well. It works for him and that’s not something you see around here, making for a unique and good fit.

Omos sees this and wants three opponents.

Verano de Escalando is on July 25.

Los Vipers vs. Fiscal/Octagon Jr./La Parka

Octagon hurricanranas Taurus down and hands it off to Fiscal, who drops Octagon onto him for the big crash. It’s already back to Octagon to work on the arm and a headscissors drops Taurus again. Negro comes in and gets to face Fiscal so let’s go with Histeria instead. Parka comes in for some dancing and gets to enziguri Taurus into the corner.

A cheap shot lets Histeria take over on Parka, who is launched into a double kick to the ribs for two. The double suplex/high crossbody combination gets two but Parka flapjacks Taurus. Fiscal comes back in to clean house and NOW we get the showdown with Negro. Fiscal sends him outside for the big dive and they brawl up the aisle. Parka moonsaults onto Taurus, leaving Octagon to give Histeria a flipping fall away slam for the pin at 8:45.

Rating: B-. First of all, this doesn’t mean anything as far as Octagon’s injury as from what I can tell, this might have been filmed back in April. Other than that, they have something with the Abismo vs. Fiscal feud and if we ever get a big blowoff, it could go a long way. Parka is always going to get cheered and Los Vipers work well together so this was a nice addition to the show.

We look at El Hijo del Vikingo winning the Latin American Title.

Omos vs. Chris Carter/Kingu/Daimo

Omos splashes them in the corner to start and then does it again a few more times. Kingu and Carter are put up on Omos’ shoulders while he kicks Daimo. A Last Ride to Daimo is enough for the triple pin at 2:38.

We look at Las Toxicas being defeated last week.

Here’s what’s coming next week, including El Grande Americano and Dominik Mysterio.

Mixed Tag Team Titles: Joaquin Wilde/La Hiedra vs. Lola Vice/Mr. Iguana

Vice and Iguana are defending. Hiedra backs Vice into the corner to start and gets her into an early Brock Lock. Vice is back up and gets to dance as Wilde comes in. That’s enough to distract Wilde so Iguana gets in a blind shot, earning himself a faceplant from Wilde. We pause for Wilde to reapply the hairspray before Iguana small packages him for two.

Iguana fights up without much trouble and brings Vice back in to clean house on Hiedra. Everything breaks down and the champs hit stereo running hip attacks in the corners, followed by some YES Kicks to rock Hiedra. A double faceplant leaves both of them down and Iguana is back in with a high crossbody to Wilde. Back up and Wilde hits a superkick, only to miss a Lionsault. Iguana’s spinning bulldog retains the titles at 8:12.

Rating: C+. AAA does not hide what these titles are about and that’s not a bad thing. These titles are not at all meant to be taken seriously and they’re basically around as an “in case of a boring show, here’s a title match”. Vice and Iguana are fun together and they can do their thing against any random team, which is pretty much what we got here.

Post match the brawl stays on until Las Toxicas run in for the brawl. Bayley and La Catalina make the save and Flammer is beaten down to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This was a good example of a show that was fun but completely unnecessary viewing. There was pretty much nothing added to the bigger stories here and none of the matches are worth going out of your way to see. The positive side though is that the show is less than fifty minutes (probably closer to forty five when you take out the graphics at the beginning and end) so it’s not like you invest a lot of time. Things will pick up again next week but for now, a totally skippable, yet fine, show.

Results
Galeno b. Galio/Golden Jacket – Double pin
Fiscal/Octagon Jr./La Parka b. Los Vipers – Super fall away slam to Histeria
Omos b. Chris Carter/Kingu/Daimo – Triple pin
Mr. Iguana/Lola Vice b. Joaquin Wilde/La Hiedra – Spinning bulldog to Wilde

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Smackdown
Date: June 12, 2026
Location: Amica Mutual Pavilion, Providence, Rhode Island
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

We’re back in America after the two week European tour and this week is about setting up something in the future. In this case, it’s Gunther getting to announce the stipulation for his title shot against Cody Rhodes, which takes place next week. That could go in a few directions, but it’s Gunther’s call. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with a long Cody Rhodes/Gunther recap.

Rhodes arrives and runs into Nick Aldis, who says Gunther will name the stipulation tonight. That works for Rhodes and Aldis leaves, with the Usos replacing him. Jey says that he’s winning the King Of The Ring and coming for the title, but it’s not personal. That’s fine with Rhodes as well, but he hopes it’s what Jey wants and not Roman Reigns.

Commentary tells us that Rhea Ripley has a knee injury and is undergoing treatment so we’ll see where things go from there.

We look back at Jade Cargill and company winning last week’s six woman tag.

Jade Cargill, with B-Fab and Michin, is ready for the Queen Of The Ring and Charlotte, whose entrance cuts her off.

Queen Of The Ring First Round: Charlotte vs. Sol Ruca vs. Lyra Valkyria vs. Jade Cargill

Non-title. Everyone goes after Cargill to start so she suplexes Valkyria and Ruca at the same time. Charlotte is knocked outside and Cargill’s minions jump her, drawing out Alexa Bliss and Tiffany Stratton for the save. The four of them brawl off and Charlotte high crossbodies Cargill for two as we take a break.

We come back with Ruca rolling Cargill up for two but Valkyria throws Ruca outside. Charlotte goes up top but Ruca jumps up top with her, only to have Valkyria take Ruca out again. Cargill powerbombs Valkyria and Charlotte down at the same time but Ruca is back in for the save. Valkyria rolls Ruca up for two so Ruca moonsaults off the top onto all three at once for the huge crash.

We take another break and come back with Charlotte catching Cargill on top, where Ruca helps Charlotte with a double superplex. Ruca is back up with a springboard double flipping clothesline, only to have Cargill take her down. Cargill gives Charlotte Jaded but gets caught with the Sol Snatcher. Valkyria is back in but gets caught in Natural Selection. The Figure Eight makes Valkyria tap at 17:59.

Rating: B. This was a heck of a match with Charlotte getting the win but it didn’t feel like she dominated the whole match as she has been known to do before. Cargill was the big force here but the other two were hardly just cannon fodder. I liked this and Charlotte is oddly working as a heroine after so many years as the big evil.

In the back, B-Fab and Michin come after Tiffany Stratton again but Chelsea Green runs in for a save with a kendo stick, with one heck of a crazy look on her face. Stratton has no idea what to make of this.

Jacob Fatu comes in to see the Usos but he’s here to see Solo Sikoa.

Blake Monroe doesn’t like Charlotte either. Why did they have her pop up in that backstage segment if she’s just doing these “she’s coming” vignettes?

Gunther comes in to see Nick Aldis and makes the announcement: he gets to pick the referee for the title match next week. That’s fine with Aldis, but we have to wait to find out who the referee will be.

Finn Balor is fired up to be here when R-Truth comes in to say the Judgment Day is back together. Balor is confused but Damian Priest comes in for a rather tense reunion.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Paige/Brie Bella vs. Fatal Influence

Paige/Bella are defending after Fatal Influence jumped them last weeks. Henley takes Bella into the corner to start but it’s off to Paige to take over. Everything breaks down and the champs strike away to take over until Jacy Jayne trips Bella down. Bella has to fight out of the corner but another distraction means the referee misses the tag. That means Reid can grab her running Blockbuster for two and we take a break.

We come back with Bella getting over for the tag to Paige and house is cleaned. Henley gets caught in the Scorpion Crosslock, which is quickly broken up. The Rampaige drops Reid with Henley making the save. Jayne has to make another save and gets ejected, leaving Paige to small package Henley to retain at 10:34.

Rating: C. This was the latest time for the Cinderella run between the team no one was asking to see continues. It’s another case where the initial win was fine but it’s hard to buy that so many teams can’t beat Paige and Bella. The match wasn’t awful, but it’s become clear that there is nothing to the champs and they get less interesting together week to week. Then again it keeps us from them losing the titles and getting the Bellas’ magic moment so this could always be worse.

We look at Sami Zayn getting involved with Cody Rhodes and Gunther.

Zayn rants to Johnny Gargano again, with Candice LeRae asking when Gargano is going to get up and do something.

Los Garza gives Danhausen money and Matt Cardona comes in to say he doesn’t have money but gives Danhausen a watch and ring. Kit Wilson brings in Miz, who is only able to spout catchphrases since Danhausen electrocuted him. Danhausen electrocutes Wilson as well and leaves, with Wilson sparking. Pretty normal night.

Here is Sami Zayn for a chat. Zayn isn’t sure why he isn’t getting as nice of a reaction as he got in Europe but that’s ok. Do you want to boo him or ride or die with the Last Real Good Guy? Zayn is out here to clear the air with Cody Rhodes, who comes out to join him. Rhodes does his usual but Zayn doesn’t want this Rhodes for a change. A few weeks ago, Rhodes made Zayn feel terrible when he walked away while Rhodes was choked out.

That’s what Rhodes deserved on that day and Zayn wants Rhodes to tell him the truth. Rhodes says that Zayn is asking for an explanation of professional wrestling and Zayn is smarter than that. Zayn talks about being the first person to congratulate Rhodes when he won the title because he’s a good guy.

Rhodes snaps about how the fans telling Zayn that he sucks and it’s true right now because Zayn is whining. Let’s not pretend that this is about anything but the title. Zayn slaps him in the face and immediately realized he went too far. Rhodes says they’re done so Zayn grabs a chair, only to drop it and leave. I think you know where this is going and that’s a good thing.

Jacob Fatu comes in to see Solo Sikoa and has a message from Roman Reigns: it’s time to come home. Sikoa doesn’t know what has happened to Fatu, but Reigns is humiliating him. Sikoa gets fired up and wants Fatu to be himself but Fatu says he’s made his decision. When his business with Reigns is done, he’s coming for Sikoa. That’s fine with Sikoa, who says if Reigns wants him back, come get him.

We look at Rey Fenix winning the AAA Cruiserweight Title.

AAA Cruiserweight Title: Rey Fenix vs. Axiom

Fenix is defending and starts fast with a dropkick out to the floor, setting up the big running flip dive. Back in and Axiom snaps off a suplex but Fenix sends him outside for a crash. Axiom catches him with a dropkick on the floor though and the big moonsault takes him down again.

