offical wwe thread

[Arcademan]

WWE Backlash PLE Results: 5-4-24

(4) THE KABUKI WARRIORS (Kairi Sane & Asuka) vs. BIANCA BELAIR & JADE CARGILL

The bell rang 47 minutes into the hour. Kairi pie-faced Jade at the start, so Jade fired back with two backbreakers, then tagged in Belair. The heels eventually took control for a few minutes against Belair. Belair reached for a tag at 7:00, but Asuka pulled her away and then tagged in Kairi. Kairi scored a two count after a top rope flying punch to the face.

Belair eventually did tag Jade. Jade thrwarted Kairi’s offense and slammed her. Kairi countered into an armbar on Jade. Asuka also put Belair in an armbar at the same time. Belair and Jade both lifted and slammed Asuka and Kairi next to each other at the same time. All four were down and slow to get up. Fans cheered. Jade and Belair hit a double-team sequence on Kairi with a DDT into a faceplant for a near fall. Graves called it “a hell of an offensive barrage.”

Belair charged at Kairi in the corner, but Kairi moved and Belair crashed shoulder-first into the ringpost. Kairi then tagged in and landed a top rope Insane Elbow for a near fall, broken up by Jade at 17:00. Jade countered Kairi into a Jaded mid-ring. Belair fended off interference from Asuka and slammed her onto Kairi with a KOD. Belair then scored a three count on Kairi for the win.

WINNERS: Belair & Jade in 18:00 to capture the Women’s Tag Team Titles.

( Jade looked winded at the end even though Belair carried the majority of the burden in this match. She looked mostly good for her experience level, but a bit unsteady a few times especially late in the match when setting up moves. Overall, though, she’s coming along well and just stands out as powerful and intense in the division. This is a good situation for her now as Belair can continue to carry the majority of the work but Jade can take on more over time and improve with experience.) [c]

(5) CODY RHODES vs. A.J. STYLES – WWE Undisputed Title match

Styles made his entrance first. The Cody. Fans sang Cody’s song and even after he entered the ring and the music stopped, they finished the song and knew the lyrics. Formal ring introductions then took place. The fans joined Irvin in the ring introductions. Cole said this is Cody’s first televised defense of the WWE Title. Cole congratulated Jessica Carr for being the first female referee in a men’s main event WWE Title match on PLE. The bell rang 24 minutes into the hour, so barring a marathon match, this event will clock in under three hours.

The crowd ate up everything early as Cody and Styles battled back and forth in the opening five minutes. Styles threw Cody shoulder-first into the corner and then focused on that shoulder, including driving it into the mat. Styles methodically went on sustained attack, including at ringside. He eyed the French announcers; fans booed. Styles cleared the desk. Cody recovered enough to drive Styles into the ringside steps.

Styles and Cody exchanged strikes on the ring apron. Cody set up a superplex, but Styles reversed momentum and slammed Cody to the mat. Styles lifted Cody onto his shoulders and slammed him backwards. Styles went for a springboard moonsault, but Cody lifted his knees., Both were down and slow to get up at 11:00. Cody took over. Styles fought back a minute later and scored a two count after dropping Cody’s shoulder over his knee.

Cody landed a running bulldog next. Styles rolled to the ring apron. Fans broke into a “This is awesome!” chant. Styles suplexed Cody on the ring apron as he leaped to the floor. Cody came back and powerbombed Styles through the announce desk next. Both were down and slow to get up. Back in the ring at 18:00 they exchanged strikes and both went down again. They both sat up and yelled at each other and then charged. The back and forth intensified. Cody channeled his dad with spinning fists and even a crotch grab before taking Styles down with a Bionic Elbow.

Cody went for a Cody Cutter. Styles blocked it and went for a Styles Clash. Cody blocked that. The fans were standing and singing and bouncing up and down excitedly. “I’ve never quite experienced a night like this,” said Cole. Graves said he hadn’t either and he was loving every second of it. Styles landed a springboard 450 splash for a two count at 21:00. Styles landed a Burning Hammer next for a two count. Cody began to show fire. Styles backed away like a Hulk Hogan 1980s heel opponent, looking around in fear. Cody then landed a Cody Cutter for a near fall.

Styles stood and showed fire and charged at Cody. Cody clotheslined him. Cole played to the crowd and then set up the Cross Rhodes, cut Styles slipped free and landed a Pelé kick. Styles went for a Phenomenal Forearm, cut Cody kicked him out of mid-air. Cody then locked on a kimura lock at 25:00. Styles escaped and set up a Styles Clash. Cody slipped free and set up a Cross Rhodes. Styles slipped out and set up a Styles Clash again. Cody sat out of it for a leverage two count. Cody then landed a quick climb-and-leap Cody Cutter off the top rope Cody looked at the crowd and pounded his chest and then hit the Cross Rhodes for the win. “What a hell of a first title defense,” said Cole. Graves said it’s be a main event in any city anywhere.

WINNER: Cody in 27:00.

(Really good match. Not off the charts great, but definitely really good start to finish and main event worthy. The crowd was a mix of endearing and overbearing where their enthusiasm bled into a “look at us” vibe at times. I think ultimately, though, they were just so elated to be seeing these WWE stars in person and knew the world was watching so it was a part of WWE history they were being witness to. This was a very straight-forward show and the main event followed that formula of not trying to be overly cute or clever or even deliver anything unexpected. It just worked.)

 

[famicommander]

Not gonna bother watching but I'm glad Tama is being treated like a big deal and cashing some big checks. He's a unique talent and I've always liked his work.

 

[wataru330]

G.o.D is in WWE!!!

Hunter is running ‘tings!

 

[zaneiken]

Jade Cargill is terrible.

 

[jro]

After five-plus years of training Jade can't remember the moves for a match that takes longer than five minutes.

Brandon Phillips was a much better second baseman than Jade is a wrestler.

 

[Arcademan]

WrestleMania 41 is heading to Las Vegas, Nevada, after weeks of speculation regarding its location following WrestleMania 40. The event will be held later in April than usual, but will remain spread out over two days, taking over Allegiant Stadium on April 19 and 20. The announcement was made during the NBC broadcast of the Kentucky Derby pre-show on Saturday. Former World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and Women's World Champion Becky Lynch were seen at the event before the broadcast showed a video announcement narrated by WWE CCO Paul "Triple H" Levesque.

