– Finn Balor defeated Karl Anderson (w/ Luke Gallows)
Bray Wyatt was advertised as facing Balor, but he wasn’t at the show. Balor got the biggest pop of the night by far.
– R-Truth, Apollo Crews, Heath Slater & Rhyno defeated Goldust, Elias, Dash Wilder, & Darren Young
This was mostly a comedy match. Goldust ran away from R-Truth to the back and Crews got the win for the faces.
– WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore defeated Mustafa Ali in a non-title match
Amore cut a confusing promo as he started with his babyface speech and then proceeded to rip on Arlington and refuse to put his title on the line. He then did the “S-A-W-F-T” portion of the promo and let the crowd finish saying it.
– Raw Tag Team Champions Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose defeated Cesaro & Sheamus to retain their titles
As you would expect, these four put on a great match. Rollins and Ambrose got a great reaction.
– Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss defeated Sasha banks, Mickie James, and Nia Jax to retain her title
Bliss pinned Banks to retain.
– Matt Hardy & Jason Jordan defeated The Miz & Curtis Axel
Hardy got a really good reaction and there were lots of “Delete” chants during this, with Hardy starting a lot of them himself. The Miz was great and got the most heat of the night.
– Roman Reigns defeated Braun Strowman in a last man standing match
This was a pretty basic last man standing match, but they made it work and the crowd was red hot for it. Reigns got a split reaction when he came out, but the crowd was heavily in his favor by the time the match started. He speared Strowman through a table for the finish, with Strowman getting up to one foot and falling back down right before the 10 count.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC 216: Ferguson vs. Lee, emanating from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
As the city of Las Vegas continues to mourn after the horrific events of this past Sunday, the UFC will do their part in entertaining the fans in “The Fight Capital of the World” by bringing a night full of bouts inside the Octagon.
The event is headlined by a battle for the Interim UFC Lightweight Championship as Tony Ferguson takes on Kevin Lee in one of the best fights, on paper, made this year. Both men are on long win streaks, as Ferguson has won nine straight and Lee has won five straight, and both are looking to wrap UFC gold around their waists, and perhaps more importantly, secure a shot against Conor McGregor when he returns.
The semi-main event looks to see history made as UFC Flyweight Champion Demetrious Johnson will attempt to set the record for most consecutive title defenses as he defends against Ray Borg. They were pushed back a month after Borg was forced to pull out of UFC 215 last month, leaving Johnson having to wait to stamp his position as the best fighter in the sport.
Also on the main card is an intriguing heavyweight matchup as former UFC Heavyweight Champion Fabricio Werdum takes on Derrick Lewis, and lightweights Beneil Dariush and Evan Dunham kick off the main card.
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].
BREAKING: The heavyweight bout between Fabricio Werdum and Derrick Lewis was a last-minute scratch from the card due to a back injury suffered by Lewis. Werdum is staying on the card as Walt Harris is going to replace Lewis, which means Mark Godbeer is now off the card.
Tavares was coming out as the aggressor early one attacking the legs and utilizing his jab. Leites landed a right hand but Tavares was firing back with more volume. Tavares got Leites in trouble with a left hand and Leites was backtracking before grabbing a leg and forcing Tavares against the fence looking for a takedown. They broke the action due to stalling by Leites but Leites went right back for a takedown against the fence. They were broken up again. Tavares hurt Leites with punches late in the round. 10-9 Tavares.
They traded leg kicks to start the second before Tavares started landing more punches. Tavares is clearly the better striker and has been blocking Leites’ attempts to grapple. They traded kicks but Tavares landing more and then landing the jab. Leites finally got a brief takedown but Tavares got right back to his feet. They separated. They were trading punches and Tavares was landing hard leg kicks. 10-9 Tavares, 20-18 Tavares.
They both came out swinging as this round could determine the winner. Tavares was landing so Leites grabbed a clinch against the fence. Both men were working to take down the other. They broke and Tavares was working the jab until Leites got poked in the eye. Leites’ face is a mess. Tavares started landing even more and Leites went to the mat. Leites was inviting Tavares down but Tavares wasn’t having any of it. Tavares dropped Leites with a leg kick. Leites got up and went working hard for a takedown. Leites whiffed on a takedown and Tavares was landing punches and kicks to a downed Leites. Big round for Tavares. 10-8 Tavares, 30-26 Tavares.
