The Big Takeaway: Gran Metalik & Kalisto defeated Brian Kendrick & Jack Gallagher in less than four minutes. Apollo Crews beat Curt Hawkins in a rematch from last week to take Hawkins’ storyline losing streak to 137.
**********
Apollo Crews (w/ Titus O’Neil) defeated Curt Hawkins (5:13)
In a rematch from last week, Apollo Crews beat Curt Hawkins again. They have upped his streak by five from last week even though Hawkins hasn’t worked a live show in the last seven days, suggesting that the number is as arbitrary as the angle itself.
Hawkins took a beating in the first half of the match, with Crews showing off his strength with a long vertical suplex. When Hawkins got some heat, he went outside and mimicked O’Neil’s Florida Gators call, but O’Neil didn’t rise to it this week.
The last few minutes saw the two men exchange quick pinning combinations as Hawkins looked like he was pushing Crews all the way. It ended, though, when Crews ducked under a clothesline and spun Hawkins up into the air to nail him with his spin-out powerbomb.
Gran Metalik & Kalisto defeated Brian Kendrick & Jack Gallagher (3:44)
Gallagher is a remarkable performer but is perhaps even more so now that he wrestles in a full three-piece suit and dress shoes. He and Kendrick are as different as chalk and cheese — especially evidenced if you’ve seen their episode of “Ride Along”on the WWE Network — but functioned well as a tag team here.
After Metalik played babyface in peril, he managed to get distance between himself and Gallagher and Kendrick. They did a great spot where Kendrick slid back into the ring as Metalik was crawling to make the hot tag and Kendrick dove to stop him, just missing as the tag was made. The timing was perfect.
The finish saw Metalik hit a prone Gallagher with his rope-walking elbow drop while Kendrick was too far away to make the save. Metalik and Kalisto celebrated like they had just won a championship but, overall, this was far too short given the talent on the show.
Editor’s note: The following references results from last Wednesday’s NXT television tapings.
Submitted by reader Liam Renner
– The Street Profits defeated Tino Sabbatelli & Riddick Moss
This was a basic opener with a lot of comedy. The Street Profits won with a spinebuster and a frog splash.
– Sonya Deville defeated Ruby Riott
They wrestled a safe match and Deville won by submission with an ankle lock.
– NXT Tag Team Champions Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly defeated SAnitY (Eric Young & Killian Dain) to retain their titles
The title change is being acknowledged at house shows even though it hasn’t aired on television yet. This was a really good match and the best one on the show. They brawled in the crowd, using a plastic sign and trash cans before the bell rang.
After a lot of near falls, Young got rolled up for the pin.
– Adam Cole defeated Chad Lail
Cole got the biggest reaction of anyone here. The match was basic, with Cole hitting a Shining Wizard to defeat Lail (who was formerly Gunner in TNA). Aleister Black had faced Lail the previous two nights but wasn’t on this show.
Cole got on the mic after to say there’s no one in NXT on his level, leading to Lars Sullivan coming out to disagree with him.
– Lars Sullivan defeated Adam Cole by DQ
Cole sold a bunch, but he did get some offense in. Sullivan went out and grabbed a table, then Fish and O’Reilly ran in and attacked him for the disqualification. SAnitY came back out and beat up Fish and O’Reilly. They threw Cole back into the ring and Sullivan laid him out.
– NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon defeated Bianca Belair to retain her title
This was a fun match. Belair played heel and the crowd loved Moon. Moon retained after hitting The Eclipse, which got a big pop.
– NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas (w/ Zelina Vega) defeated Roderick Strong to retain his title
The match started slow but got really good at the end. The finish came when Almas tried to use the belt as a weapon, which distracted the referee and allowed Vega to hit a hurricanrana on Strong. Almas then retained with the hammerlock DDT.
UFC returns tonight for its second show of the weekend with an event that looks exciting on paper but probably won’t be breaking any box office records. Top to bottom, though, it’s one of the best shows of year headlined by a featherweight title rematch where Max Holloway defends the belt against longtime former champ Jose Aldo.
In the co-main, a future heavyweight title contender should emerge as up and coming prospect Francis N’Gannou hopes to extend a five fight UFC winning streak against MMA legend Alistair Overeem, making one last title run in the twilight of his career.
In a fight that promises to steal the show, and both competitors have said as much, TUF 26 coaches Justin Gaethje and Eddie Alvarez will square off in a lightweight bout. In another main card fight with title implications, top flyweight contenders Sergio Pettis and Henry Cejudo meet in attempt to determine another victim for division kingpin Demetrious Johnson.
Rounding out the main card and our panel picks is a strawweight bout between former Invicta atomweight champion Michelle Waterson against Tecia Torres. Both are top contenders to the belt recently won by Rose Namajunas and the winner could be in line for a title opportunity.
If you’re new here, our panel picks are listed below and listed alongside the fighter’s names are their worldwide FightMatrix rankings, as well as BestFightOdds.com betting odds. The panelist’s 2017 records is in parentheses, and we also have panel consensus picks as well as a line where we show how the betting favorites did:
Dave Meltzer (50-25; .667) — Wrestling Observer publisher
Mike Sempervive (46-29; .613) — Wrestling Observer Live and Big Audio Nightmare co-host
Mike Sawyer (46-29; .613) — Tough Talk MMA publisher
Tom Lawlor (23-15; .605) – Co-host Filthy Four Daily; pro wrestling undercard fighter; UFC enhancement talent currently suspended due to wellness violation
David Bixenspan (45-30; .600) – Deadspin pro wrestling columnist; Between the Sheets podcast host
Ryan Frederick (43-32; .573) — WrestlingObserver.com UFC writer
Front Row Brian (40-35; .533) — MMA newsbreaker, beloved internet personality, podcast host
Paul Fontaine (38-37; .507) — MMADraws.com publisher, WrestlingObserver.com writer
> UFC Featherweight Champion Max Holloway (18-3) vs Jose Aldo (26-3) II
Holloway KO’d Aldo in the third round of their first fight this past June and was initially scheduled to face Frankie Edgar in his first title defense. But when the former lightweight champion pulled out due to injury, Aldo was chosen to step in as he was training for a fight with Ricardo Lamas.
In a very unique stat, this will be Aldo’s 11th fight in UFC and they have all been title matches. Only Ronda Rousey, with eight title matches and no non-title bouts, is even close. He was getting the better of Holloway early in their first bout but gassed out, allowing the younger challenger back into the fight he eventually won.
Holloway has won 11 straight since losing a decision to current lightweight champion Conor McGregor and he’d love nothing better than a chance to avenge that loss some day in a different weight class. While that is unlikely for now, he’ll have to settle for attempting to defeat a bonafide MMA legend for a second straight time.
> Francis N’Gannou (10-1) vs Alistair Overeem (43-15) HEAVYWEIGHTS
N’Gannou has taken the UFC by storm, winning five straight with five finishes in just over two years. He’s finished nine opponents in a row overall and if he can manage to beat long-time contender Overeem, it’s likely he’ll get the shot at champion Stipe Miocic.
Aside from a first round KO loss in his first and only UFC title shot, Overeem is on quite a roll himself. Sandwiched around that defeat are six wins, including four by KO. Three of those victories came against former UFC champions, including his most recent win over Fabricio Werdum.