 

[Syn]

I'm hoping WM 43 is in Detroit. 3 and 23 were so there's a very good chance.

 

[Arcademan]

WWE King & Queen of the Ring PLE Results: 5-25-24

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (complete link to Keller's report).

(1) BECKY LYNCH vs. LIV MORGAN – Women’s Title match

Graves said Liv is perpetually in second place, but her whining and complaining that she deserves more is nonsense. He said Becky needs to shut her up. Cole said Becky is 4-0 against Liv. They noted Becky is champion because of what Liv did to injure Rhea Ripley. Cole said this is Liv’s first singles title match in two years. Graves said when you’re out injured, the game moves on and you can’t step back in and expect to catch up immediately.

The bell rang 11 minutes into the hour. They were in ring gear that covered their entire bodies other than their heads, heck, and hands. Cole said it’s hard to stay hydrated in Jeddah. Graves quipped he lost four pounds since they went on the air.

At 9:00 as Becky went for the Manhandle Slam, Liv countered and began scoring two counts. Graves said if Liv comes up short, it’ll be tough for her to swallow since she’s spent months telling everyone what she deserves. She went for Oblivion, but Becky blocked it and drove Liv to the mat. Fans chanted, “This is awesome!” Becky and Liv reversed each other’s rollups. Liv caught Becky with a dropkick right afterward for a two count. Cole wondered if she was experiencing doubt. A brief “This is awesome!” chant broke out.

Becky applied an armbar mid-ring. Liv leveraged Becky’s shoulders down for a two count and then applied Rings of Saturn. Becky shifted into a Disarm Her at 14:00. Dominik Mysterio then showed up at ringside. Cole said he was posting on social media earlier that he was there. Graves said Dom wants to be sure Liv doesn’t get Ripley’s championship. Becky turned and yelled at Dom. Liv gave a distracted Becky a Code Breaker for a dramatic near fall.

Liv climbed to the top rope. Becky met her up there and superplexed her. Dom slid a steel chair to Becky. He then climbed onto the ring apron and distracted the ref. Liv then DDT’d Becky on the chair and then delivered Oblivion for the three count. Cole yelled, “Dominik, you’re a frickin’ moron!” Graves said he’s an idiot who deserves to be locked up. Cole said he gave the title to the woman who took Ripley out and he’s going to be in trouble with Mami as a result.

WINNER: Morgan in 16:00 to win the Women’s World Title.

(First of all, good match that the crowd was into. Becky being on the chase might be better for her. With fans behind Ripley, but against Dom who was buried by commentators, having Liv as the heel champion sets up an interesting dynamic that will have to resolve itself in coming weeks. It seems odd that the announcers pushed so hard that Dom wasn’t happy, while ignoring suspicious interactions on Raw in recent weeks between Liv and Dom that could suggest this was actually a clever move by Dom to get the belt to Liv while pretending he’s upset by it.) [c]

(2) SAMI ZAYN vs. CHAD GABLE (w/Otis) vs. BRONSON REED – Intercontinental Title match

When Gable came out, fans enjoyed chanting “You suck!” at him. Cole said that chant used to be reserved for another U.S. Olympian. When Bronson came out, Cole said he’s all about business and is looking to win his first championship on “the main roster.” Graves said he admires how Bronson approaches every match as just business, but he wants to see some emotion from Bronson and seem him get angry. Sami got a big ovation and the crowd loved singing his song. The bell rang 41 minutes into the hour.

Sami landed a Blue Thunder Bomb on Bronson at 8:00 for a dramatic near fall. Bronson came back and dove through the ropes onto both Sami and Gable, which drew a big crowd reaction. Sami avoided a Tsunami. When Sami stood and went for a Helluva Kick, Gable side-stepped him and gave Sami two unreleased German suplexes. Sami fought the third and broke free and gave Gable two German suplexes. Bronson then came up behind Sami and tried to suplex both of them. Gable broke free and actually suplexed both Sami and Bronson at once. All three were down on their backs. Cole called what Gable did “absolutely insane.”

Gable yelled orders to Otis and threw Sami at his feet. Otis didn’t attack Sami. Gable chewed him out. Graves said Otis should listen to his coach. “What’s the matter with you?” Gable yelled. Gable held Sami. Otis wound up, but didn’t do anything. Fans cheered. Gable yelled in Otis’s face and shoved him and slapped him. He held Sami and ordered Otis to hit him again. Otis this time charged, but Sami ducked and Otis clotheslined Gable. Otis reacted like it was a mistake and he was conflicted. Sami re-entered the ring and landed a Helluva kick on Bronson for a three count. Sami celebrated as Gable gave a stern intense stardown to Otis. Graves said Otis must feel bad. He added, “I’ve never screwed up that bad.”

WINNER: Sami in 11:00.

( Fun match with some good spots and an invested crowd. Ultimately, it was mostly for the story of Gable and Otis.)

(3) NIA JAX vs. LYRA VALKYRIA – Queen of the Ring final

As Nia made her entrance, Cole quoted Zelina Vega, the first Queen of the Ring, talking about her plans to watch this match. Graves said she sounded bitter she wasn’t going to win this year. Cole, commenting on her ring outfit that included giant feathered rings, said Lyra “fancies herself” an Irish Goddess off war who used to take shapes of ravens and fly over the battlefield to decide who would win or die. The bell rang 10 minutes into the second hour.

Graves said he doesn’t know a ton about Lyra other than she’s “a technical wizard.” Lyra went for a drop toe hold, but Jax didn’t budge. Lyra went for a sleeper, but Jax powered her back into the corner to break the grip. Lyra knocked Jax to the floor and then kicked her, but it just grazed her shoulder. Jax shoved Lyra into the ring apron. Lyra came back quickly with a dropkick. She went for a DDT, but Jax blocked it. Lyra applied a sleeper. Jax broke free and started “bulldozing” Lyra, as Graves put it. She elbowdropped her back and scored a two count at 3:00.

