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.
We look back at the very first main event in iMPACT! history: "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles vs. Chris Sabin vs. Michael Shane vs. "Primetime" Elix Skipper.
Gia Miller interviews Sami Callihan for Around The Ring. Sami talks about his love for sandals, how he does not need to wear wrestling gear to wrestle, his octopus tattoo as he goofs around during the interview. After the interview wraps up, Gia Miller says "he's not coming back."
We look back at Eddie Edwards vs. Joe Hendry from last night's iMPACT!.
Eric Young beats Alan Angels despite Angels using the referee as a shield near the end of the match.
In backstage footage from earlier today, Sarah Schreiber interviews Tyson Dupont and Tyriek Igwe regarding their match against No Quarter Catch Crew (Charlie Dempsey, Damon Kemp, Myles Borne) tonight. Tyriek says they are pound for pound the strongest and Tyson says that their brand is on the up and up, and regardless of who steps up, they will get thrown down.
Stevie Turner beats Kendal Grey.
No Quarter Catch Crew (Charlie Dempsey and Myles Borne) beat Tyson Dupont and Tyriek Igwe following the interference by Damon Kemp.
General Manager Nick Aldis is in the ring to start tonight's show. He says there is no better feeling than when one of your top draft picks comes through in the clutch, then introduces Nia Jax, the 2024 Queen of the Ring. Nia enters the ring and puts the crown on, then brags about being Queen of the Ring and having a title shot at SummerSlam before commanding Bayley's presence in the ring right now. Bayley shows up, but she is attacked from behind by Piper Niven while Chelsea Green directs traffic. Piper tosses Bayley in the ring, where she continues to attack Bayley until she is laid out. Chelsea tells Nia not to worry about facing Bayley, because Piper Niven will be the new WWE Women's Champion by the time SummerSlam rolls around. Nia says she does not care who is champion, as she will A-Nia-Late her regardless.
A QR code and a weird "Hello Goodbye" message is shown as General Manager Nick Aldis meets with "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles, who is in a suit. Styles says he has thought about what Aldis has told him, and if there is time, he wants to address his future tonight. Aldis says he can find the time, but wants to know if there is something Styles wants to tell him. Styles says it will be hard to do just once, and just asks for some time in the ring. Aldis tells him that he has his time, then they shake hands.
Backstage, Naomi checks on Bayley in the trainer's room and says Chelsea Green and Piper Niven will not get away with what they did. Bayley says she is good to fight tonight, and Naomi tells Bayley that she has her back.
Tommaso Ciampa beats Austin Theory after Grayson Waller mouths off about Austin Theory and takes credit for his success. This distracts Theory, and Ciampa wins with a schoolkid pin.
Backstage, General Manager Nick Aldis is meeting with Blair Davenport when Naomi shows up wanting a tag team with Bayley against Chelsea Green and Piper Niven. Blair takes offense to this and says Naomi will find out who she is messing with, then leaves. Aldis tells Naomi that she and Bayley have their match tonight. LA Knight shows up as Naomi leaves, then asks Aldis about AJ Styles before wanting to know where Logan Paul is.
Backstage, Kayla Braxton interviews LA Knight, who says that Logan Paul is not here this week, then pretends to leave before challenging Logan Paul for the United States Championship. Carmelo Hayes shows up and says LA Knight does a lot of talking without saying anything and that Logan Paul would rather face him than LA Knight, and says that LA Knight talks the talk while he walks the walk.
Andrade beats Apollo Crews. Before the match, it is revealed that Andrade has turned down an invitation to join Legado del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Elektra Lopez, Garza, Berto) when the invitation is extended to him by Garza. Garza shows up at ringside during the match, and he distracts Apollo in order for Andrade to get the win. After the match, the rest of Legado del Fantasma shows up to look at Andrade, who just walks past the rest of the group. Santos Escobar looks at Garza disappointedly.
Backstage, Solo Sikoa tells Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa to do everything in their power tonight, then Paul Heyman shows up and tells Sikoa that he has been doing a lot of thinking about how he can better serve Solo while he is in charge. He says that any violence under Roman Reigns was to preserve the family and that there was a lot of counsel from himself before any of it occurred, then says that Solo is recruiting some very violent men and that while he sees random acts of violence, he sees no strategy, and the strategy is that Cody Rhodes must be kept in check when Roman Reigns comes back. Solo says that "we have Cody currently in check" and does not even know it. Heyman then asks who "we" is.
Backstage, Garza confronts Andrade when Apollo Crews suddenly attacks Garza.
Kevin Owens heads to the ring. Owens talks about his return last week and how he made sure he had Randy Orton's back at Saudi Arabia, as Randy has had his over the last few years and he wanted to make sure The Bloodline did not ruin Randy's chances at becoming King of the Ring. While he admits that Orton did not become King of the Ring and that Orton did not win, he does know that The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa, Paul Heyman, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa) is here, and he figured he would be here, too. Paul Heyman shows up, wanting to talk to Owens man-to-man, and when the crowd chants "We Want Roman!", Heyman says nobody wants Roman here more than him, and says that while Roman has respect for Owens, Solo has no respect for him and is recruiting criminals. Heyman says he rejected everyone that Solo wanted to join because of their violent backgrounds and that the people he says Owens is trying to antagonize in The Bloodline are looking for an excuse to take him out. He says that if Owens keeps calling out Solo Sikoa, something really bad will happen to him, and asks Owens to back off from The Bloodline. Owens says he has no reason to believe anything that comes out of Heyman's mouth and calls what Heyman is doing "an act" following everything The Bloodline has done to him, then says he will keep fighting The Bloodline and kick them out of his world. He then tells Heyman he does not need his help, but Heyman says he is not trying to help him, but to save him, and calls Owens' answer hypocritical for not allowing him to redeem himself, especially after what Owens is up against, and goes on a tirade as he does. As Owens is about to confront Heyman, The Bloodline shows up, but so does The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford). This leads to a brawl in and around the ring in which The Street Profits get the upper hand as Owens and Solo brawl to the back.
The Bloodline (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa) beat The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford).
Backstage, Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair are met by Indi Hartwell, who says they are heading to Raw to hurt more people like they did Candice LeRae, who is now at home. Bianca says Candice started it and she finished it, and Jade threatens to put Indi on the shelf, which causes Indi to back off.
Backstage, Kayla Braxton interviews "Michin" Mia Yim when Nia Jax shows up and interrupts to talk about herself. Michin takes offense to this, and steps up Nia Yim when Nia tells her not to step up to her. Nia says she will regret that, then leaves.
Chelsea Green and Piper Niven beat Bayley and Naomi after Naomi hits Chelsea with Rear View only for Piper to hit both Naomi with a splash and place Chelsea on top of Naomi.
Backstage, LA Knight confronts "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles, then says "If the rumors are true...respect." AJ then shakes hands with "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes and whispers something into Cody's ear, then meets The O.C. (Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson) and asks them to be in the ring with him tonight.
"The Phenomenal" AJ Styles and The O.C. (Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson) head to the ring. Styles says he has had dwelled on what General Manager Nick Aldis has had to say recently, then says he cannot go back to the back of the line at this point in his career and his life, for he has been doing this for over two decades. He says he has busted his body all over the world for all this time so that he can become phenomenal, but this past week, his son graduated high school and he realized just how many things in his family he has missed. He says he should stay at home and be a phenomenal father, then says he could not have done this without Gallows and Anderson, whom he calls brothers, then the three of them do the "Too Sweet" hand signal and embrace. Styles then mentions whispering something in "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes' ear, then asks him to head to the ring. Cody shows up and meets Styles in the ring. Styles tells Cody he had one of the best matches of his life against him at Backlash, and if he were to have one last match, that would be it. He then says SmackDown is still "the house that AJ Styles built." He then says he is here to hand Cody the keys to that house, then Cody admits they only exchanged one text message after their match and that Styles answered "I'm all good, lil' bro," and Cody thanks Styles for all he has done. Cody and Styles hug, and the crowd cheers. Cody raises Styles' hand for all sides of the arena to see, then Styles hits Cody with a right hand and beats him up. Referees show up only to be blocked by The O.C. before Styles hits Cody with a Styles Clash off the ring steps.
Here are the highlights for tonight's show!