This is your classic ‘next big thing’ vs. the fading legend, but we’ve seen the legend pull out a win before and if Overeem can manage to do that here, it would be quite a story.
> Henry Cejudo (11-2) vs Sergio Pettis (16-2) FLYWEIGHTS
Cejudo is a former Olympic gold medallist who burst onto the MMA scene with nine straight wins before running into Demetrious Johnson in a title shot that he probably took too early in his career. He was KO’d in the first round and then lost a split decision to Joseph Benavidez in his next fight. In his most recent fight, he KO’d recent title contender Wilson Reis and looked great in doing so.
Standing across the Octagon will be “The Phenom” Pettis, riding a four-fight win streak and basically the only top contender left who has yet to face Johnson. He will almost certainly get that elusive title fight with a win here while Cejudo could also get the nod with an impressive finish.
> Justin Gaethje (18-0) vs Eddie Alvarez (28-5) LIGHTWEIGHTS
Gaethje, the former World Series of Fighting lightweight champion, made his UFC debut in spectacular fashion with a win over longtime contender Michael Johnson in a fight of the year candidate that landed him two post-show bonus awards.
Alvarez is a former Bellator champion that shocked the world by winning the UFC title over Rafael Dos Anjos. He would go on to lose the strap to Conor McGregor. He followed that up with a strange no-contest against Dustin Poirier that was shaping up to be a hell of a fight before he landed illegal knees, causing the fight to be prematurely stopped. Both guys are promising to deliver a fight of the night performance.
> Tecia Torres (9-1) vs Michelle Waterson (14-6) STRAWWEIGHTS
Torres, aka “The Tiny Tornado”, has won five of her six UFC fights with the only loss coming at the hands of current champion Rose Namajunas. She does hold a victory over the champ in a pre-UFC bout early in their respective careers and a third bout between the two would be a chance to settle that rivalry.
Waterson is somewhat undersized for this division but the former Invicta 105-lb champion started her UFC career with two straight submission wins before being stopped by Namajunas in a title eliminator bout earlier this year. At 31, she’s one of the oldest contenders in the division and she’ll probably need a decent winning streak to get back into title contention.
> Paul Felder (14-3) vs Charles Oliveira (22-7) LIGHTWEIGHTS
Felder #20; +105 betting favorite
Oliveira #13; +110 betting underdog
> Alex Oliveira (18-4-1) vs Yancy Medeiros (14-4) WELTERWEIGHTS
Oliveira #9; -218 betting favorite
Medeiros #34; +220 betting underdog
> Drakkar Klose (8-0-1) vs David Teymur (6-1)LIGHTWEIGHTS
Klose #88; +160 betting underdog
Teymur #59; -170 betting favorite
> Felice Herrig (13-6) vs Cortney Casey (7-4) STRAWWEIGHTS
Herrig #14; -120 betting favorite
Casey #11; +110 betting underdog
> Abdul Razzak Alhassan (7-1) vs Sabah Homassi (11-6) WELTERWEIGHTS
Alhassan #157; -240 betting favorite
Homassi NR; +220 betting underdog
> Dominick Reyes (7-0) vs Jeremy Kimball (15-6) LIGHTHEAVYWEIGHTS
Reyes #54; -425 betting favorite
Kimball #53; +450 betting underdog
Angela Magana (11-8) vs Amanda Cooper (2-3) STRAWWEIGHTS
Magana NR; +415 betting underdog
Cooper NR; -440 betting favorite
Allen Crowder (9-2) vs Justin Willis (5-1) HEAVYWEIGHTS
Crowder #106; +195 betting underdog
Willis #56; -215 betting favorite
Action begins with the Fight Pass prelims at 6:30 PM EST and moves over to FS1 at 8 PM EST. The main card airs on PPV at 10 PM EST, and yours truly will have play by play coverage of the show.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 26 Finale: A New World Champion, emanating from the Park Theater in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The latest season of The Ultimate Fighter, the 26th American version, wraps up as a brand new champion is crowned as the inaugural UFC Women’s Flyweight Championship is on the line in the headline bout.
The main event underwent a huge change yesterday during the weigh-ins, as we noted. Sijara Eubanks was originally to battle for the championship, but was pulled from the bout after being hospitalized due to kidney failure. The title is still on the line as Roxanne Modafferi takes Eubanks’ place to take on Nicco Montano.
Montano made it to the finals after defeating Lauren Murphy, Montana De La Rosa and Barb Honchak during the tournament. Modafferi was the top seed in the tournament, and made it to the semi-finals before falling to Eubanks.
Also on the card, the majority of the remaining cast members of TUF 26 will compete, as well as undefeated Sean O’Malley, fresh off an impressive showing on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Sereies, battle Terrion Ware, and former bantamweight title challenger Joe Soto goes for four straight wins against the undefeated Brett Johns.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.
Robertson lands a counter right hand right off the bat to start. Robertson scores a single-leg takedown. Robertson took the back for a moment but Whitmire was able to spin into the guard and landed a big right hand. Robertson then worked for an armbar from the bottom and got it locked in and Whitmire quickly tapped! First round submission win for Robertson.
Official Result- Gillian Robertson def. Emily Whitmire by submission (armbar) at 2:12 of Round 1
Beck fires away with two body kicks. Dobson then lands a jab and then two kicks, including a spin kick. Beck lands a left hand. Beck lands another left hand. She is landing with more volume as Dobson comes forward. Dobson lands a leg kick as Beck lands a left and slips to the mat. They trade high kicks. Beck with two low kicks. Dobson starting to land more leg kicks. They trade at the end. Close round. 10-9 Beck.
They were trading and Dobson landed a big head kick and followed it with a knee. Dobson landed a leg kick and a soft spinning back fist. Beck still pressuring and lands a left hand. Beck with a leg kick and then some left hands to the body. Dobson lands a right hand and then drops Beck with a right hand and Beck is done as the referee stops the fight. Dobson with the big knockout finish to get the win.
Official Result-Shana Dobson def. Ariel Beck by TKO (punches) at 2:53 of Round 2
Gevorgyan with a couple of quick punches. Ostovich with a right hand and then scores a takedown and is in the guard. Gevorgyan goes for an armbar but Ostovich gets out and they scramble to their feet. Gevorgyan goes for a takedown but Ostovich takes the back on the mat. Ostovich tried to armbar and has it locked in and Gevorgyan taps out! Ostovich with the submission victory in the first round.
Official Result- Rachael Ostovich def. Karine Gevorgyan by submission (armbar) at 1:40 of Round 1
> Andrew Sanchez (9-3, 2-1 UFC) vs. Ryan Janes (9-3, 1-2 UFC) Middleweights
Sanchez is landing the overhand right early and a leg kick and then scored a takedown but Janes is able to get to his feet. They break the clinch and Sanchez lands a combo. Sanchez lands some more punches as Janes has his chin out high. Sanchez then dropped Janes with a right hand and was landing lots of punches. Janes gets up and then gets dropped again with another right. Janes back up and is trying to run away but Sanchez is landing punches. More big punches from Janes. This fight should have been stopped already. Sanchez with another right hand. Sanchez is gassed out but it still landing punches. Both men landing now. They continue to trade and Janes somehow made it to the end of the round. Sanchez is exhausted. 10-9 Sanchez.
