Smackdown
Date: June 21, 2024
Location: Allstate Arena, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Corey Graves, Wade Barrett

It’s time for the return to one of the bigger cities and as you might expect, that means CM Punk is here for a special appearance. We’re getting closer and closer to Punk being able to return to the ring and it would not surprise me to see the recently departed Drew McIntyre show up to go after him here. Let’s get to it.

Here is Clash At The Castle if you need a recap

We open with a look at CM Punk costing Drew McIntyre the Raw World Title at Clash At The Castle. This led to McIntyre quitting WWE the following Monday on Raw.

The fans chant for CM Punk and here he is to get things going. Punk talks about the pressure of live TV and doing it in your hometown is even more pressure. It is even harder to make a promise to your hometown and then have to deliver. He gets nervous every time he hears that static and “LIKE MUSSOLINI” (there’s your Cornette reference) and it always works. Punk brings up promising to win the WWE Title at Money In The Bank 2011 and he lived up to the pressure.

Drew McIntyre couldn’t do that and now McIntyre has quit….and here is Paul Heyman to interrupt, with Punk giving a pretty great surprised reaction. Heyman says this isn’t about disrespect before talking about how hot it is out there and in here. Punk sat next to his children at the Hall Of Fame induction when he was still the wise man to Roman Reigns. The fans chant for Reigns, with Punk saying Heyman is the only person who can get away with hijacking his promo like this.

Heyman gets in and we get a rather emotional hug in a nice moment. The reason Heyman is here is that he heard a radio shot host say that Chicago is Punk’s town and Solo Sikoa doesn’t like that. If Punk doesn’t get out here right now, the Bloodline is coming for him and the extra security is here for the Wyatts rather than a bunch of ticked off Samoans. Heyman is here out of respect to try and keep Punk safe but Punk isn’t worried.

Cue the Bloodline, with Sikoa saying either pay respect to him or never be medically cleared. Punk asks Heyman what he wants to do if Punk does him this favor. Heyman: “Take me with you?” The fans rather approve of that idea so Punk acknowledges….that he is looking at a bunch of fake a** Usos (Heyman buries his face in his hands). Punk: “And a phone cosplay Tribal Chief.”

The fight is teased but Cody Rhodes runs in with a pair of baseball bats and the Bloodline runs. Cody says Sikoa fashions himself as the Head Of The Table (Sikoa: “You d*** right.”) but Cody has already beaten one Head Of The Table. The challenge is on for tonight. This was a long opening segment but dang Punk and Heyman being together again, even for a few moments, felt special. Heyman continues to nail it as the person who is scared of all the changes and just wants Roman Reigns back to make everything better but has to deal with the terror that is the Bloodline.

Jade Cargill talks to Bianca Belair and says that while tonight is about Money In The Bank, they need their Tag Team Titles back. Works for Belair.

Randy Orton and Kevin Owens offer to have Cody Rhodes’ back tonight but Rhodes says he has a plan

Women’s Money In The Bank Qualifying Match: Bianca Belair vs. Michin vs. Chelsea Green

Green gets caught between the other two and battered about the head and shoulders to start. She’s fine enough to cut off a flipping Belair and everyone heads outside, where Belair decks Michin by mistake. Green hits a dive onto both of them and we take a break. Back with Green going up but getting double belly to back superplexed down again. Michin and Belair slug it out until Michin gets two off a sunset flip. Eat Defeat sends Belair outside and the Styles Clash hits Green for two. Belair is back in with the KOD to Michin but Green sends her outside and steals the pin at 7:24.

Rating: C+. I can go for more of Green on TV as she is becoming one of the more entertaining things about WWE as of late. She’s had the character stuff down but the last few weeks have shown more and more of her in-ring talents. She’s not likely to win the briefcase, but it’s rather nice to see her getting a win here.

Blair Davenport comes in to see Bayley and promises to not only win Money In The Bank, but also cash in on her.

Solo Sikoa tells Paul Heyman to tell Kevin Owens and Randy Orton that the Tongans are going to….something, as the audio goes mute. Heyman goes to do it, but Sikoa says they need to have a talk when he gets back.

Grayson Waller is ready for his Money In The Bank qualifying match while Austin Theory is at home. DIY comes up to mock him….and a garage door opens. CM Punk is laying on the ground and Drew McIntyre, with his hands bloody, is standing over him. McIntyre carries the unconscious Punk into the arena and drops him onto the stage before stealing a bracelet or a watch. Nick Aldis comes out with referees but McIntyre shoves him as well. Punk is taken out on a stretcher. This is feeling more and more like a featured match at Summerslam and I’m more than down for that.

Men’s Money In The Bank Qualifying Match: Tama Tonga vs. Carmelo Hayes vs. Randy Orton

Apparently the message that Sikoa gave to Heyman was to make sure Kevin Owens and Randy Orton don’t qualify for Money In The Bank. Makes sense. They fight heads outside fast but Hayes saves Tonga from being dropped onto the announcers’ table. That doesn’t last long as Orton drops both of them onto the table and we take a break. Back with Tonga elbowing Hayes down and hitting him in the face for two.

We hit the chinlock as the fans want Orton back but have to settle for Hayes fighting back to his feet. A facebuster gives Hayes two but a springboard….something is countered into a spinning backbreaker. Orton is back in for the powerslam on Tonga and there’s the superplex for two on Hayes. A poke to the eyes staggers Tonga and Hayes hits Orton with the First 48. Orton is back up with the double hanging DDT but here is Tonga Loa for a distraction. Kevin Owens runs out to cut him off, only to have Hayes roll Orton up for the pin at 9:36.

Rating: C+. Much like Green, I’ll take Hayes getting a win of any kind. What matters here is that Hayes didn’t take a pin. He’s felt like a target practice dummy since he debuted on the main roster and while stealing a pin on Orton isn’t a big game changer, it’s better than looking up at the lights again. Hayes could be something, but he needs to win to make that a reality.

We look at the Wyatt Sicks debut on Raw.

Here is LA Knight for a chat and he gets right to the point: he wants Logan Paul and the US Title out here right now. There is no Paul, which doesn’t work for Knight, as he is tired of Paul no showing everywhere. Next week there’s no running because they’re going head to head (with Santos Escobar) in a Money In The Bank qualifying match.

Then Knight can beat him, win the briefcase, and then beat Paul again to win the US Title. Cue Escobar to interrupt, saying he doesn’t like this disrespect. Escobar comes after Knight, who lays him out with the BFT. Cue Paul to jump Knight from behind and knock him cold with the big right hand. Pretty to the point here, with Knight’s match likely coming at Summerslam, which could be weird in Paul’s hometown.

Men’s Money In The Bank Qualifying Match: Grayson Waller vs. Andrade vs. Kevin Owens

Hold on though as the Tongans jump Owens during his entrance, with Randy Orton running in for the save. Owens of course says he can fight so the bell rings, with Andrade clearing the ring to start. The limping Owens fights back and they fight to the apron, where Owens clotheslines Andrade into the ring. Andrade is right back with a running sunset bomb to send Waller to the floor and we take a break.

Back with Andrade cleaning house, including the running knees to both of them in the corner. Owens fights up but walks into a double Downward Spiral from Waller. An A-Town Down attempt is broken up so Waller kicks Owens in the bad leg. Andrade and Waller go into the corner but Owens powerbombs both of them down. The Swanton gets two on Andrade so Owens drops him with a Stunner. Waller breaks it up and goes after the knee, only to walk into the Message to give Andrade the pin at 9:54.

Rating: C+. They’re going in some interesting directions with Money In The Bank and that is nice to see. Andrade is someone else who has been looking for something to do since his return and while this isn’t likely his big break, it’s a nice enough spot for him for the time being. Owens has more important things going on and Waller is already a tag champion so let Andrade have the spot instead.

We look at Cody Rhodes retaining the WWE Title against AJ Styles at Clash At The Castle.

Tiffany Stratton mocks Michin for her loss, with Nia Jax running in to jump Michin from behind.

CM Punk is staying overnight in a hospital and Drew McIntyre will be at Raw.

Cody Rhodes vs. Solo Sikoa

Non-title. Before the match, we cut to Paul Heyman telling Solo Sikoa that he has done his bidding. However, this goes against some of Roman Reigns’ bidding, as Reigns had said that CM Punk was off limits. Punk is personal to Heyman and Cody Rhodes is only supposed to be in check. Sikoa cuts him off and says Roman isn’t coming back. Heyman is devastated and asks what that could mean as Sikoa leaves, only to follow him to ringside. Rhodes takes the brawl to the floor to start and whips Sikoa into the steps. Not that it matters as the Tongas come in for the DQ at 1:41.

Post match Randy Orton and (the limping) Kevin Owens come in for the save and lay out the Tongans, leaving Sikoa backed into a corner. Sikoa begs off….but then starts to smile. JACOB FATU debuts and cleans house with superkicks, setting up a Samoan drop to put Owens onto the steps. Rhodes gets speared through the barricade and drops Cody onto the apron. A Superfly Splash from the top through the announcers’ table crushes Cody and Fatu poses with the Bloodline to end the show.

Of note: commentary did a great job here of selling that Fatu is the crazy member of the family and put him over as the most dangerous of them all. That’s how you use commentary to make someone feel important and catch the fans who might not know him up in a hurry. Well done there, as that’s the kind of thing that can really boost up a first impression.

Overall Rating: B. This was a VERY story heavy show and it seems that they’re turning their attention towards the bigger matches at Summerslam. I’m curious to see where all of that goes and the Bloodline stuff is the icing on the whole cake. They were moving things forward this week and that made for an interesting show which has me wondering where the stories are going. Good show here, and the bigger stuff is on the way.

Results
Chelsea Green b. Bianca Belair and Michin – KOD to Michin
Carmelo Hayes b. Tama Tonga and Randy Orton – Rollup to Orton
Andrade b. Grayson Waller and Kevin Owens – The Message to Waller
Cody Rhodes b. Solo Sikoa via DQ when the Tongans interfered

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: June 14, 2024
Location: OVO Hydro, Glasgow, Scotland
Commentators: Corey Graves, Wade Barrett

We’re in Scotland for the first time and we are less than a day away from Clash At The Castle. As usual, the show is mostly set but there is always the chance that something else could be added. The big story on the blue side is AJ Styles vs. Cody Rhodes in an I Quit match and odds are we’ll be hearing more about it this week. And of course the Bloodline, so let’s get to it.

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

Naomi vs. Chelsea Green

Bayley is here with Naomi and Piper Niven is here with Green. Before the match, Green brags about how the two of them will be Women’s Champion tomorrow but the fans would rather ask if Bayley will be their girl. Naomi loads up a running shot to the face but stops for a slap instead, which granted is the same thing but a bit less impactful. A running dropkick in the corner works a bit better but Green gets in a shot of her own and we take a break.

Back with Naomi fighting out of a chinlock but getting her knee dropkicked out for her efforts. Naomi fights up again and hits a springboard spinning kick to the head, followed by a high crossbody for two. Back up and Green pulls her off the top, setting up a missile dropkick for two of her own. Green tries a rollup with feet on the ropes so Bayley shoves them off, which isn’t cool with Niven. Not that it matters as Naomi uses the distraction to grab a rollup for the pin at 9:26.