This week on The SmackDown LowDown: #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa)! Indi Hartwell! Legado del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Elektra Lopez, Garza, Berto)!
"The Alpha" Konosuke Takeshita beats Penta el Zero Miedo to qualify for the TNT Championship Ladder Match at Forbidden Door.
Backstage, Renee Paquette interviews The Learning Tree (Chris Jericho, Big Bill, "The Outlaw" Bryan Keith). Chris Jericho says he is not on tonight's show because he had an unprovoked attack from Hook last week and that he is too valuable to be left exposed at the commentary table and be attacked. He announces he has stepped down from his commentary role on Rampage to spend time on the other shows and get more TV time, and while he is no longer the number one commentator on Rampage, he is still number one in everyone's hearts.
Backstage, we hear from Undisputed Kingdom (Roderick Strong, Mike Taven, Mike Bennett). Mike Bennett says that Double or Nothing sucked and that all he got out of Las Vegas was a sunburn. Mike Taven says they got ejected from ringside without doing anything wrong that night. Roderick Strong is angry that he was not the tenth man in the Forbidden Door Gauntlet Match and that he is pissed off and frustration, and he will take everything out on Lio Rush before he goes after Will Ospreay.
Satnam Singh quickly beats "Pretty" Peter Avalon.
Backstage, we hear from Cage of Agony ("The Machine" Brian Cage, Bishop Kaun, Toa Liona). Kaun says that sometimes you much scorch everything to the earth to start anew, and Brian Cage says they will start anew tomorrow night on Collision against any trio who wants to take them on. Hechicero shows up and introduces himself before putting Cage of Agony over, then Toa Liona says they will see their challengers Saturday in Spanish.
"Timeless" Toni Storm beats Viva Van in an AEW Women's World Championship Eliminator Match.
Backstage, we hear from The Outcasts (Saraya and Harley Cameron). They congratulate Mariah May, who make fun of Mariah for wanting to be "Timeless" Toni Storm and that next week, Saraya will beat Mariah after having beaten the real Toni Storm.
Kyle O'Reilly beats Jordan Cruz with the cross arm breaker.
Backstage, we hear from Johnny TV and Taya Valkyrie. Johnny says they are here to challenge the best, and that there is one man that he has never wrestled who is beating people right and left: Claudio Castagnoli, to whom he issues a challenge on Collision.
Chris Bey beats "Inevitable" Ace Austin. After the match, Ace and Bey shake hands before embracing, then stops Bey and helps him out of the ring. Bey then stops midway through to help Ace out of the ring.
Xia Brookside beats Steph de Lander with a stack-up pin. During the match, Steph gets out of the ring to get a mental folding chair, but a hand is grabbing it, and it . After the match, Steph tells PCO that she knows what she is doing and does not need him, then PCO pulls out a napkin with the word "Steph" and a heart on it. Steph takes it, then stuffs it into her gear.
We see Jordynne Grace's recent appearance on WWE NXT.
We hear from Laredo Kid. As he thanks the fans for their support, Fir$t Cla$$ (AJ Francis and Rich Swann) show up and states that Laredo Kid will be defending against AJ Francis before attacking Laredo Kid. Security steps in before things get worse.
Backstage, Kon bumps into Jake Something and Cody Deaner as he looks for Director of Authority Santino Marella. Jake wants to fight Kon, but Cody says this is not the time or place. Kon says they will settling things next week, then tells Jake to stop listening to Deaner as it did not work out for him. Jake then tells Deaner to stay out of what happens between him and Kon.
Jonathan Gresham beats Sami Callihan. During the match, Gresham is about to spit out blank ink when Sami grabs him by the mouth to hit him. The referee cowers as Callihan demands to know what the blank ink on his hand is, and that allows Gresham to hit Callihan low before getting the win.
Backstage, Gail Kim interviews "The Quintessential Diva" Gisele Shaw. Gisele says she took her loss against Jordynne Grace for the Knockouts Championship hard and that she was also dealing with injuries. She says she had always wanted to come back, but she knows she has to start from scratch. Gail Kim then asks Gisele what she was fighting for, and find out what that is, and tells her that she does not have to be "The Quintessential Diva" before telling her to get started again next week.
Backstage, Gia Miller interviews The System (Eddie Edwards, Alisha Edwards, Brian Myers, Moose). Eddie Edwards says they have bigger things to worry about such as defending their championship gold at Against All Odds, and that they have nothing to worry about regarding Joe Hendry. Moose says that he will deal with "Broken" Matt Hardy, then leaves, and Eddie says they will deal with Hendry. The System leaves, then Frankie Kazarian shows up and demands Gia call him "The King of TNA," which she does.
Steve Maclin vs. Mike Santana ends with The Rascalz (Trey Miguel and Zachary Wentz) attacking both men.
Backstage, Jody Threat is not happy about with her loss from last week. Lars Frederiksen says Jody had her chance and came up short, then tells Dani Luna that she has a match with Tasha Steelz and that Spitfire (Dani Luna and Jody Threat) must learn from their mistakes.
In a TNA digital exclusive, Mustafa Ali says he fears no one, and that leads to Leon Slater challenging Mustafa to a match. Champagne Singh accepts on behalf of Mustafa Ali, and after Slater leaves, Mustafa tells Singh that they need to talk about strategy.
Mustafa Ali beats Leon Slater.
Backstage, Moose hunts down "Broken" Matt Hardy.
Before the next match, Joe Hendry mentions Eddie Edwards calling him a joke and saying he does not have what it takes to beat The System (Eddie Edwards, Alisha Edwards, Brian Myers, Moose), but tonight, the only system he is worried about his digestive system, as he gets squeamish when he has to look at a middle-aged man sporting a fauxhawk in 2024. He then says that anyone with a case of "The Eddie Edwards" can settle their stomachs by stating that they believe in Joe Hendry.
Joe Hendry beats Eddie Edwards. "The Wanted Man" Nic Nemeth and "The Hollywood Hunk" Ryan Nemeth show up to stand in Hendry's corner at the beginning of the match.
Backstage, Moose finally finds "Broken" Matt Hardy and brawls with him. Moose gets the upper hand on Matt Hardy and hits him with a metal folding chair, then wraps another one around his head and runs him into a metal sliding door before hitting that chair with another chair.
Athena beats Viva Van in an ROH Women's World Championship Proving Ground Match.
Undisupted Kingdom (Matt Taven and Mike Bennett) beat Jacoby Watts and Nick Comoroto in an ROH World Tag Team Championships Proving Ground Match. After the match, Jacoby Watts chews Comoroto out for losing, and Comoroto responds by cheering and clapping for Jacoby.
Serpentico beats Brady Roberts.
Backstage, Lexy Nair interviews "The Problem" Marina Shafir, who says that she is "The Problem" because she said so and because the top talent cannot "solve" her, and that this has sent her into a dark place and has sent her over the edge. She says that she does not run away or hide from her problems, and when one does not take care of a problem, it gets worse.
Red Velvet beats Kel. After the match, Athena's entrance music hits, and Red Velvet is attacked from behind by Billie Starkz.
Zak Knight beats Sebastian Wolfe.
"Big Shotty" Lee Johnson beats Aaron Solo and Action Andretti in a three-way match.
Before the next match, "Smart" Mark Sterling says this is a great week for Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, as they have The Premiere Athletes (Ariya Daivairi, Tony Nese, Josh Woods) and the great Connor McDavid, but tonight the result will be the same, and the premier team will be "a couple of losers from Vancouver."
The Premier Athletes (Ariya Daivairi and Tony Nese) beat The Bollywood Boyz (Harv and Gurv Sihra). After the match, The Premier Athletes continue to attack The Bollywood Boyz (Harv and Gurv Sihra), then The Infantry ("The Captain" Shawn Dean and "Bad News and Tattoos" Carlie Bravo) show up with metal folding chairs to chase them away.
Top Flight (Darius and Dante Martin) beat The Workhorsemen (JD Drake and Anthony Henry).
Backstage, Jon Moxley addresses Rocky "Azucar" Romero, saying it is not a smart idea to take him on in an IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Eliminator Match, as champions go to work everyday. Moxley mentions his busy schedule and says he will still be on top five years from now.
