Category: News

Sami Zayn defends Gingerbread Man storyline and what he thought ‘was a good piece of business’

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

After recent reports of a creative pushback on the Gingerbread Man storyline emerged, Sami Zayn has now publicly defended the angle.

Recently speaking on Huge POP! Zayn opened up on the ongoing Gingerbread Man storyline on WWE SmackDown, involving Trick Williams, Lil Yachty, and Zayn himself. Despite the online criticism and reports of internal creative pushback, Zayn believes it “was a good piece of business.”

“I don’t know. I think context is kind of key for all of these things, right? A couple of weeks ago — I think these were maybe back-to-back weeks. I get the timeline messed up sometimes in my head, but the one week when Trick (Williams) and Lil Yachty had came out with the Gingerbread Man, and then I ended up being under the outfit and attacked them with the cane and all that. I thought that was great, and then the following week, I just had the Gingerbread Man mannequin in the ring… and beat up the Gingerbread mannequin. So, in both cases, a Gingerbread Man is kind of — I don’t wanna say the focal part of it but, kind of, right?” Zayn said.

“There’s this serious WrestleMania program for the United States Championship that involves a Gingerbread Man. On paper, sounds kind of silly. But the week we did it, where it was me under the suit, and I’m dancing, and then I clock those guys, I thought that was great,” Zayn added.

However, despite defending the storyline, he also addressed the parts where he felt it lacked life. “Then the following week, with the mannequin, it felt a little bit more lifeless to me. Not as great, maybe a little silly. I don’t know. It’s kind of week-to-week and it’s all in execution so I don’t think the concept of involving a Gingerbread Man on its own is ridiculous because this is pro wrestling and we do all kinds of fun things that maybe, you know, if you were on the internet and you were scrolling Twitter or whatever, and you saw a clip of guys in a ring with a Gingerbread Man, you’d be like what? But, in the world of wrestling, there’s context, and it kind of makes sense, and sometimes, these things get really over, actually.”

Sami Zayn further defends and explains WWE’s Gingerbread Man storyline

In the same interview, the former United States Champion opened up in detail and explained why the Gingerbread Man storyline is not silly.

“So, I don’t think the concept of the Gingerbread Man by itself is ridiculous or silly. It’s all in execution and on a week-to-week basis. But I thought that week where the Gingerbread Man showed up with the bus and he was dapping up Trick, and then he had his own locker room, and then I’m dancing and having all this fun, then I’m just part of the celebration because the Gingerbread Man is there to troll me essentially and make fun of me, and I whack them with a cane and I break the cane on Yachty’s back, and that cane was legitimately made of I don’t know what — oak or something. It was so hard. I don’t know how it broke. I felt that was all a good piece of business, and it was all fun so I don’t take a look at things like a Gingerbread Man, and dismiss them.” (H/T Fightful)

Zayn believes a storyline depends on how the wrestlers execute and commit to it. He believes that when someone is invested and committed to a storyline, they can turn it good.

Cody Rhodes is open to his daughters becoming wrestlers

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Hailing from the legendary Rhodes wrestling family, Cody Rhodes has now opened up on the chances of his daughters becoming wrestlers.

In an interview with US Weekly at the Disney Upfronts, Cody Rhodes was asked about the possibility of his daughters, Liberty and Leilani, becoming pro-wrestlers themselves.

Not brushing aside the chances, Rhodes claimed that if they have to be the best, if they plan to become wrestlers. “I would say the same thing my dad said, which was, ‘Cool, you can go into it, but you have to be the best.’ That’s easier said than done, but I think they could certainly do it, those two.”

Cody and his wife, Brandi Rhodes, welcomed Liberty into the world in June 2021, while Leilani was born in August 2025.

Cody Rhodes’ wrestling family legacy

Cody Rhodes is himself a second-generation wrestler. He is the son of WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes and the younger brother of current AEW wrestler Dustin Rhodes.

Born and raised in the wrestling business, Rhodes has been a part of the business since his early years. A veteran now, Rhodes is also married to Brandi Rhodes, who is herself a former ring announcer and pro-wrestler.

Rhodes has been wrestling since 2006 and has performed all over the world, including TNA, Japanese and British promotions, AEW, and WWE. A former AEW EVP, Rhodes is currently a 3-time WWE Champion.

John Cena compares ‘OVW Four’ to newer young talent in WWE

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

John Cena has opened up and compared the OVW Four to the younger talents in WWE.