Jax methodically went on the attack. When Cole noted that the winner will earn a title match at Summerslam, Graves said WWE’s landscape will be much different by then. When Lyra showed signs of life at 6:00, Jax countered with a sudden Samoan Drop. She set up an Annihilator, but Lyra moved to the ring apron. Jax shifted to the ring apron for the Annihilator, but Lyra moved. Jax cried out, “Oh, that hurt!” Lyra then slidekicked her to the floor and into the announce desk. Lyra went for dropkick, but Jax blocked it. Lyra came back with a bulldog at ringside. She landed a tornado DDT in the ring for a two count.

Jax came back with a Samoan Drop and then set up another Annihilator, but Lyra stood and knocked Jax off balance. She followed with a double stomp for a two count. When Lyra landed a guilotine legdrop, Cole called it a “legdrop to the back of the neck.” (Saudi Arabia beheads people as part of their criminal justice system, so maybe there are certain terms they don’t want to use in the course of wrestling commentary.) Jax set up Lyra for a sunset powerbomb, but Jax resisted and then turned it into an Annihilator for the win.

WINNER: Jax in 10:00 to become Queen of the Ring.

-Paul “Triple H” Levesque presented Jax with the crown afterward. Jax looked choked up with emotion. Kayla Braxton entered the ring and congratulated Jax. Jax said she didn’t need her congratulations. She said she knows none of the fans like that she won, but she will go on to win the Women’s Title at Summerslam.

(Nice match for the most part. Lyra put in a spirited effort, and there’s no shame in losing to Jax at this stage of her run on the main roster. Jax looked powerful and dominant.)

 

[Arcademan]

WWE King & Queen of the Ring PLE Results: 5-25-24

(4) GUNTHER vs. RANDY ORTON – King of the Ring final

Gunther came out first. He was alone. Then Orton. Fans sang the lyrics to Orton’s song. Graves said the fans in Lyon France have sparked a trend for Orton’s entrance. The bell rang 42 minutes into the hour. Cole said this qualifies as a dream match, as they’re wrestling for the first time ever.

They felt each other out for the first four minutes. The announcers said there’s a different vibe in the arena than the rest of the night. Fans sang “Olé” and chanted “RKO!” Orton took Gunther down with a side headlock. Gunther avoided an RKO attempt at 7:00 as a counter to Gunther setting up a powerbomb. Orton grabbed at his hip area in pain. Gunther stomped away at his back and hip area.

At 12:00 they exchanged clotheslines. Gunther took Orton down and scored a near fall. They showed a hard chop from Gunther in slo-mo. The announcers speculated on Orton’s knee being hurt, wondering if he twisted it with a snap powerslam earlier. His knee was heavily taped. Orton came back with a snap powerslam, but Cole said he didn’t have as much snap as usual. Fans chanted “RKO!” He gave Gunther a draping DDT next, but he was slow to follow-up as he struggled to stand. He pounded the mat as he waited for Gunther to stand. Gunther blocked an RKO and bodyslammed Orton. He followed with a top rope splash for a near fall. Orton then surprised Gunther with an RKO out of nowhere at 15:00. Orton was slow to roll toward Gunther to make the cover, though. Gunther rolled to the ring apron.

Orton dropped Gunther on the announce table. Gunther recovered and went for a powerbomb. Orton backdropped him at ringside. Back in the ring, with both men hobbled, Gunther applied a half crab on Orton. Cole pointed out that will hurt both Orton’s knee and back. Orton reached for the bottom rope, but Gunther dragged him back to the middle. Orton slipped free and hit a quick RKO for a near fall that popped the crowd. Gunther leveraged Orton’s shoulders down for a three count. Unfortunately, it was obvious Orton’s left shoulder was no where near the mat right in front of the ref. The announcers didn’t draw attention to it, so it’s not part of the planned story. Orton clutched his knee afterward.

They replayed it from a reverse angle where it was less obvious Orton’s shoulder was up, but Graves said he’d love to get another angle. He didn’t specify why.

WINNER: Gunther in 20:00 to become King of the Ring.

-Levesque presented Gunther with the crowd. Byron asked, “How does it feel to be king?” Some fans chanted, “You deserve it.” Gunther said, “Thank you, that is very kind, but what I do or don’t deserve is none of your business.” (Such a great response by a heel.) The crowd switched to chanting, “You suck!” He said this is the day the Apex Predator became the prey. He said he will become the World Champion at Summerslam. Cole noted Priest is the current world champion on Raw.

(My first thought is that Orton looked old and worn out here, and even beyond the story they were telling for the match. The final pin was awful. Just a terrible way to end the tournament because it was juts such a flawed call by the ref. The match told a solid story of Orton being hobbled by injuries during the match. Overall, though, perhaps a bit of a letdown but a compelling grueling battle so by no means a bad match.)

(5) CODY RHODES vs. LOGAN PAUL – WWE Unified World Title match

They showed Logan running the ropes to train for the match. Cole showed the brass knuckles that Logan gave him at the press release yesterday. Graves said on Smackdown, a referee found a second set of brass knuckles. The bell rang 24 minutes into the hour.

Logan ducked a flying crossbody by doing the splits. Cody rolled to the floor. Logan drove Cody into the ringside steps. Logan looked at Cole and said he didn’t knee brass knuckles for that. Logan punched away at Cody’s body in the corner.

As Cody took control at ringside, Logan’s lackey shoved Cody. Cody yanked him to ringside and yelled at him. Logan put on brass knuckles and then punched Cody in the gut when he charged at him. Cole yelled at Logan that he said he wasn’t going to use the knux. Cole called Logan a loser. Logan marched toward Cole behind the desk. Graves blocked him. Cody dove onto Logan and then threw him back into the ring at 12:00.

Cody landed a snap powerslam as Logan charged at him. Cody landed a Bionic Elbow and scored a two count. Cody put Logan in a figure-four mid-ring. Logan forced a break by grabbing the bottom rope.

Cody landed a Cody Cutter for a two count seconds later after ducking a Logan flip springboard clothesline. Cody lifted Logan for a vertebreaker, but Logan slipped free and landed a Cross Rhodes on Cody for a two count at 16:00. Cole complimented Logan for taking Cody to the limit. Logan went for a top rope splash, but Cody moved, so Logan landed on his feet. Cody landed a twisting suplex. Cody got fired up and shook the ropes. Cody set up a Cross Rhodes and looked to the sky, but Logan broke free and threw Cody to the floor.