It's time for TV Time with The Learning Tree with Chris Jericho and Big Bill. Big Bill says that Jericho has taught him that even though the leaves fall off the tree in the fall, but they come back in the spring greener and brighter than ever. Jericho thanks the fans for making his shirt the #1 seller on AEW's online store. He throws one to one of the fans, then thanks "the branches" for making him and Big Bill number one and supporting him as "the longest-reigning For The World Champion ever at 39 days" as he retained at Double or Nothing. He says he is still smarting from what Hook and Katsuyori Shibata, then says that if adversity is ice cream, then one should put a cherry on top. He says many are chosen, few are called, and while many stand under the Learning Tree, few walk the walk. Jericho then welcomes one who he says walks the walk and introduces "The Bounty Hunter" Bryan Keith to the ring. Jericho asks Bryan Keith what made him want to become a disciple, then Bryan Keith says he has noticed a lack of respect for Jericho in AEW and that he is surprised that more people have not leapt at the opportunity to sit under The Learning Tree. As the fans boo Jericho, Bryan Keith demands the fans respect Jericho. Jericho says that if one wants something, they must reach out and grab it, then accepts Bryan into the Learning Tree. Hook shows up, and security shows up only to fail to stop him. Samoa Joe shows up in front of Hook and stares him down, then whispers something in Hook's ear and leaves. Hook turns around and leaves with Samoa Joe.
We see a vignette for Stephanie Vaquer.
Jon Moxley beats Rocky "Azucar" Romero in an IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Eliminator match.
Backstage, Renee Paquette interviews Samoa Joe and Hook. Joe says he and Hook have learned that they exist on their own time, not Chris Jericho's.
Don Callis heads to the ring. Callis addresses the contract to work with his family in his hand, saying it is more valuable than gold or diamonds. He says it has been one of the great pleasures of his life to scout a talent like Orange Cassidy, who he sees himself in. Orange shows up and heads to the ring, and Don Callis butters Orange up before saying he has been confused with some bad choices as he welcomes him to his family, and tells him that all he has to do is sign the contract. Orange takes the contract and slowly rips it up, then tells Don Callis "No." Callis grabs Orange as he walks to and says nobody tells him "no," then Orange takes his sunglasses to confront Callis before Stokely Hathaway and Kris Statlander show up. Stokely says there is nothing he likes about Orange, and says Orange is just like Willow Nightingale. Kris Statlander then announces that "he" has accepted the offer to join The Don Callis Family. "He" is Trent Beretta, who attacks Orange from behind. Callis pulls Beretta off of Orange, then backs off intot he corner before Beretta open his arms. Callis opens his arms in response, then hugs Beretta while keeping a shoe on top of a bloodied, battered Orange Cassidy. Callis then stomps Orange a few times for good measure before leaving, and Beretta stomps Orange one more time after pressing his foot against him and mocking his lazy thumbs-up.
Backstage, Daniel Garcia says that he feels like he is trudging through AEW and that he wants to take on the top stars. He says that he will rise through the ranks and beat Will Ospreay for the AEW International Championship.
Backstage, Renee Paquette is shoved out of the way by Stokely Hathaway and Kris Statlander. Stokely makes fun of Willow and says that when Willow did not listen when Kris wanted to be TBS Champion, he did. Kris says she did something for herself for once and got booed for it, and that she had to make a change because she was sick and tired of being the protector for everyone else. She then says that everyone will need protection from her.
We see a video package for the return of MJF at Double or Nothing.
The Elite (Matthew Jackson, Nicholas Jackson, "The Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada, Jack Perry) head to the ring. Kazuchika Okada says "Shut up, bitches!" to the fans, then Jack Perry says that "The Elite run this shit" and that Tony Khan and Kenny Omega picked out their dream team which pulled out the stops, but The Elite still won and he took his piece of "The Dragon." Nicholas says it has been a fantastic week after the release of their Reebok Pump, which became the hottest-selling Reebok shoe in years, and that Jack Perry and Okada were "unbelievable" in Anarchy At The Arena. Okada is gifted with a Lambourghini, then Matthew announces that Adam Copeland was badly injured at Double or Nothing, then blames himself for it after saying "Break a leg!" to him and wishes him a speedy recovery. He then says that as EVP's, they must make tough decision, and tonight, Adam Copeland is hereby stripped of the TNT Championship, as the network needs a new champion. He then says they know a guy, and gifts the title to Jack Perry. Suddenly, Christopher Daniels shows up and says he does not need his severance package, as Interim Executive Vice President, which means that all his announcements come from Tony Khan himself. He demands that Nicholas call him by his god-given name of Christopher, and says Jack Perry will have to earn the TNT Championship, as there will be qualifying matches in the next few weeks for the title with no managers, no time limits and no interference where the winners face off for the TNT Championship in a ladder match at Forbidden Door. with the first qualifying match will take place in "Friday Night Dynamite" in Los Angeles, California. When The Elite confront Christopher Daniels personally, The Acclaimed ("Platinum" Max Caster, Anthony Bowens, "Daddy Ass" Billy Gunn) show up to back Daniels up.
Backstage, we hear from Prince Nana and Swerve Strickland. Swerve says he needed a victory against Christian Cage and needed a killshot against Killswitch, and that he is now curious who his next challenger will be.
Backstage, we hear from Rush, who congratulates MJF on his return, but reminds him that if he messes with the bull, he gets the horns.
Will Ospreay beats Orange Cassidy, Hechicero, "Switchblade" Jay White, PAC, Mistico, Shooter Umina, Claudio Castagnoli and Lio Rush in a Forbidden Door Gauntlet Match to earn a shot at the AEW World Championship. After the match, Prince Nana and Swerve Strickland show up and enter the ring, and Swerve and Ospreay have a staredown in the ring. It is also announced that Rampage has a special start time of 6:30 PM Eastern/3:30 Pacific this Friday. Also, Collision will be on after the NBA finals
Tommaso Ciampa beats Ludwig Kaiser with six seconds left to advance in the third tournament, which will determine a #1 contender for the WWE Speed Championship.
General Manager Ava is in the ring to start tonight's show. Ava mentions the Ladder Match to determine the inaugural NXT North American Women's Champion, with four slots filled and two slots to be filled tonight, then introduces hip-hop recording artist Sexxy Red to the ring. There is a belt covered by a mantle on a nearby table. Sexxy Red announces that she will be hosting Battleground, then reveals the NXT North American Women's Championship for the first time. Tatum Paxley shows up to try to take the championship, but "Michin" Mia Yim runs in and fights Tatum Paxley. This leads to a match.
"Michin" Mia Yim beats Tatum Paxley to qualify for the NXT North American Women's Championship Ladder Match. During the match, Jaida Parker guests on commentary.
Backstage, Joe Coffey is talking with Mike Coffey, and is wanting to know where Wolfgang is. Meta-Four (Oro Mensah, Lash Legend, Jakara Jackson) shows up wanting to know why Gallus attacked Noam Dar, but Gallus (Joe and Mark Coffey) refuses to answer, with Joe saying he thought Oro Mensah was better than this before Gallus leave.
Backstage, Lola Vice is met by Arianna Grace, who asks Lola if she expects to go through another NXT Underground match, and tells her that "The Queen of Spades" Shayna Baszler is extremely dangerous. Lola says she knows, and that Arianna can find out how dangerous she herself is first-hand.
Ridge Holland beats Riley Osborne. During the match, Ridge almost uses the ring steps, but Thea Hail stops him from using them. After the match, Riley refuses to shake Ridge's hand.
Backstage, Kelly Kincaid interviews The O.C. (Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson). Anderson says they seem to get the silent treatment, and Gallows says they are tired of the NXT Tag Team Champions duck them. Anderson says their beatdown is what happens to those who treat them like outsiders, and Gallows says the beatdowns will continue whenever they want until they get their title shot. Anderson asks Axiom and Nathan Frazer if they have their attention now, and says they can either keep running or defend their titles. After The O.C. leaves, it is revealed that Oro Mensah has been attacked.
We see a vignette for Dante Chen, who has been waiting for two years for his opportunity and has been staying ready for a chance to represent his family and his culture in Singapore, and thanks the fans for their support thus far. He says that while he will treasure last week's victory forever, he is ready for more victories and whatever is next. Backstage, Dante Chen is congratulated by the locker room when Lexis King tries to rain on his parade and says beating him will never happen again. Dante takes that bet and says he can beat him again tonight, and Lexis says his fifteen minutes of fame are over.