In a recent interview with CBS Sports and SHAK Wrestling, Cena opened up on the concept of having new, younger champions in WWE. Bringing up the comparison with the iconic OVW Four, Cena shared how the new talents are going to get the spot after the veterans fade out.

The iconic OVW Four consisted of Cena, Randy Orton, Batista, and Brock Lesnar. “I don’t think one reason points in that direction. It could be someone like me who had an unprecedented stay of 23 years – keep in mind, that’s not the usual career length of a WWE Champion and Superstar. And alongside me, Randy Orton, side by side. Batista, a little bit of a shorter run, and Brock Lesnar in and out. But that class that you spoke of so highly, we had an anomaly of longevity and success, and that takes up time and spots,” he said.

“So now you’re talking about, as we wane out, certainly my chapter’s done, Batista’s chapter’s done, Brock – Randy’s kinda the only one left. Now, new performers are gonna get those spots, and those are going to go to the most seasoned performers that connect with the audience, and they just happen to be a little bit of the older scale. That doesn’t mean I don’t think we’re ruling out the possibility of a young champion in the very near future, because we are loaded with youth, speed, and talent,” Cena added.

Further speaking on the same topic, Cena also addressed his fandom for NXT’s latest addition, Mason Rook. “It’s no secret, I think, to those in the know that I chant with everybody else, ‘He’s big. He’s bad. He’ll bodyslam your dad.’ So if you don’t know who I’m talking about, I want you to go check that out. I’m a fan. – Cena is a fan of Mason Rook.“

Rook recently made his debut in WWE NXT following a career in the British independent scene and has already become a talking point on the roster.

Former NXT Champion has re-signed with TNA Wrestling

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Former WWE NXT Women’s Champion Indi Hartwell has now re-signed with TNA Wrestling.

A segment during the May 14 episode of TNA Impact saw Daria Rae announce World Champion Mike Santana in a title match against Steve Maclin. Santana is now set to defend his title on the May 21, 2026, episode of Impact.

However, as Rae continued with her announcement, she was interrupted by Director of Authority Santino Marella. The 52-year-old appeared on stage and announced that Indi Hartwell has now re-signed with TNA.

Hartwell had previously helped Marella get reinstated after a suspension given by Rae. Hartwell’s contract was a running theme in the previous few episodes of Impact, where Rae constantly reminded her of her upcoming contract expiry. However, now, after weeks of storyline, she has finally re-signed with the promotion.

A former WWE superstar, Hartwell was released by WWE in 2024 and has been working with TNA Wrestling since May 2025.

Former Giovanni Vinci makes TNA Impact debut

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Former WWE wrestler Giovanni Vinci has now officially made his TNA debut.

The Thursday, May 14 episode of TNA Impact saw the debut of the former WWE wrestler Giovanni Vinci, aka Fabian Aichner.

In the closing moments of the episode, after Cedric Alexander defeated Leon Slater and won the X-Division Championship, he was greeted with Vinci’s arrival.

While Alexander was busy celebrating his new championship and ending Slater’s reign of almost becoming the longest-reigning X-Division champion, Vinci interrupted him. The former WWE superstar arrived and set his sights on the new champion.

Vinci dropped his Giovanni Vinci name and appeared on TNA Impact as Fabian Aichner. He stood on stage and shared a staredown with the new champion as the show came to a close.

With the Ultimate X match coming up next month, Vinci could be a possible addition to that multi-man bout.

Who is Giovanni Vinci?

Giovanni Vinci, aka Fabian Aichner, is a former WWE wrestler. He has been a part of the WWE roster since 2017 until his release in 2025. Not wrestled since his dark match in WWE SmackDown in December 2024, Aichner has now arrived in TNA Wrestling.

New TNA X-Division Champion crowned

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Cedric Alexander is the brand new TNA X-Division Champion.

In the main event of the May 14 episode of TNA Impact, fans saw Cedric Alexander defeat Leon Slater in a 2-out-of-3 falls match. Alexander pinned Slater to crown himself the new X-Division Champion.

Following a closely contested battle and a scoreline of 1-1, Alexander evaded Slater’s Swanton 450 and countered it with multiple Lumbarchecks to pick up the X-Division title.

Slater was previously set to become the longest reigning X-Division champion on May 15, 2026. However, his plans were put to a halt as Alexander beat him to take home the title.

Alexander is a member of The System in TNA. While Alexander now holds the X Division Championship, Brian Myers and Bear Bronson of The System hold the TNA World Tag Team Championship.

Slater held the X-Division Title since July 2025, when he won the title from Moose at the Slammiversary PPV. Now, just one day before reaching the historic feat, Slater lost it to the former WWE wrestler.