Logan asked Cole if he needs the announce desk. He then cleared the surface and said, “Sorry Michael, my bad.” He threw Cody onto the table. Logan rolled into the ring to break the ref’s count. Logan then set up a Pedigree, but Cody fought out of it and then delivered a leaping Cody Cutter on the announce table. Cody re-entered the ring, but stopped the ref from counting Logan out. Cole asked what Cody was doing. He said he admires Cody wanting to beat Logan in the ring, but he wasn’t sure if it was worth it. Logan recovered enough to shove Cody into the ringside steps. He then hit Cody with his tatanium forearm.

Logan broke the ref’s count, then climbed to the top rope, took a swig of his energy drink, and leaped at Cody onto the Arabic announce desk. “Cody is crushed!” exclaimed Cole. Logan landed a top rope splash. Cody kicked out. Logan yelled in frustration. He lifted Cody and yelled at him, “I hate you!” Logan reverse-whipped Cody into the ref, then splashed the ref in the corner. Cody surprised Logan with a vertebreaker. Cody made a cover and fans counted, but the ref was down. Cody went over to check on the ref. He apologized to the ref and said they need to finish this. Logan recovered and gave Cody a low blow.

Logan pulled out the brass knuckles and wound up. The guest ring announcer, a local celebrity, grabbed Logan’s boots. Cody then gave Logan a Cross Rhodes three times in a row for the pin.

WINNER: Cody to retain the Undisputed WWE TItle in 25:00.

(Good match. Not off the charts epic, but really solid start to finish with Logan really playing into the brass knuckles story they’ve been telling.)

 

[Arcademan]

I'll post the results of AEW Double or Nothing PPV tomorrow as it's still in progress and I 'm heading to slumberland since it's a long work day for me tomorrow. Check your favorite wrestling sites if you can't wait for me. I will say that MJF is back and staying in AEW.

 

[Arcademan]

AEW Double or Nothing PPV Results: 5-26-24

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (complete link to Keller's report).

(1) RODERICK STRONG (w/Matt Taven, Mike Bennett) vs. WILL OSPREAY – AEW International Title match

Don Callis joined in on commentary. Excalibur noted to Callis he hadn’t seen him hanging out with Ospreay all weekend. Callis said their relationship is all business. Ospreay jump-started the match with a Hidden Blade, but Roderick Strong ducked. Ospreay knocked Strong to the floor. He kicked Matt Taven and tossed Mike Bennett into the crowd. Strong then jumped Ospreay from behind. Strong got in some hard chops.

When Ospreay rallied back in the ring, Taven grabbed Ospreay’s boot and then Bennett put him on his shoulders. Taven leaped over the top rope at Ospreay, but Ospreay seemed to bump backwards early and almost had a terrible landing on the back of his neck with his full weight on him. The announcers gasped. Schiavone speculated Ospreay broke his neck. Ospreay landed safely enough, but barely.

Strong took control of the match in the ring. When Ospreay made a comeback, Taven and Bennett distracted the ref and Ospreay. Wardlow entered from the other side and set up a powerbomb. The ref caught him and ordered him out of the ring. He left. Storm charged Ospreay with a flying knee, but Ospreay ducked and sidekicked Strong, who tumbled to ringside. Ospreay then leaped off the top turnbuckle onto the three heels gathered below waiting to catch his Sky Twister. Fans chanted, “Holy shit!” The ref ejected them from ringside.

Ospreay sold jamming his knee on a flip off the top rope when Strong moved. Strong then applied a single-leg crab mid-ring. Ospreay kicked out of it pretty quickly, but Strong just shifted into a Texas Cloverleaf. Strong superplexed Ospreay later and then delivered a lift-and-drop backbreaker (that largely missed the knees) for a two count. Strong lifted Ospreay onto his shoulders and delivered a gut buster. When Strong charged at Ospreay with a boot, Ospreay caught him and powerbombed him. Both were down and slow to get up.

They stood and exchanged strikes mid-ring. Strong dropkicked Ospreay’s knee. They countered a few moves from each other. Ospreay landed a leaping OsCutter, but clutched his left knee afterward. He scored a two count. As the ref checked on Strong, Callis told Ospreay to use the Tiger Driver and “snap his neck.” He turned and set it up. Taz said Ospreay looked conflicted. Ospreay hesitated and Strong flipped out of it and then landed a Samoan Drop into a gut-buster followed by a running high boot for a near fall. Callis was frustrated at ringside.

​

Ospreay rolled up Strong as a counter seconds later for a two count. Strong landed a leaping knee. Ospreay absorbed it and landed a Hidden Blade followed by Storm Breaker for the win.

WINNER: Ospreay in 18:00 to capture the AEW International Title.

(Really good match, even if two or three moves definitely looked off and, in one instance, looked like a close call for a potential injury. Ospreay can elevate the International Title. Strong, as rock solid a worker as he is, just wasn’t at Ospreay’s level so Ospreay needed to overcome interference and win this one decisively. The downside is Ospreay shouldn’t be in opening matches if the goal is to build around him soon, and he’s won one of many AEW singles titles that can frame him as something less than world-title-level in the eyes of some fans.)

(2) JAY WHITE & THE GUNNS (Colten & Austin Gunn) vs. DEATH TRIANGLE (Pac & Penta El Zero Miedo & Rey Fenix) – AEW & ROH Unified Trios Title match

The bell rang 45 minutes into the hour. White and Pac squared off, but White tagged out to Colten before locking up. Early in the match, White countered Pac and DDT’d him. Pac sold it with convulsions. White scored a two count and then landed a neckbreaker for another two count. Colten tagged in and stomped away at Pac.

After some chaos with everyone in the ring, everyone was slow to get up. Fans chaned “This is awesome!” Pac kicked White and then suplexed Austin and Colten. Fenix and Penta beat up White in the corner. Fenix leaped off the top rope and delivered Fear Factor to White. Pac climbed to the top rope to set up his Black Arrow finisher. Juice Robinson showed up and shoved Pac off the top rope. White hit the Blade Runner for the win. Juice lifted White’s limp body and danced with him.

