NXT
Date: September 10, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Booker T., Vic Joseph

We are on the way to the CW and the show is already looking up. Last week saw Giulia challenging Roxanne Perez for a Women’s Title shot on October 1, with Perez accepting. Giulia is making her in-ring debut tonight against Chelsea Green, plus TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace is here for an open challenge. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Tag Team Titles: Axiom/Nathan Frazier vs. Street Profits

The Profits are challenging after the Rascalz were taken out under “conspicuous circumstances”. The fans want the smoke as Ford and Axiom start things off with Ford hitting a running shoulder. Ford flips over a clothesline and grabs a headlock on the mat before it’s off to Dawkins and Frazier. The pace picks up and Frazier hits a running shot to send Dawkins outside.

Back in and stereo basement superkicks drop Dawkins for two but he breaks out of Axiom’s chinlock. Ford fires off some clotheslines and Rock Bottoms Frazier into a People’s moonsault for two. Dawkins tosses Axiom into a German suplex from Ford for two more but Frazier is back in with a 450 for two on Ford. Everyone is knocked down until Dawkins goes up, only to get caught in the super Spanish Fly. Ford breaks up the 450 though and it’s a Doomsday Blockbuster to plant Frazier….and Tama Tonga pulls Ford out for the DQ at 7:50.

Rating: B-. This was getting going at the end but the interference is what matters the most here. The Bloodline being here is weird enough but it makes things feel that much more important. Either way, good start to a match here, and it wouldn’t shock me to see the Bloodline be the “circumstances” that took out the Rascalz.

Post match the Bloodline (Tongas and Jacob Fatu) come in and wreck both teams.

Tony D’Angelo has paid someone we can’t see to take out Oba Femi.

Video on Giulia’s debut and challenge to Roxanne Perez.

Giulia vs. Chelsea Green

Giulia knocks her down to start, followed by a middle rope dropkick to send Green flying again. Green comes back with a facebuster and a pump kick but Giulia grabs a Spider Web (something like an Octopus Hold). That’s broken up so Green chokes in the corner, setting up a German suplex.

A lifting Downward Spiral gives Green two and we hit a full nelson with the legs. Giulia flights out and sends her to the apron for a neckbreaker to the floor as Green can’t get away. Green manages to send her over the announcers’ table but a missile dropkick misses back inside. Giulia’s running knee sets up a northern lights bomb for the pin at 6:51.

Rating: C+. This wasn’t a squash but it was a fairly dominant victory for Giulia, which is what it should have been. Green isn’t the most accomplished star in WWE but she’s been around long enough that beating her means something. Giulia felt like a star here and once she turned it up in the end, Green was overwhelmed. It was a good, effective debut and did what it needed to do.

Trick Williams is ready for Pete Dunne tonight and then he’s coming for his NXT Title again.

Jordynne Grace talks about how important the TNA Knockouts Title really is, which is why she wants the best from NXT to come after it.

Lexis King is at a barber shop and shows us a highlight reel of his greatest hits. Then Oro Mensah jumps him.

Lola Vice and Jacy Jayne argue over who is going to step up to Jordynne Grace.

Heritage Cup: Je’Von Evans vs. Charlie Dempsey

Dempsey is defending. Round one begins with Dempsey taking him down into an armbar but gets caught in a wristlock. Dempsey tries to slip out but can’t shake Evans away. Instead he takes Evans into the corner and stomps away. They trade monkey flips and Evans grabs a hurricanrana as the round ends. Round two begins with Evans missing a charge into the corner but coming out with a middle rope sunset flip for two. They fight over a backslide until Dempsey gets a dragon suplex for the pin at 1:01 of the round and 4:39 overall.

We take a break and come back with Evans small packaging Dempsey for two, followed by the top rope spinning splash for the pin at 2:51 of the round and 8:51 overall to tie it up. Round four begins with Evans hitting a running forearm in the corner and knocking Dempsey outside. A neck snap over the rope cuts Evans off for two and some neckbreakers keep Evans in trouble. Evans is back out with a suplex but a butterfly suplex has him in trouble as the round ends.

Round five begins with Evans’ sunset flip getting two and a rollup gets the same. A springboard clothesline gets a delayed two, with Miles Borne putting the foot on the rope. Cedric Alexander brawls with Borne to the back so Evans knocks him to the floor for a huge dive over the top. Cue Tavion Heights to jump Evans though and Dempsey gets the pin to retain at 2:09 of the round and 15:10.

Rating: B-. Heights being back was a good way to keep Evans looking strong in defeat. Dempsey needed to win here after just getting the Cup back, making this a good enough way to go. The round system still works well as a way to set this stuff apart and it feels like its own division, even if there are only a few people involved with it at a time.

Rosemary and Wendy Choo want to destroy Lyra Valkyria and Tatum Paxley. They have made their bed but have forgotten to look underneath it.

Ethan Page is happy to see Pete Dunne and Trick Williams beat each other up because he can pick up the scraps on October 1.

Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill will be in Chicago on October 1.

Oba Femi vs. ???

Non-title and it’s…..HAMMERSTONE (a powerhouse from TNA) answering, apparently the person Tony D’Angelo paid off earlier. Hammerstone gets backed up against the ropes to start but pushes Femi away. Femi is knocked outside, where he hits a jumping clothesline to knock Hammerstone off the apron.

Back in and another clothesline sets up a chinlock, with Hammerstone getting up fast. A fireman’s carry toss gives Femi two but Hammerstone blocks a stomp on the mat. Hammerstone fights back and hits a running clothesline into some suplexes and a chokeslam for two. Femi is up again with a belly to back toss and a pop up powerbomb for the pin at 5:26.

Rating: C+. This one is going to depend on what you know about Hammerstone. He was a force in MLW and has shown flashes of success in TNA but this was quite the disappointment. Hammerstone was beaten up for the most part and then lost clean in the end. Of course you don’t have an outside beat your unstoppable monster, but I was expecting a hoss fight and got a five minute match with Femi mostly dominating.

The D’Angelo Family is not pleased.

Hank Walker and Tank Ledger are ready but Chase U walks in, with Duke Hudson promising to hurt Ridge Holland.

Wren Sinclair isn’t sure which title she should go after and asks if Kelani Jordan has ever considered an open challenge. They both leave so Lola Vice and Jaida Parker can talk about how they want to beat up Fatal Influence. Vice sounded rather serious here.

CM Punk was impressed by Giulia’s debut and is going to call Ava with an idea.

Ridge Holland vs. Duke Hudson

Hudson starts fast and takes it outside, with Holland being sent into the steps. Back in and a suplex has Holland in more trouble but he drives Hudson back first into the barricade. A running clothesline drops Hudson for two and a crossbody against the ropes cuts off his comeback. Something like a Jackhammer puts Hudson down and the lifting DDT finishes for Holland at 4:11.

Rating: C. Hudson was fighting for his school here but it’s too early for Holland to get what is coming to him. That is going to come when Andre Chase is back, which mans Holland is going to have to run through Riley Osborne first. For now, it was short and to the point, with Hudson getting in what he could before Holland took him apart.

Post match Holland beats him up even more, including another lifting DDT onto a piece of the barricade.

Jordynne Grace runs into Giulia for a cool visual.

Pete Dunne is ready to fight Trick Williams and move on to become NXT Champion.

MizTV will be in Chicago on October 1.

We look back at the Bloodline wrecking the Street Profits and Axiom/Nathan Frazier.

Wes Lee comes in to commentary and says he took out Trey Miguel so the Rascalz couldn’t get the title shot. He wants Zachary Wentz in a street fight in Chicago.

TNA Knockouts Title: Jordynne Grace vs. ???

Grace is defending against….Sol Ruca. Grace gets taken down to start but avoids a low superkick. A gutwrench suplex drops Ruca but it’s too early for the Juggernaut Driver. Instead Ruca pulls her outside, followed by the awesome springboard splash for two back inside. We take a break and come back with Ruca slipping out of a MuscleBuster but getting pulled down onto the turnbuckle.

Ruca is right back up with a high crossbody but Grace rolls through and tries a swinging Rock Bottom, which is reversed into a DDT to give Ruca two. Grace is back up with a World’s Strongest Slam into a Vader Bomb for two, followed by the MuscleBuster. And never mind as the lights go out and Rosemary/Wendy Choo are here to jump Grace for the DQ at 8:56.

Rating: B-. Ruca got in a few shots but this was more of Grace dominating until the DQ ending. That was a wise way to get out of having Grace beat a talented start like Ruca so this had to be done. As usual, Grace feels like she could be a major star here at the drop of a hat and odds are she will the second she is allowed to sign. Nice match here, with the ending that had to take place.

Post match Grace gets choked out.

Tatum Paxley shows Lyra Valkyria her dolls of various villains, with Valkyria telling her to be calm. A tag match against Choo and Rosemary seems set for next week.

Giulia, with Funaki, is in Ava’s office when Roxanne Perez comes in to say Giulia isn’t taking anything over. Giulia teases violence but Ava says save it for Chicago.

Dion Lennox warns Brooks Jensen about Shawn Spears (who is there too). With Lennox gone, Jensen and Spears seem to be ok.

Ashante Thee Adonis and Eddy Thorpe argue over Thorpe’s friendship with various women.

Trick Williams vs. Pete Dunne

Last Man Standing for the NXT Title shot on October 1. They slug it out to start with Williams getting the better of things. The fight heads outside with Williams being whipped into the steps and suplexed onto the apron as we take a break. Back with Williams hitting some leg lariats but Dunne rolls to the floor. The chair is brought in and a neckbreaker onto it gives Williams a six.

Dunne is back up with a German suplex and wedges the chair in the corner. They head outside again with Williams being put on the steps for a running boot to the head. The floor mats are peeled back (you don’t see that much anymore) and Dunne plants him with a DDT for nine (yes off a DDT on exposed concrete).

Back in and Williams hits a pop up right hand but the Bitter End gives Dunne another eight. Dunne gets the chair but Williams kicks it into his face for eight of his own. Williams pulls the cover off of the announcers’ table, only to get powerbombed through it. They fight out into the fans and onto the platform, with Dunne hitting a Russian legsweep down through some tables. Cue Ethan Page to mock them both until Williams bats the count to win at 14:17, backdropping Page through the table in the process.

Rating: B. The ending to this was a bit of a weak spot as Williams just popped up to win, but the rest of the match took a different path than most of these matches. Until the last few minutes, they mostly kept this basic, with just the chair being used. I like the change of pace over what you would expect from this kind of a match, with all kinds of weapons and such. Williams very well may get the title back in Chicago and this was a fine way to set it up.

Ava gets off the phone with CM Punk, who will be here next week.