Rating: C+. You don’t get to see Green with this kind of offense very often and it was cool for a change. She’s better in the ring than she is given credit for but when you can play a character that well, it can often be overlooked. Naomi gets a win to boost her up a bit and we could be in for something else from her after Clash is over.

We look at Apollo Crews being attacked last week.

Baron Corbin is in Nick Aldis’ office and is thankful for a chance, but Legado del Fantasma comes in. Corbin leaves and Aldis isn’t happy with Legado for attacking Crews last week. The team is being fined, but Santos Escobar will just beat up Crews tonight anyway.

Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair are ready for their two challengers at Clash.

It’s time for the Grayson Waller Effect (following the latest QR codes), with Austin Theory right next to him of course. Theory wants to know where the plants are but apparently Scotland is too depressing for them. We get right to the guests this week, with DIY joining the show. They waste no time in clearing out a bunch of the set (including the one chair for the two guests) and DIY accuses Theory of being Waller’s secretary.

Waller insists that they’re friends and he would take a bullet for him, but we see a clip of Waller pulling Theory in the way of a dive. DIY wants a title shot, but that’s not going to happen right now. Instead Gargano talks to Theory, saying he’s know Theory for a long time and he can’t stand what he’s seeing. Gargano blames Waller and the fight is on, with DIY clearing the ring.

We look at the Bloodline wrecking the Street Profits and Kevin Owens last week.

The Profits tell Owens that they have his back tonight.

Bayley and Naomi run into Blair Davenport in the back but nothing comes of it. Bayley thanks Naomi for being there when Chelsea Green comes in. The distraction lets Piper Niven come in to wreck both of them.

Santos Escobar vs. Apollo Crews

The rest of Legado del Fantasma is here with Escobar. Crews starts fast with a belly to belly but gets sent to the apron, where Legado offers a distraction. Escobar dropkicks him to the floor but here is Baron Corbin to chase off Legado (minus Elektra Lopez). Crews grabs a gorilla press into a standing moonsault for two as we take a break.

Back with Escobar hitting a slingshot hilo for two of his own and a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for the same. Crews makes a comeback with a clothesline into a nip up, only to get kneed out of the air. A quick Death Valley Driver gives Crews two but cue Legado for a distraction. Corbin goes to deal with them, allowing Lopez to offer a distraction. Escobar gets the rollup pin at 9:01.

Rating: C+. Every time I see Crews out there, it astounds me more and more that he isn’t a bigger star. His lack of charisma isn’t helping him, but my goodness that kind of look and athleticism should have some kind of a role. For now though, Escobar gets a win to keep himself around, though Legado needs something else to do. Like feuding with….Corbin?

Long recap of Cody Rhodes vs. AJ Styles.

Here is Cody Rhodes for a chat. A few weeks ago, he thought AJ Styles was actually going to retire. No one wants to be THAT guy, as in the one who sticks around too long and is trying to have one more match. Unfortunately, that is exactly what Styles is starting to look like. We pause for some singing fans before Rhodes won’t say the words I Quit. Cue Styles, with the OC, to say Rhodes gets worked up pretty easily.

Rhodes says Styles can get a lot closer, while leaving Horace and Jasper (there’s a reference I didn’t expect tonight) behind. The fans sing about Rhodes again and we get a graphic showing the sound level in one of those cool little things you would never get in the old days. Styles talks about how hard it was to get to WWE, while Rhodes quit when things got hard around here. Just like he quit New Japan and Ring Of Honor! Then he started a company (the fans gasp) and quit that too!

Rhodes talks about making some big decisions in his career, including walking away from a bunch of companies (there’s one he won’t say). He gambled on himself and this title shows you that he won. Styles quit when he pretended to be Mark Henry for a night to get a title shot. Rhodes will make him quit, with Styles saying it was so easy to make Rhodes say it. Styles: “I can’t quit being phenomenal.” He’s ready to do whatever it takes to beat Rhodes. This was an intense exchange and it’s the kind of match where the result being fairly clear shouldn’t hurt things.

The Bloodline jumps the Street Profits but are cleared out before Kevin Owens can get there.

Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark are ready to win the Women’s Tag Team Titles.

Nia Jax vs. Michin

Tiffany Stratton is on commentary. Michin strikes away before the bell and does it again after the bell, with Eat Defeat sending Jax outside. Stratton offers a distraction but gets beaten up, allowing Jax to run Michin over. The Annihilator finishes for Jax at 1:23. Anything involving more Stratton, even Jax, is a good thing.

Kevin Owens says the Street Profits won’t be able to be there tonight.

Logan Paul was at the Classic Tetris World Championships and lost to a bunch of 14 year olds.

Paul returns home…and finds LA Knight chilling in his pool. Paul tells him to get out, with Knight getting up, picking up his clothes, and saying he’ll see Paul next week in Chicago. As expected, Paul wonders how Knight got through the security.

Carmelo Hayes isn’t sure what he just watched but knows that Knight’s line was lame. He’s ready to be Mr. Money In The Bank and he’ll qualify next week.

Nick Aldis bars the Tonga’s from ringside for the main event. Paul Heyman tells Solo Sikoa that if he loses, he loses his leadership. Sikoa says that if he loses, he’s coming after Heyman. Panicking ensues.

Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn get quite the reception and promise to win the Women’s Tag Team Titles.

Clash At The Castle rundown.

Solo Sikoa vs. Kevin Owens

Paul Heyman is here with Sikoa. It’s a big brawl to start with Owens knocking him to the floor and taking out the Prime stand. Owens hits a running clothesline and the frog splash off the apron as we take a break. Back with Sikoa bailing to the floor to avoid the Cannonball. Sikoa takes over with a shot to the face and the running hip attack in the corner.

Owens grabs a quick DDT though and some rapid fire stomping has Sikoa in trouble. Sikoa catches him on top but makes the mistake of trying a superplex, allowing Owens to fight out and hit a tornado DDT. An exchange of superkicks goes to Owens, who hits a Cannonball into a Swanton for two. They fight to the apron, where Sikoa hits a backdrop and we take a break.

Back again with Owens knocking Sikoa off the top and hitting the frog splash for two. Some Spinning Solos give Sikoa two each but Owens grabs a quick Stunner. Heyman puts the foot on the rope for the save and Owens is immediately out there to attempt to kill him. That’s broken up with a Samoan Spike, followed by another to finish Owens at 16:40.

Rating: B. You know what you’re going to get in a match like this and it worked out rather well. Owens is at his best when he is fighting from underneath and has to get in his shots where he can. We got exactly that here, with Heyman out there fearing for his life, which he does as well as anyone. Good stuff here, with Sikoa getting a nice win to show he can still do it.

Post match the Tongas run in for the beatdown but Randy Orton returns for the save. A bunch of RKO’s end the show. Yeah that works.

Overall Rating: B-. WWE has figured out how they want to do things and how to put whatever people and stories they have going on into the formula. There was very little here that felt new or different but it was still a rather solid two hours. Clash is the big show of course, but this was a good way to get things primed up without wasting two hours.

Results
Naomi b. Chelsea Green – Rollup
Santos Escobar b. Apollo Crews – Rollup
Nia Jax b. Michin – Annihilator
Solo Sikoa b. Kevin Owens – Samoan Spike

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: June 7, 2024
Location: KFC Yum Center, Louisville, Kentucky
Commentators: Corey Graves, Wade Barrett

We have just over a week to go before Clash At The Castle and after last week, it seems that we are going to be seeing AJ Styles vs. Cody Rhodes II for the Smackdown World Title. Other than that, LA Knight and Logan Paul have been circling each other and there is a good chance that we will see that match set up this week as well. Let’s get to it.

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

We look back at AJ Styles faking retirement last week and attacking Cody Rhodes to end the show.

An annoyed Rhodes is waiting for Styles.

Here is the Bloodline to get things going. The still nervous looking Paul Heyman says that until Roman Reigns comes back, Solo Sikoa is at the head of the table. The fans want Reigns, which has me wondering how long they can hold off on the return. Sikoa has decided to make a double proclamation tonight, starting with Tama Tonga being named the Right Hand Man. Second, Tonga Loa is officially a member of the team. Heyman tries to wrap it up but Sikoa asks what’s going on.

Heyman should be thanking them for the save against Kevin Owens last week, with Heyman doing just that. In addition, Heyman was here earlier today and heard that Owens is wanting a piece of the Bloodline. Cue Owens (Heyman bails) and the brawl is on but the numbers game has Owens in trouble. The Street Profits run in for the save though, allowing Owens to grab a chair and clear the ring. This feels like it’s going to keep building until Reigns comes back for the big moment and they need to make Sikoa feel that much more evil on the way there.

Post break, Sikoa tells Heyman to make this a six man or it’s Heyman vs. Tama Tonga. Heyman: “I like the six man idea a lot better.”

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

Non-title. The bell rings and here are Isla Dawn/Alba Fyre and Shayna Baszler/Zoey Stark to watch. Belair takes LeRae down to start and hits a quick moonsault for two. Hartwell comes in for a cheap shot though and the posing takes us to a break. Back with Belair getting over for the tag to Cargill so house can be quickly cleaned. The assisted German suplex finishes Hartwell at 6:32. Not enough shown to rate but Cargill and Belair wrecked them after the break.

Post match the other four come in to beat down the champs, only to fight amongst themselves. Cargill and Belair take them out and stand tall.

Nick Aldis tells Cody Rhodes to not get in a fight with AJ Styles on the loading dock but Cody says he’s taking care of this himself.

Apollo Crews is ready….to get jumped by Angel and Berto. Nick Aldis calls for medics but as Crews is taken away, LA Knight comes in to ask where Logan Paul is. Carmelo Hayes pops in to say he’s getting to Knight so Aldis makes the match for later tonight. Aldis implied that this was taking the place of Crews’ match so points for some continuity.

Johnny Gargano vs. Grayson Waller

Tommaso Ciampa and Austin Theory are here too. Gargano knocks him into the corner to start and chops away but a spinning backbreaker puts Gargano down. The rolling Stunner is countered into a belly to back suplex though and they head outside. Gargano’s Sliced Bread leaves both of them down and we take an early break.

Back with Gargano hitting some clotheslines into an enziguri, setting up the slingshot spear for two. An electric chair belly to back suplex drops Gargano for two more but something like a Destroyer out of the corner plants Waller hard. Waller bails outside and pulls Theory into a dive before posting Gargano. Back in and a running flipping Unprettier (picture Cena’s Throwback but landing on the other person instead of grabbing their head) finishes Gargano at 8:16.

Rating: C+. Assuming DIY is going to get the title shot, I’m not sure how logical it was to have Gargano lose here. Then again, at least it’s something different than winning singles matches to set up a tag match. For now though, the match was perfectly fine, with Waller pulling Theory in the way of the dive being completely in line with his way of thinking.

Nick Aldis, with security, tells Cody Rhodes that AJ Styles is arriving. Post break the car arrives with Styles in the sunroof and the OC standing in Rhodes’ way. Rhodes goes into the arena and calls Styles out for a fight RIGHT NOW. Cue Styles to say he doesn’t care what Rhodes wants, but Styles wants a title shot at Clash At The Castle. Works for Rhodes, but he wants it to be I Quit. Nick Aldis comes out to make the match and Rhodes beats up security. With Rhodes held back, Styles gets in a cheap shot.

Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill leave Aldis’ office and announce a triple threat Women’s Tag Team Title match at Clash At The Castle, with Shayna Baszler/Zoey Stark and Isla Dawn/Alba Fyre getting the shots. Makes sense and goes another step towards trying to make the champs feel like they’re in danger. They aren’t, but points for trying.

LA Knight vs. Carmelo Hayes

Knight isn’t impressed to start and takes Hayes outside for some rams into the announcers’ table. A backdrop onto the table makes it worse and we take a break. Back with Knight fighting out of a top wristlock but getting hit in the face for two. Knight avoids something from the top and hits a faceplant, only to charge into a superkick. A slam puts Hayes down again but the LA Elbow (minus the LA, making it just a jumping elbow) misses. The powerslam connects but the BFT is countered into a rollup with trunks for two. Knight reverses the rollup into a rollup of his own for the pin at 8:33.

Rating: C+. This is a match where there was not harmless result, as Knight needed a win to boost him towards the likely US Title shot, but my goodness Hayes needs to win something sooner than later. Other than a fluke rollup against Baron Corbin, he hasn’t won anything of note since earlier this year in NXT. He doesn’t have to be beating top names, but he can beat some lower level names just to build himself up a bit.

Post match Knight promises to bring Smackdown to Logan Paul.

Tiffany Stratton offers to unite with Nia Jax, who looks as annoyed as someone who has to watch a Nia Jax match. With Stratton gone, Michin comes in to throw water in Jax’s face and they have to be held apart.

Video on Bayley vs. Piper Niven.

Here is Bayley for a chat. She mentions the match with Niven but here are Chelsea Green and Niven to interrupt. Niven promises to make Bayley lose again and says that the two of them will be the new champ. Bayley respects Niven, which is why she was watching from the front row at the Mae Young Classic.

She’s lost in front of everyone she’s loved and knows how bad it feels, so she’ll do it again to Niven next week. Niven gets in the ring to talk about her journey from 2008. She worked around the world while Bayley walked into a perfect situation in the Performance Center. Now she has an annoying friend in Naomi and everything handed to her. Niven promises to win the title, with Green mimicking almost every word in a nice touch.

Logan Paul sends in a video and says he’s in Los Angeles for the World Tetris Championships because he wants a real challenger. Knight needs to go back to the midcard where he belongs.

Naomi doesn’t like what Chelsea Green and Piper Niven said out there. Nick Aldis makes Naomi vs. Green for next week.

Kevin Owens/Street Profits vs. Bloodline

Dawkins powers Tonga into the corner to start and hands it off to Ford. The shoulders to the ribs have Tama in trouble but he fights out rather quickly. Loa comes in for the forearms to the head and Sikoa sends Ford outside for the crash as we take a break. Back with the slow beating to Ford continuing, with Loa hitting a basement clothesline.

Ford finally manages to get in a shot of his own and the diving tag brings in Owens to face Sikoa. Owens drops him fast and hits the Swanton for two as everything breaks down. Ford hits a big running flip dive onto the pile at ringside, which just causes Sikoa to chair Ford for the DQ at 9:40.

Rating: C+. This was picking up near the end but then they pulled all of the energy out with the lame ending. It makes the Bloodline look more violent as they would rather swing chairs than compete, but it doesn’t exactly make for the most thrilling conclusion. At least Owens didn’t take another pin though.

Post match the big beatdown is on, with Owens being put through the announcers’ table to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This show did a nice job of setting up the Smackdown side of Clash At The Castle, but the problem is that half isn’t very interesting. The show is going to be ALL about Drew McIntyre getting his title shot with Rhodes vs. Styles II not exactly feeling hot, even with the stipulation. Paul vs. Knight should be good as well, but it wasn’t officially announced here. Stuff did happen here and that’s good, but the stuff wasn’t that interesting, which is a problem. Odds are that changes after next week though, so this shouldn’t be a long term issue.

Results
Jade Cargill/Bianca Belair b. Indi Hartwell/Candice LeRae – Assisted German suplex to Hartwell
Grayson Waller b. Johnny Gargano – Running flipping Unprettier
LA Knight b. Carmelo Hayes – Rollup
Kevin Owens/Street Profits b. Bloodline via DQ when Sikoa used a chair

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: May 31, 2024
Location: MVP Arena, Albany, New York
Commentators: Corey Graves, Wade Barrett

We are just over two weeks away from Clash At The Castle and the show needs to start coming together. In addition, we still have some fallout from King And Queen Of The Ring, including the official coronation of Queen Nia Jax. Finally, the Bloodline is in action tonight, which feels rather important. Let’s get to it.

Here is King And Queen Of The Ring if you need a recap.

King And Queen Of The Ring recap.

Here is Nick Aldis to introduce Nia Jax for her coronation. Jax brags about the win and demands that Bayley come to the ring right now. Cue Bayley but Piper Niven and Chelsea Green jump her from behind. Bayley gets crushed but Green tells Jax to be ready to face Niven at Summerslam instead. This was to the point and that’s what it needed to be.

AJ Styles goes on to see Nick Aldis and asks for some time to say something, but he only wants to say it once. Aldis agrees.

Naomi checks on Bayley in the trainer’s room and Bayley is good to go tonight.

Tommaso Ciampa vs. Austin Theory

Both partners are here too. Ciampa elbows him in the face to start and hammers away, only to walk into a brainbuster onto the knee. Theory gets in some knees in the corner and a hanging neckbreaker to the floor puts Ciampa down again as we take a break. Back with Ciampa fighting out of a chinlock but getting elbowed in the face for his efforts.

Ciampa fights up again and hits a hard clothesline, setting up a reverse DDT for two. Theory gets in another shot but A Town Down is blocked. Waller goes to yell at commentary for some reason and seems to claim credit for Theory’s success. That allows the distracted Ciampa to roll Theory up for the pin at 8:45.

Rating: C+. We continue the fairly slow build towards DIY challenging for the Tag Team Titles, though the champs having some issues makes it a bit more interesting. The idea of “tag teams in singles matches” has been done for years and it’s only going to get them so far. For now though, it’s better than DIY losing another match.

Naomi comes in to see Nick Aldis and, after a mini argument with Blair Davenport, gets a tag match with Bayley against Chelsea Green and Piper Niven. With the women gone, LA Knight comes in to ask if Aldis knows where he can find Logan Paul. Well that’s interesting.

We look at Cody Rhodes defeating Logan Paul to retain the WWE Universal Title at King And Queen Of The Ring.

LA Knight says Logan Paul isn’t here this week, but Knight IS here, so he’ll make it clear: he wants the US Title. Carmelo Hayes comes in to suggest he’s a better candidate for a title shot.

Andrade vs. Apollo Crews

Earlier today, Andrade turned down an invitation to Legado del Fantasma. Andrade snaps off a dropkick to start and slowly stomps away but here is Angel for a distraction. A dropkick sends Andrade to the floor and us to a break. Back with Andrade hitting a high crossbody to leave both of them down. Andrade strikes away and the running knees gives hit Crews for two. Crews is back with the gorilla press drop into the standing moonsault for two. Andrade isn’t having this and elbows him in the face, setting up the double underhook swinging DDT for the pin at 7:04.

Rating: C+. This was a match where the commercial took away so much of the energy, as there is only so much you can do with seven minutes including a break. Crews’ athleticism continues to be impressive but his ship has long since sailed. As for Andrade, a feud with Legado is better than nothing, but it’s not the most thrilling concept.

Post match Andrade walks past Legado del Fantasma so Angel seems ready to deal with this.

Solo Sikoa tells the Bloodline to deal with it when Paul Heyman comes in. Heyman has been trying to make things better for the team but he sees random acts of violence with no bigger plan. He thinks they need Cody Rhodes in check for when Roman Reigns comes back but Sikoa says we already do. Heyman: “With all due respect, who is we?” The answer is cut off by Kevin Owens coming to the ring, with Sikoa telling Heyman to go deal with this. Heyman is starting to snap under the pressure and that opens up a lot of possibilities.

Apollo Crews jumps Angel.

Kevin Owens is in the ring and says he was in Saudi Arabia to help Randy Orton in person. Orton has had his back for weeks now and…here is Paul Heyman to interrupt. Heyman is sounding rather nervous as he says he hopes to come to a mutual understanding with Owens. The fans want Roman but Heyman says no one wants him here more than Heyman himself.

Heyman talks about how Reigns respects Owens but Solo Sikoa and the new members of the Bloodline are going to hurt him. He begs Owens to back off but Owens doesn’t quite buy the kind offer. Owens thinks Heyman sees Sikoa as his next cash cow. In four years of fighting the Bloodline, Owens has been superkicked thirty times at once and thrown off high things, but he’s never going to stop fighting to get rid of them.

He neither wants nor needs Heyman’s help, so Heyman goes on a rant about how he might be trying to redeem himself. Heyman says he is a Hall of Fame wise man and is worried about Sikoa taking over the entire Bloodline SO WHY WILL NO ONE LISTEN TO HIM??? Heyman goes so nuts that he throws the mic and hits Owens, who appears ready to destroy him. Cue the Bloodline but the Street Profits (set to face the Bloodline tonight) run in to even things up. Angelo Dawkins hits a big flip dive to take out the Tongas. And there is Heyman snapping, which is not going to go well for him. I’m not sure how soon Reigns is going to come back, but dang they have a wide open field with this thing and it’s great.

Bloodline vs. Street Profits

Joined in progress with Ford firing off shoulders to Tama in the corner and Dawkins coming in for a double belly to back suplex. Loa gets in a cheap shot though and hammers away on the floor as Paul Heyman is looking terrified on the floor. A slingshot elbow hits Ford but he gets over for the tag to Dawkins. House is quickly cleaned but it’s back to Loa off a blind tag to run Dawkins over. A Saito suplex connects and Dawkins is taken outside for a ram into the announcers’ table.

We take a break and come back with Tama hammering away as Heyman is looking even worse. Dawkins manages to suplex his way out of trouble and it’s a double tag to bring in Ford and Loa. The Profits take over and grab a Doomsday Blockbuster, with Tama having to make the save. Tama gets in a blind tag so Ford’s frog splash to Loa means nothing. Back up and Ford walks into the jumping Downward Spiral for the pin at 12:12.

Rating: B-. This was a way to make the Bloodline look good because the Profits are a pretty established team for them to take down. I’m not sure if the feud continues whenever Bobby Lashley is back, but it might be time for the Profits to move on to something else. For now though, the Bloodline looks good and that’s what matters.

Indi Hartwell is upset at Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair for injuring Candice LeRae…but not upset enough to agree to face Cargill.

Michin is asked about AJ Styles but Nia Jax interrupts. That doesn’t work for Michin, which REALLY does not work for Jax.

Chelsea Green/Piper Niven vs. Bayley/Naomi

Green runs from Bayley to start and hands it to Niven, who crushes Bayley in the corner. That doesn’t seem to matter much as Bayley fights up and hits a clothesline on Green. Naomi comes in and knocks Green to the floor, with the villains being beaten down as we take a break.

