Recapping American wrestling since 2013. Not only following the current stuff in WWE, Impact and ROH but also going back in time and doing stuff from back then as well.
Zaria heads to the ring to start tonight's show. Zaria says that she spent so long in Sol Ruca's shadow that she forgot what the sun looked like, and after setting the women's division ablaze, she is the new Women's North American Champion. She says that she did this all of her own after being overlooked, underestimated and looked past in favor of Sol Ruca, but now, she holds a title, and the power is in her hands. She calls this a course correction, not a dream come true, that she owes nothing to anybody. Zaria then promises that her name will not be in the shadows ever again before Kelani Jordan shows up and congratulates Zaria. Kelani then gives Zaria some advice: enjoy all of this, as the people who chant that she deserves this will switch it up on her before the week is even over, and no matter what she does, it will never be good enough. She tells Zaria to hold on to the Women's North American Championship as tightly as possible, as she may never hold another title again. As Kelani talks about how she only needs one shot to beat Lola Vice and become NXT Women's Champion, Kendal Grey shows up. Kendal says she has already beaten Kelani and that Kelani will be watching her beat Lola Vice to become NXT Women's Champion, and that if Kelani ends up back in her path, she will beat her again. As Zaria complains about somebody making this about themselves, Lola Vice shows up and tells Zaria to get over Sol Ruca, then says she will beat Kendal Grey again. All four women argue, then General Manager Robert Stone shows up. All four women see themselves in a tag team match against each other coming, which Stone more or less confirms.
Tavion Heights beats Jackson Drake in an NXT North American Championship #1 contender's match after Myles Borne stops Brad Baylor and "The Smoke Show" Ricky Smokes from interfering after Tavion sends Drake flying into the both of them.
In backstage from last week, comedian Matt Mathews, Aaron Rourke, Hank Walker and Tank Ledger meet with General Manager Robert Stone when Birthright (Lexis King, Uriah Connors, Charlie Dempsey, Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo, Arianna Grace) interrupts. Matt Mathews mocks Birthright when Lexis King thanks Stone for putting Arianna in the Women's Speed Championship Tournament where she will soon be "the fastest woman alive," and the ensuing argument leads to Birthright getting kicked out of the office.
Izzi Dame beats Thea Hail to advance in the WWE Women's Speed Championship Tournament.
Backstage, Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair talk about each others' matches and state that they will both be champions by the end of The Great American Bash. Lola Vice shows up and tells Kendal not to get ahead of herself, and Kendal tells Lola not to hit her on accident again while Wren heads out to ensure she is medically cleared.
Tony D'Angelo meets with Naraku, who has the contract for their match. D'Angelo says he can see through Naraku's nice guy act and knows about his accomplishments as the leader of Los Ingobernables de Japon, and says Naraku left Japan for his title. D'Angelo says that Naraku is a man without a family who has moved his life halfway across the world for something he cannot accomplish, and says that the NXT Championship is staying with him. D'Angelo signs the contract after noticing that Naraku has yet to sign, then tells Naraku to get ready for war. D'Angelo leaves, then Naraku says "Evil is coming."
We see a video package for Jaida Parker vs. Nattie in this week's NXT Focus.
Backstage, General Manager Robert Stone is met by Keanu Carver. EK Prosper shows up, and Keanu Carver finds out EK Prosper is his opponent next week. Carver does not think highly of Prosper, and Prosper takes offense to the disrespect as he tells Carver that he will humble him.
Nattie beats Jaida Parker by submission with the Sharpshooter after keeping Jaida away from the ropes.
Backstage, Mason Rook and Lizzy Rain talk about their title aspirations when they run into Tristan Angels shows up and says that he will be representing England properly as Mr. NXT. As Aaron Rourke reminds Tristan that the fans voted for Shiloh Hill, Tristan mentions that if Shiloh cannot perform his duty, the title goes to the runner-up, which he says is worthy of a championship match. Rourke challenges Tristan to a match, reminding Tristan that he has a history of coming up short. Tristan gets angry and leaves, and Rook and Lizzy tell Rourke to kick Tristan's ass.
Arianna Grace beats Layla Diggs with an inside cradle to advance in the WWE Women's Speed Championship Tournament after Layla Diggs takes out the rest of Birthright (Lexis King, Uriah Connors, Charlie Dempsey, Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo) with a top rope moonsault to the outside.
Backstage, Romeo Moreno, Noam Dar, Dorian Van Dux and Sean Legacy talk about Noam Dar's new success as a tag team wrestler. Romeo and Noam agree that they make a great tag team, and Legacy believes that he and Dorian make a good tag team.
