Smackdown
Date: May 29, 2026
Location: Olimpic Arena, Barcelona, Spain
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

We’re overseas this week for this Sunday’s Clash In Italy show and we might as well stop here for a breather. The pay per view is mostly set up as Gunther is ready to challenge Cody Rhodes for the World Title. We should be getting some last minute pushes towards Sunday here so let’s get to it.

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

We look at Jade Cargill beating Rhea Ripley in a six woman tag on Saturday Night’s Main Event.

Here are Cargill and her goons for a chat. B-Fab and Michin tell the fans to shut up as they boo Cargill rather loudly. They know Cargill is going to win the title back on Sunday because the future is now. Cue Ripley to interrupt and yeah the fans seem to like her. Ripley says she’s beaten Cargill before and she can do it again, with Cargill looking up at the true champion. Cargill isn’t impressed but here are Charlotte and Alexa Bliss to interrupt. They don’t think much of Cargill either so Cargill insults Bliss, who says she’s dealt with bigger and better stars than her. Nick Aldis, get the referee, now.

Jade Cargill vs. Alexa Bliss

Their friends are at ringside. Cargill powers her out to the floor to start but Bliss is back in to hammer away. Bliss’ high crossbody is pulled out of the air though and a gorilla press drop has her in more trouble. They go outside and Bliss is powerbombed onto the barricade as we take a break.

We come back with Cargill elbowing her out to the floor and getting to pose on the apron. Bliss is able to hit a dropkick into the barricade and a flipping backsplash connects back inside. Sister Abigail is broken up and the other four brawl to the back. A DDT plants Cargill but Twisted Bliss hits her raised ankles. Jaded finishes Bliss at 9:33.

Rating: C+. This was the simple “villains beats up the champion’s friends before fighting the champion” and that’s something that has worked for the better part of ever. Cargill gets to smash through a big name on her way to the major title match. This was a perfectly acceptable match and that’s a good start to the show.

Post match Cargill grabs a chair and gives Bliss another Jaded onto said chair. Ripley and Charlotte run in to clear Cargill off.

We look at Cody Rhodes beating Sami Zayn last week despite Gunther’s interference. Gunther laid Rhodes out to end the show with Zayn walking away.

Rhodes is interrupted by Zayn and has nothing to say to him. Zayn wants an apology and says he helped Rhodes with Gunther last week but then Rhodes stabbed him in the back. Rhodes doesn’t remember it that way but Zayn thinks Rhodes could learn a lesson. After Rhodes deals with Gunther, he can teach Zayn a lesson too. Zayn vs. Rhodes could definitely headline a pay per view and they might be building in that direction.

Nick Aldis wants Danhausen to appear in front of the crowd, as he’s paid to do. Danhausen agrees and goes off, only to be replaced by Miz. As Danhausen is seen loading stuff into what appears to be his laboratory, Miz complains about Kit Wilson not being here. Aldis doesn’t want to hear it and says Miz’s match is next.

The Miz vs. Axiom

Miz is still getting his gear on as he comes to the ring and Axiom (with Nathan Frazer) gets the big home country welcome. Axiom takes him down by the arm to start and the lights flicker a bit, which can’t be a great sign. A middle rope armdrag has Miz in more trouble and he charges into a dropkick. Frazer cuts off Miz’s escape attempt but Miz gets in a cheap shot as we take a break.

We come back with Axiom nipping up and knocking Miz down for two as the fans are WAY into him, as expected. A DDT gives Miz two but the YES Kicks are countered, with Axiom hitting a big kick of his own. Axiom’s high crossbody gets two but the Golden Ratio misses. Miz powers out of a crossface and hits a slingshot powerbomb before going up for some reason. The lights flicker again and it’s a Spanish Fly to plant Miz. The Golden Ratio gives Axiom the pin at 9:16.

Rating: B-. It’s always nice to see someone get what is probably one of the most important wins of his career. Getting to be out there in front of his home country, likely with some family and friends out there, is a great thing for Axiom and he had a good match in the process. Axiom beating Miz is hardly a stretch, even with the electrical issues.

R-Truth is still injured but has gotten Damian Priest a tag partner for tonight. That would be Royce Keys, who will team up with Priest against the MFT’s. Priest doesn’t buy it and doesn’t trust Keys but R-Truth gets smart, asking if either of them are scared. Since they’re not, there’s no reason for them not to team up. Priest chases after R-Truth, mainly out of confusion.

Sami Zayn vents to Candice LeRae, but it’s actually to Johnny Gargano, who still isn’t moving. LeRae storms off and Matt Cardona comes in to try and talk some sense into Zayn. That’s not cool with Zayn and a match is set. They need to pay off the Gargano thing already as it’s been long enough.

Charlotte leaves Alexa Bliss in the trainers’ room and runs into Rhea Ripley, who better take care of Cargill. If she doesn’t, Charlotte will.

Damian Priest/Royce Keys vs. MFT’s

Solo Sikoa is here with the MFT’s. Talla slugs away at Priest to start and it’s off to Tama, who can’t do much against Keys. A running splash crushes Tama in the corner and there’s the powerslam. Tama gets shouldered out to the floor, leaving Keys and Priest to knock Talla outside as well.

We take a break and come back with Tama cutting off a tag attempt but Keys gets in a spinebuster. Priest comes in to clean house, including the running elbows in the corner. The lifting Downward Spiral plants Tama and a top rope clothesline gives Priest two. Sikoa gets in a cheap shot from the floor though, drawing out R-Truth. That’s fine with Sikoa, who goes after the bad arm. Keys goes over for the save but the distraction lets Talla chokeslam Priest for the pin at 9:05.

Rating: C+. The issues between R-Truth and Priest continue and they are likely to result in the titles changing hands sooner than later. At the same time, Keys continues to have issues with the MFT’s and it seems like Priest isn’t happy about it. That could go in a few ways and that is a nice situation to have.

Miz complains to Nick Aldis about the lights and goes in to see Danhausen’s laboratory. This earns him a blast from a fire extinguisher, sending Miz running. Aldis goes to look underneath the sheet, but Danhausen warns him to not do that. Oh dear.

Video on Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu.

Clash In Italy rundown.

Chelsea Green comes up to see Tiffany Stratton (they happen to be dressed alike) and has an idea for their entrance tonight. Stratton says it was just a one time thing last week so she’s passing. Green looks hurt.

Video on the battle of El Grande Americanos, mask vs. mask, on Saturday. That should be a great one.

Sami Zayn vs. Matt Cardona

Cardona’s wristlock doesn’t get him very far to start and we get an early standoff. Zayn is sent outside for a dropkick between the ropes but he’s fine enough to hit a suplex on the way back inside. Cardona scores with a missile dropkick though and we take a break. We come back with Zayn grabbing a chinlock, which doesn’t last long. A faceplant drops Zayn and the Broski Boot connects.

The Rough Ryder is countered so Cardona hits a nasty tiger driver for two more. Another Rough Ryder is countered into a big sitout powerbomb to give Zayn two. Zayn’s Helluva Kick misses though and now the Rough Ryder connects for two, with Zayn getting a foot on the rope. Cardona charges into an exploder though and the Helluva Kick finishes him off at 10:16.

Rating: B-. Cardona is someone who can lose all the time and be just fine, which is about all he does right now anyway. Zayn needed a win to boost himself back up as well, as he hasn’t been doing much in the way of winning lately. They had a good match too and that shouldn’t be a surprise given two veterans being in the ring.

Video on King and Queen Of The Ring, with qualifying matches starting next week.

We look at a new documentary called WWE: Made In America. Oh geez.

Nick Aldis asks Gunther to keep things civilized with Cody Rhodes tonight. Gunther doesn’t like the implication that he would do anything else, but he’ll do it anyway, even in a place like Barcelona.

Here is Trick Williams, with Lil Yachty, for a chat. Williams brags about his success since he came up to the main roster (fair) and now it means he should come for the King Of The Ring. This brings out Carmelo Hayes, who says Williams can be the king of the microphone and entrances, but the ring is Hayes’ place.

Williams thinks Hayes is being melo-dramatic because he’s just not as good as Williams is. If only Ricky Saints hadn’t interfered last week, their match would have been different you see. This brings out Saints, who doesn’t like that suggestion and is ready to beat Hayes and move on to Williams. That earns him a slap from Williams and the scheduled match is on. Odds are a triple threat is coming here one day.

Ricky Saints vs. Carmelo Hayes

Saints chops away to start and knocks him up against the ropes, only to get splashed in the corner. Hayes gets in some right hands of his own but gets sent outside. Saints sends him into the barricade a few times and we take a break. We come back with Hayes shoving him off the top but a frog splash hits raised knees.

A northern lights suplex gives Saints two but Hayes hits him in the face. Dirty Diana gets two on Saints, who is right back with a spinning Downward Spiral for two of his own. Hayes knocks him outside for the big running flip dive, only to get sent to the apron. The brawl continues and it’s a double countout at 11:11.

Rating: B-. That ending is more about keeping both of them active in the title picture and that’s a fine way to go. They’ve got something going here with the three way feud for the title and it’s a nice way of bringing up a few people at once. It’s fun to see the former stars of NXT getting to do this up on the main roster and it’s working thus far.

Post match Hayes lays him out with the First 48.

Video on Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi.

The Irresistible Forces threaten Tiffany Stratton.

Blake Monroe writes in her diary about some of the women in the Smackdown locker room. Rhea Ripley is sad and Monroe is going to have to make things better.

Nia Jax vs. Chelsea Green

Lash Legend is here with Jax. Green avoids a charge to start and sends her outside for a suicide dive as we take a break less than a minute in. We come back with Green in trouble and Jax grabbing a chinlock. Green fights out and goes after the knee, only to Rough Ryde her way into a powerbomb for two.

A Zig Zag gives Green two of her own and a missed charge sends Jax shoulder first into the post. Now the Rough Ryder can connect for two but Legend’s distraction lets Jax get in a Samoan drop. Cue Tiffany Stratton’s music so Jax sends Legend after her, only for Stratton to come through the crowd and hit Jax with the belt. Green steals the pin at 6:28.

Rating: C. This was more about Stratton coming in for the assist at the end and not much more. Granted that’s a good way to go, as Stratton and Green could do some nice stuff together. Green has been needing something to do for a long time now and this could wind up being the thing that finally lets her go over to the good side, as the fans seem to want.

Post match Stratton declines a hug. Give it time though, as Green as a face is such a layup.

Here is Cody Rhodes to wrap things up. We pause for the fans to sing Kingdom and Rhodes does his catchphrase in Spanish but here is Gunther to interrupt. Gunther says Rhodes is the perfect choice to represent America because the American Dream is crumbling. When he was growing up, Gunther was told that if he worked hard, he could achieve anything.

On the other hand you have Rhodes, who only had to make some phone calls. That just makes Rhodes an entitled brat. Gunther sees the fans’ approval as unnecessary while Rhodes is just a mark for himself. Rhodes calls Gunther a liar because he doesn’t believe Gunther doesn’t want the attention that comes with being WWE Champion. If Gunther didn’t care, he would be talking to a 330lb version of Gunther at an indy show, rather than one of the best in the world.

Paul Heyman has said that being champion is addictive and Gunther wants to find out. The only thing he’ll find though is the worst thing a pure wrestler can learn: he’s not good enough. Gunther talks about everyone he has beaten and all of the promises that he has kept. Now he promises to choke Rhodes out and take the title with him. This was good stuff, with both of them standing there and explaining their side of things in an intense way. It’s a hard sell for the title match and that’s what they were needing.

Overall Rating: B-. The crowd helped a lot here, but there were some rather good parts of this show. The ending was probably the highlight, with Gunther and Rhodes making their match feel like a big deal. You also have the tease of Green going good, which is one of the best things that could happen to the women’s division. Finally they did a nice job setting up Clash In Italy and I’ll take that as a way to spend a Friday night in front of a red hot crowd.

Results
Jade Cargill b. Alexa Bliss – Jaded
Axiom b. The Miz – Golden Ratio
MFT’s b. Damian Priest/Royce Keys – Chokeslam to Priest
Sami Zayn b. Matt Cardona – Helluva Kick
Ricky Saints vs. Carmelo Hayes went to a double countout
Chelsea Green b. Nia Jax – Belt shot

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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Saturday Night’s Main Event XLIV
Date: May 23, 2026
Location: Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett

It’s another one of these and the card isn’t exactly their strongest. The big main event appears to be Penta defending the Intercontinental Title against Ethan Page. Other than that we have Becky Lynch vs. Sol Ruca in what doesn’t seem to be a title match, though that has been changed a few times already. Let’s get to it.

The opening video is mostly tied into the nostalgia idea, with a look back at how big this show was in its heyday.

Rhea Ripley/Charlotte/Alexa Bliss vs. B-Fab/Michin/Jade Cargill

Ripley powers B-Fab around to start and drops her with an early clothesline. Bliss comes in to smile at Michin and then give her a choke shove. It’s off to Charlotte for the flipping clothesline but Cargill takes Bliss down on the floor. Cargill comes in to face off with Charlotte, allowing Michin to get in a cheap shot and take over. The villains take turns beating on Charlotte, with Cargill even getting in some mocking pushups.

Charlotte knocks Michin away but B-Fab cuts off the tag attempt. That’s fine with Charlotte, who drops B-Fab as well and now it’s back to Ripley to clean house. A missile dropkick gets two on Michin as the fans seem to rather approve of Ripley. Michin escapes Riptide though and hits a kind of nasty poisonrana.

It’s back to Bliss for a DDT so B-Fab comes back in for one of her own. A double DDT puts Michin and B-Fab down at the same time and Charlotte is back in with a high crossbody. Charlotte is almost kicked into Ripley but avoids a charge from Michin, who hits Ripley instead. Cargill superkicks Ripley but gets booed in the face by Charlotte.

Michin and B-Fab drop Charlotte and Bliss though and everyone is down. The tag brings in Ripley for the showdown with Cargill and the fans are way into this. Riptide connects but Michin makes the save, only to get attacked by Charlotte. Ripley and Charlotte make peace and Bliss approves but Cargill is back in with Jaded to pin Ripley at 16:50.

Rating: B+. This was WAY better than I was expecting as they got nuts in there and wound up having a very energetic match. B-Fab far exceeded what I was expecting from her and this was the good Michin, who certainly can show up if given the chance. The ending was the perfect way to wrap it up as it boosts us closer towards the showdown in Italy. Heck of a match here.

Ethan Page is ready to win the Intercontinental Title, which will have its biggest night ever.

We recap Sol Ruca vs. Becky Lynch. Ruca is the big new signing from NXT and got a huge welcome but Lynch interrupted her signing and mocked her. Ruca stood up for herself and the match is officially set, albeit non-title.

Ruca is ready to show Lynch that the next generation is here. It’ll just take one Sol Snatcher.

Lynch says her usual Sports Illustrated line and is ready to showcase herself.

Becky Lynch vs. Sol Ruca

Non-title. Lynch throws the belt at her to start and hammers away before the bell. Ruca is back with a shot to the face and the bell rings. Barrett: “That was a cheap shot from Ruca!” Cole: “….please.” A clothesline sends Lynch outside and Ruca moonsaults her down again. The Sol Snatcher is broken up so Ruca tries it again, only for Lynch to throw the referee in the way for the DQ at 2:24.

Post match Lynch teases leaving but then lays out Ruca with a belt shot. The Manhandle Slam leaves Ruca laying and Lynch does it again. This has been called “setting up a title rematch at next week’s much bigger show”.

Penta talks about the differences between himself and Ethan Page, saying he’s here to defend the title and such.

Video on the importance of the Intercontinental Title. As usual, WWE knows how to do these things very well.

Becky Lynch runs into Nick Aldis, who has just talked to Adam Pearce. The rematch with Sol Ruca is officially set for Clash In Italy and yes it’s for the title.

The Irresistible Forces are ready to get the Women’s Tag Team Titles back because they’re bigger and stronger. And the belts look better on them anyway.

