This was a slow match with Owens taunting the crowd a lot. Nakamura picked up the win with the Kinshasa.
– The Ascension defeated The Colons
The Ascension played face, high-fiving everyone around the ring. There was a funny moment where Primo didn’t let Epico tag him in to face Konnor. Konnor pinned Epico after The Ascension hit their Fall of Man finisher.
– Triple H defeated Rusev (w/ Aiden English)
Both Rusev and Triple H got huge pops and there were chants for both. Triple H hit the Pedigree on Rusev to get the win, then gave English one after.
– SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos defeated Breezango and Luke Harper & Erick Rowan to retain their titles
Breezango did a lot of comedy and fun stuff, with Tyler Breeze being the punching bag for the other teams to beat on. All of the teams got involved in shenanigans in the ring at the end, then Jey Uso rolled up Fandango to retain.
– Charlotte Flair, Naomi & Becky Lynch defeated SmackDown Women’s Champion Natalya, Carmella, Tamina & Lana
The heels did the usual spots with one distracting the referee while the others would attack Lynch. She made the hot tag to Charlotte, who submitted Lana with the Figure Eight after everyone else was out of the ring.
– United States Champion Baron Corbin defeated Dolph Ziggler, Bobby Roode, and Sami Zayn to retain his title
All of the heels (including Zayn) ganged up on Roode until Corbin accidentally hit Ziggler with a lariat. The heels split from there and Roode gave Ziggler the Glorious DDT following a series of finishers, but Corbin pushed Roode out of the ring and pinned Ziggler to retain.
The crowd was chanting “Where’s your briefcase?” at Corbin at one point, so Ziggler came into the crowd and picked up a replica Money in the Bank briefcase to give to him.
– AJ Styles defeated WWE Champion Jinder Mahal (w/ The Singh Brothers) in a non-title match
This was previously scheduled to be a title match, but Mahal said he didn’t have to defend his championship here because of the announcement of their match on SmackDown this week. Styles won with the Phenomenal Forearm and then gave Samir Singh the Styles Clash after the match.
The Big Takeaway: Sheamus and Cesaro recaptured the Raw Tag Team Championships by beating Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins when the New Day showed up to tease another SmackDown invasion. Kurt Angle brought most of the Raw roster out of the locker room, but it turned out to be a false alarm, which Sheamus and Cesaro took advantage of to win the titles. Angle completed his Raw Survivor Series team, adding Finn Balor, Samoa Joe and Jason Jordan. Alicia Fox added Asuka and Sasha Banks to her Raw Women’s team, but not Bayley, who didn’t appear pleased over that. Enzo Amore will defend his cruiserweight championship against Kalisto at Survivor Series. To build up for that match, the WWE UK Champion, Pete Dunne, pinned Amore clean on this show. Dunne was the most over performer on the card. Pretty solid show for a taped program.
Show Recap:
The show opened with a message of remembrance to the victims of the shooting in Sutherland Spring, Texas.
Miz, Dallas and Axel opened the show inthe ring with MizTV. Axel was in a neck brace from last week’s attack by Strowman. Miz warned Baron Corbin that if he ever talked about Maryse again, he would knock Corbin’s teeth down his throat. So Corbin responded by saying after their match at Survivor Series, Miz would be calling Corbin “Daddy.” Miz said Corbin was the bathroom break of SmackDown Live while he was the whole damn show on Raw. Miz said when Corbin steps through the ropes at Survivor Series, Miz will do something Corbin can’t do, which is make the United States Championship relevant. Then Miz introduced Angle.
Miz wanted to discuss Survivor Series. Angle said despite their differences, the Miz has his complete support against Corbin. Miz questioned that and Angle brought up the TLC PPV. Miz replayed Stephanie McMahon’s promo from last week where she made Angle the Raw team captain, and if Angle’s team doesn’t win then she will find a new GM. Angle said he wasn’t going anywhere, this is Raw, a show that has the best talent and the best fans. Angle said that Shane McMahon has an inferior (inferiority) complex because SmackDown will always be the “B” show. Miz brought up the SmackDown invasion from two weeks ago and replayed various Raw wrestlers getting annihilated. Miz showed Angle’s retaliation by claiming he set up Daniel Bryan when Kane choke slammed him. Miz claimed Angle locked Bryan in Angle’s office to get beaten up. Angle denied Miz’s allegations and apologized to Bryan.
Miz didn’t believe him and said when Stephanie made Angle the team captain, he saw a glimpse of the real Kurt Angle, the cutthroat Kurt Angle. He claimed Angle planned to eliminate Bryan just like Angle planned to eliminate the Miztourage. Angle didn’t know what Miz was talking about. Miz brought up last week when Angle forced him to defend the Intercontinental Championship, leaving him prone to getting jumped by Strowman. Fortunately, Miz said he and Dallas escaped. But Axel didn’t. Miz told Angle to apologize to Axel, but Angle refused. Miz said if Angle had nothing to do with Strowman’s attack on the Miztourage, why did Angle put Strowman on Team Raw the next day. Angle said Strowman deserved to be on Team Raw and Strowman was a hell of a negotiator because he had to promise Strowman one thing: a match against Miz tonight. Miz was on his hands and knees begging Angle to reconsider.
Jason Jordan defeated Elias in a Guitar on a Pole match (7:20)
The rules were the first person to use the guitar against their opponent was the winner. Elias got the guitar down from the pole, but swung and missed twice. Jordan grabbed the guitar and chased Elias around the ring with it. Jordan used a Northern Lights Suplex, followed by a Rolling Northern Lights Suplex. Then he executed a high angle throw before slamming the guitar across Elias’ back to earn the win. During the match, Booker T compared Jordan to Eric Watts getting heat when he walked into the locker room in 1992 WCW. Before the bout, Elias asked the fans what song they wanted him to sing. They responded Oasis’ “Wonderwall.” Instead, Elias did his standard song running down the town they were in.
The Bar walked in to talk with Angle. Cesaro was upset that Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins haven’t been ordered to defend their championships representing Raw at the Survivor Series. Sheamus wanted the Bar to represent Raw against the Usos as the Raw Tag Team Champions at Survivor Series. Angle agreed and ordered Rollins and Ambrose vs. the Bar for the Raw Tag Team Championships tonight.
Asuka defeated Stacy Coates via submission (1:12)
Asuka won with the Asuka Lock following the Kana Lock. Asuka didn’t get much of a reaction. Fox appeared on the big screen, wearing a captain’s hat pretending to be a boat captain because she’s off her rocker. She announced that Asuke has been added to the Raw women’s team for the Survivor Series.
Titus O’Neil and Apollo Crews did an interview with Charly Caruso. They showed Samoa Joe beatng Crews last week. O’Neil said Titus Worldwide was all about having fun, but tonight he had his eyes on Joe tonight.
Joe ran out during O’Neil’s ring entrance and knocked Crews off the ramp, then choked out O’Neil with the Coquina Clutch. Joe walked to the ring and said it doesn’t matter if you’re as big and powerful as Titus or the athleticism as Crews, if anyone stands in his way Joe will put you down. He challenged anyone in the back to come out. Finn Balor answered the challenge.
Finn Balor and Samoa Joe battled to a double countout (14:37)
Balor went for the Coup de Grace, but Joe rolled out of the way. Balor caught his 2nd slingblade of the match, but missed the Woo Dropkick and Joe hit a senton. Balor came back with a double stomp and Joe rolled out of the ring. Balor did a somersault tope onto Joe as the referee started his count. Joe caught Balor with a few right hands before the referee counted both men out. Within the first few minutes, Balor attempted the Coupe de Grace, but Joe crotched him. Joe was on offense for several minutes throwing various knee strikes and generally overpowering Balor for two counts. Balor made a comeback with a flying forearm, a running kick to Joe’s nose on the apron and the Woo dropkick on the floor.
They continued to brawl with Balor battling evenly with Joe. Several referees and security officials ran out to stop them. Finally, Angle came out and said he needed two men as aggressive as they were on his side. So Angle added Balor and Joe to Team Raw at the Survivor Series. As Balor started to go backstage, he jumped off the ramp onto Joe with a forearm tope.
Miz paced in the locker room about facing Strowman. Dallas was back in his motivtational speaker gimmick, saying Halloween was over and the monsters were gone. He said Strowman is nothing but flesh and bones, though he was a lot of flesh. Axel didn’t sound as optimistic, saying they should start running now. Miz just glared at him.