Back with Niven missing an elbow, allowing the tag back to Naomi. A running basement dropkick in the corner sets up a split legged moonsault, with Niven having to make a save. The Rear View gets two more with Niven making another save with a backsplash. Niven puts Green on top for the pin at 8:30.

Rating: C. Another pretty to the point match here, with Niven getting to look strong as we are coming up on a show in her home country. Bayley is going to need a title challenger and putting here in there against Niven for the title could be a heck of a moment. The match was just good enough, with Naomi taking the fall to build Niven up that much more.

LA Knight runs into AJ Styles in the back and says if the rumors are true, he respects Styles. With Knight gone, Styles runs into Cody Rhodes and they shake hands. Styles hugs the OC, who have his back out there tonight.

Here is Styles, with the OC, for his big announcement. Styles talks about how he has dwelt on Nick Aldis saying he had to earn another title shot for a week. At this point in his career, he can’t do that though, and we pause for some applause. He just got to have his son’s graduation party and it made him wonder how many of them he missed. Maybe it’s time he became a phenomenal father. Styles thanks the OC for being there and they do the pose one more time. There’s one more thing though, and Styles would like Cody Rhodes out here.

Cue Rhodes, with Styles saying their match at Backlash was one of their best ever. This is still the house that Styles built and Rhodes says they shared their first text after that match. Styles called Rhodes his little bro, but Rhodes says Styles is a good big bro. They have a hug and Rhodes holds Styles’ arm up, only for Styles to channel his inner Mark Henry and beat him down.. The Styles Clash from the steps to the floor drops Rhodes to end the show. They weren’t exactly hiding what they were going for here and that works well enough, as having another title match between them at Clash will be a fine way to go.

Overall Rating: B. This was a show with good enough action, but the main positives came from the storytelling. Odds are we have a Smackdown main event set for Clash, plus Heyman losing his mind and Bayley probably set to defend against Niven. As usual lately, WWE knows how to move things forward while having completely acceptable (at worst) wrestling and that makes for a very easy watch.

Results
Tommaso Ciampa b. Austin Theory – Rollup
Andrade b. Apollo Crews – Double underhook swinging DDT
Bloodline b. Street Profits – Jumping Downward Spiral to Ford
Piper Niven/Chelsea Green b. Bayley/Naomi – Backsplash to Naomi

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King And Queen Of The Ring 2024
Date: May 25, 2024
Location: Jeddah Super Dome, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

It’s tournament time, as we have the finals of the King and Queen Of The Ring tournaments. That makes the show’s title about as appropriate as you can get, but there are some other things going on as well. Cody Rhodes is defending the WWE Title against Logan Paul and Liv Morgan is challenging Becky Lynch for the Raw Women’s Title. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Women’s Tag Team Titles: Indi Hartwell/Candice LeRae vs. Bianca Belair/Jade Cargill

Cargill and Belair are defending and Cargill sends Hartwell flying with a fall away slam to start. Belair comes in and gets slammed onto Hartwell before firing off the shoulders to LeRae’s ribs. LeRae slips out of a gorilla press as Belair’s bad knee gives out and the villains have a target. Belair gets taken into the wrong corner so LeRae and Hartwell can take turns on the knee, with LeRae hitting a jumping stomp.

LeRae grabs a half crab (and looks rather bored) but Belair powers out and gets the tag to Cargill. House is quickly cleaned with splashes in the corner, setting up a Batista Bomb for two. Cargill is draped over the middle rope for a Swanton from LeRae and a missile dropkick connects. Unfortunately it sends her into the corner for the tag to Belair, who comes in to clean house. A DDT into an assisted German suplex finishes LeRae to retain at 7:58.

Rating: C. There was a clock airing during this match, counting down the time until the show proper started. They might as well have had a countdown until the champs retained here, as this was little more than a guaranteed successful title defense. Nothing to see here other than the champs getting in a nice workout over some low level challengers.

The opening video looks at how winning the tournaments can be the start of something big.

Raw Women’s Title: Becky Lynch vs. Liv Morgan

Lynch is defending and wearing something close to a tuxedo as she wrestles Liv, looking quite a bit like Brittney Spears, to the mat in an image I wasn’t expecting. Back in and Liv breaks up the middle rope legdrop before crashing into Lynch for two. We hit the seated armbar for a bit before Lynch fights up, only to get sent into the corner. A double knockdown gives both of them a breather.

Back up and Lynch hits a missile dropkick for two but it’s too early for the Disarm-Her. Liv plants her down for two but misses a charge into the corner, allowing Lynch to hit something like a clothesline for two. Oblivion is countered into a reverse hanging DDT for two more and they’re both down again. Back up and Morgan hits a running knee for two before it’s time to slug it out.

The cross armbreaker is countered into the Rings Of Saturn but Lynch stacks her up, only to get pulled right back in. Lynch gets an armbar but here is Dominik Mysterio, with the distraction letting Liv reverse the Manhandle Slam into a Codebreaker. Liv goes up but gets superplexed back down. With the referee checking on Liv, Dominik slides in a chair, seemingly to Becky, but gets on the apron to distract the referee. That’s enough for Liv to hit a DDT onto the chair, followed by Oblivion for the pin and the title at 14:38.

Rating: C+. The story here is the title change, but also the way in which Liv won it. I’m curious to see just how things going, as Rhea Ripley is not going to be happy with what just happened. Liv getting the title, only to get smashed by Ripley when she gets back, is a smart way to go, as Lynch was little more than a placeholder champion in the first place.

Dominik knows he screwed up.

We recap the Intercontinental Title match, with Sami Zayn (the soul) defending against Chad Gable (the mind) and Bronson Reed (the body). This is mainly about Zayn vs. Gable, with Reed being there as a wrecking ball as a danger to both of them.

Intercontinental Title: Sami Zayn vs. Chad Gable vs. Bronson Reed

Zayn is defending and gets a heck of a reaction while Otis is here with Gable. We start fast with both challengers being sent to the floor, where Zayn hits a slingshot dive onto Reed. Gable jumps him from behind though as the OLE chants are out in full force. Back in and Reed runs Zayn down before release Rock Bottoming him onto Gable. Zayn gets tied in the ring skirt and pummeled by Gable, who missile dropkicks Reed.

Back up and Zayn sends Gable to the floor and hits a big running flip dive onto both of them. A sunset bomb gives Zayn two on Reed but the Blue Thunder Bomb just isn’t happening. Reed is back with a superplex to Zayn but misses a moonsault. Gable’s moonsault hits Reed for two, with Zayn having to make a save. Zayn’s tornado DDT gets two on Reed with Gable making the save and getting an ankle lock.

Reed goes to make a save but gets ankle locked, leaving Zayn to ankle lock Gable at the same time. Another save is broken up and Zayn hits a rather impressive Blue Thunder Bomb for two on Reed. Back up and Reed Samoan drops both of them to the floor, setting up a heck of a suicide dive.

The Tsunami misses Zayn, who rolls some German suplexes to Gable. Reed German suplexes them both at the same time but they get together to put Reed down. Gable is ready for Otis to interfere but Otis can’t bring himself to hit Zayn. Instead Gable slaps Otis and tells him to wake up, only for Otis to clothesline Gable, intentions unclear. That leaves Zayn to Helluva Kick Reed for the pin to retain at 13:48.

Rating: B. There were some rather impressive spots here, with Zayn showing off some nice power stuff against Reed. What matters here though is Otis accidentally (maybe) taking out Gable, which is likely going to be an issue going forward. Zayn retaining is the right call as he only won the title about a month and a half ago, so he very well could be in for a long reign to come.

We recap the Queen Of The Ring finals, with Lyra Valkyria from Raw and Nia Jax from Smackdown.

Queen Of The Ring: Lyra Valkyria vs. Nia Jax

Valkyria can’t grab a crucifix to start but can flip out o a whip into the corner. Jax gets sent outside and there’s a running dropkick to stagger her. Back in and Jax tries the Samoan drop but gets reversed into a sleeper. That’s broken up with a ram into the corner, followed by an elbow to the back for two. Valkyria gets tied in the Tree of Woe and then knocked back out, setting up the chinlock.

The comeback doesn’t last long as Jax plants her with the Samoan drop for two more. The Annihilator misses (Jax: “OH THAT HURT!”) and Valkyria hits a bulldog on the floor for a breather. Back in and Valkyria grabs a tornado DDT for two, followed by a middle rope Fameasser for the same. Jax splashes her in the corner though and tries a super Samoan drop. That’s reversed into something resembling a sunset bomb but Jax hits an Annihilator to the standing Valkyria for the pin and the crown at 9:44.

Rating: C. There was only so much that Valkyria could do here as she doesn’t have the size or power to hang with Jax. Valkyria got her big run to the finals before getting crushed by Jax with that insane Annihilator. There is a good chance that Jax wins the title at Summerslam, but it’s a long road to get there.

Post match HHH comes out to crown Jax. With HHH gone, Jax says get ready to get really mad.

Becky Lynch yells at Dominik Mysterio and doesn’t know what’s going on with anyone. She has a rematch though and she’s going to take it on Raw.

We recap Gunther and Randy Orton’s paths to the finals of the King Of The Ring.

Tiffany Stratton and Carmelo Hayes are here watching.

King Of The Ring: Gunther vs. Randy Orton

They lock up to start until Gunther backs him into the corner for the clean break. Orton backs him into the corner as well but the break isn’t quite as clean with some rather nasty grappling. Gunther grabs an armbar for a bit before Orton is back up with a headlock. A headlock takeover puts Gunther down as we’re somehow five minutes into this. Back up and Orton blocks a chop and hammers away but the RKO is blocked.

Gunther starts slowly working on the (taped up) knee before grabbing an armbar to mix things up a bit. The slow beating is on, with Orton being dropped hard to bang up the back even more. They fight over a suplex until Orton gets him over for the double down. Back up and Gunther runs him over with a clothesline for two but Orton snaps off a powerslam. The hanging DDT connects but another RKO is blocked, allowing Gunther to hit the top rope splash for two.

A top rope double stomp misses though and Orton hits the RKO, sending Gunther rolling out to the floor. Orton drops him onto the announcers’ table and then hits a backdrop, only to have Gunther dropkick him in the bad knee on the way back in. A half crab stays on the bad leg but Orton kicks him away and hits another RKO for two (because the knee won’t let Orton cover properly), only to be rolled up for the pin at 21:48. Ignore Orton’s shoulder being six inches off the mat.

Rating: A-. This was a long and slow paced match with Gunther working on the knee and then tying it together in the end. What matters here is the fact that Gunther got a bit win and gets to move on to Summerslam, where he gets his major title match. The shoulder being up at the end was awful, but the rest of the match was hard hitting enough to make up for the problem.

Post match Gunther brags about winning and promises to win the World Title at Summerslam.

Crown Jewel is in Riyadh on November 2.

HHH congratulates Liv Morgan, Nia Jax and Gunther on their wins. As for a big announcement, Drew McIntyre is cleared to return to the ring and will face Damian Priest at Clash At The Castle for the World Heavyweight Title. That almost had to be set up so at least they didn’t wait too long.

We recap Logan Paul vs. Cody Rhodes for the Smackdown World Title. It was originally title vs. title but instead it’s just for Rhodes’ title as Paul backed out. Rhodes accused him of being self centered and not willing to go further than he has already gotten. There is also the question of whether or not Paul has actually given up his brass knuckles.