Sanchez lands another big right hand to start the second and Janes eats it. Janes lands a knee but Sanchez fires back with a right hand. Sanchez pushes against the fence and works for a takedown but it is defended. Sanchez starts landing some combos and Janes landed a body shot that took a lot out of Sanchez. Both are landing and Janes now has Sanchez in trouble. Janes rocks Sanchez with a right hand. Sanchez now lands two right hands. They are brawling ugly and Sanchez gets a takedown but Janes gets up and lands a knee. Janes hurts Sanchez with a left hook. Sanchez lands a hard overhand right. Sanchez is even more exhausted. They both survive. 10-9 Janes, 19-19.
They come out firing and Janes is landing big punches. Janes rocks Sanchez with a combo and then lands more and Sanchez drops to the ground and Janes lands more punches and finishes him off as the referee steps in. Big comeback win for Janes as he stops Sanchez.
Official Result- Ryan Janes def. Andrew Sanchez by TKO (punches) at :58 of Round 3
> Christina Marks (8-8, 0-0 UFC) vs. Montana De La Rosa (7-4, 0-0 UFC) Women’s Flyweights
Marks lands a lot of punches that hurt De La Rosa early before De La Rosa established the clinch. De La Rosa with a leg kick. She lands a high kick but Marks grabs the leg and De La Rosa pulls guard and is looking for an armbar. She has it locked in and Marks taps! De La Rosa gets the quick win as this is the third armbar finish tonight.
Official Result- Montana De La Rosa def. Christina Marks by submission (armbar) at 2:00 of Round 1
FOX SPORTS 1 MAIN CARD | 10 PM ET/7 PM PT
> Joe Soto (18-5, 3-3 UFC) vs. Brett Johns (14-0, 2-0 UFC) Bantamweights
Soto went for a takedown and Johns scrambles for a leg and grabs the foot of Soto and locks in a calf slicer and gets Soto to tap out quickly. It was the first move of the fight and the fight last around thirty seconds as Johns remains undefeated.
Official Result- Brett Johns def. Joe Soto by submission (calf slicer) at :30 of Round 1
Fabian with a couple of quick right hands. Bennett has Fabian pushed against the fence looking for underhooks. Both land some knees in the clinch. John McCarthy breaks the clinch as not a lot of action was happening. Fabian with some kicks and an uppercut. Bennett lands a left hand. Bennett pushes Fabian against the fence and has a headlock looking for a guillotine. Fabian gets out but eats a knee then drops Bennett with a head kick and lands a punch but the round ends before a finish could be found. 10-9 Fabian.
They clinch immediately as Bennett is looking for underhooks. Bennett working for a takedown against the fence. Bennett was going for a takedown but Fabian blocked it by grabbing the fence. That wasn’t going to sit well with McCarthy as he took a point away from Fabian and we went back to action in the same position. That needs to happen more. They were split up as Bennett couldn’t get a takedown but Bennett went right back for it. They are broken up again. Fabian with a kick and Bennett grabs the leg and goes for a takedown again against the fence. They traded punches late. 10-8 Bennett, 19-18 Bennett.
They trade to start the third. Fabian lands a right hand. Fabian lands another. Fabian with a leg kick and Bennett grabs the leg and pushes the fight against the fence looking for the takedown. She doesn’t get it. Fabian lands some knees. Bennett gets a late takedown and lands some punches at the end of the fight. Not a pretty fight. 10-9 Bennett, 29-27 Bennett.
Official Result- DeAnna Bennett vs. Melinda Fabian ruled a majority draw (29-27, 28-28, 28-28)
> Eric Spicely (10-2, 2-2 UFC) vs. Gerald Meerschaert (26-9, 2-1 UFC) Middleweights
Spicely lands a right hand and Meerschaert counters with a body kick. Meerschaert lands some left hands and is going back and forth with punches and has Spicely covering against the fence. Spicely lands an overhand right and goes for a takedown and has it and takes the back. Spicely has the body triangle and is landing punches. Spicely landing punches and looking for an opening for a choke. Spicely has his arm around the jaw but lets go. Spicely landing more punches as he can’t find an opening for the choke. Spicely went for an armbar but Meerschaert escaped into the guard and lands an elbow from the top. 10-9 Spicely.
Meerschaert is landing with his left hands to start the second. He is mixing to the head and body. Spicely shoots for a takedown but it is stuffed. Meerschaert with a body kick then a high kick. Meerschaert then dropped Spicely with a liver kick and Spicely went down in a heap of trouble and Herb Dean stopped the fight. Big win by liver kick for Meerschaert.
Official Result- Gerald Meerschaert def. Eric Spicely by TKO (liver kick) at 2:18 of Round 2
Honchak looking to establish the jab early. They both land a hard punch. Both standing in the pocket and Murphy lands a right hand. Honchak lands a leg kick. Murphy lands an overhand right. She lands another right hand. They trade punches and Honchak landed a harder right hand. They both land right hands. Honchak with a leg kick. They trade punches late. Close round. 10-9 Murphy.
Honchak coming out more aggressive to start the second. Honchak rocks Murphy with a hard combination. Murphy landed a right hand as she had some time to recover. Honchak attacking the body and legs of Murphy with kicks. Murphy lands a hard right hand. Honchak lands a right hand. Honchak lands another right hand and ducks under a head kick attempt from Murphy. Both land right hands. Murphy shoots for a takedown and gets it but they get back to their feet. They scramble back to the mat and Honchak has top position. Murphy was looking for an armbar but time ran out. Another close round. 10-9 Honchak, 19-19.
They both come out firing in the third. Honchak with a body kick and Murphy grabs the leg and gets the takedown. Murphy in the full guard of Honchak. Murphy landing from the top. Honchak finds an opening and is looking for the armbar. Murphy defends but Honchak turns it into a triangle choke. Murphy is trying to escape and Honchak grabs the arm again looking for an armbar. Murphy able to get out and they scramble to the feet and Murphy takes the back and they go to the mat. Murphy works for a choke but time runs out. Real good fight, and going to be close. 10-9 Honchak, 29-28 Honchak.
Official Result- Lauren Murphy def. Barb Honchak by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
> Sean O’Malley (8-0, 0-0 UFC) vs. Terrion Ware (17-6, 0-1 UFC) Bantamweights
O’Malley with a lot of feints early on and then a high kick followed by two body kicks. O’Malley with a spinning back fist into a kick. Ware lands a right hand and they clinch against the fence. They break and Ware with a high kick. O’Malley lands a left hand and Ware lands a right hand. O’Malley lands a kick. O’Malley with a straight left hand followed by a head kick. O’Malley with a front kick. Ware with a leg kick. O’Malley with a foot sweep as Ware goes to the mat but Ware gets back up. O’Malley lands another right hand. Ware is landing some but O’Malley with more volume landing. 10-9 O’Malley.
O’Malley landing to start the second. O’Malley switching between the head and the legs. O’Malley with a big head kick partially blocked by Ware. Ware lands some knees to the body on the inside. O’Malley lands two straight left hands. Ware lands a combo but O’Malley fires back with a right hand. O’Malley slips as he misses a head kick and Ware follows him to the mat but they get up and O’Malley with a head kick. O’Malley is slowing down. He then lands a combo that stuns Ware. They trade leg kicks and O’Malley goes for a jumping triangle but gives up top position on the mat for a moment. 10-9 Ware, 19-19.