Angle called Bryan, who left a message for him wanting to personally apologize for Kane’s actions last week. Then Jordan walked in. Angle added Jordan to Team Raw, joining Angle, Strowman, Joe and Balor.
Bayley and Sasha Banks did an interview. They both said Fox hadn’t spoken to them about joining Team Raw. Bayley said she led Team Raw to victory last year at Survivor Series. Banks said they should be on this team and Fox better add them.
Sasha Banks and Bayley defeated Nia Jax and Alicia Fox via submission (11:45)
Banks made Fox tap out to the Bank Statement. Bayley sold for Nia Jax almost the entire spot with the same spots done on countless episodes this year. Before the finish, Bayley and Banks had to hoise Jax over the top rope, and it didn’t look good. Jax had to practically throw herself over the top. Bayley didn’t get much of a response coming out, but once the match started the fans in England starting singing “Hey, won’t you be my girl?” to her. After a year of being booked as poorly as one can be booked, Bayley was clearly overjoyed about that reaction.
After the match, Fox screeched that she needed Banks on her team. Banks looked pleased, but Bayley appeared upset that she was left out. Banks appeared to shurg when Bayley wondered about her plight.
Braun Strowman defeated Intercontinental Champion the Miz by DQ in a nontitle match (5:06)
Kane walked in and went toe-to-toe with Strowman, who hit the running powerslam on Kane. Then Kane sat up, so Strowman gave him a clothesline over the top rope. Kane landed on his feet. The match itself was Strowman throwing Miz around and Miz doing his best to run away. Strowman threw Miz onto Dallas and Axel over the top rope to the floor before Kane came out. After Kane left, Axel and Dallas jumped Strowman, who easily laid them out. Strowman finished Miz with a running powerslam, as well.
Rollins and Ambrose did an interview with Renee Young. Rollins said they were going to win tonight. Rollins talked about how no one wanted to see Sheamus and Cesaro win. He said Sheamus and Cesaro claim to be the bar, but Rollins rolled up his fist and said this has always been the bar since they entered WWE. After Rollins and Ambrose left, Young held out her fist like she wanted the Shield to win.
Enzo Amore came out and said he was the biggest name to enter the UK since the Bubonic Plague. Fans wanted to sing Amore’s name to the tune of “Seven Nation Army,” but he shouted them down. Amore said everyone from TMZ to newspapers wanted to know what was the future of the Cruiserweight Champion. He said a kid about the size of Kalisto asked him in the hotel who was he going to defend the cruiserweight title against. Amore said Kalisto at Survivor Series. He went on and on about how he had already defeated Kalisto for the championship and Kalisto was in cahoots with Angle to earn this title shot. Corey Graves actually talked over this interview at points, legitimately sounding like he had heat with Amore.
Kalisto came out. Then Pete Dunne’s music came on and the place erupted. Angle walked out and introduced Pete Dunne, the WWE UK Champion. Dunne didn’t need the introduction because he got the biggest pop of the show. Angle announced Dunne vs. Amore immediately.
WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne defeated WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore in a nontitle match (3:39)
Dunne pinned Amore with the Bitter End. Before the finish, Amore tried to pin Dunne with his feet on the ropes, but Kalisto alerted the referee, which distracted Dunne. Crowd was completely with Dunne and there was a huge pop when he won. Kalisto laughed at Enzo after losing for making fun of his size earlier.
Alexa Bliss did an interview with Caruso. Bliss said she heard Natalia talk about how Bliss ran off to Raw after Natalia joined SmackDown Live. Caruso interrupted her and said Bliss did, in fact, go to Raw. Bliss corrected her and said she was a two-time SmackDown Women’s Champion, just like she is now a two-time Raw Women’s Champion. Bliss asked Caruso was dows two plus two equal? Caruso said four. Bliss said she was wrong, it really equaled one. One goddess.
Next week, Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman return to Raw in Atlanta.
Also returning next week, Roman Reigns.
Sheamus and Cesaro defeated Raw Tag Team Champions Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose to win the Raw Tag Team Championship (18:50)
They had an excellent going when the New Day showed up out of the crowd. Xavier Woods teased there would be an Under Siege 2. The match, which had been going on for over 15 minutes, simply stopped. Upon seeing this, Angle rallied Rhyno, Heath Slater, Curt Hawkins (I guess every army has to have privates), Goldust and others Raw wrestlers to surround ringside. As Joe, Banks, Fox, Crews, O’Neil, and many others came out to ringisde, the New Day bolted. As soon as they did, Sheamus hit Rollins with a brogue kick for the pin.
It was a very good match. Early on, the Shield used a Hart Attack on Sheamus with Rollins doing a slingblade. Down the stretch, Cesaro and Sheamus took out Ambrose with a double crucifix bomb into the barricade. Cesaro hit the Doomsday Device on Rollins, who kicked out at two. Everyone thought that was the finish. Then Ambrose hit Sheamus with Dirty Deeds, followed by Rollins coming off the top rope with a frog splash, but Cesaro tackled Ambrose, who fell onto Rollins to break up the pin. Crowd was loving the match at this point, which was when the New Day showed up. Cesaro came out wearing the kits of the Liverpoot Futbol team, the archrival of Manchester United.
Impact Wrestling returns to pay-per-view with their biggest show of the year tonight as the Aberdeen Pavilion in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada hosts Bound for Glory 2017. The venue will also be home to five days of Impact television tapings this week.
Four title matches are set for the Bound for Glory card, topped by Eli Drake defending his Global Championship against Johnny Impact. Former champion Alberto El Patron is also expected to be on the show in some form.
In the night’s other title matches, Sienna will defend her Knockouts Championship against Gail Kim and Allie, the tag titles will be on the line in a 5150 street fight between OVE and LAX, and a six-way match for X Division gold has Trevor Lee defending against Matt Sydal, Dezmond Xavier, Sonjay Dutt, Garza Jr., and Petey Williams.
Moose’s feud with Bobby Lashley and American Top Team will continue as he & Stephan Bonnar face Lashley & King Mo in Six Sides of Steel, Abyss will take on Grado in a Monster’s Ball match, and Ethan Carter III, James Storm & Eddie Edwards team against El Hijo Del Fantasma, Pagano & Texano.
We’re looking for your thoughts on this show, as well as UFC 217 and New Japan Power Struggle for the weekend, so you can send a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected]
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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The show opened with Alberto El Patron showing up and them asking what is he going to be doing here tonight.
X-DIVISION CHAMPION TREVOR LEE VS. DEZMOND XAVIER VS. GARZA JR. VS. SONJAY DUTT VS. MATT SYDAL VS. PETEY WILLIAMS
They announced this as “Lucha style” meaning no tags but two people legal. However, it’s not an elimination match but the first pin or submission wins. Because they are in Canada, Williams got a huge reaction and came out to “O’ Canada” with the flag.
This was a good match with lots of high flying. Not everything was super crisp but it was a fun match that the crowd liked. Highlights included Xavier doing a Space Flying Tiger Drop, Williams doing a pescado into a huracanrana, and a triple tope spot. Sydal looked good. Garza’s shoulder is messed up from surgery and he clearly wasn’t ready to be back.
The finish saw Williams finally hit the Canadian Destroyer (which the match built to) on Xavier but Lee threw Williams out of the ring and stole the pin.
TYSON DUX VS. TAIJI ISHIMORI
They called Dux the hottest free agent in Canada. NOAH Chairman Masayuki Uchida came out with Ishimori. They pushed that the winner would be in line for a shot at Lee. This was a short match that was more like a TV enhancement match. Ishimori won ith a 450, so they are probably doing Lee vs. Ishimori at TV Monday or later in the week.
Grado saw Abyss, called him Joseph, and said we don’t need to do this. Abyss said, “There’s no Joseph here but you’re about to feel pain and suffering and carnage” and said he’s about to be exported. (Actually, deported). Grado stood up to him, said it’s a different Grado and called him Joseph again.
ALBERTO EL PATRON PROMO
Alberto el Patron is now out and wants to give us a history lesson. He got a good reaction but not overwhelming. He’s doing an anti-authority gimmick. He talked about what the company, the cowards, and the perros did to him. They screwed him and destroyed him because they have no cajones. He called them backstabbers. They believed all the lies instead of reading the reports because “as the reports will tell you, I didn’t do anything but they suspended me and stopped paying me.” The announcers are acting like it’s a shoot and talked about pulling the mic.
Alberto said they stripped him of the title, that the current champion is fake and he has to beat him to be the real champion. He said this place didn’t care about his family, his young children, and said there’s a loser who wanted to spread lies and stuff that never happened. He said after showing that he didn’t do anything, none of them called or texted him and nobody came to his house. He vowed to do something tonight and said the place was filled with losers, cowards and backstabbers.