Overall Rating: B. Despite a lot of the wrestling just being ok, this show was PACKED with either guest stars or important matches. I was impressed by how many things they managed to fit into the show and it was a lot of fun, even with the main event being the only match worth seeing. Sure it’s to help drum up interest before the big move in a few weeks, but it worked very well for a show that didn’t have a ton of hype.

Results
Street Profits b. Axiom/Nathan Frazier via DQ when Tama Tonga interfered
Giulia b. Chelsea Green – Northern lights bomb
Charlie Dempsey b. Je’Von Evans 2-1
Oba Femi b. Hammerstone – Toss powerbomb
Ridge Holland b. Duke Hudson – Lifting DDT
Jordynne Grace b. Sol Ruca via DQ when Rosemary and Wendy Choo interfered
Trick Williams b. Pete Dunne when Dunne could not answer the ten count

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

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Smackdown
Date: September 6, 2024
Location: Rogers Place, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

We’re done with Bash In Berlin and that means it is time to get ready for Bad Blood, which is about a month away. Cody Rhodes is going to need a new challenger after beating Kevin Owens, which could open up a variety of options. Other than that, Bayley is back and wants the Women’s Title again so let’s get to it.

Here is Bash In Berlin if you need a recap.

We open with a long recap of Cody Rhodes retaining the Smackdown World Title over Kevin Owens at Bash In Berlin.

Here is Rhodes to get things going. After saying hello to the fans in the upper deck, Rhodes welcomes Michael Cole back to Smackdown. He knows he’s going to be interrupted any second so he just invites the Bloodline out here right now. Solo Sikoa says he had Rhodes beat at Summerslam but Roman Reigns interfered.

Rhodes thinks there should be a title defense on the season premiere of Smackdown and it should be the person who stepped out of Reigns’ shadow. Sikoa likes that idea…but Rhodes is talking about Jacob Fatu. That seems to work for Fatu, but Sikoa stares at him and Fatu bows. Rhodes says it was worth a shot and Sikoa is wearing the red lei meaning the Bloodline revolves around him.

The difference is Rhodes is wearing the WWE Title, meaning everything revolves around him. The title match seems to be on for next week but Sikoa wants to fight now. DIY and the Street Profits run in, with Nick Aldis popping in to say we’ll do this in the main event. Aldis says the title match is indeed on for next week….and we’ll do that in a steel cage. While there is a good chance Roman Reigns returns next week, this was both a way to set up a major title match and also further Sikoa controlling Fatu, which is not likely to end well.

Tiffany Stratton and Pretty Deadly are getting ready for next week when Nia Jax comes in to ask if Stratton was going to cash in on her last week. Stratton says of course not and blames Chelsea Green, with Jax offering to be in her corner tonight.

Bayley vs. Tiffany Stratton

Bayley goes after the arm to start and wraps it around the rope for a bit before a middle rope armdrag gets two on Stratton. They go to the apron with Bayley trying a sunset flip, earning herself a kick to the face as we take a break. Back with Stratton hitting a rather handspringy elbow in the corner for two, followed by a dropkick into the ropes.

They go outside where Bayley reverses her into the post, setting up a running knee to the head for two back inside. The top rope elbow gets two and now Nia Jax comes out. Stratton uses the distraction to hit the Alabama Slam for two, only to walk into a Bayley To Belly. Bayley dives onto Jax, which draws her up to the apron for a distraction, meaning the referee doesn’t see Stratton’s backslide for a good while. Not that it matters as Bayley gets up and hits the Rose Plant to finish Stratton at 10:13.

Rating: C+. Bayley needed a win after her loss at Summerslam and what would Stratton be if she didn’t lose a few matches while holding the briefcase? They’ve been teasing the cash in already and it wouldn’t surprise me to see them burn the thing off next week on the season premiere. I’m not sure if Stratton will get the title, but if she does, Bayley is right there as another challenger after getting the win here.

A-Town Down Under pesters Kevin Owens about his loss so he says they should have a triple threat tonight. And he steals their Edmonton Oilers belt because it’s too nice for them.

Legado del Fantasma wants more success.

Giovanni Vinci vs. Apollo Crews

Vinci is described as a High Performance Human….and Crews rolls him up for the pin at 7 seconds. I will absolutely take this after seeing Vinci doing pretty much the same character in NXT and being about as uninteresting as imaginable.

Chelsea Green and Piper Niven rant to Nick Aldis when Michin interrupts. Aldis makes Michin vs. Green for later.

Kevin Owens vs. Austin Theory vs. Grayson Waller

Owens knocks them to the floor to start and hits a cannonball off the apron. The villains get together and load up a table, only for Owens to powerbomb Waller through it as we take a break. Back with Owens hammering on Theory, who drops him with a running forearm to the face. The rolling Stunner is cut off with a DDT though and everyone is down. Owens drops the backsplash on Theory and hits the Cannonball in the corner.

The Swanton connects for two as Waller makes the save, allowing Theory to hit a rolling Blockbuster. Waller steals the near fall and that doesn’t sit well with Theory so the argument is on. Owens knocks the villains off the ropes and hits a super Regal Roll for two on Theory. The swinging superplex gets two on Waller, setting up the Stunner to give Owens the pin on Theory at 9:46.

Rating: C+. This was little more than target practice for Owens, who needed a win after his loss over the weekend. Waller and Theory are little more than jokes at the moment, which is amazing given how hard Theory was pushed for a bit. There is still more than enough time to see things turn around, but dang it’s going to take a big moment to make it happen.

Post match Waller and Theory lay Owens out.

Video on Carmelo Hayes vs. Andrade, which is now 2-2.

Commentary thanks FOX for five years and we look back at the show’s run on the network. That’s a nice thing to see.

Here is LA Knight for a chat. Knight is about thirty days into his title reign and he already has two successful title defenses. He knows everyone is coming for the title and here is Carmelo Hayes to interrupt. Hayes talks about stealing the show week after week while Knight is just running his mouth. He’s beaten Andrade twice in a row and that puts him in line for a US Title shot.

Knight points out that the two title defenses in a month are the same as the previous champion (oddly not named) had in ten months, which sounds like him getting in a point he forgot or didn’t get to say earlier. He’s not worried about having the match of the night because he cares about winning, which brings out Andrade, who brings up his two wins over Hayes. Knight cuts off the argument but Andrade speaks Spanish. That all goes over Knight’s head but he doesn’t like Andrade’s tone. The fight is on and Knight hits the BFT on both of them.

They didn’t say that the next Hayes vs. Andrade match would be for a title shot, but assuming that is the case, I would hope that they give it one winner rather than a draw to set up a triple threat. At the same time, that’s exactly what the series needed: a prize to fight over that both of them would want.

A-Town Down Under wants a tag match with Kevin Owens and anyone he can find next week.

Chelsea Green vs. Michin

Piper Niven is here with Green and Michin is banged up after last week. Michin snaps off some armdrags to start but gets kicked down as we hear about Green’s time in TNA. A hurricanrana out of the corner puts Green down but Michin comes up holding her ribs. Niven’s distraction lets Green get two off a rollup, only to have the I’m Prettier broken up. Another distraction lets Niven kick Michin in the face, followed by a backsplash. Back in and I’m Prettier finishes for Green at 3:58.

Rating: C. Michin was fighting through the injury here but Green is on the rise and needed a win here. At some point Green is going to be turned to the good side because the fans won’t be able to ignore her awesome charisma. If she can back it up in the ring, she could be a rather big star pretty quickly. This might not have been the big turning point, but it was a nice win.

DIY and the Street Profits want to take out the Bloodline.

Bloodline vs. DIY/Street Profits

It’s a brawl to start until a triple teaming knocks Fatu outside. We settle down to Dawkins hammering on Loa and suplexing Ford into a moonsault onto him for two. Loa is back up with a clothesline and Tama comes in, only to get caught with Gargano’s slingshot spear. Ciampa comes in as well but gets dropped over the top rope by Fatu. Sikoa sends Ciampa over the announcers’ table and we take a break.

Back with Fatu missing a charge into the post and Ciampa kicks Tama away before tagging…Dawkins and Gargano at the same time. Commentary and the referee are both confused, even as Dawkins neckbreakers Sikoa for two. It’s back to Ciampa as things get back to normal, including a Spinning Solo for two. Ciampa goes up top and superplexes Loa onto the pile at ringside. Back in and Ford hits a 450 on Loa but Fatu makes the save. Fatu cleans house, including the impaler DDT to Ford, setting up a pair of Samoa Spikes to give Sikoa the pin at 11:58.

Rating: B. Fun main event here with the Bloodline, and Sikoa in particular, getting to look strong on the way to next week’s title match. That’s a good way to go and the Profits/DIY are teams with enough value that beating them still means something. I’m not sure how much drama there was about the result, but at least the action was good on the way there.

Overall Rating: B-. This show was in a tough spot as it was the fallout show from Bash In Berlin, which didn’t have much from Smackdown, and serving as a preview to next week’s big premiere. There was enough to keep me interested throughout, but next week is where things happen and that didn’t leave much for this week to cover.

Results
Bayley b. Tiffany Stratton – Rose Plant
Apollo Crews b. Giovanni Vinci – Rollup
Kevin Owens b. Austin Theory and Grayson Waller – Stunner to Theory
Chelsea Green b. Michin – I’m Prettier
Bloodline b. DIY/Street Profits – Samoan Spike to Ford

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

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Smackdown
Date: August 23, 2024
Location: Capital One Arena, Washington DC
Commentators: Corey Graves, Wade Barrett

We are just over a week away from Bash In Berlin and the Smackdown side of things seems to be mostly ready. At the same time though, Roman Reigns was taken out by the Bloodline last week and that is not going to go well. I’m not sure if Reigns is going to be back tonight, but the Bloodline almost has to take a victory lap. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of the Bloodline taking out Roman Reigns last week, with Jacob Fatu doing most of the damage.

Here is A-Town Down Under with the Grayson Waller Effect to get things going. They start fast this week because their guest is none other than Cody Rhodes, who the fans seem to life. The villains cut off his entrance though, which is not exactly well received. Cody loads up his catchphrase, which Waller finishes for him to push another button. Waller says the idiot fans don’t know the real Cody, whose friends keep getting beaten up. Cody: “Are you done?”

Waller probably thinks that Kevin Owens getting a title shot is charity but Owens has not stopped fighting the Bloodline since before Cody came back. He has never used Owens, but can Waller and Theory say the same about each other? Waller is using Theory and the fans are waiting for Theory to do something about it. Waller shifts the focus back to a video on Owens, showing him attacking various friends and associates (including Chris Jericho in an all time segment with the Festival OF Friendship), including Sami Zayn and Sami Zayn (Again).

Cue Owens to interrupt, saying everyone he turned on in that video, save for Kofi Kingston, deserved it. Cue Nick Aldis, with Owens cutting him off to ask him to make the tag match. Aldis says it’s on, but Owens asks if he can punch Waller in the face. Aldis: “Make it quick.” The fight is on, but Owens is sent into Rhodes for the tension inducing moment.