O’Malley with a spinning back kick followed by a front kick and then a right hand and a left hand after Ware landed a leg kick. O’Malley with a right hand and then the jab. Ware is unable to land his punches but does land a leg kick. They trade right hands. Ware misses his punches as O’Malley lands a right hand. They clinch but break. O’Malley with a combo and he is more active this round which could make the difference. O’Malley with a spinning head kick. Ware gets the back. O’Malley with a takedown. They get up and O’Malley lands a big body kick and then one to the head and then scores another takedown. Ware scrambles and gives up his neck. O’Malley was looking for a D’arce choke but Ware slipped out. They clinch late. Great fight. 10-9 O’Malley, 29-28 O’Malley.
Official Result- Sean O’Malley def. Terrion Ware by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
They trade punches early. Modafferi lands a nice combo. They are trading and they clinch for a moment. Modafferi with some leg kicks. They trade punches and Montano just misses a left hand. They clinch and Modafferi is looking for a trip as she pushes the fight against the fence. They break. Montano gets an awkward takedown off a Modafferi kick. Modafferi working for an armbar but Montano passes the guard. They both get to their feet. Modafferi with a takedown into side control. Modafferi lands punches and goes to the half-guard. Close round. 10-9 Modafferi.
They are trading and Modafferi rocks Montano with a big right hand. Modafferi on the chase as she has Montano in trouble. They clinch against the fence and Modafferi looking for a takedown. They break and both starting to tire. Montano lands some kicks. Modafferi lands a right hand. Montano now landing punches. Montano with a leg kick and they trade punches. Montano with a combo. Montano with a body kick and they trade punches. Modafferi with a combo. Modafferi with a takedown but Montano trying for a triangle choke. She has it locked in and is landing punches and elbows. Modafferi survives the round. 10-9 Montano, 19-19.
Modafferi lands some right hand as Montano lands a couple of leg kicks. Modafferi with a high kick. Modafferi with a combo. Montano goes for a takedown against the fence but it is defended and they break away. Modafferi lands some punches as Montano counters with a right hand. Montano with an inside leg kick. They trade punches. Modafferi with a body kick. Both missing their punches. Modafferi lands a big right hand. They trade late. Close round. 10-9 Modafferi, 29-28 Modafferi.
Montano clips Modafferi at the start of the fourth. Montano with a high kick. They trade inside the pocket. Left hand from Montano lands. Montano lands a combo while landing some leg kicks and clinches against the fence. Montano with a brief takedown but Modafferi gets up and circles away. Modafferi lands a right hand. They battle in the clinch and Modafferi lands a big right hand that rocks Montano. Montano is able to score a takedown. Montano in the guard but both are landing on the ground. Montano pulls away and Modafferi gets to her feet. 10-9 Montano, 38-38.
They come out trading as this round is going to decide it. They were trading and Montano scored a takedown and is in the half-guard. They get up and break. Modafferi gets a takedown but Montano is able to switch to the top and works to side control. Montano slides to full mount but Modafferi is able to scramble out and they get to their feet. Modafferi lands a knee. They break and they exchange some wild punches and then clinch. Modafferi sweeps and is looking for the armbar but gives up full guard to Montano. Montano lands some punches but Modafferi is working for the armbar and she almost had it but Montano broke loose. She had a chance and almost had it. They stand and trade in the last ten seconds. 10-9 Montano, 48-47 Montano.
Official Result- Nicco Montano def. Roxanne Modafferi by unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46), Montano becomes the new UFC Women’s Flyweight Champion
Reports submitted by readers Joe Kazmer and Matt Carlins
– The Street Profits defeated Tino Sabbatelli & Riddick Moss
The Profits came out wearing Pittsburgh Steelers jerseys. Before the match, Sabbatelli cut the only promo of the show and had the crowd hating him. Ford got the pin on Moss after hitting a frog splash.
– Lars Sullivan defeated No Way Jose
Sullivan won with his Freak Accident slam.
– Ruby Riott defeated Bianca Belair
Riott hit a kick to win it after Belair had used her hair for offense throughout the match.
– NXT Tag Team Champions Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly defeated Eric Young & Killian Dain to retain their titles
Fish pinned Young with a roll-up while holding his trunks.
– Aleister Black defeated Chad Lail
This wasn’t a total squash. Black ended it with the Black Mass spin kick.
– NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon defeated Sonya Deville to retain her title
They had a pretty basic match, ending when Moon retained with The Eclipse.
– NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas (w/ Zelina Vega) defeated Roderick Strong and Adam Cole to retain his title
Almas and Cole teamed up on Strong early, but it eventually became every man for himself. Cole was the most over wrestler on the show. While the referee was distracted, Vega hit a hurricanrana on Strong and Almas then followed it up with the hammerlock DDT to retain.
There were 300 people in attendance at last night’s show.
– Lio Rush defeated Adrian Jaoude
– Shayna Baszler defeated Abbey Laith
– Danny Burch defeated Gabriel Ealy
– There was an in-ring promo with Vanessa Borne.
– Trent Seven won a battle royal for the right to compete in an NXT Championship number one contender’s qualifying match
The qualifying match was already taped and will air on NXT TV soon. There were four qualifying matches to decide who would advance to a fatal four-way, with the winner of that getting the next shot at Andrade “Cien” Almas.
Other participants in the battle royal included: Christopher Dijak, Kona Reeves, Jason, Jeet Rama, Tian Bing, Brennan Williams, Marcel Barthel, Wolfgang, Tyler Bate, Raul Mendoza, Fabian Aichner, Wesley Blake, Steve Cutler, Nick Miller, Shane Thorne, Tucker Knight, Otis Dozovic, and Buddy Murphy.
Tonight: Johnny Impact faces Alberto El Patron in a grudge match.
Show Recap —
Laurel Van Ness defeated Madison Rayne and KC Spinelli to advance to the Knockouts Championship tournament finals
This was the first of two triple threat matches where the winners of each will advance to compete for the vacant Knockouts Championship.
Van Ness snapped and took over after Spinelli put on her fur coat. Spinelli got Van Ness up in the electric chair and dropped her on Rayne, but Van Ness hit the Unprettier on Spinelli for the win.
Taiji Ishimori defeated Hakim Zane
Zane was in control early before Ishimori quickly took over. Zane regained the advantage until Ishimori made a comeback and won with the 450 splash.
Caleb Konley and Trevor Lee jumped Ishimori after the match and beat him down.
– In the back, James Storm promised to defeat Texano tonight. He then said he was coming after Dan Lambert and American Top Team next.
– At the LAX clubhouse, Konnan said he wants the Tag Team titles back and promised to take the fight to the streets.
Sami Callihan defeated Randy Myers from Defy Wrestling in Seattle, Washington
Callihan buried Myers under a pile of chairs. They traded vicious shots at the center of the ring, then Callihan won the match with a lariat.
– Backstage, KM attacked a bunch of guys to prove his worth to American Top Team.