WINNERS: White & The Gunns in 12:00 to retain the AEW & ROH Unified Trios Titles.

(Lots of chaos and big moves start to finish. Juice isn’t the biggest name to return tonight, but he’s a good part of the Bang Bang Gang.)

(3) TONI STORM vs. SERENA DEEB (w/Mariah May, Luther) – AEW Women’s Title match

Nigel McGuinness stepped in for Taz at the announce desk. Deeb took control early including a Paradise Lock. Deeb dropkicked Storm’s to untangle her limbs. They brawled at ringside. Deeb scored a two count back in the ring. Storm forced a break from Deeb’s submission hold by biting the middle rope. Deeb applied an abdominal stretch next. Later, Deeb snapped Storm with a neckbreaker over the middle rope. She delivered a mid-ring neckbreaker next. Fans chanted, “Toni! Toni!” Deeb looked at the fans with disappointment. Deeb took Storm down with a German suplex and a lariat for a near fall.

Deeb put Storm in a leglock. May was going to throw in a white towel, but Luther blocked her. Storm managed to break on her own. She rolled to ringside and confronted Luther. The announcers said Storm thought Luther was going to throw in the towel. Storm angrily yanked it away from him and threw it into the crowd.

Back in the ring, Storm landed a Storm Zero for a believable near fall. Deeb made a comeback and landed her Detox on the ring apron. She delivered a second one inside the ring for a dramatic near fall. Storm came back with a leaping piledriver off the middle rope and then a piledriver mid-ring for the win.

WINNER: Storm in 15:00 to retain the AEW Women’s Title.

(Good match with a strong story with Deeb going after Storm’s leg and going for a submission throughout, with Storm making strong comebacks. The crowd is ready for Storm to be a babyface and use her sass against heels who have it coming.)

(4) ORANGE CASSIDY vs. TRENT BERETTA

Trent came out first. Then Cassidy’s music played, but he didn’t come out. Then the music switched to Cassidy’s original entrance theme. Orange leisurely strolled to the ring. Excalibur asked Callis if he had anything to do with this retro Cassidy entrance. Schiavone said Jim Ross is battling the flu and couldn’t be at the event. Excalibur noted he was part of the first Double or Nothing five years ago.

Trent methodically beat up Cassidy in the early minutes. Cassidy let Trent beat him up with his hands in his pocket, but then hit Trent with a dropkick. When Cassidy went for a top rope move, Trent rolled to the ring apron. Trent eventually landed a Gotch-style piledriver on the ring apron. Cassidy fell to the floor. Cassidy showed signs of life with a Beach Break at ringside.

Trent made a comeback. Cassidy set up an Orange Punch, but Trent blocked it and went for a submission hold. Cassidy countered Trent and leveraged his shoulders down for a three count.

Renee Paquette tried to get post-match comments from Trent, but he said, “I’m not doing this, I’m done.” He left through the crowd. Rocky Romero had come out to check with him, but Trent just went the other way.

WINNER: Cassidy in 14:00.

(Good intensity, with a dose of the Cassidy nonchalance with the story being whether he could meet the intensity of Trent. Not sure what’s up with Trent walking away like that.)

 

[Arcademan]

AEW Double or Nothing PPV Results: 5-26-24

(5) CHRIS JERICHO vs. HOOK vs. KATSUYORI SHIBATA – FTW Title match

Jericho dumped a bag of dice on the canvas early. Hook suplexed Jericho on the dice and then Hook and Shibata threw the dice at him. They double-suplexed Jericho on the dice. Shibata then belly-to-belly tossed Hook onto the dice. Hook and Shibata grabbed kendo sticks from under the ring. Nigel squeezed in a reference to “Live Aid” and “Lionel Richie.” When Jericho returned to the ring, Hook gave him a Northern Lights Suplex onto the dice.

Hook put Jericho on a table in the corner and climbed to the top rope. Shibata caught him up there and then took quite a while to set up a Death Valley Driver style move onto Jericho. Hook seemed to have his head away from Shibata’s arm so he could secure it and eventually he realized it and shifted it so Shibata could get a grip. They overshot the table slightly. Shibata sent Jericho into a table propped in the corner, breaking the table in half leading to a two count.

Shibata put Jericho in a leglock. Hook tried to intervene, but Shibata locked up Hook at the time with his arms that he had Jericho locked up with his legs. A “Shibata!” chant broke out. Hook overhead suplexed Shibata. Jericho gave Hook a sudden Code Breaker for a near fall. Hook came right back with Red Rum. Jericho collapsed and nearly tapped, but Big Bill intervened and broke up the hold. The announcers noted it’s legal in a three-way match. Bill gave the crowd the up-yours arm gesture, then went after Hook with a chokeslam attempt on the ring apron. Hook broke free and then delivered a T-Bone off the ring apron through the table below. “Holy shit!” chanted the crowd.

A wrestler in a mask showed up and attacked Shibata and Hook. He unmasked and revealed himself as “Bounty Hunter” Brian Keith. Jericho then gave Hook a Judas Effect, but then covered Shibata and scored a three count. As Jericho headed up the ramp, he called for security to protect him as Hook began to pursue him. Hook easily tossed three security guys aside, but Jericho escaped in the mean time.

WINNER: Jericho in 13:00 to retain the FTW Title.

(The crowd ate up some of the big spots during this one. The legal interference in three-way matches just makes the whole match feel like a farce, but that’s an ongoing issue and nothing new. Hook earns some toughness cred in brawls like this.)

(6) JON MOXLEY vs. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (w/Don Callis) – IWGP Title eliminator match

Moxley came out with his arm and shoulder heavily bandaged. Nigel asked which doctor or official would dare to tell Mox he isn’t cleared to wrestle if Mox wants to wrestle. Takeshita went after Moxley’s arm. “We know Moxley won’t give up because he’s stupid,” said Nigel. Takeshita drove Mox’s shoulder and arm hard into the ring apron as he leaped to the floor. Back in the ring, he continued to focus on Moxley’s left arm. He leaped into the air and drove Mox shoulder-first into the mat.