Intercontinental Title: Ethan Page vs. Penta

Penta is defending and elbows him in the face a few times to start. A kick to the ribs has Page in more trouble and Penta drops him with a running hurricanrana. Penta’s springboard is dropkicked out of the air though and Page gets to sneer a bit. They head outside, with Penta charging into a backdrop onto the announcers’ table. Penta gets posted a few times and an elbow gives Page two back inside.

The chinlock doesn’t last long so Page hits a basement dropkick to set it up again. That means Penta can fight up again and hit a running faceplant. Page heads outside so Penta is right there with a running flip dive, leaving both of them down. Back in and a high crossbody (barely) hits Page and a springboard tornado DDT gets two. Page is right back with a powerslam for two of his own but Penta’s Backstabber out of the corner gets the same.

They trade kicks to the face for a double knockdown but Page is back up with the Confidence Breaker for two. The Penta Driver gets the same so Penta goes up top, where Page grabs a super powerslam for another near fall. That’s enough to frustrate Page into pulling off a turnbuckle pad, with the referee going over to fix it, allowing Page to pull off a second one. Penta is sent in for two but comes back and sends Page in. The springboard Mexican Destroyer retains the title at 14:29.

Rating: B. Another good match here, which shouldn’t be much of a surprise. Penta has had one solid match after another and Page has done more than very well in everything he’s done. Page is more than good and his day will come, but there is quite a bit of gas left in Penta’s title reign so this was the right call.

Paige and Brie Bella are ready to retain their Tag Team Titles. Paige knows this is supposed to be Nikki Bella but she’s going to fight anyway.

The Street Profits want the Tag Team Titles.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Irresistible Forces vs. Paige/Brie Bella

Paige and Bella are defending and knock the much bigger challengers down to start. Jax pulls a diving Bella out of the air to start but she gets some boots up in the corner. Bella dives underneath the boot and brings in Paige, who is quickly splashed for two. Legend whips Paige hard into the corner for two more and Jax adds some splashes.

Paige sends Legend outside and Jax misses a charge into the post, allowing the tag off to Bella. House is quickly cleaned and the YES Kicks connect, only for Jax to hit a Samoan drop. Legend adds a middle rope splash for two but Bella is right back up. Paige comes in and gets a rollup on Jax, with Bella offering an assist to retain the titles at 8:25.

Rating: C. They kept this moving and that’s probably the best for everyone involved. The limited charm of Paige and Bella surviving as champions is out of steam and it’s becoming more and more clear that they were never anything but a substitute for the Bellas. Get the titles off of them and get them back onto a regular team and move on already.

Clash In Italy rundown.

Video on the Tag Team Titles. As in a bunch of them, as the history of the titles is about as complicated as quantum mechanics.

Paul Heyman is ready for the Vision to retain the Tag Team Titles. The Vision seems to agree.

Raw Tag Team Titles: Street Profits vs. The Vision

The Vision, with Paul Heyman, is defending. Ford and Theory start things off, though Theory has to cover Paul’s ears to block out the booing. That lets Ford grab a rollup for two and he points out just how close that was. Back up and Theory hits a running shoulder, which works so well that he does it again. It’s off to Paul, who cheap shots Ford down and then drops him again with a running shoulder.

Ford finally snaps off some armdrags and dropkicks, allowing Dawkins to come in and help clear out the villains. That’s enough for the Vision, who try to walk out, but that doesn’t work for the Profits. Back in and Dawkins gives Paul the spinning splash in the corner for two but Paul is right back with his big right hands. The fans are all over Paul again and that isn’t well received, even as it’s back to Theory for a butterfly suplex.

A double clothesline drops Dawkins and Paul grabs the chinlock. Dawkins’ comeback is cut off with a clothesline as things slow back down. Back up and Dawkins fights out of the corner before making Theory DDT Paul (gah), allowing the tag back to Paul. House is quickly cleaned and a powerslam into a standing moonsault gets two on Paul. Theory offers a distraction though and Paul hits the flipping lariat for two of his own.

Everything breaks down and Ford suicide dives Paul, setting up the Doomsday Blockbuster for two on Theory, as Paul makes another save. Ford’s big running flip dive takes the champions out but here is Bron Breakker…who is knocked over the announcers’ table by Dawkins. The frog splash hits Theory, with Heyman making the save. That lets Paul hit the brass knuckles punch to knock Ford cold, giving Theory the retaining pin at 16:30.

Rating: B. It got going near the end, as the Profits tend to do, and it was the closest thing to a big match this show had. At the same time, this didn’t feel like a huge showdown, even with the Vision having to cheat to retain the titles. I did like Breakker’s interference being cut off, as it felt different, but ultimately the numbers game caught up with the Profits. Maybe they could use some Seth Rollins shaped help?

Post match the Vision goes to leave but Breakker comes back in for a double spear to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. All things considered, this was a heck of a show and rather entertaining. The problem is very simple though: it felt about as important as an edition of Main Event. There was nothing on here that really came close to feeling important and some of the matches were basically just previews for Clash In Italy. The scheduling for this show was horrible and while it’s good if you watch it, there is absolutely nothing on here that made a big impact going forward. The show was fun and better than I expected, but it’s the most skippable show WWE has presented in a long time.

Results
Jade Cargill/B-Fab/Michin b. Rhea Ripley/Charlotte/Alexa Bliss – Jaded to Ripley
Sol Ruca b. Becky Lynch via DQ when Lynch grabbed the referee
Penta b. Ethan Page – Springboard Mexican Destroyer
Brie Bella/Paige b. Irresistible Forces – Assisted rollup to Jax
The Vision b. Street Profits – Brass knuckles to Ford

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: May 22, 2026
Location: Rupp Arena, Lexington, Kentucky
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

It’s the night before Saturday Night’s Main Event and the show is not exactly looking huge. There isn’t much to be said about the card and I’m not sure we’re going to get anything else added here. On the other hand, Clash In Italy is just over a week away and is already looking strong. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of last week’s contract signing between Cody Rhodes and Gunther. That was broken up by Royce Keys, whom Gunther had to beat to get the title shot anyway.

Here is Rhea Ripley to get things going. She got jumped by Jade Cargill last week and wants to face Cargill at Clash In Italy. Cue Charlotte and Alexa Bliss, with Charlotte saying they have a six woman tag at Saturday Night’s Main Event. Before that though, Charlotte gets on Ripley for not being there to help last week. Ripley says she was visiting her family and the bickering is on, with Fatal Influence interrupting them. Jacy Jayne laughs at them and says they take opportunities where they can. The result is a tag match against Bliss/Charlotte tonight.

We look back at Talla Tonga attacking Shinsuke Nakamura last week and Solo Sikoa getting taken out by Royce Keys in the main event.

Sikoa won’t let the MFT’s talk about Talla’s match with Shinsuke Nakamura. Keys comes in to yell but Sikoa says Keys was the one who got physical. Keys is going to need someone to have his back and since Sikoa is family, who could be better?

Alexa Bliss tells Charlotte that she’s sick so Charlotte and Rhea Ripley are teaming together. Charlotte is less than pleased.

Talla Tonga vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

The MFT’s are with Talla, who shoves the popular Nakamura into the corner to start. Nakamura gets choked in the corner and a hard whip sends him into another corner. Back up and Nakamura knocks him to the floor, where Talla reverses into a whip to the barricade. We take a break and come back with Nakamura grabbing a triangle choke. With that broken up, a middle rope knee to the back hits Talla, who misses a charge into the corner. Scorpio Rising gives Nakamura two but a Solo Sikoa distraction lets Talla grab a powerslam. The chokeslam finishes Nakamura at 9:20.

Rating: C+. This was pretty to the point, with Nakamura’s strikes still looking good despite not being in the ring very much as of late. Talla continues to look like a monster and that is exactly what he should be doing. You don’t see Talla get in the ring very often and that makes sense, but having him beat someone like Nakamura should help him a bit.

Post match the beatdown is on with Tama Tonga teasing turning on Sikoa but knocking Nakamura out anyway. Damian Priest makes the save with a chair.

Video on Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu.

Cody Rhodes comes in to see Nick Aldis and wants Gunther to sign the contract for Clash In Italy. Aldis says the match is made but he’ll get Gunther to sign. Sami Zayn comes in offer Rhodes his help with Gunther but Rhodes passes, leaving Zayn annoyed. Zayn rants to Aldis and Rhodes comes back in and says he’ll fight Zayn tonight.

Tama Tonga wants to take care of Damian Priest and Solo Sikoa seems to agree.

Women’s US Title: Tiffany Stratton vs. ???

Stratton is defending in an open challenge, as answered by…Lash Legend. Nia Jax is here with Legend and they promise to win both this and the Women’s Tag Team Titles on Saturday. Legend shoves her down to start but Stratton strikes away out of the corner. A dropkick doesn’t do much to Legend but a running version sends her outside. Stratton hits a dive, only for Legend to knock her down. Cue Chelsea Green to cheer Stratton on as we take a break.

We come back with Legend grabbing a chinlock until Stratton gets up and avoids a charge into the post. Stratton’s handspring elbow and handspring Stunner combine for two and a hurricanrana sends Legend into the corner. Legend is right back with a heck of a powerbomb but the Lash Extension is countered into a crucifix for two. Jax has to be kicked away so Green goes after her, leaving Legend to hit a pump kick. Legend grabs Green, allowing Stratton to get the rollup to retain at 9:04.

Rating: C+. They did this well, with Stratton escaping to keep the title again. Green helping Stratton is interesting as she seems to be the next important challenger, which is an interesting way to go. At the same time, enough with the open challenges. The idea has been done to death and it doesn’t exactly add anything. Just figure out something else.

Nick Aldis says the building has a power issue coming from a certain room. That seems to be Danhausen’s laboratory, with Aldis going in to yell at him. There is something under a sheet and Aldis goes to look. Danhausen: “DON’T TOUCH THAT!” Oh dear.

We look at Danhausen uncursing the New York Knicks…who then went on a nine game winning streak.

The Miz and Kit Wilson don’t care about what is in Danhausen’s laboratory and insist there IS NO CURSE. Miz complains about Danhausen causing the Cleveland Cavaliers their playoff series and sitting courtside. Cathy Kelly: “Why aren’t you sitting courtside?” As the fans give that a big OOOOOHHHHH, Fraxiom comes up to mock the idea of a curse. Miz vs. Axiom is set for next week.

Here are Trick Williams and Lil Yachty for a chat. They mock the Miz for losing last week, with Yachty putting down Miz’s accomplishments (Williams: “7 time Tag Team Champion.” Yachty: “7 times he was carried.”). Cue Carmelo Hayes, who says they knew this day was going to come. Hayes praises what Williams has done around here but the fans want to see them go at it for the US Title.

Yachty says Williams has a messy schedule and it won’t be easy. Hayes: “Can anyone understand what this guy is saying?” Hayes brings up Williams always being better playing second fiddle, which has Williams’ attention. The match is on, but Williams makes it clear that it isn’t for the title.

Carmelo Hayes vs. Trick Williams

Lil Yachty is here with Williams, who grabs a slam to start. Hayes chops him into the corner but Williams reverses into a chop of his own and stomps away. The Rock Bottom gives Williams two and he puts Hayes down again. A drop across the top rope has Hayes in trouble but he manages to send Williams outside. Yachty gets in the way of a dive though and we take a break.

We come back with Hayes fighting out of a chinlock but getting dropped with a jumping neckbreaker. Hayes’ springboard clothesline connects as Ricky Saints is here to sneer. Hayes strikes away as we hear some noise in the background, which doesn’t seem to be intentional. The Trick Shot is countered into the First 48 for two and they go outside, where Saints is knocked down. Back in and Hayes rolls Williams up but the referee is with Saints. Hayes goes to deal with him but walks into the Trick Shot to give Williams the pin at 13:24.

Rating: B. Believe it or not, two talented guys who have a history together were able to have a good match. That’s what we got to see here and Saints vs. Hayes gets to continue. I liked the match rather well, with multiple people getting to advance stories at once. That’s not bad for a pair of segments and it gave the midcard a boost.

Sami Zayn is livid in the back and runs into a still silent Johnny Gargano. Zayn talks about how things have changed, but he and Gargano have never changed. Gargano responds by…weakly knocking over a bottle of water.

Carmelo Hayes jumps Ricky Saints in the back.

We look at Brock Lesnar returning on Raw and attacking Oba Femi, setting up their Clash In Italy rematch.

Fatal Influence vs. Charlotte/Rhea Ripley

Jacy Jayne and Alexa Bliss are here too. Henley mocks Charlotte’s strut to start and gets clotheslined as a result. Ripley comes in to kick Reid into the corner and it’s right back to Charlotte. This time doesn’t go as well, with Charlotte being sent outside so Fatal Influence can pose over her as we take a break.

We come back with Charlotte still in trouble and Henley coming in for a chinlock. Back up and Charlotte kicks Henley off the top and out to the floor but Reid gets in a chop block. Charlotte kicks Reid away though and it’s back ti Ripley to clean house. A Razor’s Edge hits Reid, with Henley having to make a save. Ripley superkicks Charlotte off the apron by mistake before hitting Reid with Riptide. Charlotte tags herself in though and Natural Selection finishes at 10:56.

Rating: B-. They’re not hiding that this is setting up a big Charlotte vs. Ripley showdown and that’s a good idea. There are only so many stars who can really give Ripley a challenge and Charlotte is up there. It would be nice to see this version of Charlotte getting a chance and it might be happening in the next few months. Other than that, Fatal Influence continues to feel like they belong here, and now we get to see what happens after losing like this.

Post match Bliss tries to calm things down but here are Jade Cargill, B-Fab and Michin to lay all of them out.

Cody Rhodes is ready for Sami Zayn tonight and would love to have Gunther there in some way.

We look at Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu setting up Tribal Combat on Raw.

Jade Cargill and company are ready to win their six woman tag and prove how dominant they really are.

Damian Priest vs. Solo Sikoa

The MFT’s are here with Sikoa, who gets jumped to start things fast. They get inside with Priest hitting a jumping elbow to the face but getting pulled into a Samoan drop. We take a break and come back with Priest clapping Sikoa’s ears on the top. That’s enough to set up a superplex before they trade forearms.

Sikoa misses a charge into the post and the Broken Arrow gives Priest two. The MFT’s offer a distraction though and Spinning Solo connects for two more. Back up and Priest kicks him in the head, followed by a lifting Downward Spiral. Talla Tonga gets up for a distraction though and the Samoan Spike finishes Priest at 9:43.

Rating: C+. Priest continues to not have the most success and it seems likely that he and R-Truth don’t have the longest future. The team never really felt like it was going to be the big champions of the future and we’re probably getting close to the time they drop the titles. The fact that Priest is already doing something on his own isn’t a great sign, but it’s not like this is a shock.

Post match the beatdown is on but Royce Keys runs in for the save. Priest grabs Keys by the throat but Keys says he’s here to help, which calms Priest down.

Saturday Night’s Main Event rundown. That card looks dire.

Blake Monroe debuts and doesn’t think much of Chelsea Green. Monroe leaves and the Irresistible Forces jump Green to lay her out.

Royce Keys wants to know what Damian Priest’s problem is but Priest yells at him for getting in his business. A match seems likely.

Sami Zayn vs. Cody Rhodes

Non-title. Zayn shoves him into the corner to start but doesn’t want to follow up. Rhodes tells him to bring it, earning himself a headlock. Rhodes knocks him down but a way too early Cody Cutter attempt is broken up. We take a break and come back with Rhodes still in trouble but managing a suplex. The Cody Cutter gets two but Rhodes’ knee is banged up. Rhodes is sent to the apron and knocked HARD onto the announcers’ table (that was a nasty bump).

That’s good for a nine count before Rhodes makes it back inside, where another Cody Cutter gets another two. The banged up knee lets Zayn grab the Blue Thunder Bomb for two of his own and they both need a breather. Zayn goes after a knee and grabs the Figure Four. That’s reversed with a turn into the ropes and Rhodes gets up for the Disaster Kick. Cue Gunther for the sleeper from the apron but Zayn knocks him down by mistake. Cross Rhodes finishes for Rhodes at 11:50.