James Storm defeated Texano
Before the match, Lambert, Bobby Lashley, and ATT arrived backstage. KM asked if they saw what he did, but Lambert didn’t care and said they have a cowboy to take care of.
Storm was in control early until Texano spit Storm’s own beer in his face. Texano nailed Storm with a superkick and put on Storm’s hat. Texano turned around and Storm hit the Last Call superkick for the win.
After the match, ATT ran out and jumped Storm. They beat him down until Moose ran out for the save with a chair. Lambert challenged Storm and Moose to face Lashley and himself next week. ATT were shocked that Lambert named himself Lashley’s partner.
– A commercial aired for Park, Park, and Park Attorneys at Law. Joseph Park introduced his cousin Chandler Park (Ethan Page).
Kurt Angle defeated Samoa Joe from Genesis 2006 in the GWN Flashback Moment of the Week
Joe was in control after sending Angle into the steps. Angle was busted open and bled all over the ring. Joe scored a very close near fall with a Muscle Buster before Angle made a comeback and hit the Angle Slam for a two count.
Angle locked on the ankle lock, but Joe countered into the Coquina Clutch. Angle locked the ankle lock back on for the win.
– Backstage, Eli Drake promised he’d be watching the main event tonight. He had a brief interaction with Jimmy Jacobs.
Matt Sydal defeated Tyson Dux
Ethan Carter III joined Jeremy Borash and Josh Mathews on commentary. Sydal was in control early, then Dux took over. Dux scored a close near fall with a DDT. Sydal ended up winning the match with the double knees and Shooting Star Press.
Johnny Impact defeated Alberto El Patron
They brawled at the center of the ring to start the match, leading to El Patron taking over after a kick to the head. During the commercial break, El Patron gave Impact a double foot stomp when he was under the steps.
El Patron scored a very close near fall with a superkick. He scored another one with a reverse superplex and used a low blow but only got a two count.
Eli Drake came out and yelled at El Patron. El Patron attacked Drake and hit him with the belt. This gave Impact the chance to take over and hit Starship Pain for the win.
Post-match, Drake hit El Patron with the belt. Drake and Chris Adonis then beat down Impact. Petey Williams ran out for the save and gave Drake the Canadian Destroyer.
Next Week: Dan Lambert & Bobby Lashley take on Moose & James Storm. Plus, Impact Grand Champion Ethan Carter III defends against Matt Sydal.
The Big News: Tyler Bate moved one step closer to another shot at the UK title by pinning champion Pete Dunne in the tag team main event.
The Medium News: Kairi Sane continued her streak of not being pinned or submitted as she beat Peyton Royce.
The Little Beaver-sized News: The Street Profits moved to 2-0 against Sabbatelli & Moss. (Maybe if they wrestle 1000 times, the former NFL players can get a win?)
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Remember last week when I said that this week we’d be back in the swing of things with a normal episode of NXT? I was lying. Instead, we have highlights of the NXT San Antonio house show from the night before NXT TakeOver: War Games.
Nigel McGuinness isn’t here this week, which means we got more Percy Watson. At no point did I say that was a good thing. Christy St. Cloud is handling the ring announcing and was really enthusiastic which is the nicest thing I can say about her effort.
The Street Profits defeated Tino Sabbatelli & Riddick Moss
These two teams first wrestled two weeks ago, won by the Profits. They celebrated by partying on top of a car which angered Sabbatelli & Moss. That, of course, led to “renewed hostilities” and this rematch.
There looked to be about 300 people in the crowd, but they were into the Profits and made enough noise for a couple thousand. The heels got the heat on Montez Ford when Sabbatelli knocked him off the ring apron and sent him crashing into the guardrails. The crowd exploded for Angelo Dawkins’ hot tag which led to him running wild with his twisting splashes in the corner to both of his foes.
Sabbatelli had Dawkins pinned with a forearm to the face, but the referee stopped counting when he saw Moss holding down Dawkins’ feet for leverage. Ford came back and pinned Sabbatelli with a frog splash after a Lo Down.
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Tickets for NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia go on sale this Saturday!
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After defeating Johnny Gargano last week, UK Champion Pete Dunne was approached by Moustache Mountain (Tyler Bate/Trent Seven) who congratulated him on his victory. Bate brought up Dunne allowing Wolfgang to be beaten down by The Undisputed Era and challenged him to find a partner for a tag team match. We fast forward back to today and Seven enunciated the same thoughts. Bate said they are a real tag team, unlike Dunne and Mark Andrews.
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The aforementioned Andrews cut a promo about why he agreed to be Dunne’s partner. He said that there is an agreement in place that if their team wins, Andrews will become #1 contender to the UK Championship.
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Kairi Sane defeated Peyton Royce
After the opening salvo, Royce ran the ropes and Sane did a drop down….and then did it again….and then did it again. Just as I was getting curious as to how long Royce would keep running and jumping over Sane, she suddenly stopped and got frustrated. Said frustration didn’t last long as Royce knocked down Sane to get the heat.
Sane made her comeback and seemed content with caving in Royce’s chest with forearms. Sane went up top for a big WhatAManeuver, but Royce sidestepped it and hit a running knee for a near fall. Sane made another comeback and even knocked an interfering Billie Kay off the apron before pinning Royce with the Insane Elbow.
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Last week, Ruby Riott defeated Sonya Deville in a Winner Gets An Extra Letter Added To Her Last Name Match, but they are coming back! Next week, the war between Raw and SmackDown explodes again as Sonya and Ruby square off in a no holds barred match.
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A video aired about Drew McIntyre’s injury and an acknowledgment that he will be out for an undisclosed amount of time. However, we get the championship celebration next week for the new NXT Champion, Andrade “Cien” Almas.
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Moustache Mountain defeated WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne & Mark Andrews
Back in January, all four men took part in the UK Championship tournament, which was won by Bate. Dunne won the title in the best WWE match all year at TakeOver: Chicago (again, go watch that match) and has since defended it multiple times.
The match started with Bate and Dunne. Bate appeared to get the best of him as it led to a standoff. Dunne reached out to tag Andrews, but before he did, he punched Bate right in the mouth. Andrews tagged in and we got superb scientific wrestling between the three noble babyfaces.
Dunne continued to show why he is a budding star. He does so many little things and creative misdirection spots that along with his skill, his sheer presence and personality make him a standout not just in the UK division, but in all of NXT. This match told a great story and made sense from beginning to end. Andrews wouldn’t normally bother himself by teaming with such a rogue, but the lure of championship glory was enough to set aside his personal feelings for one night.
The dissention and destruction of the team slowly built from the opening bell with Dunne not happy with Andrews’ clean cut ways and Andrews not happy with Dunne’s lack of sportsmanship.
Toward the end, Andrews hit a hurricarana on Bate and Dunne caught his foe and dropped him with a sit-out power bomb in one fluid motion. Bate came back and almost had the champ pinned with a double team power bomb, but Andrews broke that up. There were a slew of near falls and kickouts, but the finish was nice and simple. Bate, the former champion, pinned Dunne, the current champion, with the Tyler Driver 97.
Andrews was frustrated after the match, but decided to fight another day and began walking away. However, Dunne laid him out with a blow to the back of the head and then hit a Bitter End.