He went to Jeremy Borash and said he thought they were friends and asked him where he was three months ago. He said JB never called or texted him. Fans wanted him to put Borash through a table. He told Borash to tell the people if he called. Borash said he never called, never texted, and apologized. He and Borash shook hands and Borash acted all nervous. Alberto said he was going to make a statement. JB said they should talk about this tonight, but then Alberto did nothing and said, “Maybe not”. He just said, “Tonight would be amazing” and then he left.
GRADO VS. ABYSS IN A MONSTER’S BALL MATCH WHERE GRADO’S VISA IS AT STAKE
This was a mess. They did the thumbtacks and barbed wire boards including Grado splashing on board with Abyss in the middle, making a barbed wire board sandwich. At one point, Van Ness interfered and gave Grado a low blow for not marrying her. Van Ness got Janice the nail board and then the lights went out. Rosemary came out and attacked Van Ness and saved Grado by blowing mist at Van Ness. Abyss was about to chokeslam Rosemary, but they were a team before and she stroked his forehead. She went to blow mist at Grado who moved, and Abyss got the mist in the eyes. Abyss was blinded and chokeslammed Rosemary on thumbtacks instead. Grado then schoolboyed Abyss for a three count and the bell rang. Borash, who knew it wasn’t the right finish, said he kicked out at two and the timekeeper rang the bell early. Abyss won with a black hole slam on a barbed wire board right afterward.
TEAM IMPACT (ETHAN CARTER III & JAMES STORM & EDDIE EDWARDS) VS. TEAM AAA (TEXANO & EL HIJO DEL FANTASMA & PAGANO)
Dorian Roldan was out with Team AAA. They mentioned Edwards was going to defend the GHC title on Impact Thursday night, so that’s being taped tomorrow.
This was a long match that was really sloppy a lot of the way. Pagano isn’t good at all and a lot of the other stuff looked mistimed, but they did a lot of big moves and the crowd was into the Impact vs. outsiders idea. Storm pinned Pagano with a superkick that didn’t land solid after ECIII used low blows on Pagano & Texano at the same time that led to a double One Percenter. Early on they teased that ECIII wouldn’t tag in but later he did, and at the end, he was all in on the team and celebrated with Storm. Edwards took a package tombstone from Fantasma and was taken out, although he was celebrating, to set up Storm’s win.
TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS OVE VS. LAX FOR THE TAG TITLES IN A 5150 STREET FIGHT
The rules basically were that it’s a gang war so everyone can legally interfere.
OVE retained the titles in a big brawl with all the weapons used again. The finish saw Sami Callihan throw powder in Konnan’s eyes and then throw Santana off the top rope onto a ladder bridge. He then gave Ortiz a piledriver off the apron through a table and both Crist Brothers pinned Ortiz to win. They buried LAX under a Mexican flag when it was over.
Before the match, Callihan had supposedly hit someone with a pipe and the idea was that it was Homicide backstage buried under a Mexican flag and taken out. Most likely, it was just some extra. At one point, Santana did a New Jack dive on Dave off a light stand through a table after Ortiz had powerbomed Jake off the stage through a table. There was a chair shot to the head as well. These guys took a ton of punishment to get the match over. There was some sloppiness in the sense this wouldn’t be a good match on a major league show but it worked here and the crowd liked it.
KNOCKOUTS CHAMPION SIENNA VS. GAIL KIM VS. ALLIE
Anthony Carelli (Santino Marella) was shown at ringside. They called him Anthony Carelli and Josh Matthews said he’s known him so long he calls him Boris (his OVW name a long time ago).
The match was sloppy. The whole story was about Kim trying to win the title in her final Bound for Glory, which she did, pinning Sienna with the Eat Defeat off the middle rope. When the match was over, Borash said it was Gail’s final match and that was was retiring on top. I guess she’ll retire with the title on TV. The crowd like Kim so the story worked, but it’s not like they went crazy for it.
Jimmy Jacobs showed up which is interesting that he was on both ROH and Impact. They said how Jacobs doesn’t work here. He said, “I don’t work here? That’s what you think.”
BOBBY LASHLEY & KING MO LAWAL VS. STEPHAN BONNAR & MOOSE
They showed UFC welterweight Colby Covington backstage with Dan Lambert and a couple of other guys as ATT.
Lashley pinned Moose with a spear after Moose was distracted by Covington. It was a numbers game as there were four ATT guys who interfered and were in the cage so it was 6-on-2 at the end. Moose and Lashley carried it and would break it up whenever Mo squared off with Bonnar. When Mo and Bonnar finally went at it after several teases, they did basic MMA stuff and it was okay. It was more a story match. I wouldn’t call it good or bad but it wasn’t as if the angle was super hot here.
Moose and Mo ended up going out the door. Lambert then threw Mo in and all the ATT guys (including Lambert) got in the cage and Lambert locked the cage door with Moose out of the cage. Bonnar had a quick spot of cleaning house until he was beaten down. The big spot saw Moose climb the cage and do a crossbody off the top of the cage onto everyone. Moose also did a tree slam off the top rope on John Harnett, a smaller guy who is a manager at ATT who took a good bump.
GLOBAL CHAMPION ELI DRAKE VS. JOHNNY IMPACT
Chris Adonis is in Drake’s corner.
They were having a good match, but it was nowhere near world title heat. The finish was overbooked and turned out to be all about Alberto. They did a ton of near falls. Impact had it won but Adonis interfered. Impact laid out Adonis with a belt shot that Adonis had brought in. Impact later hit Starship Pain and Alberto el Patron showed up and pulled the ref out of the ring. Impact went for a dive on Alberto, who moved, and Impact wiped out the ref. Alberto then nailed Drake with a belt shot, acting like he didn’t care who won. Then, he nailed Impact with a hard unprotected chair shot to the head. Alberto then put Drake on top of Impact and the ref counted the pin with Drake retaining the title.
This was a good match but the interference in so many matches earlier made this more annoying than heated by the time they got here.
The Big Takeaway: Jason Jordan returned to Main Event and took Curt Hawkins’ loss tally to 121, then Cedric Alexander beat Tony Nese in a short back-and-forth bout.
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Jason Jordan defeated Curt Hawkins (4:58)
You have to go back a year ago — almost to the week — to find a Jason Jordan appearance on Main Event. In November 2016, he defeated Viktor in an unmemorable singles match and there was just as little of note here in his bout against Curt Hawkins.
Hawkins’ losing record is now being referred to as the “longest in the modern era” on commentary. Jordan dispensed with him with relative ease, despite giving Hawkins more of the match than his status deserves, using his as-yet-unnamed finisher — a belly-to-back suplex lifted and dropped into an elevated neckbreaker.
The match was full of drop down/leapfrog combinations until Hawkins worked over Jordan’s storyline injured shoulder and took control with rest holds. The turning point was when Hawkins came off the top rope for an elbow drop and Jordan rolled out of the way. It led to a quick finish from Jordan, who had stopped selling his elbow and pinned Hawkins to continue his losing misery.
Cedric Alexander defeated Tony Nese (4:30)
So often on Main Event, the cruiserweights aren’t given nearly long enough and this was no different. It becomes a see-how-much-of-our-stuff-we-can-get-into-five-minutes contest and it does them a disservice when you look at the talent on display.
Despite its brevity, there were several good moments in the match. Alexander had a shine segment where he slid under Nese’s legs, sprung up and rolled underneath him, and came up with an overhead kick. He then did a kip up and drank in the roar of the crowd while mocking Nese by counting his abs. These two are very good together.
The finish really could have gone either way: after Nese had used his pumphandle slam, Alexander barely kicked out, but quickly recovered to nail Nese with a springboard handstand scissors takedown. Alexander used the Lumbar Check and leaped on top of Nese as hastily as he could to ensure that he got the win. This was a good, solid match.
There were 350 people in attendance at last night’s house show.
– The Street Profits defeated The Ealy Brothers
– Liv Morgan defeated Bianca Belair
– Kassius Ohno defeated Babatunde Aiyegbusi
– Roderick Strong defeated Buddy Murphy
– Peyton Royce (w/ Billie Kay) defeated Ember Moon, Nikki Cross, and Kairi Sane in a fatal four-way match
These are the same four wrestlers who will be involved in the fatal four-way for the vacant NXT Women’s Championship at TakeOver: War Games later this month.