Rating: B. Much like Williams vs. Hayes, there was no shock to these two being able to work well together. Zayn continues his downfall, with one more loss to add onto his failures. At some point he is going to hit his absolute rock bottom and it’s going to be interesting to see where it goes from there. In theory it is going to result in him winning the World Title, but we could be a long way from that happening.

Post match Gunther sleepers Rhodes again and Zayn looks at them and….eventually….walks away. Gunther poses over Rhodes and Zayn looks on from the aisle to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. You had a pair of good matches here and a lot of stuff being moved towards Clash In Italy. That’s a nice thing to see, as you don’t have a lot of time left before the show. Clash In Italy got a positive boost here and I’m a lot more interested than I was coming in. Oh and Saturday Night’s Main Event exists too. Yeah exists. That’s as high as we’re getting with that one and that’s pretty clear.

Results
Talla Tonga b. Shinsuke Nakamura – Chokeslam
Tiffany Stratton b. Lash Legend – Rollup
Trick Williams b. Carmelo Hayes – Trick Shot
Charlotte/Rhea Ripley b. Fatal Influence – Natural Selection to Reid
Solo Sikoa b. Damian Priest – Samoan Spike
Cody Rhodes b. Sami Zayn – Cross Rhodes

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

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

Smackdown
Date: May 15, 2026
Location: Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, South Carolina
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

We are on the way to Saturday Night’s Main Event and then Clash In Italy, with Gunther set to come after Cody Rhodes and the World Title. That should be enough to make the latter show work, but there isn’t much time to get the rest of the two shows set up. We’ll need to do some work in that area this week so let’s get to it.

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

Long Backlash recap.

Here is local hero Trick Williams to quite the reaction (having the University of South Carolina mascot with him helps). Williams talks about his time at the local high school, university and restaurant. That’s where he dubbed the shoes the Lemon Pepper Steppers and now his family is here to watch him.

Cue the Miz and Kit Wilson, with Miz mocking the mascot and thinking Big Bird is next. Lil Yachty mocks them for being cursed so Wilson busts out the slam poetry book. After mocking Williams and Yachty, it turns out that trying to outrhyme a professional rapper is a bad idea, as Yachty destroys them both. Miz wants a fight right now so Williams smacks Wilson in the face and knocks Miz outside.

Quick sidenote here: Yachty continues to work well as Williams’ associate because he’s just that: an associate. Yachty is NEVER the main focus of these segments and is mainly there as a hype man for Williams, who is the real star. Compare this to Jelly Roll or Pat McAfee, who were regularly given so much more focus and became the biggest parts of some segments. That’s a key difference and it’s why Yachty hasn’t overstayed his welcome.

Miz vs. Trick Williams

Non-title. Miz is wrestling in a shirt as Williams starts fast with a jumping clothesline. Miz gets in a shot of his own and goes up top but dives into a right hand to the ribs. The comeback cuts Williams off again and Miz gets to rip the shirt off before mocking the parents. Williams gets in a neckbreaker and unloads with stomps in the corner. The threat of a Trick Kick sends Miz bailing to the floor, where Williams sends him into the barricade

Wilson gets in a cheap shot though and Miz kicks Williams through the ropes as we take a break. We come back with Williams striking away and getting two off a Rock Bottom. Miz’s short DDT gets one and he fires off the kicks to the chest. A flapjack cuts Miz off but he grabs the Skull Crushing Finale for two more. The frustrated Miz grabs a kendo stick but Yachty takes it away and beats up Wilson. The Trick Shot finishes Miz at 11:19 (and Williams is VERY fired up).

Rating: B. That might be high but I do love listening to a crowd carry a match to a much higher level. That was the case here, as the fans loved seeing Williams and he was clearly having the time of his life in front of his hometown crowd. Miz can still make someone look good and Williams kicking out of an established finisher is only going to help him. Good stuff here with Williams winning as a special moment.

Carmelo Hayes is ready to face Ricky Saints because when he shoots, he doesn’t miss. Saints comes in to say the world has changed since Hayes was here. Hayes is ready to humble him.

Sami Zayn apologizes to Nick Aldis for his recent actions and wants one more shot at Trick Williams. Aldis says Zayn has to earn it, which has Zayn losing his mind about how everything is changing. Rey Fenix comes up and doesn’t want to hear it.

Paige and Brie Bella are ready for anyone, including the invading Irresistible Forces.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Brie Bella/Paige vs. Giulia/Kiana James

Giulia and James are challenging. James easily shoves Bella down to start so Paige comes in for a kick to the ribs. A bulldog gives Bella two and it’s off to Giulia, who unloads on Paige in the corner. Back up and Paige hits a kick of her own, followed by the rapid fire knees in the ropes. James posts Paige though and we take a break.

We come back with Paige sunset bombing Giulia out of the corner and making the tag off to Bella. The running knees in the ropes and YES Kicks connect on both of them followed by the Bella Buster for two on James. A facebuster sets up Giulia’s northern lights bomb for two, with Paige making the save this time. The Rampaige finishes James to retain the titles at 9:01.

Rating: C+. They kept this fairly short when you factor out the commercial time and that makes sense. Giulia and James didn’t feel like major challengers for the titles so don’t stretch the match out any longer than it needed. At the same time, Paige and Bella don’t feel like a long term team so they feel a bit vulnerable every time they defend the belts. That helps a bit and it was a fine enough balance here.

We look at Gunther trying to jump Cody Rhodes last week and not having the most success.

Tiffany Stratton is interrupted by Kiana James and Giulia arguing. With that out of the way, Chelsea Green interrupts but Stratton isn’t impressed.

Here is Cody Rhodes with the contract to face Gunther. He builds his own contract signing set and Rhodes calls Gunther out. Cue Gunther who talks about how much time he put into planning this, but Rhodes was a typical American who has to make it all about himself. All Gunther wants Rhodes to do is ask nicely and not make it weird. Gunther tries to walk him through it but Royce Keys of all people interrupts.

If Gunther won’t say it, he will, and Keys goes to sign. Gunther cuts that off so here is Nick Aldis to say Gunther didn’t sign, so tonight it’s Keys vs. Gunther for the title shot. That’s fine with Rhodes, who respects Keys, but gives him the same “easy to find, hard to beat” line. Of note: Keys’ shirt looks a bit like an old Nasty Boys design so he’s on the right track.

Solo Sikoa tells Tama Tonga to deal with Damian Priest tonight and then leaves with Talla Tonga. Shinsuke Nakamura comes up to Tama…and gets jumped by Talla, who puts him through a table.

Gunther yells at Nick Aldis about the Keys match but Aldis says Gunther can only blame himself.

Carmelo Hayes vs. Ricky Saints

Saints hammers away to start fast before they trade armdrags. Hayes’ dropkick connects but Saints is right back with the strutting Old School. Hayes is fine enough to tie him in the ropes for the Fadeaway and there’s the running flip dive to the floor. We take a break and come back with Hayes tossing him off the top, where Hayes’ frog splash can launch for two. The First 48 is countered into a Snowplow for two and we hit a chinlock while going split screen for a movie trailer.

Hayes fights up and scores with a springboard shot to the face. The La Mistica faceplant gives Hayes two more but so does Saints’ Deep Six. Another First 48 attempt connects but Nothing But Net misses, allowing Saints to grab a tornado DDT for two of his own. The frustrated Saints sends him into the corner and a rollup with feet on the ropes gets two. Saints spends so much time yelling at the referee that Hayes gets a rollup (with his own feet on the rope) for the pin at 12:10.

Rating: B-. This was a good back and forth match, with the two of them trading near falls and big moves until Hayes gave Saints the same thing right back. I wasn’t sure who was going to win here so the result was something of a surprise. It’s also nice to see Hayes getting a win after a bad stretch so maybe he has a future around here.

R-Truth thanks Royce Keys for helping with the MFT’s and says he can get Keys in the Judgment Day. Damian Priest comes in to suggest he doesn’t trust Keys, who Solo Sikoa hasn’t touched. R-Truth can go with that, but he has to stay in the back tonight as he isn’t medically cleared.

Danhausen goes into his lab and answers his old phone. Then he wheels out what looks like a Frankenstein’s monster and types a lot.

Tama Tonga vs. Damien Priest

They slug it out to start until Priest gets in a big boot to the head. Tonga is sent outside but comes off the steps with a clothesline to put Priest down as we take an early break. We come back with Tonga reversing a Razor’s Edge attempt into a sleeper. That’s broken up as well so Tonga switches to a dragon screw legwhip.

Priest fires up and strikes away again, with the Broken Arrow connecting for two. The threat of the rebound lariat sends Tonga outside, where Priest sends him crashing over the announcers’ table. Back in and Tonga crotches him on top, setting up a neckbreaker for two. Priest gets fired up though and grabs the South Of Heaven for the pin at 9:56.

Rating: B-. This was a nice power match, with Priest taking what Tonga threw at him and getting the win. Priest is doing fine enough as part of a team but he needs some success on his own again. That was what he got here, and it made him look like that chokeslam is quite the weapon if used right.

Post match the MFT’s run in to beat Priest down.

Sami Zayn rants to Johnny Gargano, who still won’t move. Candice LeRae comes in and isn’t impressed, though Zayn rants some more.

We look back at Jade Cargill returning last week and laying out Rhea Ripley.

Here are Cargill and her lackeys for a chat. Cargill isn’t surprised that people change their tunes when she is in their face. At Clash In Italy, she gets her title back but here are Charlotte and Alexa Bliss to interrupt. Charlotte is ready to go after Cargill, who doesn’t seem impressed. Instead, Charlotte and Bliss are ready for their scheduled match.

Blake Monroe? Still on her way.

Charlotte/Alexa Bliss vs. B-Fab/Michin

Charlotte and Michin start things off, with Michin heading outside rather quickly. Back in and Charlotte easily wrestles her down, with Michin going after the leg. A headscissors drops Charlotte again and Michin kicks away. Charlotte is right back to knock her into the corner, meaning Bliss and B-Fab come in for a double change. Bliss takes her down but misses the flipping splash and dives into a swinging Downward Spiral.

We take a break and come back with Bliss still in trouble and Charlotte being suckered in. Bliss fights out of the double teaming and grabs a DDT. That’s enough to bring in Charlotte and house is quickly cleaned. Back to back fall away slams send B-Fab and Michin flying but Cargill distracts Charlotte. That’s enough for a double big boot to put Charlotte down but she’s fine enough to get the Figure Eight on B-Fab. Michin’s save doesn’t work, though Charlotte lets go anyway. It’s back to Bliss for a wind up DDT, only for Cargill to pull her out for the DQ at 11:59.

Rating: C+. Things got a bit wild at the end but it was the right way to go, as Cargill continues to annoy Charlotte, which is likely setting up a big showdown. B-Fab and Michin are at least more in their element as lackeys, though it felt like Charlotte could have wiped either of them out at any time. Bliss and Charlotte continue to work well together, and a lot of that is due to not splitting the team up far too early.

Post match Charlotte clears out the lackeys but Cargill doesn’t seem interested.

Fatal Influence doesn’t seem impressed because they’re a real team who will get all of the gold. And yes that’s a threat.

Charlotte isn’t happy with Rhea Ripley for not being here and isn’t used to needing help. Alexa Bliss doesn’t seem thrilled but says they need help no matter what.

We look back at the Roman Reigns/Jacob Fatu brawl from Raw, with Fatu smashing Reigns again.

Solo Sikoa still tries to get Royce Keys on his side and threatens violence otherwise. Keys still doesn’t buy this.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Here’s what’s coming at Saturday Night’s Main Event.

Gunther vs. Royce Keys

For the title shot at Clash In Italy. Gunther flips him into the corner and shouts a lot, earning a shove out to the floor. Back in and Gunther grabs a headlock but loses an exchange of shoulders. Gunther charges into a powerslam for two, which had Gunther outside again. This time Keys sends him into the barricade a few times and then over the announcers’ table.

We take a break and come back with Gunther getting caught with a clothesline to leave them both down again. Keys wins a fight over a suplex but gets knocked down with the chops. Gunther gets pulled off the apron and dropped onto the announcers’ table but is fine enough to hit the big clothesline back inside. The top rope splash is cut off for a superplex though and they’re both down again.

Gunther is able to get the sleeper though…and here is Solo Sikoa. Keys gets up and wins a battle of the clotheslines but gets caught in the sleeper again. That’s broken up as well and Keys Pounces Gunther right into the referee. Sikoa throws Keys a chair, which he throws right back into Sikoa’s face. The distraction lets Gunther hit a clothesline and the powerbomb for the pin and the title shot at 15:52.

Rating: B. This was a solid back and forth power match, with Keys being able to hang with the monster Gunther. Not many people are able to say that but Keys made it work pretty well here. You can tell Keys still has a lot of polishing to go in the ring, though having Gunther there to walk him through things had to help a lot. It’s not some classic, but it did show that Keys can do something like this in the right situation.

Post match Cody Rhodes runs in to lay Gunther out with the Cross Rhodes to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. As has been the case a lot of the time with these three hour shows, it really does lose some steam in there, even with a pretty good main event. There just comes a point where fans are ready to do something else though and three hours is usually beyond that ending. It’s not even a bad show, but it would be so much better with less time to fill.

Results
Trick Williams b. The Miz – Trick Shot
Paige/Brie Bella b. Kiana James/Giulia – Rampaige to James
Carmelo Hayes b. Ricky Saints – Rollup with feet on the ropes
Damian Priest b. Tama Tonga – South Of Heaven
Charlotte/Alexa Bliss b. Michin/B-Fab via DQ when Jade Cargill interfered

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

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

Smackdown
Date: May 8, 2026
Location: VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

It’s the night before Backlash and that should mean a pretty big Smackdown. WWE has turned the shows before the pay per views into a big preview, which is quite the use of three hours. Hopefully it’s quality to go with quantity this year, though it’s hard to make that work with such a long show. Let’s get to it.

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

In Memory Of Ted Turner. That’s a nice touch.

We open with a long recap of Jacob Fatu vs. Roman Reigns.

Here is Fatu for a chat. Tomorrow, he’s taking the title from Roman Reigns. Since they were kids, everyone has seen Reigns as the future and Fatu as nothing. Everyone has had it in for him but it’s been to protect Reigns. This brings out the Usos to interrupt, who say they aren’t out there to change Fatu’s mind. Jimmy understands that Fatu needs this, but what happens if he loses? Has he ever thought about that?

Jey doesn’t believe Fatu thinks like that but Jey has been there. Tomorrow night, Fatu’s family will be there to see him lose, and his wife and children will have to acknowledge the Tribal Chief. That doesn’t work for Fatu, because this isn’t just a main event. This is about his family because they are going to see him win the title. Oh and if the Usos try to interfere, he’ll burn this whole place down. I don’t think he’s going to win, but Fatu has sold me on him being a threat to Reigns.

We look at Gunther attacking Cody Rhodes last week.

Nick Aldis doesn’t like what Gunther has done, but here is Ricky Saints to interrupt. Matt Cardona comes in and doesn’t like Saints so they’re set for tonight.

Post break, Nick Aldis shakes Jacob Fatu’s hand and Fatu seems ready to leave in peace. As he’s leaving, Fatu runs into Royce Keys, who gives him a pep talk about winning the title. With Fatu gone, Keys runs into Solo Sikoa, who says Keys was in the wrong place at the wrong time last week. Sikoa needs an answer from Keys soon.

Women’s US Title: Tiffany Stratton vs. Kiana James

James, with Giulia, is challenging. We get a video from Chelsea Green, who is bedridden (in a lot of pink of course) and can’t be at the show tonight. James grabs a headlock to start but Stratton is right back with a clothesline. Stratton gets caught in the ropes though and a kick to the head knocks her down. The leg gets wrapped around the post and Stratton is in trouble and we take a break.

We come back with James grabbing a rather logical half crab, sending Stratton over to the ropes. The leg is fine enough to hit the handspring elbow in the corner and a handspring Stunner connects. A basement dropkick gives Stratton two but James sends her into the corner for a handspring (popular in this match) kick to the head. James misses a charge into the post though and Giulia gets on the apron, meaning the referee doesn’t see James grabbing a rollup for two. Stratton knocks Giulia down and hits a Regal Roll into the Prettiest Moonsault Ever to retain at 8:04.