This week was a throwaway show that did have an excellent main event that sets the stage for more excellent matches in the future. Next week, we’re back in Full Sail (I’m serious this time), so until then, remember to say your vitamins and take your prayers.
Date: November 28, 2017 Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY
The Big Takeaway —
Kevin Owens pinned Randy Orton in a no disqualification match thanks to some help from Sami Zayn, even though Zayn was banned from ringside.
Ruby Riott, Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan are now the “Riott Squad” and they defeated Charlotte, Naomi and Natalya in a 6-woman tag match. It was more of an angle, as Natalya bailed on her team early on, and the heels took out Naomi at ringside before Riott pinned Charlotte.
Jinder Mahal laid out the Singh Brothers after they lost to AJ Styles, and Mojo Rawley laid out Zack Ryder after the Hype Bros lost to the Bludgeon Brothers.
Show Recap —
After a lengthy video package, Shane McMahon came out to start the show. He explained why he intended on firing Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn and also recapped what Daniel Bryan did instead. Shane introduced Bryan so he could explain his actions himself.
Bryan understands why Shane and others think Owens and Zayn should be fired, which the crowd booed, but Bryan knows what it’s like to be fired and believes in second chances. He wasn’t forgiving their actions, but also mentioned that Shane’s temperament gets the best of him sometimes.
Shane agreed, but reminded Bryan that Owens beat up his father, Sami Zayn interfered in his Hell in a Cell match, and both men turned their backs on the roster. Bryan said they were just trying to grab the brass ring, and if they were fired, they would just end up on Raw. Shane didn’t care, because they would end up being Stephanie’s problem.
Bryan said if Shane just wanted someone to do what he said, he wasn’t the guy for Shane. But Bryan wanted to bring out the best in their talent. Shane did like Bryan’s announcement of Owens vs. Randy Orton but wanted to add to it. He banned Zayn from ringside and made the match no disqualifications. Shane and Bryan shook hands. They couldn’t have done this backstage or on the phone?
This was the fifth straight week that Smackdown opened with Shane McMahon. One of those weeks was the backstage segment where he rallied the roster against Raw. The last time he didn’t open the show was in Seattle, where Bryan opened the show instead.
Backstage, Owens and Zayn tried to reason with Bryan. Zayn said Bryan needed to sort this out. Bryan told Zayn he was in no position to make demands, and they weren’t only ones trying to keep their jobs. He refused to help them.
Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods (w/Big E) defeated Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin (8:39)
The Usos were on commentary and Big E brought them pancakes and maple syrup–which he kept in his singlet. The Usos were excited by the offer but weren’t sure they should eat it, so Byron Saxton offered to eat it instead. The Usos also danced to New Day’s music.
New Day won clean. Woods hit a diving footstomp with Benjamin draped over Kingston’s knee for the pinfall win. Not the result I expected but I guess they’re building to a threeway with the Usos.
Backstage, Naomi and Charlotte spoke about taking out Ruby Riot, Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan. Natalya jumped in and let them know she was ready to help. Charlotte resisted at first, but the segment ended with them all on the same page. This was your typical, phony backstage segment that was impossible to take seriously.
Bludgeon Brothers defeated The Hype Bros (0:43)
The announcers said the Hype Bros demanded this rematch. Harper and Rowan won quickly with a double chokeslam, this time on Zack Ryder.
Dasha Fuentes asked the Hype Bros about their struggles. Ryder said they were top contenders a year ago but that felt like a lifetime ago. He said the landscape has changed and they need to change too. Before Ryder could finish, Mojo Rawley decked him from behind. Rawley hesitated for a moment before attacking Ryder again, yelling “the Hype Bros are dead,” until officials pulled him off.
After a break, Kayla Braxton caught up to Rawley backstage and asked why he attacked Ryder. Rawley responded, “Like Zack said, the landscape has changed.”
Elsewhere, Fuentes asked Bobby Roode about Baron Corbin accidentally attacking him last week. Roode wasn’t sure that was an accident, but knew for sure that Corbin calling him absent-minded was not an accident. Roode said Corbin felt threatened and that he would take away his US Title. Roode was about to yell “Glorious” but Corbin interrupted to call him delirious. Roode challenged him to a title match tonight, but Corbin said no. They made sure to frame this so Corbin would appear 10-feet tall.
2-on-1 handicap match: WWE Champion AJ Styles defeated The Singh Brothers (w/Jinder Mahal) (3:57)
Mahal attacked Styles before the match and they laid him out. After a break, the referee started the match after checking with Styles. The Singhs got the heat on Styles as the fans chanted “USA” at the heel Canadians.
Styles managed to fight them all off, including kicking Mahal off the apron, and gave Samir a Styles Clash off the ropes onto Sunil for the pinfall win.
Mahal attacked the Singhs after the match, giving them both the Khallas as the crowd chanted “You still suck.” Mahal messed up his own finish on Sunil. Corey Graves predicted that Mahal would become champion again.
Backstage, Fuentes interviewed Riot, Morgan and Logan. Riot introduced themselves again and called them the “Riot Squad.” Riot said they were here to turn the division upside down and called Morgan and Logan two of the most dangerous women in the world.
Riot called Morgan her “little firecracker” and Morgan said she was about to “pop off like it’s the fourth of July.” The crowd laughed. Logan said she came from a family of hunters and they were bagging three trophies tonight. Riot’s delivery was good but the verbiage here was terrible.
The New Day did an ad for WWE Shop. Front and centre was a Chris Jericho Funko Pop.
They showed some pictures from Starrcade on the weekend, including Charlotte and Ric Flair, Shinsuke Nakamura getting endorsed by Ricky Steamboat, and Arn Anderson giving Dolph Ziggler a spinebuster.
6-Woman Tag Match: Ruby Riott, Sarah Logan & Liv Morgan defeated Women’s champion Charlotte Flair, Naomi & Natalya
They are spelling Ruby’s last name “Riott” now. Natalya bailed on the match after 50 seconds.
Logan and Morgan took out Naomi during the match, tossing her into the steel steps (twice). The referee did not call for a DQ for some reason, but did call for help so Naomi could be escorted to the back, leaving Charlotte on her own. Charlotte made a brief comeback but Riot pinned her after a Riot Kick. It’s good the new women won, but the match layout was stupid.
Braxton was waiting outside of Randy Orton’s locker room for an interview, but he just blew past her and marched away.
They did a Fashion Files segment, which was a Saw parody. There wasn’t much to this. Breezango and Ascension were trapped in a room and could only escape if they destroyed the thing they love most. Ascension figured out they must beat the dead horse, Tully. They ripped the horse’s head apart until they discovered a key, which Fandango and Breeze used to escape. Ascension told them to save themselves, even though they had enough time to do both. Breezango just left them there to die as poisonous gas filled the room.
No Disqualification Match: Kevin Owens defeated Randy Orton (16:40)
After about 13 minutes, Orton got ready for an RKO but Owens scampered off. Orton followed after and attacked him on the stage. Zayn ran out and attacked Orton with a chair, hitting him in the left leg. Zayn hit him two more times in the leg with the lightest chair shots ever. (Zayn was banned from ringside, but Graves explained that they were technically on the stage, not at ringside.)