We hear from Tate Wilder, who says that one cannot grow without risks, but with risks comes consequences. He says that he has yet to get his first win, but he is driven by reward, and he hopes to get that first win and many more.
In this week's NXT Chronicle, we learn more about Saquon Shugars, who talks about his violent upbringing in Washington D.C., the beating he gave Cutler James and Osiris Griffin with a baseball bat, and how he plans to beat Dion Lennox at The Great American Bash. Backstage, Lennox says that Saquon is the one who has made a mistake, and says that he will see Saquon next week.
Lola Vice and Kendal Grey beat Kelani Jordan and Zaria after Tatum Paxley shows up in the front row and distracts Zaria, allowing Lola to get Zaria back in the ring for the spinning back fist and the win. After the match, Tatum attacks Zaria from out of the crowd, and officials have to keep both women apart. Meanwhile, Kelani gets between Kendal and Lola and takes the NXT Women's Championship, and when Kendal takes the title away from Kendal, she knocks out Lola.
Roman Reigns meets with The Usos (Jimmy and "Main Event" Jey Uso) as he heads into the arena. As he three of them head to the ring, they are joined by Jacob Fatu. Eric Andre is seen in the front row in the corner between the ramp and the outside of the ring. Roman Reigns says that the four of them are feeling good, as Jey Uso has made it to the next level, and tells the fans to acknowledge Jey. Roman says there are people who are trying to poke holes and piss him off by seemingly only favoring Jey, saying that if it were not for Jimmy Uso, there would be no Bloodline. He then tells the crowd to acknowledge Jimmy.Roman then address Jacob for not wanting to The Usos. Jacob snatches the microphone from Roman and says that Roman is the only one that he acknowledges. He then slowly hands the microphone back to Roman. Roman says there is no need for "yes men" around here, then calls for somebody to bring a small wooden box with an ula fala in it. Roman takes the ula fala out of the box. Roman says that the locker room is getting scared and knowing that The Bloodline is taking over again, then says The Bloodline has always been here and will be forever, noting past accomplishments and achievements by past members of the Anao'i family. Roman then tells Jacob that he is no longer on the outside and that he is on the inside now, and welcomes Jacob to the family business and to The Bloodline. He then puts the ula fala around Jacob's neck, then all four members gradually raise one finger in the air. Eric Andre is acknowledged by commentary afterwards. When Eric Andre touches Jacob Fatu's ula fala after high-fiving Roman and The Usos on their way out, Jacob attacks Andre, and officials have to stop the beating. Roman gets back to the ring and has to tell Jacob not to do it, then changes his mind and has Jacob hit Eric Andre with the splash from the top rope. Just when it seems to be over, Roman has Jacob Fatu hit Eric Andre with one more top splash, and Jacob obliges.
Iyo Sky beas Raquel Rodriguez to advance to the Queen of the Ring Tournament finals.
Backstage, Liv Morgan says that The Judgment Day (Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, Roxanne Perez, JD McDonagh, "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio) will be focusing on her and Dominik at this point. Roxanne says that Charlotte will not be at 100% on Friday. Liv Morgan then meets with Danhausen, hoping that he can curse somebody, but Danhausen wants to be part of Liv's music career in addition to wanting a lot of money. Liv walks away.
We see a video package of Danhausen and NBA Champions the New York Knicks, who went all the way after Danhausen uncursed them.
We hear from Seth "Freakin'" Rollins. He says that he brought Bron Breakker into his vision and tries to give him the world, but Breakker took his world from him. He says that Breakker took away the World Heavyweight Championship and months of his career that he will never get back, and says that at Night of Champions, they will settle things in a steel cage.
After meeting with Lyra Valkyria involving a match, General Manager Adam Pearce is met by LA Knight, who says that everything happened as he expected it to regarding The Bloodline, then says that he still does not trust Pearce and that he will do things his way.
Backstage, Jackie Redmond interviews Chad Gable. Gable says that after losing the mask and gaining respect for the mask and lucha libre itself, he knows he has gotten a lot wrong and that he has a lot of people to make amends to. He says that he has other people to make amends to after beating Rusev, then heads to the ring, briefly meeting Maxxine Dupri on the way.
Chad Gable beats Rusev by submission with the ankle lock after breaking out of the Accolade. After the match, "All Ego" Ethan Page attacks Chad Gable, and Rusev joins in. All of a sudden, Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee run to the ring. Ethan gets back in the ring after an initial retreat, but Rey and Dragon Lee soon send him packing. Afterwards, Rey and Dragon Lee help Gable up, then raise his hands in victory.