We take a break and come back with Fenix kicking away but getting caught on top. Fenix knocks him right back down and hits a frog high crossbody for two. Axiom counters a springboard into a German suplex but the Golden Ratio is cut off with a kick to the head. Something like a Death Valley Driver gives Fenix two but Axiom jumps the corner for a super Spanish Fly. Fenix kicks him in the head again in the corner and the Mexican MuscleBuster retains the title at 12:15.

Rating: B-. It was good, high flying action but at the same time I really hope that this is a one off title defense. I do not need to see another title on this show, especially from another company (even if it is owned by WWE). WWE has had Cruiserweight Titles before and it doesn’t need to be happen again.

Gunther comes up to Nick Aldis and picks Sami Zayn as the guest referee for next week’s title match.

Here are Trick Williams and Lil Yachty for a chat. Williams is not happy that he lost last week but he is still the US Title and the Lemon Pepper Stepper. This brings out Ricky Saints to interrupt but Carmelo Hayes interrupts his interruption. Hayes is tired of the catchphrases from Saints, who says he is the only one who should be getting a title shot. Bickering ensues but Williams tells them to shut up and figure it out themselves. Until then, let the grown folks talk. The brawl is on and Williams stands tall.

Royce Keys is interrupted by Solo Sikoa, who wants to help even the odds against the Bloodline. Sikoa doesn’t need Keys to fight with him, but he doesn’t want Roman Reigns to get his way.

Chelsea Green/Tiffany Stratton vs. B-Fab/Michin

Stratton and Michin start things off with Stratton giving her an Alabama Slam. It’s off to Green, who gets kicked in the ribs and head, followed by a double faceplant. We take a break and come back with Green getting rammed into the corner, setting up Michin’s middle rope hurricanrana for two. Back up and Green avoids a charge to send B-Fab into the post but here is Jade Cargill to pull Stratton off the apron. The Unprettier hits B-Fab but Michin is in with the Styles Clash for the pin at 8:07.

Rating: C. This was more of a step in what feels like a bigger story of Green and Stratton becoming friends. Stratton is going to want to thank Green for her help and that could make for a fun way to go. If nothing else, Green brings all kinds of energy to anything she does and that could be great to see.

Post match Cargill lays out Stratton with Jaded and holds up the US Title.

We look at Kiana James and Giulia splitting last week.

James rants about how she’s done everything she has done for Giulia, which brings in Giulia to interrupt. Giulia didn’t need James’ help in the ring and gives her a heck of a slap.

Finn Balor runs into Tama Tonga, who welcomes him to Smackdown.

Cody Rhodes talks to Nick Aldis and isn’t sure about Sami Zayn as guest referee. Zayn comes in to repeat Rhodes’ issues with him and says good luck next week.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

LA Knight isn’t worried about the Bloodline being in the building because Knight is in the building. He can’t wait for Jey and Jacob to be back in the Bloodline, barefoot and pregnant. He’s coming for the crown and then Roman Reigns.

King Of The Ring First Round: LA Knight vs. Finn Balor vs. Jey Uso vs. Royce Keys

It’s a brawl to start with Keys clearing out Uso and Knight, leaving Balor to take them out with a running flip dive. We take a break and come back with Uso striking away on Keys until Knight makes the save. Keys runs Knight over with a clothesline and gives Balor a super spinning powerslam. Uso knocks Keys to the floor but his dive is dropped onto the apron. Jimmy Uso pops up for a staredown with Keys and here is Solo Sikoa as we take another break.

We come back again with Keys planting Balor onto the apron but running into a superkick from Jey. With Keys down, the other three TripleBomb him through the announcers’ table. That allows Balor to knock Knight down for two with Jey making the save. Jey’s spear is cut off and the shotgun dropkick sends him into the corner.

Knight is cut off and the Coup de Grace connects but Keys makes the save. Sikoa yells at Keys, who gets dropkicked through the ropes by Knight. Back in and Knight gives Jey a Burning Hammer and drops the top rope elbow on Keys. Knight gets up but walks into the USB, only for Jey to hit the Superfly Splash for the pin at 18:41.

Rating: B. This was more of a hard hitting match and you could have had multiple options for the winner. Keys seems to be the wild card in the whole Bloodline story at the moment and that could go in a few directions, including not at all. Uso winning keeps things going with the Bloodline, though having Balor lose in his first match on Smackdown is a bit odd. I’m not sure where this leaves Knight either and I’m tired of that being the case.

Overall Rating: B-. The tournament matches were good but the rest of the matches left a little something to be desired, with nothing really standing out. Green joining forces with Stratton, and Stratton actually approving, is a good thing, but the match was hardly anything noteworthy. This show really needs to get back to two hours as soon as possible, as it’s going to tighten things up a lot and cut out a bunch of the filler. At least Gunther vs. Rhodes is going to be huge next week, especially with the Zayn issue. Not a great show here, but the good parts were enough to carry it by.

Results
Charlotte b. Sol Ruca, Lyra Valkyria and Jade Cargill – Figure Eight to Valkyria
Paige/Brie Bella b. Fatal Influence – Small package to Henley
Rey Fenix b. Axiom – Mexican MuscleBuster
Michin/B-Fab b. Tiffany Stratton/Chelsea Green – Styles Clash to Green
Jey Uso b. Finn Balor, Royce Keys and LA Knight – Superfly Splash to Knight

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Ring Of Honor
Date: June 11, 2026
Location: WJCT Studios, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re a week away from Global Wars and that means Athena has a big time title defense set for next week against Syuri. Other than that, more guest stars are likely to show up though we’ll still need to get some names set. That’s good enough for a big show around here and hopefully it helps things out. Let’s get to it.

Here is Tuesday’s show if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Premiere Athletes vs. Top Flight

Darius and Daivari start things off with a battle over wrist control. Darius grabs a front facelock and switches to a wristlock, with Daivari’s spinning escape being countered into a rollup for a smart two. It’s off to Nese vs. Dante, with the former being bulldogged onto Dante’s knee. Daivari comes back in to grab Darius’ arms so Nese can get in a cheap shot and things slow back down.

The chinlock goes on for a bit, followed by a neckbreaker for two. Darius fights up and gets back to Dante, who fights up at his usual fast pace. A tornado DDT drops Nese but it’s already back to Darius. That means an assisted swinging neckbreaker for two on Darius so Dante comes back in with a high crossbody. Top Flight’s double lifting DDT finishes Daivari at 13:03.

Rating: B-. It’s a fine match and the perfect example of a match between two teams who feel like they have been in the same place for years now. Neither have anything going on and Top Flight happened to win the match. It’s not like they can get a title match in the United States at the moment anyway so enjoy their continuing time on the Ring Of Honor treadmill.

Angelico is ready to face Bandido and insists he is a very dangerous man.

Los Colons/Serpentico vs. Shane Taylor Promotions

Serpentico and Bravo start things off and walk around a bit to start. Serpentico picks up the pace and sends Bravo flying so it’s Taylor tagging himself in to send Orlando straight to the apron. Back in and Taylor gets taken down, only to grab a hanging Stunner on Orlando. Bravo comes back in and hammers on Orlando in the corner, even hurting his own hand in the process.

Orlando is suplexed into the corner and a Bronco Buster hits him again. That just wakes Orlando up and it’s off to Eddie to pick up the pace. Serpentico adds a Swanton for two and takes out the Infantry, only to run into Taylor. The Marcus Garvey Driver finishes Serpentico at 8:52.

Rating: C. I still have no idea why the Colons are here but thankfully it doesn’t seem like their team with Serpentico is going to be a thing. The Promotions are at least doing something in AEW at the moment, though it’s still hard to get overly interested in them when they’ve been around here in the same spot for such a long time. This wasn’t anything all that interesting but Taylor smashing Serpentico at the end was nice.

Mason Madden vs. Terry Yaki

Madden shoves him down to start and hits some elbows in the corner. The big side kick has Yaki in trouble but he’s back up with a missile dropkick. Madden isn’t having this and plants him on the floor, setting up a middle rope elbow for the pin at 2:13.

Post match Mansoor gets on the mic and says he’ll be dessert.

Mansoor vs. Ace Austin

Mansoor throws a jacket at him to start fast but gets knocked down for his efforts. Austin loads up the squatting fireman’s carry but gets raked in the eyes for the break. That lets Mansoor go after the leg in the corner and then does it again in another corner. Austin is back up with some chops but Mansoor goes right back to the leg. A running dropkick to the knee misses though and Austin strikes away. The knee is fine enough for a springboard crossbody and a squatting powerbomb, followed by the Fold for the pin at 6:54.

Rating: C+. It’s nice to see Austin win a match, even if it isn’t likely to mean much. Mansoor running his mouth and then getting beaten clean is a good thing, though Austin has a history of losing any match that matters. At least he’s getting in the ring regularly though, which should help the fans take notice of his rather abundant talents.

Zayda Steel and Red Velvet are ready to team together. Velvet even gives Steel her own apron.

IInspiration vs. Zayda Steel/Red Velvet

Steel rolls Lee up to start and everything breaks down with Steel and Velvet cleaning house. They even mock the Iinspiration’s poses before Velvet gets in a posing choke in the corner. That’s broken up and Velvet is knocked down for an IInspiration pose. It works so well that they kick Velvet down again for more posing. Velvet gets up and kicks her way to freedom, allowing Steel to come in and clean house. A spinning Unprettier drops Lee onto McKay for the pin at 6:32.

Rating: C-. Yeah fine. What else is there to say here? The IInspiration are little more than a comedy act who lose all the time while Steel and Velvet aren’t a team. The point here was more about the posing, which isn’t exactly a big surprise. There’s nothing to be seen here, making the match just something that extended the show. As usual.

We look at AR Fox retaining the TV Title on Tuesday. Fox is defending against Lio Rush and Action Andretti next week.

Soleil vs. Action Andretti

Andretti flips out of a headscissors to start and gets stomped down, only to kick him into the corner. Back up and Soleil chops away in the corner, with Andretti going to the floor for a breather. That doesn’t last long as Andretti takes him down and hammers away back inside. Soleil knocks him down again and goes up top, only to get pulled down.

