No Surrender 2026
Date: February 13, 2026
Location: The Pinnacle, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

I’m really not sure what to expect from this one as TNA hasn’t exactly gone out of their way to make it feel important. It comes off like a show that happens to be taking place with a few important matches being set up and not much more. The main event is Leon Slater/Mike Santana vs. Nic Nemeth/Eddie Edwards so let’s get to it.

IMG Credit: TNA Wrestling

Pre-Show: Brad Attitude/TW3 vs. Sinner And Saint

Sinner And Saint say they haven’t been here in a long time and it’s a shame that the people are sleeping on the team they should be dreaming about. Williams shoulders Attitude over to start and it’s off to TW3 for some kicks to the arm. Icarus comes in to take TW3 down but it’s back to Williams, who gets kicked down off a distraction.

Williams gets kicked down some more and his chops don’t do much good. A suplex gets Williams out of trouble and a handspring clothesline allows the tag off to Icarus. Everything breaks down and a middle rope dropkick sends TW3 outside. Williams’ dive drops TW3 again and a frog splash gives Icarus two, with Attitude making the save. A running kick to the face/belly to back fisherman’s suplex combination finishes TW3 at 6:48.

Rating: C+. It wasn’t much of a match, but this was all about giving the fans some wrestling to get warmed up with before the important matches. As a result, this was fine enough, though I still don’t get the appeal of Sinner And Saint. They’re just kind of a generic team who does well enough in the ring and while they’re far from bad, I’m not sure how interesting they are.

Mike Jackson (76 years old) is happy to be here but Mance Warner and Steph de Lander come in to complain about how much time he’s getting. Jackson says he’s stood across the ring from the biggest names in wrestling and Warner isn’t one of them. A match is made for later, with Jackson not knowing de Lander’s name either (on purpose).

Pre-Show: Alan Angels vs. Ryan Nemeth,

Hold on though as before the bell, here is Frankie Kazarian to say we’re going to have an impromptu King’s Speech instead of this match. Nemeth says he gets paid just because he got in the ring so he’s leaving (with Kazarian leaving him hanging). Kazarian talks about signing a new contract and getting a big raise, which he has of course earned. He’ll be back in the World Title picture, because he just lost the World Title while wrestling with a broken hand.

As for tonight, Kazarian will be watching the main event very closely. He explains Option C….and has to pause to address the WRAP IT UP chants. Angels is still in the ring though and grabs the mic, saying he doesn’t remember Kazarian being so horrible. Kazarian says get out of his ring but Angels isn’t leaving. Kazarian threatens to punch Albert Angle in the face but Angels punches him out first. Angels wants a match and we’re doing this now.

Pre-Show: Alan Angels vs. Frankie Kazarian

Kazarian is in street clothes. Angels pulls him inside for two off a rollup and snaps off a hurricanrana to the floor. A high crossbody gives Angels two and he grabs the Rings Of Saturn. That’s broken up and Kazarian gets the chickenwing for the tap at 2:26.

And now, the show proper.

The opening video looks at TNA’s recent hot streak, plus the show’s bigger matches.

Knockouts Battle Royal

Mara Sade, Rosemary, Tessa Blanchard, Victoria Crawford, Mila Moore, Myla Grace, Harley Hudson, Jada Stone, Jody Threat, Tasha Steelz, Elayna Black

For a future Knockouts Title shot. Rosemary yells a lot and even scares Blanchard early on. Rosemary sends Hudson to the apron but gets tossed out by Threat. Rosemary is so ticked off that she comes up swinging a chair. Stone is out, followed by Steelz, with the two of them fighting on the floor.

Riggins is gone as well as the eliminations pick up in pace. Crawford eliminates Grace and poses a bit but Blanchard accidentally knocks out Moore and Crawford at the same time. Threat holds on by her feet, leaving Black and Sade to fight on the apron. The two of them slug it out with Black being eliminated but Blanchard shoves Sade out, leaving us with Blanchard and Threat. Back up and the Pop Shove It sends Blanchard to the floor so Threat can win at 8:01.

Rating: C. This wasn’t great but they kept it short enough to not be too bad. Threat winning is a surprise as Sade has been getting some TV time as of late and her getting the spot would have made sense. The rest of this just kind of showed that the division needs to develop some more stars, as they only have so much depth right now. Granted that’s what giving someone like Threat a chance can do.

Leon Slater and Mike Santana are ready for the main event, with Santana wanting to keep the grass mowed so he can take them down. Slater is glad to be back and he’s not thinking about Option C tonight. Santana threatens to eat Nic Nemeth and Eddie Edwards alive tonight.

Jelly Roll is here. Fair points on having a big name.

International Title: Stacks vs. Trey Miguel

Stacks, with Arianna Grace, is defending and Miguel has a singer named Teddy Swims in his corner. Miguel rushes at him to start and hits a dropkick to the floor. Grace pulls Stacks away from the running flip dive though and Miguel gets tied up in the ring skirt. Back in and Stacks slams him down, setting up a mockery of Santino Marella’s trombone pose. The chinlock goes on for a bit, followed by a legdrop for two on Miguel.

Back up and Miguel springboards off the bottom rope and grabs a German suplex to leave them both down. They go up top and either fall off or do a weird rolling to the side superplex to give Stacks two. A fisherman’s neckbreaker gives Stacks two more but Miguel is back with a not good looking Roll Of The Dice for two of his own.

Stacks is able to dropkick Miguel to the floor but Grace gets caught slapping him, meaning it’s an ejection. Miguel is back up with a sliding tornado DDT to drop Stacks on the floor, followed by a spinning Downward Spiral back inside. The Lightning Spiral gives Miguel the pin and the title at 11:00.

Rating: C+. They had a series of not great looking spots in there as they were going a bit too fast and it hurt things a lot. At the same time though, anytime my eyebrows actually pop up in surprise over a result, it’s probably a good sign. Miguel winning is a big surprise and I’m not opposed to it, as Stacks wasn’t going to be a long term champion anyway.

Here is AJ Francis for an unscheduled appearance. Francis talks about the Seattle Seahawks winning the Super Bowl and compares himself to Bad Bunny. They’re both rappers, they’re both wrestlers, and they’re both stars. As for Jelly Roll, if he ever wants to cross the line, he’ll see why this is TNAJ Francis’ place. He’ll be on commentary for the rest of the night. Hannifan: “What did I do to deserve this pain?”

Mance Warner vs. Mike Jackson

Jackson (76 years old) goes after the arm to start and does an Old School around all four ropes (Warner does nothing) before knocking Warner down. The dive is cut off and Jackson reverses a suplex into one of his own. A suicide dive connects and even Francis has to show him some respect. Back in and Warner’s chops don’t get him very far as Jackson strikes away as well. A neckbreaker gives Jackson two but Warner drops him with a running clothesline. The Pay Window finishes Jackson at 5:19.

Rating: C. The match wasn’t exactly great, but Jackson more than held his own in there. That’s the point of a match with Jackson, who is in pretty good shape all things considered and didn’t do anything that would embarrass him. I’m not sure how much it needed to be on a special, but there are worse ways to go.

Post match Warner tells Jackson that he still has it and they shake hands, with de Lander doing the same. Francis: “This is pathetic.” Francis yells at de Lander and blames her for ruining Warner. That gets Warner in Francis’ face and Francis storms off. That seems like a face turn for Warner, though I liked Warner better as a good guy so maybe it works.

Arianna Grace yells at Stacks for screwing up and threatens to break up with him if anything else goes wrong. Then he can eat candy all by himself. Quite the threat.

Knockouts Tag Team Titles: Indi Hartwell/Xia Brookside vs. Elegance Brand

The Brand is defending. Brookside takes over on Heather to start and it’s off to Hartwell for a headlock takeover. M comes in to take Hartwell down and chokes with the cloth on her arm. That doesn’t last long and it’s back to Brookside for a Russian legsweep to Heather. Mr. Elegance offers a distraction though and the champs knock Brookside down into the corner.

The chinlock goes on for a bit so Brookside grabs a small package for a breather. That doesn’t last long either as Heather sends her into the ropes, where M gets in a running boot on the apron. The champs spend too long posing though and it’s a double shove from Hartwell to put them on the floor. Hartwell comes in off the tag for some big boots and a top rope elbow hits Heather for two. A Michinoku Driver cuts Hartwell off though and she gets sent into the post, setting up Nip And Tuck. Hartwell’s foot is on the rope but Ash shoves it off to retain the titles at 11:07.

Rating: C+. The match picked up a bit at the end and that’s a good thing as it wasn’t much to see for the first part. Hartwell and Brookside are pretty much a makeshift team and that doesn’t make for the best challengers. At the same time, you’re only going to get so far with the options you have for challengers so throwing teams together is often the best you can do.

Post match Mickie James of all people comes out (Ash LOSES IT) and beats up Ash (all the more impressive since James is in massive heels).

We recap Eric Young vs. BDE. Young wanted BDE to join him but BDE refused, earning himself a beating last night on Impact. Now it’s time to fight.

Eric Young vs. BDE

It’s a brawl before the bell with BDE getting hit low and then the match officially starting. Young hammers away to start but BDE manages a middle rope Blockbuster. The running hurricanrana gets two but Young is back with a sitout powerbomb for two of his own. BDE fights back but gets powerslammed down for two more. The slow pace continues until BDE manages to get in a springboard cutter for another near fall.

Young is put up top, where he bites BDE’s face to put him down. There’s the top rope elbow for two and the Death Valley Driver connects to give Young two more. BDE bites him right back off the top and a Canadian Destroyer gets a rather near fall. BDE goes up again but the referee is shoved into the ropes, setting up the piledriver to give Young the pin at 10:23.

Rating: C+. As usual, here’s the thing: if Young is supposed to be this next big bad with whatever he’s doing with the Cleanse, he shouldn’t be needing ten minutes and cheating to beat a glorified celebrity wrestler. Young is far from the worst wrestler, but him as this tough crazy guy is horrible miscasting and has been for years. Unfortunately that seems to be continuing, and possibly in a much bigger way soon.

Jody Threat is happy with her win and gets some applause from other Knockouts. Tessa Blanchard and company come in, with Blanchard saying she should have won. A match is made for Impact.

We recap Arianna Grace challenging Lei Ying Lee for the Knockouts Title. Grace is Santino Marella’s daughter and has teased wanting to make up for him, including by getting this shot. Shenanigans may be afoot though and Lee happens to be here too.

IMG Credit: TNA Wrestling

Knockouts Title: Arianna Grace vs. Lei Ying Lee

Grace, with Stacks, is challenging and commentary points out that Grace isn’t very good, even citing her win/loss record. They start slowly with Grace taking over and sending Lee to the apron. Lee flips over her to come back inside and sweeps the leg…as Dani Luna (who had a title match set up but was held off due to visa issues) returns.

Security cuts her off and gets rid of her, leaving Grace to hit a neckbreaker for a quick two. Lee is sent into the apron and we’re off to a neck crank inside. That’s broken up and Lee hammers away with right hands in the corner but gets facebustered. A fisherman’s neckbreaker gets two but Lee snaps off a German suplex.

They forearm it out from their knees until Lee loads up Warrior’s Way. Grace goes to the eyes so Stacks sends in the belt, which doesn’t work well. Instead Lee kicks Stacks down so Grace pulls out the Cobra (which she stole from Santino Marella last night). That and a fireman’s carry facebuster give Grace the title at 13:21.