– Johnny Gargano defeated Fabian Aichner
– Wesley Blake and Steve Cutler defeated Heavy Machinery
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC 217: Bisping vs. St. Pierre, emanating from Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York.
The UFC returns to the Big Apple for their biggest event of the year, with three title fights, and featuring the return of arguably the greatest fighter in UFC history looking to capture gold in a second weight division.
Former UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre makes his long-awaited return to the Octagon after four years as he challenges Michael Bisping for the UFC Middleweight Championship.
The fight has been a roller coaster since first being announced in March, and at many times it looked like it wasn’t going to happen, but they will finally step across from each other tonight. St. Pierre looks to regain gold and win his 13th straight fight while Bisping looks to make his second title defense successful. Both men have vowed to retire the other.
In the co-main event, it is another long-awaited title fight as rivals and former teammates go to war. UFC Bantamweight Champion Cody Garbrandt makes his first title defense when he takes on former champion T.J. Dillashaw. They have gone back-and-forth all over the last year, and after being scheduled to fight in July only to be postponed, they finally square off.
In our third title fight, it will be UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk looking to continue her dominance at 115 pounds when she defends against Rose Namajunas. Namajunas has won four of her last five and will pose an interesting test for Jedrzejczyk, who is looking to remain undefeated and win her 15th straight fight.
Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.
We are looking for your thoughts on tonight’s event, so send a thumbs up, a thumbs down or a thumbs in the middle along with a best fight and a worst fight to Dave at [email protected].
Zahabi was on the attack early and got the clinch and landed a knee before they scrambled to the mat with Ramos on top. They scrambled a bit on the mat before getting to their feet. Ramos lands a couple of heavy leg kicks. They traded and Zahabi was looking to set up the takedown. Ramos got a brief takedown but Zahabi got up. Zahabi landed a right hand. Zahabi landed some good punches and took the back of Ramos. Zahabi tried a judo throw but Ramos reversed out and got a slam as they got to their feet before the round ended. 10-9 Ramos.
Zahabi is pressing the action but not doing much on the attack as Ramos lands a leg kick to start the second round. Zahabi landed a couple of right hands. Ramos went for a kick but it was caught by Zahabi who missed taking him down. Zahabi landed an uppercut. The pace slowed at the end as both were looking to set something big up. Zahabi landed the jab a couple of times towards the end. 10-9 Zahabi, 19-19.
They came out trading to start the third round. Zahabi applying the pressure. Zahabi landed an uppercut. Zahabi looking for a big punch. Zahabi landed another uppercut. All of a sudden Ramos landed a spinning back elbow that knocked Zahabi out cold. Wow. It came out of nowhere. One of the best knockouts of the year.
Official Result- Ricardo Ramos def. Aiemann Zahabi by knockout (spinning back elbow) at 1:58 of Round 3
> Aleksei Oleinik (#9, 52-10-1, 4-1 UFC) vs. Curtis Blaydes (#12, 7-1 1 NC, 2-1 1 NC UFC) Heavyweights
Blaydes gets a quick takedown but Oleinik is dangerous on the mat. They got back up. Oleinik landed an uppercut. They traded punches. They clinched and Oleinik landed a heavy uppercut. Oleinik landing more punches. Blaydes got a takedown. They got to their feet and traded strikes before Blaydes got another takedown and is in side control. Blaydes landed a big right hand and Oleinik landed some punches in return. They clinched and both landed uppercuts. Blaydes then droped Oleinik with a hard punch. Oleinik got back up and had Blaydes clinched against the fence. Oleinik then fell as he tried to drag Blaydes down. Blaydes landed some big right hands at the end, it was a surprise that Oleinik survived. 10-9 Blaydes.
Blaydes came out landing punches and kicks. Oleinik was landing in return but not with the volume of Blaydes. Blaydes got a big takedown and is working in the guard. Blaydes got to his feet and then landed an illegal kick as Oleinik was getting to his feet. It barely touched his ear. We have some controversy now. The fight was stopped by the doctor and the referee as Oleinik was deemed unable to continue. Blaydes is furious. We are going to instant replay to determine a decision. Blaydes was then announced as the winner. This is weird. Even Blaydes is confused.
Official Result- Curtis Blaydes def. Aleksei Oleinik by TKO (doctor stoppage) at 1:56 of Round 2
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> Randy Brown (9-2, 3-2 UFC) vs. Mickey Gall (4-0, 3-0 UFC) Welterweights
Brown landed a solid combo inside the first thirty seconds. Gall is on the retreat. Gall fired back with a big right hand. They clinched and Brown landed a hard knee to the body. Brown with another knee and then got a takedown. Brown landed some big hammerfists. Gall went for a kimura but it allowed Brown to posture back up. Brown in total control from the top but Gall is working from the bottom. Brown landing some big elbows from the top. Gall can’t get up. Brown with more hard elbows and Gall is cut open. 10-9 Brown.
Gall still bleeding pretty good to start the second. Brown landed a kick and Gall tried a takedown but ended up on the bottom but was able to reverse and is in the guard of Brown. They were scrambling on the mat and Brown may have landed an illegal upkick but they continued. Gall is in side control. Gall landing some punches as he’s trying for the mounted crucifix position. They scrambled and Gall went back into the full guard. Gall looking for a choke in side control but didn’t have it. Brown escaped but Gall got into the full mount but Brown was able to slide out from the bottom. Strong round for Gall. 10-9 Gall, 19-19.
Gall went right for a takedown but ate an uppercut from Brown on the way in and Brown started to tee off on Gall on the mat looking to finish. Gall was able to survive and recover by grabbing the neck. Gall is pouring blood. Brown landing enough punches to keep the fight down and Gall isn’t doing anything on the bottom. Brown landing more from the top inside the guard. Gall grabbing the neck and grabbed the fence and has a guillotine locked in but Brown was able to escape. Gall can’t get up from the bottom. Brown stands up and Gall follows but the fight ends with no action. 10-9 Brown, 29-28 Brown.
Official Result- Randy Brown def. Mickey Gall by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)
NEWS: The UFC announced their schedule for the first three months of 2018. There will be nine events. It kicks off January 14 in St. Louis, Missouri. Following that will be UFC 220 in Boston, Massachusetts. Rounding out January will be a January 27 event in Charlotte, North Carolina. February has three events- February 3 in Belem, Brazil, UFC 221 on February 10 in Perth, Austraila, February 18 in Austin, Texas, and February 24 in Orlando, Florida. Two events take place in March, with UFC 222 on March 3 in Las Vegas, and an event on March 17 in London, England.
> Ovince Saint Preux (#6, 21-10, 9-5 UFC) vs. Corey Anderson (#7, 9-3, 6-3 UFC) Light Heavyweights
Saint Preux landed a hard left hand to start off. Anderson got a couple of big takedowns back-to-back inside the first minute and has the back. They got back to their feet and Anderson is working hard to get another takedown. Anderson was landing punches as Saint Preux was back up and Anderson went for another takedown against the fence. Anderson with a spinning elbow and back to work for the takedown. They broke the clinch and back to the center. Saint Preux with a knee to the body as he stuffs a takedown attempt. Saint Preux with a late flurry that drops Anderson. 10-9 Anderson.
Saint Preux with a big head kick to start the second and Anderson is in trouble. Anderson got a quick timeout as he lost his mountpiece and it allowed Anderson to recover. Anderson working for a takedown. They broke and Anderson went right back working for another takedown. They broke away again. Anderson attempts another takedown and finishes it this time. Anderson gets to the back. They get to their feet. Anderson drags the fight back to the mat and Anderson is landing punches but they get back up. Slower pace at the end. 10-9 Anderson, 20-18 Anderson.
Anderson went for a takedown but it was defended though he landed a right hand on the break. Anderson lands a right hand followed by a left. Saint Preux then knocked Anderson out cold with a head kick out of nowhere. That is a comeback win there and we have another contender for a bonus. That was nasty. OSP called for a fight with Ilir Latifi next on December 30.
Official Result- Ovince Saint Preux def. Corey Anderson by knockout (head kick) at 1:25 of Round 3
> Walt Harris (10-6, 3-5 UFC) vs. Mark Godbeer (12-3, 1-1 UFC) Heavyweights
Harris coming out firing with some kicks. They trade punches. Harris with a grazing head kick. They are both throwing with lots of power. Harris gets a takedown into side control and goes right to mount and landed some big punches. Harris working inside the full guard. They trade punches on the mat, Harris with more power being he’s on top. Harris with heavy left hands inside the guard. Godbeer able to get to his feet but eats some knees to the body before they break. Harris with a left hand and Godbeer with a body kick. Harris landed a low blow and the referee called timeout and Harris landed a head kick after timeout was called. That seemed blatant and is definitely a foul. The fight is stopped as Godbeer is unable to continue. This should be a disqualification win for Godbeer.