United States Title: LA Knight vs. Santos Escobar

Knight is defending and Escobar has the rest of Legado del Fantasma with him. Hold on though as the rest of Legado jumps Knight on the floor before the bell, which is at least worthy of a mass ejection. Knight says ring the bell and avoids an early charge to get two off a rollup.

We take an early break and come back with Knight in trouble as Escobar crushes him with a frog splash for two. An elbow drop misses though and Knight hits an atomic drop into a discus lariat for the double knockdown. Knight stomps away in the corner and gets two off a Side Effect as the fans are rather pleased. The BFT and the Phantom Driver are both broken up so Escobar takes him to the middle rope. That’s broken up for a middle rope LA Elbow, setting up the BFT to retain the title at 9:07.

Rating: C+. Knight gets attacked and injured before the match, fights from behind and retains the title over someone with some status. That’s as simple as it can get and it worked just fine here, with Knight getting his first successful title defense. It’s a case where they didn’t need to make this complicated and it went perfectly well.

We look at Carmelo Hayes beating Andrade last week.

Hayes says Andrade is never going to be as good as he is. Cue Andrade and they have to be held back, with another match being set up for next week.

Santos Escobar yells at the rest of Legado del Fantasma for costing him the match. Baron Corbin and Apollo Crews come in to laugh, with Escobar wanting to face Corbin next week.

Blair Davenport/Isla Dawn/Alba Fyre vs. Naomi/Jade Cargill/Bianca Belair

Dawn actually takes Naomi down to start, which doesn’t last long as Belair moonsaults over her and sends Dawn outside. The big dive takes Dawn out again and we take an early break. Back with Belair grabbing a slingshot rollup for two on Davenport, who stomps Belair in the back for two. The villains get in a triple choking pose on the ropes and some running knees get two more.

Fyre grabs a Black Widow but Dawn gets caught cheating, allowing Belair to backbreaker her way to freedom. The tag brings in Cargill to clean house but Davenport hits a quick superkick. Naomi comes in to pick the pace up again, with a hanging faceplant/DDT to Dawn and Fyre. Belair hits a big dive to the floor, taking out Cargill as well as some villains. That leaves Naomi to hit the split legged moonsault to finish Davenport at 9:33.

Rating: B-. This started slowly but the last two minutes or so went nuts with everyone getting a chance to shine. Belair and Cargill are already set for a Women’s Tag Team Title shot at Bash In Berlin, though it was nice to see them not get a pin over the champions here to set it up. If nothing else, Dawn and Fyre need to be kept strong, which isn’t always the case around here.

We look at WWE in Germany back in the mid 90s, with Natalya of all people narrating.

Here is the Bloodline for their Tag Team Title shot. Before the match, Solo Sikoa requests acknowledgment and says the OTC is DONE. Sikoa says he is next in line for a title shot after Bash In Berlin, but first there is something wrong with the Tag Team Titles. He tells Jacob Fatu to step up…and hand Sikoa his title. Actually, give it to Tonga Loa, because Fatu is Sikoa’s personal enforcer and not part of a tag team. Cue the Street Profits and B-Fab to mock the new version of the team before we get going.

LA Knight issues an open challenge for a US Title shot next week.

Tag Team Titles: Bloodline vs. Street Profits

The Bloodline is defending. Dawkins hammers Loa into the corner to start but it’s Tama coming in for two off a jumping neckbreaker. Ford comes in to drop Tama and a standing moonsault gets two. An assisted neckbreaker gets two on Ford, who is right back with a jumping enziguri. Dawkins comes back in with a double flapjack as everything breaks down, with Ford being LAUNCHED over the top and onto the steps.

We take a break and come back with Ford hitting a jumping DDT, allowing the diving tag off to Dawkins. Everything breaks down and the Silencer his Tama with Loa having to make a save. The fight goes outside, where Fatu hits some superkicks. That’s enough for Tama to hit a running Downward Spiral for the pin on Dawkins at 9:11.

Rating: B-. This was a good way to change things over to the other Bloodline, which is apparently something that can just be done around here. It makes things that much easier to do though and I’ll take that over some complicated situation. The match itself was a good, fast paced match, but the Bloodline isn’t about to lose the titles anytime soon.

Post match the beatdown continues until DIY makes the save. That doesn’t work either though as Fatu and company wreck the good guys.

Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens have a bit of a strained chat, with Owens bringing up turning on so many people. Cody seems to trust him though.

B-Fab says DIY and the Street Profits are fine, with Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell going into the trainer’s room to check on them.

Michin talks about overcoming negative expectations to get this far while breaking a lot of things.

Nia Jax glares at Pretty Deadly and Tiffany Stratton about fixing her crown. With the three of them gone, Chelsea Green and Piper Niven are overheard mocking Jax, who glares them away.

Cody Rhodes/Kevin Owens vs. A-Town Down Under

Rhodes works on Waller’s arm to start and it’s quickly off to Owens for a backsplash. A double back elbow gets two more on Waller but Theory offers a distraction, allowing Waller to get in a cheap shot. Owens gets punched down and we take an early break. Back with Owens fighting his way out of trouble and making the tag off to Rhodes. The Disaster Kick sends Waller outside, with Rhodes sending Theory over the announcers’ table.

Back in and Waller cuts Rhodes off, allowing Theory to get in some choking. The chinlock goes on so Owens plays cheerleader, which brings Rhodes and the fans right back up. The Cody Cutter drops Theory but Waller’s distraction draws Owens out to the floor. Rhodes sends both of them outside though and the diving tag brings in Owens, who drops outside to beat them up in a fresh location. The Cannonball hits Waller in the corner and the Swanton gets two, with Theory making the save. Not that it matters as the Pop Up Powerbomb gives Owens the pin on Waller at 11:38.

Rating: B-. This was more about whether or not Rhodes and Owens could get along and it went well enough, even as A-Town Down Under’s downward spiral continues. The team seems destined to fall apart sooner than later and it might be with Theory getting the needed boost as a result. They did what they needed to here though and I’ll take that for a main event.

Bash In Berlin rundown.

Back in the ring, Owens picks up the title and teases hitting Rhodes but hands him the title instead, leaving Rhodes looking rather relieved to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. There was only so much that could be added for this show and it wound up doing well enough with everything they had. The main matches are set for Bash In Berlin and there was only so much that could be done here. There is nothing wrong with spending a show advancing stories though and that is what they made work this week. You don’t really need to see this one, but it did accomplish a few things.

Results
LA Knight b. Santos Escobar – BFT
Naomi/Jade Cargill/Bianca Belair b. Blair Davenport/Isla Dawn/Alba Fyre – Split legged moonsault to Davenport
Bloodline b. Street Profits – Running Downward Spiral to Dawkins
Cody Rhodes/Kevin Owens b. A-Town Down Under – Pop Up Powerbomb to Waller

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Smackdown
Date: August 9, 2024
Location: BOK Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Commentators: Corey Graves, Wade Barrett

We’re done with Summerslam and that means we are in for the Smackdown return of Roman Reigns, who showed up at the end of the show and took out Solo Sikoa. That should be the start of the Bloodline Civil War and there is a good chance it will be the top story around here for a long time. Other than that, Bash In Berlin is just over three weeks away and we’re going to need a card. Let’s get to it.

Here is Summerslam if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of the Summerslam main event, with Cody Rhodes defeating Solo Sikoa with an assist from the returning Roman Reigns. That was an amazing reaction when Reigns showed up because you knew it was a huge deal.

Here is Rhodes to get things going. He gets straight to the point by saying he doesn’t want to dwell on the past because it’s all about the future. Rhodes has been thinking about who he wants to defend the title against at Bash In Berlin…and here is the Bloodline to interrupt (minus Jacob Fatu and with Tonga Loa’s eye patch on the opposite eye than last week for some reason). Sikoa blames Roman Reigns for the loss at Summerslam and wants another shot at the title.

Rhodes says Sikoa couldn’t get the job done and got Jacob Fatu hurt on top of that, so no chance is he getting another shot. Cue Kevin Owens with a pair of chairs to send the Bloodline running. Owens goes to leave but Rhodes wants to talk to him. Rhodes was going to give Owens the title shot, but Owens says he doesn’t have the win/loss record to warrant that shot. That doesn’t work for Rhodes, who is going to talk to Nick Aldis about the match because Owens deserves it. That’s fine enough for a one off World Title match.

The Street Profits want the Tag Team Titles back. And the smoke.

A-Town Down Under vs. Street Profits

This is a qualifying match for some kind of a #1 contenders match and B-Fab is here with the Profits. Dawkins gets jumped in the wrong corner to start and Waller sends Ford into the barricade on the floor. Back up and Dawkins unloads on Theory in the corner, only to get sent outside as well. Theory goes to yell at B-Fab and gets dropped by a flipping Ford dive as we take a break.

We come back with Theory hitting his rolling dropkick and not seeming pleased by Waller tagging himself in. That’s broken up and the diving tag brings in Ford to pick the pace way up. A flapjack gets two on Waller, who avoids a frog splash and clotheslines Ford into the corner. Ford superkicks Waller on the floor, setting up Dawkins’ Pounce over the barricade. Back in and the Doomsday Blockbuster finishes Theory at 7:13.

Rating: C+. It was a completely acceptable match and that’s all it needed to be, as the Profits could make for a good set of first victims for the Bloodline’s title reign. The Profits haven’t been doing as much lately but with Bobby Lashley gone, they might be able to get back to what made them work in the first place. The division still needs some fresh blood though, as it still feels like the same teams are always around.

Nick Aldis is with Kevin Owens and Cody Rhodes, with Owens still not wanting the title shot. Aldis is going to talk to Roman Reigns about the title match, which doesn’t sit well with Owens. He goes on a rant about how Reigns doesn’t deserve it, which is enough for Aldis to give Owens the title shot.

We look at Nia Jax beating Bayley to win the Smackdown Women’s Title.

Tiffany Stratton is planning Jax’s championship celebration. Pretty Deadly comes in to ask if she can plan the celebration for when they win the Tag Team Titles. Stratton doesn’t have time for this but here are Chelsea Green and Piper Niven to interrupt her. Green doesn’t like Stratton’s outfit but Stratton says Green must have a ladder to fall off of. Outfit insults ensue.

We look at Blair Davenport costing Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill the Women’s Tag Team Titles last week.

Jade Cargill vs. Alba Fyre

Bianca Belair and Isla Dawn are here too. Fyre can’t get very far with a waistlock to start and a sunset flip attempt is easily blocked as well. A springboard tornado DDT works a bit better and Fyre grabs a Black Widow of all things. Cargill muscles her way out and Jaded finises Fyre at 2:02.