Rating: C+. Oddly enough, Giulia gets my attention the most here as she feels like she is just falling lower and lower every single week. Hopefully they have something for her going forward as this hasn’t worked thus far. As for the people in the match, this felt like a way for Stratton to get a win over a challenger who didn’t feel like the biggest threat.

We go to the funeral for the Gingerbread Man (oh boy) where Sami Zayn asks Nick Aldis how he is letting this happen. Aldis says everyone needs some closure and Zayn is close to losing his mind when R-Truth comes up with a flower for him. R-Truth can see the resemblance between Zayn and Gingerbread Man, who talked about Zayn all the time. Zayn is ready to burst, mainly due to how ridiculous this whole thing is. To be fair, he has a point.

Video on Fatal Influence.

Rhea Ripley, Charlotte and Alexa Bliss are ready to take out Fatal Influence, but Charlotte and Ripley get into it all over again. Bliss has to calm them down, again.

R-Truth is sad about the Gingerbread Man but Damian Priest is more annoyed at Talla Tonga. R-Truth will be out there with him, but Priest wants him to stay in the back due to his shoulder injury. That’s good enough for R-Truth.

Talla Tonga vs. Damian Priest

Solo Sikoa is here with Tonga, who gets jumped by Priest to start fast. Tonga is knocked out to the floor but Priest’s spinning kick is sent into the post. Priest gets slammed onto the announcers’ table and we take a break. We come back with Tonga missing an elbow, allowing Priest to slug away.

Priest avoids a kick into the ropes and now the spinning kick to the face connects. After taking out Sikoa, the top rope clothesline gives Priest two but here is Tama Tonga for a distraction. Talla hits the discus lariat for two and here is R-Truth to even things up a bit. Priest sends Sikoa into Tama but gets dropped by Talla, who hits a chokeslam for the pin at 9:16.

Rating: B-. This was a big man fight and it seems like Priest and R-Truth are having some issues. That makes sense as the team never felt like it was supposed to be anything long term. At the same time, the MFT’s aren’t exactly doing well either, though it seems like we’ll be seeing a title match between the two sides sooner or later.

Post match the beatdown is teased but Royce Keys comes out to stare the MFT’s down, though he doesn’t get physical.

We recap Danhausen getting beaten down last week.

Danhausen is sitting at a table trying to find a partner when Miz and Kit Wilson interrupt. They’re not worried about the match because Danhausen doesn’t have any friends. Wilson holds up a mirror, saying the only person who would team with Danhausen is Danhausen. This gives Danhausen an idea, even though he goes the wrong way at first. I’m terrified.

Paul Heyman goes into Nick Aldis’ office.

We look at the Gingerbread Man being at various famous moments over the years.

Nick Aldis gives Paul Heyman a contract. Gunther comes in and Heyman hands him the contract, with Aldis welcoming Gunther to the Smackdown roster. They’re interrupted by Cody Rhodes coming to the ring, with Heyman saying he’ll handle this.

Here is Cody Rhodes for a chat. Rhodes wants to talk about Gunther but gets Heyman instead. Heyman has a solution in the form of the contract but Rhodes is ready to fight right now. That’s not going to work for Heyman, who makes it clear that this contract is the favor he owes Gunther (that’s interesting and nice job of wrapping up the point).

Heyman says he’s a fan of Rhodes and gets in the ring, saying that the title shot is for…Clash In Italy (later this month). By handing Rhodes the contract, Heyman’s part is done as Rhodes has to get Gunther to sign it himself. Rhodes stops him though and asks if he’s doing this because he’s out of options. Heyman says he’s not the one who’s out of options, because “sooner or later they all need the Wise Man.”

Heyman leaves and here is Gunther, who jumps Rhodes but gets knocked to the floor. Rhodes rants about how he doesn’t sweat Gunther because Rhodes is easy to find and hart to beat. Now that is a heck of a tease from Heyman, though Rhodes kind of forgetting that Heyman has the Vision with a healthy Bron Breakker is kind of odd.

Tama Tonga and Solo Sikoa argue about Royce Keys, with Tonga saying he’s going to go deal with Keys on his own. Sikoa won’t let Talla Tonga go too, because Tama needs to deal with this.

Matt Cardona vs. Ricky Saints

Cardona backs him into the corner to start and hits a running shoulder to annoy Saints again. A running forearm in the corner and a flapjack have Saints down again and he goes to the floor to kick the barricade. We take a break and come back with Saints in control but Cardona making a quick comeback. The Reboot gets two but Saints hits a spinning Downward Spiral for the same. Cardona is right back with Radio Silence as the fans seem to be thrilled that a fan is being ejected. Saints pops up with a tornado DDT into Roshambo to finish Cardona at 8:36.

Rating: C+. This was pretty much booking 101 as Saints lost a competitive match in his debut last week but came back to win here over an established name. Saints should be fine going forward as a midcard hand and this showed he can hang in there just fine. Cardona is pretty much resigned to his fate at this point, which is kind of a shame but he had to know what he was signing up to do.

Sami Zayn is still at the funeral and ranting about how he’s losing everything…to Johnny Gargano, who is still laying there in shock. Rey Fenix comes in and Zayn can’t believe he’s here.

Brie Bella and Paige are almost crushed by a falling piece of the set and Danhausen runs by. And we move on.

Blake Monroe is still on her way here.

Here are Brie Bella and Paige for a chat. Bella talks about how there are a lot of teams coming for the titles so bring it on. Paige has heard them referred to as a retirement tour but they’ve never been better. This brings out Fatal Influence, who say the champs should be worried about them. They’re about to have all the gold but here are the Irresistible Forces to say this isn’t NXT. The fans chant for Trick Williams, with Lash Legend laughing it off. The Forces lay the champs out while Fatal Influence stares on. This brings out Rhea Ripley, who stares at Legend on her way to the ring.

The Gingerbread Man was at other classic moments.

Fatal Influence vs. Rhea Ripley/Charlotte/Alexa Bliss

Henley and Bliss start things off with Henley dodging her and getting in a little dance. Bliss knees her in the face and does her own dance, which seems more popular. Bliss’ knee drop and flipping splash get two but Henley takes her into the corner. Jayne comes in for a boot choke and Reid mocks Bliss, who rolls over and brings in Ripley to start wrecking people. The flip dive off the apron connects and we take a break.

We come back with Reid hitting a neckbreaker on Ripley, who is back with that cool kick from the mat. Charlotte gets the tag and comes in to fire off the chops. The Flair Flip in the corner lets Charlotte hit a double high crossbody and Natural Selection gets two on Jayne. Bliss comes back in but walks into a superkick, as does Charlotte. Cue Jade Cargill to pull Ripley off the apron, allowing Cargill to hit the Rolling Encore to pin Bliss at 9:56.

Rating: B-. This was a good match, with the six person formula working as it usually does. You don’t get enough six person tags, as it worked rather well, allowing multiple combinations to keep things fresh. Cargill being back is good, but I don’t really need to see her going after Ripley again, at least not immediately. At the same time, Fatal Influence, with Jayne in particular, have hit the ground running on the main roster and that is rather impressive as that’s not something everyone can do.

Post match Cargill glares Fatal Influence away. Cargill goes after Bliss but Charlotte gets back in, only to be beaten down by Michin and B-Fab. Ripley tries to make a save and is beaten down as well.

Royce Keys is on his way to the ring but runs into the Usos. They talk about their history together and warn him to stay away from the MFT’s, or risk catching the eyes of Roman Reigns.

Gingerbread Man, classic moments, again. Do you get the joke yet?

Tama Tonga vs. Royce Keys

Solo Sikoa and Talla Tonga are here with Tama, despite what Sikoa said earlier. Tama hammers away to start and gets caught in a running powerslam. Keys punches him down in the corner but Tama slips out of a suplex and goes after the leg. Tama knocks him to the floor but a slide is countered into a World’s Strongest Slam onto the apron. A missed charge sends Keys into the steps though and we take a break.

We come back with the two of them slugging it out until Tama grabs a rolling neckbreaker for two. Keys gets up to fire off some clotheslines, meaning the straps can come down. Another powerslam gets another two but Tama’s reverse DDT gets the same. The comeback is on almost immediately and Tama is clotheslined outside, where Sikoa tells Talla to let Tama figure it out. Back in and the USB (Ultimate Spinebuster) finishes Tama at 7:53.

Rating: C+. This was about Keys getting to beat a name and it worked out well enough, though Keys still needs some more ring time to really polish things up (using the same running powerslam twice in a seven minute match isn’t a good idea). At least Keys keeps winning and, for now at least, he isn’t joining the MFT’s. The team needs some new recruits, though I’m not sure if Keys is the right choice.

Danhausen goes to his laboratory, where he has some chemicals, a microwave, and a cloning machine. This would be in the “well of course he does” category.

Shinsuke Nakamura comes up to Tama Tonga and asks if he’s still an MFT. Talla Tonga comes in to warn Nakamura about talking this brother. We’re still doing this?

Backlash rundown.

Trick Williams runs into Nick Aldis, who is letting the funeral have the rest of the broadcast.

It’s time for the funeral, with the casket and a choir in the ring as Trick Williams comes out to join them. Williams pours out a drink for the Gingerbread Man and hopes he can get through this. He speaks a song (with the choir joining in) about how the Gingerbread Man was destroyed and asking if someone can tell him why.

We get a package on the life of the Gingerbread Man, including him signing with the University Of South Carolina to play football, climbing a mountain, going to various national landmarks with Williams and Lil Yachty and participating in a dunk contest. Sami Zayn comes out to say this is ridiculous and asks if he’s losing his mind for this to go on so long. Closing Smackdown used to mean something and he asks why Williams spent this much money on one idea.

Zayn gets in the ring to yell at Williams about how he’s been doing this for twenty years and isn’t leaving. Zayn decks Williams and shouts about how the title is his life. Then the Gingerbread Man gets out of the casket and it’s Lil Yachty, who beats Zayn down with a kendo stick. The Trick Shot lays Zayn out to end the show.

So Zayn was right yes? Williams spent all this time and money for the sake of knowing that Zayn would interrupt (fair) and get beaten down for fifteen seconds to end the show? That’s quite a bit of effort and resources spent for not much of a payoff. And Aldis and everyone else hates Zayn enough to go with this? This feels like something from the Vince McMahon era and that’s not a good thing to see.

Overall Rating: C. It was a good enough show for the most part, but dang I didn’t care for that ending segment. The whole thing went on way too long and the lack of a big Smackdown match at Backlash made this a bit less than thrilling. Rhodes vs. Gunther being set up (pretty much) for Clash In Italy is fine, but it doesn’t make for the best build to Backlash. Fatal Influence continues to feel like a big deal and Heyman teasing Rhodes needing him in the future is interesting, but this show didn’t really have a big moment to go out on, which hurt things a lot.

Results
Tiffany Stratton b. Kiana James – Prettiest Moonsault Ever
Talla Tonga b. Damian Priest – Chokeslam
Ricky Saints b. Matt Cardona – Roshambo
Fatal Influence b. Rhea Ripley/Charlotte/Alexa Bliss – Rolling Encore to Bliss
Royce Keys b. Tama Tonga – USB

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

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

Smackdown
Date: April 17, 2026
Location: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Corey Graves, Joe Tessitore

Well, it’s a day before Wrestlemania and I’m not sure how much can be done to help the show. The big story continues to be Randy Orton with Pat McAfee vs. Cody Rhodes and…what are they supposed to do to make that work? This show is almost always light on wrestling and heavy on talking, but we do at least have the Andre Battle Royal. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a variety of wrestlers (and Jelly Roll) talking about various big Wrestlemania moments that meant the most to them over the years. This was good stuff and could have been on the Wrestlemania broadcast.

Randy Orton and Pat McAfee arrive, with Nick Aldis showing up with a contract for McAfee. He has to look at it before he signs it…and then signs it anyway. Orton is off to say something while Aldis can park McAfee’s truck.

Here is Orton for a chat. Orton gets to the point: he doesn’t need McAfee around but he wants him there. McAfee is the one who tells him what he needs to hear, which is how we got here. Orton talks about how he was ready to face Drew McIntyre for the title but then Rhodes became champion.

Then Rhodes told Orton to be himself and WHO DOES RHODES THINK HE IS TO SAY THAT??? Rhodes does nothing but take, like needing Seth Rollins at Wrestlemania XL, which got Orton put through a table. Then he gave Kevin Owens a title shot and Orton got attacked again. Now Orton is going to take something with an RKO.

Orton and McAfee leave, with Nick Aldis left holding the contract. That could be interesting.

MFT’s vs. Wyatt Sicks

Street fight so it’s a big brawl to start (of course) with the Wyatts clearing the ring early on. Rowan teases a dive but gets pulled outside, where Talla gets in a shot of his own. Talla grabs the steps and wrecks Gacy and Lumis before tossing them right at Rowan’s head (that always looks great).

We take a break and come back with Howdy getting stomped down in the corner until Gacy is back in for the save. Lumis nips up for a legdrop but Mateo is back in to start wrecking people. Talla does the same until Rowan is there to knock him outside. Rowan’s big dive connects and let’s get the weapons. The Wyatts clean house again and we take another break.

We come back again with Howdy cleaning house with a chair, with Sikoa being release Rock Bottomed onto said chair. Nikki Cross hits a dive of her own but Talla breaks up the Sister Abigail. A Superfly Splash gives Sikoa two but Gacy and Lumis are back in for the save. Rowan and Talla crash to the floor, with Rowan coming up holding his knee. Tama loads up the Cutthroat but Sikoa quickly Spikes Howdy for the pin at 14:36.

Rating: B. That ending seems designed to sew some tension in the MFT’s, which isn’t exactly a surprise. The MFT’s winning is a bit of a surprise but there is a good chance that this somehow isn’t over yet. That makes for some interesting options, though Tama splitting off is an intriguing concept.

R-Truth and Damian Priest are still confused over who is running around cursing people. It might be New Day, Asuka or Grayson Waller. It turns out they have a title defense tonight, which is news to Priest.

Earlier this week, Miz and Maryse were renewing their wedding vows, with Kit Wilson officiating…when Danhausen popped in. Danhausen says he’s ring bearer and maid of honor and maid of honor before cursing Maryse. This causes her to get hit in the face with some cake.

Video on Royce Keys losing his mother to an overdose and she never saw her kids getting to do what they loved. He wants to make her proud. This is quite the emotional video and that’s a good thing. Now let Keys do some more stuff in the ring.

We look at Drew McIntyre attacking Jacob Fatu last week.

A police car drives into the arena and it’s Fatu driving. Yeah he used to be a criminal but he’s changed his life. No he didn’t mind being put in handcuffs last week because he’s not that person anymore. Tomorrow it’s unsanctioned so there is no one to save McIntyre this time. McIntyre wants to put him back in the jail cell but that’s in the rear view. After Wrestlemania, McIntyre is in his rear view mirror too because tomorrow, it’s a beating.

Alexa Bliss and Charlotte want to win the titles tomorrow but they want to win tonight too. Charlotte wants the title more than friendship, which doesn’t seem to surprise Bliss.

We look at the Wrestlemania set reveal.

Tag Team Titles: R-Truth/Damian Priest vs. Grayson Waller/Kofi Kingston

R-Truth and Priest are defending in quite the random match. I’m going to assume R-Truth mentioned this in his talk earlier but….yeah it’s kind of easy to get lost listening to him. Waller slugs away at Priest to start and gets kicked in the face for his efforts. Priest sends him flying into the corner and hammers away before handing it off to R-Truth. Waller manages to knock R-Truth down but runs into Priest, with Kingston making a quick save.

We take a break and come back with R-Truth still in trouble but the illegal Waller’s cover not counting. Kingston isn’t happy with Waller and gets sent into him, allowing the tag back to Priest. House is quickly cleaned…and R-Truth gets on the apron for the tag from Kingston. R-Truth initiates John Cena’s finishing sequence and the champs hit stereo Shuffles. An elevated Little Jimmy retains the titles at 9:25.