Mox attempted a comeback and set up a piledriver, but Takeshita countered into an armbar on the mat. Mox transitioned into a triangle sleeper. Takeshita powerbombed out of it. Takeshita gave Mox a wheelbarrow German suplex a few minutes later, but Mox surged with a Paradigm Shift. Both were down and slow to get up as fans chanted, “This is awesome!”

Takeshita landed a knee drive to score a two count a minute later. Takeshita blocked Moxley’s offense and then landed a Death Rider of his own for a believable near fall. Takeshita set up a chair in the ring at the urging of Callis at ringside, but Mox stomped him on it and then landed a Death Rider for the win. Nigel said Mox got lucky and mistakenly said he escaped with his title in tact when it wasn’t actually a title match.

WINNER: Moxley in 17:00.

(7) ADAM COPELAND vs. MALAKAI BLACK – TNT Title match in a cage

They went right at each other at the bell. Copeland mounted Malakai in the corner and cut him open with barbed wire. The blood bean to flow from Malakai’s forehead. Copeland rammed Malakai into the side of the cage and the cage seemed to have a lot of give. Copeland then hit an Impaler. Excalibur asked if that was it, even though it was just a few minutes into the match. Copeland didn’t make a cover. When he went for a spear, Malakai blocked him. He then knocked Copeland into the corner. Copeland came up bleeding from his face.

Malakai used a barbed wire wrapped bat against Copeland. He picked up a chair and methodically walked over to Copeland with it. He stomped Copeland in the chest, then put his face over the chair. Copeland made a comeback, though, and used the barbed wire bat against Malakai. He grinded it into his forehead against the ropes. Excalibur described “a geyser of blood erupting from Malakai’s head.”

Copeland put Malakai on a table. Copeland climbed the side of the cage to the top rope, but Malakai recovered and kicked him onto the top rope. Schiavone said he’d rather bleed than land on the top rope like that. Malakai powerbombed Copeland off the top rope through the table leading to a near fall.

Copeland climbed to the top of the cage and leaped at Malakai with a flying elbow drop. “Never was a chant of ‘holy shit’ more apropos than right now,” Schiavone said. Copeland took a while to recover before draping his arm on Malakai for a near fall. Malakai countered a spear by Edge with his finisher for a near fall. Malakai tried to jab Copeland with a metal part of a broken table. He kicked Copeland, who fell through the cage door to the floor.

Brody King and Buddy Mathews walked out to check on Malakai and then turn toward Copeland. They then walked over to Copeland and stood next to him. “Oh my god!” gasped Schiavone. Fans cheered. But then Brody clotheslined Copeland and Buddy attacked him. Buddy threw Copeland into the ring. All three House of Black members entered the ring and teamed up on Copeland. Brody wrapped barbed wire around Copeland. Excalibur noted that Copeland wedding ring was hanging around Malakai’s neck.

Malakai looked around with concern for a few seconds and then the lights went dark and red. (It seemed to take longer than ideal.) Gangrel crawled out from a hole in the canvas and sprayed Brody in the face. He gave Brody and Buddy with Impalers. Malakai took Gangel down. Edge, though, speared Malakai. He then took a halo of barbed wire and put it around Malakai’s head and then applied a crossface. Malakai passed out and the ref called for the bell.

Copeland then grabbed his wedding ring back as his theme song played. Copeland limped over to Gangrel and they hugged. Excalibur talked about their history.

WINNER: Copeland in 21:00 to retain the TNT Title.

(This match delivered on its implied promise of being a hardcore bloodbath cage match. The return of Gangrel was a nice touch for long-time fans. Crawling up from under the ring worked here.)

(8) WILLOW NIGHTINGALE vs. MERCEDES MONE – AEW TBS Title mtach

A video package previewed the match. Then Mercedes narrated a video seemingly comparing herself to Billy Jean King and Amelia Earhart, among ground-breaking women. Her ring entrance then took place with a live drum corps followed by a line of Vegas dancers wearing feathers. Mercedes then made her way down the ramp as Excalibur noted Taz was back with him and Schiavone for the three main events. During formal ring introductions, Mercedes was mostly booed. Excalibur prepared viewers for that, saying the Willow is a home-grown AEW rising star who will likely be favored by the fans. Taz acknowledged that Willow got the more favorable reaction.

The bell rang at the start of the fourth hour of the show. Willow dominated the early minutes. Mercedes took over and worked over Willow’s left ankle. Willow came back and knocked Mercedes hard to the mat with a Pounce. Both were down and slow to get up. Willow landed a spinebuster for a near fall.

Willow leaped off the ring apron and drove Willow into the edge of it. She then applied an inverted clover leaf and spun her around by her legs center-ring. She delivered a Death Valley Driver into the corner, but when she charged, Mercedes moved. Mercedes kicked Willow and then leaped off the middle rope with a Meteora for a two count. (It felt a little phony that Willow sat up in perfect position for that move, when rarely do wrestlers sit up like that otherwise.) Mercedes then landed a Meteora off the ring apron onto Willow at ringside. Kris Statlander ran over and gave words of encouragement to Willow. Stokely Hathaway yelled at the ref on the ring apron as Willow landed a sitout powerbomb on Mercedes. The ref finally turned around and counted, but Mercedes kicked out at two. Stokely gave Statlander a frustrated look at ringside.

Willow lifted Mercedes for a gut-wrench suplex, but Mercedes maneuvered into an STF. Willow reached the bottom rope to force a break. Mercedes then landed the Mercedes Maker for the win. Schiavone said she earned that win. Mercedes then started crying as she held the belt in the air. She then danced as the “CEO!” chant rang through the speakers.

WINNER: Mercedes Moné in 18:00 to capture the TBS Title.

(Good match. Willow really looked like she belonged in there. Mercedes didn’t play into the boos and just felt like she was hedging reacting to the crowd not being all that into her, or at least not into cheering her like a huge star. I hope they choose a direction and go hard in that direction, and the right direction is her as a heel who is full of herself.)

 

[Arcademan]

AEW Double or Nothing PPV Results: 5-26-24

(9) SWERVE STRICKLAND (w/Prince Nana) vs. CHRISTIAN CAGE (w/Nick Wayne, Mother Wayne, Killswitch) – AEW World Hvt. Title match

Prince Nana stepped onto the stage and clanged three bottles together and sang for Swerve to “come out in play.” Swerve them made his entrance to his theme song as Nana danced. After formal ring introductions, the bell rang 30 minutes into the fourth hour.