Rating: C. Grace is hardly a polished star in the ring, but that’s kind of the point. The idea here is that she manipulated her way into a title shot and then cheated to win (even though IT’S JUST A SOCK). That’s at least a story and it feels like someone stole a title rather than just holding it until a member of the regular roster can pick it off.

Rich Swann throws BDE a video game controller but says BDE has been playing a bit too long. Now Swann is ready to give him a tutorial in wrestling but it’s time to game first.

We recap the tag team main event. Apparently if Nic Nemeth (Call Your Shot), Eddie Edwards (Feast Or Fired) or Leon Slater (Option C) cash in their title shot, the tag match is thrown out and the World Title is on the line. Because THAT is a good idea. If you have three people with instant World Title matches available, you really need to rein things, because that’s ridiculous.

IMG Credit: TNA Wrestling

Order 4 vs. Righteous/Hardys

The question here is whether the Hardys can, or should, trust the Righteous. Matt takes over on Skyler to start and neckbreakers him down. Jeff comes in for a quick splash but gets into it with Ali, meaning everything breaks down in a hurry. We settle down to Dutch whipping Hotch upside down in the corner and it’s off to Vincent. Hotch is beaten down again and it’s off to Zero, who powers Vincent up rather quickly.

Ali comes in and tries a superplex, only to get shoved down, allowing Vincent to hit a tornado DDT. That’s enough for the tag off to Matt so the pace can be picked up. Hotch breaks up the Twist Of Fate to Skyler though and it’s back to Jeff instead. A basement dropkick and elbow get two on Hotch and the Whisper In The Wind does it again. Everything breaks down and Zero cleans house, followed by a heck of a suicide dive.

Dutch is right there with a big flip dive of his own but Zero powerslams him back inside. The good guys get together to beat up Zero in the corner and the quadruple teaming actually puts him down. Matt and Dutch hit stereo Twists Of Fate, setting up stereo Swantons from Jeff and Vincent but a double save breaks up the covers. They brawl onto the ramp and a big crash sends a bunch of people to the floor. Tasha Steelz throws powder in Dutch’s eyes and he takes Matt out by mistake. The 450 gives Ali the pin on Matt at 15:31.

Rating: B. They did a good job here with building up the question of whether or not the Righteous would turn on the Hardys. The ending leaves you wondering even more and that’s a good feeling. It’s better than just having the turn take place and if Order 4 gets thrown into the title picture as well, so be it.

Post match the lights go out and it’s a big guitar case casket. Elijah pops up throws Ali inside but Ali bails before their casket match on Impact.

Santino Marella tries to talk to Arianna Grace but gets Daria Rae instead. Daria threatens him if anything happens, and don’t bother looking for the sock. Do anything to anyone, and he’ll be fired.

We recap the main event of Mike Santana/Leon Slater vs. Nic Nemeth/Eddie Edwards. The idea is that all three challengers have guaranteed World Title matches and could cash in anytime.

IMG Credit: TNA Wrestling

Mike Santana/Leon Slater vs. Nic Nemeth/Eddie Edwards

Santana and Edwards start things off with a feeling out process until Edwards grabs a headlock. That doesn’t get either very far so it’s off to Nemeth to work on the arm. Slater comes in for a nice dropkick and nine right hands in the corner, setting up a monkey flip right back out of it. It’s back to Santana, who sends Nemeth outside…for the tease of a cash in.

That’s enough of a distraction for the villains to take over on Santana back inside, with Santana getting caught in the corner. The comeback doesn’t take long as Santana gets over for the tag off to Slater, who fights off a double team attempt. The handspring elbow drops Nemeth and Edwards and Slater takes Edwards out with a big dive to the floor. Everything breaks down and Santana hits his own dive onto the System.

Back in and Slater misses the Swanton 450 to Edwards and walks into a superkick to give Nemeth two. It’s back to Slater, who is caught in the wrong corner again but he heads outside to run around the ring. That’s not quite enough for the tag off to Santana, so Slater kicks the villains into each other. NOW it’s back to Santana to clean house, including a heck of a chop to Nemeth.

An assisted standing moonsault gets two on Nemeth and everything breaks down, with Slater hitting the big running flip dive over the corner. Cue the fired Steve Maclin to go after Santana (why this isn’t a DQ isn’t clear) and they brawl into the crowd. So that leaves Slater in a handicap match, with the System still on the floor. Nemeth mocks Slater having no partners but Slater is back with a running knee to drop Edwards.

It’s back to Nemeth, whose running DDT is countered. Slater’s high crossbody takes both of them down for two but the referee gets bumped. The System runs in to go after Slater but here is Moose to interrupt. Moose cleans house of the non-in this match members of the System, including brawling to the back with Edwards. That leaves Nemeth to Fameasser Slater for two but he kicks Nemeth down, setting up the Swanton 450 for the pin at 23:12.

Rating: B. Well, it certainly wasn’t boring. This was more a “Slater is back and he’s really good”. They managed to hide the fact that in the end, nothing was actually on the line here. That’s a hard place to go, especially with Moose wanting revenge on the team which doesn’t really have a leader. They tried something different here and while it wasn’t a smash hit, it worked well enough, especially for Slater.

Overall Rating: B-. I came into this show with pretty much no expectations and the stakes feeling pretty low (including in the main event, with the three teased cash-ins not really being a thing until tonight) and wound up getting a good show. It’s not a classic or close to it, but I can always go for a show where the worst part was perfectly fine. They’ll need to raise the stakes next time, but this worked for a nice surprise.

Results
Sinner And Saint b. Brad Attitude/TW3 – Reverse fisherman’s suplex to TW3
Frankie Kazarian b. Alan Angels – Chickenwing
Jody Threat won a Knockouts Battle Royal last eliminating Tessa Blanchard
Trey Miguel b. Stacks – Lightning Spiral
Mance Warner b. Mike Jackson – Pay Window
Elegance Brand b. Indi Hartwell/Xia Brookside – Nip And Tuck to Hartwell
Eric Young b. BDE – Piledriver
Arianna Grace b. Lei Ying Lee – Fireman’s carry facebuster
Order 4 b. Hardys/Righteous – 450 to Matt

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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Impact Wrestling
Date: February 12, 2026
Location: Tingley Coliseum, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We’re on the way to this weekend’s No Surrender, though the show isn’t exactly feeling like anything special. It would be nice to get a boost on the way there and that’s the point of this show. If nothing else, I’m curious to see what may or may not be going on with Steve Maclin so let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

IMG Credit: TNA Wrestling

Here is Moose (in a snazzy jacket) to get things going. Moose wouldn’t usually come out here and talk about people leaving him laying because he isn’t a little b****. Two years ago, he created the System and he knows exactly what he needs to do to dismantle it. There is one man back there who knows how to take out the System one by one so here is Mike Santana.

He knows the two of them have fought each other face to face so now it’s time for them to fight together against the System. Now they just need the Hardys, but instead here is Daria Rae to interrupt. Any violence they’re planning can be saved for the main event so the good guys…leave.

Ryan Nemeth, sounding like he’s doing a weird voice on purpose, is ready to beat Mara Sade in a street fight. Oh dear.

Alisha Edwards apologizes to Moose for what happened and says she might just leave before her contract is up. Moose believes her, even though it feels likely that she’s going to turn on him.

IMG Credit: TNA Wrestling

Rich Swann vs. Nic Nemeth

Nemeth backs him into the corner to start but Swann is back with a quick hammerlock. That’s broken up so Swann headstands out of a headscissors without much trouble. A dropkick puts Nemeth on the floor and we take a break. We come back with Swann winning a slugout but getting caught with a Fameasser for two. The Danger Zone is blocked though and Swann hits a superkick, only to have to flip out of another Danger Zone attempt.

Nemeth is knocked down and Swann’s frog splash gets two. The phoenix splash misses and Nemeth hits a running DDT as commentary talks about Option C (as in the X-Division can cash in the title for a World Title shot at any time, though it hasn’t been used in years), because that’s a thing again. Nemeth’s sleeper is countered into an AA and they’re both down for a bit. They slug it out from their knees until Swann tries a Lethal Injection, which is countered into the Danger Zone for the pin at 12:02.

Rating: B. That finish was great as Nemeth timed it perfectly (at least as the camera saw) for a good win. Nemeth could be moved into a bigger spot soon and beating a former World Champion should help him. At the same time, Swann is a former World Champion who has nothing going on right now, with basically no momentum. I’m not sure I see that changing anytime soon, though he had a good match here.

Xia Brookside and Indi Hartwell are ready to watch Lei Ying Lee retain the Knockouts Title but they want the Knockouts Tag Team Titles.

The Righteous can’t wait to team with the Hardys at No Surrender when they’ll face Order 4. Fear is just a four letter word and they are honored to team with the Hardys, because this is going according to plan.

Here is Eric Young for a chat. Young hates how this place has gone and it’s time for a cleanse. That starts with BDE, who needs to come out here and answer Young’s offer to join him. BDE comes out and Young says he doesn’t understand BDE, but knows that they need his voice and reach. Now which side is BDE on? BDE says he doesn’t need Young or his imaginary friends so the answer is a big no. The brawl is on and Young hits a piledriver, shoves a female referee, and piledrives a pair of security guards.

Post break Santino Marella suspends Young but Daria Rae reverses it and makes Young vs. BDE for No Surrender.

Ryan Nemeth vs. Mara Sade

Street fight and falls count anywhere. Sade ducks a cheap shot and punches him into the crowd to start fast. They’re already back to ringside and Sade throws in the metal sheets to hit him in the head. A missile dropkick sends Nemeth outside but he manages to tie her up in the ring skirt. Sade is right back out with a chair shot to the ribs but Nemeth knocks her down and reveals an Andy Kaufman WOMEN’S WRESTLING CHAMPION OF THE WORLD shirt.

A neckbreaker on the floor gives Nemeth two so he loads up a chair. Another neckbreaker takes too long though and Sade sends him hard into the post. Sade pours out a bag of lollipops and suplexes him onto them, which doesn’t seem as devastating as she might think it is. Back in and Sade unloads with a kendo stick and a White Russian legsweep gets two. Nemeth takes the stick away though and knocks her down, allowing him to go up. That means a quick crotching and another superkick finishes Nemeth off at 8:40.

Rating: C. It wasn’t particularly good but this should wrap up the feud. Sade was in her hometown and got to beat a comedy goof so it wasn’t like she had any reason to lose. Nemeth is the definition of someone who can get beaten like this and not fall in the slightest because he had nowhere to go but down. Sade has gotten some nice TV time out of this though and that’s a good sign for her start in the company.

Steph de Lander and Mance Warner introduce themselves and explain their love of violence.

Video on Elijah vs. Order 4, with Elijah not liking Mustafa Ali’s prayer asking God to stop him. Therefore, it’s time for a casket match. Oh wait: a GUITAR CASE casket match. I guess that is officially a thing.

No Surrender rundown.

Arianna Grace thanks Santino Marella for her Knockouts Title shot at No Surrender…but she steals the Cobra. She does know it’s just a sock right?