Backstage, Trick Williams thanks Je'Von Evans for having his back last week, then talks about their match with Gallus and says they have to be on their A-game. Sexxy Red shows up and says she is loving NXT so far, then wishes them luck before Je'Von asks Sexxy Red to accompany them to the ring.
Roxanne Perez heads to the ring. Roxanne says he has been the only one to appreciate the NXT Women's Championship from the very beginning after having seen it jump from waist to waist by women who use it as a vehicle or stepping stone to something better. She says she is the only one who has shown true commitment to the championship, as she has been training since she was thirteen years old for this and that she represents not just present or future greatness, but true greatness. Roxanne says she finds it disrespectful to find out who her next opponent is in the way that she is finding out, and demands respect from General Manager Ava, as she deserves to be treated better. After saying she can also play the disrespect game, she demands to know who her opponent is, then Ava shows up and tells Roxanne that she has never called her "a bad champ," then reveals that her opponent at Battleground is Jordynne Grace. Jordynne says some people may remember her from the Royal Rumble, then reintroduces herself for those who do not. She calls Roxanne a great champion who has built her name in NXT like she has built her own name in TNA, then asks who has built a stronger foundation and wants to know at Battleground when she challenges Roxanne for her title and leaves Las Vegas a double champion.
We hear from Eddy Thorpe, who says that to some people, fire is a destructive force, but to him and his people, it is a doorway to the spirit world and communication with the ancestors as well as healing. He says that he has asked for guidance from the flames and that the vision is strong, his body is healed and the path is illuminated for him and any of his people who have a dream. He says that through the cleansing of the fire, he has been reborn.
Backstage, Riley Osborne tells Chase University (Andre Chase, Duke Hudson, Thea Hail) that Ridge Holland still cannot be trust. Duke Hudson says he can see where Ridge Holland is coming from and takes him aside for a chat. Thea Hail says she cannot deal with this and leaves, then Ridge shows up, thankful for the match. Andre Chase says everything is okay when Ridge looks for everyone else, with Ridge none the wiser.
Lola Vice beats Arianna Grace. After the match, Lola Vice tells "The Queen of Spades" Shayna Baszler that she has one of two options: either being tapped out or knocked out, and tells her "You choose, bitch!" Baszler runs out to the ring, and security quickly moves into place.
We see a vignette for Carlee Bright, where we see footage of her as a cheerleader before she came to NXT after graduating from college, and says that "NXT's ray of sunshine" has officially arrived. Backstage, Natalya, Karmen Petrovic and Kendal Grey congratulate Carlee when Izzi Dame shows up to rain on Carlee's parade, but Karmen takes offense to Izzi's attitude. When Izzi talks back, Karmen punches her in the face.
Backstage, No Quarter Catch Crew (Charlie Dempsey, Damon Kemp, Myles Borne) is training when Damon Kemp asks Charlie Dempsey if he is already. Dempsey says that ever since he lost the Heritage Cup, he lost a piece of himself, and he feels he needs to win the Heritage Cup back. He says that they need to learn from how Tony D'Angelo runs his family and regain structure, and has Damon Kemp take on D'Angelo next week.
Backstage, Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson wonder who attacked Noam Dar and Oro Mensah, and Lash says she will ask Trick Williams if he is behind the attacks, as she knows he will tell her the truth.
Dante Chen gets another surprise victory on Lexis King. After the match, Lexis King attacks Dante Chen, then exposes the concrete underneath the floor padding and hits him with a spinning neckbreaker.
We hear from Josh Briggs, who talks about his time in NXT with Fallon Henley and Brooks Jensen, and while he bet on himself after they split, he felt he had lost his way. He says he will find out who he is after Battleground.
Backstage, Kelly Kincaid interviews Shawn Spears, who says that the youth of NXT is so talented yet so misguided and that he has also been down that path. He says he will help guide the youth to their maximum potential and become the answer.
Backstage, Tony D'Angelo shows up as his family talks about the NXT tag team titles, and D'Angelo says nothing else gets down until they put No Quarter Catch Crew (Charlie Dempsey, Damon Kemp, Myles Borne) to bed. He says the Heritage Cup is growing on him while the cup is like a part of the Crew, and that he wants to know more about the Crew to see how they operate. D'Angelo says that they will beat the Crew at their own game.
Fallon Henley guests on commentary for the next match.
Kelani Jordan beats Wren Sinclair to qualify for the NXT North American Women's Championship Ladder Match.
Backstage, Stevie Turner wants to know what Jordynne Grace has done to earn a shot at the NXT Women's Championship while she has been working at NXT Level Up. She also wants to see if Mr. Stone has an opportunity for her. Suddenly, Jordynne Grace shows up and proposes a match between them next week.
Backstage, Kelly Kincaid interviews Wes Lee, who says that and that Gallus may want all the gold in NXT, but he will not let them have the North American Championship. Suddenly, Oba Femi shows up and commends Wes Lee for his bravery, then says that the amount of opponents does not matter to him as he will walk out as champion. Wes Lee reminds Oba Femi that he has made a career of proving people wrong, and says that he will do the same with him.
Trick Williams and Je'Von Evans beat Gallus (Joe and Mark Coffey) after Sexxy Red stops Joe Coffey from using the NXT Championship as a weapon. After the match, Lash Legend shows up and asks Trick to be honest with her, and asks him if he attacked Noam Dar and Oro Mensah. Suddenly, the lights go out, and when they come back on, Trick is shoved into Lash by Ethan Page - fresh out of All Elite Wrestling and Ring of Honor - who then says that he took them both out. He then takes out Trick Williams in the corner to end the show.
Braun Strowman beats JD McDonagh despite the distraction and interference by Finn Balor and Carlito and despite JD McDonagh targeting Strowman's knee throughout the match. After the match, Carlito and Finn Balor attack Strowman, but Strowman overpowers them both and tosses them out of the ring. JD McDonagh hits Strowman in the back with a metal folding chair, but it has no effect, and Strowman slaps it out of his hands, forcing him to run away.
Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Liv Morgan. Liv says she has no remorse over how she won the World Women's Championship and did not know Dominik Mysterio would be there, and that she needs to beat Becky Lynch straight up in a steel cage to prove herself.
Backstage, Finn Balor and Carlito met by Damian Priest, who is looking for JD McDonagh. He says Braun Strowman is still a problem, and tells them to find JD so they can regroup.
In backstage footage from earlier today, Ricochet finds out he is cleared for competition, but finds out from General Manager Adam Pearce that Bron Breakker is not here and is at home, suspended with a fine for his actions. Ilja Dragunov shows up to thanks Ricochet for what happened last week, and wants to go another round. Ricochet says he owes him one, but Dragunov says he does not fight people, he breaks then, and he does not fight "broken" people. Ricochet says he is cleared to compete, and the match is made official.
Before the next match, it is announced that Kale Dixon is seriously injured after last week and will not be back for a while. Also, another QR code is seen before the next match, along with the words "BECAUSE WE BELIEVED."
Ricochet vs. Ilja Dragunov ends in a no-contest with Bron Breakker showing up out of nowhere and hitting Ricochet with a Spear. After the match, Dragunov fights Bron Breakker, but Bron Breakker hits him with a Spear. Referees show up alongside General Manager Adam Pearce, and Bronson refuses to even look at Pearce as he leaves until he is halfway up the ramp.
Backstage, Cathy Kelley is reporting as General Manager Adam Pearce yells at Bron Breakker, then Kiana James shows up. Adam Pearce says he and Kiana will go to his office, as he needs a drink.
We see footage from earlier today of The Awesome Truth (The Miz and R-Truth) with a Memorial Day ice cream truck when The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) show up wanting to know about the Memorial Day raffle. R-Truth says they are closed, then he and The Miz leave and hand Xavier Woods some ice cream. Karrion Kross then shows up and tells Xavier Woods that he believes in him, but that he cannot do anything for him until he ditches Kofi Kingston. Woods refuses, and Kross asks Kofi is he is going to wait until he retires to let Woods shine, then threatens to forcefully retire Kofi. This leads to a tag team match between The New Day and The Authors of Pain (Akam and Rezar).