A kind of pumphandle Side Effect gets two, as does Andretti’s falcon arrow. Soleil kicks him down again but misses a frog splash, allowing Andretti to come back with a Spanish Fly. Soleil flips over into a neckbreaker for two but Andretti flips over for a Stunner. The torture rack neckbreaker finishes Soleil at 10:25.

Rating: C+. This is a perfect example of a match that showcases the issues with this show. Andretti is getting a title match next week. Fine, cool, as long as you ignore his hit and miss win/loss record in recent weeks (including a loss a few months ago to the champion himself). That being said, there was no reason whatsoever for him to go out and go 50/50 with someone like Soleil. All I saw here was Andretti having trouble winning a match, which doesn’t make me interested in seeing him get a shot at a title. He would have been better off with a thirty second promo, but the ROH way is to give him a ten minute match instead.

Top Flight thinks they’re treading water in the tag division. NO! IMPOSSIBLE! Anyway they want the Tag Team Titles.

The ROH Tag Team Titles will be defended tomorrow in CMLL against a CMLL team. That’s obviously the best way to deal with Mortos’ visa issues than stripping the titles or having them face an ROH team anywhere else. This means we’ll be coming up on four months since the titles have been defended in ROH.

Billie Starkz vs. Robyn Renegade

Renegade rolls her up for an early two so Starkz is back up with the stomping in the corner. Starkz’s powerbomb is countered into a backdrop and a reverse Sling Blade out of the corner drops Starkz again. Back up and Starkz drives her into the corner, setting up the pancake for the pin at 5:25.

Rating: C. The more I see of Starkz, the less interested I am in anything she’s doing. She’s not bad for the most part, but I have absolutely no idea why she is anywhere near the Women’s Title picture. Renegade continues to feel like she could be something if she was given the chance, but that hasn’t happened in any way whatsoever and doesn’t seem likely anytime soon.

Action Andretti brags about proving himself out there and has no problem being the bad guy in next week’s title match.

Video on Eddie Kingston/Ortiz vs. the Workhorsemen. If there has ever been a match that did not need a hype video, this was it.

Eddie Kingston/Ortiz vs. Workhorsemen

Drake and Kingston trade shoulders to start before an exchange of chops takes Kingston down. Henry comes in and gets taken into a chinlock, which doesn’t last long for a change. It’s back to Drake, who fires off some chops but gets knocked down as well. Ortiz comes back in and gets Vader Bombed for a trip to the floor, with Henry staying on the ribs. Back in and a falling headbutt sets up a chinlock, which stays on for longer than expected.

Back up and Ortiz fights out, allowing Kingston to come back in. House is quickly cleaned and it’s already back to Ortiz, who avoids a moonsault. Kingston comes back in to fire off the chops in the corner but Henry gives him the Kawada kicks. Those are shrugged off for a shot to Henry’s face but he knocks Kingston right back down. A top rope double stomp connects with Ortiz making the save and Kingston’s DDT finishes Henry at 12:08.

Rating: B-. It was a hard hitting match but forgive me for not getting interested in anything involving a tag team around here. You’ve seen that the champs are gone and have been for months, but the solution is to have a match in Mexico for CMLL, leaving these matches feeling even more useless. That’s been the case forever around here, dating all the way back to the Sons Of Texas days, so why should I be interested here?

Bandido vs. Angelico

Non-title Proving Ground match. They take their time to start with neither of them getting anywhere until Bandido takes him down by the arm. Angelico switches places to take him down by the arm instead so Bandido tries a sunset flip. That’s reversed into a double stomp and Angelico keeps the pace slow as we get to the halfway point.

A choke with the leg sends Bandido over to the rope and a leglock does the same. Bandido gets up and hits a spinning high crossbody for two but Angelico is back with a kick to the head. Angelico goes after the arm but gets taken down with a headscissors. The 21 Plex is blocked but Bandido pops back up with a standing hurricanrana for the pin at 8:55.

Rating: B-. It’s another match that had nice enough action but it was also another match that had no particular reason for taking place and was just thrown out there. Angelico never wins important singles matches but now he’s possibly in line for a #1 contendership? It’s something Ring Of Honor does on a regular basis, even if it doesn’t exactly make sense.

Overall Rating: C. This was a shining example of why ROH’s bonus shows are more trouble than they seem to be worth. After seeing ROH for an hour and a half on Tuesday, I really did not need to see a show that went almost twenty minutes longer on Thursday. It’s clear that they do not have the storyline depth to make the double shot idea work and yet here we are, with matches being thrown out there to fill time and even more of the nonsense of “the tag division is hot right now”, which they’ve been trying to convince us of for over a year. As usual, ROH has no concept of “leave them wanting more”, as this just dragged on. Again.

Results
Top Flight b. Premiere Athletes – Double lifting DDT to Daivari
Shane Taylor Promotions b. Los Colons/Serpentico – Marcus Garvey Driver to Serpentico
Mason Madden b. Terry Yaki – Middle rope elbow
Ace Austin b. Mansoor – Fold
Zayda Steel/Red Velvet b. IInspiration – Spinning Unprettier onto McKay
Action Andretti b. Soleil – Torture rack neckbreaker
Billie Starkz b. Robyn Renegade – Pancake
Eddie Kingston/Ortiz b. Workhorsemen – DDT to Henry
Bandido b. Angelico – Standing hurricanrana

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Impact Wrestling
Date: June 11, 2026
Location: National Western Center, Denver, Colorado
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

It’s title night as while we’re about two and a half weeks away from Slammiversary, the World Title is being defended this week. Mike Santana is putting the title on the line against Eric Young, who won a battle royal a few weeks ago to get the shot. Other than that, we probably get to find out some more matches for the pay per view. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

TNA World Title: Eric Young vs. Mike Santana

Santana is defending and, after the Big Match Intros, charges at him in the corner to start fast. A powerbomb out of the corner gives Santana two and he knocks Young around ringside. Young is back up with a slam onto the apron and a neckbreaker on the same apron as we take a break.

We come back with Young knocking him out to the floor and sending him back inside for two. Young goes up and gets superplexed down for a double breather. The rolling Buck Fifty gives Santana two but the referee gets bumped in the corner, meaning Spin The Block gets nothing. A low blow, belt shot and piledriver give Young two so Young loads up another piledriver. Cue the returning Ricky Sosa, allowing Santana to hit a quick rollup for the pin to retain at 13:32.

Rating: B-. Well, the most important thing here is that Young didn’t win the title and this should move him away from the title picture. Santana is likely dealing with Nic Nemeth at Slammiversary and now we should get ready for the next pay per view title defense. Young gets to move on to a better feud with Sosa and that should be a good way for Sosa to really start his run around here.

Post match here is Nic Nemeth with the trophy to say he could call his shot right now, but he’s a man of his word. Earlier this week, he said he would use his title shot at Slammiversary and that is what he is going to do. As cheap of a way as that is to set up a title shot, it’s about all there is right now.

Mustafa Ali, with Order 4, liked what Nic Nemeth just did. As for KC Navarro, Ali gives his condolences for Navarro’s losses. Both of them, including the match tonight and his uncle earlier this week. That’s rather cold.

We look back at AJ Francis laying out Elijah last week and apparently buying his likeness and music library.

Elijah vs. Mr. Elegance

Elijah says no one will silence him but here is a lawyer with a cease and desist letter. The distraction lets Elegance grab a small package for the pin at 12 seconds.

Post match here is AJ Francis to mock Elijah for losing again, earning himself a beating. They fight into the crowd (yo TNA: stop going into the crowd when there are large areas of empty seats) and here is Lei Ying Lee to brawl with Elegance. Xia Brookside comes in for a cheap shot but gets taken out.

Nic Nemeth gives KC Navarro a pep talk. Ryan Nemeth comes in as well but here is Mike Santana, who respects Nic for announcing the title shot man to man. Santana will be ready for him at Slammiversary. Navarro says he has a title to win and could use either Santana or Nic’s help with Order 4. They both seem intrigued but don’t agree.

Fabian Aichner/Leon Slater vs. The System

Slater and Alexander start things off and, say it with me, Alexander tags Edwards right at the bell. That earns Edwards a kick to the face and it’s off to Aichner, who gets cheap shotted from the apron. Alexander suplexes him onto the apron and we take a break. We come back with Aichner still in trouble and Edwards grabbing a chinlock.

That’s broken up and Aichner gets in a knockdown, followed by kicking Edwards away. Slater gets the tag to clean house and a high crossbody gets two on Alexander. Everything breaks down and Aichner tornado DDTs Alexander, which brings out the rest of the System. Slater dives onto both of them but Alexander grabs the Lumbar Check for the pin at 9:59.

Rating: B-. This was a perfectly acceptable tag match as Slater continues to want revenge on the System. I’m hoping that he moves on to something bigger after this is done, as he seems too important for the X-Division and yet he has only teased a few moves up the ladder. Other than that, Aichner’s start continues to go well now that he’s away from the awkward debut.

Post match the beatdown is on but Moose returns for the save. Moose vs. Edwards is set for Slammiversary.

Santino Marella is happy with his win last week. Indi Hartwell comes in and is granted a match with Elayna Black next week, which is all she wanted.

Here is the Righteous for a chat. They brag about their win last week, including poisoning Jeff Hardy last week. The Hardys have survived everything over thirty years but they come into the Wicked Garden and are immediately classified as obsolete. That leaves the Righteous wanting the Tag Team Titles.

This brings out Santino Marella, who says the Hardys still have a rematch clause so they’ll get a title shot at Slammiversary, as will the Righteous in a three way match. A three way LADDER match. GOOD GRIEF ENOUGH WITH THE LADDER MATCHES! My goodness just have them wrestle once in a blue moon already. The Righteous laugh at the idea because the Hardys are gone but the lights go out, Matt Hardy’s laugh is heard, and a ladder appears.

The Elegance Brand vs. Allie/Rosemary/Mara Sade

Mr. Elegance offers a quick distraction to start and it’s a big brawl on the floor before the bell. Sade and M start things off with Sade hitting a middle rope dropkick. Rosemary comes in with a doll, which seems to control Ash. This involves making her dance and biting her for some pain before throwing the doll to M. Ash chokes Rosemary on the rope and it’s off to Heather to choke on the rope. Rosemary fights up and brings Allie in to clean house as everything breaks down. Allie hits a quick running Codebreaker to pin Heather at 5:31.