Ultimate X match announced for TNA Slammiversary for X-Division Championship

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

The much-awaited Ultimate X match is set to return to TNA!

After months of waiting, it was announced during the main event of the May 14 episode of TNA Impact that the Ultimate X match would return at TNA Slammiversary 2026.

On Thursday, May 14, during the main event of TNA Impact, Leon Slater defended his X-Division Championship against Cedric Alexander in a Best 2 out of 3 Falls match. It was during this bout that the commentary team made the announcement. The finish of the match saw, Alexander defeat Slater to become the new X-Division champion.

It was announced that on June 28, 2026, at TNA Slammiversary, the promotion will host an Ultimate X Match for the X-Division Championship. TNA Slammiversary 2026 is set to take place at Agganis Arena in Boston, Massachusetts.

As of now, the participants or more details about the match remain a mystery, and nothing has been confirmed yet.

The history of TNA Ultimate X match

The TNA Ultimate X match is contested among three or more wrestlers from TNA’s X Division. Two cables, connected to metal structures rising from the four corners of the ring, cross 15 feet above the middle of the ring, and, similar to a ladder match, a championship, or a large X is suspended above the ring with the cables. The first wrestler to retrieve the object is declared the winner.

The first Ultimate X match took place in 2003, where Michael Shane defeated Chris Sabin and Frankie Kazarian. The most recent Ultimate X took place last year in 2025 at TNA Rebellion, where Moose defended his title against KC Navarro, Leon Slater, Matt Cardona, El Hijo del Vikingo, and Sidney Akeem.

John Cena thinks John Cena Classic ‘could be a version of WWE’s all-star game’

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

John Cena believes the new John Cena Classic could be a version of WWE’s All-Star Game.

At WWE Backlash 2026 in Tampa, Florida, Cena announced the brand new concept of the John Cena Classic, where both NXT and main-roster superstars will compete against each other for a championship. However, Cena also announced that, despite losing, a superstar could still win a title if the fans decide to vote for them and reward their hustle.

However, the concept also attracted a fair bit of criticism online, which Cena recently responded to. Speaking to CBS Sports and SHAK Wrestling, Cena said, “In a business where everybody says every story’s been told before, I want to swing for something new. Of course, I believe in sports entertainment meritocracy, and I believe that WWE is an excellent meritocracy.”

“Now, every statement I say, there’s gonna be multiple sides to that. People will have an opinion that agrees, people will have an opinion that disagrees, there might be apathy, and there might be some in the middle. So when I come up with an event that I’m like, ‘Okay, I wanna do what we did on Saturday Night’s Main Event,’ because I loved the environment around my retirement match.

“I was a small piece of that night. The larger scope, and in the media going into it, was, ‘Oh man, this is kind of a cool thing. Yes, the night could be all about John, but in essence, we’re getting to see John do his thing, but somebody’s gotta earn the right to face John, so that’s cool, you’ve gotta earn the respect to do it. And at the same time, we’re gonna get to see some new faces go against our familiar Superstars,'” Cena said.

He further opened up and shared his belief on seeing the John Cena Classic become WWE’s version of the All-Star Game. “I was there in the arena, the night rocked. It was great. The crowd was fantastic. Sure, the retirement match had a lot of buzz behind it, but they were on their feet for all the matches. So my brain started working, I’m like, ‘We should do something like this.’ I guess to sum it up in a sentence, I know I dropped a lot of information at Backlash, I think to sum it up in a sentence, it could be a version of WWE’s All-Star game.“

John Cena opens up further on the concept of the upcoming tournament

Despite no confirmed date or timeline for the John Cena Classic, the 17-time World Champion shared further insights on the tournament.

“It’s a night of exhibition, so we don’t really have to build any long lead stories into it. It is the current (stars) competing with – and that means they might be paired with, who knows, the bracketology is endless, they could be paired with, they could be up against – the future of the company, Superstars from NXT. This takes me back to 2002 when we had this young class in OVW. Brock was on a path of his own for sure, but I was sitting in OVW going, ‘How am I ever gonna get a chance?’ Because the roster was stacked,” said.

“You had guys like Kane, Triple H, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin, and The Rock. And it’s like, ‘Man, I’m never gonna get a chance.’ I felt like that. Sometimes I know how these NXT talents might feel. They’ve been down there for a year, two years, three years – ‘When am I gonna get my chance?’ Well for one night, if you can come up, drop your business card, see what happens, show the world what you have. And on top of it, if you steal the show, and maybe you’re not lucky enough to get the 1-2-3 and get your hand raised, every participant qualifies for kind of fan All-Star vote. So you could be recognized as the night’s champion.”