Post match Blair Davenport comes in for the 3-2 beatdown but Naomi makes the save.

We look back at LA Knight winning the US Title at Summerslam.

Here is Knight, with new music, for a chat. The fans are rather pleased to see him and Knight seems rather pleased with their pleasure. Knight has been asked if it felt sweet to beat Logan Paul in his hometown, which gives him a YOU DESERVE IT chant. Beating Paul in his hometown didn’t matter, but you can call him champ, YEAH. He can’t stop being the US Champion but here is Santos Escobar, with Legado del Fantasma, to cut him off.

Fans: “YOU SUCK!” Escobar: “No you suck. And you suck sir.” Escobar doesn’t buy him as a champion and it is just an opening act to Escobar’s reign with that title. Knight says he didn’t hear a word of that because everyone in Tulsa was telling Escobar that he sucks. Escobar getting a shot is fine, but he has to win this (scheduled) #1 contenders match first.

Giovanni Vinci is coming to Smackdown and looks to be the version he was back on NXT (living the rich life etc).

Santos Escobar vs. Andrade

For a future US Title shot and Legado del Fantasma is here with Escobar. We’re joined in progress with Andrade flipping over him and hitting a clothesline. Legado gets in a cheap shot though, allowing Escobar to nail a jumping knee for two. Cue Apollo Crews and Baron Corbin to cut Legado off though, with Escobar taking Andrade outside and sending him into the post. Back in and a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker sets up an armbar on Andrade. They go up top and fight over a superplex until Andrade settles for a sunset bomb to send us to a break.

Back with Andrade hitting a running forearm to put Escobar down. A moonsault to the floor takes Escobar down again and a high crossbody gives Andrade two. Three Amigos give Andrade two more and they go up top for a slugout. Escobar’s super poisonrana gets two but Escobar knocks him down and hits the double moonsault for the same. Cue Carmelo Hayes for a distraction, though Andrade hits the spinning elbow for two anyway. Back up and Hayes pulls Escobar out of the corner to avoid the double knees, allowing Escobar to roll him up with tights for the pin at 11:48.

Rating: B-. I was getting into this and they did a nice job by having the first false finish with Hayes getting involved. Escobar getting the title shot makes sense as he has a history with Knight, but it’s nice to see him having to win a match instead of just having it handed to him. That being said, Andrade had been getting some momentum in recent weeks and the loss here kills a good bit of that off.

We look at the Bloodline beating DIY to win the Tag Team Titles.

DIY is ready to become #1 contenders to get their titles back.

Tribute video to Kevin Sullivan.

A-Town Down Under yell at Nick Aldis and get Waller a match against Kevin Owens next week.

DIY vs. Pretty Deadly

#1 contenders qualifying match. Wilson takes Gargano into the corner to start and it’s already time for a standoff. DIY sends them outside but the dives are cut off. The posing is broken up though and we take an early break. Back with Gargano avoiding a charge in the corner, allowing the tag off to Ciampa. A double powerbomb gets two on Prince but the Shatter Machine is broken up as everything breaks down. Wilson elbows Ciampa in the face but Gargano’s slingshot spear cuts off Spilled Milk. The Shatter Machine into Meet In The Middle finishes Prince at 7:10.

Rating: C+. Again there is only so much that can be done when you have a break in the middle of a seven minute match, but at least the right team won. DIY should still be in the title picture as the former champions, though I’m not sure I see the need for them to get another title shot after the beating they took. At the same time, DIY could use a win of any kind sooner than later. If nothing else, the musical needs the attention.

Solo Sikoa is told someone isn’t here.

Here is the Bloodline for a chat. Solo Sikoa requests acknowledgments and reminds us that he is the Tribal Chief now. If Roman Reigns wants the leis back, come get them. Cue Reigns, who wastes no time in taking out Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa. Reigns gets in the ring for the showdown with Sikoa and the brawl is on with the Superman Punch dropping Sikoa. Reigns retrieves the leis but the Tongans jump him, only to have Reigns fight back. Sikoa gets away with the leis before Reigns spears Tama through the barricade and chairs Loa down to end the show.

Reigns being around makes anything feel important but this beatdown showed that Jacob Fatu is really necessary. With Reigns running through the Tonga’s in short order, Sikoa is going to need his big monster to give Reigns a real problem on the way to the showdown with Reigns.

Overall Rating: B-. This show was in a weird spot as it had to deal with the fallout from Summerslam while also starting the build towards Bash In Berlin in the span of two hours. The wrestling was mostly in the middle, but they set some things up for the future and gave us a big moment at the end. It really isn’t a show you need to see, but it did what it needed to do.

Results
Street Profits b. A-Town Down Under – Doomsday Blockbuster to Theory
Jade Cargill b. Alba Fyre – Jaded
Santos Escobar b. Andrade – Rollup with tights
DIY b. Pretty Deadly – Meet In The Middle to Prince

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Smackdown
Date: August 2, 2024
Location: Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, Cleveland, Ohio
Commentators: Corey Graves, Wade Barrett

It’s the last show before Summerslam tomorrow and that means it is time for a pretty big match on the way. In this case that means we have the Tag Team Titles on the line as DIY defends against the Bloodline in what might be a massacre. Other than that, it’s time for the big push towards Summerslam so let’s get to it.

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

Here is Cody Rhodes for a chat. He asks what we want to talk about but thinks WHO we want to talk about might be a better question. Cue Solo Sikoa, on his own for once, to tell the crowd to acknowledge him. The fans aren’t pleased, but Rhodes talks about how they are both younger brothers. Sikoa is all about the Bloodline’s theatrics but tomorrow the bell is going to ring.

Rhodes gets serious, until Sikoa asks if he is done yet. Rhodes says Sikoa is the self proclaimed Tribal Chief but Rhodes is the WWE Champion. He sits on a throne and can do so because of what people like people like Randy Orton and Kevin Owens did. Rhodes mentions beating Roman Reigns in a Bloodline Rules match, but Sikoa says Reigns was weak. Sikoa is dangerous though and tomorrow, he’ll show Rhodes how dangerous he can be. He wants Rhodes to put his money where his mouth is, but cue the Bloodline through the crowd.

Rhodes realizes Sikoa wants it to be a Bloodline Rules match tomorrow (despite Sikoa never saying it) and calls out the Bloodline. He isn’t scared of any of them and the Bloodline Rules match is on. Sikoa threatens Rhodes with the Bloodline but Rhodes says all he has to do is beat the Tribal Chief. Since the Tribal Chief isn’t here, he’ll settle for the wannabe. They got to the point here, but Sikoa wasn’t able to keep up with Rhodes on the mic and it didn’t make for the best segment.

Carmelo Hayes goes to the barber shop and talks about his breakout performance against Andrade. It’ll be different the next time they face off.

Andrade vs. Carmelo Hayes

Feeling out process to start with Hayes being cocky as usual. Andrade isn’t having that this time and takes over but the threat of the Message sends Hayes bailing to the floor. We take a break and come back with Hayes sending him knees first into the steps, setting up a superkick for two. Andrade fights up and takes over, only to miss the running knees in the corner. Hayes misses the Fade Away but something like a springboard hanging suplex puts Andrade down. Hayes goes up top until Andrade catches him for a superplex as we take another break.

Back again with Andrade sending him out to the floor, setting up a middle rope moonsault. They get back in and Hayes hits a spinning faceplant, only to walk into the spinning elbow for a close two. Andrade’s double jump moonsault gets two so he grabs the Figure Four. That’s broken up so Andrade tries the Message, which is reversed into a rollup, which is reversed into a rollup to give Andrade the pin at 16:06.

Rating: B. I’m a bit surprised at the result, but at the end of the day it is nice to see Andrade getting a chance like this. He is getting some momentum together and it would be cool to see that turned into something. Hayes loses again, but at least it wasn’t in a way that left him looking weak. Good match here, as these two work well together.

Santos Escobar says he’s going to take out Apollo Crews tonight and yells at Berto and Angel for losing in the gauntlet match last week.

Apollo Crews vs. Santos Escobar

Baron Corbin and the rest of Legado del Fantasma are here too. Escobar starts fast and knocks him into the corner, setting up a slingshot hilo. A tilt-a-whirl backbreaker gives Escobar two and we hit the waistlock. That’s broken up and Crews comes back with an overhead belly to belly. Angel tries to offer a distraction but gets decked by Corbin. Crews’ standing moonsault gets two but…someone grabs Corbin’s leg from underneath the ring. The distraction lets Escobar hit the Phantom Driver for the pin at 3:28.

Rating: C. This was more about the shenanigans outside, as there is little reason to believe that Crews was going to be a serious threat to someone who was a much bigger star. In theory this should be one of the last matches in the feud, but there is always the chance that things could be stretched out even further. At least Corbin didn’t lose, which is not something I was expecting to say anytime ever.

It seemed to have been a member of Legado grabbing Corbin’s leg rather than a surprise.

Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair are ready to get their Women’s Tag Team Titles back.

Here is Nick Aldis, with some unnamed yet totally legitimate “Cleveland dignitaries” to welcome hometown star Logan Paul. This brings out Paul, who immediately goes into mocking LA Knight, who is desperate to take the US Title. Paul sees Knight’s appeal to the fans, as he’s a guy who never made it, just like everyone here. Paul can’t relate to everyone here because he’s great and he made it.

That’s why we’re here, including these dignitaries. Aldis says he couldn’t find anything about these dignitaries on Google, but Paul insists they’re legit. We have a banner to unveil, but instead it says YEAH over Paul’s face. Cue Knight to say the sunglasses are making it hard for him to read the banner, so maybe the people can tell him what it says. Fans: “YEAH!” Paul: “CONGRATS! YOU PEOPLE CAN READ!”

Knight points out that Paul is from the suburbs before going to the back to find another banner for Paul. We follow Knight to the back, where he finds Pretty Deadly, who are practicing for their musical. That won’t work, but no one has a banner for him. Instead, Knight goes to the back to Paul’s Prime truck so Paul charges after him, with Knight stealing the truck. Paul: “THAT’S A CRIME!” Knight getting under Paul’s skin is a good way to go, but he has to win that title.

Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre are ready for Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill.

Logan Paul wants to know what Nick Aldis is going to do about this. Aldis will take it up with the dignitaries.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Isla Dawn/Alba Fyre vs. Jade Cargill/Bianca Belair

Cargill and Belair are challenging and jump the champs before the bell. The champs say they can go so it’s Cargill splashing Dawn in the corner. Belair comes in to stomp away and stereo gorilla press drops have the champions in trouble as we take a break. Back with Cargill kicking Fyre away but Dawn pulls Belair down off the apron.