Backstage, Roman Reigns is met by The Usos (Jimmy and "Main Event" Jey Uso), who want to know what was up with Jacob Fatu earlier. Roman says that they cannot have infighting as everyone hates them, then wants to know why LA Knight has not been handled yet, and wants to sic Jacob Fatu on him. Jimmy says he will deal with Knight.
Lance Corporal Jheyco Borda is hailed as a WWE Hometown Hero for fighting off an attempted carjacking in Oxon Hill in Baltimore. We then see Jheyco Borda in the front row.Middleweight boxer Jalil Hackett and light heavyweight boxer Nasheed Smith are also seen in the crowd.
We hear from Bron Breakker, who says that Seth "Freakin'" Rollins has relied on underhanded tactics to create his career, yet plays the victim. He says that Rollins is a sheep in wolf's clothing, not a visionary, then says he will be locked with him in a steel cage at Night of Champions. He says that in the end, the dog always makes it out of the cage.
LA Knight heads to the ring. He talks about how he ended up laid out on SmackDown and how he was right about The Bloodline, then talks about how he had to get to Baltimore, Maryland. He says that with or without a championship, it is still his game. He says that he has always fought the odds and has never quit or given up because he does not know, then talks about how he is not part of a famous wrestling family before recapping what happened to him on Friday. This leads to Jimmy Uso making his way to the ring and telling him that the past is the past and that things are different, and that Solo Sikoa does not run with The Bloodline. Jey Uso shows up and says that he is better than Jey and that he knocked him out of the tournament, then says that he wants Knight one-on-one Friday and he wants Knight to acknowledge him.Knight wants to make sure that the match is one-on-one, then acknowledges Jey Uso kissing his ass. This starts a brawl, and Jimmy Uso has to superkick Knight as Knight pummels Jey. Jey grabs a chair, but Jimmy stops Jey as Jey is about to go after Knight. Jey goes after Knight anyway, and Knight overpowers Jey and hits both of The Usos (Jimmy and "Main Event" Jey Uso) with the chair. Jacob Fatu then runs into the ring, puts Knight in the Tongan Death Grip, and leaves.
Backstage, The Usos (Jimmy and "Main Event" Jey Uso) argue when Jacob Fatu says that they did not get the job done and that things had to be done "the OTC way."
We see Alexa Bliss' road through NXT as part of this week's NXT Origins.
Charlotte Flair beats Roxanne Perez by submission with the Figure Eight, despite Roxanne doing damage to Charlotte's right hand throughout the match.
Jackie Redmond interviews Je'Von Evans in the ring. Je'Von says he knows Jey Uso is watching and that he knows Jey Uso has all the experience, but he plans to knock Jey out of the King of the Ring Tournament. All of a sudden, Logan Paul shows up with Austin Theory. Logan is wearing a cast that covers his entire left arm. Logan says he has been watching Je'Von Evans and that Je'Von is "a generational talent," then says Je'Von has untapped potential, then says he cannot be a ruthless killer without the right people. Logan then invites Je'Von to join The Vision (Bron Breakker, Logan Paul, Austin Theory), to which Je'Von replies "Hell naw." Logan says that this was a mandate, not an invitation, and Je'Von demands Logan leave the ring. Theory demands Je'Von join, and Je'Von removes his pants to reveal ring gear underneath. Je'Von then calls for a referee, and this leads to a match.
Je'Von Evans beats Austin Theory by disqualification after Bron Breakker shows up and Spears Je'Von out of the air in the middle of an OG Cuter.. After the match, The Vision are about to gang up on Je'Von when The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) show up. The Street Profits soon clean house and take out Theory and Breakker.
Backstage, Jacob Fatu tells Roman Reigns that LA Knight is handled, and that The Usos (Jimmy and "Main Event" Jey Uso) are not happy about it. Roman says The Usos do not understand, and that as long as they are together, they are understandable. Roman then gives Jacob one more command, to which Jacob says "Say no more."
Next week's show has a special start time of 2 PM Eastern/11 AM Pacific due to being in London, England.
Oba Femi beats "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio to advance to the King of the Ring Tournament finals after decimatng both him and JD McDonagh. After the match, Oba says he is one match away, and then the ruler will have his crown. He is also surprised that Brock Lesnar did not show up, as he used to look up to him before Lesnar made him question if he is a man at all. Oba then says he knows who he is, and that it is how he will also be he remembered. He says he will be the king while Lesnar will be remembered as the man who ran from Oba Femi.