Responding to the criticism of the lack of the win-loss concept, Cena said, “Now, I’ve heard the perspective of, ‘Wins and losses don’t matter.’ That’s a very valid point. I love listening to feedback. We’ve gotta figure out the fan votes; there’s still a lot to be done. But you can vote for the winners. You just can also vote for everybody. And that’s a first-time.”

The veteran believes this is history being made and wants to give a chance to the NXT wrestlers against the WWE wrestlers in exhibition matches that are just a standalone part of the event.

“And that’s gonna come with praise, it’s also gonna come with critique. And as one of the most polarizing figures in WWE over the past 23 years, it wouldn’t be normal if there wasn’t folks that were cheering and folks that weren’t.”

Sami Zayn feels there’s a ‘middle ground’ for who benefits from wrestling on WWE house shows

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

WWE house shows are back, and Sami Zayn has opened up on the benefits of wrestling on them.

With WWE house shows reportedly coming back after a hiatus, former United States Champion Sami Zayn was recently asked to share his thoughts on it.

Looking at a middle ground, Zayn believes wrestling on house shows is crucial for the younger talent, although he believes there should be a “fine line” for the volume of the live events. (H/T Fightful)

“Well, even this, like anything else, there’s polarizing views on all of it, right? So, however, I can say no matter what you think, or I think, or whatever, it’s pretty clear that the best way to get good at anything is to do it over and over again. So I think when you’re starting to look at stars of the future, you’re looking at Trick [Williams], you’re looking at Je’Von [Evans], Bron Breakker, Oba Femi, and guys like this. A lot of these guys just simply don’t have a lot of reps under their belt and they’re doing phenomenal, all things considered. So I just think that there’s no disputing the idea that if they get a few more reps, especially live events where, really, that’s like the true performance,” Zayn said while speaking on Huge POP!

“That’s really what this business is. It’s you in a ring, a live house, not worried about the constraints of television time and hitting break spots and commercials, and you know, it’s really just the art form at its kind of most naked and truthful form. So, I think it’s invaluable experience for those guys. I think it’s a good thing to see some returning for sure. I’m not gonna get into the business side of it, as far as, you know, is it worth it from a profitability standpoint? I don’t know,” Zayn added.

He further opened up and explained why performing at live events is a ‘little harder’ for the veterans. Although he still sees the merit in them.

“I enjoy them, but I’ll also say that there’s two separate generations going at the same time here. You have guys like Roman [Reigns] or Seth [Rollins] or myself or [CM] Punk or Drew McIntyre or Kevin Owens or Finn Bálor, all these guys that are mainstays who are on the later side of our careers and have already put in 20 years. So, doing a bunch of live events is a little harder on our bodies.

“So, I kind of see the merit in, well, these are a lot of your top stars, and you wanna not run them into the into the road while you have ‘em. But I also see the merit in, well, these guys, the JeVons and the Bron Breakkers and the Obas, they need to get there too, so I do think there’s definitely this fine line of the volume of live events,” Zayn said.

“Because I don’t know if you wanna keep a lot of the guys that are current television stars or in their later years, you wanna keep them healthy for the next three, four, five years. The way it was before, with like 160 live events, might be a little much… Understanding the different town-to-town responses and just getting a feel for the audience, I think that’s crucial for these guys, so I do think having some of these live events around is a great thing. But the volume, I think, there’s like a middle ground.”

WWE’s next house show is scheduled on July 11, 2026, at the Pan American Center in New Mexico, the tickets for which are expected to be much more affordable.

AR Fox wins ROH TV Championship, snaps 20-match losing streak in title matches

Posted on by Josh Nason

After 20 straight opportunities at winning a title for four different promotions, AR Fox can now call himself a champion after winning the Ring of Honor men’s TV title on Thursday’s ROH TV.

In a match taped Saturday, Fox defeated Nick Wayne for his first title run since holding the CZW Wired championship in 2020. It’s also his first title in either AEW or ROH.

Going into the match, Fox was 0 for his last 20, starting with February 2020’s loss in an AAW Tag Team title challenge. Since then, Fox has challenged for the AEW TNT title, AEW Trios titles, AEW International title, AEW National title, NJPW TV title, ROH World title, ROH Six-Man titles, and ROH Pure title without a single win.

This was Fox’s fourth shot at the TV title dating back to November 2024. He already has his first title defense set up as he will face Lio Rush at Friday’s ROH Supercard of Honor.