Official Result- Mark Godbeer def. Walt Harris by disqualification (illegal kick) at 4:25 of Round 1
> James Vick (11-1, 7-1 UFC) vs. Joseph Duffy (16-2, 4-1 UFC) Lightweights
They were throwing feints early. Vick landed a body kick but got tripped up as Duffy grabbed his leg. Duffy with the pressure. Duffy lands some punches but Vick counters with a straight right hand followed by an uppercut. Duffy lands a right hand. Duffy landing the jab. Duffy grabs the leg on a kick and gets a takedown. Duffy trips Vick on an inside leg kick. Duffy with a right hand to the body. Vick just misses a head kick. Duffy lands a right hand and scores a takedown. Vick grabs the neck. They each land in the final seconds of the round. 10-9 Duffy.
Duffy with a body kick to start the second round. Duffy with a head kick. He’s able to keep away from Vick’s attacks, which is good with Vick’s reach advantage. Vick lands a left hand after ducking under a right hand. Vick lands the jab and a leg kick. Neither man unable to get a big advantage over the other but both landing. Vick just misses a head kick. More methodical pace to this round. Vick lands a head kick after hurting Duffy with a low kick. Vick then drops Duffy with a right uppercut and starts landing punches and finishes him right before the horn to end the round. Wow. Big win for James Vick. Vick calls for a main event spot on the February UFC event in Austin.
Official Result- James Vick def. Joseph Duffy by TKO (punches) at 4:59 of Round 2
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> Johny Hendricks (18-7, 13-7 UFC) vs. Paulo Costa (10-0, 2-0 UFC) Middleweights
Costa with a leg kick and then a big body kick. Costa with another body kick. Hendricks with a leg kick. Hendricks went for a takedown but Costa broke the clinch with a knee. Costa misses a spinning head kick. Costa with a body kick and Hendricks lands a left hand. Costa controlling the Octagon and lands a right hand. Hendricks with a leg kick following a combo. Coata with a knee to the body. Hendricks lands two left hands followed by a leg kick. Costa misses again on a spinning head kick. Costa with a big knee and a body kick at the end. 10-9 Costa.
We have an eye poke to start the round and a quick timeout but back to action quickly. Costa hurts Hendricks with a head kick and is teeing off with punches. Costa with a head kick and then another. Costa with a right hand and Hendricks is in trouble. Costa with an uppercut and more punches on the ground as Hendricks was going for a takedown and the fight is stopped. Costa with the big win.
Official Result- Paulo Costa def. Johny Hendricks by TKO (punches) at 1:23 of Round 2
> Stephen Thompson (#2, 13-2-1, 8-2-1 UFC) vs. Jorge Masvidal (#4, 32-12, 9-5 UFC) Welterweights
Thompson looking for leg kicks early. Both being patient. Masvidal with a body kick. Thompson with a side head kick. Masvidal with a leg kick and Thompson fires back with a combo. They are both looking for openings but not much is there. Masvidal with a body kick. Thompson lands a right hand. Thompson with a front leg side kick to the body that drops Masvidal. Masvidal with a leg kick and Thompson fires back with a left hand. Thompson with another straight left hand. 10-9 Thompson.
Thompson with a front leg side kick to the head. Masvidal then landed a good combo of punches against the fence. Thompson knocks Masvidal down with a right hand. Masvidal gets up. Both men being patient. Thompson lands a left hand. Masvidal has been unable to get inside the range of Thompson. Masvidal clipped Thompson with a left hook. 10-9 Thompson, 20-18 Thompson.
Masvidal went for a takedown against the fence but it was defended. He needs to win this round. Thompson lands a good combination. Thompson with another good combo and just misses a wheel kick to the head. Masvidal with a body kick and Thompson counters with a side kick to the body. They traded right hands. Thompson lands a good series of punches. Thompson is cut underneath his eye. Thompson with a good combo of punches. Thompson with a right hand. They trade punches at the end of the fight. 10-9 Thompson, 30-27 Thompson.
Official Result- Stephen Thompson def. Jorge Masvidal by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
> Joanna Jedrzejczyk (C, 14-0, 8-0 UFC) vs. Rose Namajunas (#4, 6-3, 4-2 UFC) UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship
Intense stare down. Both ladies land early. Jedrzejczyk with a combo and a leg kick. Namajunas knocks Jedrzejczyk down with a big right hand. Namajunas gets the mount then has the back but lets Joanna up. Namajunas with a right hand. Namajunas then drops Jedrzejczyk with a left hand and then finishes her off. WOW. This is a huge upset. Namajunas is the new champion. Jedrzejczyk also tapped out due to the strikes.
Official Result- Rose Namajunas def. Joanna Jedrzejczyk by knockout (punches) at 3:03 of Round 1, Namajunas becomes the new UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion
No glove touch here either. Garbrandt looking for a heavy right hand early as Dillashaw works his movement. Garbandt just misses a body kick. Dillashaw missing on his leg kick attempts. Garbrandt lands a combo on Dillashaw. Wild flurry from both. Garbrandt lands a right hand and then a combo. Garbrandt with some body punches. Dillashaw just misses a head kick. Dillashaw landed a big right hand. Garbrandt dropped Dillashaw with a right hand with just five seconds left. Dillashaw stumbled to his corner and is in trouble. Garbrandt shot him the finger and told him he’s number one. 10-9 Garbrandt.
Dillashaw misses a head kick and Garbrandt taunts him over it. Dillashaw then knocked Garbrandt down with a head kick but Garbrandt got back up. Garbrandt seems okay after the knockdown. Dillashaw then rocks and drops Garbrandt down with a right hand and finishes him! Dillashaw is once again the champion at 135 pounds. Another upset on this card.
Official Result- TJ Dillashaw def. Cody Garbrandt by knockout (punches) at 2:41 of Round 2, Dillashaw becomes the new UFC Bantamweight Champion
> Michael Bisping (C, 30-7, 20-7 UFC) vs. Georges St. Pierre (25-2, 19-2 UFC) UFC Middleweight Championship
They touched gloves! Both men patient in the opening thirty seconds. St. Pierre lands a right hand. He lands the jab. Bisping missing his punches. St. Pierre with a roundhouse kick. Bisping lands a right hand. St. Pierre with a leg kick followed by a right hand then rocks Bisping with a jab but Bisping fires back with a right hand. St. Pierre gets a takedown. Bisping tried to grab the fence to block it. They got back up. St. Pierre with a Superman punch that rocks Bisping and just misses a spin kick. 10-9 St. Pierre.
Bisping unable to establish his range and is fighting conservative. St. Pierre lands a left hand. Bisping misses a right hand. Bisping with an inside leg kick. St. Pierre with a side kick. St. Pierre with a body kick. Bisping lands a right hand. St. Pierre with the double jab and gets the takedown. St. Pierre in half-guard. Bisping tried to grab the shorts of GSP to get up. They got to their feet. Bisping with a right hand. Bisping with a jumping head kick. St. Pierre with a body kick. 10-9 Bisping, 19-19.
St. Pierre gets a takedown to start the third. Bisping has St. Pierre in his full guard. St. Pierre is cut open. Both men landing strikes on the mat. They get back to their feet and GSP is a bloody mess. Bisping lands a right hand. GSP lands a couple of overhand rights. St. Pierre with a side kick to the body. St. Pierre drops Bisping with a left hand and is dropping elbows and has Bisping in a lot of trouble. GSP looking for the fnish and grabs the back and locks in a rear-naked choke. It is in deep and Bisping is out! GSP has choked Bisping unconscious. GSP wins in his return. We have a new champion.
Official Result- Georges St. Pierre def. Michael Bisping by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:23 of Round 3, St. Pierre becomes the new UFC Middleweight Champion
This was a very solid opener with both getting in their signature moves. They had good chemistry and the match flowed well.
After Balor won, he cut a promo saying this was where he defended his NXT title against Joe at TakeOver: London, and Joe took him to his limits tonight like he did in that match. Joe was put over and got some chants as well.
– Jason Jordan, Goldust, Heath Slater & Rhyno defeated Elias, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson & Bo Dallas
Elias came out to huge boos and sang “Wonderwall” while everyone joined in, then he changed the lyrics to insult London and was booed again. Jordan got the pin in a fun match. He received a mixed reaction when he entered, but he was being cheered by the end.