Christian told the fans to shut their mouths and threatened them. Christian ducked in the ropes early. He took over and pounced away at Swerve on the mat. Swerve missed a top rope diving headbutt. Swerve leaped off the top rope toward Christian at ringside, but Christian moved. Christian then threw Swerve into the ringside barricade. Back in the ring he landed a top rope frog splash for a two count. Nick Wayne took a cheap shot to extend Christian’s offense.

Swerve made a comeback and landed a leaping turning powerslam. He danced a bit and then pulled Christian’s shirt over his head hockey-jersey-style and delivered two neckbreakers. He then delivered a draping neckbreaker over the middle rope. He followed with a flip dive onto Christian at ringside. He played to the crowd and then threw Christian back into the ring. Swerve landed a top rope crossbody but then missed with his leaping sidekick. Christian then took over and put Swerve in a sharpshooter mid-ring.

When Mother Wayne teased interfering with the belt, Nana intervened and took the belt. Nick Wayne ran over and alerted the ref that he had the belt in his hand. The ref booted Nana to the back. The crowd chanted, “Ref, you suck! Ref, you suck!” Killswitch and Nick attacked Swerve and threw him into the ring where Christian scored a two count. Killswitch went for a headbutt on Swerve, but Swerve moved and he hit Christian. He knocked Nick to the floor, and then leaped off the top rope with a Stomp. Christian moved and then speared Swerve for a near fall. Fans chanted “Who’s house? Swerve’s house!”

The ref booted Nick, Mother Wayne, and Excalibur when they threatened to interfere again. Swerve took over and gator rolled Christian to the floor where he suplexed him. Christian raked Swerve’s eyes and went for a powerbomb of Swerve off the ring apron. Swerve blocked it and stomped on Christian on the ring apron. Christian went for a suplex off the ring apron, but Swerve kneed him and broke his grip. When Swerve dove through the ropes toward Christian, Christian moved and Swerve crashed into the ringside steps. Nick Wayne showed up again and delivered a leaping cutter on Swerve at ringside. He threw him into the ring where Christian landed a Killswitch. The announcers declared the match over as Christian made the cover, so of course Swerve kicked out.

Nana ran out with a pipe and chased Nick into the crowd. Christian and Swerve fought on the announce desk. Christian set up a Killswitch, but Swerve countered with a stomp on the desk. Both went down and were slow to get up. Swerve landed a Swerve Stomp back in the ring for a win.

WINNER: Swerve in 25:00 to retain the AEW World Title.

(This delivered. Christian is a veteran craftsman. They had a lot of bells and whistles, but it worked for the story of the match since Christian wasn’t an actual threat on his own to end Swerve’s reign this early.)

(10) THE YOUNG BUCKS (Matthews & Nicholas Jackson) & KAZUCHIKA OKADA & JACK PERRY vs. FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) & DARBY ALLIN & BRYAN DANIELSON – Anarchy in the Arena match

They brawled at ringside to start the match. Matthew ordered their new theme song to be played. Danielson called for it to be cut in favor of the best theme ever. “Final Countdown” then played, which was Danielson’s theme for most of his career pre-WWE. The wrestlers paired off and battled in various places i the arena. Dax fought Matthew in the concourse. Darby dove off a tunnel. They went to a four-box shot of everyone paired off as “Final Countdown” continued to play. Matthew yelled, “Stop that music! It costs me like 200 thousand dollars every time it plays.” He complained it was breaking the budget.

As the brawl continued, the crowd chanted, “We want music!” Okada held up a “Rainmaker Drive” street sight and dove at Danielson and hit him with it. Darby and Perry fought into the parking lot. Darby slammed Perry into a tub filled with ice water and held him underwater briefly. Perry came out of it and took control. Back in the ring, the Bucks landed a Shatter Machine on Dax for a near fall.

The ring filled with Dax, Cash, and Danielson battling the Bucks and Okada. Danielson dove through the ropes, but Okada blocked him with a chair and then threw it into Danielson’s head. Perry drove a black truck with “Scapegoat” spray painted on it. He sped it into a pile of stuff and Excalibur was worried Darby was in that stack of stuff. The camera showed Perry KO’d in the truck, apparently hitting his head on the windshield.

Back to the ring, the battle with the other six continued. FTR spike piledrove Nicholas on the ring apron. Then they hit their superplex/top rope splash combo on Matthew. Okada broke up the cover. He then gave Dax a shoulder breaker. They cut to Danielson at ringside who was bleeding from his forehead. Okada landed a top rope elbowdrop on Dax. He then gave the crowd the middle finger. Cash entered the ring and bit Okada’s middle finger. Okada fired back with a leaping dropkick followed by a tombstone piledriver.

Darby showed he was alive and returned to the ring. His flurry of offense against Okada was thwarted by the Bucks, who powerbombed him onto four chairs at ringside. Danielson recovered and kicked Okada at ringside. The Bucks dragged Darby to the stage and placed him on the elevator. They called for him to be lowered. The Bucks brawled with Danielson near the giant poker chips. They delivered a TK Driver on Danielson on the stack of giant chips.

As more dives took place in the stage area, the camera showed Jack Perry walking backstage. He saw Tony Khan and grabbed him. Taz said Perry saw that the SUV that Darby stepped out of was driven by Tony Khan. Darby showed up on stage with a flame thrower, looking around for a victim. When Perry dragged TK onto the stage, Darby set Perry on fire. The Bucks extinguished Perry as his legs were engulfed in flames. Fans chanted “Holy shit!” A team of people toweled off Perry and put out any more flames.

The Bucks took over against Darby and threw him into the ring. Matthew removed a broken nose protective mask Darby was wearing. Then Matthew went for a 450 splash onto Darby as Nicholas held him over a trash can. Darby moved. He fended off an Okada attack and landed a Coffin Drop for a near fall, broken up by the Bucks. Nicholas threw Darby head-first into a trash can held by Matthew. Okada entered the ring with a giant rope. Matthew called for a cable to be lowered. Okada and the Bucks tied up Darby’s leg. Dax and Cash tried to save Darby, but they knocked them to the floor. FTR made their way into the ring and gave a Shatter Machine to Matthew. Okada broke up the cover.