Official Result- Brad Tavares def. Thales Leites by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
> John Moraga (#11, 17-6, 6-5 UFC) vs. Magomed Bibulatov (#15, 14-0, 1-0 UFC) Flyweights
Moraga was attacking the legs early to keep Bibulatov at a distance. Moraga landed a right hand. Moraga then rocked Bibulatov and then dropped him with a left hand that knocked Bibulatov out cold! Great finish by Moraga and he hands Bibulatov his first career loss.
Official Result- John Moraga def. Magomed Bibulatov by knockout (punch) at 1:36 of Round 1
FX PRELIMS | 8 PM ET/5 PM PT
> Matt Schnell (10-4, 0-2 UFC) vs. Marco Beltran (8-5, 3-2 UFC) Flyweights
Schnell looking to control the distance at the start. Beltran has a head kick checked by Schnell. Front kick by Beltran. Schnell with a leg kick as he backs Beltran up to the fence. Beltran lands a heavy leg kick. Both men still feeling each other out. They each landed some good punches and kicks but neither man did much to convincingly win the round. 10-9 Schnell.
Beltran coming out aggressive to start the second round with a leg kick. Beltran with a leg kick but Schnell fired back with a right hand followed by a leg kick. Schnell ducking under Beltran’s punches and he’s controlling the action. Beltran landed a solid head kick. He tried another but Schnell grabbed the leg and kick the other leg of Beltran. Beltran now pushing the pace a little more as Schnell is just looking for counters. Schnell with a right hand. They trade and Schnell lands more in close range. Another close round. 10-9 Schnell, 20-18 Schnell.
They quickly clinch to start the third round. They quickly broke and got back to the center of the Octagon. Neither man landing much thru the first bit of this round. Schnell then kicked Beltran low to force a timeout. Beltran just misses a high kick. They both landed in a close exchange. Beltran with a head kick. Schnell lands a right hand. Schnell lands another and then a combo that stumbles Beltran. Beltran got a late takedown. Close fight. 10-9 Beltran, 29-28 Schnell.
Official Result- Matt Schnell def. Marco Beltran by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
> Pearl Gonzalez (6-2, 0-1 UFC) vs. Poliana Botelho (5-1, 0-0 UFC) Women’s Strawweights
Gonzalez rushing right to Botelho. Gonzalez with a series of leg kicks and then clinches up against the fence. Botelho with some elbows as Gonzalez is looking for a takedown. Botelho with more elbows but not much is happening otherwise. They are broken apart by the referee. Both come out kicking but Gonzalez landing better. They clinch again and battle for position. Botelho has the underhooks but they are just not doing anything. Botelho with more elbows. 10-9 Botelho.
Gonzalez went right back to trying to take Botelho down against the fence. This fight is not good so far. Botelho landing punches and more elbows as Gonzalez is just relentless on looking for a takedown. They are finally broken up by the referee. Gonzalez looking tired. Botelho lands the jab and then a leg kick. Botelho misses some big right hands. Boring fight. 10-9 Botelho, 20-18 Botelho.
Gonzalez attacking the legs at the start of the third. Gonzalez grabs the leg of Botelho and pushes her against the fence but Botelho lands a punch. Gonzalez back to working hard for a takedown against the fence. The crowd is booing this one big. Botelho landing more punches and now knees to the body. They are broken up again. Gonzalez back to the clinch and the crowd immediately boos. They are broken up quicker and Botelho goes right on the attack. She just misses a head kick and Gonzalez goes back to the clinch. Botelho reverses into a takedown to end the fight. 10-9 Botelho, 30-27 Botelho.
Official Result- Poliana Botelho def. Pearl Gonzalez by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
> Lando Vannata (9-2, 1-2 UFC) vs. Bobby Green (23-8, 4-3 UFC) Lightweights
Ryan’s internet kicked out in Vegas so Paul Fontaine taking over from here.