We see Chris Island be the first person to enter the WWE Performance Center to work out at 6:15 in the morning. He talks about his time in NXT and everything that he had to go through to get to this point, as well as being the first one in and the last to leave, and when asked who Chris Island, Chris says "The hardest worker ever known."
Matt Bloom meets with Kevin Owens, Johnny Gargano, and Booker T for this week. Johnny Gargano gets to work with Jaime Garcia - who has a lot of bad habits out of the independent scene - and Chris Island. (Jaime Garcia later gets a name change to Romeo Moreno.) Kevin Owens gets Nathan Cranton and Mike DeRudder. Matt Bloom mentions that DeRudder has a bit of a. Booker T gets Nikkita Lyons - who asked for Booker T this week - and Zena Sterling, who Matt Bloom feels needs a different voice. Booker T tells Matt Bloom to give him 60 minutes.
We hear from Jaime Garcia, who started out in soccer, but ended up becoming a professional wrestler, and instead of learning English, he went to wrestling school. Jaime wants to pick Gargano's brain and ask a lot of questions, due to working with someone who has excelled at something he wants to excel at. Johnny Gargano thinks that Chris Island has something special and wants him to be himself, and also notes that being one's self sometimes gets lost in the shuffle.
Chris Island beats Jaime Garcia. After the match, Chris Island says that the match felt great, and that whatever happens, happens. Jaime Garcia gets some advice from Johnny Gargano on how to fight from underneath. Matt Bloom tells Chris Island that the man he saw out of him is much better than what he saw in the last match, and tells Garcia not to pander for the people before making the cover.
Nathan Cranton and Mike DeRudder look forward to working with each other. Kevin Owens says that Cranton reminds him of Triple H's blueblood gimmick as he helps Cranton out on becoming more vicious and underhanded.
Mike DeRudder beats Nathan Cranton. Kevin Owens says that while both men are great, he did not feel a whole lot of emotion behind their match. Matt Bloom reminds them that they are "a TV company," and that their faces should be seen on camera while across from the hard cam.
Booker T meets with Nikkita Lyons and Zena Sterling. Booker wants Zena not to act like a wrestler, but to be the wrestler, and not to act, but to react. Zena notes how Booker T perceives certain things in wrestling and notes that Booker can give her pointers that Bubba Ray Dudley may not be able to give her, and says that when Booker T put the finishing touches on their match, things made more sense.
Nikkita Lyons beats Zena Sterling. Booker T likes what he sees throughout the match, but says that Zena's punches could have been better. Zena asks about emotion, and Booker T says that her emotion was "damn near spot on." Zena is glad to have done something different in the ring for the first time, then says she feels more confident and that there is nowhere to go but upwards.
Delirium (Slade and McCallion) beat Frequency (Honest John and Trinelle).
Backstage, David Marquez interviews Jordan Cruz and The Epic. Cruz says he and The Epic are both muscle, but he is the brains, and Alex Ace is just a continuation of what he has made with The Epic. He says that The Epic is coal he has made into a diamond that will stop Alex Ace tonight.
OXP beats Buck Skynyr.
Backstage, we hear from Fidel Bravo, who says that he has Vinny Pacifico tonight and that he has seen his dirty work. Pacifico shows up and says that while Bravo is good in the ring, he has a challenge against the biggest challenge in Championship Wrestling, and brags that he is taller than Bravo. Bravo says that he has been known for a long time in Championship Wrestling and that he will prove he is "the real short king."
Backstage, Rob McKnight takes a leak, then turns around and says he is excited for Vinny Pacifico in his match tonight before smelling the energy drink can in his hand, implying that he has urinated in it.
Fidel Bravo beats Vinny Pacifico. During the match, Rob McKnight shows up and replaces Vinny Pacifico's can of energy drink with the one that he has compromised, and when Pacifico takes it to the ring and drinks it, he spits it out and realizes what has happened. Fidel Bravo then hits a spinning Falcon Arrow for the win.
"The Anomaly" Alex Ace beats The Epic by disqualification after The Epic shoves the referee away following a five-count in the corner, even after Alex Ace did the same thing just moments earlier. After the match, Alex Ace and The Epic brawl to the point that multiple referees have to get involved, and when Jordan Cruz tells The Epic to get back in the ring and take out Alex Ace, The Epic sends Cruz into the ring instead. Alex Ace soon grabs Jordan Cruz by the neck and choke slams him out of his shoes to end the show. (Christian Rosenberg, Alex Ace's manager, is now known as "The Conscience.")