The System vs. Hardys/Moose/Mike Santana

The System immediately bails from Moose to start so it’s off to Santana, which has Myers willing to get back inside. Santana dropkicks him down and hits a backsplash, allowing Jeff to come in to quite the reaction. Myers gets catapulted throat first into the middle rope and a splash gives Jeff two. Edwards comes in and clotheslines Santana to take over, allowing Bronson to hammer away in the corner.

Santana slips out of Alexander’s belly to back suplex though and brings Moose in to start wrecking things. The chokebomb gets two on Alexander and a dropkick cuts off a charging Edwards. Matt comes back in to send Myers into the buckle over and over but Bronson comes in to run Matt over. Bronson sits on Matt’s chest and we take a break.

We come back with Alexander suplexing Matt for two and slapping on the chinlock. That works so well that Myers comes in for one of his own but Matt Side Effects his way out of trouble. Everything breaks down and a Blue Thunder Bomb into a top rope elbow into a frog splash gets two on Santana. Moose is back in to clean house but Bronson takes him out.

That earns him a Twist Of Fate from Matt and everyone is down. Jeff grabs a rather wacky submission so Myers grabs a belt, only to have Alisha Edwards pull it away. Moose kicks Myers down but gets taken down by a dive. Santana hits a dive of his own and it’s a Plot Twist to Bronson. Alexander crotches Jeff on top though and Bronson’s fire thunder driver gets the big upset pin at 21:19.

Rating: B. You need this much time if you’re going to have so many people involved in the match and it helped a good bit here. Bronson getting the win is certainly a big deal for him and a nice welcome to the team. If nothing else it might give the Hardys another set of challengers, which they could certainly use. Moose is going to need to get some revenge, though I’m not sure who the big final boss is supposed to be. Edwards in theory, but how big does that feel?

Overall Rating: B. The opener and main event were good and the middle match was goofy fun. I liked most of the show and can even overlook the always dumb Eric Young nonsense. Other than that, I’m not sure how much this did to set up No Surrender, but TNA doesn’t seem to be treating that as much in the first place anyway. Nice show here, with the solid wrestling carrying things.

Results
Nic Nemeth b. Rich Swann – Danger Zone
Mara Sade b. Ryan Nemeth – Superkick
The System b. Hardys/Moose/Mike Santana – Fire thunder driver to Jeff

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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Ring Of Honor
Date: February 12, 2026
Location: eSports Stadium Arlington, Arlington, Texas
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re getting closer to absolutely nothing right now and there are a lot of titles that could use a defense after literal months of no defenses. Hopefully they find a way around that, as the Swirl/Jay Lethal story, which was the best thing going, has already cooled off. Maybe we can switch it up a bit this week so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Tag Team Titles: La Faccion Ingobernable vs. Top Flight

La Faccion is defending for the first time since winning the titles on December 5, which was their first time teaming together. We get a cheer off to start and Dante speeds around Mortos. A running shoulder sends Dante flying and it’s off to Darius vs. Guevara. Well never mind as Guevara hands it right back to Mortos, which seems like a waste of time.

And it’s already back to Guevara, who is knocked into Mortos this time, but snaps off a headlock takeover. Guevara’s moonsault dropkick puts Darius on the floor so Dante comes in, only to miss a stomp. Dante gets taken into the corner for some clotheslines from Mortos, who is described as a good lawyer. As your bull monsters tend to be.

A shot to the hamstring lets Mortos start in on the leg but Dante manages a quick DDT. Darius and Guevara come in to pick up the pace but Mortos gets in a blind tag. A jumping Downward Spiral drops Guevara and a tornado DDT drops Mortos for two, as the blind tag didn’t make much of a difference. Mortos is right back with a pop up Samoan drop to pin Darius at 8:39.

Rating: C+. It was nice to see the titles actually defended, as if nothing else you might want to see the still mostly unproven team actually, like, team. It’s not like there are many teams in the title picture (whatever that entails) so it makes sense to give the champs some reps. At least more than one every two months at least.

Jay Lethal has Bandido’s mask and promises that Bandido will lose the World Title soon. Tommy Billington pops in to challenge Lethal. He doesn’t actually do anything physical, but he does make the challenge.

Michael Oku/Von Erichs vs. The OXP/Oday/Timur The Great

Kevin Von Erich is here too and gives Oku his cowboy hat on the way in. Oku grabs OXP’s arm to start and hands it off to the Von Erichs for some running clotheslines in the corner. Everything breaks down quickly and Oku hits the running shooting star to the floor. Back in and the double Claw and half crab give us the triple submission at 2:31. At least it was short.

We look back at last week’s main event.

Persephone vs. Julissa Mexa

Mexa takes her down to start fast and does a quick dance. The hips to the face have Persephone in more trouble and a spinning middle rope crossbody gives Mexa two. Persephone is right back up with a knockdown and basement dropkick to put Mexa in trouble. Some knees in the corner have Mexa down again and we hit the chinlock. That’s broken up and Mexa gets in a capture suplex, followed by a standing moonsault for two of her own. Mexa strikes away so Persephone gives her a bridging German suplex. A pumphandle dragon suplex puts Persephone down for two more but she’s right back with a crucifix bomb for the pin at 5:29.

Rating: B-. They made the most of their time here and it was a back and forth match. The good thing is that Persephone, who is apparently a big deal around here, got to look like a star. At the same time, Mexa had a solid debut and I could go for more of her, as the women’s division could certainly use some new names.

Dalton Castle/Outrunners vs. KM/Nathan Cruz/Rosario Grillo

Magnum scares Grillo into the corner to start so it’s quickly off to Cruz for an early change. Everything breaks down fast and the Outrunners clean house. Castle comes in for the suplexes and it’s a triple slam into the Mega Powers elbow to Cruz. The Bang A Rang gets the pin at 2:32. Total squash.

JD Drake doesn’t think much of Adam Priest going after Kazuchika Okada and wants to teach him a lesson. That’s quite the downgrade from Okada.

Lance Archer vs. Will Allday

Allday bounces off of Archer to start but manages to backflip out of a chokeslam attempt. A choke toss sends Allday flying but he avoids a charge in the corner. Archer has had enough and knocks him down, setting up the chokeslam and Blackout for the pin at 2:30. Anyone think maybe they should do something with Archer and his undefeated run? Anything at all?

Swirl/Premiere Athletes vs. Bandido/Mascara Dorada/Komander/Xelhua

Daivari and Xelhua start things off with Xelhua firing off some early dropkicks. Dorada comes in and gets his mask pulled, allowing the big beatdown in the corner. That doesn’t last long as Dorada is back with a spinning kick to Nese’s head. Komander comes in to face Johnson and flips over into a standoff. That works so well that Komander flips over into a standoff before bringing in Bandido to face Christian.

They forearm it out until Johnson and Komander come in as well. The luchadors clear the ring but some evil cheap shots leave Komander in trouble for a change. Nese drops a leg and the Athletes hit a quick double suplex. Bandido avoids a charge in the corner but gets speared down on the apron in a nice sequence. Back in and Johnson hammers away while Christian hits on Stori Denali.

Daivari and Komander crash on stereo crossbodies and Bandido comes back in to clean house. Komander’s very bouncy hurricanrana connects and the luchadors hit a nice quadruple dive. Christian flips out of the 21 Plex though and Denali sneaks in to chokeslam Bandido. Christian’s frog splash gets two with Dorada making a save. We hit the parade of knockdowns, including a pop up cutter to Daivari. More dives connect to the floor and Bandido 21 Plexes Daivari for the win at 14:07.

Rating: B-. This was a fun match with the luchadors getting to go out there and do some impressive things, as they are known to do. That’s always going to work, though at least this did something to keep up the build towards Christian vs. Bandido. I have no idea when that is actually going to happen, but at least they’re doing something to make it happen. Kind of.

Overall Rating: B-. While there was a lot of filler in the middle, it was nice to see a show actually feel important for a change. That’s not something that you often see around here and putting one of the ridiculous amount of titles on the line helped. Throw in some Bandido/Christian build in and I could go for more of this style. I doubt I’ll get it, but I’ll take it for a week.

Results
La Faccion Ingobernable b. Sky Flight – Pop up Samoan drop to Darius
Michael Oku/Von Erichs b. The OXP/Oday/Timur The Great – Triple submissions
Persephone b. Julissa Mexa – Crucifix bomb
Dalton Castle/Outrunners b. KM/Nathan Cruz/Rosario Grillo – Bang A Rang to Cruz
Lance Archer b. Will Allday – Blackout
Bandido/Xelhua/Mascara Dorada/Komander b. Swirl/Premiere Athletes – 21 Plex to Daivari

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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Smackdown
Date: October 10, 2008
Location: Spokane Arena, Spokane, Washington
Commentators: Jim Ross, Tazz

Things have gotten interesting around here as Jeff Hardy’s rise to the top has stalled again, this time after a loss to HHH in a heck of a title match at No Mercy. HHH isn’t getting a breath though as he is defending the title against Big Show this week. That makes sense as Big Show defeated the Undertaker at the pay per view so let’s get to it.

Here is No Mercy if you need a recap.

The opening video looks at Big Show wrecking Undertaker at No Mercy and beating him via KO. Undertaker’s eyes looked gone and that was quite the visual.

Opening sequence.

Vickie Guerrero, with Chavo Guerrero, is in the ring to get things going. She rants about how two weeks ago, she wasn’t wearing her neck brace until she was brutally and SAVAGELY attacked by the Undertaker. She can still hear the sounds of her vertebrae compressing and TO THIS DAY, she can feel the pain going down her spine (you can imagine the crowd’s reactions).

But then at No Mercy, Undertaker got his when he was dominated and humiliated by Big Show. That’s why Show is challenging HHH for the World Title tonight, which brings Show out to join us. Show has heard the fans cheering for the Undertaker and it meant nothing compared to his fist. We see what is either the same video from the opening or something close enough to it that it doesn’t matter before Show brags about knocking out a bunch of people.

As for tonight, HHH is going to know exactly what hits him and Show will be the new champion. Cue Vladimir Kozlov, who makes it clear that he’s coming for whomever leaves with the title. Show recommends against that due to the whole “I’m a giant” thing, plus he’s an AMERICAN (oh geez). And that’s how it ends, which is probably for the better.

Brie Bella vs. Natalya Neidhart

Victoria is here with Natalya. They go straight to the mat to start with Bella hammering away. Back up and Bella slips off the ropes but is right back up with a bunch of forearms in a nice recovery. Natalya blasts her with a heck of a discus clothesline but Bella gets in a quick two off a sunset flip.

That’s enough for Bella to try her dive underneath the ring, though Victoria cuts her off. Well she cuts her off for a bit, as Hornswoggle pops her up to chase Victoria away. Brie comes out from the other side of the ring but then goes back under, popping out from the other side faster than humanly possible. Natalya is so confused that she gets crucifixed for the fast pin.

Rating: C. Yeah we get it. They’re pretty much this close to revealing the thing with Bella and there’s not much point to keeping it a secret any longer. We get the idea now and while it’s clever, it isn’t something that feels like it has the longest shelf life. That being said, it might be nice to have something different in the division, which is still coming together.

We look at John Cena’s neck injury at Summerslam and his ensuing surgery.

Funaki is practicing his interviews when R-Truth comes in to say Funaki needs a microphone. R-Truth wants to get to know him a bit better, including his full name. As it turns out, Funaki’s middle name is Fu, his last name is Naki, and his first name is….Kung. R-Truth can go with that and sings a modified Kung Fu Fighting, complete with various rhymes about Funaki and Japan. Oh dear. Oh dear indeed. No, this isn’t on the Peacock version.