Rating: C. This was more about the doll bit and fair enough. Given some of the things the Undead Realm (just name them that already) have done, this is hardly a stretch. Ash sells comedy well enough too and it could have been worse. The match was mainly about running all over the place, especially in the end and that’s fine enough.

Slammiversary rundown.

International Title: KC Navarro vs. Mustafa Ali

Ali is defending and elbows Navarro in the face to start. Navarro sends him outside though and hits a big dive as we take a break. We come back with Navarro getting to the rope to escape an STF. The 450 misses though and Ali misses a charge into the buckle. They both go up and Ali tries a fireman’s carry, with Navarro reversing into a cutter for a huge crash. Navarro hits a Fameasser for two and a running flipping neckbreaker gets the same. Navarro looks up at the sky but dives into a Sharpshooter for the tap at 10:37.

Rating: C+. This was ok while it lasted but at the same time, that was quite the punch to the gut of a finish, with Navarro referencing his uncle and then tapping out almost immediately. Ali retaining is fine as he’s likely going to be in for a big time title defense at Slammiversary. Navarro is a talented guy but he’s not on Ali’s level and it never seemed like he was.

Post match Ali puts the Sharpshooter on again but here are Nic Nemeth and Mike Santana for the save. Ali teases a belt shot on Santana but Nemeth gives Ali a superkick. Then Nemeth gives Santana the Danger Zone to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This was the show where they got everything else cleared out of the way before we can get on to Slammiversary. That’s a good thing as well, as there wasn’t much of anything that stood out with what they were doing in recent weeks. Slammiversary still doesn’t look great but at least there is a card to build towards and that has been needed for awhile now.

Results
Mike Santana b. Eric Young – Rollup
Mr. Elegance b. Elijah – Small package
The System b. Fabian Aichner/Leon Slater – Lumbar Check to Slater
Allie/Rosemary/Mara Sade b. The Elegance Brand – Codebreaker to Heather
Mustafa Ali b. KC Navarro – Sharpshooter

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Dynamite
Date: June 10, 2026
Location: Andrew J. Brady Music Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

The road to Forbidden Door continues as we have the first half of the Summer Blockbuster shows. That means two more Owen Hart Cup matches, but also hometown boy Jon Moxley gets to defend the Continental Title against Shane Taylor. Mark Briscoe is still hunting the World Title as well so let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

I was in attendance for this show, sitting in the ninth row on the floor with the entrance on my left. My seat was right in front of the special curtain where wrestlers would interrupt or run in from throughout the night, which led to some rather jarring moments when people would run in or appear out of nowhere.

Tony Schiavone brings out Tommaso Ciampa, who wants to get right to the point. Ciampa wants Schiavone to repeat the he is better than Chris Jericho, even threatening violence to make it happen. This brings out Jericho and we get a chorus of Judas. Ciampa cuts it off and asks if we’re happy that the song and dance is done.

Jericho wants to know who he has to talk to in order to fight someone with hair. He thinks they’ve gotten off on the wrong foot so he introduces himself, but Ciampa has known him his entire career. Jericho: “It’s very nice to meet you Tommy.” The fans chant Tommy, which makes things all the more surreal for me. Ciampa says no one calls him Tommy, not even his mother. Jericho: “You mean….Tommy’s Mommy?”

That’s chanted as well as things get even more bizarre. Jericho wonders why Ciampa doesn’t like him, while throwing in some insults of his own (“Also bald. Bad beard. Goblin face. Mean Santa.”), with Ciampa saying this is a joke to him. Jericho gets in his face and goes serious, saying Ciampa is finding out that he isn’t Jericho and it has left him angry. “Tommy”. The fight is on and security sprints out for the save but can’t separate them. A few more brawls finally result in them being held apart. Good segment here, with Jericho and Ciampa being an interesting pairing.

Don Callis and Kevin Knight arrive but Andrade El Idolo interrupts, asking for his World Title shot. Knight is brand new to the Family and is already asking for a title shot but needs to go to the back of the line. That doesn’t sit well with Knight, who is going to the ring, with Callis promising Andrade a title shot. Andrade doesn’t seem to buy it.

Continental Title: Jon Moxley vs. Shane Taylor

Moxley, the hometown star, is defending and gets the insane reaction you would expect. They take their time to start with Moxley working on the arm before going with the exchange of forearms. Taylor goes after the body but gets knocked outside for a suicide dive (oh yeah he’s happy to be here). Moxley is knocked over one of the announcers’ tables and then put through a regular table as we take a break.

We come back with Taylor dropping a leg on the apron but Moxley strikes away. A jumping clothesline puts Taylor down and Moxley hammers/bites away in the corner. Taylor knocks him off the top for the middle rope splash, followed by a big clothesline for two. The chinlock goes on until Moxley fights his way out and grabs a cutter. The cross armbreaker goes on but Taylor is back with a big knee to the face. Moxley pops back up with a Stomp into the bulldog choke for the tap at 13:11

Rating: B-. It wasn’t a great showdown but I don’t think it was supposed to be. This was more about getting Moxley out there in front of his home crowd and letting them have a good time. That worked out rather well with the fans going nuts for Moxley and not liking Taylor, so it served its purpose all around.

Post match Taylor lays him out with a right hand. Taylor gets a belt to whip Moxley so here is Daniel Garcia through the crowd (from the area right behind me which made for quite the jarring surprise), only to get beaten down as well. Marina Shafir gets taken out too and the Promotions leave. While I like seeing the Riders get beaten down for a change, this is stretching the feud a bit too far.

Video on Mercedes Mone, who talks about being here to save the division.

Here is Don Callis to introduce Kevin Knight, who praises Callis for seeing his star power. The signing bonus helped too. Anyway, Knight calls out MJF but gets the returning Darby Allin instead. Allin jumps him from behind with the skateboard but is smart enough to vamoose when the Family comes after him, even running out of the building in a nice visual.

Mark Briscoe talks to Tony Khan, who thinks it’s a good idea.

Mark Briscoe vs. Pac

Pac drives him into the corner for an early clean break. Back up and Briscoe knocks him down for a change. Briscoe gets knocked outside but switches places and hits a dropkick through the ropes. The Bang Bang Elbow connects from the apron but Pac busters his brain on the floor as we take a break.

We come back with Briscoe striking away and hitting an Iconoclasm. It’s too early before the Froggy Bow can launch so Briscoe tries another suplex and they crash out to the floor. A Blockbuster off the apron connects but the Froggy Bow hits knees. Pac tries a shooting star press but hits raised knees, allowing the Froggy Bow to connect and give Briscoe the pin at 12:12.

Rating: B. Well you knew these guys were going to beat each other up and it was a heck of a showdown. Briscoe is on a roll right now and seems like he’s getting ready for the World Title shot sooner than later. As usual, there is something to having someone beat a bunch of people to get the title shot and that’s where they seem to be going with Briscoe.

Post match Briscoe calls out MJF and we take a break (In the arena, Tony Khan came out to say MJF was getting his makeup finished so he would answer after the break. As a bonus, Briscoe entertained us with a joke: Two muffins are in an oven. One muffin says “Dang it’s hot in here.” The other muffin said “HOLY S*** A TALKING MUFFIN!”).

Post break MJF does come out to say that he’s the boss around here and Briscoe doesn’t get a title shot. MJF is the rising tide that lifts all of the boats but MJF would be just an anchor. The other thing is that MJF has all of the money, and it talks. This brings out the Lethal Twist to jump Briscoe so the Conglomeration makes the save.

Briscoe grabs the mic to say that MJF is just an a****** and not the real power around here. That would be Tony Khan, who has decided that Briscoe and MJF can get five partners each and fight at Forbidden Door. If Briscoe’s side wins, he gets a title shot. Oh and we’ll do it in a cage. MJF panics as Orange Cassidy is ready for his scheduled match.

Andrade El Idolo vs. Orange Cassidy

Feeling out process to start with Cassidy not being able to get very far. They go to the test of strength dance deal over the hands in the pockets until Andrade gets frustrated. The pants come off and the fans approve…so Andrade takes his own off, revealing a pair of jogging jeans (or whatever they’re called). Either way, that’s freaking brilliant.

Andrade is livid and goes after Cassidy to knock him outside as we take a break. We come back with Cassidy firing off a clothesline to send Andrade rolling to the floor. Cassidy’s dive is countered into a suplex so Andrade stops for a photo with a redhead. Cassidy hits a dive this time…and Lio Rush (I’m not a fan of the gimmick, but him doing his run on all fours two feet from you is CREEPY) is next to the woman. He wants a picture with Cassidy, who reluctantly agrees, only for Andrade to go after Rush.

That doesn’t work either, allowing Cassidy to hit a DDT on the floor. Back in and Andrade crotches him on top, setting up some running knees in the corner. Cassidy reverses something into a Stundog Millionaire and they slug it out from their knees. They both wind up on the rope, with Cassidy DDTing him onto the ramp. Another DDT gets two back inside but the Orange Punch is cut off with a spinning elbow. The DM finishes Cassidy at 15:12.

Rating: B-. The Rush deal was a funny moment and Andrade’s rise up to the title match continues to be a nice thing to see. Much like Briscoe beating Pac, Andrade beats an established name to get him ready for something even bigger. In other words, this is going well enough and it’s not a bad thing to see.

Post match Andrade asks how you know.

Last week, Will Ospreay was happy with his win but Alex Windsor came in to cry in his arms. Ospreay hugged her tight and got rid of the camera.

Video on Thekla.

Jon Moxley is banged up so the Death Riders want a five on five street fight on Collision.

Women’s Owen Hart Cup First Round: Skye Blue vs. Maya World

World is replacing an injured Sareee and her brother recently passed away. Blue jumps her to start fast and they trade some running forearms. World gets knocked down and hammered in the face, followed by the boot choke in the corner. Back up and World kicks her out onto the ramp and we take a break.