Zayn ran off as Owens tossed Orton in the ring, but Orton came back with a draping DDT. Owens avoided an RKO, chop-blocked him in the injured left leg, then followed with a Frog Splash for the win.
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The Big Takeaway: In the one place he never should have returned, Braun Strowman returned to get revenge on Kane after being laid out last week. Once again, Finn Balor was the setup man for Strowman. The fact that Kane is running for mayor in nearby Knox County wasn’t lost on a few fans at ringside, who could be heard chanting “Let’s Go Mayor” during an impromptu match with Balor. Before the match with Balor, Kane faced Jason Jordan, who looks to be turning heel, and it’s certainly time. The tandem of Paige, Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville have been named “Absolution.” After laying out Bayley (off camera) and Mickie James (off camera), Absolution beat up Sasha Banks in the ring. Later, in a weird angle, Absolution surrounded Asuka. The two sides glared at each other, then Asuka smiled, Paige waved and Asuka cautiously walked to the back. After losing to Bray Wyatt, Matt Hardy teased the long-awaited “Broken” angle by repeatedly chanting “delete.”
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Reigns came out to noticeably more jeers than at any point since the Shield reunion. Reigns said last week was a big week for him: the Shield reunited, they defeated the New Day; and he won the Intercontinental Championship. There was a small “You deserve it.” Reigns said The Miz ran his mouth. They showed video after Miz dropped the strap last week when the Shield gave Miz the Triple Bomb through the annoncers’ table. Reigns said we won’t see the Miz for awhile, but you will see a lot of the championship. Reigns said as long as he has the Intercontinental Championship, the title will remain presitgious. Reigns said if anyone wants the championship, anyone has to step up and take it.
Miz’s music played, but Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel (still in a neck brace) walked out. Dallas chided Reigns for disrespecting the most must-see Intercontinental Champion of all time. Axel said they were in no condition to avenge an injustice, but they knew someone who can. Elias came out playing a guitar. Elias said the Miz was a good guy and when he saw Axel and Dallas lost after their leader feel in defeat, he knew he could lead them and ignite the fire that burned in their hearts. Elias said he was going to take Reigns’ Intercontinental Championship. Reigns agreed to a match, but he told Elias to take a look at Axel. He told Elias he hopes he can sing in a neck brace because before the end of the night he could be wearing one.
Seth Rollins came out as Reigns was leaving and the two bumped fists. The “Burn it Down” wail was missing from Rollins’ music, but he came out in a “Burn It Down” t-shirt. Michael Cole announced that Sheamus was taking an annual sabbatical to Ireland and Dean Ambrose was on his honeymoon.
Seth Rollins defeated Cesaro (18:17)
Rollins attempted a crossbody off the top, but Cesaro caught him in mid-air and delivered a spinning backbreaker. Rollins came back with a Blockbuster and a tope. Great near fall with an inside cradle by Cesaro, which led to Cesaro putting Rollins in the sharpshooter, but Rollins forced the rope break. Cesaro attempted the Gotch Neutralizer, but Rollins backdropped him over and hit a superkick for a two count. Cesaro attempted a springboard uppercut, but Rollins hit another superkick and got the win following the Rainmaker Kneestrike (which STILL doesn’t have a name seven months after Rollins started using it.)
Charly Caruso did an in-ring interview with Rollins. She asked since Reigns won the Intercontinental Championship and Ambrose is on his honeymoon, does that mean that the Shield is going in different directions. Rollins said he hadn’t heard from Ambrose in a week, then actually said that Ambrose “put the hotel room in Renee’s name.” He asked Charly, since she was Rene’s friend, if she knew anything about it. He said that the Shield would only get stronger, Ambrose would return next week and they would invoke their rematch clause for the Raw Tag Team titles against Sheamus and Cesaro next week.
They showed footage from 205 Live showing the Zo Train laying out Rich Swann, Akira Tozawa and Cedric Alexander last week. Swann, Tozawa, Mustafa Ali and Alexander met with Kurt Angle backstage. Alexander said they wanted an opportunity against the Zo Train. Angle said it’s time to determine the next challenger for Enzo Amore’s championship. Angle ordered a Fatal Four-Way match tonight. Then next week, there would be another Fatal Four-Way. The winners of the two matches would meet in two weeks to determine the new #1 contender.
Samoa Joe defeated Titus O’Neil via tapout (2:31)
Samoa Joe won with the Coquina Clutch. There was a lengthy, awkward period where the two were locked in a clinch and one waited on the other to do something. Joe got the Coquina Clutch after Titus O’Neil got some stiff punches in, but the referee tried to back them out of the corner. Postmatch, Apollo Crews tried to give Joe an enzuigiri, but missed. Joe put Crews in the Coquina Clutch, as well, leaving him laying.
Alexa Bliss was out on commentary for what was supposed to be a six-woman tag between Sasha Banks, Mickie James and Bayley vs. Paige, Rose and Deville. Banks made her entrance. When James was supposed to come out, she never showed up. Then they started Bayley’s music, but she was also a no-show. Then Paige, Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville walked out. James was shown on the TitanTron selling her left leg backstage. Then Bayley was also left laying after selling her neck.
Paige said she’s been hounded on social media, at the airports and at the supermarket by people to explain her actions. She said one year ago, she was THE woman who stuck the flag into the ground and to erase the word “Diva’ from the WWE encyclopedia. Last week, she was just making a statement about who she is. And she’s back. Rose, Paige and Deville surrounded the ring. Paige said her group is called “Absolution.” Rose said others may have forgotten, but before there was a Boss, or the Four Horsewomen, or a Goddess, there was a Paige. But they haven’t forgotten. Devills said every woman has pushed the competition and every woman has raised the game, but the fact is nothing would have been raised if it wasn’t for Paige. That’s why she and Rose pledged their allegiance to Paige. That’s why Absolution is going to push the women’s revolution. Paige wanted Banks to pledge their allegiance to them. Paige said Banks was either with them or against them.
Banks punched Paige off the apron, but Deville and Rose swept right in and jumped Banks. Banks started to make her own comeback, but Rose tackled her from behind and Paige stomped her down. Devills delivered a roundhouse kick to Banks, while Rose hit the Angel’s Wings where she dropped Banks on her head. Paige gave Banks the Rampage.
Bray Wyatt returned in his lair and simply said “I’m here.”
Wyatt came out after a commercial break. Wyatt said he never had a childhood, he never celebrated holidays, he never carved a turkey and he never cared. Wyatt said the fans do. He said the fans’ entire world exists in a cardboard box. They tell you what to buy, tell you who to love. He called the fans pathetic. He tried and he tried and the fans never listened when he tried to show them the way. Wyatt said their suffering brings him joy because his eyes are wide open. He can truly see them for who they are. He said none of you are alive, you are all dead. You’re all dead and he laughed and laughed. He repeated while laughing “You’re all dead.” Speaking of which, Matt Hardy came out.
Bray Wyatt defeated Matt Hardy (2:43)
Hardy missed a moonsault, Wyatt did his upside down corner thing and pinned Hardy with Sister Abigail.
Wyatt left. Hardy was in the corner by himself while the fans chanted “Hardy.” Hardy began screaming “delete” while laughing. Then he made the motion and screamed “delete, delete, delete” over and over. Reaction was a little disappointing, but it could mean the Broken character could finally emerge. This was followed by Reby Hardy tweeting as many references to his TNA gimmick as humanly possible for the rest of the hour.