The Authors of Pain (Akam and Rezar) beat The Creed Brothers (Julius and Brutus Creed) after Scarlett attacks Ivy Nile on the outside.
Backstage, we hear from Rey Mysterio, who says that Carlito was welcomed with open arms to The Latino World Order (Rey, Joaquin Wilde, Cruz del Toro, Zelina Vega, Dragon Lee) and would still be his brother were it not for the path that he chose. He then his jealousy towards Dragon Lee made him better and that attacking Cruz del Toro was a big mistake. After entertaining the idea that The Judgment Day (Finn Balor, Damian Priest, Rhea Ripley, "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio, JD McDonagh) might welcome Carlito with open arms, he says that tonight, he will not meet an old friend, and he will find out what happens he crosses him and the LWO.
Braun Strowman is seen still looking for JD McDonagh backstage as the camera is on Sheamus.
WWE acknowledges Memorial Day.
Sheamus heads to the ring. After stating that King and Queen of the Ring had banger after banger, he says that he was not on the show after Ludwig Kaiser smashed his knee and took him out. He says that while he is not bitter, Kaiser talked crap about him as he waited to get cleared. Sheamus tells Kaiser that he is back and that he cannot wait to get his hands on him, then Kaiser shows up on the TitanTron and says Sheamus should blame Gunther, as Gunther is King of the Ring and nobody else stood a chance. He says that after weeks of being a keyboard warrior at home, Sheamus is telling him what to do, and that nobody tells him what to do. Sheamus tells him to shut up before making up his mind to go find him. Sheamus leaves the ring and heads to the back, and as he looks for Kaiser, Kaiser suddenly ambushes him. Sheamus gets the better of him and takes the brawl back to the stage, where officials have to restore order.
Backstage, Lyra Valkyria is met by Becky Lynch, who says Saturday may not have went their way, but it is all about getting better. Becky tells Lyra she has got this, then leaves.
Lyra Valkyria beats Kairi Sane after getting her feet up to counter the In-Sane Elbow.
Backstage, Finn Balor and Carlito meet with Damian Priest, and Carlito somehow finds JD McDonagh. Priest talks with McDonagh regarding Braun Strowman until Dominik Mysterio shows up. Dominik says that he messed up and that Rhea Ripley knows he was trying to fix things, and Priest and Dominik agree that Dominik needs to fix things again.
Backstage, Iyo Sky is met by Dakota Kai and Kairi Sane, then Iyo Sky screams, throws lamps and destroys tables before leaving the room.
The Savannah Bananas are seen in the front row.
Rey Mysterio beats Carlito despite Finn Balor jumping the barricade and attacking Dragon Lee on the outside. After the match, Rey throws Finn over the announce table, and Damian Priest shows up and attacks Dragon Lee before Carlito spits in Dragon Lee's eye. Rey fights back against Damian Priest, but Damian Priest hits him with a Superkick followed by a choke slam.
Backstage, Chad Gable shows disappointment in Akira Tozawa for not being at Saudi Arabia. Braun Strowman shows up looking for JD McDonagh and leaves, then Otis and Maxxine Dupri show up and tells Maxxine not to accompany him to the ring before giving Otis a chance to redeem himself against "Big" Bronson Reed.
"Big" Bronson Reed beats Otis after Chad Gable refuses to let Otis rip up his shirt and hit the Caterpillar. After the match, Gable demands that the rest of Alpha Academy join him in the ring for a meeting. After the commercial break, Gable chews Otis out for his recent failures, then says that he lacks discipline and that he will show him discipline in front of the fans. He then removes his leather belt, saying Otis made him do this. Gable tells Otis to grab the rope, and tells Tozawa and Maxxine to stand there and watch what happens when shame is brought to Alpha Academy. He then tells Otis that this will hurt him a lot more than it hurts Otis, but when he rears back with the belt, Maxxine stops him. Gable mocks Maxxine and tells him to leave the ring, then demands Tozawa watch. Sami Zayn shows up, and heads into the ring as Gable warns him not to step inside. Sami steps into the ring and calls Gable "a weak little man" who has manipulated his way into Intercontinental Championship opportunities, came up short every time, and blamed everyone but himself when he could not get the job done. Gable says he can get the job done any time he wants, just like when he beat him last week, and blames Otis for his most recent loss before rearing back at Otis. Sami takes the belt from Gable's hand and throws it away before Otis stands between him and Gable. Sami asks Otis how much more he is willing to take before he stops listening to Gable and starts listening to the fans, and as he tells Otis to do the right thing, Gable attacks him. Sami soon fights back, then Otis pulls Sami off Gable. Gable hits Sami with a German suplex as Sami confronts Otis, then proceeds to pummel Sami even further. The fans soon starting "Let's go, Otis!" Gable then demands that Tozawa and Otis follow him to the back, and Otis begrudgingly heads to the back with Gable and Tozawa.
We see a video package chronicling the events of "The Liv Morgan Revenge Tour."
Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Zoey Stark and "The Queen of Spades" Shayna Baszler. Baszler says that everyone has the same limbs that all break the same way, and Zoey proposes inviting Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill to Raw to see who they are dealing with. Sonya Deville shows up, saying that they are talking like champions when they aren't, and Zoey and Shayna want nothing to do with Sonya when she says they will not be champions without her help, with Shayna even threatening to break Sonya. Suddenly, The Unholy Union (Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn) shows up, and Alba Fyre says that Zoey and Shayna have never beaten them. Isla Dawn says that if they were to get in the ring, that fact would not change.
Liv Morgan retains the Women's World Championship against Becky Lynch in a steel cage match. During the match, "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio shows up to open the cage door for Becky, who refuses to win it without his help as Finn Balor and JD McDonagh show up to tell Dominik not to do this. This leads to Braun Strowman now knowing where JD McDonagh is, showing up and chasing him and Finn around the ring. As he does this, he runs into Dominik, who inadvertently hits Becky Lynch with the cage door, allowing Liv Morgan to retain. After the match, Dominik is fuming at Liv Morgan, who ends up kissing him on the lips. (The Liv Morgan kiss is cut by USA Network as Race For Survival: New Zealand goes on the air.)
This week on Raw Talk: The Final Testament (Karrion Kross, Scarlett, Akam, Rezar, Paul Ellering)! Ludwig Kaiser! Lyra Valkyria!
"The Virtuosa" Deonna Purrazzo beats Thunder Rosa during the Buy-In after rebounding off the bottom rope to pin Thunder Rosa's shoulders to the mat during a Cobra Clutch and using the bottom rope for leverage.
Dr. Martha Hart shows up on the stage to celebrate 25 years of philanthropy with the Owen Hart Foundation, and Tony Khan announces that for the next Owen Hart Foundation Cup Tournament, the winners will get world title shots. He also announces that the tournament finals will once again take place in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on July 10th and that the championship matches for the winners will take place at All In at Wembley Stadium in London, England.
Chance, the mascot of the Las Vegas Golden Knights, is ringside for the next match.
The Acclaimed ("Platinum" Max Caster, Anthony Bowens, "Daddy Ass" Billy Gunn) beat "The Machine" Brian Cage, Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona, now known as "Cage of Agony," in the Buy-In after Las Vegas Golden Knights mascot Chance takes a metal folding chair away from Brian Cage and Billy Gunn pins Kaun with an inside cradle as Toa Liona is busy on the outside.
Don Callis guests on commentary for the next match.
Will Ospreay beats Roderick Strong to become the AEW International Champion! During the match, Don Callis demands that Ospreay hit the Tiger Driver '91 while Roddy is down, but Ospreay is unable to hit it. It takes Ospreay landing out of End of Heartache and hitting a Hidden Blade followed by the Storm Breaker to win the match and the title.