HHH is voting on the guest referee for Chris Jericho vs. Batista when Jeff Hardy comes in. Hardy thought they had an amazing match and praises HHH for retaining. He even wishes HHH luck tonight, but he’s coming for the winner either way.

R-Truth vs. Shelton Benjamin

Non-title and before the match, Benjamin says that in these rough economic times, you can still bet on gold. Yeah this gimmick is still horrid. Benjamin drives him into the corner to start, with some knees and forearms putting R-Truth down. They go outside to keep up the beating but R-Truth manages to fight back inside. One heck of a clothesline gives Benjamin a delayed two and we hit the chinlock. This one stays on for a good while until R-Truth suplexes his way to freedom for two of his own. R-Truth’s spinning forearm gets two more so Benjamin tries a tilt-a-whirl, which is reversed into a cradle to give R-Truth the fast pin.

Rating: C. I’m not big on the idea of a champion losing like this but it’s a fast way to make R-Truth feel like a bigger deal. That could take him somewhere sooner than later and it’s not like Benjamin’s title reign has meant much in the slightest. The match wasn’t much to see, though the ending was a nice surprise.

Jeff Hardy vs. MVP

During MVP’s entrance, Gregory Helms pops up, begging MVP to actually win a match. Apparently MVP gets a big bonus if he wins one more match, which is a logical enough incentive. They fight over a small package to start with MVP taking him down for some near falls. Hardy is back up with a knockdown but it’s way too early for the Swanton, with MVP bailing out to the floor as we take an early break.

We come back with MVP firing off some knees to the chest, followed by a knee drop for two. The seated abdominal stretch has Hardy in more trouble and a waistlock keeps him down. Hardy fights up but can’t break the hold, with MVP ramming him into the corner in a smart move. In traditional wrestling logic though, Hardy gets out even faster and hits the Whisper In The Wind for two of his own, followed by a dropkick into the corner. There’s the slingshot dropkick to the chest, followed by another to the back for a bit of a twist. The Swanton finishes MVP off.

Rating: C+. Well, this was about as good of a match as you were going to have when so much of it was spent with MVP working on the bad ribs. That’s a case where it made sense but might not have been the most interesting situation. Hardy does at least get a win back after Sunday, which he needs if he’s staying in the title picture. At the same time, MVP is not going to be thrilled by his loss, which could lead to a fun chase as he tries to get that last win.

Post match Vladimir Kozlov comes out and goes after Hardy, who is quickly headbutted out of the air.

Video on HHH.

We go to a carnival and meet Kizarny, who speaks carny and is coming to Smackdown. Ok then.

Jesse & Festus/Colons vs. Kenny Dykstra/Ryan Braddock/Curt Hawkins/Zack Ryder

This seems to exist as an excuse to get Maria, serving as guest ring announcer, on the show and….well it makes sense. Gregory Helms pops up to mock Dykstra’s team for not being the most intimidating. Festus clears the ring at the bell, as tends to be his custom but Carlito starts by springboard moonsaulting Hawkins for an early two.

Ryder comes in for a kick to the back and the villains start taking turns on Carlito. Dykstra’s middle rope ax handle gets two and some elbows to the neck set up a chinlock. Carlito fights out again and brings Festus in for the house cleaning, including a running seated senton to Dykstra. Everything breaks down and Braddock is sent outside, leaving Festus to hit the fireman’s carry flapjack for the pin on Dykstra.

Rating: D+. Again, there was no reason for this match to exist save for I’m guessing having Maria on TV. It’s not like these people (including the Tag Team Champions) have much going on at the moment and putting them in an eight man tag which barely ran three minutes isn’t going to do much to fix things. Just a quick match here and nothing important.

Post match Festus kind of stalks Maria, with Jesse getting him out of there.

We look at Big Show knocking out various people.

John Cena came to Smackdown the day of his surgery. In case you thought he was normal at any point.

Great Khali vs. ???/???/???

Before the match, Runjin Singh recaps Khali’s issues with Johnny Knoxville and kissing Lilian Garcia on Raw. Two of the three guys run away and the third is chopped for the pin in about fifteen seconds.

Post match Khali does the Kiss Cam again and kisses a woman who is a big bigger, with Singh asking for her weight but then dropping it. Khali eventually kisses her and poses.

Raw Rebound.

We look back at Jeff Hardy beating MVP but getting taken out by Vladimir Kozlov.

Kozlov is ready to destroy Hardy next week.

Smackdown World Title: HHH vs. Big Show

HHH is defending. We get the Big Match Intros until HHH ducks a shot in the corner and slugs away to no avail. Show sends him outside but misses a charge into the post to actually stagger him. Back in and the side slam plants HHH in a hurry and we take a break. We come back with HHH in a neck crank and getting cranked for a long time. The standing legdrop gives Show two but he misses a charge into the corner.

HHH jumps on his back for the sleeper, which still won’t put Show down. The facebuster doesn’t work either and the Pedigree is countered into an Air Raid Crash. The big right hand misses so Show goes with the chokeslam to drop HHH instead. Show loads up the punch again but the lights go out and the Undertaker is here to brawl with Show to the back. And that’s the match.

Rating: C. Well that was just kind of a way to keep Undertaker vs. Show going and that’s not the most thrilling way to go. If nothing else, it would be nice to have Undertaker sell the beating from No Mercy. Otherwise, it just makes the whole thing seem like an annoyance which didn’t do anything to Undertaker long term. It was a way out of the title match though, and at least Show didn’t lose his momentum so soon after looking dominant at the pay per view.

Post match Vladimir Kozlov comes out and brawls with HHH, even dropping him with a headbutt to the chest. Jeff Hardy runs in and helps HHH clear him out…and then drops HHH with the Twist Of Fate. A staredown with Kozlov ends the show.

Overall Rating: C. I wasn’t exactly feeling this one as the wrestling was just ok and it was much more about setting things up for later. Kozlov is one of the new big bads around here and I’m not sure how well that’s going. He’s not very interesting and Show going with the American thing isn’t a great sign. In other words, it feels like another roadblock to Hardy getting the title, which is what the fans want to see right now. The rest of the show wasn’t much to see and hopefully that gets better. I’m not exactly certain it will with Kozlov as a focus, but the power of Hardy is strong.

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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ECW On Sci Fi
Date: October 7, 2008
Location: Spokane Arena, Spokane, Washington
Commentators: Todd Grisham, Matt Striker

We’re done with No Mercy and Matt Hardy is still the ECW Champion, having survived Mark Henry. The following night didn’t go so well for Hardy, who was pinned by Kane in a tag match on Raw. That could open up a few different options and we could be seeing more of Kane around here. Or it means nothing. Let’s get to it.

Here is No Mercy if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Finlay/Tommy Dreamer vs. Mike Knox/Jack Swagger

Hornswoggle is here too. Finlay and Knox start things off with Finlay going straight to the elbow to the head. The running seated senton allows the tag off to Dreamer and a bulldog drops Knox again. Swagger gets knocked to the floor for a clothesline from the apron but Knox is back up with a pump kick.

We take a break and come back with Knox’s suplex getting two on Dreamer and a cheap shot knocking Finlay off the apron. Swagger comes in and misses the Vader Bomb, meaning Dreamer can come in to clean house. Everything breaks down and it’s a Tadpole Splash into a shillelagh shot to give Finlay the pin on Knox.

Rating: C+. Totally standard tag match here and that’s a fine way to go. Well, as far as you could get with Knox involved. He’s just turned into such a nothing name around here but the show is in such a need for bodies that he has to stick around. Finlay is also fine for a midcard name and that’s all he needs to be, making him a fine example of how to use a veteran of his status.

It’s October so Tiffany is a devil and Teddy Long is a vampire (I think). Jamie Noble comes in and says he’s dressed as the greatest wrestler of all time. Tiffany: “You’re dressed as Shawn Michaels!” Anyway Tony Atlas and Mark Henry interrupt, with Noble making the mistake of standing up to Henry. A match is made.

The Boogeyman is coming back. Uh…good? I think? They need people, but I’m not sure how far he’ll get them.

Mark Henry vs. Jamie Noble

Henry runs him over to start and steps on his back for some loud screaming. Another knockdown has Noble in more trouble but he avoids a charge in the corner. The right hands in the corner look to set up a high crossbody, which is pulled into the World’s Strongest Slam to give Henry the pin.

Rating: C. Just a squash here as we establish that Henry is in fact still a monster. That was pretty much covered last night on Raw but they needed to do it here as well. Thankfully it didn’t last long, as there was no reason for it to go more than a few minutes. Henry knows how to smash through people and he did it well here.

Post match the beatdown stays on so Matt Hardy runs in with a Twist Of Fate. Unfortunately it’s to Tony Atlas, leaving Henry to wreck Hardy.

Raw Rebound.

CM Punk/Ricky Ortiz/Kofi Kingston/Evan Bourne vs. Miz/John Morrison/Cody Rhodes/Ted DiBiase Jr.

Manu is here with the villains. Rhodes and Bourne start things going as Striker actually explains the rules of an eight man tag. I…sure why not, as it’s not hurting anything. Bourne starts in on the arm and it’s quickly off to Punk to stay on said arm. Morrison comes in and gets taken into the corner, where Ortiz drops a leg. It’s back to Bourne for a running hurricanrana and the villains are cleared out as we take a break.

We come back with DiBiase chinlocking Bourne, apparently thanks to Manu interfering during the break (he has to do something). A big clothesline cuts off Bourne’s comeback and Morrison comes in for the armbar. Miz grabs a cravate and the rapid fire tags continue with Rhodes hammering away.

It’s already back to Miz for a front facelock, with Bourne reversing into a small package for two. Bourne is up without much trouble though and Punk comes back in to strike away. Everything breaks down (yep) and it’s time for the series of dives. Manu’s distraction saves Morrison from the GTS though and DiBiase knocks Punk into the Moonlight Drive to give Morrison the pin.

Rating: B-. The rapid fire tags helped a bit here as it let the people get in there rather than waiting around as much. At the same time, the less Ortiz does the better, as there is just nothing there. I know he has the big hair and the towel and all that, but that’s not enough to carry him. Hopefully WWE realizes that soon, as it’s getting harder to put up with him. Finally, my goodness Punk has fallen rather quickly after losing the World Title, which tends to be the case too often with MITB title winners.

Overall Rating: C+. ECW continues to exist, with the title feud kind of on hold this week and guest stars being there to fill in the gaps. As usual, I’m not sure how much this needs to be a regular hour long show, but WWE has done dumber things before. The main event was ok, though it’s not worth going out of your way to see. Just wait for Smackdown, as is often the case around here.

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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Evolve
Date: February 11, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Robert Stone, Peter Rosenberg

We’re coming up on the season finale, which only means so much when the season premiere is a week later. The big result last week was Jackson Drake retaining the Evolve Title over Kam Hendrix in a bit of a surprise. Other than that, Karmen Petrovic is challenging Kendal Grey for the Women’s Title. Let’s get to it.

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

Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair recap the recent events in the women’s division in a way that no people would ever actually speak.

Opening sequence.