This was a crazy fight. Vannata was docked a point in the first and it turned out to be crucial. He threw an illegal knee while Green was down. The replay showed it didn’t land but the ref docked him a point anyway. That made it a 9-9 first.
The next two rounds were wild with both guys going all-out for a win and somehow managing to stay in till the end. Vannata appeared to land the harder shots but his face was a crimson mask by the end as Green’s shots obviously did more damage. The last two rounds could’ve gone either way and the first was an obvious 9-9. I scored it 29-27 Green and Ryan had it 29-27 Vannata
Official result – split draw on scores of 29-27 Vannata, 29-27 Green and 28-28
> Tom Duquesnoy (15-1 1 NC, 1-0 UFC) vs. Cody Stamann (15-1, 1-0 UFC) Bantamweights
Nothing could follow that last fight. This wasn’t bad but the crowd got restless at the end. I thought Duquesnoy pretty clearly won the first round and the last two Stamman took over with his wrestling as he got numerous takedowns and then the thread of the takedown allowed him to do more on the feet. It wasn’t a blowout but Stamman clearly won the last two and I had it 29-28 for him.
Official result – Cody Stamman by split decision on scores of 29-28, 28-29 and 30-27
On most nights, this would’ve been fight of the night but nothing is likely to top the Green/Vannata fight from earlier. Dariush had a great first round, nearly finishing Dunham with great punches and elbows on the feet and doing a lot of damage when it went to the ground. But he seemed to tire himself out trying to finish by the end of the round. Dunham stayed in it and did much better in the last two rounds. They were fairly close but Dunham did enough to take both rounds in my book and I gave a 10-8 to Dariush in round 1 meaning it was a 28-28 draw
Official result – majority draw (29-28 Dariush, 28-28 x 2)
> Mara Romero Borella (11-4 1 NC, 0-0 UFC) vs. Kalindra Faria (18-5-1, 0-0 UFC) Women’s Flyweights
Both women making their UFC debuts on a PPV main card is almost unprecedented. Borella made the most of it as she got an early takedown and eventually worked her way into mount. Faria gave up her back, allowing Borella to secure a rear naked choke for the win.
Official result – Mara Romero Borella by submission (rear naked choke) at 2:54
> Fabricio Werdum (#2, 21-7-1, 9-4 UFC) vs. Walt Harris (10-5, 3-4 UFC) Heavyweights
Very similar to the last fight, only faster. Werdum got a takedown 30 seconds in. He quickly moved into mount. Harris gave up his back and instead of going for the choke, Werdum grabbed an arm and Harris quickly tapped.
Official result – Fabricio Werdum by submission (armbar) at 1:05
> Demetrious Johnson (C, 26-2-1, 14-1-1 UFC) vs. Ray Borg (#3, 11-2, 5-2 UFC) UFC Flyweight Championship
Johnson targeted Borg’s lead leg with kicks early. Borg had a couple of failed takedown attempts and one on of them Johnson stuffed it and ended up on top. He was workmanlike on the ground with several different submission attempts. At one point the strike count was 23-0 and I’m not sure Borg did land a strike in the round. 10-8 Johnson on my card
Borg started off a little strong, getting a takedown but Johnson got right up. Borg took his back standing and had a choke for a bit but Johnson shook him off and ended up on top on the ground. Johnson took over from there, landing all kinds of punches and elbows on the ground and a few more submission attempts. At one point the strike count was 62-1. Another 10-8 round for Johnson.
More of the same here. Borg got a takedown but Johnson got right up. Borg attempted another and Johnson just fell on top of him. He maintained top control for the whole round, with several submission attempts. Strike count was 95-7 at one point. 10-8 Johnson
Borg got an early takedown but Johnson got right up and then got one of his own. He was all over him on the ground, constantly advancing and working for subs. Strikes count was 125-11 and Johnson landed many more after that. Another 10-8, although I suspect there’s no way the judges will have this score, I have 40-32 after 4
Johnson got an early takedown but Borg managed to get to his feet. Borg was stuffed on a takedown attempt and then Johnson got another takedown and moved right into side control. Borg managed to get almost to his feet but Johnson landed hard knees to the body. Borg briefly to his feet and Johnson picked him up and started a suplex but grabbed an armbar on the way down. He looked like he was going to rip his arm off and Borg tried to fight it off before tapping. Best performance I think I’ve ever seen in a title fight. Johnson is the best ever, at any weight class.