Smackdown World Title: Logan Paul vs. Cody Rhodes

Rhodes is defending (Paul’s US Title isn’t on the line) and Michael Cole has Paul’s brass knuckles. A Saudi actor is guest ring announcer and we’re ready to go. Feeling out process to start and fight over a top wristlock. Paul trips him down but Cody is back up with a slingshot gordbuster. A crossbody misses for Cody though and he falls to the floor, where Paul hits a slingshot dive.

Back in and a faceplant gives Paul two, followed by a standing moonsault for the same. Paul goes up but gets super armdragged down (with Cody kind of crashing on the landing), but being able to hit a Disaster Kick to send Paul outside. Paul manages to get a shot of Prime but Cody hits him in the face with it. Hold on though as Paul’s Prime goon shoves Cody, which is enough of a distraction for another goon to slip Paul some brass knuckles. Cole: “YOU SIGNED A PRE-KNUCK!”

Paul hits him in the ribs but goes after Cole, allowing Cody to get in a quick shot of his own. Cody hammers away back inside and grabs the Figure Four but Paul gets out. Back up and the Buckshot Lariat misses, allowing the Cody Cutter to connect for two. Paul reverses a Vertebreaker and grabs a Cross Rhodes for two of his own in a nice near fall. Cody puts him down again but the Cross Rhodes is countered. They head back outside with Paul loading up the announcers’ table (apologizing to Cole in the process) but takes too long, allowing Cody to hit a Cody Cutter off the barricade.

Cody won’t let the referee count though, as Paul “needs to learn”. Paul uses the delay to put Cody on the announcers’ table and, after a shot of Prime (dig the 360 camera shot), hit the top rope splash through Cody and the table. Back in and a frog splash gives Paul two and, after telling Cody he hates him, he hammers away. The referee gets splashed in the corner and now Cody hits the Vertebreaker for no count. Paul hits him low and loads up the knuckles…but the actor grabs his leg. That’s enough for Cody to grab three straight Cross Rhodes to retain the title at 24:16.

Rating: B+. It’s been said over and over again but Paul is WAY too good at this for someone who was barely a part timer until just a few months ago. Paul losing due to some shenanigans from an actor is a nice enough way to protect him and he’s still US Champion. They had a heck of a match here and managed to follow the near classic in the previous match.

Cody gets to celebrate with the fans and kiss the mat to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This show took its time to get going but the last two matches were both awesome, with the Intercontinental Title match being more than good enough to hold its own. As usual, these shows are much better when they’re regular WWE events that happen to be in Saudi Arabia and that was the case again here. Summerslam is partially set and now we get to see how things are set up to fill in the rest of the show. I had a nice time with this show and now we get to see where the summer goes, which could be quite the positive trip.

Results
Bianca Belair/Jade Cargill b. Indi Hartwell/Candice LeRae – Assisted German suplex to LeRae
Liv Morgan b. Becky Lynch – Oblivion
Sami Zayn b. Chad Gable and Bronson Reed – Helluva Kick to Reed
Nia Jax b. Lyra Valkyria – Annihilator
Gunther b. Randy Orton – Rollups
Cody Rhodes b. Logan Paul – Cross 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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It’s time to go back to Saudi Arabia for what will be…well if nothing else the show with the longest title in a long time. The show is built around the namesake tournament finals, plus a few other matches. This week saw WWE add some major stakes to the tournaments by putting World Title shots at Summerslam up for grabs, so they are about more than just the crown. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Women’s Tag Team Titles: Bianca Belair/Jade Cargill vs. Indi Hartwell/Candice LeRae

I try to start these things with the Kickoff Show matches, followed by the most obvious results. This one should cover both of them, as even with Belair suffering a knee injury, it is hard to imagine that the titles are in jeopardy. Hartwell and LeRae have been treated as little more than annoyances, so having them be a major threat to the super team is a stretch.

In case you didn’t get it, of course I’ll go with the champions retaining here as there is no reason to believe anything else will happen. Belair and Cargill are going to lose the titles someday, but they already have Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark waiting on them. Why should I believe that a far weaker team has any serious chance of beating them in a match made the previous night? The champs retain here without much effort.

Queen Of The Ring: Nia Jax vs. Lyra Valkyria

This is one of those matches where it could go either way and the more you think about the options, the more interesting things get. In this case, I could see either of them getting a title shot at Summerslam. Bayley vs. Jax and Valkyria vs. Becky Lynch both make sense, but now the question becomes which of the paths WWE is going to take. That’s more that I would have bet on coming in so well done.

With that being said, I’ll go with Jax getting the win as WWE wants her to be a big star and needs to give her an important win of some kind. Valkyria has already been turned into a thing by making it this far and doesn’t need the win, so go with what makes sense and give Jax the win. I could see Valkyria winning and it would make me rather happy, but I’ll go with Jax winning here to make her that much bigger of a monster.

Intercontinental Title: Sami Zayn(c) vs. Bronson Reed vs. Chad Gable

The more I think about Zayn’s mind vs. body vs. soul promo from Monday Night Raw, the more I like it. This is a feud that has gotten a lot of mileage out of something that feels like it should have wrapped up weeks ago and that is heavily due to what Gable has been saying. He has sold me on the feud and that is a great feeling, though it doesn’t mean he’ll be leaving as champion.

I’ll go with the conventional wisdom here and say Zayn manages to retain the title. As much as it would benefit Gable to win the thing, Zayn losing the title, even with potential Otis interference, doesn’t feel right here. Zayn retains the title here, likely pinning Reed in the process, but I could see one more big match between Zayn and Gable, hopefully with the latter winning.

Raw Women’s Title: Becky Lynch(c) vs. Liv Morgan

This is an interesting one as Lynch is a placeholder champion until Rhea Ripley comes back and rips Morgan to pieces. That opens up an interesting question though, as it could be Ripley coming back for Morgan with the title or Morgan and the title in two separate stories. In theory that would mean Lynch retains here, as Morgan vs. Ripley does not need to be for a championship.

While Morgan needs to win the title to avoid being labeled as a choker, I don’t think she does it just yet. There might be a screwy finish here of some kind, but I’ll go with Lynch retaining and the feud continuing. Morgan has quite the set of skills and a VERY loyal fan base, but I don’t know if that is enough to see her win the title here, as much sense as it would make.

King Of The Ring: Gunther vs. Randy Orton

NOW we’re getting somewhere as this could go either way. We would be looking at either Gunther vs. Damian Priest/Drew McIntyre or Orton vs. Cody Rhodes, both of which could make for some awesome moments. Gunther has been waiting to move into the main event scene for a long time now, but Orton has been there for so long that there is always a chance of him sliding right back in. That opens up some interesting options as they both could easily win this.

As much as I could see it being Orton, I’ll go with Gunther, who already has his own history with McIntyre, should that be the path they take. Gunther has mostly cleared out the midcard scene and needs some fresh blood, while Orton could lose every night for years and still be fine. I’ll go with Gunther winning here, as it’s almost hard to imagine him losing again so soon after WrestleMania.

SmackDown World Title: Cody Rhodes(c) vs. Logan Paul

We’ll wrap it up here, with Rhodes getting another title match where the result might not be in doubt, but there is something here to make him look that much better. Paul is just enough of a wild card that he could have a shot at a miracle, but what matters is that he has a chance. That shouldn’t be much of a surprise as Saudi Arabia seems to be really big fans.

So yeah of course I’m taking Rhodes to retain here, as there is almost no reason to believe otherwise. Rhodes is still relatively early in his title reign that he needs to have another big match with an almost guaranteed win, which is where Paul comes in. Paul can put on some of the most exciting and entertaining matches in WWE today, so having him as the next designated victim is a smart move and could boost him up as well. But yeah, Rhodes retains here, as he should.

Overall Thoughts

WWE has benefited quite a bit from these tournaments, as they have allowed the company to produce quite the string of solid matches over the weeks. Having tournaments lets WWE map things out for weeks to come and now we’ve reached the big payoff. The rest of the card is stuff that should be good but they’ll have their work cut out for the to beat some previous events.

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: May 24, 2024
Location: Jeddah Super Dome, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Commentators: Wade Barrett, Corey Graves

We’re in Saudi Arabia with a taped show before tomorrow’s King And Queen Of The Ring. That should make for an interesting show, as we find out the other finalists in both tournaments. WWE has never run a regular TV show from the country before but the crowd should be into things. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a look at where Jeddah is in Saudi Arabia. They did that with Backlash and it’s a nice idea.

We see an announcement from earlier this week, with HHH saying that the winners of the King and Queen Of The Ring tournaments will receive World Title shots at Summerslam.

Queen Of The Ring Tournament Semifinals: Bianca Belair vs. Nia Jax

Lyra Valkyria, facing the winner in the finals, is watching from ringside. Jax powers her down to start but Belair is back up with some running shoulders. Some right hands in the corner rock Jax, who misses a charge and goes shoulder first into the post. Belair adds a big slingshot dive and we take a break.

Back with Belair in trouble and Jax crowning herself with a very small crown. Jax goes after the possibly injured knee with a Stretch Muffler but Belair slips out. A Samoan drop plants Belair for two instead but she’s fine enough to get up top or a high crossbody. The knee is banged up on the landing so Jax knocks her down again. The Annihilator is teased but Belair is right back up with a powerbomb out of the corner for two. Belair’s knee won’t let her get the KOD and a backsplash sets up the Annihilator to finish Belair at 11:15.

Rating: C+. They told a story here with the knee and that was good enough for what they needed to do. Jax going against Lyra Valkyria in the finals is a fine way to go, with Valkyria having her David vs. Goliath match. Jax has run through a bunch of stars on the way there (or escaping against Jade Cargill) so she makes sense for the spot in the finals.

Post match Jax talks about buzzing through people, promising to do the same thing to Valkyria tomorrow. She says “buzz/buzzed through” about five times in a minute.

Post break Bianca Belair’s knee is banged up when Tiffany Stratton comes in to call her a loser. With Tiffany Stratton gone, Indi Hartwell and Candice LeRae come in to mock her as well. Jade Cargill scares them off and a match is teased.

Here is A-Town Down Under for the Grayson Waller Effect. They waste no time in teasing LA Knight as their guest but Carmelo Hayes interrupts. Hayes thinks they were talking about himself instead of Knight, with Waller agreeing that Hayes is a better guest. The three of them mock various veterans such as Knight, Bobby Lashley and Baron Corbin until Knight interrupts. The beating is on but the Street Profits run in for the save. Sounds six manish.

Video on Blair Davenport.

Street Profits/LA Knight vs. Carmelo Hayes/A-Town Down Under

Hayes and Ford trade wristlocks to start until it’s off to Dawkins for a facebuster. Knight comes in so Hayes bails over to the corner for the tag to Theory. Knight fights out of some cheating and hands it back to Dawkins for an enziguri in the corner. A quick dropkick sends Knight outside and Hayes knocks him down again as we take a break.

Back with Dawkins pulling Hayes out of the air and hitting a t-bone suplex. The tag brings Knight back in to clean house, including the rapid fire stomps in the corner. Hayes blocks the BFT and hits the First 48 as everything breaks down. Knight drives Hayes over the announcers’ table, leaving Ford to frog splash Waller for the pin at 9:10.