IMG Credit: WWE

Swipe Right vs. Eli Knight/Mike Cunningham

Tate Wilder is in the VIP section and Jackson Drake is here with Swipe Right. Smokes wrestles Cunningham down to start and it’s off to Baylor, who has to roll out of a wristlock. Cunningham dropkicks Smokes and sends Baylor outside, allowing Knight to come in off the top with a double stomp to Smokes’ arm. It’s back to Cunningham to stay on the arm and a running neckbreaker into a splash gets two.

Smokes manages to bring Baylor back in for a forearm to Knight, who easily rolls over for the tag back to Cunningham. Drake offers a quick distraction though and Baylor shoves Cunningham off the top as we take a break. We come back with Cunningham still in trouble but he hiptosses his way to freedom. Knight comes back in to clean house, including a nice tornado DDT/dropkick combination.

The moonsault doesn’t connect as Knight has to roll through, allowing Baylor to knock him down again. Cunningham breaks up the Super Swipe though and Baylor gets dropped with a hard German suplex. Everything breaks down and Baylor knees Knight in the face, setting up Super Swipe for two as Cunningham makes a diving save.

Smokes and Knight slug it out until Smokes catches him on top with a running knee. Cunningham is back in to pull Baylor off the top and fireman’s carry Smokes, allowing Knight to moonsault off Smokes’ back for two, with a big shove making the last second save. Knight’s Stundog Millionaire into Sliced Bread hits Baylor but a dive hits Cunningham by mistake. The top rope double stomp/reverse DDT combination finishes Knight at 12:20.

Rating: B+. That’s on a bit of a sliding scale as these guys are still relatively new at this level, but dang this wound up being a heck of a match. It felt like they were being asked to go out there and show what they could do and then lived up to the challenge. They pulled me into this one and it’s easily the best match any of them have ever had.

Post match the Vanity Project brags about their win and Jackson Drake says Cappuccino Jones can have his title shot in three weeks at Succession II. This brings out Harlem Lewis to say he earned his title shot so he’ll just have to beat up all three of them. Brooks Jensen runs in to jump Lewis from behind, with the Project approving.

Arianna Grace and Nikkita Lyons are exhausted from trying to be nice. Masyn Holiday and Layla Diggs come in and ask to switch lockers with them, but Lyons snaps because that TikTok video did NOTHING for her personal brand. Diggs reveals that the psychic was her neighbor Doris and a match is made for next week. Grace: “Can we sue?” Thank goodness as this story was not working.

Team PC is mad about Kam Hendrix losing last week so Hendrix wants a PC vs. ID ten man tag.

IMG Credit: WWE

Aaron Rourke vs. It’s Gal

Tate Wilder and Trill London are in the VIP and Rourke jumps over Gal in the corner to start and hits some shoulders to the ribs. Rourke stomps him down in the corner and a headscissors sends Gal outside. The dive connects and Rourke throws in a few spanks, with Gal fighting back and hitting one of his own. Back in and a headscissors is countered into a hot shot, followed by a discus lariat to give Gal two.

Gal tosses him out of the corner and hits a big boot for two. He stops to pose though (again) and Rourke elbows him in the face a few times to start the comeback. The running hip attack connects in the corner for two but Gal’s double knees get the same. Rourke reverses a superplex though and hits Over The Rainbow (Molly Go Round) for the pin at 6:40.

Rating: C+. Rourke continues to interest me as he is someone who would usually be treated as a comedy guy but he plays it seriously for the most part and it’s kind of working. He’s not a top star, but he’s a solid enough hand. Giving him a win like this is a good thing and I’m curious to see where he goes.

Tate Wilder isn’t happy with how the PC guys have been lately and is ready to stand up to them.

Video on Tyra Mae Steele.

Wendy Choo comes up to Kali Armstrong, who doesn’t seem pleased with the interruption. Choo suggests Armstrong go to therapy to fix her issues and gets punched in the ribs for her efforts. Bad talk.

We run down the Succession II card.

Women’s Title: Karmen Petrovic vs. Kendal Grey

Grey, with Wren Sinclair, is defending. Petrovic sweeps the leg for an early two to start and they stare at each other. An armbar takes Grey down but Grey flips around into one of her own. Back up and Grey kicks her down, only to get faceplanted out of the corner. We take a break and come back with a double collision leaving them down.

They pull themselves up and trade running shots against the ropes with Petrovic getting the better of things. Petrovic grabs a Sharpshooter, which stays on for a good while until Grey makes the rope for the break. The cross armbreaker goes on but Petrovic stacks her up for two. Grey’s sitout powerbomb gets two more but Petrovic superkicks her out of the corner. A tornado DDT gives Petrovic two more and she goes up top, where Grey pulls her back down. Shades Of Grey retains the title at 8:16.

Rating: B-. While there wasn’t much drama about retaining the title, it was nice to see Grey having to work to get a hard fought win. Grey continues to be someone who feels like she’s planned for the top level one day and she looked solid here. Petrovic did well too, but this might be her ceiling in WWE and that’s not a great sign for her future.

Post match PJ Vasa comes out and challenges Grey for Succession II.

Overall Rating: B+. The opener was very good and this was a wrestling heavy show, which made for a strong week. Evolve is doing rather well right now and that’s a good sign heading into two of their biggest shows. I want to see where some of these things are going and the stories feel like they have been mapped out well from beginning to end. Now just get the payoffs right and everything works.

Results
Swipe Right b. Eli Knight/Mike Cunningham – Top rope double stomp/reverse DDT combination to Knight
Aaron Rourke b. It’s Gal – Over The Rainbow
Kendal Grey b. Karmen Petrovic – Shades Of Grey

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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Dynamite
Date: February 11, 2026
Location: Toyota Arena, Ontario, California
Commentators: Bryan Danielson, Tony Schiavone, Excalibur

It’s time to get ready to head down to Australia for Grand Slam later this weekend and that should make for an interesting show. This week is quite the warmup as we have a pair of title matches, with both the TNT and Women’s Title on the line. Other than that, we have more build towards Revolution so let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Tony Schiavone is in the ring and brings out Kenny Omega and Swerve Strickland for a chat. Strickland says Omega was on top of his game five years ago and everyone wanted to face him, including Strickland himself. It took him two years to get to the top of AEW but then Omega was nowhere to be found. Omega was either in the hospital bed or suspended and in his absence, AEW needed someone else to step up into that role.

Then everyone was shouting SWERVE’S HOUSE, but now Omega wants back in this spot. It sounds like he’s using his EVP powers and Strickland is ready to knock another one of them down. Omega said the people called him the god of professional wrestling and that’s in the eye of the beholder, but he takes that as a personal responsibility. Now the fans want Omega back so while it may be Swerve’s house, there might not be any lights on in the house.

Omega knows someone who can burn down a house and he’s ready to face Swerve if that’s where this is going. Swerve offers to put Omega back in the hospital bed so Omega slaps him, which Swerve says is Omega making a choice. The fight is on and they go up to the stage, with Swerve escaping the One Winged Angel and spearing him down through a table. This was two big names having a clear issue and arguing about it to set up a top level match. That’s always going to work.

We run down the card.

Kyle Fletcher is ready to regain the TNT Title and Don Callis can sit back and watch. This is different than anything else he does how?

IMG Credit: All Elite Wrestling

Death Riders vs. Don Callis Family

Davis powers Pac down to start a few times before it’s off to Moxley. That goes a bit better as Davis is driven into the corner for some chops, followed by Castagnoli for the uppercuts. Davis fires off some chops of his own and a running shoulder actually puts Castagnoli down. Back up and Castagnoli grabs a big suplex before Takeshita comes in and goes right after (the illegal) Moxley.

Everything breaks down and the fight heads to the floor, leaving Castagnoli to tilt-a-whirl backbreaker Takeshita back inside. Pac gets pulled down onto the apron though and the Riders are in trouble as we take an early break. We come back with Pac hiptossing his way out of a neck crank and handing it off to Castagnoli. That means the running uppercuts in the corner until Davis hits a hard running clothesline.

Takeshita and Moxley come back in for an exchange of failed finisher attempts and Takeshita is taken into the corner. The Riders fire off some running uppercuts but the Family is back in to roll German suplexes on Moxley. Back in and the Riders clear out most of the Family, leaving Moxley to choke Alexander. The Death Rider finishes Alexander at 15:06.

Rating: B+. This was a fast paced, hard hitting match and it was a heck of an opening match. The match was a way to help set up the Takeshita vs. Moxley showdown and that’s the real main event of the whole thing. At the same time, Alexander is just the jobber to the stars of the team and that’s all he was pretty much ever going to be.

IMG Credit: All Elite Wrestling

TNT Title: Kyle Fletcher vs. Tommaso Ciampa

Fletcher is challenging and Don Callis is on commentary. Fletcher backs out to the floor to start before coming back in (as invited by Ciampa) for a running shoulder. A boot to the face drops Ciampa again but he snaps off a DDT for a knockdown of his own. Back up and Fletcher hits a quick full nelson slam so Ciampa gives him a jumping clothesline. The running knee sends Fletcher outside for a ram into the barricade and yes Ciampa will applaud himself. Fletcher snaps off a half and half suplex on the floor though and we take a break.

We come back with Fletcher missing a running knee in the corner but avoiding a running knee into the steps. Ciampa’s knee is fine enough to hold Fletcher up for an Air Raid Crash onto the steps, followed by a running knee for two back inside. A reverse DDT gets the same and Ciampa takes him up top, where Fletcher reverses into a spinning belly to back superplex.

The sitout Last Ride gives Fletcher two and he powerbombs Ciampa onto the apron. Fletcher’s brainbuster gets two and both of them look stunned on the kickout. Ciampa is able to get in a superplex of his own and a running knee gets two more. Fletcher spits at him and manages a lawn dart into the corner. Ciampa is right back with a running knee into a brainbuster for two but Fletcher blasts him with a clothesline. The brainbuster gives Fletcher the title back at 16:34.

Rating: A-. Yep that worked, as they just beat the daylights out of each other and it was even better than expected. While I could have gone with Ciampa holding the title longer, this was about getting the belt on Fletcher before he goes back home to Australia. Either way, awesome match here with both guys looking outstanding.

Post match Fletcher is proud of his title win and he’s ready for his hero’s welcome in Australia. He’ll even defend the title against anyone so here is Mark Briscoe to interrupt. He’s proud of Fletcher for winning again but brings up that they’re 3-3 so he’s willing to give Fletcher home field advantage. Fletcher is sick of Briscoe but wants it to be bigger than ever, so we’ll make it a ladder match. Deal. Of course it is.

Video on the Babes Of Wrath defending the Women’s Tag Team Titles against Penelope Ford and Megan Bayne on Saturday.

Daniel Garcia/Clark Connors vs. Roderick Strong/Orange Cassidy

Strong whips Connors into the corner to start fast and hits the big dropkick. Connors knocks him down into the corner and hammers away, allowing Strong to come in and fire off the chops. Cassidy comes in with the Stundog Millionaire but the tornado DDT is countered into a sleeper from Garcia. That’s broken up and we take a break, coming back with Cassidy escaping a full nelson.

Strong walks out on a tag attempt though and that means Cassidy gets double stomped down in the corner with no one around to help. Connors hits a spear on the apron but misses a charge into the barricade. Cue a man in the crowd (clearly Darby Allin) to take out Connors, leaving Cassidy to small package Garcia for the pin at 9:08.