Rating: C+. This is the kind of match that fits in perfectly on this show as it’s not like there was any doubt about the titles changing, but R-Truth and Priest got to do their thing. There were some stakes to the match and it was fine enough all things considered. If nothing else, it was nice to see the match get some extra time, which it probably wouldn’t have gotten on a regular Smackdown.

Video on Cody Rhodes vs. Pat McAfee from last week, with Randy Orton attacking Jelly Roll.

Here is Jade Cargill, with Michin and B-Fab, for a chat. Well she would be but here is Rhea Ripley to interrupt instead. Ripley could lay Cargill out right now but she doesn’t want Cargill to have any excuses at Wrestlemania. She accuses Cargill of hiding in any way she could find so this is Cargill’s last chance to say something to Ripley alone.

Cargill mocks the idea of being scared of some cosplaying goth girl. Ripley has had her way around here because of the weak locker room. If Ripley keeps talking, Cargill will make it quick at Wrestlemania. Ripley laughs off the idea that she wants to be like Cargill and says her insecurities are the reason she is the woman she is today. They go face to face and Cargill walks away.

Solo Sikoa says they won as a team and now Talla Tonga needs to win the Andre. Now though, it’s time to get the Tag Team Titles back. That’s what Tama Tonga wanted, but he doesn’t seem thrilled.

Tiffany Stratton vs. Jordynne Grace

For a Women’s US Title shot and I had forgotten Grace was on the main roster. Giulia and Kiana James are at ringside and we get a handshake before we’re ready to go. Stratton gets an early rollup for two and they’re right back up for a standoff. Grace sends her into the ropes, with Stratton flipping away with ease. Grace goes strong with an electric chair drop onto the rope and a clothesline for two.

We take a break and come back with Stratton reversing a suplex into a DDT to leave them both down. Grace can’t hit a powerbomb but Stratton can elbow her in the face, setting up a basement dropkick for two. Back up and Grace ties her in the ropes for some rapid fire headbutts, followed by a package powerbomb for two more. Stratton is back with a handspring Stunner into the Prettiest Moonsault Ever for the pin at 8:05.

Rating: C+. I was a bit surprised by the match as I had thought Stratton already was the #1 contender given how much she’s been around Giulia as of late. If nothing else it’s nice to see someone wanting to be the champion, which still doesn’t have much of a history. This was a perfectly decent match, though DANG Grace has felt like nothing in WWE.

Here is Trick Williams for a chat. He’s not happy with Sami Zayn, who went too far last week by going after Lil Yachty. Zayn hurt his friend last week and that hurt something much bigger: it hurt Williams’ Wrestlemania entrance! Williams wants Zayn out here right now…but he gets a gingerbread man instead, with Williams having quite the laugh. Williams thinks Zayn’s friends might be on Drury Lane but here is Zayn to interrupt.

Zayn says he’s not having a good time with this and hasn’t in a long time. What exactly did he do wrong? He doesn’t know and he doesn’t care, because this is for the ride or die Zayn fans. Those people will be in his corner at Wrestlemania and beyond…but can this Gingerbread Man get away? Zayn says that Williams has talked a lot but hasn’t shown Zayn anything in the ring. All Zayn sees is a little punk rookie about to walk into his first Wrestlemania with one of the best ever.

Williams says he is the plan and that he sees two gingerbread men. The fight is on with Zayn Helluva Kicking the Gingerbread Man but getting taken down by Williams, who holds up the title. They’ve basically done the double turn now and that’s what it should be. Williams is on fire right now so go with him.

Video on the four way Women’s Tag Team Title match, with the Bellas saying Nikki is still hurt. Bayley/Lyra Valkyria and the Irresistible Forces are ready, sans injuries.

Charlotte/Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley/Lyra Valkyria

They start fast…and the Irresistible Forces run in for the DQ at 30 seconds. As dumb as that might have been, it’s not like the match needs any more build.

Post match the Forces lay everyone out.

Video on Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi.

Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal

Royce Keys, Axiom, Psycho Clown, Zack Ryder, Ilja Dragunov, Shinsuke Nakamura, Johnny Gargano, Joe Hendry, Rey Fenix, Berto, Angel, La Parka, Otis, Kit Wilson, Original El Grande Americano, Alex Shelley, Aleister Black, Shiloh Hill, Chris Sabin, Nathan Frazer, Talla Tonga, El Grande Americano, Apollo Crews, Akira Tozawa, Cruz del Toro, Joaquin Wilde

It’s a brawl to start with Gargano laying on the mat…where Wilson trips over him to eliminate himself. Eh I chuckled, but then again I like Wilson. Frazer and Sabin brawl to the apron and Gargano gets rid of Frazer, with Sabin following. Talla dumps both Americanos and it’s Hill vs. Dragunov in the middle.

Dragunov kicks Hill out and Los Garza get rid of Parka. Fenix gets rid of Berto and Psycho Clown goes, uh, psycho, only to get clotheslined out by Keys. Gargano slingshot DDTs Axiom out and runs into Shelley on the apron. Fenix kicks Shelley out and Nakamura does the same to Crews. Hendry stops to pose and gets dumped by Black (that’s a natural feud). Talla tosses del Toro and Wilde with ease and it’s time for everyone to go after the giant.

Talla shrugs that off and chokeslams Fenix onto the apron for an elimination. A bunch of strikes drop Talla but Black throws Nakamura out. Black kicks Dragunov out as well and Black Mass is enough to eliminate Tozawa. Otis runs Black over and tosses Angel as Gargano drops to the mat again.

That’s an easy elimination for Otis and Cardona gets the same treatment. We’re down to Otis, Talla, Black and Keys, with Black kicking Otis down in a hurry. Keys throws Black out so Otis runs the other two over. Talla kicks Otis in the face though and we’re down to Talla vs. Keys. The spinebuster plants Talla and Keys wins at 10:01.

Rating: B-. Ok then. I said do something with him and while the track record for winners is hit and miss for these things, that is certainly a notable win. The rest of the match went by quickly enough and it was the kind of match that gets people around Wrestlemania. I was looking forward to this and that’s a nice feeling, as it means we’re at the biggest time of the year and with the right winner.

Wrestlemania rundown.

Video on CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns.

Here is Cody Rhodes for the big final speech. We’re not going to talk about the last three Wrestlemanias and the theory that someone is needling him. Tomorrow is simple: it’s two men having a match for the most important prize in this business. Earlier tonight, Orton was out here talking about Rhodes always taking things. That’s interesting as Orton has never taken responsibility for anything.

As good as wrestling has become…and here is CM Punk to interrupt. Rhodes: “Champ to champ and friend to friend, if I shake your hands and we hug right now, are you going to turn on me and kick me in the balls too?” They take some shots at each others’ formal wear due to the Hall Of Fame ceremony tonight, with Punk saying he hasn’t been in a suit on WWE TV since Teddy Long’s wedding.

Punk says he isn’t Rhodes’ teacher now but on Monday, the two of them will be there and he wants the fans to be there too. Go get it done tomorrow and have some fun. Punk goes to leave but Rhodes says hang on. This Sunday, Punk is up against someone who is so good they’ve had to invent names for him.

Punk wasn’t born into this like Reigns and Rhodes were but Punk came here because WWE wanted him. Now Punk is back and better than ever and making a case to be the new Mr. Wrestlemania. Rhodes thanks him for everything he’s done and Dusty would be proud of Punk (that has Rhodes near tears). Punk thanks him and they go into the crowd to celebrate with the people.

We get what looks like the opening video to Wrestlemania, as narrated by Lin Manuel Miranda. It’s about being there for the moments and how one day, you’ll tell your kids about where you were this weekend when more moments take place and more memories are made. Great stuff here, as WWE knows how to turn up the nostalgia.

Overall Rating: C+. This is one of the most unique shows of the year every single year and you know what you’re getting with it. The wrestling is usually a few midcard matches to go along with the battle royal and a lot of talking about Wrestlemania. That’s exactly what we got here and the show was completely acceptable for what it was supposed to be. It’s little more than a big Wrestlemania preshow and tomorrow the real stuff starts. In other words, this was the Wrestlemania Week Smackdown.

Results
MFT’s b. Wyatt Sicks – Samoan Spike to Howdy
R-Truth/Damian Priest b. Kofi Kingston/Grayson Waller – Elevated Little Jimmy to Waller
Tiffany Stratton b. Jordynne Grace – Prettiest Moonsault Ever
Charlotte/Alexa Bliss b. Bayley/Lyra Valkyria via DQ when the Irresistible Forces interfered
Royce Keys won the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal last eliminating Talla Tonga

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

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

Smackdown
Date: April 10, 2026
Location: SAP Center, San Jose, California
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

We’re just over a week away from Wrestlemania and that means it’s time to start talking a lot more. That’s likely going to be the focal point of the show, though unfortunately a lot of that is probably going to be done by Pat McAfee. Last week’s big reveal was certainly a choice and I’m almost scared to see what we’re getting with the followup. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Pat McAfee being revealed as Randy Orton’s associate last week and the ensuing beatdown on Cody Rhodes. Later in the night, Rhodes gave a rather angry response to McAfee.

Rhodes runs into Nick Aldis, who says McAfee is on his way. Aldis is under strict orders for Rhodes to not touch McAfee, but he won’t say who gave the orders. Jelly Roll comes in to say this is about Rhodes’ relationship with Orton and wants him to deal with this.

Here is Rhea Ripley for a chat. She congratulates Jade Cargill for finding her one weakness when she attacked Iyo Sky. Ripley wants Cargill out here but gets Sky instead. She’s angry at Cargill too and knows Ripley will get her at Wrestlemania…but Sky wants Cargill tonight. Nick Aldis comes in to make the match for tonight’s main event.

Bayley vs. Alexa Bliss

Lyra Valkyria and Charlotte are here too while Bayley is the hometown girl. Bayley shoulders her down to start but they go to a quick standoff. Bliss gets in a knockdown of her own and stands on Bayley’s back, only to be sent outside. A dropkick through the ropes rocks Bliss as we take a break.

We come back with Bliss striking away and hitting a running Blockbuster for two. Back up and Bayley sunset bombs her into the corner but gets caught with a tornado DDT. The Sister Abigail DDT is countered into the Bayley To Belly and they’re both down again. Bayley gets up for the top rope elbow and a near fall before taking Bliss outside. Some chops have Bliss in more trouble and Bayley even mocks Charlotte’s strut. Charlotte isn’t having this and throws her jacket at Bayley, which is enough for Bliss to grab the rollup pin at 10:08.

Rating: C+. This was just a little taste to help boost up the four way tag at Wrestlemania and that’s a fine idea. The match is already set so there is no real point in messing with the whole thing. Go with what is set up and don’t mess with it too much, which seems to be what they’re doing here.

We look back at Sami Zayn retaining the US Title last week by taking advantage of Carmelo Hayes’ injury. Then Trick Williams called him Ginger Snap.

Matt Cardona gives the still injured Hayes a pep talk but Williams, with Lil Yachty, comes in to say Hayes can watch him win the US Title. Hayes says he’s coming for the title after Wrestlemania but Cardona sets up a match with Williams tonight.

Drew McIntyre talks about how Jacob Fatu’s family is probably in the arena tonight but reveals he’s sitting in a prison cell, which is what Fatu will always be about. This is where Fatu always belongs and after Wrestlemania, he’ll screw up and wind up right back here. At Wrestlemania, McIntyre is the judge, jury and executioner.

Fatu isn’t happy but Solo Sikoa and the MFT’s come in to mock him, including losing Fatu his teeth the last time he was here. That doesn’t work for Fatu, who seems likely to get a match with Tama Tonga tonight.

We meet Royce Keys, who grew up around here and saw all of the violence and drugs. He and his friends had Royal Rumbles, where you had to toss someone over the fence to eliminate them. Things have changed for him now and he refuses to be defined by where he is from. So yeah basically the same intro as Powerhouse Hobbs. That’s not a bad idea but it took them this long?

Royce Keys vs. Berto

Angel is here too. Berto grabs a headlock and is promptly sent flying. Keys pulls him from the mat into a powerslam (nice) but Angel gets in a cheap shot. That lets Berto get in a posting but Keys is back with a fall away slam. A running powerslam and spinebuster finish for Keys at 2:50. Not quite a squash but close enough. Now how did this take two and a half months after he started at the Royal Rumble?

Pat McAfee arrives and confirms with Nick Aldis that no one from WWE is allowed to touch him. McAfee gives him a thank you with a rather bad British accent but runs into Jelly Roll. He wants to know what McAfee was thinking with everything and teases a fight but Aldis cuts that off. McAfee wants Roll out of here and goes off to save WWE.

Royce Keys is glad to be here in front of his hometown. Solo Sikoa comes in to say long time no see. He runs things around here so if Keys needs anything, let him know. Keys doesn’t say anything.

Here is Pat McAfee for a chat and he doesn’t like San Jose. He mocks the fans and moves on to CM Punk, who had a WWE jacket over a WWE Punk shirt on Raw. Punk has 283 things to sell right now but where does that money go? To the fans who can’t afford Wrestlemania tickets or to the “I’m sorry Saudi Arabia” fund?

The difference is that McAfee gets things done, which brings him to the Wrestlemania ticket prices. He called Ram Trucks and got them to pick up 25% of the bill for a Saturday night Wrestlemania ticket from now until the end of Raw. Sunday? Who cares, as Randy Orton isn’t on that show. This city has never won a Stanley Cup but this city will see Orton win the title at Wrestlemania.

Cue Cody Rhodes, with McAfee mocking his theme song in a bit of a funny bit. Rhodes knows that he can’t touch him but McAfee can go to the back and get a nice replica title and pretend to face anyone he wants. Then he can go back to whomever sent him here and say “thank you daddy”. There’s a term in wrestling called “play wrestler” and he never got it until he saw McAfee talking about the Attitude Era.

That was THIRTY YEARS AGO and Orton watched it in high school! Rhodes brings up Paul Boesch, who didn’t like the term “marks”, which McAfee was using on his show this week. Boesch called them CUSTOMERS and when you have everything because of those people, whether it’s the collector at the airport with 70 Pops or that kid in the front row with the cool jacket, they become FAMILY.

McAfee has one talent though: he has made the fans actually agree that they want to see Orton at Wrestlemania, but not McAfee, so go home. Rhodes goes to leave but McAfee says he’s here because he was born for the business while Rhodes was born into the business. He sees a fake man in Rhodes and if Orton doesn’t win the title at Wrestlemania, he’s out of this business forever. Fans: “GO HOME PAT!”

Rhodes brings up McAfee saying he’s tired so let’s get Gunther out here to put him to sleep for good. Rhodes leaves and McAfee calls him the “Elite runaway artist, eh Stardust?”. He suggests that Rhodes is going to go suck up to HHH, which brings Rhodes back, sans jacket. Orton pops up on screen, having attacked Jelly Roll.

Orton drags him into the arena and a McAfee distraction lets Orton get in a cheap shot on Rhodes. Roll gets up and grabs McAfee by the throat, with Orton making the save. A hanging DDT drops Rhodes, as does a belt shot. McAfee even leaves with the title. This was certainly better than last week, but that’s a far cry from it being good. McAfee as a heel manager/mouthpiece (for someone who doesn’t need one) is fine, but DANG Roll feels wedged into this thing.

Post match McAfee and Orton leave with the title.

We look at CM Punk’s promo from Raw.

Miz and Kit Wilson tell Nick Aldis that he needs to do something about the referee last week. Aldis: “He was cursed.” Miz: “NOT YOU TOO!” Aldis says fixing the curse is beyond him but he can put Wilson in the ring with Danhausen. Aldis: “Unless you’re afraid of the….curse.” Miz: “THERE IS NO CURSE!” This is the goofy fun I love in wrestling.

Jacob Fatu vs. Tama Tonga

Fatu backs him into the corner to start but misses a charge, allowing Tonga to strike away. A headbutt works a bit better for Fatu as Tonga is sent outside, where a suicide dive sends him over the announcers’ table. We take a break and come back with Fatu winning a slugout and hitting a splash in the corner. The running Umaga Attack connects but Tonga is back up with a kick to the face. A reverse rolling cutter gives Tonga two but he charges into a pop up Samoan drop. The triple jump moonsault finishes for Fatu at 8:07.