A Backstabber/Swanton combination gets two on Cargill, who suplexes both of them down at once for a needed breather. Belair comes back in with a double high crossbody as it’s time to clean house. Belair hammers away in the corner on both champions until Fyre slips out and grabs the hair. The handspring moonsault gets two on Fyre with Dawn making the save. Cargill pulls Dawn to the floor for a superkick…and here is Blair Davenport to jump Cargill for the DQ at 7:23.

Rating: C. The ending isn’t the biggest surprise as there was almost no reason to believe that Dawn and Fyre were going to be able to survive against the ream team of Belair and Cargill. Having Davenport get involved isn’t the worst idea, but hopefully she can live up to the spot they are putting her in. It hasn’t exactly worked so far, but maybe that changes this time.

Post match destruction ensues, with Cargill being sent over the announcers’ table.

Summerslam rundown.

Video on Nia Jax vs. Bayley.

Jax gives Tiffany Stratton a custom Money In The Bank briefcase, with Stratton being VERY excited. Chelsea Green and Piper Niven come in o mock the briefcase

DIY is fired up to face the Bloodline, with Johnny Gargano talking about how this is his hometown and there are over 10,000 members of his family waiting for the Bloodline.

Tag Team Titles: Bloodline vs. DIY

The Bloodline, with Tonga Loa and Solo Sikoa, is challenging. Tama powers Ciampa into the corner to start and runs him over as we take a break with the champions in early trouble. Back with Fatu’s running splash only hitting the post, allowing Gargano to come back in. Everything breaks down and Fatu is taken down by a flip dive off the apron. A super Air Raid Crash gives Ciampa two but Fatu is back in to take over. The running hip attack hits Ciampa, setting up Tama’s top rope splash for two with Gargano making the save.

Fatu’s running hip attack on the floor only hits steps, leaving Ciampa to roll Tama up for two. A Shatter Machine hits Tama but Loa offers a distraction, allowing Sikoa to Samoan Spike Ciampa. Tama’s spinning reverse DDT gets two on Gargano but he superkicks his way out of trouble. There’s the suicide dive to Tama and a poisonrana to Fatu…which just wakes him up. The pop up Samoan drop sets up the triple jump moonsault. The implant DDT gives Fatu the pin and the titles at 9:10.

Rating: B. Yeah they had to. There was pretty much no reason to have DIY retain here as they have gotten their big win and special moment. The Bloodline is by far the bigger deal right now and giving Fatu a spotlight is that much better. It was even a fast paced match with DIY giving it everything they could before falling to the monsters.

Overall Rating: B. With most of Summerslam set, there wasn’t much here that needed to be changed, save for the Bloodline Rules stipulation being added. Other than that, it was a pretty good night of action with the Tag Team Title switch in the end being rather noteworthy. All that matters is tomorrow though, and there is every chance they could have a smash with the show. The show before it did well enough, though this one didn’t have quite the same pressure.

Results
Andrade b. Carmelo Hayes – Rollup
Santos Escobar b. Apollo Crews – Phantom Driver
Bianca Belair/Jade Cargill b. Isla Dawn/Alba Fyre via DQ when Blair Davenport interfered
Bloodline b. DIY – Implant DDT to Gargano

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

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Smackdown
Date: July 19, 2024
Location: CHI Health Arena, Omaha, Nebraska
Commentators: Wade Barrett, Corey Graves

We are just over two weeks to go before Summerslam and last week saw what seemed to be two title matches all but set for the show. Cody Rhodes is likely to defend the WWE Title against Solo Sikoa and Logan Paul is likely to defend the US Title against Kevin Owens, but the matches still need to be made official. That is what we might be seeing again here so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Cody Rhodes agreeing to face Solo Sikoa for the title at Summerslam and the ensuing beatdown at the hands of the Bloodline. Randy Orton ran in for the save but got beaten down as well.

Here is Rhodes (minus the suit for a change) to get things going. After acknowledging boxing champion Terrance Crawford (in the front row and just happening to have an upcoming title fight) and having the title match against Sikoa confirmed for Summerslam, Rhodes talks about Orton being attacked last week. Rhodes was laid out and could be injured again, which hurt Rhodes because he sees Orton as family.

As for Sikoa, Rhodes once told him that he wasn’t ready…and here is A-Town Down Under to interrupt. They yell at Rhodes for causing their issues last week and the brawl is on, with Rhodes being sent outside. Crawford hands Rhodes his chair though and Rhodes gets to clear the villains out. This was more a way to have Rhodes rubbing elbows with another sports champion and that was fine.

Carmelo Hayes is ready for Andrade and says he won’t miss.

Cody Rhodes asks Nick Aldis for a match with A-Town Down Under, but he has to find a partner.

Andrade vs. Carmelo Hayes

Hayes flips over him to start but Andrade flips out of a headscissors for an early standoff. They trade kicks to the face until Hayes ties her in the ropes for the Fade Away as we take a break. Back with Hayes working on the arm but Andrade uses the other arm for a hard clothesline.

Some dragon screw legwhips take Hayes down and the running knees in the corner give Andrade two. Hayes grabs a spinning faceplant for two but Andrade knocks him off the top for the double moonsault. Andrade’s spinning back elbow gets two more, only to dive into the First 48 for two more. Not that it matters as Andrade is right back with the Message or the pin at 9:50.

Rating: B. This was a match that felt like it should have been just another match but they wound up rolling to a good one. That’s more than I would have expected and I was wondering which way they were going. Neither of them needed to lose but I can go with Andrade getting a win to boost him up for a bit, though it would be nice to have it actually get a follow up.

We look back at Nia Jax scaring Tiffany Stratton out of cashing in Money In The Bank/

We get a split screen sitdown interview with Jax and Bayley. Jax promises to put Bayley out of her misery, which has Bayley rolling her eyes. Bayley says Jax hasn’t changed since they met and brings up Jax injuring her years ago. Jax is clumsy and reckless (Jax DID NOT like that) but Bayley is leaving Summerslam as champion. Jax: “Is this done yet?” And she storms off.

Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair argue with Chelsea Green and Piper Niven over who gets to talk to Nick Aldis first. A match is made.

Bianca Belair vs. Chelsea Green

Jade Cargill and Piper Niven are here too. A German suplex drops Green early but she slips out of the KOD. Green rolls her up but Belair reverses into one of her own for the win at 57 seconds. Well that was quick.

Post match Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre pop up on screen to say they’ll see about giving Belair and Cargill a rematch.

Nick Aldis is in the ring for the contract signing between LA Knight and Logan Paul. Knight and Paul come to the ring, with the latter wondering why he should give Knight a title shot. Knight says that might be true, but every time they have been face to face, Knight has owned and cooked him. Paul has come a long way by winning the US Title but the Knight broke into Paul’s house and even pinned him. Paul: “Listen to yourself SHAUN!” (Knight’s real first name).

Knight is the only one who needs this match, because his entire existence is built in this ring. Paul lists off everything else he has done and says Knight wants Paul’s accolades without being him. He calls Knight a fraud, which Knight finds interesting because Paul is a champion who won’t fight. That’s enough for Paul to sign but he can’t take anything from Knight because Knight doesn’t have anything. Paul bails but then charges back in, only to have to bail from the threat of the BFT. Good stuff here, though Knight almost has to win. I’m just not sure that he will.

Video on Tiffany Stratton.

LA Knight runs into Santos Escobar, who says he would beat Knight one on one. Knight says if Escobar wants in, ask his mom fr Knight’s number. A match seems likely.

Tiffany Stratton vs. Michin

Nia Jax is here with Stratton. Michin starts fast by dropkicking her into the corner and a Cannonball gets two. A Jax distraction on the floor lets Stratton hit a hard Alabama Slam as we take a break. Back with Stratton knocking her down for two more but a second Alabama Slam is blocked. A running neckbreaker puts Stratton down and a tornado DDT gets two. Stratton is back up with a running hip attack and a running dropkick for two of her own.

Michin’s middle rope dropkick puts Stratton on the floor but she’s back in with a Regal Roll. The Prettiest Moonsault Ever is loaded up but cue Bayley for a distraction. Bayley hits Jax in the head with the briefcase and proceeds to destroy it, with the distraction letting Michin get the rollup pin at 8:07.

Rating: C+. This felt like it was teasing a mixture of both a new briefcase and Stratton cashing in sooner than later. Maybe they let her wait a long time like others, but it would not shock me to see her get the title fairly soon. Jax is almost destined to get it first, but Stratton almost has to, as it just suits her so well.

Solo Sikoa talks about how hard it is being the Tribal Chief but wonders who is going to step up and team with Cody Rhodes. Whoever that is will be disrespecting the Bloodline, because he is the Tribal Chief and you will acknowledge him.

We look at DIY beating A-Town Down Under in back to back weeks, though Jacob Fatu wrecked them last week.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Cody Rhodes has found a partner.

Cody Rhodes/Kevin Owens vs. A-Town Down Under

Rhodes knees Theory in the ribs to start and hands it off to Owens to knock him out to the floor. Back in and a quick cheap shot takes over on Rhodes as the fans are all over Waller. Owens comes back in and slugs away without much trouble, including an enziguri and Cannonball to Waller. Theory offers a distraction though, allowing Waller to block the Swanton.

We take a break and come back with Waller holding Owens in a cravate and adding some knees to the face. Owens breaks up a superplex (commentary pointed out how you can’t superplex him) and hits the Swanton, allowing the tag off to Rhodes for the house cleaning. Waller comes in off a blind tag though and hits a quick faceplant for two. Waller’s knee almost hits Theory again but the distraction lets Owens get in a quick Stunner. Cross Rhodes finishes Theory at 11:52.

Rating: B-. Perfectly watchable main event here as the question was more about whether the Bloodline would interfere before or after the pin. A-Town Down Under continues its downward spiral and that does not seem likely to change anytime soon. The action was fine enough, but this was more about getting Rhodes in the ring, which is often a good idea.

Post match the Bloodline comes in and, just like last week, makes Rhodes watch as one of his friends is wrecked. Rhodes is TripleBombed through the announcers’ table to end the show. Is Rhodes going to be the one to bring back Roman Reigns to help him in the fight? That could work.

Overall Rating: B. This was another show where they covered a good bit of stuff (two matches set for Summerslam, Bayley setting her sights on Tiffany Stratton, the tease of Cody Rhodes needing a savior) and had a pretty sweet opener as a bonus. They are getting ready for the big show in just over two weeks and this is the kind of show that they needed. Good stuff here and they are getting closer to the really big stuff in the next few weeks.

Results
Andrade b. Carmelo Hayes – Message
Bianca Belair b. Chelsea Green – Rollup
Michin b. Tiffany Stratton – Rollup
Cody Rhodes/Kevin Owens b. A-Town Down Under – Cross Rhodes to Theory

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

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Smackdown
Date: July 12, 2024
Location: DCU Center, Worcester, Massachusetts
Commentators: Corey Graves, Wade Barrett

We are done with Money In The Bank and the main Smackdown stories are Tiffany Stratton winning the women’s briefcase and Solo Sikoa pinning Cody Rhodes in the main event. The latter seems likely to be the setup for the Smackdown World Title match at Summerslam but we have a few weeks to get there. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of the Bloodline defeating Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton and Kevin Owens at Money In The Bank.