We come back with Blue knocking her down for two and they fight over a suplex. World’s bridging German suplex gets two but Blue catches her in the corner. A Cheeky Nandos kick connects but World blocks a running knee. That means World can hit her own running knee for two and they forearm it out. Blue gets German suplexed and pops up for a running knee and they’re both down. A TKO gives Blue two but the Code Blue is blocked. Instead World grabs a flipping rollup for the pin at 11:12.

Rating: C+. They didn’t have a great option here as there is pretty much no way either of them is beating Athena in the semifinals anyway. I’ll take World getting the spot over Blue, as she’s a more interesting opponent for Athena and has the rather emotional situation with her brother as a bonus. It’s a completely fine match and that’s all it needed to be in this situation.

Zack Sabre Jr. will be at Forbidden Door and wants Kenny Omega. And it’s set.

MJF comes in to see the Don Callis Family and wants to buy some wrestlers for Forbidden Door. Callis goes on a rant about how he’s not a pimp or a butcher but MJF whips out a briefcase full of money. That changes Callis’ mind and they’ll figure out the team next week. Kevin Knight wants to be on the team and MJF agrees, though Knight wants a title shot if MJF’s team wins.

MJF agrees, but it’s Knight’s last title shot. The Family goes to leave but Andrade asks Callis about his title shot again. Callis assures Andrade it’s coming and Andrade isn’t sure. Commentary points out that Callis is lying, just in case you didn’t get the obvious lie from the known liar.

Men’s Owen Hart Cup Semifinals: Brody King vs. Swerve Strickland

King starts fast and goes for the choke, which takes them both out to the apron. King knocks him to the floor for the running flip dive but Prince Nana cuts King off. A drop toehold sends King into a chair and Strickland adds a running double stomp off the apron. We take a break and come back with King blocking a powerbomb out of the corner and ripping a turnbuckle pad away.

Swerve goes up top for a super Russian legsweep and a Swerve Stomp gets two. They go outside with King chokebombing him onto the announcers’ table to leave them both down. They get back inside with Strickland striking away and hitting a House Call, only to get dropped with a clothesline.

Back up and a charging King is sent into an exposed buckle to bust him open. The House Call doesn’t even knock him down but a top rope House Call…gets two (and there’s your “that should have been it but let’s keep going” spot). King flips him into the corner for a cannonball and the piledriver gets two. Nana gets in a cheap shot though and the Vertebreaker gives Strickland the pin at 14:59.

Rating: B. These guys know how to beat each other up rather well and it’s great to see them getting to do it again. King is the definition of a midcard monster and while he wasn’t going to beat Strickland, he made Strickland work for it. Good stuff here, with King’s blood making it all the better.

Overall Rating: B+. I had a good time with this show, which granted might have at least partially been due to being there. It was a show that moved things forward and Forbidden Door is starting to come together. I liked the show and it did feel like a big deal to have so many names around. Allin and Jericho coming back (ok the latter wasn’t gone as long but it was a cool moment) made it more special and there wasn’t really anything close to bad on the whole show. Nice job here.

Results
Jon Moxley b. Shane Taylor – Bulldog choke
Mark Briscoe b. Pac – Froggy Bow
Andrade El Idolo b. Orange Cassidy – DM
Maya World b. Skye Blue – Flipping rollup
Swerve Strickland b. Brody King – Vertebreaker

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Evolve
Date: June 10, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Peter Rosenberg, Blake Howard

We’re getting rather close to Succession III and that means Aaron Rourke is going to be defending his Evolve Title. At the same time, Wendy Choo’s Women’s Title will be on the line against Nikkita Lyons. There will also be some new names showing up at the event. That’s going to make for a rather busy night and the hype is officially on. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with a quick recap of last week’s brawl between PJ Vasa and Karmen Petrovic.

Sam Holloway and Marcus Mathers are ready to face the Mog Squad in the main event. They hear a crash though and Cappuccino Jones (their partner tonight) has been attacked. The Mog Squad can be seen in the background.

Opening sequence.

PJ Vasa vs. Karmen Petrovic

Vasa powers her around to start and hits a big side slam. Petrovic gets whipped into the corner and dropped with a clothesline for two. Back up and Petrovic tries to strike away but opts to low bridge Vasa outside instead. The suicide dive connects, as does Eat Defeat back inside. The Petrifier connects but Vasa keeps getting up, only for Petrovic to hit it again the pin at 4:23.

Rating: C. Well ok. I was absolutely expecting Vasa to crush her in the end but Petrovic not only won clean but did so by kicking Vasa’s head off. That’s a huge win and even something of an upset. I’m still not sure I get the appeal of Vasa, but Petrovic could be something if she added a bit more to her offense. The kicking is good, but she needs a bit more.

Cappuccino Jones is officially out of the main event.

The Mog Squad brags about taking Jones out and run into Elijah Holyfield, who doesn’t seem impressed. They mock him as they leave so Holyfield comes in to tell them to say it to his face. The Squad leaves due to threats of broken jaws.

Here is Tristan Angels for a chat. He brags about how perfect he is and reminds us that he was officially named Mr. England. That makes him the most handsome man in England and therefor the world. He mocks Chazz Hall, who comes out for an interruption. Angels wants to know why Hall is wearing denim and the brawl is quickly on, with Angels being sent outside.

Sam Holloway and Marcus Mathers have a partner for the main event and apparently he’s ticked off.

It’s Gal vs. ???

This is an open challenge…and it’s Darkstate’s Cutler James accepting. James grabs a headlock to start but misses a charge into the corner. An armdrag and hurricanrana have James in trouble, with Gal clotheslining him outside. That just earns him a backbreaker on the floor and we take a break.

We come back with James hammering away and hitting a backbreaker, followed by a giant swing. The chinlock goes on for a bit, followed by a chinlock to mix it up a bit. Gal fights up and sends him outside for a posting. Back inside and Gal strikes away, including a missile dropkick for two. A gutbuster gets two more so Gal clotheslines him down. Gal’s high crossbody is broken up though and it’s a helicopter bomb to give James the pin at 7:47.

Rating: C+. I’m not sure what to make of Gal most of the time, as he’s a weird guy with a charisma that makes me want to see him, but he almost never wins anything of note. Maybe they’re doing something long term where he finally finds what he’s looking for but I’m not sure what that is. As usual, having an NXT name show up is a good idea, though I’d assume this is just a one off moment.

Post match James declares himself inevitable.

Braxton Cole brags about outsmarting Harlem Lewis and has even gotten him a janitorial job in Nebraska. Enjoy work blue collar boy.

Noam Dar checks on Romeo Moreno, who needs to ask him something. That would be helping him in a tag match against Kam Hendrix/Harley Riggins. Of course Dar is in.

Mog Squad vs. Marcus Mathers/Sam Holloway/???

CJ Valor is here with the Squad and the mystery partner is…Aaron Rourke. It’s a brawl before the bell with the Squad being sent outside. Rourke and Ball start things off with Rourke taking over and easily putting him down. It’s off to Rivera, who is quickly wrecked by Holloway. House is cleaned and the Squad is sent outside so the good guys can pose on the apron.

We take a break and come back with Mathers slamming Rivera butting caught on top. A kick to the head sends Mathers outside for a double stomping and it’s off to Abrams for a running legdrop. Rivera faceplants Mathers but misses a charge, allowing Holloway to come back in for the house cleaning. Abrams cuts Holloway off with a kick to the face and we hit the sleeper.

Holloway backdrops Abrams into Rivera though and it’s back to Rourke to clean house. Everything breaks down and a chokebomb gets two on Rivera and Rourke Backstabbers Ball. Abrams hits a Blockbuster on Rourke but gets kicked down by Holloway. We settle down to Rourke slugging it out with Abrams until Mathers helps Rourke with a spear. A distraction cuts Mathers off though and the Main Objective finishes Mathers at 15:45.

Rating: B. This was a good main event and it probably locks in Abrams as the #1 contender for the Evolve Title. That’s the direction they’ve pretty clearly been taking and it was nice to see some fresh names getting a spot here. Holloway continues to be a wrecking machine and I still think there’s something to Mathers if he could get a chance.

Post match the Squad steals the belt as Abrams vs. Rourke for the title is officially confirmed for Succession.

Overall Rating: B-. This show accomplished a few things, with the big one being setting up Succession’s main event. That’s the thing they needed to cover in time to let it build towards Succession and now the formality is out of the way. Other than that, they set up the tag match for next week and gave It’s Gal another setback. It’s a nice show, with the main event being a good wild tag match.

Results
Karmen Petrovic b. PJ Vasa – Petrifier
Cutler James b. It’s Gal – Helicopter bomb
Mog Squad b. Sam Holloway/Marcus Mathers/Aaron Rourke – Main Objective to Mathers

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

They’re not what they’re cracked up to be.

https://www.smarkdownsblog.com/wrestling-tournaments-overrated

Ring Of Honor
Date: June 9, 2026
Location: Propst Arena, Huntsville, Alabama
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

Here we have a bonus episode of the show, which can go in a bunch of ways. The show wasn’t announced (at least in any meaningful way) so I have no idea what to expect. If nothing else, we have Global Wars coming up next week so maybe we’ll get a preview of what will happen on the special. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Dralistico/Lethal Twist vs. Dalton Castle/Adam Priest/Outrunners

Castle talks about freeze dried astronaut food because…well he’s a bit strange at times. Lethal and Castle start things off with Castle backing him into the corner but getting shoved away. A clothesline puts Lethal down and it’s off to Christian, who is thrown down in a hurry. Magnum comes in for an exchange of armdrags but Christian dropkicks him down and mocks the spin.

It’s off to Floyd for a double belly to back suplex before Priest comes in. That’s fine with the villains, who quickly strike him into the corner with Johnson throwing in some mocking kicks. Priest fights back and fires off some right hands of his own but Lethal cuts off Castle with a belt shot. The distraction causes Priest to be sent back into the corner and Dralistico’s running basement dropkick gets two.

Priest tries to fight all four of them off at once and gets caught in the Figure Four for his efforts. The Outrunners come in for the save and the diving tag brings in Castle. House is quickly cleaned but Dralistico counters the Bang A Rang into a rollup for two. We hit the parade of knockdowns but the villains have to save Dralistico from the Mega Powers Elbow. Everything breaks down again and Priest is left to slug it out with Priest. A running crucifix driver gives Dralistico two but Priest is back with a piledriver for the pin at 11:18.