– Asuka defeated Mickie James
Neither got a great reaction and the crowd wasn’t that into this. Asuka submitted James with the Asuka Lock before James was left in the ring to get cheered.
The UK wrestlers got surprisingly small reactions, including a “Moustache Mountain” chant for Bate and Seven that failed to get started. The match was slow paced as Seven spent a lot of time isolated from Bate. After Bate was tagged in, they hit a double team move to win the match. YouTube star Emma Blackery was the guest timekeeper for this and was booed.
– WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore defeated Kalisto to retain his title
Amore got the second biggest pop of the night when he entered, but he cut a promo trashing the fans and was booed after. He claimed to be the new King of the Cruiserweights but didn’t mention Neville directly. Kalisto was cheered and there were several “Lucha” chants.
This was the shortest match on the show, going about three minutes until Amore retained.
– Braun Strowman defeated Kane by DQ
Both got loud reactions, especially Kane. Kane hit Strowman with a chair early to cause the disqualification. He set up a table after, but Strowman countered and powerslammed him through it. The crowd went wild for that.
Bliss and Jax played the best friends gimmick very strongly. This went on for a while with Jax getting some power spots in. The crowd was really into the match and were strongly behind Bayley and Banks, who tapped out Bliss with the Banks Statement for the victory.
– Intercontinental Champion The Miz (w/ The Miztourage) defeated Matt Hardy to retain his title
Miz cut a promo and was getting frustrated that he was being booed. He talked about how he was the star of “The Marine 5” and how the director was here in the crowd, but he was still booed. Miz then took about five minutes to take off his robe. His heel work got the crowd really into this.
A poke to the eye and the Skull Crushing Finale got the win for The Miz while Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas were distracting the referee.
– Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose & Triple H defeated Cesaro, Sheamus & Bray Wyatt
Rollins and Ambrose came through the crowd and were mobbed, but Triple H got the biggest pop of the night. He took the Shield gear and joined them in the ring.
The match was long but had plenty of fun spots. Rollins, Ambrose, and Triple H hit the Shield triple powerbomb for the win. After that, there were deafening chants for London to get WrestleMania. Rollins and Ambrose said they would have WrestleMania in the UK and put their hands in for the fist bump, with Triple H following suit, but they said it unfortunately wasn’t their decision to make.
– SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos defeated Rusev & Aiden English and The New Day to retain their titles
Jimmy Uso hit a superkick on English to retain. Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods wrestled for New Day in the match.
– Bobby Roode defeated Dolph Ziggler
This was definitely the match of the night and much better than their previous matches on television. Roode hit the Glorious DDT to win.
– Breezango & The Ascension defeated The Colons & The Bludgeon Brothers
Luke Harper and Erick Rowan were wearing their old gear instead of the new look they had in Dublin. Fandango got the pin on Primo after hitting a Falcon Arrow.
– WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne defeated Wolfgang to retain his title
Dunne retained with The Bitter End.
– Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Kevin Owens
Nakamura won with the Kinshasa, but this match was very disappointing.
– Charlotte Flair, Naomi & Becky Lynch defeated SmackDown Women’s Champion Natalya, Carmella, Tamina & Lana
Charlotte submitted Natalya with the Figure Eight.
– United States Champion Baron Corbin defeated Sin Cara and Sami Zayn to retain his title
Before the match, Zayn cut a promo trashing the city of Aberdeen. Corbin pinned Sin Cara after hitting the End of Days.
– AJ Styles defeated WWE Champion Jinder Mahal in a non-title match to retain his title
This was a surprisingly good match, with Styles winning clean. The Singh Brothers got on the mic and called out Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar before this started and Mahal cut his usual promo.
SmackDown’s first show on WWE’s European tour took place in Dublin last night. It was headlined by AJ Styles vs. Jinder Mahal in a non-title match, plus Luke Harper & Erick Rowan wrestled for the first time since being repackaged as the Bludgeon Brothers and Becky Lynch and Jordan Devlin returned to their home country.
– SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos defeated Rusev & Aiden English and The New Day to retain their titles
Big E and Xavier Woods were the two New Day members in the match. The crowd was massively behind them but were more than willing to cheer The Usos as well, who played face here.
Rusev and English got the heat on Woods for most of the match. They knocked Big E off the apron at one point, forcing Woods to tag in an Uso. Jimmy and Jey superkicked everyone before pinning English with a top rope splash.
– Bobby Roode defeated Dolph Ziggler
To mock Roode’s entrance, Ziggler came out to silence. Roode got a huge response from the crowd.
During the match, Ziggler got the heat on Roode after throwing him to the outside. Ziggler got a near fall after hitting the Zig-Zag, but he spent too much time setting up for the superkick and allowed Roode to hit the Glorious DDT for the win.
They started off with a lot of technical wrestling as Tucker and Bate went hold for hold. Tucker was cut off from making the tag to Devlin, who’s from Ireland and someone the crowd sees as a hometown hero.
Devlin eventually got the hot tag and ran wild, using a uranage and moonsault combination. He pinned Seven after connecting with a top rope moonsault. The crowd started off cold but were really into it by the end.
After the match, the Bludgeon Brothers came out and attacked Devlin and Tucker to huge heat.
– The Bludgeon Brothers (Luke Harper & Erick Rowan) defeated The Shining Stars, Breezango, and The Ascension
Breezango and The Ascension came down to make the save, but Konnor and Viktor turned on Breezango. The Shining Stars then saved them from a beatdown.
The match was slow paced, with Rowan and The Ascension working over Breezango for most of it. Tyler Breeze tagged in Fandango, who got the advantage for a while, but the Bludgeon Brothers won after pinning one of the Shining Stars with a double chokeslam.
– Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Kevin Owens
The chants were pretty even here, but Owens probably had the slight edge. Nakamura’s reactions were nothing compared to when he came with NXT before. Owens got a mic at one point, heckling the crowd and telling them not to tell him what to do after a “Fight Owens Fight” chant broke out. Nakamura won after hitting the Kinshasa.
– Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair & Naomi defeated SmackDown Women’s Champion Natalya, Carmella, Tamina & Lana
With her returning home to Ireland, Lynch was the most over person on the show so far. Naomi started with Lana after teasing the tag to Lynch, but she was cut off before she could make it.
The story of the match was that the crowd wanted Lynch in, but the faces were cut off every time they tried to make the tag. Charlotte eventually got the hot tag to Lynch, which the crowd went nuts for. She ran wild and made Lana tap out to get the victory.
– United States Champion Baron Corbin defeated Sin Cara and Sami Zayn to retain his title
Zayn cut a promo before this started, saying that he was going to see the sights but realized he was in Dublin so he took a nap instead. Corbin and Zayn worked over Sin Cara, with Zayn being the cowardly heel who wanted to get on Corbin’s good side.
He eventually went too far and was attacked by Corbin. That gave Sin Cara the chance to take control until Corbin and Zayn took their turns on offense. Sin Cara hit a swanton on Zayn, but he stood up into the End of Days for the finish. This was a good, fun match that the crowd was really into.
– AJ Styles defeated WWE Champion Jinder Mahal (w/ the Singh Brothers) in a non-title match
Mahal cut a promo prior to the match. He said he would beat Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series and prove he’s the true champion.
Styles worked over Mahal for a while before he was attacked by the Singh Brothers while the referee was distracted. Whenever Styles tried to make a comeback, the Singhs would get involved. Styles was finally able to get the better of them and pinned Mahal after the Phenomenal Forearm.
Post-match, Styles got on the mic and said he would beat Mahal for the title on SmackDown next week and then beat Lesnar.
There were 200 people in attendance for last night’s house show in Gainesville.
– Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch defeated The Ealy Brothers
Lorcan hit a running blockbuster and got the pin.
– Nikki Cross defeated Abbey Laith
Cross won with a swinging neckbreaker.
– Kona Reeves (w/ Ming) defeated Jason
Reeves’ feet were on the ropes and Ming was helping him gain leverage while he used a backslide to pin Jason.
– Lars Sullivan defeated Chris Dijak (Donovan Dijak)
Sullivan hit a side slam to get the victory, then the crowd chanted “one more time” and Sullivan laid Dijak out with another one before leaving.
– Eric Bugenhagen did an interview, with Wesley Blake, Steve Cutler, and Chad Lail interrupting the newcomer for running his mouth. They were here to beat him up, but Otis Dozovic and Tucker Knight made the save and set up a six-man tag.