Dax set up Okada for a piledriver, but Matthew intervened with a chairshot to the head that exploded with sparks upon impact. “Just when we thought we’ve seen everything,” said Excalibur. Matthew superkicked Cash. Okada then put on his forearm a thumb tack wrap and delivered a Rainmaker with that on. (It wasn’t the best Rainmaker, unfortunately.) Okada then pulled a shoe box out from under the ring and revealed the Bucks branded shoes. He handed them to Nicholas who put them on. Darby was then raised in the air by his leg. He bit Nicholas from that position briefly. Okada held Darby as the Bucks landed stereo superkicks. Schiavone called it a “revolting scene.” Danielson landed Busaiku Knee on Okada and then picked up the thumb tack spiked shoe and hit the Bucks with them. Darby was dangling behind him as he threw a barrage of Yes kicks at the Bucks.

Danielson played to the crowd and stomped away on Nicholas while holding his arms. Danielson then delivereda. running Busaiku Knee with a chair in hand. Okada broke up the cover. “When will this thing end?!” exclaimed Schiavone. Okada hit Danielson with a Rainmaker. The Bucks delivered a V-Trigger to Danielson. Fans chanted, “Please help Darby!” Excalibur said the production team was scared. Perry landed a running knee to Danielson’s head as he was about to help Darby. He scored the pin. “I’ve seen enough to know I’ve seen it all,” Schiavone said. Darby was lowered to the mat.

WINNERS: The Young Bucks & Okada & Perry.

(I don’t even know. That was A LOT.)

 

[GohanX]

(I don’t even know. That was A LOT.)

The announcer calling it a "shitshow" was the perfect description.

 

[Taiso]

WWE feels like it's in a post 'mania depression right now. The product is still good enough but I am not nearly so invested now that Cody's finished the story.

They need to give him another hot angle. Did they even think about what to do afterwards?

When Roman comes back, he's going to be a white hot babyface for sure. For me, the big draw to the bloodline storyline is to see Paul Heyman and how he's going to escape from being held hostage by Solo. Kayfabe me is concerned for him!

Punk-Drew is the only thing I'm really invested in with WWE right now. Drew is killing it on the stick and Punk has always been great in that capacity, even if he's more reserved these days. Of course, that's a good thing. Giving Punk plenty of time off and only bringing him out once in a while has made him feel all the more special.

Man, Tony Khan must feel really fuckintg stupid right now to see thnat Cody and Punk are routinely getting the biggest pops wherever they show up. Talk about backing the wrong horses. I still like the company but they are struggling to find their footing.

 

[jro]

Priest/Drew/Breakker/Gunther alone has made me more interested in the show than anything in a long time.

edit: @Taiso yeah, that's gotta hurt a bit when he's paying f'ink fka Sonya Banks $3.5M per year to kill his crowd and ratings while the two guys he let go are spearheading the Levesque Era and then some.

I kinda wish Scott D'Amore would pop up like an NPC in a video game to take over a rogue upstart that can challenge the norm.

re: AEW in general... I like Ospreay and Okada (even though the latter looks like he gives roughly zero fucks about anything in wrestling at this point, fuck man at least pretend that these midgets around you mean anything). But AEW just sucks so hard. I know those two are signed to long-term (insanely) high-$ contracts, but I really, really would like to see MJF, Kris Statlander, Willow Nightingale, and Jayme Hayter all buy Tony out of their contracts and head to WWE/NXT as applicable.

I'm sure they're all locked in for very high $ amounts so none of this will happen. Watching Max try to salvage this shitshow on Sunday, ehhhh.

re: one more item, then I'll stop. There is a bit of discourse on TNA/WWE interaction.

TNA sucks too much at this point. Just put Moose, Josh Alexander, and Eddie Edwards onto one of the main rosters as a tiny weird invader faction that actually wins a belt or two, like Moose gets the IC title off whoevs or something and then JA challenges for the main title but loses a good match.

Basically those dudes way too good for TNA I'll stop now.

 

[wataru330]

MJF has jumped the shark. Cosplaying as hhh and that

s t u p i d

tattoo.

Hoping that Jacob Fatu comes in and starts Samoa Dropping everyone (including the first row of the audience) is the only thing that keeps me interested at this point.

 

[MSL]

Saint Laurent is a good old school heel commentator. Overall MLW's commentary situation is really good.

Appreciate the kind words! Thanks so much for watching our show.

 

[Taiso]

MJF has jumped the shark. Cosplaying as hhh and that

s t u p i d

tattoo.

Hoping that Jacob Fatu comes in and starts Samoa Dropping everyone (including the first row of the audience) is the only thing that keeps me interested at this point.

Yeah. MJF as AEW cheerleader doesn't work for me.

He needs people to work with and right now, I don't see anyone in AEW that he can have a compelling feud with.

Tony Khan needs to find someone else to run his company because he isn't getting it done right now.

Imagine trying to make money by picking the Young Bucks over CM Punk.

LOL

 

[famicommander]

Nobody has made any money off CM Punk in over a decade. All he does is throw hissyfits and get hurt.

That doesn't make what the Bucks are doing entertaining either, but Punk is so washed it's not even funny.

 

[famicommander]

The federal government has asked Janel Grant to pause her civil lawsuit against WWE and Vince McMahon due to their criminal investigation, and she has agreed.

This is not good news for Vince. He's gonna be indicted. They interviewed at least half a dozen accusers that we know of and if they're going as far as to put a halt to an ongoing civil case, they're definitely planning to charge Vince with something.

 

[Taiso]

Vince made his bed. He's never been forced to sleep in it until now. Maybe if he'd have found God instead of booking himself to win against Him in a feud, he'd be better off today.

LOL AEW

LOL Young Bucks

LOL Tony Khan picking them over Punk

 

[Syn]

@jro D'Amore just filed for Maple Leaf Wrestling another MLW.

 

[MSL]

 

[SouthtownKid]

Nobody has made any money off CM Punk in over a decade.

Silliness. He's more than paid for himself in merch sales alone since he resigned with WWE. That's not even up for debate, it's documented. For someone as number obsessed as you, it surprises me you aren't aware of this.