Official result – Demetrious Johnson by submission (armbar) at 3:15 of the 5th round
> Tony Ferguson (#2, 22-3, 12-1 UFC) vs. Kevin Lee (#7, 16-2, 9-2 UFC) Interim UFC Lightweight Championship
Despite the awesome last fight, the crowd was pretty hot for this one. Ferguson clearly the crowd favorite but Lee had a better first round. He was landing more often on the feet but it was fairly close. Lee got a late takedown and quickly took side control. He get mount with about 30 seconds left and landed a ton of punches and elbows and Ferguson was in real trouble but managed to get to his feet before the round ended. Lee had a punch after the bell and was warned by ref Herb Dean. 10-9 Lee
Round 2 was entirely on the feet. It was pretty close but Ferguson was more active and probably did more damage as well. Lee had cuts on his cheek and forehead and was bleeding from his nose. Significant strikes were 24-16 for Ferguson and it’s all tied up after 2.
Lee was very tired coming out for the third and clearly wanted to take things to the ground. He got an early takedown but Ferguson had a really tight triangle attempt and then nearly finished Lee with an armbar. Lee had a nice escape and maintained top control for about a minute afterward. Ferguson got to his feet but Lee got another takedown. It was almost a replay of the first time as Ferguson immediately secured a triangle. Lee tapped out right before he passed out and the ref stopped it.
Official result – Tony Ferguson by submission (triangle choke) at 4:02 of the 3rd round
Ferguson, of course, called out Conor McGregor after the fight, telling him to defend, or vacate. The crowd had been behind Ferguson all night but booed him after that one.
Lee was despondent after the fight. He admitted he had a staph infection and that’s why he had such a hard weight cut. He put over Ferguson and said he didn’t give him enough credit prior to the fight.
Image: @JonZai1. Report submitted by reader Noah Torriecella.
– The Street Profits defeated Tino Sabbatelli & Riddick Moss
The Street Profits were extremely over. Most of the match was the heels working on Montez Ford, who just oozes charisma. Angelo Dawkins got the hot tag and the Profits won with a spinebuster and frog splash.
– Marcel Barthel (the former Axel Dieter Jr. in wXw and PROGRESS) came out for an in-ring promo. He said that he came to America to make it better and that no one can do what he does on the mat. Oney Lorcan then interrupted him and challenged him to a match, but Barthel refused and said he has the perfect opponent for Lorcan.
– Lars Sullivan defeated Oney Lorcan
This was similar to the match they had that recently aired on NXT TV. Sullivan won with a diving headbutt.
– Ruby Riot defeated Sonya Deville
Most of the match was Deville working on Riot’s knee, but Riot won with a diving senton.
– Heavy Machinery defeated Steve Cutler & Wesley Blake
This was a fun comedy match and Heavy Machinery got a good reaction. They won with their double team strongest slam.
The Undisputed Era attacked Heavy Machinery after the match, leaving them laying and cutting a promo. Adam Cole said that we would see that they are untouchable and undisputed later in the night.
– Velveteen Dream defeated Roderick Strong
They had a very entertaining match with lots of back-and-forth action. Velveteen Dream countered Strong’s slam with an arm drag first and then a poke to the eye. Dream ended up winning with the Purple Rainmaker.
– No Way Jose defeated Kona Reeves
Jose went into the crowd for his entrance. Reeves spent time outside the ring mocking Jose during the match, but Jose won with his pop-up punch. Jose briefly danced with referee Jessika Carr after the match.
– Ember Moon defeated Mandy Rose
This was short but entertaining, with Moon hitting a superkick for the win.
– The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly) defeated NXT Champion Drew McIntyre, Kassius Ohno & Johnny Gargano
The main event was the match of the night by far. Gargano also got the best reaction of the night.