– Heavy Machinery & Eric Bugenhagen defeated Wesley Blake, Steve Cutler & Chad Lail
Heavy Machinery hit their tag team finisher before letting Bugenhagen get the pin.
– Aleister Black defeated Velveteen Dream
This match had the most crowd interaction of the night. It ended when Black connected with Black Mass.
The Raw roster was in Brighton, England tonight for the brand’s second stop on WWE’s European tour, with Triple H again teaming with Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose in the main event. Here’s a rundown of the show:
– Finn Balor defeated Samoa Joe
– Asuka defeated Mickie James
Asuka won by submission. She didn’t get much of a reaction here and there were some chants about Emma during the match.
– Jason Jordan, Goldust, Heath Slater & Rhyno defeated Elias, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson & Bo Dallas
Accompanied by Gallows, Anderson, and Dallas, Elias sang a rendition of “Wonderwall” about Brighton before the match. Jordan ended up getting the pin for his team.
– WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore defeated Kalisto to retain his title
Amore retained, but there wasn’t much to this.
– Mark Andrews & Dan Moloney defeated Tyson T-Bone & Joseph Conners
All four of these wrestlers were part of the United Kingdom tournament earlier this year and are part of WWE’s planned UK brand. Andrews got the pin.
– Seth Rollins cut a taped promo setting up the main event.
– Braun Strowman defeated Kane by DQ
For the disqualification, Kane attacked Strowman with a chair after about two minutes. He set up a table after, but Strowman reversed a move and powerslammed him through it.
– Intercontinental Champion The Miz (w/ The Miztourage) defeated Matt Hardy to retain his title
Bo Dallas (who was still in ring gear) and Curtis Axel (who was wearing a neck brace and selling Strowman’s attack from Raw on Monday) came out to the ring with Miz.
– Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose & Triple H defeated Cesaro, Sheamus & Bray Wyatt
Like he did on the first stop of the tour in Glasgow, Triple H was wearing Shield gear for the match. He pinned Cesaro after the makeshift Shield team hit a triple powerbomb.
Following the match, Rollins, Ambrose, and Triple H did plenty of posing until they all did the Shield fist bump.
The show kicked off with the announcement, via Twitter, that Drew McIntyre will defend the NXT Championship against Andrade “Cien” Almas at TakeOver: Houston. They will sign the contract for that match tonight.
Nikki Cross defeated Taynara Conti
This was set up when Conti interfered in a four-way match a few weeks back, initially costing Cross a shot at joining the NXT Women’s title match at TakeOver before she won a battle royal to earn a spot last week. Conti was in the Mae Young Classic and is a judo black belt.
This broke down into a brawl quickly with them fighting on the outside almost immediately. Conti gained control once they got back in the ring with basic kicks and punches. Cross was smiling and begging to get hit more.
Cross took control and beat on Conti in the Tree of Woe. She then hit a draping DDT and a swinging fisherman’s neckbreaker to get the pin.
Mercedes Martinez was interviewed backstage following the battle royal last week. She was asked who would win the title at TakeOver. She wouldn’t give a winner, but she did say that Ember Moon would not win. Perhaps they’re setting those two up to feud following TakeOver.
Fabian Aichner defeated Johnny Gargano
These two were featured in 2016’s Cruiserweight Classic, though Aichner looks to have put on about 25 pounds of muscle since then. Gargano used technical mat wrestling to get the early advantage. Mauro Ranallo noted on commentary that Aichner is just the second Italian-born wrestler to be under WWE contract, after Bruno Sammartino.
Aichner took control after catching Gargano on a pescado and slamming him into an outside barricade. After a commercial break, they went back and forth in the ring with Gargano selling his ribs as the crowd chanted “Johnny Wrestling.”
Gargano got a near fall after hitting his cool-looking springboard spear. Aichner missed a double springboard moonsault and Gargano hit a springboard DDT for another two count. Aichner hit a backbreaker/powerbomb combo but only got two.
Aichner hit another backbreaker but missed a moonsault. He then countered a Gargano Escape into an abdominal stretch pin to get the win. This was a very good TV match. Gargano looked despondent In the ring following the loss.
McIntyre was backstage with William Regal signing the contract for the title match at TakeOver. A promo video also played for Aleister Black vs. Velveteen Dream in Houston.
Earlier today, The Street Profits were fawning over a Maserati in the parking lot at Full Sail. Turns out, it belonged to Tino Sabbatelli and Riddick Moss. They went back and forth verbally, likely setting up a future match between the teams.
McIntyre was out with his signed contract, but he was attacked by Almas before he could get to the ring. Almas signed the contract and then stuck it to the downed body of the NXT Champion with gum from Zelina Vega.
The Iconic Duo were interviewed backstage earlier today. Peyton Royce was upset that Billie Kay won’t be in the Women’s title match at TakeOver. They were making fun of Kairi Sane until she interrupted their interview in her pirate costume and walked away smiling. Sane and Billie Kay will meet on NXT TV next week.
NXT Tag Team Champions SAnitY and The Authors of Pain went to a no contest
Eric Young and Alexander Wolfe were the combination defending the belts this week, with there being loud chants for SAnitY prior to the match. Young started off for his team and Wolfe was holding the tag rope in his mouth, which I’m not sure I’ve ever seen before.
SAnitY took control early by cutting off the ring until AOP gained the upper hand after slamming Wolfe into their own corner. AOP trapped Wolfe there by mostly using clobbering offense to keep control.
Wolfe eventually got the hot tag after several minutes of that. Young ran wild on both members of AOP, then hit a Randy Savage elbow drop for a near fall. After another two count when SAnitY double-teamed AOP, it became a four-way brawl.
AOP hit the Super Collider and the Last Chapter on Young, but the pin was broken up by The Undisputed Era. Killian Dain came out to help his stablemates until he was quickly downed by the triple-teaming of Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, and Kyle O’Reilly.
Roderick Strong sauntered down to the ring and teased joining Undisputed Era, even putting on their armband, but he turned on them and quickly got triple-teamed. The Authors of Pain came to help him and Cole bailed, quickly followed by Fish and O’Reilly.
William Regal was out and announced the return of War Games for TakeOver. It will be The Undisputed Era vs. SAnitY vs. Strong & The Authors of Pain in a three-team War Games match.
Last night’s 205 Live was a special Halloween-themed episode that took place in Norfolk, Virginia.
The show opened with a recap of the Drew Gulak and Akira Tozawa feud that started when Gulak began his transformation into a wrestling moralist, complete with a “No Chants” sign, while promising to save the division from “unnecessary top-rope dives.”
Gulak hammered on Tozawa two weeks ago, beating him with his sign, but last week Tozawa got him back, doing a run-in after his match with Gran Metalik.
This brought us to our first match of the night.
Akira Tozawa defeated Drew Gulak
Gulak grabbed the microphone and screamed “My name is Drew Gulak and where my guls at?” He then mocked Tozawa’s “Ah, Ah, Ah” chant, saying he would put an end to it once and for all. He then welcomed the crowd into his “Drewtopia,” and offered a plan for “a better Halloween,” via a PowerPoint presentation.
Slide number one: No Candy. “Instead, try a sweet potato, they are high in potassium,” Gulak said.
Slide number two: No Trick or Treating. “Your little ones get together and say ‘trick or treat.’ They might as well be chanting. And there is nothing worse than chanting!” Gulak said.
At slide number three, Tozawa ran out to start the match.
Tozawa, who has some great facials, quickly wrapped Gulak up in a leg scissors and took control of the match with kicks, punches, and stomps to the chest in the corner. Gulak played his heel role well, rolling out of the ring to buy time. Gulak crept back in and snuck in a boot to the stomach, followed by a reverse knife edge chop to take back control of the match briefly.
Tozawa countered with a stiff elbow, but Gulak regained the advantage after an Irish whip reversal. Gulak hammered him with elbows and a clothesline in the corner. Tozawa reversed the action with a standing hurricanrana and then a belly-to-back suplex.
Gulak rolled out of the ring and Tozawa hit an amazing headbutt after diving through the ropes.
Tozawa battered him inside the ring some more and then hit his back splash off the top rope to get the victory.
Next we got a promo package and an interview with Rich Swann and Cedric Alexander, where they seemed to be headed toward an Alexander turn. Next was footage from Raw, where Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore beat up on Kalisto, which led to Raw GM Kurt Angle booking a Survivor Series title match between Amore and Kalisto.