Rating: C+. Fatu hasn’t been in the ring much lately so it’s a good idea to have him out there getting a win. At the same time, I’m not sure what is going on with Tonga at the moment. He was teasing going after the US Title for the better part of ever and had the thing with Shinsuke Nakamura but nothing really came of either. That could change, but for now it’s not working out so well.

Post match Fatu grabs the mic but Drew McIntyre runs in for the brawl. A chair to the back and Futureshock on the floor knock Fatu silly so McIntyre handcuffs him around the post. McIntyre asks him how it feels to be back in chains where he belongs. Fatu tries to fight back but gets knocked cold, with McIntyre throwing him back inside for another Claymore and a belt whipping.

R-Truth explains how to get the ESPN App and Danhausen seems to understand. Damian Priest comes up to say that R-Truth thought that was Asuka last week…but R-Truth says Priest thinks Danhausen is Asuka. Priest is flummoxed but we cut to Rhea Ripley attacking B-Fab. Ripley: “One down, one to go.” R-Truth: “I don’t think Rhea wants her in Judgment Day.” Priest: “I’m the crazy one?” R-Truth could make the phone book amusing.

Here is Sami Zayn to a mixed reaction, which he acknowledges. People have been telling him that he needs to change and maybe that is what the fans want. He has always tried to be something more than a catchphrase and he does this for the fans. There is no way he will ever change on the fans who love him. Now as for the fans booing him, what did he do? As soon as he knew he had fans who were with him no matter what, the pressure was off.

Cue Trick Williams and Lil Yachty to interrupt, with Williams thinking that the fans are sick of hearing Zayn talk. The reality is Zayn hates Williams and his sauce, because Williams is the anointed one. Everyone loves him, but Zayn thinks it’s just a crush. Zayn tells Williams to understand what he’s up against at Wrestlemania, but Yachty thinks Zayn should be worried. Cue Matt Cardona for his scheduled match with Williams.

Trick Williams vs. Matt Cardona

Yachty and Zayn are still here too. We’re joined in progress with Williams grabbing a headlock but getting driven into the corner. The running knee out of said corner cuts Cardona off and Williams chops him down. A running clothesline connects for Cardona and he dropkicks Williams through the ropes. Back in and Cardona’s right hands in the corner are cut off and we take a break.

We come back with Williams hammering away but getting caught in a belly to back suplex. The Reboot connects and an Unprettier gives Cardona two. Williams is right back with a pop up neckbreaker for two his own and Cardona is sent outside for a clothesline. Zayn gets shoved down so he gets on the apron, where Yachty pulls him down. That earns Yachty a Helluva Kick but the Trick Shot finishes Cardona at 11:05.

Rating: C+. This was a good way to keep Williams’ momentum up, as it feels like we’re coming up on a double turn. Williams is only going to be able to be a heel for so long and WWE seems to know that. Zayn is someone who can work both ways at any time and he seems ready to switch, though I’m not sure how necessary that’s going to be. The story here is Williams though, and he seems ready for the task.

Video on Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar.

Class Wrestlemania Moment: John Cena vs. HHH vs. Randy Orton at Wrestlemania XXIV.

Danhausen vs. Kit Wilson

Danhausen is billed from 1311 Mockingbird Lane, which works well for an old school TV fan. Miz is here with Wilson. Danhausen actually dropkicks him and grabs a northern lights suplex for two before going outside to pose with a clueless Miz (ala Shawn Michaels and Sunny back in the day). Back in and Wilson hits a running elbow in the corner before insisting that the curse is NOT REAL. Wilson goes up but Danhausen curses him again (the fans are into it this time) and some pyro goes off in the corner, crotching Wilson on top. Miz gets poked in the eye and a pump kick finishes Wilson at 3:01.

Rating: C. That was exactly what it should have been as this was all about a goofy heel getting beaten by something that doesn’t make a ton of sense but has everyone in on the joke. Danhausen is doing exactly what he should be doing and it’s working out. It’s a good, silly story and they’re not pretending it’s anything else.

Post match the lights go out and Danhausen runs off before Miz can get him.

Michin has been attacked as well. Jade Cargill is ready for revenge.

Here’s what’s coming next week, including the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

Wrestlemania rundown.

Rhea Ripley tells Iyo Sky about her previous work tonight. Sky is appreciative but asks Ripley to stay back here for the match. That’s fine with Ripley, but she wants Sky to save some for her at Wrestlemania.

Iyo Sky vs. Jade Cargill

Non-title and Sky is taped up from last week’s attack. Cargill powers her into the corner to start and knocks Sky down without much trouble. Sky is back up with a pop up dropkick to send Cargill outside, only to have the suicide dive cut off. We take a break and come back with Sky striking away, including snapping the arm across the top rope. The running knees in the corner rock Cargill, who is right back with a gorilla press.

Sky slips out of that and grabs a choke, which is broken up as well. Cargill’s pump kick is countered into a rollup for two, followed by Cargill grabbing a Blue Thunder Bomb for the same. Sky kicks her outside for an Asai moonsault but Cargill gets in a wheelbarrow drop onto the steps. Back in and Cargill nails a pump kick, followed by Jaded for the pin at 9:09.

Rating: B-. This was far from some kind of epic showdown, but Cargill getting a win over a star like Sky makes her feel all the more dangerous on the way to facing Ripley. Sky even has the injuries to give her an out in the loss. This is what it should have been given the circumstances and they got the ending right, which is what matters.

Post match Cargill grabs a chair but Rhea Ripley comes in for the save. Cargill sits down to stare at Ripley (for about a second) to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This show’s biggest benefit was coming off of last week’s mess. While McAfee still played a big role here, he didn’t come off as completely out of nowhere as he did last week. It’s still not a good story, but they do seem to have tweaked it a bit (thank goodness). The rest of the show feels like it’s all about getting ready for Wrestlemania, which is all but locked into place. This week and next week are bout pushing what is already set and this show did a nice enough job.

Results
Alexa Bliss b. Bayley – Rollup
Royce Keys b. Berto – Spinebuster
Jacob Fatu b. Tama Tonga – Triple Jump Moonsault
Danhausen b. Kit Wilson – Pump kick
Jade Cargill b. Iyo Sky – Jaded

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: April 6, 2026
Location: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

We’re less than two weeks away from Wrestlemania and that means everything has to come together. The good thing is that the Raw side of things has been the better of the two shows and that means we could be in for a nice night. If nothing else, we might be getting some more things set for the pay per view. Let’s get to it.

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

Here is a ticked off CM Punk to get things going. Punk sits down in the middle of the ring as we get some dueling chants from the fans. Punk talks about this being a wrestling town and he has some history of his own here. This is Paul Boesch territory and Houston Wrestling. He loves to hear about the old timers and you can’t help but compare yourself to them. Sometimes he dreams and asks what Harley Race would do.

The important things happen when we’re awake though (he gets up) and it’s good to be alive on a Monday night in Houston. The thing is, Roman Reigns isn’t here tonight. Punk recaps his issues with Punk over the last two weeks. Punk gets out on the apron and talks about how Reigns hates him. That’s a good thing, because he won’t trade his authenticity for approval. Not vying for the approval of losers is what prevents him from being one of them. The fans chant for Reigns but Punk says he’s the one who is here. Punk: “And I’m an old man!”

Punk takes off his jacket and stands on the announcers’ table and talks about how this company sent Reigns to Jimmy Fallon. Reigns is there because he’s safe and boring and you know he’s not going to lose it. On the other hand, Punk is someone who could say anything. He can film TV shows and movies and never miss a show but Reigns uses it as a crutch to be gone and then Punk gets booed when he shows up. Reigns puffs his chest around in the back like he’s the Rock, a Hollywood superstar. Punk: “I’m sorry. WAS a Hollywood superstar.”

After that gasp is over, Punk talks about how Reigns got a job because his father was a wrestler because he sucked at football. He calls Reigns a nepo baby who ate dog food for a weird old man. That old man treated Punk like a dog for years but Punk had FU money and walked away. That’s why everyone hates him: they can’t control him. You can’t blackball him and he can blow up his own bridge because he knows how to swim.

He’s not done though because PAT MCAFEE thinks he can come here and get in Punk’s business. Call that agent of his that shoehorned him into the show and tell him to LOWER THE TICKET PRICES. McAfee isn’t coming here and telling him to put people in seats. Lower the ticket prices so everyone in Houston (and their families) can come to Las Vegas and see him take Reigns out. This was Punk in his element as he felt like he was venting, with the part about the ticket prices not being something I was expecting to hear.

We recap IShowSpeed’s issues with LA Knight, who showed up on Speed’s stream and beat him up last week.

Speed is in the back and runs into Danhausen, who will remove the curse in exchange for Speed’s mansion. Adam Pearce shows up and Danhausen disappears. Pearce suggests that Speed go home before it gets worse but the Vision show up and have Speed come to the arena with them.

Austin Theory vs. LA Knight

Logan Paul IShowSpeed are here with Theory, who sends Knight into the ropes to start. Back up and Knight knocks him outside for a change but Theory is back with a ram into the buckle. That earns him another trip to the floor, where Knight clotheslines him into the timekeeper’s area as we take a break.

We come back with Knight grabbing a neckbreaker and hammering away, followed by a Russian legsweep. Another neckbreaker gives Knight two but Theory hits a shot to the face into a Blockbuster. Knight shrugs that off and takes him outside for the rams into the announcers’ table. With Theory back inside, Paul shoves Speed into Knight, who gives chase up the aisle. Cue the Usos to cut Speed off so Speed jumps over Knight, who catches him back inside. Paul’s save doesn’t work but Theory rolls Knight up, with trunks, for the pin at 9:43.

Rating: C. This was a case where the match was mainly a backdrop for everything else going on, which isn’t the worst thing. At the same time, it’s also a case where a DQ would have made a lot more sense. Knight didn’t need to take a fall like this and there was so much else going on that you could have saved a bit of a headache without the pin.

Post match Knight isn’t overly happy but he has an idea for how to even things up a bit: a six man tag at Wrestlemania. Adam Pearce pops up to say he told Speed to go home because the match is official. Yeah that was obvious and it’s not a bad thing to go with what makes sense.

Commentary introduces a video on Pat McAfee’s actions on Smackdown, with Michael Cole having to calm himself down.

CM Punk talks about his favorite Wrestlemania memory: being an extra at Wrestlemania XXII, which he thinks about every time he comes to work.

Finn Balor vs. JD McDonagh

Hold on though as Dominik Mysterio jumps Balor from behind and even mocks Balor’s pose. Balor fights back and goes after McDonagh but Mysterio gets in a belt shot with the AAA Mega Title. McDonagh brings in a chair and Mysterio beats Balor down so he can do the sign point. No match.

We get a video on AJ Lee, including a lot of her time before her hiatus.

Lee sits down with Michael Cole and says she is nervous about her first Wrestlemania in eleven years…and here is Becky Lynch to interrupt. Lynch calls Cole the worst interviewer and commentator in WWE so Cole leaves, telling Lee good luck. Lynch talks about seeing Lee at Wrestlemania XXXI and getting a fake hug but then Lee left the next day. Lee tells her to keep underestimating what Lee can do and cuts her off when Lynch doesn’t like this

The reality is Lynch is a big star but she walked through the doors that Lee opened. This company called her for ten years and the fans never forgot her. When Lynch goes home and asks her daughter who her favorite wrestler is, her daughter will say it’s AJ Lee. See you at Wrestlemania. Lee leaves and Lynch is livid. Keeping Lynch angry and annoyed is a good thing and Lee getting the chance to back up her words should be fun.

Bayley vs. Lash Legend

Lyra Valkyria and Nia Jax are here too. Bayley is knocked outside to start and can’t make much of a comeback before it happens again. We take a break and come back with Bayley knocking her out of the ropes but seeming to have a bad arm. Legend swings her into a backbreaker for two but misses a boot in the ropes. Bayley’s running dropkick sends Legend into the corner, where a knee to the face connects as well.

The middle rope elbow to the back gives Bayley two but Jax interferes, triggering a brawl with Valkyria. Cue Charlotte and Alexa Bliss, with Charlotte hitting Jax with her jacket for some reason. Bayley dives onto all of them and goes up, where Legend tries a superplex. Valkyria breaks that up though and Bayley falls on top for the pin (with Valkyria holding Legend’s foot) for the pin at 8:32.

Rating: C+. Much like the opener, I wouldn’t have had someone get a fall here, but at least it was a challenger pinning a champion, which could be a much bigger deal at Wrestlemania. The interference made sense, though Charlotte’s thing with her jacket was kind of weird. At least the Bellas weren’t involved, which kept things a bit better than they would have been otherwise.

We recap Gunther attacking Seth Rollins last week.

Various celebrities, including Mark Henry, are here.

We look at the trailer for Netflix’s documentary on Hulk Hogan. That could be fascinating or stupid. I’m leaning towards stupid.

Here is Seth Rollins for a chat. Rollins talks about being gone for six months and he’s so glad to be back so he wants to hear the fans singing his song. He’s BACK and in less than two weeks, he faces Gunther at Wrestlemania. Rollins isn’t sure how we got here because he didn’t think he and Gunther had any issues.

The only option is that Gunther must have entered into some kind of agreement with Paul Heyman. Rollins is back and has two goals: get his title back and kill the Vision. They’ve already got some Samoans to deal with and that won’t end well. He also put Brock Lesnar on a silver platter for Oba Femi and yes, Femi is the future.

As for Gunther, if he wants to be in league with Heyman, it has become personal for Rollins. Cue Gunther to try a sleeper but Rollins reverses into one of his own. Gunther slips out and the fight is on, with Rollins kicking him to the floor for the suicide dive. Gunther tosses him away again but security quickly breaks it up. That lets Gunther get in a cheap shot before he leaves.

In the back, Gunther runs into Heyman, who says he doesn’t know why Gunther did what he did last week. As far as Heyman knows, there’s nothing personal between Gunther and Rollins, so Heyman owes Gunther a big thank you. Gunther says it is personal between Rollins and Heyman, so it is personal to Gunther for some different reasons (which he doesn’t reveal). He shakes Heyman’s hand but pulls him in to say Heyman owes him more than he knows. Intriguing.

We look back at Roxanne Perez saving Liv Morgan from Stephanie Vaquer last week.

Vaquer says Morgan’s hair dye must have gotten to her brain if she thinks middle school insults are going to be enough. Morgan is trying to solve her daddy issues with Dominik Mysterio, who is trying to deal with not being as good as his own dad. Vaquer wants to inspire girls but while Morgan says it’s on sight, the truth is she’ll never see it coming.

Penta/Dragon Lee/Je’Von Evans vs. Los Americanos

Bravo and Lee trade some flips and posing to start before it’s off to Rayo for a running headbutt. The dancing lets Evans come in for a springboard hurricanrana as Kofi Kingston is watching from behind. Americano comes in to counter a headscissors into a kind of reverse powerbomb, allowing all three Americanos to pose. That’s broken up and they’re sent to the floor for a set of dives. Back in and Penta and company do the Penta strut as we take a break.

We come back with Penta hitting a double DDT and bringing in Lee before diving onto Americano. Bravo has to save Rayo from a Styles Clash and everything breaks down with a parade of knockdowns. Lee Styles Clashes Bravo but Americano is in for the save. A bunch of superkicks set up Penta’s Mexican Destroyer on the apron. That leaves Evans to hit the OG Cutter to Bravo for the pin at 7:45.

Rating: B-. It was an entertaining match with a bunch of people flying around and going nuts for a short amount of time, which will always work. The ladder match at Wrestlemania still feels a bit out of nowhere, but if very well could just be a big “let’s all do a bunch of high spots”, which should work out well. Then again Evans might break every bone in his body, as he seems likely to do quite often.

Post match Rey Mysterio is back (and Je’Von Evans is completely starstruck) to praise Penta for everything he has done. The ladder match has the potential to be great…and he’s going to be in it too. Penta shakes his hand and says let’s make history.