Adam Cole heads to the ring. Cole tells the fans that they suck and that he should be backstage checking on Roderick Strong, leaving the building or rehabbing his ankle at home, and that nobody has any idea what he has been through the last two years and he is still disrespected. He says he is the best wrestler of this generation, then says that everybody has a little devil inside of them and that they will give the devil his due. As he is about to say he is the devil, the lights go off, then come back on, then we see a video. It becomes apparent that the video is from the point of view of MJF as two halves of a photo of Cole and MJF are put together, then MJF shows up for the first time in almost a year. He sees the Devil mask that Adam Cole dropped earlier, then MJF and Cole hug before MJF kicks Cole in the groin and hits him with a brainbuster. MJF takes the microphone and tells Cole he gave him trust, and tells him that is never happening again. He says Cole thought he took him out, but all he did was wake him up and he now remembers who he is. MJF says he does not need a New Japan or a Vince McMahon to make him, because he made himself, then says that there will be "no more bullshit" and that is time to go back to being driven by hate, and that nobody is safe. He then takes the Devil mask and says masks are adorned by cowards who hide, and says that he is tired of apologizing that he is the best and that nobody is more complete than he is, and that everyone's favorites "suck a big bag of donkey dicks." MJF then says nobody is on his level and that the Devil mask and everything it symbolizes can go straight to hell before stomping the mask, hitting it with a Ric Flair elbow drop, and throwing it into the stands. MJF then says he has bet on himself since day one and is all in, double or nothing, then reveals a tattoo saying "Bet On Yourself" with a poker chip with the AEW logo on it on the back of his right leg. He then says that he can be called "The Wolf of Wrestling" because he is not leaving AEW.
The Bang Bang Gang ("Switchblade" Jay White, Austin Gunn, Colten Gunn) retain the AEW Unified World Trios Championships against Death Triangle (PAC, Penta el Zero Miedo, Rey Fenix) after "Rock Hard" Juice Robinson shows up out of nowhere and trips PAC off the top rope as he goes for the Black Arrow.
"Timeless" Toni Storm retains the AEW Women's World Championship against Serena Deeb with an avalanche Storm Zero followed by another one in the middle of the ring. During the match, Mariah May almost throws in the towel for Toni Storm, but Luther takes it away from Mariah. Toni makes it to the bottom rope, then takes the towel from Luther and chucks it into the crowd.
Don Callis guests on commentary for the next match.
Orange Cassidy beats Trent Beretta after Orange rebounds off the bottom robe as Trent goes for the omoplata and pins Trent with a jackknife pin. After the match, Trent Beretta refuses to be interviewed by Renee Paquette, then shoves Rocky "Azucar" Romero away as he leaves through the crowd.
"The Learning Tree" Chris Jericho retains the FTW Championship against "The Wrestler" Katsuyori Shibata and Hook after someone in a black hoodie attacks Hook and Shibata with a trash can, then reveals themselves to be "The Outlaw" Bryan Keith. Hook takes out Keith, but Jericho hits him with the Judas Effect before pinning Shibata, who is trapped in the trash can, to retain. After the match, Jericho brings out security as Hook stalks him on the ramp, and Hook takes security out before chasing after Jericho.
Jon Moxley retains the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against "The Alpha" Konosuke Takeshita after Takeshita throws metal folding chairs into the ring at the behest of Don Callis. As referee Rick Knox is removing the chairs from the ring, Moxley is able to curb stomp Takeshita into one behind his back and hit Death Rider to retain the title.
Forbidden Door is live on pay-per-view Sunday, June 30th.
Adam Copeland comes out to a special Brood-style entrance before the next match.
Adam Copeland retains the TNT Championship against Malakai Black in a Barbed Wire Steel Cage Match that sees Buddy Matthews and Brody King almost join Copeland before attacking him and Gangrel coming out from underneath the ring to hit Buddy and Brody with Impaler DDTs. Copeland retains with a crossface with some barbed wire. Copeland and Gangrel celebrate together after the match. (Had Copeland lost, he would have had to bend the knee and join the House of Black [Malakai, Brody, Buddy, Julia Hart].)
Backstage, Lexy Nair interviews Don Callis. Don Callis says it has been a great night for his family and that the future has never been brighter, then announces that he will be presenting a contract for the family this Wednesday on Dynamite.
Before the next match, ee see a video of Swerve Strickland driving through Las Vegas as we see a brief recap of Swerve being signed to AEW and Swerve winning the AEW World Championship. We then see Prince Nana with bottles in his hand saying "Swerve...come out and play" The Warriors-style.
In a match that sees Prince Nana and the rest of The Patriarchy (Killswitch, "The Prodigy" Nick Wayne, Mama Wayne) all get ejected and Prince Nana chase Nick Wayne back out with a pipe after Nick Wayne hits Swerve with a cutter on the outside, Swerve Strickland retains the AEW World Championship against Christian Cage after countering the Spear with a mid-air House Call.
The Elite (Matthew Jackson, Nicholas Jackson, "The Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada, Jack Perry) beat "The American Danielson" Bryan Danielson, Darby Allin and FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler) in an Anarchy In The Arena Match in a match that sees Darby Allin nearly getting run over by Jack Perry in a bus, Darby getting sent down The Elite's elevator only to reappear, Jack Perry getting set on fire with a flamethrower by Darby after Jack Perry kidnaps Tony Khan from the production booth, and Darby getting hogtied with a cable hanging from underneath the ring.
Note: This episode is a replay of the October 9, 2021 episode of Championship Wrestling From Atlanta.
Violence of Action (Roman Rozell and Derek Pisatoro) beat Jonah Turk and Cliff Hendrix.
In backstage footage from earlier today, Marti Bell interviews Darius Bengston. Bengston says that tonight is the biggest opportunity of his career so far and that he is not scared of Alex Chamberlain, who he says will not come in the way of his dream. He says that Chamberlain will find out why he shines from Los Angeles to Essex, then Chamberlain shows up and says "Good luck tonight, kid."
Darius Bengston beats Alex Chamberlain with a jackknife pin.
Backstage, Dustin Starr interviews Reka Tehaka. She says she has heard what Heather Monore has to say and knows what she wants, then says she can beat her anywhere, any time and any place.
Jonathan Gresham beats Mike Bennett. During the match, both men have each others' shoulders down during an inside cradle, and after the commercial break, it is announced that management wants a clean finish and that the match is to be restarted immediately. Gresham beats Bennett after Bennett's shoulders are on the mat as Gresham has him in a Figure Four Leg Lock.
Note: This episode is a repeat of the October 2, 2021 episode of Championship Wrestling From Atlanta. Also, the video cuts off early, and with the interviews cut out, this is probably how the replay of this show would have went.
Suge D beats Kaleb Konley after Kaleb gets his phone and tries to take a selfie during a submission hold only for Suge D to break out and fight back.
Jack Cartwright vs. Levi Shapiro for the United Television Championship from April 10, 2021 is replayed.
Carlie Bravo beats Scotty Beach with the Crossbones. After the match, Carlie Brown attacks and chokes Scotty Beach out with the American flag.
The Tate Twins (Brandon and Brent Tate) beat The Skimahorns (Brad and Briar Skimahorn).
Baron Black beats Lord Crewe with a La Magistral Cradle. After the match, Baron Black offers to shake Lord Crewe's hand, but Crewe hits him with a right hand and pounds on him before heading to the announce table, grabbing a chair, and taking it to the ring. Before he cant ake it inside the ring, however, Lord Crewe snaps out of his rage and drops the chair as the referee tells him not to use it.
Dustin Starr interviews Reverend Ash Taylor - now wearing a neck brace - at the announce desk, despite Reverend Ash Taylor not being invited to the event. Reverend Ash Taylor says he is here today because it is a day of celebration, and that he is here to congratulate Dustin Starr not because of his new child, but because he found a woman foolish enough to lay with him. He also says he is here to pass the collection plate and pray for the new child, then bows his head in prayer before "The GunShow" Brett Michaels shows up wondering why Reverend Ash Taylor is here. Brett then tells him that if that if anyone needs a prayer, it is Ash Taylor, then puts his hands on him and throws him into the ring. Both men shake hands, then Brett crushes Ash's hand, hits him with a spinebuster and finally lays him out with a GunShow Lariat. After the match, Brett Michaels says that he is Team Pink, but is calling that Dustin and Maria Starr will have twin daughters.
We see some behind-the-scenes footage from this special event.