Kenny Omega beats Bad Dude Tito. After the match, Omega says it has been a week, and that his next action is to get back to the top. He says he could make it back in time for the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, but he did get a challenge from Zack Sabre Jr. Omega says that before Bryan Danielson and even Nigel McGuinness graced AEW, Zack Sabre Jr. was there, and people still mention his name. Omega says Zack Sabre Jr. will take him to the next level, and he will see him at Forbidden Door. He also says it is a matter of time before he meets MJF again.
We hear from Mark Davis and "The Protostar" Kyle Fletcher backstage. Fletcher says Mark Davis was taken out of the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament because of "The Alpha" Konosuke Takeshita, who Fletcher says cannot keep his name out of his mouth. He says it is time to take some revenge against Takeshita and bring the International Championship back to the family. "The Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada shows up and agrees with Fletcher.
Hikaru Shida beats "The Real Deal" Zayda Steel in a TBS Championship Survival of the Fittest qualifier by submission. It takes Christopher Daniels as well as the ref to get Shida off of Zayda after the match.
The Rascalz (Zachary Wentz and Dezmond Xavier) beat Aaron and Austin Atlas. After the match, Dezmond Xavier says The Rascalz have gone from mile high madness to summer blockbusters and have become the hottest trio in wrestling. Zachary Wentz says that the fans deserve to see all three of them, then bring out Myron Reed. Don Callis guests on commentary for the next match.
"The Jet" Kevin Knight retains the TNT Championship against Myron Reed.
We hear from The Divine Dominion (Megan Bayne and Lena Kross). Kross says that because of their domination, there will be no one left, and Megan Bayne wonders if there is anyone who can beat them.
We hear from Maya World, whose brother - who introduced her to wrestling - recently passed away. She felt she needed to be in AEW with her second family, and after her win in the Women's Omen Hart Tournament, she will have to face Athena again. Maya says she is no Cinderella story and that this is the opportunity of her life, and she is taking that opportunity. We then hear from Athena, who is more focused on the work that she herself has put in, and states that she did not teach Maya everything that she knew. She says she never made it past the second round and it put a fire in her, and that just because Maya World is "the It Girl" does not mean that she is not in her world.
Athena beats Tiara James. After the match, Athena attacks Tiara James again, but gets out of the ring when Maya World runs in. Suddenly, Athena runs back into the ring and lays out both women, with Tiara's face being rammed into the Ring of Honor Women's World Championship.
Backstage, we hear from The Demand (Ricochet, Bishop Kaun, Toa Liona). Ricochet has had success after success, yet he has had as many downs as ups. He says that he is focused on championship gold and that he wants the International Championship.
The Dogs (David Finlay and Clark Connors) beat The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson).
Backstage, we hear from The Conglomeration (Kyle O'Reilly, Roderick Strong, Tomohiro Ishii). Kyle O'Reilly says they have a path to Mark Briscoe's World title shot, and while it is rocky, it is a path nonetheless. Roderick Strong says he hates MJF, and O'Reilly says that Mark Briscoe will be the next World Champion.
Tony Schiavone is about to apologize on behalf of AEW to Stardom for "The Toxic Spider" Thekla's recent actions when Thekla shows up and says she will not apologize, then says she has reached the top of the world after Stardom fired her. She says she did Stardom a favor when she spat on their logo, and says her saliva is worth more than anything Stardom has in the locker room before daring Stardom to send their best for a shot at the AEW Women's World Championship. Thekla also offers a free first-class flight to Forbidden Door to the president of Stardom so he can see the the monster that he created and the biggest mistake that he ever made.
We hear from The Bang Bang Gang (Juice Robinson, Austin Gunn, Colten Gunn, Ace Austin). All four members have plans to neuter The Dogs (Clark Connors and David Finlay).
Persephone beats Julia Hart in a TBS Championship Survival of the Fittest qualifier.
We see a video package for Starlight Kid. Lexy Nair then interviews "The Toxic Spider" Thekla, who says that she despites everything about her just like Stardom and that Starlight' Kid's first time in AEW will be her last. She says that she will spit on Starlight Kid's grave and that the blood of Stardom will be on her hands.
"The Jet" Kevin Knight guests on commentary for the next match.
Jake Doyle beats "Speedball" Mike Bailey.
The Death Riders (Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Daniel Garcia, PAC, "The Problem" Marina Shafir) beat Shane Taylor Promotions (Shane Taylor, "The Captain" Shawn Dean, "Bad News and Tattoos" Carlie Bravo, "Taiga Style" Lee Moriarty, Trish Adora) in a Cincinnati Street Fight.