We look at Cody Rhodes’ promo from Smackdown.

We look at the Wrestlemania six man tag being set up earlier. IShowSpeed realizing he’s in big trouble is still funny.

Video on Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar.

We get a video from Asuka, who talks about how Iyo Sky abandoned her and tried to steal Kairi Sane away from her too. Asuka was here to pave the way for them and made sacrifices to make everything better. It was all out of love, but she loved Sky too much. Then Sky rebelled, and it’s time for Asuka to get revenge, including one more lesson in the ring.

Iyo Sky/Rhea Ripley vs. Michin/B-Fab

Jade Cargill is here too. Ripley takes B-Fab down to start and brings Michin in for a big boot. Michin is sent outside but B-Fab is up with a pump kick. A spinning DDT gives B-Fab two and we hit the chinlock. Ripley fights out without much trouble and brings Sky back in to clean house. A double missile dropkick hits Michin and B-Fab and Sky’s suicide dive takes them out again. We take a break and come back with Sky in trouble and Ripley being drawn in off a distraction. Cargill sends Ripley into the steps but Sky sends Michin into the post. That leaves B-Fab to get rolled up for the pin at 7:27.

Rating: C+. The ending came out of nowhere but there is little reason to believe that Michin and B-Fab could win here anyway. The two of them exist to be cannon fodder for Cargill and that’s pretty much all they were here. Ripley and Sky were only ever in so much trouble here and the match wasn’t in the biggest doubt.

Post match the big beatdown is on, with Michin getting a kendo stick. Ripley tries to make the save but gets kicked in the face. Michin and B-Fab hold Ripley back in the corner, leaving Cargill to beat up Sky.

Finn Balor says he taught Dominik Mysterio how to play dirty but play time is over. There’s another side of him that he thought he had buried forever, but Mysterio awakened it. But now it’s back and coming for Mysterio at Wrestlemania. Oh dear.

Dominik Mysterio is nervous about what that means but the rest of Judgment Day tries to calm him down. Mysterio has an idea and leaves wit JD McDonagh. Liv Morgan (in a Wrestlemania XV shirt) talks to Roxanne Perez and thanks her for last week. She knows Finn Balor brought Perez onto the team…and here is Stephanie Vaquer to jump Morgan from behind.

Here are HHH and Adam Pearce to oversee the contract signing between Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi. Paul Heyman interrupts though and handles Lesnar’s introduction, as only he can. Femi comes out as well and Lesnar jumps him on the way into the ring. Femi is right back to ram Lesnar into the post though and they go through the table, with security running in to break it up. Lesnar throws a chair at Femi and security has a lot of work to do to keep them apart as the show ends.

Overall Rating: B-. We are officially in the “Wrestlemania is pretty much set so we’re not going to do much to shake it up” period and that means we might not be in for much great stuff. They added a bit more to the show though and nothing was overly bad. Raw continues to be light years ahead of Smackdown at the moment and while this show wasn’t must see TV, it advanced enough things on the way to Wrestlemania. That’s all it needed to do and it did so well enough.

Results
Austin Theory b. LA Knight – Rollup
Bayley b. Lash Legend – Top rope splash with Lyra Valkyria holding the foot
Penta/Dragon Lee/Je’Von Evans b. Los Americanos – OG Cutter to Bravo
Iyo Sky/Rhea Ripley b. Michin/B-Fab – Rollup to B-Fab

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

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

Smackdown
Date: April 3, 2026
Location: Enterprise Center, St. Louis, Missouri
Commentators: Wade Barrett, Joe Tessitore

We could be in for a big one here, as we are in Randy Orton’s hometown and Orton has teased what we’ll be finding out who has been calling him lately. That opens up a bunch of options, but hopefully it gets the fans to actually boo him. Unfortunately, the whole “it’s Orton’s hometown” might make that difficult. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Stephanie McMahon slapping Cody Rhodes on Raw, warning him that he needs to wake up before Randy Orton knocks him into tomorrow.

Here is Orton to quite the hometown reception. After picking something off the microphone, Orton talks about how this is his hometown, but he’s not doing it for everyone here. He’s doing this for the six people right here in the front row, meaning his family. At Wrestlemania, Orton is winning his fifteenth World Title and bringing it back to St. Louis while Rhodes loses empty handed.

Rhodes gave him permission to listen to the voices and now Rhodes has no idea what is waiting for him. Orton saw him at the Garden with Stephanie McMahon on Raw and McMahon was absolutely right about what this is going to mean. Cue Rhodes for the fight and beats Orton down in the corner….but Pat McAfee comes in and kicks him low. Yes that McAfee.

The big beatdown is on, with Orton beating on Rhodes with a chair while McAfee insults the St. Louis sports teams. McAfee talks about how he said he felt WWE passed him by but Orton called him to talk about how things should be. The reality is that McAfee is sick of modern wrestling and watching 5’5 guys have an Iron Man match while RANDY ORTON is available.

There are tickets still available for Wrestlemania while Orton is on the card and we’re coming off the lowest rated Smackdown in a long time. Rhodes is leading this company in the wrong direction and at Wrestlemania, Orton is going to save it. The beating continues with McAfee confirming that he’s been the one on the phone and the villains leave as Nick Aldis and company come in.

We see them going back through the gorilla position as Rhodes is helped up. I have absolutely no idea how this is seen as their best option, as the idea is McAfee is standing up for the good old days? As in the McAfee who has been the biggest WWE cheerleader imaginable? It doesn’t make much sense and the fans really weren’t booing Orton at all (shocking in his hometown) so I have no idea what this accomplished.

Post break Orton and McAfee leave in McAfee’s truck (which is of course a Dodge Ram, which is the big logo in the middle of the ring).

Rhea Ripley vs. Michin

B-Fab is here with Michin. Ripley powers her into the corner to start and here is Jade Cargill as Ripley hits a fall away slam. Michin’s German suplex takes Ripley down and Michin hammers away as we take a break. We come back with Ripley still in trouble but she fights up with some clotheslines. The belly to back faceplant sets up a basement dropkick and a not great Razor’s Edge. The running knee gives Ripley two but Michin is back with a poisonrana. A sitout powerbomb gives Michin two but Ripley knocks her down again. The Prism Trap finishes Michin at 9:15.

Rating: C. This was WAY too much offense from Michin, as the win didn’t make Ripley feel like a big star ready to come after Cargill but rather made her look a lot weaker. At the end of the day, Michin and B-Fab have been made to look rather ineffective in recent months and Ripley should be running through either of them. I’m not sure what they were thinking here and Ripley’s finisher did look good, but this wasn’t the right way to go.

Post match the villains are in for the beatdown but Iyo Sky runs in for the save as the numbers even up a bit.

Matt Cardona is getting his wrist looked at when Aleister Black and Zelina come in. Black suggests that Cardona deserved this and a match is set for tonight.

Solo Sikoa says Uncle Howdy wants to fight for the lantern tonight but Sikoa isn’t letting the lantern out of his sight. So who is stepping up? Tama Tonga asks why they’re fighting for the lantern when it’s so much of a problem. Sikoa tells him to go face Howdy and don’t screw this up.

Rhea Ripley is glad to have Iyo Sky here because she needed backup and they are bloody unstoppable.

Tama Tonga vs. Uncle Howdy

Howdy pounds him into the corner to start but Tonga is back with some right hands and headbutts in the ropes. We take a break and come back with Tonga mocking Howdy but diving into the Mandible Claw. That’s broken up and here comes Sikoa, which is enough of a distraction for Sister Abigail to finish Tonga at 7:15.

Rating: C+. There was barely any time here and the point of the match was to further the issues between Tonga and Sikoa more than anything else. At the same time, this feud has been going on for a long time now so it’s time to wrap it up already. I’d rather they do something like this than have a huge showdown at Wrestlemania, though that might still be happening.

Post match Sikoa and Tonga argue over the lantern but Howdy gets it back.

Kit Wilson is complaining about his bad luck to Miz, who insists there is no curse. They run into R-Truth, who is insisting on how water in the hot tub in the new Judgment Day clubhouse. Wilson and Miz don’t like him because he keeps getting lucky despite never taking anything seriously. They want him to take one thing seriously….and Truth accepts their challenge for a Tag Team Title shot tonight. Granted they didn’t ask, but they’ll take it. Miz/Wilson: “Master, inspire, zone-in.”

So we…wait. Master, inspire, zone-in. In today’s “I’m an idiot”, I never before realized that spelled MIZ.

Jacob Fatu is ready for Drew McIntyre. Yes he has a criminal past, but he’s ready to get violent at Wrestlemania.

Sami Zayn talks to Nick Aldis and is ready for the US Title celebration…but Trick Williams’ music kicks him off.

Here is Williams, along with rapper Lil Yachty. Williams talks about how he brought out his own star power because he’s ready to take out the ginger at Wrestlemania. He doesn’t want any ginger ale, ginger tea or ginger snaps. For now, he wants Zayn’s pyro (which Zayn was so happy about), which goes off, but comes complete with Zayn interrupting

Zayn thinks Williams is getting a bit too excited and that he’s never been about the over the top reactions. At Wrestlemania, he’s going to humble Williams’ a**. Zayn: “I think ginger snap is pretty upset.” Williams says he’s the reason Zayn won the US Title, which brings out Carmelo Hayes to interrupt. Hayes says he and Williams have a long history and they’ll deal with that later. Zayn did something last week that Hayes didn’t like and Hayes isn’t letting Zayn get into the endzone after Hayes did the work.

The fans here want Melo instead of Zayn and he wants his rematch. Zayn says he thinks the world of Hayes, but the Wrestlemania match is set. They’ll just have to do this after Wrestlemania. Williams: “AWW COME ON GINGER ALE!” Zayn says he thinks he had Hayes beat last week but we’ll never know because Williams got involved.

The reality is Zayn has called out a bunch of people for taking advantage of things. Hayes tells Zayn to do the right thing so Zayn eventually agrees to the rematch tonight. Works for Hayes, who leaves. Williams says “Ginger Snap” could have said that a long time ago so Zayn clotheslines him to the floor. Williams continues to have so much charisma and comes off as such a star.

Solo Sikoa yells at Tama Tonga about losing the lantern but Tonga wants the team to get back to getting all the titles. Sikoa agrees and says they should finish the Wyatts and then get back to business. Tonga agrees and they seem good.

Aleister Black vs. Matt Cardona

Zelina is here with Black, who gets armdragged down. That banged up Cardona’s bad arm though and he can’t hit a backdrop. Black goes after the arm and takes over, including a legsweep to knock Cardona off the apron. We take a break and come back with Cardona fighting back, but Black escapes a double underhook….something. A neckbreaker drops Black and the Reboot gives Cardona two. Cardona manages a double underhook powerbomb for two but Black goes after the arm again. Black Mass takes Cardona out at 9:51.

Rating: C+. You’re only going to get so far with Black against an injured Cardona, as Black is treated like a much bigger star most of the time. If nothing else, Black Mass is something that can wipe out anyone and it looked good again here. I’m not sure how far Cardona is going on Smackdown but he’s fine enough in this role.

Bayley and Lyra Valkyria don’t think Charlotte and Alexa Bliss are real friends as they haven’t been through the same issues.

R-Truth talks to Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae, who are ready to get back to normal at Stand & Deliver. The two of them leave and Damian Priest comes in to ask why R-Truth gave a random team their first title defense. R-Truth: “They’re cursed!” And he thinks Asuka did it! Priest points out that Asuka is on Raw, but R-Truth says it was the little girl with the facepaint running around. Priest: “….you mean Danhausen???” Anyway, R-Truth thinks it should be an easy title defense and Priest eventually gives in.

Drew McIntyre talks about how he had everything ready for him but then Jacob Fatu ruined it all. Fatu is just a filthy convict and he’s only here because of his family. You can’t outrun your past and next week, McIntyre is showing everyone who Fatu really is.

Charlotte/Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley/Lyra Valkyria

Valkyria takes Charlotte down to start fast but Charlotte sends her into the corner. Bliss comes in with a less than smooth tornado DDT and we take an early break. We come back with Valkyria still in trouble. A crossbody gets her out of trouble and it’s back to Bayley to take over on Charlotte.

Bayley knees her in the head and Valkyria helps knock Charlotte off the top. The top rope elbow gives Bayley two on Charlotte and it’s back to Valkyrie, who dives into the Figure Eight. Bayley breaks that up and Valkyria pulls Bliss out of the air. Nightwing is broken up though and Bliss tries the Sister Abigail. That’s blocked as well so Bliss hits her running Blockbuster to pin Valkyria at 10:30.

Rating: B-. This got better near the end and I’ll take this over another big run in and everything falling apart. The story makes sense for the titles and the division at the moment, though the title match has the potential to be quite the mess. Bayley and Valkyria still feel like underdogs, but hopefully they can do something other than just take the fall at Wrestlemania.

Post match the Irresistible Forces run in to beat down both teams.

Miz and Kit Wilson are ready for their match and Miz insists that there is no curse. Danhausen pops in with his jar of teeth, saying he’ll be at ringside with them tonight. Wilson calls him a spooky little goblin and toxic. Danhausen says he can come to the ring with them and uncurse them, which has Wilson interested. Miz isn’t having this but Danhausen disappears.

Tag Team Titles: Miz/Kit Wilson vs. Damian Priest/R-Truth

Miz and Wilson are challenging. R-Truth takes over on Wilson to start so it’s off to Miz, who gets caught in the Cena finishing sequence. Miz breaks that up and sends him outside for a running elbow from Wilson as we take a break. We come back with R-Truth escaping a Skull Crushing Finale attempt and handing it off to Priest. Everything breaks down and Priest drops Wilson on the floor.

Back in and Miz and R-Truth clothesline each other…and here is Danhausen. He gets on the apron to offer Miz a tag but Miz isn’t doing this. R-Truth however will dive over to tag Danhausen in (Priest is lost watching this) so Miz glares at him…and the referee gets cursed by mistake. Miz loads up the Skull Crushing Finale on Miz but the lights go out and Danhausen escapes. Miz hits the Skull Crushing Finale on R-Truth but the referee suffers a crippling injury at two. South Of Heaven pins Miz (with the referee using his good arm to count) at 9:47.

Rating: B-. This was a case where the match itself was nothing special or even notable, but it was a lot of fun because they rolled with the joke. The Curse thing is working well and while it might not last very long (though it could), they’re getting a lot of value out of the thing. Hopefully Miz and Wilson interact with him some more, because it’s working rather well thus far.

Post match here is Cody Rhodes to take out Kit Wilson and yell about how he got dressed up to find out who Randy Orton has been talking to. It was Pat McAfee, which would be like the Third Man being Disco Inferno instead of Hulk Hogan. McAfee is a stoner, grifter and Logan Paul without muscles and he has a receipt coming and can kiss Rhodes’ a**. If you don’t like that, fire him. It sure worked out for you the last time.

He needs to be a bad guy to beat Orton but he doesn’t know if he can do that anymore. Rhodes talks about every record WWE has been setting with him on top. Yes he was wrestling Roman Reigns and John Cena but they were wrestling him too. Now the voices are talking to him, but you don’t want to hear what they’re saying. Rhodes was showing fire here but this whole story is just spiraling right now and it might need to be reset hard before Wrestlemania.

We look at Roman Reigns and CM Punk on Raw.

Wrestlemania rundown.

Classic Wrestlemania Moment: Kevin Owens vs. Steve Austin. Yeah that qualifies.

US Title: Sami Zayn vs. Carmelo Hayes

Zayn is defending and Trick Williams/Lil Yachty are at ringside. Hayes blocks an early leapfrog attempt and hits a dropkick, followed by some chops in the corner. Zayn fights up and hits a clothesline, only for Hayes to hit a springboard clothesline of his own. The Fadeaway connects for Hayes and the running flip dive to the floor takes Zayn out. Hayes comes up holding his leg though and we take a break.