The win ends Wayne’s 387-day run with the title which saw seven successful defenses and seven months of inactivity due to a broken foot. He returned from injury this past March and will now head to Japan for the annual NJPW Best of the Super Juniors tournament.

Three title matches part of ROH Supercard of Honor additions

Posted on by Josh Nason

AEW National Champion Mark Davis will continue his busy schedule at Friday’s Ring of Honor Supercard of Honor streaming special — one of three championship matches added Thursday.

Davis will defend the title against CMLL’s Xelhua who will be making his fifth ROH appearance and his first since late-January in a trios bout. This will be the first time they have shared the ring.

Davis defeated Jack Perry for the title last Saturday at AEW Fairway to Hell and was added to Team Ricochet for the Stadium Stampede match taking place at next Sunday’s AEW Double or Nothing. He’s had a slew of matches in ROH since 2023 and has won his last six singles matches there.

Also added to the show is an ROH Pure title defense as Lee Moriarty puts the title up against Ace Austin who is coming off a loss to Will Ospreay Wednesday. Moriarty has held the title for 658 days with 15 successful title defenses.

After finally breaking through and defeating Nick Wayne for the ROH TV title Thursday, AR Fox will put the title on the line against Lio Rush who called his shot directly afterward.

In another development, Zayda Steel defeated Hyan to earn the final spot in the Survival of the Fittest match for Athena’s ROH Women’s World title.

As of this writing, the Zero Hour pre-show matches have yet to be announced.

Current ROH Supercard of Honor card | This Friday | HonorClub

  • ROH World Champion Bandido defends against Blake Christian
  • Nigel McGuinness vs. Josh Woods in a Pure rules match
  • ROH Women’s Champion Athena defends against Maya World, Trish Adora, Yuka Sakazaki, Billie Starkz and Zayda Steel in a Survival of the Fittest match
  • ROH Women’s Pure Champion Deonna Purrazzo defends against Diamante
  • ROH Women’s TV Champion Red Velvet defends against Viva Van
  • AEW National Champion Mark Davis defends against Xelhua
  • ROH Pure Champion Lee Moriarty defends against Ace Austin
  • ROH Men’s TV Champion AR Fox defends against Lio Rush

WWE Backlash ratings for ESPN2 simulcast revealed

Posted on by Josh Nason

The viewership and 18-49 demo rating for the one hour simulcast of WWE Backlash last Saturday are now available, courtesy of Wrestlenomics.

The outlet reported that the hour brought in 998,000 viewers from 6-7 pm Eastern Saturday with a .33 18-49 demo ratings. The data does not include ESPN Unlimited which aired the entire show.

That hour featured Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker and WWE United States Champion Trick Williams defending against Sami Zayn.

The numbers were understandably down from last month’s WrestleMania 42 of which ESPN aired the first hour of each night, one on ESPN and another on ESPN2.

It’s unknown if ESPN will continue to air the first hour of upcoming PLEs on their networks. The next opportunity will be Clash in Italy on Sunday, May 31 — an early show in the United States.

Recent WWE on ESPN ratings & 18-49 demo performance

Show (First Hour)ChannelViews18-49
BacklashESPN2998,000.33
WrestleMania 42 SundayESPN1,822,000.65
WrestleMania 42 SaturdayESPN21,616,000.62
Averages–1,478,000.53

Chris Jericho stars in Minnesota Vikings NFL schedule release video

Posted on by Josh Nason

Former AEW World Champion Chris Jericho was a featured performer in the Minnesota Vikings’ NFL schedule release video Thursday.

Seen below, Jericho plays a waiter, offering up 17 different dishes from across the country to kicker Will Reichard, symbolizing the 17 games on their schedule. Reichard says he’ll take them all and when Jericho asked if there were any allergies, Reichard said, “No…just cables and camera wires.”

The video then goes through each game with a different dish (flame-kissed fish for the Miami Dolphins, cheesehead board for the Green Bay Packers, etc). It eventually ended with Reichard trying to open a door with his foot as he was holding take out bags. Jericho runs up, compliments him as the best kicker in the league, and asks him to sign an autograph for “Chris Jericohen.”

In recent years, the NFL teams’ schedule release videos have become something of a phenomenon, especially in the era of social media. Other wrestlers that have taken part in the past includes The Miz with his Cleveland Browns and Seth Rollins with his Chicago Bears.

Tony Khan thinks Nielsen ‘does a tremendous job in interesting times’ of changing methodology

Posted on by Josh Nason

Even though it feels that the ratings methodology employed by Nielsen changes by the week, AEW head Tony Khan says he had a lot of confidence in what he gets from them.