Rating: C+. Now this was a better use of Allin, as he’s someone who can sneak up on people and take them out rather than getting beaten up every week. Cassidy and Allin as a potential team is….I guess intriguing? It’s either amazing or not so good and I’m not sure which. Strong walking out on Cassidy makes sense and hopefully it lets him go off and do his own thing.

Post match Toni Storm pops up on the platform to say if Marina Shafir can knock her out, she can shave her head bald, but Storm will be the most beautiful bald woman in the world. On the other hand though, Storm plans to shave her so bald that they’ll sell Shafir’s head at Spirit Halloween. Cue Wheeler Yuta, who says “bring her out”. Cue Shafir, holding Mina Shirakawa in Mother’s Milk and cutting off some of her hair. Ok that was a nice touch.

Last week, Don Callis (yes again) praised Andrade El Idolo for his win, with Andrade threatening Hangman Page.

Page wanted to face Kenny Omega again and threatens Andrade’s….pants?

Jet Speed is looking for challengers to the Trios Titles but want singles titles. Why are these two part of the Trios Champions? It feels like they’re almost never even around Page.

IMG Credit: All Elite Wrestling

Young Bucks vs. Rascalz vs. ???

For a future Tag Team Title shot and the wild card team is…the returning Private Party, for their first AEW match in over a year. Quen headlocks Xavier to start and the Rascalz are quickly cleared out. That leaves the Bucks to take out Private Party and then drop the Rascalz as well.

Reed is back in with a big dive to the floor, followed by another one from Kassidy. Xavier’s shooting star takes out the pile at ringside and we take a break. We come back with the Bucks cleaning house again, including a bulldog/running clothesline to Private Party. A stereo top rope elbow and 450 get two on Private Party as Hook is watching.

Silly String (not named) drops Xavier and a bunch of superkicks leave everyone down. The Bucks fire off superkicks and Reed’s big diving cutter over the top (that always looks great) takes out Private Party on the floor. We mix it up a bit with the Bucks firing off even more superkicks until the TK Driver finishes Reed to give the Bucks the win at 13:17.

Rating: B. The result isn’t a big surprise, as Reed was debuting and therefore he had to lose the match. I guess I’ll take that over Private Party returning and losing the fall, but what matters the most here is that it was another fast paced match. At the same time, it sets up the Bucks vs. FTR 97 or so, because I guess Australia needs to see it as well.

Post match FTR comes out for the staredown. Dax Harwood says they’re both great teams but FTR are ahead. The Bucks needed to make their own company to become the top stars and….superkicks drop FTR. The Bucks scare Stokely Hathaway before leaving him alone.

Video on Will Ospreay.

Video on MJF vs. Brody King for the World Title on Saturday.

Women’s Title: Kris Statlander vs. Thekla

Statlander is defending in a strap match. They pull on each other to start and Statlander drops her with a clothesline. Statlander knocks her to the floor but Thekla WHIPS HER IN THE FACE with the strap. That’s a violent enough one so Statlander is back with a big boot. Thekla pulls her into the steps and flips her off, which is enough to bust Statlander open.

We take a break (the match started after 10pm EST) and come back with Thekla grabbing the upside down leg choke in the ropes. Thekla does her spider pose, which allows Statlander to pull her into a superkick. Statlander goes up top and gets pulled down with a Spider superplex. A discus lariat drops Thekla again and Statlander (bleeding quite a bit now) unloads with the whip. Statlander hits a Tombstone but here are the Sisters Of Sin for a distraction, allowing Thekla to hit the spear. A Stomp gives Thekla the pin and the title at 14:03.

Rating: B-. It was violent, but the ending was kind of flat, with the villains coming in and Thekla just getting the win. At the same time, it’s the result that should have happened in their first title match. Thekla is on a roll right now and it makes more sense for her to win the title, though I’m not sure why they needed the delay. Either way, the end result is the right one.

Post match the beatdown is on but the Brawling Birds make the save (commentary does make it clear that the Babes Of Wrath are already in Australia) to end the show.

Overall Rating: A-. Those opening matches are more than enough to carry the show and anything else on the night was just going to be gravy. While I’m not wild on having Ciampa be a really short transitional champion, it’s going well if that’s the low point of the show. Other than that, you had the big title change at the end and the show was quite a hit. Heck of a show here and I’d be rather pleased if AEW can keep this up.

Results
Death Riders b. Don Callis Family – Death Rider to Alexander
Kyle Fletcher b. Tommaso Ciampa – Brainbuster
Roderick Strong/Orange Cassidy b. Daniel Garcia/Clark Connors – Small package to Garcia
Young Bucks b. Rascalz and Private Party – TK Driver to Reed
Thekla b. Kris Statlander – Stomp

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

Monday Night Raw
Date: October 6, 2008
Location: Key Arena, Seattle, Washington
Commentators: Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler

We’re done with No Mercy and the big story around here is that Chris Jericho defeated Shawn Michaels in an outstanding ladder match to retain the World Title. That should wrap up their feud for good as we move on to Cyber Sunday. Jericho is going to need a fresh challenger and as luck would have it, Batista became #1 contender last night. Let’s get to it.

Here is No Mercy if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is Chris Jericho to get things going. Jericho talks about how Mike Adamle will not be here tonight due to a meeting with the McMahons, so Jericho is in charge tonight. He’s still sore from last night and has a banged up tooth, which he has to live with for the rest of his life. Every time he sees that, he will think of Shawn Michaels, which ironically will make him smile. Jericho knows Michaels is here tonight and wants revenge, so tonight Michaels can face Lance Cade, anything goes. Now you have to admit that he is the best in the world, but here is Batista to interrupt.

Batista tells him to pick the number of days until their title match. It could be seven days, fourteen days, or two-day. Jericho doesn’t back down because he knows he could beat Batista, who needs to get out of this ring right now. Batista laughs that off and plants him with a spinebuster. Simple and to the point here and it worked fine.

During the break, Jericho announced that Batista will have to beat JBL again tonight to remain #1 contender. As a bonus, Jericho himself will be guest referee.

Mickie James/Jamie Noble vs. Beth Phoenix/Santino Marella

William Regal and Layla are at ringside. Before the match, Marella says he is trying to become more American, so he has adopted a new NBA team: the Oklahoma City Thunder, which is the recently departed Seattle Super Sonics. Eh it’s one of those classic heel moves that always works.

James elbows Phoenix in the face to start and it’s off to the men, with Noble kicking away in the corner. Everything breaks down and James dropkicks Phoenix out to the floor, leaving Noble to grab a sunset flip for two. We settle back down and Phoenix grabs Noble from the apron, allowing Marella to roll him up for the fast win.

Post match Noble and Regal get in a fight, likely setting up another mixed tag.

Shawn Michaels is tired, sore and in pain and he knows Chris Jericho feels the same. Lance Cade is supposed to take Michaels out but tonight Michaels is going to show that he still has gas in the tank.

Kofi Kingston vs. Ted DiBiase Jr.

Cody Rhodes and Manu are here with DiBiase so here is CM Punk to even things up a bit. Kingston leapfrogs him a few times before hitting a jumping back elbow. DiBiase is right back with a knockdown of his own and we hit the quickly broken chinlock. Back up and Kingston strikes away, including the jumping dropkick. Manu’s distraction doesn’t work though as Kingston knocks him down and gives DiBiase the Russian legsweep. Punk goes after a distraction Rhodes but DiBiase grabs a Million Dollar Dream into a Russian legsweep of his own for the fast win.

Chris Jericho talks to Randy Orton and says tonight, he’s going to work.

Video on John Cena, who is working on getting better after neck surgery.

Kane, Mark Henry and Tony Atlas have no interest in meeting Dolph Ziggler.

Rey Mysterio/Kane vs. Matt Hardy/Rey Mysterio

Tony Atlas is here with the villains. Mysterio slugs away at Kane to start but can’t get very far. Instead he manages to get Kane into the corner so Hardy can help with the mon…well the taller monster, but Kane cuts that off rather quickly. Henry tries to come in but gets taken down by the leg, with Hardy and Mysterio hitting a double dropkick.

We take a break and come back with Hardy in trouble but he gets away for the tag to Mysterio. That means the pace can pick up, including a springboard legdrop to Henry. Kane gets in a cheap shot from the apron though and comes in to stomp away in the corner. Henry’s headbutt drops Mysterio again but Kane misses his top rope clothesline. Hardy comes back in as everything breaks down, with Mysterio hitting a 619 to Kane and Hardy going up top. Henry gets creative by throwing Mysterio at the ropes though, knocking Mysterio into the chokeslam to give Kane the pin.

Rating: C+. Pretty run of the mill power vs. speed match here and it worked about as well as usual. If nothing else, it was nice to see a pair of feuds tied together to give us something fresh. Henry is probably coming after Hardy one more time and it’s pretty clear Mysterio vs. Kane isn’t done so this was a nice use of time.

Shawn Michaels vs. Lance Cade

No DQ and Cade actually drops him with an early clothesline. They go outside with Cade hammering him down some more and loading up a table. Michaels gets put through it as this is quite the one sided beating thus far. Cade grabs a chair but Michaels takes him down and hammers away. A chair shot to the head drops Cade and Michaels just unloads on him with the chair for the pin.

Post match Michaels beats on Cade with the chair even more, much to the fans’ delight.

Jerry Lawler is in the ring and announces that the fans will get to face Santino Marella for the Intercontinental Title at Cyber Sunday. You can pick from Roddy Piper, Goldust or the Honky Tonk Man. Throwing Piper in there does offer a bit of a mystery winner, as otherwise this should be Honky Tonk Man in a walk.

Here is the Great Khali to interrupt Lilian Garcia. Runjin Singh says Khali is not happy with Jackass’ Johnny Knoxville (this isn’t where I saw this going). We see a clip from an interview between Knoxville and Khali, with Knoxville asking about the proportions of a certain part of Khali’s anatomy. This results in Khali storming off and then inviting Knoxville to Raw next week. To show that he’s a fun loving guy, we get the Khali Kiss Cam, with Khali kissing Garcia, who isn’t sure what to think.

Here is Jillian Hall to sing some Nirvana, which doesn’t go well.

Jillian Hall vs. Kelly Kelly

Miz and John Morrison and Cryme Tyme are on commentary for a lot of bickering. Kelly gets sent to the apron to start and is knocked outside just as fast. Hall rams her into the apron as Cole cannot get a word in as the other four have not stopped arguing. Back in and Hall throws her down by the hair as commentary is throwing out Chris Jericho related insults. Miz says something about a bowl of chili as Hall works on a backbreaker. Lawler FINALLY gets in a word and talks about Hall beating on Kelly but the argument is right back on. Kelly gets a victory roll for the pin.

Rating: C. Ok, so the match was absolutely nothing, but the commentary was a blast, as it was basically “how long can you guys argue without taking a breath?”. It almost turned into a game as they just kept going and it wound up being really funny. This was totally different than what you usually get around here and it was really fun as a result.

Video on John Cena’s recovery from surgery. The doctor was astounded at how he recovered, including going to the arena the day of the operation. Yeah Cena is not normal.

Batista vs. John Bradshaw Layfield

For the #1 contendership and Chris Jericho is guest referee. Actually hold on as we also have William Regal as guest timekeeper and Randy Orton is guest commentator. Batista powers JBL into the corner to start and runs him over with a shoulder for a rather delayed one. A shinbreaker of all things sets up the Figure Four and JBL reaches for the rope…with a brief touch counting as a break.