Rating: B-. Nice choice for an opener here, with another fast paced match that let Priest get some shine on his own. It’s a rather weird way to go as neither of these sides are particularly feuding at the moment, but the Twists going after the Trios Titles makes perfect sense. Dralistico is just kind of there, but I guess this is better than going for the title match right off the bat.

We look at Shane Taylor attacking Wheeler Yuta on Collision to set up their match this week on Dynamite.

Trish Adora vs. Queen Aminata

Shane Taylor Promotions are here with Adora, who works on an armbar to start. Aminata is right back out of that with a bit of wiggling and Adora isn’t pleased. The hips to the face make it worse for Adora so she pulls Aminata down by the hair. A backsplash sends Aminata outside and she gets whipped into the barricade. Back in and Adora cranks on both arms, followed by that weird over the leg stretch that she often does. Aminata fights up with some forearms and a Sling Blade to put them both down.

One heck of a running boot connects with Adora in the corner but she’s right back with a boot to the face. A ripcord Lariat Tubman drops Aminata out of nowhere but she can’t cover. Instead they slug it out from the mat, with Aminata getting up for a sneer. Aminata headbutts her into the corner and a running knee finishes Adora off at 9:00.

Rating: B-. These two beat each other up rather well with Aminata getting ticked off to win in the end. That was a good way to go and that’s something Aminata could use going into her chance at the TBS Title. It’s a fairly cold match but they were slugging it out here and it was a good way to go.

IInspiration vs. Harley Cameron/Mina Shirakawa

Cameron knocks Lee into the corner to start and it’s off to McKay to grab the hair. A Sling Blade gets Cameron out of trouble and she slides down for a kick to the head. Shirakawa comes in and avoids a kick to the head, meaning it’s time for the four way chest shake off. Cameron and Shirakawa clear the ring as Riccaboni talks about being a married man for what I’m sure are innocent reasons.

Back in and the IInspiration take Cameron down and strike their pose, with Lee grabbing a chinlock. Cameron fights up and brings Shirakawa back in and everything breaks down. A double slam off the top brings Cameron crashing down but she trade rollups for two each with McKay. Something like a Widow’s Peak gets two on Cameron but Shirakawa flips Lee and McKay down. The spinning backfist into That’s Her Finisher finishes Lee at 8:08.

Rating: C+. This was a comedy match that wound up being fine, with the big shaking thing being the thing you knew was going to happen at some point. Shirakawa and Cameron don’t really have anything else to do besides team with each other so why not. On the other hand you have the IInspiration, who are some of the most “oh yeah they’re here too”, as somehow there is nothing for them to do at the moment. I’m not sure how, but this match was the norm for them.

Caprice Coleman sits down with AR Fox, who talks about how his match for the TV Title felt different. He’s been doing this for a long time and he’s finally getting the success. Wrestling is all he’s been doing for more than half of his life and he’s having issues not getting emotional. Fox has seen people doing things he invented, even long sequences of them, and it makes him excited to see it on a bigger stage. Back to the title match, he was stunned that he won the title and he was so excited that he didn’t break down.

Fox starts crying because he’s never gotten this kind of a chance. Since he won the title, all kinds of wrestlers have talked to him about what an inspiration he has been. Naturally the first person he called when he won the title was his mother, who knows what he’s doing every day. It’s going to take a lot to get the title off of him and he wants to show what he can do. This was really, really good and it’s very interesting to see Fox finally getting his chance after all this time. It’s working too.

Lio Rush has an umbrella and says it’s fine because he knows. It’s always been him. The rain (I think) is coming. The black goo coming out of his mouth took me out of this a bit.

Beef vs. Action Andretti

Andretti won’t shake hands to start so he goes with a wristlock instead. Beef reverses into one of his own and does his own posing, much to the fans’ delight. They go to a crisscross and Beef needs to pause for a breather. Andretti stomps him down in the corner and a springboard corkscrew splash gets two. A handspring Stunner gets two more but Beef cartwheels away and hits a dropkick. Back up and Beef snaps off the right hands before a running bulldog gets two. Andretti crotches him on top though and the torture rack neckbreaker finishes Beef at 5:56.

Rating: C. Beef is one of those guys who is put out there every so often to a nice reaction and then loses every time. That’s perfectly fine, but it doesn’t make for the most dramatic matches. Andretti is someone else who has nothing going on and hopefully he finds something that doesn’t involve a weird feud with Lio Rush and his Cru goo.

And now, a music video from Dalton Castle and the Outrunners (I knew that was an awesome band name) called Shortage Of Love. Think of something that is very 80s and then make it even more 80s.

Viva Van says she wasn’t ready when she faced Deonna Purrazzo before but now things have changed. She respects what Purrazzo has done but this division has changed and so has Van.

Women’s Pure Wrestling Title: Viva Van vs. Deonna Purrazzo

Purrazzo is defending under Pure Rules. They fight over hammerlocks to start with Van not being able to get very far. A cross armbreaker attempt is broken up and they get to a standoff. Purrazzo pulls her into an armbar and slaps on the Fujiwara armbar, sending Van over to the ropes for the first time. Back up and Van hits a rolling kick to the head before starting in on the leg.

Purrazzo goes right back to the arm but gets kicked in the head again for two more. Van’s springboard…something (commentary said forearm so we’ll go with that) gets two and she’s right back to Purrazzo’s leg. A stretch muffler sends Purrazzo over to the rope and they kick each other down. Another Fujiwara armbar is countered into a rollup to give Van two but Purrazzo escapes an electric chair. A powerbomb sets up Venus de Milo to make Van tap at 8:42.

Rating: B-. This was a fine title defense for Purrazzo and I’ll take that over going months and months without getting a shot. Purrazzo feels basically unbeatable in these things anyway so it’s not like anyone is going to feel like a threat. If nothing else, Van getting to showcase herself more is a good thing, as the division could use some fresh blood.

TV Title: Sammy Guevara vs. Angelico vs. Ace Austin vs. AR Fox

Fox is defending and flips onto Angelico and Guevara to start fast. A slingshot hilo hits Guevara and Fox adds a big dive over the top to the floor. The flipping double stomp hits Angelico on the apron, leaving Guevara to whip Austin into the barricade. Guevara gets a running start to run around the ring and poke Angelico into the eyes. Fox is back to take Guevara down and everyone goes inside for a strike off.

Angelico and Guevara are sent outside so Austin drops a leg on Fox, with Guevara running back inside for the save. Guevara goes up top but drops down to poke Fox in the eyes instead (it was better when he did the same idea the first time). Angelico tries his double submission but gets jumped by Guevara to break it up.

Austin is back up with a double fireman’s carry to Angelico and Guevara, so of course he throws in some squats. With Austin and Fox on the floor, Angelico ties up Guevara’s leg until Fox makes a diving save. Austin’s spinning faceplant gets two on Fox but here is Dralistico to distract Austin, allowing Guevara to hit a superkick. Cue Lio Rush to chase Guevara into the crowd so Fox small packages Angelico to retain at 10:21.

Rating: B-. This was pretty much a sprint from start to finish and it was nice to see Fox getting a main event slot. It was an interesting choice of challengers, as Angelico is technically sound but mainly a low level tag wrestler. Guevara is the same person he’s been for the better part of ever and that isn’t going to make him a singles champion. Finally you have Austin and can AEW/ROH PLEASE find something important for him already? He’s been on a roll lately and stands out. Do something with him.

Overall Rating: B. For a seemingly unadvertised show with a lot of random matches, this was perfectly good, with a shorter than recently average run time. That’s a fine way to go, though it’s going to make the regular show this week feel all the longer. I do like that they made this show feel more important just by having some title matches included, as it’s an improvement over some of these specials. Throw in the rather awesome music video (it’s that 80s) and this was a good show.

Results
Dalton Castle/Adam Priest/Outrunners b. Dralistico/Lethal Twist – Piledriver to Dralistico
Queen Aminata b. Trish Adora – Running knee
Mina Shirakawa/Harley Cameron b. IInspiration – That’s Her Finisher to Lee
Action Andretti b. Beef – Torture rack neckbreaker
Deonna Purrazzo b. Viva Van – Venus de Milo
AR Fox b. Angelico, Sammy Guevara and Ace Austin – Small package to Angelico

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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NXT
Date: June 9, 2026
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We’re less than three weeks away from the Great American Bash and you can see some of the card starting to come together. The big story here would seem to be Naraku coming for Tony D’Angelo’s NXT Title, which has gotten some time to build. As for this week, we’ll be finding out who is next in line for Lola Vice’s NXT Title. Oh and it’s the Mr. NXT pageant, which is going to be…something. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening recap.

Fraxiom vs. Noam Dar/Romeo Moreno

Dar and Axiom go technical to start with Axiom rolling out of an ankle lock. Back up and they both block kicks before Axiom hits a quick dropkick. It’s off to Frazer to flip over Moreno, who backs him into the ropes. Axiom is back in to help double team Dar down, with a basement DDT sending him outside. Moreno makes a save and hits a nice springboard dive to the floor. Dar hits a dive of his own and we take a break.

We come back with Moreno getting the tag and fighting back to clean house. It’s right back to Dar, who gets missile dropkicked down for two. Dar and Moreno both get ankle locks, both of which are broken up. Frazer superplexes Moreno, who rolls him right into a small package for two more. A double slam gets two on Frazer but a double superkick puts Dar down. Frazer takes Moreno down and it’s the Golden Ratio into the Phoenix splash to pin Moreno at 13:17.

Rating: B. This was the cruiserweight/all over the place high flying match that is often a great way to start a show. Fraxiom are much bigger deals around here and it’s always fun to have some NXT legends come back for a cameo. At the same time, Moreno’s losing continues, though at least his latest loss came in a good match.

Post match, respect is shown.

Wren Sinclair wants to defend her Women’s Speed Title, injury or not. Kendal Grey wishes her well as she leaves and Lola Vice comes in to wish Grey good luck. Grey doesn’t seem interested and will go after Vice after she beats Kelani Jordan tonight.