Here is Tiffany Stratton to get things going. Stratton says it is officially Tiffy Time as she has won the briefcase and Trish Stratus isn’t here to ruin her moment again. The fans are REALLY into this as Stratton threatens all three Women’s Champions but here is Bayley to interrupt. She is impressed with Stratton living up to the expectations and reminds us that she won the briefcase in 2019. Stratton says that was a million years ago and brags about her rapid success.

Bayley threatens her against cashing in but here is Nia Jax to remind us that she is getting the title shot at Summerslam. Bayley says she isn’t a hugger anymore because she is the Royal Rumble winner and Women’s Champion so Jax isn’t going to beat her. However, just in case she does, Stratton might be there to cash in. Jax shrugs that off and says Bayley is going to be the victim at Summerslam. Stratton cuts off Bayley but Michin runs in with a kendo stick for the save. That’s a nice tease of Stratton cashing in on Jax later on, though we have to get to Summerslam before that can happen.

Chelsea Green, in a neck brace, with Piper Niven, is waiting to yell at Nick Aldis.

Michin vs. Nia Jax

Tiffany Stratton and Bayley are here too. Michin strikes away to start but a tornado DDT is easily blocked. The running hip attack in the corner hits Michin and we hit the cobra clutch. Jax sends her flying and hits a running splash in the corner before dropping Michin face first onto the apron.

We take a break and come back with Jax powering out of a guillotine choke to leave both of them down. Back up and a middle rope hurricanrana drops Jax but Stratton and Bayley get into it on the floor. The distraction lets Jax grabs the kendo stick but Michin reverses into a tornado DDT. Not that it matters as Jax hits the Annihilator for the pin at 9:25.

Rating: C+. This was Jax getting to wreck someone else before her title match in a few weeks. That is something that works well most of the time and Jax is as much of a monster as you’re going to have these days. Michin is someone else who can be heated up for something like this without being used in a bit spot, which is a valuable asset to have around.

Post match Bayley goes after Jax but Stratton gets in a briefcase shot to cut her off. Jax drops the big leg on Bayley and goes to leave….so Stratton teases cashing in. That’s cut off by a quick glare from Jax, who isn’t happy.

The Bloodline is fine with their recent violence, even if it didn’t need to be that way. Tonight, everyone will acknowledge Solo Sikoa.

Earlier today, Andrade was having a sitdown interview about his performance in the Money In The Bank when Carmelo Hayes interrupted. Hayes wondered why he wasn’t getting more attention, so Andrade said he was next.

Angel/Berto vs. Baron Corbin/Apollo Crews

The rest of Legado del Fantasma is here as Corbin launches Crews onto everyone else to start fast. Corbin clotheslines Berto and hands it off to Crews, who gets stomped down in the corner. Everything breaks down and the villains are sent outside as we take a break. Back with the Garza Special not quite connecting so Berto comes in for a springboard spinning kick to the head.

Corbin Death Valley Drivers his way out of trouble though and it’s off to Crews vs. Angel. Everything breaks down and Corbin has to drop an interfering Santos Escobar. The referee yells at Corbin and the distraction lets Escobar knee Crews in the face. Garza grab the Wing Clipper for the pin at 8:01.

Rating: C. Not much to this one as the makeshift team loses to the established one, even with some interference. I’m not sure how much of a point there is to this story, but the interesting thing is Corbin. After turning things around in NXT, he has barely been a thing on the main roster, again making me wonder why he was brought back in the first place.

Pretty Deadly interrupts Chelsea Green and Piper Niven, as they need to talk to Nick Aldis about Pretty Deadly: The Musical! They literally get in line behind Green and Niven when LA Knight comes out of the office, carrying a contract.

Randy Orton is in the back with Cody Rhodes and talks about how he has Rhodes’ back tonight, even if Kevin Owens isn’t here tonight. Orton seems to hint that he is coming for the title when the Bloodline stuff is over.

Here is LA Knight for a chat. He isn’t Mr. Money In The Bank, but we do see him pinning US Champion Logan Paul to qualify for the ladder match in the first place. That brings him to the contract in his hands, which is for a US Title shot at Summerslam. Both he and Nick Aldis have signed it but Paul hasn’t, because he isn’t here. Again. No worries though because Knight will get him to sign and then take that belt (yes belt) at Summerslam.

Video on Blair Davenport.

Naomi vs. Blair Davenport

Davenport shoulders her down to start but Naomi slides underneath a clothesline and grabs a headlock. Naomi sends her into the corner for a running dropkick and the splits splash gets two. Back up and Davenport gets in a stomp to Naomi’s bad shoulder, which is posted hard as we take a break. We come back with Davenport twisting the arm around again and hitting a low superkick for two. Naomi fights back and gets two off a hurricanrana driver. They trade rollups for some near falls until Naomi hits a Bubba Bomb for the pin at 7:26.

Rating: C. Davenport hasn’t done much for me either in NXT or on the main roster and that was the case again here. She’s just kind of a generic villain who attacks the heroes before being dispatched. I need a bit more than that, especially with the amount of depth that the division has right now.

We look at DIY winning the Tag Team Titles last week.

Naomi runs into Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair. They walk down the hall, where Cargill says Nick Aldis isn’t here tonight. Everyone standing outside his office (Why does he have one if he isn’t here?) overhears and storm off. Blair Davenport comes in and shakes Naomi’s hand. Chelsea Green and Piper Niven come in to rant, allowing Davenport to jump Naomi from behind.

Tag Team Titles: DIY vs. A-Town Down Under

A-Town Down Under is challenging in a rematch from last week. Ciampa chases Waller outside to start and they all get inside, where the champs hit stereo dropkicks. Waller shoves Theory out of the way though and takes over on Ciampa as we take a break. Back with Waller hammering Ciampa down and handing it back to Theory, who gets dropkicked out of the air.

The tag brings Gargano in to clean house, including the slingshot spear for two on Theory. Everything breaks down and Ciampa rolls Theory up, with Waller making the save off a Downward Spiral. Ciampa ducks Meet In The Middle and Waller knees Theory by mistake. The Shatter Machine and Meet In The Middle finishes Waller to retain at 7:15.

Rating: C+. This felt like a way to wrap things up between these teams for good and that’s all it needed to be. DIY still feel like a pair of underdogs so giving them a win like this, even with the villains messing up, is a good thing. They’ll need some fresh challengers, while the villains seem like they could be on their way to splitting up.

Post match Jacob Fatu runs in to wreck DIY, including a pair of awesome moonsaults. Cue the rest of the Bloodline and, post break, Solo Sikoa wants to be acknowledged. The fans want Roman but Sikoa talks about the people who have refused to acknowledge him. Jimmy Uso, Paul Heyman and Roman Reigns refused, but Reigns will if he wants to come back. Now it is Cody Rhodes’ turn, so here is Cody to interrupt.

Cody says he’ll have to speak to Nick Aldis, but you can more or less guarantee the title match is on against Sikoa at Summerslam. Cody is ready to fight tonight so the Bloodline surrounds him, meaning the fight is on. Randy Orton runs in for the save but the numbers game gets the better of him. Cody gets tied in the ropes and Orton is TripleBombed through the announcers’ table. The Bloodline poses to end the show. Cody vs. Sikoa felt all but set and now it more or less is all but set, so….progress?

Overall Rating: C. With just a few weeks to go before Summerslam, this was the kind of show that they needed to have, even if it wasn’t that great. While the matches aren’t officially set, they’re all but guaranteed and that is good enough. That being said, it’s a show you absolutely did not need to watch, which is going to happen occasionally.

Results
Nia Jax b. Michin – Annihilator
Angel/Berto b. Apollo Crews/Baron Corbin – Wing Clipper to Crews
Naomi b. Blair Davenport – Bubba Bomb
DIY b. A-Town Down Under – Meet In The Middle to Waller

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

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Money In The Bank 2024
Date: July 6, 2024
Location: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

We’re back up north and it’s one of the biggest shows of the year. As has been the case lately, we have a five match card, but those are five pretty big matches. In addition to the two namesake ladder matches, we also have the Raw World Title, the Intercontinental Title and a stacked six man tag. Let’s get to it.

The opening video is the spy vs. spy theme, with the idea of a heist to get the briefcases.

Jey Uso vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Andrade vs. LA Knight vs. Chad Gable vs. Carmelo Hayes

It’s a brawl to start as you might expect, with Uso and Knight clearing the ring. The first ladders are thrown in, with McIntyre using one of them to clean house. Gable goes up top to catch McIntyre and grabs a cross armbreaker, with Andrade springboarding in to drop Gable with a legdrop. Hayes is in to take everyone out and it’s McIntyre vs. Uso, meaning the CM PUNK chants are out in full.

A spear cuts McIntyre down but Gable is back in, only to get kicked in the face by Uso. Gable is back up with some German suplexes, including rolling Chaos Theory to Hayes. Knight grabs a neckbreaker to drive Gable into a ladder and then takes Hayes outside for the rams into the announcers’ table. Hayes fights up again and goes for a big ladder, only for Gable to cut him off with a smaller ladder.

Andrade makes a save but McIntyre is there to break everything up as well. Knight is there with a BFT to McIntyre, setting up Uso’s Superfly Splash. Uso and Knight slug it out on top of the ladder but Hayes is back in to shove the ladder over, sending them into the ropes. Hayes flip dives onto Gable and goes up for Nothing But Net to Uso. Hayes goes up but gets caught in a NASTY sunset bomb onto a bridged ladder (Hayes bounced off that thing).

Gable suplexes Knight over the top and onto a ladder bridged onto the announcers’ table. That lets Gable go up but Uso moves the ladder, leaving Gable hanging. Uso spears him down and goes up but the briefcases is swinging. McIntyre THROWS a ladder at Uso and hits the Claymore, allowing him to pull the briefcase down and win at 16:33.

Rating: B-. It was a ladder match without much drama about the winner, which didn’t make for the most thrilling showcase. McIntyre felt like the only viable option to win the thing and then they went exactly in that direction the whole time. What we got was good, but there are only so many things you can do to make one of these things work after it has been done so often over the years.

We recap Sami Zayn defending the Intercontinental Title against Bron Breakker. Zayn is the underdog champion and Breakker is the physical freak with unlimited potential.

Intercontinental Title: Sami Zayn vs. Bron Breakker

Zayn is defending and gets thrown around to start. Breakker is so confident that he offers Zayn a slap, which Zayn accepts. That earns Zayn a drive into the corner but Zayn fights out with some right hands. Breakker is sent outside for the Arabian moonsault but Breakker is right back with a belly to belly.