During a Thursday media call to promote Friday’s Supercard of Honor show, Khan was asked about the ongoing situation with Nielsen’s new methodology and what he relies on as well as if he is getting any key insight from the new MyAEW platform.

Khan chose to take the high road in complimenting the longtime TV ratings provider and gave some insight in how he uses their data.

“I think Nielsen does a great job and I have a ton of respect for them. They are still the top in the industry and provide the best insights and information. I typically look at their data frequently throughout the week for AEW Dynamite and AEW Collision for the United States,” he said.

I think Nielsen does a tremendous job in interesting times as they develop the methodology, but I do have a lot of confidence in them,” he said.

As part of that answer, he also said the new MyAEW service has given the company “fascinating data” for their international audience but it’s a much different strategy from the U.S. He didn’t provide any details on what data and information their partner, Kiswe, provides.

TNA Impact live results: Leon Slater vs. Cedric Alexander

Posted on by Jeff Moss

TNA Impact is live tonight from the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium. The company will return to the venue for TV tapings again on Friday.

Scheduled for tonight’s show is a number one contenders battle royal for a shot at the TNA World Championship.

The main event will see The TNA X-Division Championship on the line as Leon Slater defends against Cedric Alexander in a best two-out-of-three falls match.

There will be a SacTown Street Fight between KC Navarro and AJ Francis. Athletics Play-by-play announcer Chris Caray will join the broadcast team for that match.

The new TNA Knockouts World Champion Lei Ying Lee will be on the show.

We will also hear from TNA World Champion Mike Santana on the show.

Rosemary and Allie will team up to take on Victoria Crawford and Mila Moore.

Our live coverage kicks off at 9 p.m. Eastern.

*******************************************

Many moons ago, when the expierment that was SpikeTV was a thing, I stumbled upon a quirky little wrestling program with an “X” division and a six-sided ring called TNA. Fast forward 20+ years later and here I am sitting down to watch the current iteration of the show on AMC of all places.

This is my first week recapping TNA and my first time watching it in quite a while and based on the card laid out, I think I picked a good time to jump back in. So let’s get ready for some Action that’s going to be Total and Non-Stop on a show that’s sure to make an Impact!

Sorry, had to get those out of the way. Let’s get to it, shall we?

A video package opened the show recapping Leon Slater’s rise to X Division Champion and reminding us all that if he wins tonight, he’ll be the longest-reigning X Division Champion, which is pretty cool.

TNA World Title #1 Contendership Battle Royal

No better way to start a show than with a giant battle royal to determine the #1 contender for the TNA World Championship. Most of the participants were already in the ring, but The System, Mustafa Saed and Elijah (cosplaying my E-Fed character from about 30 years ago) got their own intro and entrance.

Saed threw trash can lids, Kendo sticks and chains into the ring and before the match even started, Bear Bronson ate a shot to the head with a trash can lid. No one really knew what to make of Saed, so they attached him Steven Segal style, ie one at a time.

Saed was also the frist to be eliminated as he got tossed over the ropes by Agent Zero. Zero and Dutch of the RIghteous were next to go over and Zero was not happy about it, tearing up the ringside area. ECE was eliminated next follwed by Mr Elegant.

Brian Meyers got thrown out next along with Skylar and Vincent. Elijah hit a high knee on Jason Hotch to eliminate him and we were down to about half a dozen left in the ring. The Hometown Man was eliminated with Frankie Kazarian going next to bring us to four.

Kazarian came back to pull Elijah’s hair, but that just gave him an opening to eliminate Eddie Edwards and Bear Bronson. That left Elijah and Erik Young as the final two.

They battled on the ring apron (the royalest part of the ring!) with Young hitting a low blow on Elijah, causing him to fall to the floor and give Young the victory.

Match Result: Eric Young won the Battle Royal to become the #1 contender to Mike Santana’s TNA World Championship.

-Backstage, Leon Slater was interviewed about his match later tonight. Slater said that he is ready to make history by winning tonight. He touted the legacy of the X Division and tonight he will go from the Youngest to the Greatest X Division Champion.

The Hardys arrived and said that Slater has a chance to become a legend tonight and wished him luck.

-Back from break, Mr Ali cut a promo about rubbing a lamp and getting three wishes. He said that his open challenge for the TNA International Title will continue next week.

Eric Young stormed in next to remind us he just won a battle royal. Thanks Eric!