"Hollywood" Jimmy Blaylock shows up at the WrestleCenter, and with him is Big Vito LoGrasso. Blaylock says he has the paperwork, then Big Vito says that he came a long way to do business and threatens to throw Blaylock in a dumpster if he screws him. Blaylock says he has the most trusted people in Memphis with him, but Big Vito warns Blaylock that it is the most trusted people that he needs to watch out for.
K-Toomer retains the Big Mane Fight Championship against Atua the Samoan Brute.
We hear from Marko "Hangtime" Harris, who says that he will face VaShawn Harvey for the Internet Championship in Jackson, Tennessee, take the title back, and come for Marko Stunt back in Memphis.
Dustin Starr interviews The Hollywood Clique ("Hollywood" Jimmy Blaylock, Jay Smooth, Kale, Secret Service) and Big Vito LoGrasso at the announce desk. Big Vito tells the fans to wipe the smiles off their faces, for he is the protector of the investment for The Hollywood Clique, then says the fans are disrespectful and tells them to boo louder before threatening to beat the fans up if he has to. He then tells The Hollywood Clique not to acknowledge the fans, as even telling them to shut up is too good, then Jimmy Blaylock demands that Derrick King, "The Gift" Ray Sanders and Matchmaker King Cobra come to the desk. Derrick, Sanders, and Cobra show up, and Blaylock says there will be a ladder match between The Hollywood Clique and the team of Derrick, Sanders and King Cobra in a ladder match where the winners take control of Memphis Wrestling. After Blaylock says that he will be looking forward to fire the three of them when his team wins, Cobra says they are not going anywhere and they will not leave until they are ready to leave. Cobra accepts the challenge, and Derrick guarantees he will get rid of The Hollywood Clique. Cobra accepts the challenge, and Derrick guarantees he will get rid of The Hollywood Clique. Security has to step in as Big Vito says that they might as well do it right now. Cobra says he does not wrestle anymore, but his team does have a third person in mind.
Backstage, Ruffshot Lamonte is in the bathroom when he hears some weird laughter. It ends up being the laughter of Marrow, and he almost thinks he sees Marrow behind him as he washes his hands.
Dustin Starr interviews Kevin and Gavin White at the announce desk. Kevin says he was one of the baddest over twenty years ago and still is, and when he lost Brian Christopher, he promised to put family and friends first. Kevin asks The Bizzness Dawgs (Tim Grind and Lil' Homie) to come to the ring, and they do. Tim Grind says there might have been a misunderstanding, but Lil Homie does not believe that. Tim Grind says he and Kevin go way back, but they were always opponents and never friends. Kevin says he is glad Tim Grind said that, as he knows where he stands, and he is in 100% agreement. He then challenges The Bizness Dawgs to a father-son tag team match for the Memphis Wrestling Tag Team Championships at Jackson, Tennessee on June 19th. Grind questions if Gavin has even had a match yet, then says Kevin is nothing more than a rich little white boy with a silver spoon in his mouth, and grabs Gavin by the throat. Gavin throws a punch, starting a brawl security has to stop.
Backstage, "Hollywood" Jimmy Blaylock shows Big Vito LoGrasso the Cobra Cup, then shows his distaste for King Cobra. Big Vito says Cobra is an old dog who has paid his dues, then says it is time for a new regime, and Blaylock says they should rename the cup "The Hollywood Cup." Big Vito agrees, and says they should make some changes for the fans. Blaylock makes the newly christened Hollywood Cup the focus of the main event.
Backstage, we hear from Tim Bosby, who mentions the bounty he has put on Mike Anthony's head and how nobody has been able to take Mike Anthony out. He says he saved himself $10,000 by snapping Mike Anthony Anthony's ankle, then says Anthony should be in a psych ward for thinking he can take him on. He then wishes Mike Anthony good luck on his one ankle when he challenges him.
Bobbi Thunder beats "Sweet" Judy Lee.
Backstage, Matchmaker King Cobra tells Derrick King and "The Gift" Ray Sanders that they need a third person. Sanders and Derrick are stuck wondering who will even team with them. Cobra tells them to come up with some names, or they are all out of Memphis Wrestling.
Dustin Starr interviews Diana Taylor at the announce desk. Diana Taylor mentions that Raven Black is running roughshod in Memphis Wrestling, then says she is a fighting champion and a three-time Women's Champion for a reason. Raven Black shows up and punches Diana, starting a brawl. Raven Black then pulls out a battle, but Xya shows up with a crutch before Raven Black can hit Diana. Raven walks away, and Diana says that Raven wants a fight, she has it.
We hear from "The Gold Standard" Eli Knox and Moses. Eli Knox says that if Colton Cage will put the Junior Heritage Championship back on the line, he and Moses will be in Jackson, Tennessee on June 19th.