Zayn gets back up with a rope walk tornado DDT for two and they need a breather. Breakker gets sent outside but Zayn’s moonsault is cut off. A posting slows Breakker down but the diving DDT is countered with a hard clothesline. Back in and the Blue Thunder Bomb gives Zayn two, only to have Breakker catch him on top.

The Frankensteiner connects for two and they go outside again, with Breakker missing a spear but avoiding the contact into the steps (that’s the kind of learning he did against Dolph Ziggler during his NXT run). Instead Zayn is sat onto the announcers’ table for the clothesline and a big crash. Back in and Zayn is fine enough to hit the exploder into the corner, only for Breakker to cut off the Helluva Kick. The gorilla press powerslam looks to set up the spear but Zayn kicks him away. The Helluva Kick retains the title at 13:13.

Rating: C+. That was rather underwhelming, with the match never coming close to a higher gear. Breakker never seemed to go all out to beat him here and it showed rather badly. They were going for the idea of Zayn being the smarter champion over the inexperienced Breakker, which only kind of worked and was far from great in any way.

Here is host Trish Stratus to talk about her history in this arena. She won titles, had her retirement, and was the mystery partner of this man…..so here is John Cena. The fans go nuts, even as Cena’s towel says THE LAST TIME IS NOW ad his shirt says “After This, You Can’t See Me.” Cena says the fans are here to cheer, but tonight, he is here to officially announce his retirement from WWE.

Cena talks about his time in Toronto and how much he loves the Canadian fans. Whether WWE is hot or cold, Canadians always show up. So why retire now? It’s because this is Money In The Bank, the ultimate symbol of opportunity. Next year, Raw debuts on Netflix and he’ll be there for the first time.

We’ll also see some lasts, including his last Royal Rumble, the last Elimination Chamber, and in Las Vegas, the last Wrestlemania he’s going to compete in. He’s going to open the press conference after the show and answer all questions about his retirement. For now though, Cena wants to say thank you to everyone involved. He’ll be back in Toronto, but if you want some, come get some, because the LAST TIME is now.

Well that’s kind of a huge one and while you knew it was coming, it’s almost hard to fathom that it’s happening. Wrestlemania is going to be the Cena show all over again (I’m sure CM Punk will be thrilled) and at the end of the day, it really should be. Like him or not, Cena is one of the biggest stars ever and that is worthy of this kind of a spot.

Damian Priest wants to face Seth Rollins on his own and Finn Balor isn’t pleased.

We recap Seth Rollins challenging Damian Priest for the Raw World Title. Priest won the title at Wrestlemania but wants to prove he can beat Rollins, who was happy to get a title shot.

Raw World Title: Seth Rollins vs. Damian Priest

Priest is defending. Rollins chops away to start but gets taken out with the Broken Arrow. A lifting Downward Spiral gives Priest two but Rollins knocks him outside for a breather. The suicide dive sends Priest into the announcers’ table and they head back inside. A basement superkick rocks Priest and Rollins hits a springboard Swanton into a Lionsault for two.

Priest fights up and tries the Razor’s Edge but Rollins slips out and hits a running knee. A buckle bomb hits Priest, who is right back with a sitout powerbomb for two. We pause for Priest to make sure Drew McIntyre isn’t coming out before they slug it out. Priest’s kick to the head looks to set up South Of Heaven but Rollins slips out and hits the Stomp (or something close to it) for two.

Back up and Priest hits the Razor’s Edge for two and frustration is setting in. With Priest going up, Rollins runs the corner into the superplex and the Falcon Arrow gets a weird two (as the referee just kind of stopped counting. Cue Drew McIntyre with the briefcase and he’s cashing in so this is now a triple threat! And the bell…..rings so it’s on!

Raw World Title: Seth Rollins vs. Damian Priest vs. Drew McIntyre

Priest is defending and cuts off an early Claymore attempt. Instead a jumping kick to the chest (not quite the Claymore) hits Priest and CM Punk is here to go after McIntyre. Punk blasts McIntyre with the chair…but stops to look at the title. Punk picks up the title and clocks McIntyre before sitting down on the announcers’ table (Cole: “What are you doing Phil?”). The South Of Heaven chokeslam finishes McIntyre to retain Priest’s title at 15:50 (between both matches).

Rating: B. Ignoring how nice it is to have one of the briefcases already out of the way, there is something to be said to having Punk cost McIntyre AGAIN as it is one of the better stories WWE has presented in a good while. I want to see those two fight, and that will likely be happening sooner rather than later. At the same time, Rollins is no longer allowed to challenge Priest for the title, meaning Gunther vs. Priest is rather likely for Summerslam. That’s certainly a way to go, but Priest is being built up fairly well on the way in.

Post match Rollins yells at Punk, who doesn’t seem to care.

Naomi vs. Lyra Valkyria vs. Zoey Stark vs. Tiffany Stratton vs. Chelsea Green vs. Iyo Sky

It’s a brawl to start (shocking I know) so Green is left alone with a ladder…but she’s scared of heights. Instead she tries to poke at the briefcase with the ladder, allowing Sky to springboard in with a dropkick. Sky knocks Stratton into a ladder in the corner and hits the running Meteora for a bonus.

Valkyria and Stark come back in to clear the ring, with Stark suplexing Valkyria down. A Samoan drop onto a ladder has Valkyria in more trouble and a twisting moonsault…completely misses Valkyria in a terrible looking crash. Naomi is back in to jump Stark and hits the splits legdrop onto the ladder. The split legged moonsault onto Stark onto the ladder connects but Stratton is back in to clean house. Stratton goes up and hits a big flip dive onto a bunch of people, leaving Green to set up the big ladder.

Valkyria goes up but Sky ties her up in a Tree of Woe in the ladder. That just leaves Valkyria to sit up and hit a German suplex to send Sky crashing down HARD. Stark and Stratton go up top and fight on top of the ladder until Naomi makes a save. Naomi winds up doing the splits between two ladders before taking Stark down at the same time. It’s time for some tables with Green and Stratton taking their sweet time setting them up.

A bunch of people go up but Green and Stratton make the save with some ladders. Stratton gets sent face first into the ladder and Valkyria gets powerbombed onto one of the bridged ladders for a nasty crash. Green cuts Naomi off and hits something like an Unprettier onto the ladder. Sky and Stark are up top and Sky kind of TOMBSTONES HER ONTO A BRIDGED LADDER. Green uses the chance to go up and….doesn’t quite win as Stratton comes up as well. Green gets launched off the top and through the tables at ringside, allowing Stratton to win at 16:51.

Rating: B+. Now this was more like it, as you had everyone going nuts and leaving it all in the ring with one big spot after another. That piledriver onto the ladder and Green’s free fall both made me gasp and that is a great sign. This was one of the better ladder matches I’ve seen in a long time and they picked the right winner on top of that. Awesome stuff here.

We recap the main event, with Cody Rhodes/Kevin Owens/Randy Orton teaming up against the new Bloodline. Solo Sikoa has turned the team into a group built on violence, even taking out Paul Heyman. Now it’s time to try to slow them down.

Trish Stratus is in the back when Tiffany Stratton interrupts her. Stratton wants her to offer some praise, but Stratus says it’s what matters when you cash in that briefcase. Stratton thinks it’s sad that Trishy Time is over.

Bloodline vs. Randy Orton/Cody Rhodes/Kevin Owens

Sikoa starts with Rhodes but hands it off to Tama to really get going. Rhodes takes Tama into the corner so Owens can come in and hammer away, including a SUCK IT. It’s off to Orton for the right hands but Fatu gets the tag and you can tell the fans are into this. Orton hits the hanging DDT but Fatu pops up, scaring Orton as he loads up the RKO. A basement superkick takes Orton own and Sikoa is able to come in and glare menacingly.

The slow beating is on until Orton suplexes Tama down. Owens comes back in to hammer away a bit and there’s the Cannonball. A Swanton gets two, with Fatu making the save. Fatu hammers on Owens and it’s back to Sikoa for the running hip attack in the corner. Fatu’s hip attack connects as well and it’s back to Tama to hammer away.

The slow beating continues with all of the Bloodline getting in their shots, only to have Fatu miss a charge into the post. Cody comes in to clean house, including the Cody Cutter to Tama. Fatu gets backdropped into the timekeeper’s area, leaving Sikoa to hit a not great spear for two on Rhodes. The referee gets bumped, so the Cross Rhodes into a frog splash into the RKO to Sikoa doesn’t get a cover.

Fatu is back up to break up the TripleBomb but the referee gets crushed against the steps again. Owens superkicks Fatu and hits him with the big Prime bottle, setting up a frog splash to put Fatu through the announcers’ table. Owens loads up the package piledriver but Loa hits him low (twice, with the first one seeming to miss) Back in and Orton busts out a bunch of RKO’s but gets Samoan Spiked by Sikoa. Rhodes hits two Cross Rhodes on Sikoa but Fatu is back in with a twisting flip dive off the top. An implant DDT hits Rhodes and the Samoan Spike finishes for Sikoa at 24:40.

Rating: B. That ending probably sets up the main event of Summerslam and that’s all this needed to do. It was a good enough brawl at the same time, and while it might not have been an all time main event, it did its job. Fatu did rather well in his in-ring debut as well, as he felt like an unstoppable monster at times. Good stuff here, with the ending being what mattered.

Overall Rating: B. This wasn’t some blow away, all time great show, but for the main show of the month, it did well enough. Part of the problem with Money In The Bank is that it’s more about setting up things for later rather than doing anything on its own. That worked out more or less the same here, as the briefcases are for later (well, the one that made it through the night at least) and the main event set up a Summerslam match. Not a great show, but it did what you should have expected.

Results
Drew McIntyre won the men’s Money In The Bank ladder match
Sami Zayn b. Bron Breakker – Helluva Kick
Damian Priest b. Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre – South Of Heaven to McIntyre
Tiffany Stratton won the Women’s Money In The Bank ladder match
Bloodline b. Randy Orton/Kevin Owens/Cody Rhodes – Samoan Spike to Rhodes

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

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We have arrived at one of the biggest WWE events of the year as it is somehow already time to bring back the briefcases despite the previous cash-in being about three months ago. In addition to the ladder matches, we have the usual variety of matches taking place, but as has been the recent custom, there are only five total matches. Let’s get to it.

Intercontinental Title: Sami Zayn(c) vs. Bron Breakker

This is a story that has been done before and thankfully it tends to be Zayn’s specialty: a monster opponent who leaves Zayn looking like he has no chance of survival. In this case though, Breakker seems like he could be in for his first big main roster title win, which could be the start of a major career. At the same time, it is only about three months removed from Zayn winning the title in the first place and that would be a quick turnaround.