The Undisputed Era cheated throughout the match. Gargano made the hot tag to McIntyre at one point, with Cole and McIntyre having a quick staredown before Cole tagged out. McIntyre then ran through Fish and O’Reilly.
Things began to break down with the faces delivering stereo chops to The Undisputed Era on the outside. For the finish, Fish made a blind tag in, Gargano hit O’Reilly with a slingshot spear, Cole took out Gargano and McIntyre took out Cole, and Fish rolled up Ohno and got the pin with a handful of tights.
As Cole, Fish, and O’Reilly were celebrating, Heavy Machinery returned to join in on sending The Undisputed Era packing to close the show.
UFC is back in Las Vegas for UFC 216 tonight and after the horrific tragedy earlier this week, hopefully a show headlined by two title fights can help clear fans’ minds, even if for just a few hours.
Lightweights Tony Ferguson and Kevin Lee will each main event a PPV for the very first time as they meet for the interim lightweight title in both guys’ first tiel opportunity. Ferguson in particular has a penchant for picking up post show bonus awards and both would love a big money fight with divisional kingpin Conor McGregor, should he return to the sport.
The other title bout sees Demetrious Johnson attempt to defend his flyweight title for a record 11th straight time as he goes up against Ray Borg. This fight was originally scheduled for last month in Edmonton but Borg had health issues just a couple days before the fight and it was scrapped.
Former heavyweight champ Fabricio Werdum will attempt to rebound from a tough loss against Derrick Lewis, also coming off a loss. The winner will remain in title contention while the loser will probably drop to the role of divisional gatekeeper.
Longtime lightweight vet Evan Dunham will attempt to continue his late career renaissance with a fifth straight win as he goes up against the very tough Beneil Dariush in another main card fight. Rounding out our panel picks is a middleweight clash on the Fight Pass portion of the show as veterans Brad Tavares and Thales Leites meet for the first time.
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 (45-21; .682) — Wrestling Observer publisher
John Pollock (44-22; .667) — Fight Network analyst, Live Audio Wrestling co-host, MMA Report co-host
Favorites (44-22; .667)
Consensus Picks (41-24; .631)
Tom Lawlor (18-11; .621) – Co-host Filthy Four Daily; pro wrestling undercard fighter; UFC enhancement talent currently suspended due to wellness violation
David Bixenspan (41-25; .621) – Deadspin pro wrestling columnist; Between the Sheets podcast host
Mike Sempervive (40-26; .606) — Wrestling Observer Live and Big Audio Nightmare co-host
Steve Juon (40-26; .606) — MMA Mania writer, Angry Marks publisher
Mike Sawyer (40-26; .606) — Tough Talk MMA publisher
Ryan Frederick (36-30; .545) — WrestlingObserver.com UFC writer
Paul Fontaine (35-31; .530) — MMADraws.com publisher, WrestlingObserver.com writer
Front Row Brian (34-32; .515) — MMA newsbreaker, beloved internet personality, podcast host
> UFC interim lightweight championship: Tony Ferguson (22-3) vs Kevin Lee (16-2)
Ferguson is on one of the most impressive runs in the entire company since dropping a decision to Michael Johnson in May 2012. Since that loss, he’s won nine straight, including six by stoppage. Perhaps even more impressive, he’s picked up six post show bonus awards in that stretch. Lee has won five straight with the last four coming via stoppage. He’s also coming off a very impressive performance in his first main event, a first round submission over Michael Chiesa.
While these guys might not be big names to casual fans, hardcores have been waiting for this one since the day it was announced. It’s hard to imagine this fight being any less than excellent.
> UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson (27-2-1) vs Ray Borg (11-2)
Speaking of great runs, flyweight king Demetrious Johnson has not lost in almost six years since challenging Dominick Cruz for the bantamweight title. He’s the only champion in the division’s history and has pretty much run through all the contenders, including some more than once. Borg has a modest two fight win streak but is the remaining top contender DJ hasn’t baten yet. He made weight with a half pound to spare and vows to win the title and then defend against Johnson in a “historic rematch”.