Rating: C+. I can always go for a good six man tag as it lets extra people get in the ring without getting too messy. The Profits get a boost and might be in line for another title shot down the line, which is a good way to keep them strong. At the same time you have Knight vs. Hayes coming up, which is a match both of them need to win. Nice stuff here as they covered a few stories at once.

Yesterday at the King And Queen Of The Ring Kickoff, Logan Paul gave up his brass knuckles.

Cody Rhodes runs into Randy Orton and wishes him luck in the King Of The Ring. Randy: “Thanks Code Man.” Orton is apparently confused, as that’s Cody Rhodes, not Cody Lambert.

Summerslam in 2026 is going to be two nights. We don’t know where Summerslam 2025 is going to be, but we know the 2026 schedule.

Here is Cody Rhodes for a chat but Logan Paul interrupts before he can say a word. Paul says he’s smarter than Cody but he doesn’t need brass knuckles to win the title tomorrow. Cody accuses him of being a cosplaying scared little kid and thinks Paul is carrying another set of brass knuckles. Apparently Michael Cole has the only set of knuckles Paul has ever had, but Cody suggests Paul get checked by a referee.

Paul says check Cody first, with the referee saying Cody is clean. Paul on the other hand has brass knuckles, but says these aren’t even his pants. That makes Paul leave, saying he doesn’t need them to win anyway. Cody cuts him off and says the knuckles are the difference between them. Paul will do anything to win but Cody wants to be the best. He believes Paul is a wrestler but until he gives it his all, he’ll never be on Cody’s level. Giving Paul something to think about is interesting, as that could be some long term seed planting.

Randy Orton is ready for Tama Tonga and isn’t worried about facing the numbers advantage from the Bloodline.

Bayley runs into Nia Jax, who tells her to keep the title clean until Summerslam.

The Street Profits want the Tag Team Titles but DIY come in to say they want the titles. Tommaso Ciampa even pours out the cup.

Bayley vs. Chelsea Green

Non-title and Piper Niven is here with Green. An early shot staggers Bayley and Green hits a missile dropkick for two. Bayley is sent outside early and we take a quick break. Back with Green getting two off a Rough Ryder but Bayley hits the Rose Plant for the pin at 4:44. We might have seen a minute and a half of the match.

Post match Niven wrecks Bayley.

AJ Styles asks Nick Aldis for one more World Title shot but Aldis can’t do it. Styles has to earn the shot and that takes time. Styles says he doesn’t have time, but Aldis can’t help.

Video on Andrade, who is ready to show us who he is.

Legado del Fantasma doesn’t like Andrade.

Paul Heyman talks to Solo Sikoa and reminds him that Tanga Loa isn’t here tonight due to travel restrictions. Sikoa says he knows he’s bringing dangerous people into the Bloodline, but he’s in charge until Roman Reigns comes back. If Heyman has problems with that, he needs to fix them himself. Heyman brings up a problem with Tama Tonga, who pops up and scares Heyman half to death. Tama is ready to win the King Of The Ring.

King And Queen Of The Ring rundown.

King Of The Ring Semifinals: Randy Orton vs. Tama Tonga

Gunther is watching in the front row and Solo Sikoa/Paul Heyman are here too. Tonga slugs away in the corner to start but Orton is back with a fall away slam. They head outside where Tonga flips out of a drop onto the announcers’ table and takes out Orton’s knee as we take a break.

Back with Tonga working on the knee, including another shot to set up a sleeper. Orton breaks that up with a drive into the corner but Tonga grabs it again. Another break lets Orton snap off the powerslam but the knee gives out again. The hanging DDT is countered with a backdrop to the floor, where Orton drops Tonga onto the announcers’ table. Back in and the hanging DDT connects but Sikoa gets up on the apron. That’s broken up in a hurry and the RKO gives Orton the pin at 11:07.

Rating: B-. While I’m not surprised that Orton won, I’m a bit surprised that he won that way. Tonga losing clean so soon is a little weird, though losing to Orton is hardly some career killer. There was no way it would be Gunther vs. Tonga for the finals though, so it was more a matter of how Orton would get there rather than how he would get there.

Post match Sikoa jumps Orton but Kevin Owens runs in for the save.

Overall Rating: B-. The wrestling wasn’t quite as hot this week but it helped that the show had a list of things it needed to accomplish. This show took care of the two tournament finals and the Women’s Tag Team Title match (on the apparently two hour long Kickoff Show, because that’s a thing) while also setting up some things for later. In other words, it’s a WWE show under the HHH formula and as a result, it went pretty well. Tomorrow is what matters, and for once this show had a direct hand in setting that up.

Results
Nia Jax b. Bianca Belair – Annihilator
LA Knight/Street Profits b. A-Town Down Under/Carmelo Hayes – Frog splash to Waller
Bayley b. Chelsea Green – Rose Plant
Randy Orton b. Tama Tonga – RKO

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: May 17, 2024
Location: VyStar Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Corey Graves, Wade Barrett

We are just over a week away from King And Queen Of The Ring and that means it is time to start getting ready for the tournament finals. Other than that, we need to get ready for the World Title match between Cody Rhodes and Logan Paul, meaning it’s time for a contract signing. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a King And Queen Of The Ring recap.

Queen Of The Ring Quarterfinals: Bianca Belair vs. Tiffany Stratton

Belair powers her into the corner a few times to start but Stratton gets smart by pulling her down by the hair. Back up and Belair runs her over with a shoulder, followed by a gutbuster. A standing moonsault gives Belair two and Stratton is sent outside, where she uses the hair to pull Belair down again. Belair is sent knee first into the steps and we take a break.

Back with Stratton grabbing an Indian Deathlock and bridging up to stay on the bad knee. Belair makes the rope and the knee is ok enough to snap off a fall away slam. The KOD is countered and Belair puts her down for two of her own. A handspring elbow is countered into a German suplex to plant Stratton again. With nothing else working, Stratton goes evil by raking the eyes and taking out the knee again. The Prettiest Moonsault Ever is blocked though and Belair grabs the KOD for the win at 13:24.

Rating: B. It’s almost weird seeing Stratton lose when she is looking like such a star, but at the same time, Belair is on a different level and has been one of the biggest stars in WWE for a long time. I could very easily see her winning the wold thing and it wouldn’t be a shock. Stratton’s big moment is coming though, as I would be rather surprised if she wasn’t Women’s Champion before the end of the year.

Post match Belair says her knee is banged up but nothing is stopping her.

We look at Logan Paul being named as Cody Rhodes’ next challenger.

Logan Paul runs into LA Knight and tensions flare.

Jade Cargill is ready for the irresistible force because Nia Jax is just standing in her way. Bianca Belair comes in and they’re ready to face each other if we get there.

We look back at Solo Sikoa telling Paul Heyman that Roman Reigns has put Solo in charge of the Bloodline.

Tama Tonga is ready to go and makes various noises as he leaves the Bloodline’s locker room. Paul Heyman asks Solo Sikoa if he talked to him today. Solo: “All the time wise man. All the time.”

LA Knight is ready for Tama Tonga. Carmelo Hayes comes in to offer Knight the chance to welcome him to Smackdown. Knight isn’t impressed and hits his catchphrase before telling Hayes to go play somewhere.

King Of The Ring Quarterfinals: Tama Tonga vs. LA Knight

The Bloodline is here with Tonga. The fight is on to start with Knight hammering away but getting clotheslined down for his efforts. A backdrop gets Knight out of trouble and there’s a running knee in the corner to rock Tama. Solo Sikoa offers a distraction though and Tama hits a running shot in the corner.

We take a break and come back with Tama hitting a basement clothesline but missing a top rope splash. Knight clotheslines him to the floor and rams Tama face first into the apron over and over. Back in and Tonga Loa pulls Tama back to the floor, earning himself a dropkick through the ropes. That’s enough of a distraction for Tama to grab the jumping Downward Spiral for the pin at 8:50.

Rating: C+. Knight winning here didn’t feel like the strongest bet as Tama is being kept strong, meaning a deep run is more likely. The only way I could have seen Knight moving forward was off a DQ or something similar, but giving him the pinfall win makes more sense. At some point Knight needs to win something though, as the fans are only going to stay behind so many big losses.

Post break Knight isn’t happy with the numbers game from the Bloodline and runs into Carmelo Hayes, who mocks him for the loss. Shoving ensues.

Here is Nick Aldis for the Logan Paul/Cody Rhodes contract signing. Paul comes to the ring with his entourage while Rhodes is on his own. Rhodes says thirty two years ago today, right here in Jacksonville, WarGames 1992 took place. He knows this because he’s a fan, while Paul is just passing through. Paul needs to step aside and leave that US Title in good hands on the way out. Paul says he’s heard this since the beginning and he’s here to sign a contract. The fans are all over Paul, who calls them a horrible crowd.

Paul looks to sign, but then tears the deal up. His lawyer brings out his own contract, saying it’s just for the WWE Title and not the US Title. Aldis won’t stand for this but Rhodes tells Aldis that he’s got this. With that, Aldis leaves and Paul signs, saying Rhodes hasn’t earned a US Title shot. Rhodes calls him a human hat rack and promises that Mike Tyson is going to knock Paul’s brother out next weekend. The brawl is on and Rhodes clears Paul out before sending one of the entourage through a table. The fans hate Paul and love Rhodes so this was a hot segment.

Nia Jax isn’t scared of Jade Cargill.

Queen Of The Ring Quarterfinals: Nia Jax vs. Jade Cargill

Nia shoulders her down to start but misses a backsplash. They’re on the floor rather quickly, with Nia yelling at Jade’s daughter in the front row. The fired up Jade sends her into the announcers’ table but gets sent into the timekeeper’s area. Jax grabs a chair but Jade takes it away and hits her with it for the DQ at 2:10. That was their “get Jade out of the tournament free” card but dang did it feel rather lame.

Post match the brawl is on with referees having to break it up.

DIY vs. Angel/Berto

The rest of Legado del Fantasma is here with Angel/Berto and A-Town Down Under is on commentary. Gargano hurricanranas and armdrags Berto to start and it’s off to Ciampa for a clothesline. DIY hit stereo slingshot dives and the villains are down on the floor. Angel low bridges Ciampa to the floor though and we take a break. Back with Ciampa enziguring his way to freedom but Gargano gets pulled off the apron. The Garza Special (Gory Bomb/flipping cutter combination) gets two on Ciampa but he manages to knock Garza back anyway. The hot tag brings in Gargano to clean house until Elektra Lopez grabs his foot. That’s enough for an ejection, leaving DIY to hit Meet In The Middle for the pin on Berto at 8:37.

Rating: C. I like DIY from their NXT days but there isn’t much to them here. They’re the definition of “just kind of there”, with some ok matches and nothing memorable about them whatsoever. Nothing makes them stand out and while they’ll probably get the PPV title match, it’s going to be really hard to get invested in the match. They need something other than “we work hard” because the rest of the division is rapidly passing them by.

Commentary talks about the weird QR codes and see a clip from a therapist, I believe the same one from the Bray Wyatt White Rabbit clips, asking someone if they’re ok since their last session. Graves even mentions remembering what happened the last time the QR codes started popping up.