Derrick King beats Sycho Simon in a match that turns into a hardcore match halfway through when Simon pulls out a garbage can that contains a dirty diaper. Simon is about to use the diaper as a weapon when Derrick shoves it into Simon's face. Later on, Simon throws some chairs into the ring, and when he swings at Derrick with one of them, the chair rebounds off the top rope and into his head, allowing Derrick to win with a Superkick. After the match, Dustin Starr interviews Derrick King at the announce desk, and Derrick says he is Team Blue.
We see even more behind-the-scenes footage from this special event.
Dustin Starr interviews Tim Bosby at the announce desk. Bosby - representing Team Blue - congratulates Dustin Starr on the new child and predicts it will be a boy, then Dustin Starr interviews Mackenzie Morgan - representing Team Pink - at the announce desk, and Mackenzie predicts it will be a girl. Bosby then says boys are bigger, faster and stronger than girls and asks why they are even having this match, but Mackenzie takes this as Bosby saying she cannot beat her. Both of them shake hands before the match.
Mackenzie Morgan (representing Team Pink) beats Tim Bosby (representing Team Blue) in a Gender Reveal Match. During the match, Dustin Starr hands Tim Bosby some blue powder to throw in Mackenzie Morgan's face, but Mackenzie ducks and the powder hits the referee. Bosby gets Mackenzie in the ankle lock, but the referee is still blinded when Mackenzie taps out. As this goes on, Maria Starr hands Mackenzie some pink powder to throw in Bosby's face, which she does successfully before hitting Bosby with a Stunner. After hitting Bosby with a facebuster, the referee is barely able to count to three, and Mackenzie wins, revealing that the new child is a girl.
Jon Moxley heads to the ring to start tonight's show. Suddenly, Don Callis also heads to the ring. Don Callis talks about how he cost Jon Moxley the AEW World Championship on his second night in the company and how Moxley got his pound of flesh, which causes him to be cut on the forehead when he inadvertently fell into a light fixture. He then talks about how he helped him beat Kenny Omega not long afterwards, then brings up how he always thinks of Jon Moxley every day because of the scar he gave him. He says most people would call this a deal breaker, but they are not like most people. Callis then brings up Jon Moxley meeting back up with him and saying "You're one of us now," and seeing nothing in his eyes. He says that they are both exactly alike, then says that it kills himself inside to see him face Konosuke Takeshita, as he sees himself in Moxley. Callis then tells Moxley to imagine the two of them running AEW together with Moxley as a member of Callis' family, then hands Moxley the microphone. All the while, everyone boos Callis out of the building and cheers Moxley. Moxley then tells Callis that he wants more commitment than the one scar on his forehead and wants to put 24 more on it, then he is then attacked from behind by Takeshita. Takeshita takes a metal folding chair and wraps it around Moxley's left arm, then goes to the middle rope and flips Moxley off before hitting the chair with a knee drop. He then presses a foot on the chair and stomps it before "The American Dragon" Bryan Danielson and Claudio Castagnoli chase Takeshita and Callis out of the ring.
We see footage from after Dynamite where a bloodied Will Ospreay says he has been through worse before he tells Roderick Strong that it is not the end and that his duty and spirit has bonded with the International title that he will take from him.
Claudio Castagnoli and Daniel Garcia's mystery partner is revealed to be Hiroshi Tanahashi.
Claudio Castagnoli, Daniel Garcia and Hiroshi Tanahashi beat Lance Archer and The Righetous (Vincent and Dutch) in a trios match.
We see another vignette bringing up The Elite's (Nicholas Jackson, Matthew Jackson, "The Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada, Jack Perry) accomplishments and their attempts to change the world as we see them do various things in and around AEW before the vignette mocks and insults The Elite's opponents (Darby Allin, Dax Harwood, Cash Wheeler, "The American Dragon" Bryan Danielson) in Anarchy In The Arena.
The Lucha Brothers (Penta el Zero Miedo and Rey Fenix) beat The Gunns (Austin and Colten Gunn). After the match, PAC celebrates with The Lucha Brothers and Alex Abrahantes, then "Switchblade" Jay White shows up and stares down Death Triangle (PAC, Penta, Fenix).
Backstage, Big Bill says that Chris Jericho has taught him to dig down and pull out the light, and Chris Jericho says that after everything that he has done in the business, he will have to work extra hard to retain, but he will come out with the win. As Jericho says he has to be ready for all kinds of opponents, "The Outlaw" Bryan Keith shows up and tells Chris Jericho that he may have missed his shot, but this will not be the last he sees of him.
Backstage, Lexy Nair interviews Trent Beretta. Trent calls Orange Cassidy a "con man narcissist" and says he will show the whole world what he already knows, then Rocky Romero shows up and says that no matter who wins, he hopes everything going on is put in the past. Trent tells Rocky that is not happening, and to never interrupt him again.
The House of Black (Brody King and Buddy Matthews) beats The Infantry ("The Captain" Shawn Dean and "Bad News and Tattoos" Carlie Bravo), Gates of Agony (Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona) and The Acclaimed ("Platinum" Max Caster and Anthony Bowens) in a four-way tag team match. After the match, we hear from Adam Copeland, who mentions Malakai Black taking away with wedding ring before telling Malakai that he walked the path he was walked before his balls dropped. He says Malakai Black wanted this darker version of him, and says it is fitting that their Barbed Wire Steel Cage match is in Las Vegas. He entertains the idea of joining forces with Malakai and becoming a powerful force, saying they deal in nightmares and not dreams, but also entertains the idea of beating Malakai and having The House of Black (Malakai, Brody, Buddy, Julia Hart) joining him. Copeland says there are many questions, then tells Malakai that when he sees evil in a man's eyes, it is already too late.
In backstage footage from after Dynamite, "Timeless" Toni Storm says things happen for a reason, and if Serena Deeb wants to be a victim, she will make her one. She tells Serena that her life has no meaning, and that she should put in her obituary that she lost to the champ.
Mariah May beats "Legit" Leyla Hirsch.
Backstage, Lexy Nair interviews Serena Deeb, who says that "Timeless" Toni Storm has had her fun and games and that it wasn't so fun for Toni to save Luther and Mariah May. She then says she will stretch Toni limb from limb and finally become Women's World Champion while "Timeless" Toni Storm is more like "Time's Up" Toni Storm.
We see a video package for Christian Cage vs. Swerve Strickland for the AEW World Championship at Double or Nothing.
We see footage of The Young Bucks (Matthew and Nicholas Jackson) at Champs Sports at Las Vegas, Nevada, where they signed boxes and copies of their new Reebok Pumps.
"The American Dragon" Bryan Danielson and FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler) beat Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett and Satnam Singh in a trios match. After the match, Cash Wheeler talks about FTR's AEW debut and how he will live and die for the company, then says that fans, wrestlers and the entire wrestling world are better off because of AEW. He says that they might be hard and may limp into tomorrow night, but they and Darby Allin are the only ones walking out. Dax talks about AEW's fifth anniversary, then says that they are fighting not just for AEW, but for the fans. He then says that at Anarchy At The Arena, they will be the fans' heroes like they have always been one more time.
Backstage during the Countdown, Byron Saxton interviews Liv Morgan who states that she will complete the "Liv Morgan Revenge Tour" and become Women's World Championship after she finally beats Becky Lynch. Suddenly, "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio shows up and says that Liv knows what he is doing here and that he flew all the way to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to keep her from winning the Women's World Championship that Rhea Ripley was forced to vacate.
Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill retain the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships against Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell on the Countdown.
We are introduced to the Arabic announce team of Jude Aldajani and Faisal Mughaisib.
Liv Morgan beats Becky Lynch to become the Women's World Champion! During the match, "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio shows up to watch from ringside, and later on in the match, Dominik throws a metal folding chair into the ring and distracts the referee so that Becky can use it, but Liv runs up to Becky and hits her with a DDT onto the chair behind the referee's back and hits Ob-Liv-Ion for the win and the title.
Before the next match, Chad Gable demands that Maxxine Dupri head back to the back. Also, a QR Code is seen during "Big" Bronson Reed's entrance before the next match.
Sami Zayn retains the WWE Intercontinental Championship against "Big" Bronson Reed and Chad Gable. During the match, Otis clotheslines Bronson on the outside, but when Gable demands that Otis do the same to Sami, Otis cannot bring himself to do it. When Gable shoves and slaps Otis again, Otis goes for it, but Sami ducks and Gable gets clotheslined. Sami then hits Bronson with the Helluva Kick back in the ring to retain the title.