Big Vito LoGrasso guests on commentary for the next match.
We see footage of the nurse from the past few weeks working at the hospital. The only person in the waiting room is J. Webb.
Jay Smooth last eliminates "The King of Pow" Chris Lexx and Kale to win the Hollywood Scramble Match and win the Hollywood Cup. During the match, J. Webb returns along with Nurse IV, who has been teased in the last couple of weeks.
Backstage, General Manager Nick Aldis meets with "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes. Aldis says he has not heard from Gunther yet, but he is assured they will hear from him tonight. Cody hopes that they have a good show tonight. Cody then runs into The Usos (Jimmy and "Main Event" Jey Uso) and fist bumps them, then Jey says that tonight is his King of the Ring match, and he will win tonight, win the tournament and face him for the Undisputed WWE Championship. Cody hopes Jey is right, as Jey deserves to chase his title, but he hopes it is his decision and not Roman Reigns'.
Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Jade Cargill. Cargill says she has built a career off of pressure and has nothing to worry about, and "Michin" Mia Yim and B-Fab are certain that Cargill will win tonight. Cargill tells Rhea Ripley that she will get her lick back, and that she will see her at SummerSlam.
Charlotte Flair beats Lyra Valkyria, Sol Ruca and Jade Cargill by submission with a Figure Eight to Lyra to advance in the Queen of the Ring Tournament. During the match, Alexa Bliss and Tiffany Stratton show up to fight "Michin" Mia Yim when they get involved in the match, and this leads to a brawl that makes its way to the back.
Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Tiffany Stratton. Tiffany says that Jade Cargill should not be champion, and when "Michin" Mia Yim and B-Fab confront Tiffany, Chelsea Green comes to the rescue with a shinai.
Backstage, Jacob Fatu meets with The Usos (Jimmy and "Main Event" Jey Uso). Jacob Fatu says he is here for Solo Sikoa, and Jimmy says he is here to ensure nobody stops Jey. Solo says that they have their business and that he has his.
We see footage of Carmelo Hayes with the New England Patriots, who are seen in the front row.
We hear from Blake Monroe, who admires Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss as she writes in her diary, then says they have deluded themselves into thinking they are stronger together only to become weak and soft. She says that stars shine brighter alone before stating that she is coming soon to SmackDown.
Gunther meets with General Manager Nick Aldis backstage. Gunther says that he will be picking the referee for his match with "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship, then says that he will know who the referee is by the end of the night.
Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Finn Balor, who is excited to be on SmackDown. He says that he has old friends and old foes and that his past is not erased by being here, then he is met by R-Truth, who declares that The Judgment Day is back together. Damian Priest shows up, and he and Finn are not exactly happy to see each other. Finn leaves for his match, and Priest says that all they need are each other and that they will still be champions after their match with The MFT's (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Talla Tonga).
Tiffany Stratton and Chelesa Green vs. "Michin" Mia Yim and B-Fab is official for later tonight.
Brie Bella and Paige beat Fatal Influence (Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid) after Brie reverses Fallon's inside cradle on Paige behind the referee's back as the referee ejects Jacy Jayne for pulling Fallon Henley out of a submission hold from the outside of the ring.
Backstage, Sami Zayn is talking to Johnny Gargano again while Candice LeRae is on her phone. Sami takes Candice's advice to Gargano to "get up and do something about it" as advice for himself, and Sami then leaves to look for General Manager Nick Aldis.
Backstage, Los Garza (Angel and Berto) meets with Danhausen, asking him to re-curse the New York Knicks. They then hand him a bag of human money, then leave as Matt Cardona shows up. After Matt Cardona hands Danhausen his watch and a ring to keep the New York Knicks uncursed, Kit Wilson shows up with an electrified Miz, and Danhausen's like for a Frankenstein's Monster-like Miz causes Kit Wilson to swing a metal rod at Danhausen only to miss and hit a wire, which in turn electrifies Kit Wilson.
Sami Zayn heads to the ring. Sami says that the "ride or dies" showed up in full force for him in Europe compared to Providence, Rhode Island, and says the fans can either sit there with a sour look on their faces and boo him or ride and die with "the last real good guy." Sami then says that something has been brewing for months and months, and that it needs to come to an end. He says that he needs to clear the air, and asks that "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes come to the ring. Cody comes to the ring, and Sami says they have had months' worth of misunderstandings where he helps Cody and ends up paying for it while Cody stands all, and wants to know if this is in an accident. Cody says that he cannot just turn this off and that they should not be in the ring this way. As Cody mentions WrestleMania 40, Sami says he was and still is happy for him, but mentions that Cody has lost past friends and wants to if it is them of if it is Cody. Cody says that he could not be honest with them like he can be honest with Sami, then tells Cody that the fans hate him and tell him that he sucks because he whines and cries and has become desperate. He says that the Undipusted WWE Championship is the only thing between them, then apologizes for holding the championship and that it means he never will. Sami slaps Cody, then starts apologizing. Cody slaps Sami back. Sami slowly leaves the ring, then comes back with a chair. Sami stands on the apron with the chair, then tosses it to the side and leaves.