And now (oh dear) the Mr. NXT pageant between Tristan Angels and Shiloh Hill. There will be three rounds: talent, attire and public speaking, with a trio of judges. The judges are Evolve Champion Aaron Rourke, Kit Wilson, and comedian Matt Matthews. First up is attire, with formal wear, casual wear and swimwear.

Angels goes first and we get a montage of his gear, with Rourke’s jaw having to be closed at the Union Jack speedo. Hill gets his own montage and wears swimming trunks and flippers with a snorkel mask. Matthews goes with Hill (who gave him a beach ball) but the other two go with Angels. Rounds two and three coming up later.

Mason Rook vs. Naraku

For the NXT Title shot at the Great American Bash. Rook powers him into the corner to start before winning an exchange of shoulders. A backsplash gives Rook two but he misses a charge into the corner and gets slammed as we take a break. We come back with Rook hitting a super powerslam for two, followed by a Blue Thunder Bomb for the same. Naraku comes back with a fisherman’s suplex and jawbreaks his way out of a quick sleeper attempt. Rook flips him into the corner for a kind of cannonball but here is Kam Hendrix for a distraction. Naraku grabs Enter The Abyss for the pin at 9:45.

Rating: B-. This was a good showing from both and Rook is cleared away so we can move on to Naraku vs. Tony D’Angelo, which has been pretty clearly ready to go for a long time. That being said, it was nice to have Rook get in a strong performance. He needed to be able to hang in there with a bigger name and it worked well here.

Tavion Heights suggests he should get a North American Title shot at the Great American Bash and Myles Borne seems interested. The Vanity Project comes in, with Jackson Drake suggesting he get a title shot. Heights makes a #1 contenders match against Drake for the Bash title shot, which works for Borne. Quick and to the point here.

Tate Wilder talks about loving to take risks, especially around here. That’s quite the departure from his modern day cowboy deal in Evolve.

Kelani Jordan vs. Kendal Grey

For the Women’s Title shot at the Great American Bash and Grey has some mini mirrors on her arms, ala Shawn Michaels back in 1997. Jordan tries to jump her to start and gets armdragged into an armbar. They go to the mat with Grey working on the arm, only for the two of them to trade flips away. Jordan knocks her down for a running basement cross body but Grey is right back with a waistlock.

Grey is sent into the corner for a stomp to the ribs but pops up with a kick to the head. A headscissors sends Jordan out of the corner, only to come back with a running neck snap over the top. Jordan’s swinging neckbreaker on the floor keeps Grey in trouble and we take a break.

We come back with Grey breaking up a dive and a double clothesline leaving both of them down outside. Grey knocks her down again back inside and drops the straps for a bonus. A superkick looks to set up a wheelbarrow rollup but Jordan rolls to the side (that was nice) into a crossface.

That’s broken up so Grey goes up but gets superkicked out of the air. Jordan’s frog splash gets two before she has to block the cross armbreaker. The Haas Of Pain is reversed into an ankle lock, which Jordan reverses into a cradle for two instead. Back up and Shades Of Grey connects out of nowhere to give Grey the pin and the title shot at 13:05.

Rating: B. This was a nice, back and forth match with Grey getting a clean win. That’s a good thing to see as she feels like she could be a real threat to win the title. What matters the most is that NXT is at least giving her a chance to show what she can do. Jordan very well will likely get back into the title picture soon enough, but Grey is getting the chance she deserves.

It’s back to the pageant, with the talent competition. First up, Shiloh Hill solves a Rubic’s Cube rather quickly and then does some kind of a juggling deal with sticks (it’s rather flashy). Angels storms in to say he can do the Cube faster but can’t get anywhere (there’s a special way of turning the blocks or it just gets more complicated). Rourke says Angels has taken too long so Angels breaks the Cube. He starts juggling but Hill rides by on a unicycle and steals the balls, which is enough to win the round. I’ll give points to anyone who can ride a unicycle.

Tony D’Angelo respects Naraku but doesn’t get him. All that matters is that he’ll be facing Naraku at the Great American Bash. Naraku comes in, gives D’Angelo an envelope, and bows. D’Angelo opens the envelope, which has a card with the symbol for EVIL on the back (no word on what, if anything, is on the other side).

Jasper Troy vs. Dion Lennox

Darkstate comes through the regular entrance instead of through the crowd. Lennox gets shoved over the top and out to the floor, followed by a hard running shoulder from Troy back inside. Troy’s chokeslam is broken up though and Lennox goes after the leg to take over. Hold on though as Saquon Shuggars pops up on the screen though to say watch your back.

Troy uses the distraction to get in a backdrop out to the floor and we take a break. We come back with Troy getting choked on the ropes but fighting out of a chinlock. Troy drives him into the corner but Osiris Griffin offers a distraction to break up a Vader Bomb. A powerslam gives Lennox the pin at 8:10.

Rating: C+. This was fine, with Lennox getting a win to keep some of his momentum before his big showdown with Shuggars. Troy is someone big enough to look like a threat to Lennox before going down in defeat. It wasn’t exactly a shocking result, but sometimes that’s exactly the kind of match you need.

Post match Shuggars pops up on screen…and then jumps Griffin from behind with a pipe.

Earlier this week, Jaida Parker attacked Nattie during a training session.

It’s time for the final round of the pageant, with Angels and Hill having to speak about why they should be Mr. NXT. Angels brags about how great he is and mentions that it’s his birthday, as he should win over someone with “a smile like an unfinished jigsaw puzzle”. Hill talks about how he’s always different and trying to find out who he is. That’s what NXT is all about and that’s why he should be Mr. NXT.

It’s off to the judges, with Matthews voting for Hill, Wilson saying they’re both toxic and picking Angles, and Rourke saying it’s close…so the fans can pick his vote! We go to a fan poll and believe it or not, Hill wins! Angels erupts and beats up Hill with both his cane and a chair. Eh fair as that was kind of a judge going a bit screwy. This whole thing was about as expected and that’s fine, as I’ll take something unique and entertaining rather than the same stuff over and over as a means to set up a match.

Robert Stone congratulates Naraku on his win but asks what was in the envelope he gave Tony D’Angelo. Apparently it was an invitation but here is Keanu Carver for a quick staredown. Naraku leaves and Carver says he wants a fight, which Stone says he can have next week. Carver says he better get one, or he’ll decide his own opponent.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

The Culling wants Izzy Dame to win the Women’s Speed Title, starting with a win in the tournament over Thea Hail.

Women’s North American Title: Zaria vs. Tatum Paxley

Paxley is defending and grabs a small package for two at the bell. Zaria is back up with a spear for two of her own and Paxley needs a breather. Zaria’s suplex toss sets up a German suplex into the corner but she misses a charge into the post. Paxley sends her into the steps and hits a moonsault to the floor but Zaria pops back up as we take a break.

We come back with Paxley hitting some running forearms and a running flipping Fameasser in the apron. Paxley blocks a spear and grabs a kind of rolling pumphandle slam. Zaria is back up with a spear for a double down before they forearm it out. Paxley gets caught going up top but kicks Zaria into the Tree Of Woe. A coast to coast connects for two but Cemetery Drive is broken up. Another spear misses though and Zaria crashes to the floor, only to come back in with another spear. The F5 gives Zaria the pin and the title at 10:47.

Rating: B-. Thank goodness. Not that Paxley lost, but that Zaria won. She had a terrible reputation for choking in the big matches and she couldn’t have handled another loss like this. Winning the title here makes Zaria feel like a much bigger deal and that’s what she has been needing. Good enough match too, but Zaria winning clean is what matters the most.

Overall Rating: B+. There was some good action here and they set up more than a few things for the Great American Bash. That’s what this show needed to be about and I liked what they put together here. It’s still not the best looking card in the world, but at least there is a card now rather and that is a lot better than things had been going. Plus it had a unicycle and that’s always a bonus.

Results
Fraxiom b. Romeo Moreno/Noam Dar – Phoenix splash to Dar
Naraku b. Mason Rook – Enter The Abyss
Kendal Grey b. Kelani Jordan – Shades Of Grey
Dion Lennox b. Jasper Troy – Powerslam
Zaria b. Tatum Paxley – F5

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Monday Night Raw
Date: June 8, 2026
Location: Accor Arena, Paris, France
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

We’re wrapping up the European run this week with another afternoon east coast show and that should make for an interesting show. If nothing else, the crowd should be more than fired up and hopefully they have the show to go along with them. Rey Mysterio is challenging for the Intercontinental Title so let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We recap the first week of the King and Queen Of The Ring.

Here is Oba Femi for a chat. Femi thanks the fans for their appreciation before moving on to Paul Heyman. The two of them don’t agree on much, but they do both believe in spoilers. Here’s a spoiler for you: Femi is going to run through the King Of The Ring and win the whole thing at Night Of Champions. He needs a crown to be the ruler but there is another trophy he wants as well: Brock Lesnar’s head.

Lesnar cheated to beat him and then ran off. Heyman refers to Lesnar as the Big Bad Beast but Femi sees him as the Big Bad B****. When Lesnar is back, Femi will settle the score, but here is Dominik Mysterio (Femi’s semifinal opponent) to interrupt. After the fans boo him out of the building, Mysterio says he is a 20 year veteran and wants Femi to bend the knee and respect the stache.

JD McDonagh sneaks in with a chair shot but Femi just turns and glares at him with a look of “boy you have screwed up”. Mysterio gets in a quick 619 but gets tossed down with a powerbomb, sending Judgment Day running. Femi: “We all know that Rey Mysterio is your father. Next week, I’m going to introduce you to your daddy.” With that great line out of the way, the villains bail.

We look back at Bron Breakker accidentally spearing Paul Heyman last week and then losing to Seth Rollins.

Seth Rollins talks about how the last time he was in Paris, he was the World Heavyweight Champion. Tonight it’s about the King Of The Ring and getting back the title that he never lost. Somewhere down the line, he has a date with Roman Reigns and Rollins is ready.

Queen Of The Ring First Round: Becky Lynch vs. Liv Morgan vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Chelsea Green

Non-title and there is a massive HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIV banner in the crowd for a rather nice touch and Morgan seems happy. Morgan is so happy that she does outside to soak in some cheers as Green goes after Lynch. That earns Green a trip to the floor so Bliss misses some knees to Lynch. What looks to be an Oblivion attempt misses and Lynch baseball slides Morgan on the floor. Green dives onto Bliss and Morgan and the fans are rather pleased again. Lynch posts Green though and we take a break.