I’m not sure how and it might not be a good idea, but I think Zayn retains here. We are so recently removed from the all time dominant title reign and putting the title on another beast like Breakker seems a bit soon. At the same time, they are going to need something to protect Breakker here, as there is zero reason for him to be taking a clean pin, even to a veteran like Zayn. They might change the title here, but I’ll say Zayn escapes for now.

Bloodline vs. Cody Rhodes/Kevin Owens/Randy Orton

Here we have what might be the biggest story in WWE at the moment, as Solo Sikoa is claiming to be the new Tribal Chief as Roman Reigns is out. That leads to a number of interesting options, including what happens when Reigns returns. Sikoa is going to need something big to keep him occupied on the way there though and I think it starts with an important moment here.

It’s hard to believe that this ends with anything but Sikoa pinning Rhodes to set up the title match at Summerslam. That makes all the sense in the world and seems to be what they are telegraphing, which is absolutely not a bad way to go. The makeshift team will put up a heck of a fight, but this is Sikoa’s chance to get the biggest win of his career and set the stage for probably his biggest match ever. We’ll go with the easiest way to get there as the Bloodline wins as Sikoa pins Rhodes.

Men’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match

As usual, this is a case of eliminating the options that are not going to happen and getting us down to the most realistic. We’ll get rid of Carmelo Hayes and Andrade as they just aren’t happening. That leaves us with LA Knight (not likely, with Logan Paul probably costing him the briefcase at some point), Gable (same thing, but with the Wyatt Sicks), Jey Uso (maybe but a long shot) and one more option.

I’ll go with the simple and easy pick here and say Drew McIntyre, as he is the best possible choice. After everything he has been through with CM Punk, it is time to give him a win and it would fit nicely as he was cashed in on just a few months ago. There is the option that Punk costs him again, but that might be once too many times, even after McIntyre attacked Punk last month. I’ll take McIntyre to win here, but it’s the definition of anything could happen, as always.

Women’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match

This one is trickier as there is only one option (Zoey Stark) who won’t be winning. That leaves the rest of the field rather wide open and that could make for an interesting situation. In this case, I’m not sure I can see Iyo Sky winning as she was just in the title picture at Wrestlemania. Lyra Valkyria doesn’t feel likely either, which leaves us with a couple of realistic options.

While Naomi holding the briefcase and possibly cashing in on her friend Bayley is an option (and maybe a strong one), I’ll go with what makes the most sense here and say Tiffany Stratton. There is a chance that Chelsea green wins for the nice Canadian moment, but Stratton having the briefcase and holding it over everyone’s head feels so perfect that I’ll go with that as the pick, but it’s another case where I’m far from confident.

Raw World Title: Damian Priest(c) vs. Seth Rollins

This is a match where the bigger question is where we’re going from here. The title match itself is big enough, but it brings up the question of what happens next month at Summerslam. Gunther is already waiting on the winner and I can’t imagine that Priest is going to be the one defending against him. That leaves the question of a possible cash-in or Rollins taking the title here, and I think you know where it’s going.

Even though it would feel like a return to where we were coming into WrestleMania, I’ll take Rollins to win here and go on to Summerslam for the big showdown with Gunther. That match was teased earlier this year and it could be a heck of a fight if we go there, so I’ll go with what makes sense. Rollins winning might not be the most interesting option, but it sets up the best possible outcome.

Overall Thoughts

These five match specials are a good way to go for WWE as they leave you wanting more but still deliver enough. There are some big matches on the card and we should be in for another solid one. Money In The Bank has a built in advantage of being a ladder match with some stakes, though the rest of the card is going to have to more than pull its weight. I’m optimistic about this one though and that’s always a nice feeling to have.

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

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AND

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Smackdown
Date: July 5, 2024
Location: Scotia Bank Arena, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Corey Graves, Wade Barrett

We are a day away from Money In The Bank and that means it is time to get the final push towards the show. The ladder matches are officially set and now we are probably going to be seeing people sitting on ladders and talking to each other. Other than that, the Bloodline has gotten rid of Paul Heyman and now we are going to be seeing the start of the fallout. Let’s get to it.

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

Here is Jey Uso to get things going. He wants to win Money In The Bank but here is LA Knight to interrupt. Knight was the favorite last year and look what happened to him. Tomorrow, the people will be saying YEAH, not YEET. They get into a catchphrase off until Carmelo Hayes interrupts, saying no one wants to hear that.

Chad Gable cuts them off to say he’s been going through all kinds of problems in the last few weeks. Andrade interrupts and doesn’t say much before Drew McIntyre interrupts to brag about having CM Punk’s bracelet. McIntyre mocks most of the other people, including asking how Jey got across the border. The fight is on with Knight and Uso knocking McIntyre to the floor and standing tall. This was as paint by the numbers as you can get.

Bayley is in the back when Chelsea Green interrupts, threatening to cash in on Bayley soon. Piper Niven jumps Bayley, with Green saying that’s how she can cash in.

Post break, Bayley has gotten a match with Niven tonight.

Street Profits vs. Pretty Deadly

B-Fab is here with the Profits. Ford wrestles Wilson to the mat to start as Barrett is swooning over Pretty Deadly’s attire. Prince comes in and gets double hiptossed in short order, only to have Wilson hammer Dawkins down in the corner. We take a break and come back with Dawkins getting two off a sunset flip but getting knocked back into the corner. That doesn’t last long either though as Dawkins gets over to Ford for the house cleaning. Ford gets caught on top but Dawkins makes a blind tag and makes a save. Dawkins knocks Prince off the apron and hits a big dive. Ford’s frog splash pins Prince at 9:45.

Rating: C+. The Profits continue to get built back up, which shows that they might have been better off not being associated with Lashley in the first place. It’s a bit weird to have Pretty Deadly come back and lose, but at least one of the teams is getting a nice boost. For now, they had an ok match, but it’s nothing that is going to have an impact for any time.

A-Town Down Under is ready to retain the Tag Team Titles, with Grayson Waller giving Austin Theory a big pep talk.

We look back at the Bloodline wrecking Paul Heyman last week.

Indi Hartwell/Candice LeRae vs. Jade Cargill/Bianca Belair

Joined in progress with Cargill kicking Hartwell in the face but some double teaming brings Cargill down. Cargill fights up and it’s a double knockdown, allowing the tag off to Belair so the pace can pick up. Belair kicks LeRae down and brings Cargill back in for stereo Jaded/KOD and the pin on LeRae at 4:12.

Rating: C. I’m surprised this wasn’t more of a squash, as Cargill and Belair are still the most dominant team in the division. Odds are they’ll get a title shot in the near future and we’ll see where things go from there, but for now they’re still wrecking teams like Hartwell and LeRae. The division could still use more fresh blood, but at least there are some regular teams.

Post match Belair and Cargill say they’re coming to get the Women’s Tag Team Titles back.

Video on DIY vs. A-Town Down Under.

Here are Kevin Owens, Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes for a chat. Rhodes says they have heard enough from the Bloodline so they are ready for a fight. Orton is ready to end that fight with an RKO but it’s off to Owens, with the fans approving. Owens would rather talk about the last four days rather than the last four years, because he got a call from his dad.

Apparently his mom was rushed to the hospital, where he and his family have watched his mom fight for a few days. His mom is still in the hospital and won’t be at Money In The Bank, but that would be a problem for his mother. She did everything to make Owens’ dream come true, and she would be furious if he missed a show because of her. Excellent stuff here from Owens, which tends to be the case when you have a great talker with something important to talk about.

We get a video on the history of the Tag Team Titles, with even Demolition getting a mention.

Bayley vs. Piper Niven

Non-title and Naomi/Chelsea Green are here too while Iyo Sky is watching from the crowd. Niven runs her over to start and they head outside. Bayley is sent into the steps and we take an early break. Back with the Rose Plant being blocked and Bayley grabbing a sleeper, only to get planted down.

Bayley gets in a knockdown of her own as Naomi and Green get in a brawl on the floor. Naomi gets the better of things so Sky jumps the barricade and decks her. Cue Lyra Valkyria, Zoey Stark and Tiffany Stratton to brawl at ringside, with Stratton moonsaulting onto them. Bayley avoids Niven’s moonsault and hits the Rose Plant for the pin at 7:40.

Rating: C+. As you might have been able to tell, this was much more about the insanity going on outside rather than the match itself. They had to do something to give the women’s match a final push but it only worked so well. Not exactly a great match, but they could only do so much with so much else going on.

Post match Nia Jax runs in to lay Bayley out but Michin runs in to make the save with a kendo stick.

Money In The Bank rundown, complete with Trish Stratus being announced as the official host.

DIY talks about their history in this building.

Tag Team Titles: DIY vs. A-Town Down Under

A-Town Down Under is defending and jump them to start, only to get knocked outside for stereo slingshot dives. We take an early break and come back with Gargano in trouble but managing a twisting Canadian Destroyer to plant Waller on the floor. Theory is right there to cut him off though and Gargano gets dropped for two back inside.

We take another break (we aren’t even eight minutes into the match) and come back again with Ciampa hitting Willow’s Bell so Gargano can superkick Waller for two. Waller hits Theory by mistake and gets rolled up for two more. The Shatter Machine hits Waller for a very near fall and you can feel some energy go out of the place on the kickout.

Theory saves Waller from getting taken out but it’s Project Ciampa to drop Waller again. Meet In The Middle gets two, with Theory putting the foot on the rope. Waller’s rollup with trunks gets two but Gargano pulls him into the Gargano Escape. Theory’s save is cut off with a Sicilian Stretch and the double submission gives us new champions at 14:15.

Rating: B. This took some time to get going but they nailed the big ending, which was all that mattered. DIY getting the titles gives them by far their biggest moment on the main roster, which they’ve been needing for a long time. Other than that, it likely brings an end to A-Town Down Under, which seemed to have reached their peak, at least for the time being.

Solo Sikoa holds the lei in his hands and says it makes him the Tribal Chief. This isn’t what he wanted but it’s what had to happen. Roman Reigns was not man enough to defend the title from Cody Rhodes so Sikoa is going to take it back himself. Then if Reigns still wants it, he can come take it from Sikoa.

Overall Rating: C+. The ending helped but this was a show where they were stuck in a tough spot. Other than the main event, there was very little here that mattered as it was mainly about filling in time on a show that had to take place before the big event tomorrow. That rarely makes for a good show but they did well in the end and gave us a nice moment. There’s nothing worth seeing besides that, but it did end on a high note.

Results
Street Profits b. Pretty Deadly – Frog splash to Prince
Jade Cargill/Bianca Belair b. Indi Hartwell/Candice LeRae – Jaded to LeRae
Bayley b. Piper Niven – Rose Plant
DIY b. A-Town Down Under – Double submission

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