Jason Jordan talked with Angle backstage about how Kane attacked Braun Strowman. Jordan said it was too bad Strowman was injured because he wanted to get even with him. Angle couldn’t believe that and asked his son if he really meant that. Jordan sort of hemmed and hawed about how people on social media claimed he was exaggerating how bad his knee injury was. Angle claimed he didn’t mean it that way. Angle brought up how Jordan could face Kane and beat the man who took out Strowman last week. Jordan agreed, so Angle announced Jordan would face Kane tonight. Jordan had a smile on his face but it was clear he was a little apprehensive about facing Kane.
Rich Swann pinned Noam Dar in a Fatal Four-Way match that also included Akira Tozawa and Ariya Daivari to advance to the #1 contender cruiserweight match. (12:33)
Swann pinned Noam Dar with the Phoenix Splash. Early hightlight was Swann doing a somersault tope on Dar and Ariya Daivari. Dar and Daivari gave Swann a double suplex on the floor. Tozawa being in Titus Worldwide has been dropped. Enzo watched backstage and made fun of Swann doing a tope saying it would only hurt himself. He must of studied Larry Zbyzsko’s old commentary during WCW cruiserweight matches. After a Tower of Doom spot where Swann gave Dar a superplex, Daivari hit a frog splash for a two count. Tozawa hit a tope on Dar and a Shining Wizard on Daivari. Tozawa went to the top rope for the senton bomb, but Dar threw Tozawa into the post and pinned Daivari, but Swann broke it up. Dar tried to pin Tozawa with a schoolboy cradle holding the trunks, then hit a running dropkick. Swann pulled Tozawa out of the ring to avoid getting pinned.
Elias came out for a concert about how the Miztourage had not been the same since the Miz left.
Intercontinental Champion Roman Reigns defeated Elias to retain the Intercontinental Championship (14:43)
Dallas and Axel were at ringside and interfered, each jumping on the apron in opposite directions. Elias used that distractonto hit a jumping knee for a two count. Reigns hit the drive-by on Elias, then decked Dallas with a Superman punch. Reigns nailed Axel with a spear, but Elias jumped Reigns from behind, threw him into the post and hit the Randy Savage Elbow for a two count. Elias can do a top-rope elbow, then hit a turning Liger Bomb for another near fall. Regins got an inside cradle, then hit a Superman Punch for two. Reigns called for the Spear, but he ran into a knee lift, only to recover, bounce off the ropes and hit the spear for the pin.
After Reigns walked up the ramp, Joe ran out from behind and put Reigns in the Coquina Clutch. Referees, Jamie Noble and Fit Finley ran out to pull Joe off. Joe started to go back, but Joe ran back to put the choke back on. Finley had to grab Joe by the waist to get him to the back.
Dana Brooke did an inset promo saying she watched the tape of her match with Asuka over and over. Brooke claimed she found the hole in her game—she’s a slow starter. Brooke told her to watch out.
Asuka defeated Dana Brooke via tapout (:04)
Brooke ran at Asuka, who immediately put her in an armbar for the tapout.
Absolution came down to surround the ring. They stood there glaring at each other for a minute. Then Asuka smiled and backed out of the ring. Paige waved at her. Asuka backed off and smiled as she made her way up the ramp after not one of the three women entered the ring, despite having a numbers advantage.
Jordan came out and grabbed the mic and said on social media over the past week, there’s been speculation about his knee. There have been doubters saying he used the knee injury to try and get out of his match with Strowman. He said that couldn’t be any further from the truth. Last week, when he slipped out of Strowman’s powerslam, he felt his knee go. But after a week of rehab and the care of the WWE medical staff, he feels 100% and is ready to shut down the Big Red Machine. The crowd only cared because they wanted Jordan to pause long enough so they could chant “what.” Then Kane came out to a total babyface reaction.
Kane defeated Jason Jordan by countout (1:43)
Jordan powered Kane into the corner and gave him a shoulder block into the midsection. Kane threw Jordan over the top rope and Jordan immediately started selling his injured knee. The referee counted Jordan out, but Jordan rolled back in the ring. Kane gave him a big boot and therw him over the top rope again.
They kept working with Kane chop blocked Jordan’s left leg, stomped on it and slammed it in the mat. Then Finn Balor came out to a big reaction. They went to a commercial. Cole announced that Angle ordered a match between the two during the break, which bascially meant Angle didn’t have a main event for this show before now.
Finn Balor defeated Kane by DQ (2:44)
Fans chanted “Let’s go Balor” and pronounced his named like Baylor University. Kane jammed a chair into Balor’s midsection outside the ring for the DQ. Kane took the chair over his head and slammed it over Baylor’s back three times. Kane then put the chair around Balor’s head and climbed to the second rope, but Strowman’s music played. Strowman walked out and Kane looked stunned. Balor vanished. Kane slammed the chair on Strowman’s back, but Strowman no sold it.
Strowman gave Kane a head butt and a running splash to no real reaction, then knocked him out of the ring with a running bodyblock. Strowman took the ring steps, picked up a portion of it and rammed them across Kane’s head. You could hear small “Let’s Go Kane” chants because, well, he’s running for Mayor not far away. Strowman slammed the chair over Kane’s back, then picked him up for the running powerslam onto the ring steps in the ring. Strowman protected Kane on the bump to the point it looked bad. Crowd chanted “one more time.” Then Strowman took the chair around Kane’s neck and rammed it into the steps, just like Kane did to Strowman last week. Kane gasped for air. Then Strowman did it again. Crowd just watched on restlessly and Kane struggled for air around ringside. This went on way too long as Kane left through the crowd.
The match started slow. Balor was very over with the crowd and won with the Coup de Grace.
– Asuka defeated Dana Brooke
Asuka submitted her with an armbar.
– Goldust, Heath Slater & Rhyno defeated Dash Wilder, Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson
Goldust got a massive chant for the hot tag and pinned Wilder to win it for his team.
– WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore defeated Kalisto to retain his title
Amore made fun of the Iron Bowl (Alabama vs. Auburn college football game) to massive boos from the crowd, then retained with the JawdonZo.
– Elias defeated Jason Jordan
Elias played “Freebird” before the match and switched up the song halfway through to make fun of the crowd. Jordan got a good pop when he came out.
The match was slow and there were some dueling chants, with Elias winning after hitting Drift Away. Jordan landed weird on the move.
– Kane came out for a promo about how Braun Strowman wouldn’t be there at the show. Titus O’Neil made his way down and they brawled for a bit until Strowman’s music hit.
Kane beat up Strowman with a chair and got a table. Kane tried to chokeslam him through it, but Strowman powerslammed him instead.
– Bayley, Sasha Banks & Mickie James defeated Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss, Nia Jax & Alicia Fox
Banks tapped Fox out with the Banks Statement.
– Seth Rollins defeated Cesaro
This was a really good match, with Rollins winning with his knee strike finisher.
– Intercontinental Champion Roman Reigns defeated Samoa Joe to retain his title
Reigns won with a spear in a good match, though it was similar to most of his bouts.