TNA Knockouts World Champion Léi Yǐng Lee Addresses The Fans

Lee Street-Fightered her way to the ring and grabbed a mic. “You deserve it” chants started as Lee said that she has been waiting her whole life for this moment (which is interesting since this is her second run with the title).

Lee said that she doesn’t have the words in English to express her gratitude to the fans and she thanked them. As she did that, Xia Brookside came out to interrupt.

Brookside said that sooner or later, the title will come to her. Lee said that she was sick of Brookside and then yelled at her in Chinese. Brookside ran her down for her limited Engish (classy) and Lee said let’s do it right here, right now!

Brookside pretended to accept, but then said she would never fight Lee in a cesspool like Sacramento. Rude.

She then called Lee a bitch in Mandarin and stormed out, leaving Lee incensed in the ring.

-Back from break, the System was interviewed (again) about the loss they suffered in the Battle Royal. Meyers and Bronson called out Moose and Cedric Alexander said that he is going to spoil Leon Slater’s party tonight. Because apparently, you can’t beat the System.

-Back from another break, Keith Jardine was interviewed at Ringside about the new movie “Over Your Dead Body.” It has a lot less to do with wrestling than you think, but Jardine said that it was violent and fun but then The Congierge, Mr Elegance and the Elegance brand came down to the ring and made fun of him for not being as greasy as they are. Security came down and sent them to the back, ending the segment.

-Back from a third break, it was time for the Street Fight!

Sactown Street Fight: KC Navarro vs. AJ Francis

Navarro and Francis used to be friends and tag team partners, but now they are looking to tear each other apart in a street fight, which is also how I settle disputes with my former (and current) friends.

The voice of The Oakland A’s, Chris Carey joined the commentary team for this match, which I’m sure is exciting for the people who enjoy Oakland baseball before it inevitably moves to Las Vegas.

The match started with a brawl on the outside and Navarro going until the ring for a table. Francix knocked him down and very nicely put it back for him. He threw Navarro into the ring and went for a Down Payment, but Navarro countered it with a 305.

The fight moved outside the ring where Francis went for a lawndart, but Navarro countered it into a DDT. He pulled the table out from underneath the ring again, but Francis threw him into the steps. Navarro grabbed a chair form under the ring and belted Francis with it before sending him into the steps head first.

We came back from commercial just in time to see Francis throw Navarro into the ring post. Francis grabbed a baseball bat, but couldn’t connect on a leaping Navarro. Navarro grabbed the bat and a batting helmet from Chris Carey and belted Francis with it.

Francis escaped into the ring only to get clocked in the head by the bat again. Navarro set him up in the corner with a trash can and rounded the bases to hit a dropkick, driving the trash can into Francis’ midsection. He followed that with a Fame-Ass-Er, but Francis kicked out at two.

Navarro threw half a dozen chairs into the ring and set them up in the middle of the ring. he set Francis up on them and went up top, but Francis got up and cracked him with the bat. Francis joined Navarro up top and hit a massive Down Payment but halfway down, Navarro countered it into a cutter, sending Francis through the chairs.

Navarro went back to basics, hitting Francis with a chair and burying him with the others in the ring. He went up top, but Francis exploded out of the chairs with a big boot. Francis then hit a Down Payment over the top rope, sending Navarro through two tables that were set up on the outside.

Francis threw Navarro back into the ring and pinned him to get the victory.

Match Result: AJ Francis defeated KC Navarro

Note to wrestling fans in the audience: When you chant profanity, it’s really annoying to people at home who have to warch with AMC cutting the audio in and out. Just saying.

TNA World Champion Mike Santana addresses the Sacramento crowd

Santana entered through the crowd, which probably seemed like a good idea at the time, but if you’re going to do that, you should probably make sure that you’ve sold out the venue so your champion isn’t entering in front of empty seats.

Santana grabbed the mic and asked what was good. He said that he was taught to speak through actions, not words, and it’s gotten him to the TNA World Championship. He then addressed the new #1 Contender, Eric Young.

Santana said that he recognizes Young’s legacy, but he’s beaten those with legacy before. That brought out Daria Rae.

Rae congratulated Santana and said that Young wasn’t actually the next contender for the title. Steve Maclin is still owed a rematch. Maclin has been cleared for in ring action, so next week it will be Santana vs Maclin for the TNA World Title.

That conjured Director of Authority Santino Marella. He had some announcements of his own: First, Indi Hartwell has just re-signed with TNA. That ended up being the only announcement though as Santana interrupted Marella and Rae jawing at each other about Stacks.

Santana said this was terrible, and accepted the match for next week and left.