Backstage, Byron Saxton interviews Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill. Cargill says there is no secret to their teamwork and that they have each other's back, and that Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell stepped up and got stepped on. Bianca says Candice is the reason she has had knee troubles and that she has paid her back. Jade Cargill then dares the rest of the women's division to take them on for the women's tag titles.
Grayson Waller, Austin Theory, #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa), The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) and B-Fab are seen in the front row.
Nia Jax beats Lyra Valkyria in the finals of the Queen of the Ring Tournament to become Queen of the Ring after Lyra goes for a top rope Sunset Flip Powerbomb only for Nia Jax to squash her from above with the A-Nia-Lator. After the match, Triple H awards Nia Jax with the queen's crown. Kayla Braxton interviews Nia Jax in the ring, but Nia tells her to save her congratulations, as nobody but herself is happy for her and she will become happier when she becomes WWE Women's Champion at SummerSlam.
Backstage, Byron Saxton interviews Becky Lynch, who is angry at "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio as she admits that all she knows about is the rematch clause in her contract, which she will get from General Manager Adam Pearce on Monday.
Tiffany Stratton and Carmelo Hayes are seen in the front row.
Gunther beats Randy Orton in the finals of the King of the Ring Tournament and becomes King of the Ring after Orton's knee gives following an RKO out of nowhere. After the match, Triple H awards Gunther with the king's crown. Byron Saxton interviews Gunther, who says that what he deserves is not the fans' business, then says it feels good to defeat Randy Orton in the finals and be King of the Ring. He says that The Apex Predator became prey for The Ring General, and that at SummerSlam, he will become World Heavyweight Champion. All the while, Gunther does not actually wear the crown.
WWE heads back to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for Crown Jewel on Saturday, November 2nd.
Backstage, Triple H congratulates Liv Morgan, Nia Jax and Gunther on their accomplishments tonight, then announces that Drew McIntyre has been cleared to step back in the ring, and that Damian Priest has agreed to defend the World Heavyweight Championship against him. Triple H then makes the match official for Clash At The Castle.
Chelsea Green, Piper Niven and LA Knight are in the front row.
Saudi Arabian megastar Ibrahim al-Hajjaj is in the special guest ring announcer for the next match.
"The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes retains the Undisputed WWE Championship against Logan Paul in a match that sees Logan Paul gets brass knuckles and bottles of Prime Hydration Drink from his entourage, Michael Cole calling Logan Paul out for using brass knuckles to the point that Logan allmost goes at it with Michael Cole for calling him a loser before Corey Graves stops him, Logan Paul hitting a splash through the Arabic announce table with multiple camera rotations, Cody Rhodes stopping referee Ryan Tran from ending the match by count-out and telling him "He needs to learn," Ryan Tran getting squashed in the corner and getting knocked, Cody hitting Logan with a Vertebreaker on the second attempt, and Logan Paul being stopped by Ibrahim al-Hajjaj from using brass knuckles again before Cody hits Logan with three Cross Rhodes.
Dustin Starr interviews Big John Dalton and Buff Bagwell at the announce desk. Both Big John and Buff are excited to be Memphis Wrestling Tag Team Champions, and after Big John thanks the fans, Buff calls these tags a special title to hold as he is holding them with someone who looks up to him, saying that he is Buff, but that Big John is the stuff. Dustin Starr then brnigs out Matchmaker King Cobra and Assistant Matchmaker Michael, who have news on challengers to the tag team titles. Michael announces that sadly, Buff is not exactly fit to compete and that he and Big John Dalton have to vacate the titles, as Buff Bagwell is not cleared to compete. However, if Big John Dalton can find another partner in two weeks, he can win the tag team titles again. Buff says that he knows a good partner, and brings up World Championship Wrestling.
Backstage, Sir Matt and Lord Gaston are upset that Buff Bagwell was not even medically cleared to compete and that the Memphis Wretling Tag Team Championships were not even handed back to them.
Dustin Starr interviews Mackenzie Morgan at the announce desk. Mackenzie says she is sick and tired of being sick and tired after Cassandra Golden has been running and hiding from her, but she finally has Matchmaker King Cobra's signature on a contract, which she signs. She then says she has a contract waiting for Cassandra whenever she is ready.
Mackenzie Morgan retains the Memphis Wrestling Women's Championship against Bashley Bones by disqualification. During the match, Cassandra Golden shows up and takes the contract, and when Mackenzie demands she sign the contract, Cassandra hits Mackenzie in the eye, ending the match. Cassandra then signs the contract.
Backstage, we hear from "The GunShow" Brett Michaels, who tells The Righteous Path that he is not done with them and that they have one piece of business that he will take care of next week: Marrow. Brett then says that when he gets done, he will be going back after the Memphis Wrestling Heritage Championship.
"The Chosen One" Zay Washington beats Mike Anthony. At the start of the match, it is obvious that Mike Anthony's confidence is shaken. When Anthony slaps Washington in the face, Washington fires off a spinning roundhouse before getting the job done with a top rope 450 splash.
"Dangerous" Diana Taylor gets some Starburst from Makkari Kandy backstage before the next match.
"Dangerous" Diana Taylor and Makkari Kandy beat Just Jodie and Raven Black after Jodie and Raven fail to get along and Jodie disapproves of Raven's dirty tactics. When Diana Taylor hits the DDT, Jodie does not even bother to save Raven when Makkari confronts her.
Backstage, "Main Event" Brad Skimahorn and Big Nasty Phil receive a note from J. Webb stating that J. Webb wants Brad Skimahorn next week. Brad says that he will end J. Webb next week.
Backstage, Big Dan finds out that Sycho Simon is here and has the rest of security stop him from entering the WrestleCenter. Simon ends up throwing one of the security guards into some nearby bushes, then threatens to knock Big Dan's teeth out before throwing another security guard in the bushes and putting his hands on Big Dan, who immediately calls Dustin Starr, who tells him to call the police. Simon tells Big Dan to bring everyone he can and that everyone had better run.
We see some footage from before the Starr Gender Reveal event.
Dustin Starr interviews The Hollywood Clique ("Hollywood" Jimmy Blaylock, Van Viciouss, Secret Service) at the announce desk. Blaylock finds out that due to Matchmaker King Cobra going over his head and going straight to the the championship committee, Blaylock and Viciouss will have a tag team match against Matchmaker King Cobra and Assistant Matchmaker Michael, with the winners making matches for Memphis Wrestling, as per the championship committee. Blaylock says he is not a wrestler, and says that this match is another example of the bias The Hollywood Clique goes through in Memphis Wrestling. He tells Van Viciouss to take care of Michael, and Viciouss says that Blaylock can take care of King Cobra. Blaylock says he will be making better matches than King Cobra, and if King Cobra gets in his way, he will stick his hand so far down his throat that it will take a crane to get it out and that he will hit him so hard that his grandchildren will feel it. He also says that King Cobra getting in the ring with him will be the biggest mistake of his life.
We hear from The L.A. Hustlers (Notorious Bradley and Ruffshot Lamont). Lamont calls Ray Ray Sanders and Derrick King "two high-power cowards" and "two punk-ass bitches" after what happened during Spring Break and guarantees that they will not meet them next week. The L.A. Hustlers then challenge Ray Ray and Derrick to a "Hustle Hard Match," with Notorious Bradley saying that Ray Ray and Derrick will not catch them outside.
We hear from Ray Ray Sanders and Derrick King, who accept The L.A. Hustlers' (Notorious Bradley and Ruffshot Lamont) challenge, with Ray Ray Sanders saying they are not afraid of a fight as he brandishes a wooden baseball bat while Derrick King says they will prove why they are the number one tag team in Memphis Wrestling.
"Casanova" Colton Cage guests on commentary for the next match (and mentions that "Astonishing" Austin Mulitalo is apparently "too astonishing" to be here for this match).
Too Kool II (Tim Grind and Flex) beat Steele Cross (Ethan Steele and Alex Cross), The O'Neal Brothers (Steven and Devin O'Neal) and The Last Savages (Gio Savage and Draco) in a four-way elimination tag team match to become number one contenders to the Memphis Wrestling Tag Team Championships.