AJ Styles isn’t sure where he goes next after back to back losses. Next week, he’s going to Nick Aldis and find out where he goes from here.

Bayley is asked about the Queen Of The Ring but Piper Niven and Chelsea Green interrupt. Chelsea blames Bayley for Niven’s loss but Bayley will face Chelsea next week instead.

King Of The Ring Quarterfinals: Randy Orton vs. Carmelo Hayes

They take their time to start until Hayes gets in a single shot, which has Orton less than pleased. Orton sends him into the post a few times and then over the top for the crash to the floor. Hayes avoids being dropped onto the announcers’ table, poses on the table, and then gets dropped onto it. Orton does it again and we take a break.

Back with Hayes working on the leg until Orton makes the clothesline comeback. Hayes avoids the powerslam though and Orton tweaks the knee again to slow things back down. The second attempt connects to give Orton two but Hayes hits the First 48 for the same. Nothing But Net misses though and Orton grabs the hanging DDT. The RKO is countered so Hayes tries a springboard, only to dive into the RKO for the pin at 10:27.

Rating: B-. They’re giving Hayes the “he’s losing but he’s losing to top stars” treatment, which sounds good on paper but he’s going to need to beat some people eventually. Corbin was a good start last week, but he can’t have that be his one big win for the next several months. Other than that, Hayes did a good job here against a legend before ultimately falling, which isn’t a bad way to spend your fourth week on Smackdown.

The Bloodline comes out for the staredown but Orton says he isn’t scared because he is Randy Freaking Orton. An RKO is promised to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The tournaments have been good to WWE TV in recent weeks as they have allowed the shows to be built up with one strong match after another. Save for a two minute Cargill vs. Jax match, that was the situation again here as the tournament semifinals are both set for next week. Add in a hot contract signing and what should be one of the last steps before the QR stuff is revealed and we should be getting somewhere. Solid show here, and if have something better than the DIY match, it goes even higher.

Results
Bianca Belair b. Tiffany Stratton – KOD
Tama Tonga b. LA Knight – Jumping Downward Spiral
Nia Jax b. Jade Cargill via DQ when Cargill used a chair
DIY b. Angel/Berto – Meet In The Middle to Berto
Randy Orton b. Carmelo Hayes – RKO

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: May 10, 2024
Location: Mohegan Sun Arena, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Corey Graves, Wade Barrett

We are done with Backlash and have about two weeks to go before King And Queen Of The Ring. That means it’s time to work on both tournaments, but I’m sure there will be some other matches on the show. Those could use a start as well and hopefully we get some of that covered this week. Let’s get to it.

Here is Backlash if you need a recap.

We open with along Backlash recap.

Here is Nick Aldis in the ring to get things going and he bring out Cody Rhodes for a chat. Aldis knows that Cody wants to defend against the best and Cody’s next challenger has been determined. Cody is game so here is….Logan Paul. Cody thinks he knows what Paul wants to talk about and yes it would be a champion vs. champion match to kick off the Logan Paul Levesque Era (that’s clever).

Paul talks about a fan having a sign in the crowd saying it’s his birthday, with Paul saying congratulations in meeting a superstar, as in himself. Cody is cool too, but the fans think Paul’s Prime drink sucks. After listing off the nutritional facts of Prime, Paul asks how Cody can finish the story when it isn’t his story.

Cody: “I bet a lot of people stand across from you and say “what a dumba**.” Cody praises Paul’s accomplishments and thinks winning the US Title would make him a Grand Slam Champion. The problem is Paul can’t win a match without going for those brass knuckles and he’ll find out reality at King And Queen Of The Ring. There’s no story between them but the title match is in about two weeks so setting things up that fast is a smart way to go.

AJ Styles blames his loss to Cody Rhodes on the French fans at Backlash. Now he’s ready to win the King Of The Ring tournament to get closer to a title shot.

Queen Of The Ring First Round: Nia Jax vs. Naomi

Jax runs her over to start but Naomi manages to avoid a charge. Naomi kicks her out to the floor but gets planted with a Samoan drop to crush her rather hard. We take a break and come back with Jax draping her over the top rope, only to get sunset flipped. Jax’s sitdown splash misses and Naomi scores with a Disaster Kick of all things. The split legged moonsault gets two and Jax is sat up top for a super hurricanrana (that was impressive) for the same. That’s enough for Jax, who hits a hard shoulder and drops the leg. The Annihilator finishes Naomi at 10:07.

Rating: C+. This was about what you would expect, as Naomi was doing her athletic stuff and sticking and running until Jax caught her with the power game. Jax going forward is the right move as someone beating her would make for a special moment. Or she could win the whole thing to give her something else to brag about, because she doesn’t do it enough already.

Baron Corbin is glad to be back after finding himself in NXT. Carmelo Hayes comes in to say he’s going to send him running like Bobby Lashley (who is out injured).

Video on DIY, who want the tag Team Titles.

King Of The Ring First Round: Baron Corbin vs. Carmelo Hayes

Corbin as a good guy is bizarre. Hayes takes him down to start and kicks him in the back, earning one heck of a right hand. Corbin knocks him outside and we take an early break. Back with Corbin elbowing away in the corner but getting dropped onto the turnbuckle. There’s a springboard clothesline to drop Corbin again but he’s back up with a Death Valley Driver. A brainbuster gives Corbin two but Hayes manages to grab the First 48. Corbin comes back with a clothesline and a suplex into a cutter for two…but Hayes small packages him for the pin at 6:30.

Rating: C+. They didn’t have much time here but dang they picked a good bit into it. Corbin losing here is a weird choice as he started fast and the fans were into him. Hayes needed a win coming off his loss to Cody Rhodes during the Draft, which makes me wonder why these two were put together in the first place.

Bayley is interested to see how far Jade Cargill can go in the Queen Of The Ring. Chelsea Green pops in to say Piper Niven will take Cargill out in the first round.

Randy Orton wants to win the King Of The Ring and it starts with an RKO to AJ Styles. He hasn’t forgotten about Tama Tonga though, as they might be meeting in the tournament. An angry Orton can make for some good moments and that is what we seem to be seeing here.

Queen Of The Ring First Round: Jade Cargill vs. Piper Niven

Chelsea Green is here with Niven. They yell at each other to start before Niven’s running shoulder doesn’t get her anywhere. Cargill’s shoulder works far better but she charges into something like a Rock Bottom out of the corner. A backsplash crushes Cargill as commentary is already sick of Green’s shouting. Back in and Cargill staggers her with a headbutt, setting up a Blue Thunder Bomb. Niven trips her down in the corner and hits the Cannonball, only to take too long going up. Cargill pulls her back down, hits a pump kick, and grabs Jaded for the pin at 5:15.

Rating: C+. This is the kind of match that makes Cargill look all the more impressive, as she was knocked around by the power before going into Beast Mode to win in the end. It was a good showcase for her, but Niven deserves credit of her own. She’s a good power wrestler who knows how to use her size to her advantage. Nice stuff here, with Cargill winning with the power display that makes her look even better.

Cargill runs into Bianca Belair as she leaves and dancing ensues.

Shinsuke Nakamura is here to become the pinnacle of Smackdown and no one is safe.

Queen Of The Ring First Round: Candice LeRae vs. Bianca Belair

Indi Hartwell is here with LeRae. They start fast with LeRae being sent outside, where a hurricanrana is blocked. Hartwell gets in a cheap shot though and LeRae starts in with some shots on the knee. Belair grabs a suplex but the knee gives out, though it’s fine enough for her to hit the KOD for the pin at 2:55.

We look at Tanga Loa debuting at Backlash as the newest member of the Bloodline.

Paul Heyman comes in to see the rest of the Bloodline, where he mentions that Solo Sikoa is making decisions without Roman Reigns. Sikoa brings up Heyman pulling Reigns out of the Draft, resulting in them being drafted in the third round. Sikoa has talked to Reigns, and he is in charge, with Heyman as his wise man. An awkward hug ensues. There’s your big moment, as Reigns can either come back and correct the wrong he started or say “that’s not what I said” or something else entirely. For now though, we should be in for a different Bloodline and that’s a cool concept.

Video on Andrade.

King Of The Ring First Round: Angelo Dawkins vs. Tama Tonga

Montez Ford and the rest of the Bloodline are here too (including Tonga, not Tanga, Loa). Tonga starts fast and knocks him into the corner but Dawkins hits a heck of a running shoulder. Ford goes after the Bloodline and Dawkins hits a Sky High for two. The Bloodline takes out Ford though and a jumping Downward Spiral finishes Dawkins at 2:11. Bad finisher aside, Tama gave up a bit more offense than I would have bet on here.

Post match Dawkins gets Spiked as well, leaving Paul Heyman looking worried.

Video on Blair Davenport.

King Of The Ring First Round: AJ Styles vs. Randy Orton

Orton wastes no time in clotheslining him to the floor and we take a break about thirty seconds in. Back with Orton raining down right hands in the corner but Styles scores with a dropkick. They head outside, where Orton drops him onto the barricade but can’t hit the hanging DDT.

He can however drop Styles onto the announcers’ table and then does it again for a bonus. Back in and Styles is ok enough to go after the knee and we take another break. We come back again with Orton escaping a Calf Crusher attempt and kicking him in the chest. Orton sends him to the apron, where the bad leg is wrapped around the ropes.

The Phenomenal Forearm is broken up but Styles grabs the Calf Crusher, with Orton grabbing a chinlock of all things for the break. With that broken up, Orton hits the hanging DDT but Styles is back with the Phenomenal Forearm. Orton grabs the rope so Styles loads up the Styles Clash, only to be reversed into the RKO for the quick pin at 17:29.

Rating: B. It might not have been a classic or anything but these two on their worst day are going to have a good match. They did well here, with Orton going forward and Styles moving on to find someone else to make look good. It’s a pairing that could have a good match in their sleep and it was a smart move to put them together in a spot like this.

Overall Rating: B. The good thing about having a show built around two tournaments, especially in the first round, is WWE is able to pick a bunch of awesome, or at least intriguing, matches for the first week. That is what we had here, with some fun stuff and impressive performances. Throw in setting the Bloodline in its new direction and this was a solid as well as important edition of Smackdown.

Results
Nia Jax b. Naomi – Annihilator
Carmelo Hayes b. Baron Corbin – Small package
Jade Cargill b. Piper Niven – Jaded
Bianca Belair b. Candice LeRae – KOD
Tama Tonga b. Angelo Dawkins – Jumping Downward Spiral
Randy Orton b. AJ Styles – RKO

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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Monday Night Raw
Date: April 29, 2024
Location: T-Mobile Center, Kansas City, Missouri
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee

It’s the second night of the Draft and the first night did not exactly leave them much to top. There were only so many interesting Draft picks as most of them saw people staying on the same show. This week could use some actual shake ups, or at least a nice run of NXT stars. Let’s get to it.

Here is the first night of the Draft if you need a recap.

Logan Paul arrives and is greeted by the Judgment Day and….NFL superstar Patrick Mahomes. Everyone likes each other, including Damian Priest and Logan Paul liking each others’ titles. Well that’s certainly a big time cameo.

Commentary hypes up the Draft.