Allie & Rosemary (w/Mara Sade) vs. The Diamond Collective (Mila Moore & Victoria Crawford) (w/Tessa Blanchard)

Rosemary and Moore kicked things off with Rosemary doing some biting early on. Allie also got a nibble in and Rosemary tagged her in for a double team. Allie chopped Moore and screamed at her while splashing her in the corner.

Blanchard got involved, pulling Allie off the turnbuckle and giving Moore a chance to change the momentum. Moore got some shots in then tagged in Crawford who bounced Allie’s head off the turnbuckle.

Moore tagged back in and stomped Allie, isolating her in the corner. Crawford and Moore exchanged quick tags while throwing hands at Allie. Allie managed to connect with a neckbreaker on Moore and crawled over to tag in Rosemary.

Crawford also tagged in and Rosemary hit a sling blade on her followed by and exploder suplex. Crawford came back with a big boot, but Rosemary countered it with a reverse DDT. Moore broke up the pin attempt but Rosemary fought off the double team.

Sade took out Blanchard on the outside and Allie sent Moore into the steel steps. She picked her up and hit her with a spiccoli driver on the outside while Crawford at a “So Below” in the ring to get pinned 1,2,3.

Match Result: Allie & Rosemary defeated The Diamond Collective

-Back from break, Broken Matt Hardy cut a promo that was WONDERFUL! as he called out The Righteous to meet them next week on the battlefield where the action is total and non-stop!

TNA X-Division Title Best Two Out Of Three Falls Match: Leon Slater (c) vs. Cedric Alexander

The record that Slater is looking to capture tonight has stood for over 14 years, so this match is a pretty big deal. Slater and Alexander are 2-2 against each other since last August and the show has done a great job building up this match all night, so let’s do it!

The bell rang and Slater dodged a charge from Alexander. They started trading punches and Slater went for a quick Styles Clash, but Alexander countered it. He went for a lumbar check, but Slater rolled him up and scored the first pin of the match.

Back from a break, Alexander sent Slater careening into the corner and it was revealed that during the commercial, Alexander hit a snap German suplex that had Slater landing on his neck. In the here and now, they traded forearms in the center of the ring with Alexander going for a pin that Slater kicked out of.

Slater hit a chinbreaker and a dropkick, but Alexander stayed on his feet until Slater clotheslined him. He hit one hell of a kick in the corner and went up top. Alexander moved and went for another Lumbar Check but Slater countered with a spin kick and then a cross body from the top turnbuckle.

It was here that they announced that Ultimate X will return on June 28th at Slammiversary.

A busted open Slater ate a Michinoku driver, but Alexander wasn’t able to get the pin. Slater grabbed a headlock to cut off a Lumbar Check and Alexander punched him in the back about it. Slater responded with a high kick with both men starting to look worn down.

Alexander finally got a Lumbar Check in and pinned Slater to even the score 1-1. We moved into next pin wins territory as they went to another commercial break.

Back from said break, Slater was on the top turnbuckle and Alexander caught him with a high kick. Alexander went for a hurricanrana, but Slater countered it into a Super Styles Clash from the top turnbuckle! He went for the cover, but somehow Alexander kicked out.

Slater went back to the top, but Alexander kicked his legs out from under him. On the way down, Slater caught his leg in the ropes, wrenching his knee. Alexander then slammed Slater’s head into the ring steps. Alexander started getting cocky and grabbed the belt from Carlos Silva.

He then put it back gently and held Slater’s head to the camera to show his multiple lacerations. Rolling Slater back into tyhe ring, Alexander set him up for a suplex, but Slater tried to steal one with a rollup. Alexander came back with a brainbuster, but Slater kicked out.

Slater staggered to his feet and Alexander hit another Lumbar Check. Somehow, Slater kicked out and ducked a Blue Thunder Bomb. He went up top, literally slipping in his own blood and landed a 450, but Alexander had moved. Alexander hit another Lumbar Check and then one more for good measure. He pinned Slater and that was it. 1-2-3 and Cedric Alexander is the new TNA X-Division Champion.

Match Result: Cedric Alexander defeated Leon Slater 2 falls to 1 to win the X Division Championship.

After the match, who should come waltzing out? Fabian Aichner of all people! He and Alexander stared each other down as the show went off the air.

Well, I have to say, that was a really fun show! From the opening battle royal to the barnburner of a main event, it was really entertaining. I did not see Alexander winning the title, so that was a great surprise. I’m stoked to be in TNA land and can’t wait for the World Title match next week! See you then!