JBL is back up to hammer away in the corner and a big clothesline gets (a somewhat slow) two. Batista is back up with a suplex but this time Jericho won’t even count. That earns Jericho a run to the floor, allowing Regal to jump Batista from behind. Back in and JBL grabs a full nelson and then a sleeper, with Batista jawbreaking his way to freedom. The running shoulder in the corner is tripped down by Jericho so Batista hits a spinebuster on JBL. Regal and Orton try to come in and it’s a triple spear to take the villains down. Cue Mike Adamle to send another referee down so the Batista Bomb can give Batista the pin.

Rating: C. I mean, it was better when Vince Russo turned it into a thing, but JBL isn’t quite Mick Foley and while Batista is a big star, he isn’t Austin. At the same time, it didn’t help that they were rushing through things and the villains only interfered so much. It’s a good idea, but they did the Cliff Notes version here and that didn’t quite work.

Post match Adamle says Batista gets his title shot at Cyber Sunday, with the fans getting to pick the guest referee. The choices are Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels or Steve Austin, meaning Jericho knows he’s in trouble to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. They set up the big title match at Cyber Sunday and that worked well, though there was only so much to be gained with the stuff they got ready. Jericho vs. Batista is a fresh match, but it’s a pretty big step down from the awesome Jericho vs. Michaels feud. The rest of the show was pretty much the run of the mill stuff Raw has been doing recently, meaning this show was about as mediocre as it gets.

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

NXT
Date: February 10, 2026
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We’re in a bit of a new era as we have a new NXT Champion in Joe Hendry, who won the title last week in a heck of a seven man ladder match. That leaves us pretty wide open for where things go from here and that should make for some interesting developments. Other than that, we’re on our way to…whatever the next big show is going to be.  Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Here is Joe Hendry to get things going. He is the new NXT Champion but he wasn’t sure he was going to get here. Last week he was on the floor in pain but he looked up at Ricky Saints and he got up to win the title. Becoming a two time national amateur wrestling champion in England was a step, just like winning the TNA World Title and facing Randy Orton at Wrestlemania. Cue the Vanity Project to interrupt, with Jackson Drake saying he’s ready to run through a wall. Or take the title. The brawl is on with Hendry getting taken down, allowing Drake to do Hendry’s pose and hold up the NXT Title.

Zaria and Sol Ruca are still having tension, with Zaria asking why it can’t be her time. Ruca: “Good talk, I guess.”

Jaida Parker is ready to give a beating. The fire she has in her eyes is great.

Keanu Carver wants the next shot at the NXT Title but Robert Stone says Jackson Drake is getting it, as Shawn Michaels wants chaos. Carver is fine with delivering chaos but Stone tries to stop him. A glare cuts that off really fast.

Blake Monroe vs. Jaida Parker

Parker jumps her to start but Monroe throws part of her gear. That doesn’t get her very far though as Parker is back with a German suplex. A waistlock puts Monroe in trouble and Parker knocks her out to the floor. Monroe manages a trip into the announcers’ table though and we take a break. We come back with Parker blocking a kick to the ribs and elbowing Monroe in the face. The Teardrop connects in the corner and Parker knocks her outside, where they brawl to a double countout at 9:02.

Rating: C. Well that wasn’t much. Parker continues to feel like a star in the making but instead she’s going to a double countout in a so so match with Monroe. At least Parker feels like she has something going for her though, but Monroe is just kind of there. That’s going to need to change, as she’s needing something else to do. Like pairing her with someone perhaps.

Post match the beatdown stays on, with Parker taking out both Monroe and security. Monroe bails into the crowd.

Tatum Paxley talks about how it felt like she was drowning and struggling to breathe around Izzi Dame and the Culling. She tried to become what Dame wanted her to be but had to let go. It let her become what she knew she was and become the version of Tatum Paxley she needs to be.

Kale Dixon yells at Uriah Connors for walking out on Chase U last week. Connors says Chase held them back and here are Stacks, Arianna Grace and Lexis King, who seem to want Connors on their side. Wasn’t he on the team last week?

The title character from the movie Psycho Killer is behind commentary. Make your own Tommaso Ciampa reference.

Speed Title #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Josh Briggs vs. Eli Knight

Knight ducks boot in the corner to start and gets in a high crossbody. An enziguri sends Briggs outside for a running dive but he clotheslines Knight in the back of the head for an early two. Knight knocks him back down and hits a moonsault for the fast pin at 2:06. Well they got the speed part right, but that’s about all they had here.

Elio LeFleur comes out to shake hands with Knight but Jasper Troy comes in to lay them both out.

Lola Vice gets her hand looked at and is ready to face Kelani Jordan next week. Cue Jordan to jump her from behind.

Keanu Carver has wrecked a bunch of people, including Sean Legacy and Andre Chase.

Here is Darkstate for a chat. Dion Lennox wants the NXT Title but Cutler James isn’t sure what Tony D’Angelo was thinking last week. They haven’t forgotten about the Culling either, but here is the Culling on the platform to say they aren’t charging into this kind of a disadvantage. The lights go out and OTM say they’re here for the titles as well. Hank & Tank pop up to say they want the belts too but here is D’Angelo to run through Darkstate.

Post break Robert Stone makes a three way #1 contenders match for next week with OTM, the Culling and Hank & Tank. Stone runs into Shiloh Hill, in a hockey mask for some reason, but Ethan Page comes in to say Hill needs to leave. Hill does that and Page tells Stone that he wants to set the record for the most title defenses. Page says he’s already beaten everyone around here and from TNA but Hill comes back in to get his machete, which gets him a title shot next week.

NXT Title: Joe Hendry vs. Jackson Drake

Only Hendry is defending and Drake (with the Vanity Project) dropkicks him into the corner to start. An early Swanton gives Drake two and a running shooting star press connects, only for Hendry to roll through into a fall away slam. They go outside with Hendry blocking a ram into the apron and then hitting a slam back inside.

Hendry rams him into the corner a few times and gets two off a suplex, with the fans approving. The Project gets caught sending Hendry into the steps though and get ejected as we take a break. We come back with Hendry fighting out of a cravate and grabbing a quick neckbreaker.

Hendry makes his comeback but the Standing Ovation is escaped, meaning Hendry has to settle for two off an Angle Slam instead. A German suplex and the Unaliver (running knee, not even named by commentary) gets two on Hendry but he counters a hurricanrana into a powerbomb. The Standing Ovation retains the title at 11:14.

Rating: C+. This was about getting Hendry’s first title defense out of the way and that’s not a bad thing. What matters the most is establishing him as champion, which kind of hast to be done since he won the title in a ladder match. I’m not wild on a champion losing, but it does help when the Evolve Title is clearly further down the ladder than the NXT Title, so this is far from an upset.

Post match Ricky Saints runs in and lays Hendry out.

Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair fire each other up before their main event.

Darkstate is ready for whomever comes after them next. Cutler James is ready to take out Tony D’Angelo next week.

IMG Credit: WWE

Hank & Tank vs. Vanity Project

Hank chases after Baylor to start but gets taken into the corner for the tag off to Tank. A Smokes distraction lets Baylor get in a dropkick though and Smokes comes in for a chinlock. That’s broken up in a hurry with Hank working on the arm. Smokes gets sent face first into the buckle but Baylor gets a blind tag so Tank can get stomped in the corner.

We take a break and come back with Tank getting away and diving over for the tag back to Hank. A wheelbarrow Edge-O-Matic (that was cool) drops Smokes but Baylor comes in off the top with an elbow to cut Hank off. Everything breaks down and they all knock each other down but here are OTM and the Culling to brawl for a distraction. Cue Jackson Drake to knock Tank into a rollup to give Baylor the pin at 11:20.

Rating: C+. I’m assuming this will result in the Vanity Project being added to the #1 contenders match (which is fine) but the best thing is that it makes the team look like a bit more of a threat. The idea of the team isn’t that physically imposing but they’re clever. That’s something that has worked for years and it’s probably the best option for the team.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Sean Legacy wants Keanu Carver in two weeks. Yeah Carver will beat him up, but Carver will know he’s been in a fight.

Robert Stone does indeed put Vanity Project in the #1 contenders match next week (Simple and logical. That’s all I ask for. Well a lot of it at least.). Myles Borne comes in and isn’t happy about not getting the North American Title shot. Stone tells him it’s time for him to do something out of character.

Here’s what else is coming next week.

IMG Credit: WWE

Wren Sinclair/Kendal Grey vs. Sol Ruca/Zaria

Whomever gets the pin gets an NXT Women’s Title shot. Grey rolls Ruca up to start fast so Ruca throws her into the corner for a break. It’s off to Sinclair for a basement dropkick but Ruca flips out of a wristlock. Zaria comes in to take over but shoves Ruca for a tag, only to break up Ruca’s cover. Zaria’s blind tag lets her get back inside, where Grey hits a superkick from the apron.

A double suplex gets Zaria out of trouble and it’s back to Ruca for a Mega Powers elbow. Ruca and Zaria argue with each other though and get dropkicked together for a crash out to the floor. Sinclair and Grey hit a dive apiece and we take a break. We come back with Grey escaping Zaria’s torture rack and both of them being knocked down.

Ruca tags herself back in and missile dropkicks Sinclair, followed by a running knee for two. Zaria makes her own tag back in and has to fight out of a cross armbreaker. Grey superkicks Zaria into Ruca, which counts as a tag but Zaria doesn’t notice. The spear hits Grey and an F5 takes out Sinclair, only for Ruca to come back in with the Sol Snatcher (which didn’t come close, with Grey falling down before the contact) to pin Grey at 12:25.

Rating: B-. That ending really didn’t work as there was no way to hide how far off the Sol Snatcher really landed. At the same time, it’s another issue between Ruca and Zaria, as I try to figure out why they’re still together. It’s one case after another of Zaria getting screwed over (often by herself) and they should have pulled the trigger on their split already. Sinclair and Grey work well together too and hopefully their split is a good time off in the future, as it doesn’t need to happen anytime soon.

Zaria is furious and here is Fatal Influence to yell at Ruca to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This show was about trying to take some steps into the future, as we have a lot of new stories that need to come together. It also helped with the idea of giving some of the fresh names something to do. NXT was needing some fresh blood and thankfully their early steps went fairly well. That being said, they still have a long way to go so we’ll have to see where it goes from here.

Results
Jaida Parker vs. Blake Monroe went to a double countout
Eli Knight b. Josh Briggs – Moonsault
Joe Hendry b. Jackson Drake – Standing Ovation
Vanity Project b. Hank & Tank – Rollup to Hank
Sol Ruca/Zaria b. Kendal Grey/Wren Sinclair – Sol Snatcher to Grey

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

Monday Night Raw
Date: February 9, 2026
Location: Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, Cleveland, Ohio
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

The road to Elimination Chamber continues here as we have some more qualifying matches for the namesake matches. That isn’t going to be enough to fill out the card though and that means we should be getting some more things being set up. The Tag Team Titles are on the line as well so let’s get to it.

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

CM Punk is in the back and AJ Lee happens to be here as well. Becky Lynch sees them and is not pleased.

We start with some less than good news: Bron Breakker has suffered an injury and undergone surgery, which will leave him out of action indefinitely.