Backstage, Jacob Fatu confronts Solo Sikoa with a message from Roman Reigns. He says it has been way too long and long enough, and that Roman needs him to come home. Solo says that is not home and that Jacob is Roman's lap dog, then wants to know what happened to Jacob. He says that Jacob used to be a killer that everyone was afraid of and was so close to beating Roman. Solo says Roman has done nothing but embarrass and humiliate him, which is not how someone treats somebody they love. Solo then tells Jacob to tell Roman that he can go to Hell. Jacob says he knows where Solo is coming from, but he has made his decision and he will stand on business, and if Roman sends him for him, he will come for him. Solo tells Jacob to tell Roman that if he wants him to come home, then he can come and get him.
Rey Fenix retains the AAA World Cruiserweight Championship against Axiom.
Backstage, Gunther meets with General Manager Nick Aldis, stating that he has made a decision. He says that he needs somebody with experience as well as their heart in the right place. He says he needs a good guy - the last real good guy - and says Sami Zayn will be the referee for next week's WWE Championship match.
Trick Williams and Lil Yachty show up at the arena.
Trick Williams and Lil Yachty head to the ring. Trick Williams is not happy that he lost in the King of the Ring Tournament, then says that it woke up something in him and lit a fire that he has not felt in a long time. Trick says he wants to step his game up and bring SmackDown to new heights. He says that he is the king of the new school and that he is still the United States Champion. All of a sudden, Ricky Saints shows up. As Saints makes his way to the ring, however, Carmelo Hayes shows up and shoves Saints out of his way to the ring. Saints beats Carmelo to the ring as Carmelo tells Trick to make up his mind, and Saints says that he beat Carmelo as Carmelo wants Trick to defend his title. Both men start arguing, and Trick tells them to battle it out so he can defend the title against the winner. As Trick leaves, Saints shoves Carmelo into Trick, and that leads to a brawl between Carmelo and Saints. Trick gets back into the ring and sends Carmelo into the ring post, then hits the Book End on Saints.
Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Royce Keys. All of a sudden, Solo Sikoa shows up and tells him that The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, Jimmy Uso, "Main Event" Jey Uso, Jacob Fatu) is here to ensure Jey Uso wins tonight, and that Jacob Fatu is there to help him. He tells Royce that he does not have to fight with him, but he does not want Royce to be a casualty in Roman Reigns' war.
"Michin" Mia Yim and B-Fab beat Tiffany Stratton and Chelsea Green after Jade Cargill pulls Tiffany Stratton off the ring apron before Chelsea Green can tag her in, which allows Michin to hit Chelsea with Styles Clash for the win. After the match, Jade Cargill gets in the ring, and Tiffany Stratton ends up being the victim of a three-on-one beatdown.
Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Kiana James. Kiana says she did everything for Giulia and that Giulia needed her, and the one time she asks her for help, she is useful. Giulia says she needed help with English and with contract, but Kiana says she did not need her for anything. Giulia says Kiana used her momentum, but Kiana says she eclisped her. Giulia says her English is better now, then slaps Kiana in the face.
Backstage, Tama Tonga welcomes Finn Balor to SmackDown, and he is also not happy to see Finn.
Backstage, General Manager Nick Aldis meets with "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes. Cody says that Sami Zayn is an emotional wreck and all over the place before Sami suddenly shows up. Sami uses Cody's words against him before sarcastically wishing him good luck next week.
Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews LA Knight. Knight says that he saw it coming and that Jimmy Uso and Jacob Fatu are going to ensure Jey Uso wins tonight and are also trying to get Solo Sikoa back in the fold. He then says he will not make any promises, but if he can defy the odds, he will win the tournament and stomp Roman Reigns out.
"Main Event" Jey Uso beats Royce Keys, LA Knight and Finn Balor to advance in the King of the Ring Tournament after Royce hits Knight with a spinebuster only for Jey Uso to hit a top rope splash and pin Royce for the win. During the match, Solo Sikoa shows up to watch from ringside, and LA Knight ends up booting Royce Keys into him near the end of the match.