We come back with Bliss and Green cleaning house, with Bliss hitting the other two with a standing flip dive. Green gets knocked down though and Bliss splashes her for two. Bliss goes up but Bliss is there to catch her, only for Morgan to powerbomb Green down. Twisted Bliss breaks that up for two, with Lynch making a save of her own. Back up and Oblivion is countered into Twisted Bliss for two with Lynch making another save. The Manhandle Slam drops Bliss but Green’s Unprettier…doesn’t do much as Morgan rolls Green up for the pin at 9:22.

Rating: B. This got going well and Green continues to shine under her fresh turn to the good side. The fans love her and she can do enough in the ring to make it work. At the same time, I’m rather glad to see Morgan win here, as having champions lose in these things gets annoying. Someone will take her out eventually, but seeing her win with the fans acting like this for a change was a nice moment.

Video on Rey Mysterio’s time in WWE and now he’s ready to win the Intercontinental Title tonight. Penta says he watches Mysterio for years but now it’s his time. It will be Penta’s honor to face Mysterio.

Chad Gable comes in to see Penta and apologizes for everything he did as El Grande Americano. The whole thing started because of his first loss to Penta. Gable took that loss like a coward. He doesn’t expect anything from Penta but Gable apologizes (the fans applaud). Penta says that wasn’t easy for Gable and he respects that, but there is one person Gable needs to apologize to. Gable understands.

Montez Ford comes in to see Seth Rollins, who thanks him for the help last week. The Usos and Jacob Fatu come in, with Jey Uso warning Rollins about how he speaks about the family. Jey is in the King Of The Ring but Rollins says Jimmy Uso is on the sidelines where Roman Reigns wants him.

Rollins says he’s not talking about their family because he’s only talking about Reigns. He thought the Usos were better than this but they’re just running errands for Reigns. Jey tells Fatu to get Rollins so Fatu (who had just been pacing around behind them, looking like he wanted to be anywhere else) gets in Rollins’ face…and walks away. A smirking Rollins says “family” and the Usos leave. Cole points out that last week, Fatu said he follows Reigns, not the Usos (nice catch).

Video on Sol Ruca vs. Lyra Valkyria, which was set up in a quick backstage challenge last week.

Bayley gives Valkyria a pep talk but Valkyria doesn’t seem to want her around.

Women’s Intercontinental Title: Sol Ruca vs. Lyra Valkyria

Ruca is defending and works on an armbar to start. That’s broken up and Valkyria tries to pick up the pace, only to get taken down with an X Factor. Ruca’s springboard is cut off and Valkyria, eventually, backdrops her to the floor as we take a break. We come back with a double clothesline leaving both of them down.

Ruca shrugs off some right hands and hits a dropkick into a running knee for two. Valkyria gets her hands out to block an X Factor but has to block the Sol Snatcher as well. Valkyria’s charge misses though and she gets caught in the ropes, with Ruca hitting a quick Sol Snatcher (clean) for the pin at 10:04.

Rating: C+. The best thing here is that Ruca made it through a match without a major issue. That sounds like a joke but she really needs to get around these issues. There is certainly a learning curve on the main roster, but if you get a reputation as someone who botches a lot of stuff, it’s going to stick with you for a long time. This was at least a step in the right direction so hopefully she can get the timing and experience she ends sooner than later.

We look at Jacob Fatu acknowledging Roman Reigns last week.

Jey Uso yells at Jacob Fatu, while Jimmy is a bit calmer in his criticism. Fatu makes it clear: he doesn’t acknowledge the two of them because he only acknowledges Roman Reigns. They need to worry about LA Knight, who has been told to stop talking about the Family. He’s probably doing it again right now and the Usos aren’t doing anything. Jimmy: “Group text then!” And Jey leaves when Jimmy isn’t looking.

Here is LA Knight for a chat and he gets a microphone thrown to him, which is thrown terrible. Knight even throws it back for another chance, which he catches with one hand to a big reaction. Knight is ready for his King Of The Ring match on Smackdown where he’s ready to go through all four of them (uh, LA…..) but he’s thinking about Roman Reigns.

The truth is that Reigns’ empire is crumbling and Knight is expecting someone to come out there and cut him off on Friday. There are people against him and he thinks Adam Pearce is one of them, because Pearce didn’t choose him. The people chose him and now he can’t stop. Knight wishes everyone in the match on Friday good luck, including Jey Uso, who comes out to interrupt. Uso is still rather over and hits the catchphrase, but the fans want him to run the entrance back. Well how do you say no to that kind of a request? Knight: “You don’t possibly expect me to stand here and watch this.”

Uso says he’s always there when his family calls and this is Knight’s warning shot. That’s enough for Uso to leave, but Knight says hang on. The fans aren’t happy and Knight gets that because the YEET thing is fun. Knight appreciates Uso’s passion about his family because that’s what a good man should do. He wishes Uso good luck on Friday and from the bottom of his heart….screw your family. That’s enough for Uso to come back for the fight but Jimmy Uso comes down cut him off. Knight is in a weird place as he almost has to be in the main event scene, though I’m not sure I can imagine him actually winning the title.

Chad Gable comes up to Dragon Lee and Rey Mysterio. Gable starts to apologize but Lee says he knows Gable has learned and it’s ok. Mysterio says gable needs to stop beating himself up. Mysterio did want to knock Gable’s head off his shoulders at one point (Gable: “Fair enough.”) but they saw the mask vs. mask match. Gable has apologized enough and it is accepted. Gable goes to leave but Mysterio says Gable might have said and done some things he’ll regret before he ever put the mask on. That seems to resonate with Gable.

Intercontinental Title: Penta vs. Rey Mysterio

Mysterio is challenging and respect is shown at the bell. An early headscissors looks to set up the 619 but Penta backdrops him to the apron. The baseball slide misses and Mysterio hits an Asai moonsault (ala Speedball Mike Bailey) as we take a break. We come back with Penta sending him to the floor for the big running flip dive. Another dive is cut off and Mysterio hits a modified 619. The sliding sunset bomb sends Penta into the barricade and we take another break.

We come back with…the screen going right back to black, as it seems they brought the feed up before they were supposed to. Either way, the Penta Driver gives Penta two and they’re both down for a bit. Back up and Mysterio hits a 619 into the slingshot splash for a rather close two. A frog splash hits knees though and the Mexican Destroyer retains the title at 13:00.

Rating: B. That was exactly what it should have been, as Penta gets another big win over the king of all lucha legends. At the same time, Mysterio can more than hang in the ring to this day, which is rather impressive given how long he has been at this. Rusev and Ethan Page are probably still coming for the title, but Penta can have a special moment first.

Post match Rusev and Ethan Page run in for the beatdown. The Accolade goes on so Dragon Lee runs in for the save. Rusev knocks Lee down and takes Mysterio’s mask, with Penta diving onto Rey’s exposed head. This brings out Chad Gable (there it is) for the save, with a bunch of German suplexes. With the villains gone, Gable holds up Mysterio’s mask and (after a bit of a stare) hands it to Penta so Mysterio can get it back on. Oh yeah he’s a big deal if he gets the chance, but if he goes all mega evil and goes after Mysterio’s mask, we’ll need a new term for the level of heat he’ll have in Mexico.

Raquel Rodriguez is ready for Iyo Sky.

Video on the European tour.

Iyo Sky talks about Asuka trusting her with the women’s division and she’s ready to face Raquel Rodriguez.

Roxanne Perez apologizes to Liv Morgan for her attitude last week. She was upset about her loss and all that matters is the Judgment Day winning. Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh come in and Mysterio isn’t sure about Oba Femi. Morgan has an idea though. With them gone, Perez doesn’t seem thrilled.

King Of The Ring First Round: Je’Von Evans vs. Seth Rollins vs. Talla Tonga vs. Ricky Saints

Saints punches Rollins out tot he floor, leaving Evans to flip away from Tonga. That doesn’t work well for Tonga, who gets up and starts to wreck everyone around him. Tonga cleans house and stands rather tall as we take a break. We come back with Saints and Rollins managing to knock Tonga into the timekeeper’s area, with Evans adding a big running dive

Rollins gets knocked down again and Saints kicks Evans in the head, setting up a springboard tornado DDT for two. Rollins hits a Pedigree but Tonga is back in with a save. Everyone goes to the corner and Tonga hits a Tower Of Doom, with Evans flipping away to safety. A big clothesline gives Tonga two on Evans and he chokeslams Evans onto the announcers’ table.

Rollins is right there with a Stomp to Tonga, followed by another from the barricade. Back in and Saints avoids a Stomp but the tornado DDT is countered. The Stomp hits again but cue Austin Theory to pull the referee. Montez Ford cuts Theory off but Bron Breakker runs in to spear Rollins. Saints goes for the cover, only for Evans to hit an OG Cutter for the pin at 15:06.

Rating: B. They followed a formula here and it worked rather well, with Tonga looking like a force and a surprise result of Evans winning instead of Rollins. That leaves Rollins and Ford to continue their issues with the Vision while Evans gets another chance to rub elbows with some stars. He’s rapidly becoming a star around here and that is very promising.

Evans celebrates to end the show while Rollins is distraught. One thing of note: the replay shows Evans giving Saints a shove on the way back into the ring. Not only does it slow down the count, but it gives Saints time to get into position for the cutter. That’s a smart move and a great sign for Evans’ ability to think in the ring.

Overall Rating: B+. This show covered a lot of ground and has me a good bit more interested in Night Of Champions, and some other things, than I was coming in. The opening promo was good and even tied into the King Of The Ring for a bonus. Gable’s apologizes were great, but my goodness the idea of him going all evil again has me rather tingly. Pretty awesome show here, with the Paris crowd making it that much better.

Results
Liv Morgan b. Becky Lynch, Alexa Bliss and Chelsea Green – Rollup to Green
Sol Ruca b. Lyra Valkyria – Sol Snatcher
Penta b. Rey Mysterio – Mexican Destroyer
Je’Von Evans b. Seth Rollins, Talla Tonga and Ricky Saints – OG Cutter to Saints

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