Here is a ticked off Becky Lynch for a chat. She’s tired of the disrespect…and here is AJ Lee to interrupt. Lynch doesn’t like Lee being here to support Maxxine Dupri and insults her EYEBROWS before calling her a little chihuahua who keeps barking and ruining Lynch’s life. Lee thinks that’s a tad dramatic before going into a list of the things that she’s done to Lynch, including a bunch of defeats. Lee: “That’s water under the bridge.” Lynch: “THERE IS NO WATER AND THERE IS NO BRIDGE!!!”

Lynch starts to lose it (Lee’s eyes bugging out is hilarious) and issues a challenge for Elimination Chamber where she can spill Lee’s blood. Lee: “BECKY! I knew you liked me!” She thinks that since she beats Lynch, she should be #1 contender but that’s a big NO from Lynch. Lee: “No title, no match.” She teases leaving and Lynch begrudgingly agrees to make this a title shot. Lynch says if Lee thinks she was held down by the man before, she has no idea what this will be like. This was really good, as Lynch sold the heck out of losing it over Lee, who strung her along every step of the way.

IMG Credit: WWE

Tag Team Titles: Usos vs. Alpha Academy

The Usos are defending and Tozawa knocks Jey down into an early chinlock. That’s broken up and Jey drives him into the corner so Jimmy can come in. Tozawa fights out of the corner and gets in a hurricanrana, followed by a spinning kick to the head for two. Everything breaks down and the Usos are sent to the floor, with Tozawa being thrown onto them as we take a break.

We come back with Tozawa getting in a DDT to spike Jey (who thankfully seems ok), allowing the tag off to Otis. House is quickly cleaned but the Caterpillar is cut off with a superkick. Jimmy comes back in for the double superkick. Otis runs the champs over with a double clothesline. Everything breaks down and Tozawa’s top rope backsplash gets two on Jimmy. Otis is sent shoulder first into the post before missing a charge. A double spear drops Otis and the 1D retains the titles at 10:01.

Rating: B. I was dreading this match coming in because the Academy have been nothing for so long, but at the time, it’s not like there is a better option out there right now. The Raw tag division has been nothing for a long time so having a random tag match wind up being good is a nice surprise. They desperately need some fresh teams, but that could take a long time to get going, especially given WWE’s history.

Post match respect is shown but the Usos are asked what’s next for them. Jimmy wants Jey to qualify for the Elimination Chamber and get the World Title back.

We look back at CM Punk and Roman Reigns’ face to face showdown last week, with their Wrestlemania title match being set up.

Here is Judgment Day for a chat. Liv Morgan has something to say but first, Dominik Mysterio has some flowers for her. Morgan says that’s what should be done for Valentine’s Day and he’ll get his gift from her later. She knows that whomever she faces at Wrestlemania will lose, so here is Stephanie Vaquer to interrupt.

Vaquer says Morgan talks too much and switches to Spanish, with Morgan asking for a translation. Mysterio doesn’t think he should translate but responds in Spanish on Morgan’s behalf. Morgan asks what he said, with Vaquer saying “he said he’s a little b****.” More arguing ensues and Morgan insults her in Spanish, earning Mysterio a slap from Vaquer. Morgan getting all excited over the Spanish was a great touch and this opened the door of Morgan picking Vaquer a bit wider.

Rhea Ripley, Ivy Nile and Lyra Valkyria are ready for their Elimination Chamber qualifying match.

Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: Rhea Ripley vs. Ivy Nile vs. Lyra Valkyria

Ripley sends Nile flying to start so Valkyria is right there to get two off a small package. Back in and Nile German suplexes both of them, with everyone heading outside. Valkyria snaps off a hurricanrana and we take a break. We come back with Nile getting caught in the Tree of Woe while the other two fight on top. Nile sits up and grabs a German suplex for the Tower Of Doom.

Back up and Ripley kicks away at Nile until Valkyria gets a quick two off a rollup. A Steiner Bulldog is loaded up but Ripley drops Valkyria down for a faceplant instead. Nile German suplexes Ripley and covers Valkyria for two more. Valkyria’s DDT to Ripley gives Nile another two as this has been about stealing covers at every possibility. Ripley saves Valkyria from a seated dragon sleeper but gets knocked outside. Nightwing connects, with Ripley making the save, setting up Riptide for the pin on Valkyria at 9:30.

Rating: B. Nile got something of a standout performance here, which has not been the case for a long time. At the same time, it was nice to see Ripley getting back to what made her a star in the first place. Fun match here, with everyone trying to steal a pin and keeping things moving until the finish.

The sore Dominik Mysterio is in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match last week but also has to defend the Intercontinental Title. For now though, Mysterio has to calm Finn Balor down, but Balor wants the World Title. Mysterio thinks Balor’s window might be closed, but Balor says he’s tired of being an afterthought. He thought they were supposed to be family and leaves.

Michael Cole is in the ring to introduce CM Punk but Finn Balor interrupts and grabs the mic. Balor knows that Punk is hurt but everyone is talking about Punk vs. Roman Reigns. Balor had Punk beat and he’s tired of being pushed around. He wants Punk for the title at Elimination Chamber but here is Adam Pearce, who says we’re not doing things like this. Pearce tells Balor that the title is spoken for so forget about this or get out of here.

Cue a ticked off CM Punk, who says Balor is the first thought instead of an afterthought. Punk thinks Balor deserves a beating instead of a title shot so get off the announcers’ table and come get it. Balor wants the title on the line so Punk says let’s do it. Pearce says no, but Punk says give him the match he wants or Punk will spend the rest of the show beating Balor up around the arena. Pearce says the match is on…at Elimination Chamber, taking a lot of the air out of the arena.

With all that out of the way, Punk is ready for the scheduled interview, with Cole asking what Punk is doing by jeopardizing his Wrestlemania main event. Punk says he isn’t jeopardizing anything, because he is trying to build things up. He is trying to get one step better every day and he knows this is a risky way to go.

These people deserve this but he knows it could end anywhere in any city in front of any crowd, but he’s confident enough to know “that s*** ain’t gonna happen.” The only way Wrestlemania ends is with his hand raised and the ring announcer saying AND STILL World Heavyweight Champion, CM Punk. Good stuff here from Punk, though that match with Balor is about as dead in the water as you can get. At the same time, Punk got to show what a master of the microphone he is here, as he was basically directing the whole segment with his words.

Adam Pearce makes sure Finn Balor is out of the building but here is the Vision to interrupt him. Paul Heyman underestimated Pearce because he kept pushing Bron Breakker, who injured himself lifting and had to undergo major surgery. Pearce stands up and says he knows Breakker is one of the keys to the future of WWE (Heyman: “Agreed.”).

He wants Breakker back more than anyone but we need to focus on the now, including Austin Theory’s Elimination Chamber qualifying match. Pearce also tells the Vision to stay out of the match, and that’s a threat. Heyman: “There it is.” Logan Paul asks Pearce what he’ll do if the team interferes, but that’s a rhetorical question.

Nattie vs. Maxxine Dupri

Yes it’s officially Nattie and Dupri gets her in the ankle lock in about ten seconds. That’s broken up so Dupri knocks her outside for another ankle lock. Nattie kicks her into the steps for the break and gets in a hard posting as well. Dupri gets dropped onto the announcers’ table and pummeled down for the double countout at 1:35. If this was the big change for Nattie, it’s about exactly what I would have expected from her.

Post match Nattie gets the Sharpshooter on the table. AJ Lee runs out for the save but Becky Lynch is here to post Lee, as a person who is snapping tends to do.

LA Knight is ready to qualify for the Elimination Chamber and wants to take the chance away from Austin Theory.

Los Americanos vs. Je’Von Evans/???

Evans’ mystery partner is…the Original El Grande Americano. Well who else was it going to be? Ron Bass? Rayo jumps Evans to start and gets dropkicked for his early efforts. A springboard hurricanrana takes Bravo down as well but Evans is sent outside. That earns the Americanos a top rope double clothesline from the Original.

We take a break and come back with Original coming in to start firing off suplexes. Rayo headbutts Evans but gets kicked in the face by Original. The regular El Grande Americano shoves the Original off the top so Bravo goes up. A dive (after Original has already moved) is cuttered out of the air and Original’s top rope headbutt gets the pin at 7:45.

Rating: C+. The dive into the cutter was such awesome timing that it makes up for how dump Bravo looked for jumping in the first place, which is rather impressive. The Americano stuff is awesome, especially considering it’s totally different down in AAA. Odds are this is setting up a mask vs. mask match and it could be rather good given how talented these two really are.

Post match both Americanos try to go after the masks but neither get anywhere.

Penta, Austin Theory and LA Knight are ready for the Elimination Chamber.

We look at Gunther’s celebration last week and beatdown of Dragon Lee from last week.

Gunther is annoyed at being told he has an Elimination Chamber qualifying match last week because he already knows that. His road to Wrestlemania should have started when he beat Bill Goldberg but the result will be the same, because he’ll leave Wrestlemania as the new WWE Champion. Of note: Gunther had a very nice looking watch.

IMG Credit: WWE

Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: Penta vs. Austin Theory vs. LA Knight

Paul Heyman is here with Theory, who is taken into the corner to start for the slingshot dropkick. Knight’s running knee rocks Theory again and a double clothesline puts him on the floor. Penta takes over on Knight and sends him outside, only to get dropkicked by the returning Theory. A ram into the steps has Penta in trouble and we take a break.

We come back with Knight slugging away at Theory, who gives Penta a brainbuster for two. Theory kicks Penta down for two more but Knight is back in with a running clothesline to put Theory on the floor. That means Knight can send both of them into the announcers’ table but Theory is able to trip Knight into the turnbuckle. Penta is back up with the Backstabber out of the corner to Theory, with Knight making the save.

They go up top for a Tower Of Doom to give Theory two on Knight, meaning frustration is setting in. Knight knocks Theory down and hits the top rope elbow but here is the Vision for a distraction. The Tsunami crushes Knight so Adam Pearce runs out with security to get rid of Bronson Reed. Penta gets sent onto the announcers’ table but the masked man is back with a superkick and Stomp to Theory. Back in and the BFT finishes Theory at 13:42.

Rating: B-. I’m rather over seeing triple threat qualifying matches for anything, but at least they had a good match here. Knight getting the revenge on the Vision and moving on to the Chamber is a good way for him to go, as he’s still one of the most popular stars in the company. Go with what the fans want, as Knight getting the title later this year would not be a crazy way to go.

Knight promises more for the Vision and Pearce glares at Heyman to end the show.

The show is dedicated to Jim Shank, a longstanding member of the production team who passed away earlier today.

Overall Rating: B. They had a solid show here as we shift away from the Royal Rumble to the Elimination Chamber. The qualifying matches were both good and you can see a lot of the pieces on this side coming together. I’m not wild on seeing Punk vs. Balor again, especially after how the previous match ended and what is set for Wrestlemania, but at least it should be quality. Nice show this week, and hopefully they can keep up the interest going into the pay per view.

Results
Usos b. Alpha Academy – 1D to Otis
Rhea Ripley b. Ivy Nile and Lyra Valkyria – Riptide to Valkyria
Nattie vs. Maxxine Dupri went to a double countout
Original El Grande Americano/Je’Von Evans b. Los Americanos – Top rope headbutt to Bravo
LA Knight b. Penta and Austin Theory – BFT to Theory

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