Rich Swann (w/ Cedric Alexander) defeated Brian Kendrick (w/ Jack Gallagher)
Alexander and Swann both came to the ring dressed as clowns, with Doink the Clown’s music playing.
Swann’s red clown nose fell off just as the match was about to start. The two tried to lock up in a Greco-Roman knuckle lock, but Swann was wearing giant clown gloves, turning the spot into comedy. Swann’s rainbow-colored wig fell off and he put it back on. The wig fell off again, as the match degenerated into one clown spot after another. When Kendrick tried to whip Swann into the ropes, Swann’s glove fell off and Kendrick was frustrated.
Kendrick became increasingly frustrated, which led to him making mistakes. Swann showed off his agility in the match, demonstrating a high leapfrog, then a big dropkick. Kendrick threw Swann outside of the ring. Gallagher looked like he was going to hit Swann with his umbrella, but Alexander walked over and backed him off.
Kendrick controlled the match when Swann entered the ring again, but Swann rallied, showcasing some impressive aerial moves, including a standing hurricanrana off the top rope.
He hit a flip over the top rope to the outside on Kendrick. Swann then hit a twisted splash off the middle rope for the win. Gallagher tried to interfere, but he was knocked off the apron by Alexander. A good match, despite the clown comedy at the beginning.
Mustafa Ali defeated Ariya Daivari, Tony Nese, and Gran Metalik in a Fright Night fatal four-way match
Daivari looks to have taken over Austin Aries’ attire. He cut a promo about joining forces with Amore and then started speaking in Persian before he was interrupted by Ali, who was throwing out candy to the audience members.
Ali spent the first part of the match giving his opponents candy. Nese refused, saying “I don’t eat candy.” He slapped the candy out of Ali’s hand as the match started. Pumpkins were set up on the ring apron.
Ali and Metalik put on an acrobatic clinic that, for a moment, resembled Ricochet and Will Ospreay, but then it was broken up by Nese and Daivari.
Daivari eventually found a bowl of candy on a table at ringside. Fishing through it, he discovered a Gran Metalik mask. Daivari put the mask on and then mocked Metalik by doing his cartwheel and rolling moves. Ali broke it up.
In a bizarre spot, Ali removed Daivari’s mask and then put it on a ringside skeleton. He threw the masked skeleton on Daivari, setting up Metalik to hit a dropkick on the skeleton and Daivari.
At ringside were candy corn kendo sticks. Daivari and Ali grabbed them and started to unload on Ali. Nese then started throwing pumpkins at Ali from a sit-up position.
The match ended with Daivari falling into a bucket of apples, Ali shoving a Twix bar into the mouth of Nese, and pumpkins flying everywhere. Nese found a black bag under the ring that during the 1990s hardcore era would have been filled with thumbtacks. On Halloween in 2017, it was filled with candy corn. Nese dumped the candy corn on the table and attempted a powerbomb, only to have it reversed into a back body drop by Metalik through the table.
Ali eventually won the match after he found a broom, put it through his legs, and dove onto Nese for the three count. Ali celebrated with the skeleton after the match.
SmackDown will continue to add to its Survivor Series men’s division team as tonight’s episode takes place in Norfolk, Virginia.
Randy Orton was confirmed for the team after he defeated Sami Zayn last Tuesday, and at least two more members will be added tonight as two qualifying matches are set. Bobby Roode will face Dolph Ziggler in a two-out-of-three falls match and Shinsuke Nakamura will take on Kevin Owens.
Plus, there will likely be more fallout from SmackDown’s invasion of Raw last week and Daniel Bryan being attacked by Kane last night.
AJ Styles vs. Samir Singh will also take place tonight after Styles made quick work of Sunil Singh in their matchup, WWE’s website is teasing that Sin Cara will once again face Baron Corbin, and a Stranger Things-inspired edition of Breezango’s Fashion Files will air.
With the episode falling on Halloween, it seems likely that will be incorporated into the show in some form after a Trick or Street Fight went down on Raw last night. Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET.
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Shane McMahon came down to the ring to address the Survivor Series match up against Raw. He said that Raw has always looked at SmackDown as the inferior brand. Despite the odds SmackDown put together a good roster, made Daniel Bryan GM and went live. They attacked the Raw roster to show them that SmackDown isn’t inferior. The crowd chanted “Under Siege”.
Shane addresses Kane attacking Bryan last night. He pointed out that neither Kurt Angle nor his sister Stephanie McMahon seemed to care. Shane announced that he is going to be the team captain for the SmackDown team at the Survivor Series. He joins Randy Orton who qualified last week.
Bobby Roode defeated Dolph Ziggler in a 2 out of 3 falls match to qualify for the SmackDown Survivor Series team
Roode had the advantage as they brawled around ringside. He sent Ziggler into the ring and as Roode entered Ziggler caught him with a super kick to win the first fall. During the commercial break, Roode gave Ziggler a slingshot into the post and pinned him with a sunset flip to win the second fall.
Roode attempted the Glorious DDT but Ziggler countered into a Zig Zag for a very close near fall. They traded pin attempts until Roode hit the Glorious DDT for the win. Booby Roode joins the SmackDown team at the Survivor Series.
After the match, Renee interviewed Roode and he promised to help his team defeat Raw at the Survivor Series.
Backstage, The New Day were celebrating Halloween. Xavier dressed up as Jimmy Hart, Big E. dressed up as Akeem and Kofi dressed up as Brother Love. They ran into Rusev and Aiden English. Rusev thinks Halloween’s dumb and destroyed Big E.’s candy. Big E. and Rusev agree to compete later.
In the back, team captain Becky Lynch met with Naomi, Carmella, Charlotte and Tamina to discuss their Survivor Series match. James Ellsworth was dressed up as a dog and Lynch sprayed him with a bottle. Natalya approached the group and said she should be the captain. She told Charlotte not to choke at the Survivor Series.
Baron Corbin defeated Sin Cara by DQ
Corbin dominated the action and kept trying to pull off Sin Cara’s mask. Cara snapped and kept beating down Corbin until he was disqualified. Cara threw a chair at Corbin and he ran off through the crowd.
In the back, Renee interviewed The Usos about their Survivor Series match against Raw Tag Team champions The Shield. Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin interrupted and informed the Usos that they have a title shot next week. Gable did a little rap and Benjamin reacted huge to it.
WWE Champion Jinder Mahal came down to the ring with The Singh Brothers. Mahal promised to beat, victimize and conquer Brock Lesnar at the Survivor Series. He started doing the promo in Punjabi when AJ Styles interrupted.
Styles dominated the match and won easily with the Styles Clash. Mahal jumped Styles after the match and beat him down. He sent Styles into the ring post and hit the Khallas twice.
Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens met in the back. Zayn was irate that Shane is the team captain. They believe that Shane and his friends get all the opportunities. Owens promises to qualify for the team and will lead SmackDown to victory. Soon they’ll have all the power and rename the show the “Sami & Kevin Show”.
Another creepy video of The Bludgeon Brothers aired.
Rusev (w/ Aiden English) defeated Big E. (w/ Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston)
Rusev took over after throwing Big E. into the ring post. Big E. made a comeback and took down Rusev. English started singing and attacked Woods. Big E took out English with the Big Ending but Rusev nailed Big E with a kick for the win.
Backstage, Renee interviewed Sin Cara about the importance of his mask. He said what Corbin did was very disrespectful. He went through hell to get the mask and will go through hell to keep the mask.
Shane McMahon met with Aiden English and Rusev in the back. Rusev wants to be on the SmackDown Survivor Series team. Rusev will have a qualifying match next week against AJ Styles.
The Fashion Files (Strangerer Things)
This was Stranger Things Parody, which included The Ascension and Tye Dillinger. The lights went out and Christmas lights highlighted a picture of The Bludgeon Brothers. They were all attacked in the dark. Next week will be a Saw parody.
Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Kevin Owens to qualify for the SmackDown Survivor Series team
Owens used a super kick to gain the upper hand in the match. Nakamura made a comeback and used an enziguri. Sami Zayn came down to ringside and distracted Nakamura, which allowed Owens to score a near fall.
Owens told Zayn to clear out the announce table. Randy Orton’s music played and he came out through the crowd. He gave Zayn a back suplex on the table. Owens was distracted and Nakamura used the Kinshasa to win the match. Shinsuke Nakamura joins the SmackDown team at the Survivor Series.
Next Week: AJ Styles faces off against Rusev in the final SmackDown Survivor Series qualifying match. Plus, SmackDown Tag Team champions The Usos defend against Shelton Benjamin & Chad Gable.