We come back with Hayes’ leg banged up and Zayn hammering away in the corner. Hayes is able to get in a knockdown of his own but the First 48 is blocked. Zayn exploders him into the corner but charges into a superkick. A top rope splash gives Hayes two, only for Zayn to reverse into a rollup for two of his own. The Blue Thunder Bomb is countered and Hayes goes up, where he misses Nothing But Net. The referee checks on the bad leg…but Zayn fires off the Helluva Kick for the pin to retain at 10:55.

Rating: B-. That ending feels like a step towards Zayn going evil, which wouldn’t be the biggest surprise. He wants to go to Wrestlemania no matter what and that’s what he seems to be doing after that win. The match worked out well enough, though I’m hoping Hayes finds a way onto Wrestlemania somewhere.

Post match Yachty gets in to promise that Williams will win. Williams jumps Zayn and lays him out with the Trick Shot. The villains pose to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. This is a situation where the overall rating could have been just about anything and it would have been appropriate. The thing here is there are two sides to this show: the Orton/Rhodes/McAfee stuff and everything else. For the most part, the “everything else” wasn’t exactly thrilling, but it was ok. The US Title stuff has my attention and R-Truth/Danhausen were rather funny. While some of the matches were just ok (or misguided in the opener), they were acceptable enough to a bit closer to Wrestlemania. It’s not great, but it’s ok enough.

The problem though is the show doesn’t end there. I have absolutely no idea what WWE was expecting out of the McAfee reveal/segment, but it just did not work. Orton has been cheered since the beginning of this story and…well why wouldn’t he be? Rhodes told him to go all aggressive and evil and that’s exactly what Orton has done. Orton is easy to cheer and while Rhodes has his fans, it’s really hard to get more excited about Rhodes right now. We’ve covered him as champion for a long time now and Orton would feel fresh.

Unfortunately that brings us to the issue of how we’re getting here. Unless there is some wacky double turn coming, the match at Wrestlemania could be an absolute circus. I really do not know what they are going for here and unfortunately I’m not sure I can believe WWE knows either. This was the kind of train wreck segment that really seemed to go opposite how WWE was hoping and I have no idea how to get around that situation. Not a great show overall, but the opening segment and the rest of the show are on different planets.

Results
Rhea Ripley b. Michin – Prism Trap
Uncle Howdy b. Tama Tonga – Mandible Claw
Aleister Black b. Matt Cardona – Black Mass
Charlotte/Alexa Bliss b. Bayley/Lyra Valkyria – Running Blockbuster to Valkyria
Damian Priest/R-Truth b. Kit Wilson/Miz – South Of Heaven to Miz
Sami Zayn b. Carmelo Hayes – Helluva Kick

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

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

Smackdown
Date: March 13, 2026
Location: PHX Arena, Phoenix, Arizona
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

We have a Smackdown main event for Wrestlemania, as Randy Orton is now set to challenge Cody Rhodes for the World Title. Rhodes took the title from Drew McIntyre last week, which should set us on a clear course for Wrestlemania in about five weeks. That leaves some openings for other matches around here and we should see some of them coming together soon. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Rhodes winning the title back last week, with Jacob Fatu helping to cost Drew McIntyre the belt.

Nick Aldis is looking over the contract for the Wrestlemania title match but Drew McIntyre storms into the arena and demands that Aldis come out here and make this right. Aldis says there is nothing to correct because McIntyre should be looking at the consequences of his actions. McIntyre calls Aldis a corporate stooge who had to get the title back on his corporate champion.

Aldis isn’t having that and says it’s clear why McIntyre didn’t want Rhodes to get a shot: the first time he did, he won the title. They go face to face but here is Jacob Fatu to interrupt. Fatu asks what McIntyre needed fixed and says he’s the reason McIntyre was champion in the first place. Last week Fatu fixed the situation so McIntyre is no longer champion. McIntyre can point all the fingers he wants but Fatu is the one who did it, so what is McIntyre going to do? McIntyre: “I quit.” And he walks out.

Solo Sikoa is happy with how things are going and leaves the lantern with Tama Tonga while he’s off for a tag match. The team leaves but Shinsuke Nakamura comes in to ask Tonga when he’ll be his own man. Sikoa comes back in with a threat to Nakamura.

Jacob Fatu is mad about Drew McIntyre leaving but Trick Williams comes in, saying he’s the only person who can whoop that. Nick Aldis makes Williams vs. Fatu and Williams panics, with threats of his firing.

MFT’s vs. Wyatt Sicks

Non-title. Rowan and Talla start things off for the big man fight with Talla getting in a shot to stagger him. Sikoa comes in to knock Wyatt around and they head outside with Howdy being sent into various things. We take a break and come back with Talla’s Samoan drop getting two on Howdy and Sikoa coming back in. Sikoa loads up his own Sister Abigail, which is broken up with a belly to back suplex.

Rowan is back in for a running DDT to Talla, followed by a dropkick into the corner. A middle rope elbow gives Rowan two but Sikoa comes back in off a blind tag. Sikoa’s splash hits raised knees though and Howdy comes in, where he is promptly Samoan Spiked. Rowan makes the save as the rest of the teams start brawling on the floor. Back in and Sikoa loads up another Spike but Nikki Cross grabs the lantern. Howdy uses the distraction to grab Sister Abigail for the pin at 10:40.

Rating: B-. It’s nice for the Wyatts to get a win here and odds are they’re set up for some kind of a big group title match at Wrestlemania. If nothing else, it’s a good thing for the titles to feel like they’re actually being used, as that hasn’t been the case for long enough. Granted the lantern is the more important thing right now, but the titles are a nice secondary prize.

Post match Howdy gets the lantern back but Tama Tonga runs in for the Cutthroat Driver to steal it again.

R-Truth thinks the MFT’s are the Judgment Day but Damian Priest says it’s about the titles. Los Garza come in to say they’re the reason R-Truth and Priest won. Priest is ready to fight tonight instead.

Kiana James and Giulia laugh off the idea of Tiffany Stratton winning the Women’s US Title.

Jade Cargill vs. Michin

Non-title and Michin jumps her from behind to start the fight fast. Cargill is sent outside but comes back in with a pump kick to take over. Some choking in the corner has Michin in trouble but she avoids a charge to send Cargill outside again. Michin’s crossbody off the steps is easily countered into a fall away slam as we take a break.

We come back with Michin escaping Jaded and hitting a tornado DDT for two. Eat Defeat sends Cargill out to the floor but the running flip dive misses. That lets Cargill send Michin crashing into the barricade, followed by a chokeslam back inside. Jaded finishes Michin off at 8:23.

Rating: C. This was all it should have been, with Michin feeling like absolutely nothing and being beaten down pretty easily here. It wouldn’t stun me to see Michin and B-Fab wind up as Cargill’s future lackeys as it’s not like they have anything else to do. Cargill is already going to have her hands full at Wrestlemania so maybe she needs the help. Well as much help as Michin and B-Fab can be.

Post match Cargill says she isn’t scared of Rhea Ripley and that isn’t starting today. She’ll show why she’s always on top but here is Ripley to interrupt. Cargill runs off, with Ripley saying she’s going to make Cargill her b**** at Wrestlemania.

Cody Rhodes tells Nick Aldis that the contract is fine when Sami Zayn comes up for some congratulations. He hopes Rhodes wins at Wrestlemania. Rhodes doesn’t want this to be a thing but he knows Zayn said the same thing to Randy Orton. If Zayn just wants a title shot that’s not hard to get, but Zayn says he doesn’t look up to Rhodes like he does with Orton. Rhodes says that’s fine and points at the title before leaving. Aleister Black and Zelina come in to suggest that the title picture might not be the right place for him. Zayn says stay far, far away from him.

Rhea Ripley and B-Fab console Michin, who doesn’t want the pity.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Charlotte/Alexa Bliss vs. Irresistible Forces

The Forces are defending…but before they come out, here are the Bellas instead because this has to be a thing. They’re next in line for the titles and are going to watch from ringside. My goodness you could feel the energy go out of the air when they showed up. It’s a brawl to start with the Forces being knocked outside, where Legend knocks a diving Charlotte out of the air.

We take a break and come back with Bliss fighting out of trouble, allowing the tag off to Charlotte. The no rope Buckshot Lariat cuts Legend down but Jax is back in with a Samoan drop. The Annihilator misses though and Charlotte hits a moonsault for two, with Legend making the save. Bliss DDTs Legend and Charlotte posts Jax but accidentally kicks Nikki Bella. Back in and Charlotte kicks away at Jax, setting up Natural Selection. Twisted Bliss is loaded up but Brie Bella runs in to jump Jax for the DQ at 8:08.

Rating: C+. The match was getting going but you knew the Bellas were going to come in at some point. I’m sure they bring some kind of quote unquote star power to the title picture but it just seems incredibly forced to have them involved. Hopefully they don’t win the titles at Wrestlemania, though that definitely feels like the inevitable.

Post match the Forces lay out both teams.

Jelly Roll congratulates Randy Orton, who tells him to beat up Miz on MizTV.

Charlotte and Alexa Bliss run into the Bellas, who are apparently next for the titles. Yeah I know they have fans but good grief I do not want to see the Bellas, especially in a big match at Wrestlemania.

Damian Priest/R-Truth vs. Los Garza

Los Garza jump them to start fast but Priest rises up with a double clothesline. R-Truth comes in but gets choked on the ropes to put the villains in control. A running knee to the head has R-Truth in trouble and a quick comeback attempt is cut off. Stereo moonsaults to the floor take out R-Truth and Priest as we take a break.

We come back with Angel jumping over Berto to land on R-Truth in the corner. Angel makes the mistake of mocking You Can’t See Me though and gets a Stundog Millionaire for his efforts. It’s back to Priest to kick away and the Old School crossbody hits Berto. A cheap shot puts Priest down and Angel’s moonsault gets two, but Priest knocks Berto away. The Razor’s Edge drops Berto and the South Of Heaven and AA get the stereo pins at 11:01.

Rating: C+. It’s kind of sad that Priest, who was World Champion less than two years ago, and R-Truth, who was supposed to be more serious, can only do this. At the same time, it’s even worse when this is what the Tag Team Titles have come to with the other talented teams around here. At least it’s something for them, but it’s only so much.

Alex Shelley and Candice LeRae try to wake Johnny Gargano back up, with LeRae and Gargano wheeling away. Chris Sabin comes in to ask why Shelley is still doing this and has gotten them a match next week.

Danhausen has a shirt for Miz, who can’t believe that Danhausen already has one. He can even wear the show on MizTV with Jelly Jam! Then Danhausen can get his own show with celebrity guests! Miz isn’t doing that…so he is cursed.

It’s time for MizTV but the mic doesn’t work. With that fixed, he brings out Jelly Roll as this week’s guest. Roll is here because of the Road To Wrestlemania and Miz is happy to have him. Miz suggests he mentor Roll, but that isn’t going to happen. Miz brings up the time Roll did something at Summerslam, where he was so heavy that Miz had to help him up. Roll can’t believe Miz is taking credit for him losing 250lbs because he’s the one who was doing the work. Miz: “I liked you better when you were fat!”

The brawl is teased but here is Kit Wilson to interrupt. Wilson talks about Roll’s face tattoos and criminal history and accuses him of being FAT PHOBIC! Roll is toxic so he and Miz try to deck Wilson, only for Roll to hit Miz by mistake. Eh, Danhausen warned him. Weird segment here, as I’m not sure who I was supposed to like.

Apollo Crews and Ilja Dragunov appreciate that when Carmelo Hayes comes in. Hayes understands what Dragunov said last week about not wanting the open challenge but Dragunov says this is the only way he knows. Hayes thinks there might be another reason they aren’t fighting and Dragunov isn’t happy.

Tiffany Stratton, after shoving Chelsea Green’s wheelchair away, promises to take out Kiana James and come for the Women’s US Title.

Kit Wilson yells at Miz and is ready to get a match. Danhausen comes in to offer Miz some teeth if his lost one, but there is one thing he has to do to reverse the curse. Miz insists there is no curse but Danhausen is gone.

Tiffany Stratton vs. Kiana James

Stratton sends her into the corner to start and flips over her but has to avoid a Giulia trip. James gets in a Stunner over the ropes and Stratton is sent into the barricade as we take a break. We come back with Stratton hitting a handspring Stunner for two as Chelsea Green and Alba Fyre are here to watch. James can’t get her up for a powerbomb so Stratton gives her a Regal Roll. Giulia pulls James outside so Stratton hits her with a dive. Back in and James kicks Giulia by mistake, setting up the Prettiest Moonsault Ever to give Stratton the pin at 7:39.

Rating: C. There is only so much you can get out of a sub eight minute match with a break in the middle, but Stratton was always going to be beating Giulia’s (talented) lackey. That’s a classic way to set up the match, even with Green and Fyre being involved. Stratton vs. Giulia should be fine, as it’s nice for Giulia to remember that she’s actually a champion with a title to defend.

Next week: Kit Wilson calls out Jelly Roll.

Trick Williams isn’t happy about Jacob Fatu, but Sami Zayn comes in to complain about Williams jumping into the main event. A fight is teased and is likely coming later.

Jacob Fatu vs. Trick Williams

Fatu slugs away to start but misses a charge into the corner, allowing Williams to send him into the buckle. That goes as expected of course and a McGillicutter (yeah the McGillicutter) has the same effect and Fatu knocks him outside. We take a break and come back with Fatu fighting out of a chinlock and sending him hard into the corner.

Fatu’s Whisper In The Wind connects but the Trick Kick cuts off a running Umaga Attack. A flapjack drops Fatu again and the release Rock Bottom gets two. Fatu is back with a pop up Samoan drop into a Swanton for two more. Williams bails outside and gets taken out by a suicide dive…with Drew McIntyre running in to post Fatu. A pair of Trick Shots give Williams the pin at 11:24.

Rating: B-. Williams’ rise continues and it would be nice to see him getting something big at Wrestlemania. Like say, the US Title. Other than that, we’re all but guaranteed to see McIntyre vs. Fatu at Wrestlemania and that should be a heck of a fight, as they’ve certainly set up the feud to be quite the showdown. Williams getting a win here is a big deal, and in a way it’s nice that Fatu isn’t invincible, as it makes him more relatable.

Post match McIntyre gives Fatu the Claymore.

Jelly Roll is back at ringside.

Nick Aldis is in the ring for the Cody Rhodes/Randy Orton contract signing, but first: Drew McIntyre apparently didn’t quit so he can face Jacob Fatu next week. Anyway here are Orton (who has changed shirts from earlier) and Rhodes face to face. They shake hands and Rhodes talks about his history with Orton and how things have gone well.

Rhodes wanted to be like Orton and left, only to come back on his own. He’s not Orton’s brother, but he’s always been proud to be his boy. Rhodes signs and Orton goes to as well but doesn’t do it. Orton says he needs the title and this was supposed to be easy with Drew McIntyre in there. Rhodes is fine with that because he wants the Orton with the voices in his head and the Legend Killer.

After the match is over, Rhodes will always love him. Orton signs (with Rhodes applauding) and then kicks him low. The big beatdown is on with Orton hitting him in the head with the steps to bust him open. Rhodes is beaten onto the announcers’ table and Jelly Roll comes over the barricade, only for Orton to shove him down. Rhodes’ head is laid on the steps so Orton crushes it with a chair before sitting in the ring with the title to end the show. They needed to do this, as Orton vs. Rhodes was feeling like a great main event….for Summerslam. Now just have Orton win the title, as he needs to.

Overall Rating: B-. The show is still far too long, but the ending segment helped and Trick Williams continues to rise up the card in an impressive fashion. They’re starting to set up the card for Wrestlemania, though it only feels so good right now. Hopefully they have something extra to spice it up a bit in the near future, because they’re rapidly running out of time to make it work. It’s a good show here, but this is only going to be enough for so much longer.

Results
Wyatt Sicks b. MFT’s – Sister Abigail to Sikoa
Jade Cargill b. Michin – Jaded
Irresistible Forces b. Charlotte/Alexa Bliss via DQ when Brie Bella interfered
Damian Priest/R-Truth b. Los Garza – Double pin
Tiffany Stratton b. Kiana James – Prettiest Moonsault Ever
Trick Williams b. Jacob Fatu – Trick Shot

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