Here is Becky Lynch for a chat. Lynch is proud to be the Women’s World Champion and ready to face a new #1 contender. Cue Liv Morgan to say she can do that, as she did what Lynch couldn’t at Wrestlemania, when she took out Rhea Ripley. This was always the endgame…and here is Nia Jax to interrupt because she needs to be on both shows. Jax finds her reception incredibly rude and should be champion right now.

Jax is going to the other show but she is taking one of them with her. Morgan knocks her off the apron and the match seems likely for later tonight. This was every Jax segment rolled into one. The problem with her comes down to nothing phases her. She’ll take a loss or whatever and then bounce back like nothing ever happened. If the losses don’t matter, why should I be upset when she loses?

Here is Stephanie McMahon for the first picks.

Monday Night Raw

1. Imperium
2. Damage CTRL

Smackdown

1. Jade Cargill
2. Kevin Owens

Of note: Imperium is announced as Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser, with no Giovanni Vinci included.

Xavier Woods vs. Gunther

Kofi Kingston and Ludwig Kaiser are here too. Gunther starts fast and chops away as they head outside. Woods gets dropped onto the apron and we take an early break. Back with Gunther slamming Woods down as we get what appears to be an Uncle Howdy distortion. Woods dares to fire off a chop and gets the soul chopped out of his body (McAfee: “NEW! DAY’S CHOPPED”).

A clothesline sets up more chops but Woods slips out of a powerbomb attempt. Woods is sat up top but knocks Gunther back for a missile dropkick and a near fall. Gunther knocks him into the ropes with Woods’ leg getting tied up (and the audio messing up again, which again appears to be intentional) as we take a break.

Back with Gunther working on the leg, including tying him up in the Tree of Woe to strike away. Gunther goes up and tries the splash but only hits raised knees. Woods can barely stand so his superkick is countered into a half crab. Kofi grabs the towel and teases throwing it in but Woods says he can do it. The towel is thrown into the crowd instead so Gunther turns it into an STF for the tap at 16:30.

Rating: B-. This was more or less a squash as Gunther picked Woods (the reigning King of the Ring on Gunther’s way to the tournament) apart and then made him give up in the end. It was a rather good story as Gunther beats someone with some credibility and looks like a monster doing it. Nice stuff here.

Jey Uso is ready for the pressure of being the #1 overall draft pick. As for Logan Paul being here, he wishes it was the Paul brother with a winning record.

A Kansas City Chiefs fans who survived a shooting at the Super Bowl parade is here in a nice moment.

Here are Logan Paul and IShowSpeed to announce the next picks, but first they introduce Patrick Mahomes at ringside.

Monday Night Raw

3. CM Punk
4. Braun Strowman

Smackdown

3. The Pride
4. Tiffany Stratton

With the picks over, Logan Paul comes to the ring to shout about how Damian Priest will beat Jey Uso, who can’t win anything on his own. Cue Uso, to threaten Paul with some yeeting. Paul says he has been yeeting since 2017 and here is the Judgment Day, with Uso getting beaten down. Patrick Mahomes gives Paul his Super Bowl rings but Paul hits JD McDonagh by mistake. Braun Strowman comes in for the save…and has to be held back from Mahomes in an odd bit.

R-Truth has made a deal with Chad Gable, which is for a title shot tonight in exchange for two things later. Miz comes in and says this is the Draft, with R-Truth thinking they might be drafted to the NFL. With R-Truth gone, Gable mocks Miz and gets jumped by Sami Zayn.

Booker T. is happy with Jade Cargill coming to Smackdown because that’s a game changer (what is changed by having her stay on the same show she was on before isn’t clear). He’s interested in CM Punk being drafted as well so here is Drew McIntyre to point out Booker didn’t like Punk back in the day. Booker has changed.

Intercontinental Title: Bronson Reed vs. Sami Zayn

Zayn is defending and gets chopped/headbutted up against the ropes to start. Reed is sent outside though and an Arabian moonsault drops him again. Back in and Reed knocks him down without much trouble as we take a break. We come back with Zayn getting pulled out of the air and release Rock Bottomed for two. Reed’s sitout powerbomb gets two but Zayn is back up with the Helluva Kick….and Chad Gable runs in for the DQ at 7:51.

Rating: C+. Zayn can do the underdog vs. monster match as well as anyone and that’s what he had going here, but you knew Gable was going to run in after the attack earlier in the night. That’s a fine way to go, though Gable needs to win the title already or this is all a big waste of time. Reed will likely be involved as well though, meaning we’re probably looking at another triple threat match

Post match Gable gets the ankle lock until Reed adds a Tsunami. Reed and Gable then get into it with Reed holding up the title.

We look at Kiana James being drafted from NXT to Raw.

Here are Ron Simmons and John Bradshaw Layfield for the next picks.

Monday Night Raw
5. LWO
6. Drew McIntyre

Smackdown
5. Legado del Fantasma
6. Shinsuke Nakamura

Of note: Carlito is still listed as part of the LWO.

Here is Drew McIntyre for a chat. He might be the only sane person around here because how is he a third round draft pick? Has the APA had everyone around here drinking since Friday? The fans chant for CM PUNK, who McIntyre called part of the establishment. Punk fractured McIntyre’s elbow at Wrestlemania…and here is Punk in a sky box. Punk says he’s here and McIntyre is livid.

Chad Gable is mad at the rest of the Alpha Academy for being hyped up despite not winning. They better go win him a championship.

Bron Breakker is interrupted by Sheamus, who says he’s a big fan. A livid Drew McIntyre storms by.

Candice LeRae vs. Maxxine Dupri

Indi Hartwell and Ivy Nile are here too. Dupri starts fast and kicks her down, setting up a reverse Caterpillar. The ankle lock goes on but Hartwell posts Nile for a distraction. LeRae gets out and grabs the Wicked Stepmother for the pin at 1:47.

We look at Carlito being revealed as Dragon Lee’s attacker and turning on the LWO as a result.

The LWO has unfinished business with Carlito but Dominik Mysterio interrupts. Rey Mysterio mocks his mustache.

Drew McIntyre storms the sky box to find CM Punk but only finds an autographed photo. Instead, here is Punk to the ring for a chat. Punk loves the people here so he won’t waste time, so he sits down and asks for 5:46 to talk about McIntyre. He has had McIntyre’s attention for quite some time, with McIntyre being like the ex-girlfriend that won’t go away.

Punk is happy McIntyre got injured and thought it might have happened when McIntyre was on Twitter because it’s all he is good at. The reality is Punk was drafted ahead of McIntyre because he is better at anything in wrestling. Losers pray for things to happen but winners make it happen themselves. When Punk is healthy, he’s going to ruin McIntyre’s life. Good, fired up promo from the angry Punk here.

Here are Alundra Blayze and Teddy Long for some more picks.

Monday Night Raw

7. Judgment Day
8. Ilja Dragunov (From NXT)

Smackdown

7. Naomi
8. Chelsea Green/Piper Niven

Of note: Rhea Ripley was not mentioned in Judgment Day.

Liv Morgan vs. Nia Jax

Jax powers her into the corner to start but Morgan kicks her way out of trouble. Some dropkicks have Jax in more trouble but she knocks Morgan away without much trouble. The Annihilator is broken up and Jax heads outside, where she powers Morgan down again. Tiffany Stratton comes in to watch from the front row as we take a break. Back with Morgan fighting out of a chinlock but getting planted with a Samoan drop for two. The Annihilator is loaded up but Morgan powerbombs her down for two instead. Cue Naomi to brawl with Stratton, allowing Morgan to hit a Codebreaker and Oblivion for the pin at 10:26.

Rating: C-. And then Nia Jax will act like nothing bad happened to her and talk down to all the fans because she’s the stuck up monster who acts better than everyone and then loses over and over while being one of the worst things in WWE but HAHAHA her cousin runs the company so GET OVER IT. Morgan was her usual self here: made a good enough comeback with the sloppy moments included. Naomi and Stratton being out there as a distraction helped a bit but this didn’t work, as most things with Jax don’t.

Booker T. is excited about some of the picks. Adam Pearce’s favorite pick: Chelsea Green to Smackdown! He’s almost dancing in happiness as he goes to make more picks. That was hilarious.

We look at Logan Paul accidentally hitting JD McDonagh with Patrick Mahomes’ Super Bowl rings.

Here are the Dudley Boyz for the next picks.

Monday Night Raw

9. New Day
10. Lyra Valkyria (From NXT)

Smackdown

9. Pretty Deadly
10. Candice LeRae/Indi Hartwell

Raw Tag Team Titles: Awesome Truth vs. Alpha Academy

Awesome Truth is defending and we’re joined in progress with Miz getting the tag and cleaning house. Otis runs him over and hits the Caterpillar but Tozawa’s top rope backsplash hits raised knees. The Truth Crushing Finale retains the titles at 1:50 shown.

Damian Priest isn’t surprised that Judgment Day fell to the fourth round. JD McDonagh reveals a HORRIBLE looking bruise from the rings shot.

Becky Lynch congratulates Liv Morgan on her win. With Morgan gone, Damage CTRL comes in to threaten Lynch a bit. They even touch the title.

Here are Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis for the final picks.

Monday Night Raw

11. Final Testament
12. Bronson Reed

Smackdown

11. DIY
12. Blair Davenport (From NXT)

Jey Uso/Ricochet/Andrade vs. Judgment Day

Balor headlocks Andrade to start and everything breaks down, with the villains being knocked to the floor, including Priest being knocked over the announcers’ table, as we take a break. Back with Priest cranking on Ricochet’s arms as McAfee talks about how Priest going over the table set off a life alert on Cole’s Apple Watch.

Balor adds a backbreaker with Priest dropping a leg for two but Ricochet Recoils his way out of trouble. The tag brings in Jey for some right hands (and yeets), setting up a high crossbody for two on Balor. Uso drops Priest and goes up but Priest grabs him by the throat. McDonagh makes the save attempt but accidentally lets Uso get away. That means a superkick to Priest, followed by a spear and Superfly Splash to pin Balor at 10:33.

Rating: C+. Good enough here as Uso gets some momentum for Backlash and McDonagh manages to screw up again. While I can’t imagine Priest loses the title so soon, at least they’re giving us a bit of intrigue. For now though, this didn’t exactly feel like a main event, but it did serve a purpose.

A quick Backlash rundown ends the show.

Overall Rating: C. This was a rather bleh show with nothing exactly standing out. The picks were slightly more interesting than Smackdown, which is quite the low bar to clear. The biggest problem of all is nothing felt overly important, as it was mainly about keeping wrestlers who were already around.

There were a few good moves (Valkyria and Dragunov coming up and Strowman being back, but overall it just felt like much ado about not much. Other than that, Backlash is feeling like nothing more than a house show and that is not making me overly interested in seeing it. Not much of a Raw this week, but maybe they pick up again next week with the new normal.

Results
Gunther b. Xavier Woods – STF
Sami Zayn b. Bronson Reed via DQ when Chad Gable interfered
Candice LeRae b. Maxxine Dupri – Wicked Stepmother
Liv Morgan b. Nia Jax – Oblivion
Awesome Truth b. Alpha Academy – Truth Crushing Finale to Tozawa
Jey Uso/Ricochet/Andrade b. Judgment Day – Superfly Splash to Balor

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