Many feel that if Johnson retains his title and breaks the record, he’ll move back to bantamweight for potential big fights with names like Cody Garbrandt or TJ Dillishaw.
> Fabricio Werdum (21-7-1) vs Derrick Lewis (18-5) HEAVYWEIGHTS
When we last saw Lewis, he lost a tough fight against Mark Hunt after which he “retired” in a post-fight interview. That didn’t last long as he’s back here against former champion Werdum in what is the biggest fight of his career to this point. Werdum desperately needs a win after a tough loss to Alistair Overeem. A second straight loss after the age of 40 could signal the end is near for the former champion, but a win over a rising contender could get him in the title mix of a thin division. He’s lost two of his last three.
One thing is almost for sure. This one shouldn’t take long.
Lewis #10; +221 betting underdog: Frederick, Fontaine
> Evan Dunham (18-6) vs Beneil Dariush (14-3) LIGHTWEIGHTS
Dunham looked to be nearly done in UFC following his third straight loss in July 2014. Since that time, he’s racked up four straight wins including the fight of the night in his last bout over Rick Glenn. He’s on the verge of a top 10 ranking. Dariush came into UFC with a blaze of glory but has been finished in two of his last four. Once thought to be a future title contender, he’s a long way from that now in a stacked division. He badly needs a win here to stay relevant at 155.
> Brad Tavares (15-4) vs Thales Leites (27-7) MIDDLEWEIGHTS
With 32 UFC fights between them, it’s hard to believe these two veterans have never met in the Octagon. Tavares was last beaten by the current interim champion Robert Whittaker. He’s won two straight and three of his last four and another win would be really big for the Hawaiian.
Leites has won two of his last three and has not been finished in a fight in over seven years. The longtime contender is coming off a win over Sam Alvey in which he made him look average. A victory over Tavares would be one of the biggest in his long career.
> Maria Romero Borella (11-4) vs Kalindra Faria (18-5-1) LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
Borella #17; +190 betting underdog
Faria NR; -195 betting favorite
> Tom Duqesnoy (15-1) vs Cody Stamman (15-1) BANTAMWEIGHTS
Duquesnoy #20; -150 betting favorite
Stamman #43; +148 betting underdog
> Lando Vannata (9-2) Vs Bobby Green (23-8)LIGHTWEIGHTS
Vannata #117; -199 betting favorite
Green #106; +190 betting underdog
> Pearl Gonzalez (6-2) vs Poliana Botelho (5-1) STRAWWEIGHTS
Gonzalez NR; +128 betting underdog
Botelho NR; -135 betting favorite
> Walt Harris (10-5) vs Mark Godbeer (12-3) HEAVYWEIGHTS
Harris #47; -302 betting favorite
Godbeer #72; +279 betting underdog
> Magomed Bibulatov (14-0) vs John Moraga (17-6) FLYWEIGHTS
Bibulatov #8; -500 betting favorite
Moraga #28; +472 betting underdog
Matt Schnell (10-4) vs Marco Antonio Beltran (8-5) FLYWEIGHTS
Schnell #85; -112 betting favorite
Beltran +126; +110 betting underdog
Action begins with the Fight Pass prelims at 6:30 PM EST and moves over to FX at 8 PM EST. The main card airs on PPV at 10 PM EST, and our own Ryan Frederick will be cageside covering the show.
Approximately 150 people were in attendance last night.
– Dakota Kai defeated Bianca Belair
Kai won with a roll-up.
– Adrian Jaoude defeated Chad Lail
A Kimura lock gave Jaoude the submission win.
– Nikki Cross defeated Vanessa Borne
Cross used her swinging neckbreaker for the victory.
– Buddy Murphy defeated Babatunde Aiyegbusi
Murphy got the pin with a roll-up.
– Kairi Sane & Liv Morgan defeated Shayna Baszler & Lacey Evans
The faces won by submission, which came after Sane hit her elbow drop on Evans.
– Raul Mendoza defeated Lio Rush
– Killian Dain defeated Cezar Bononi
The Authors of Pain came out and attacked Dain and Alexander Wolfe after the match until Eric Young and Nikki Cross made the save. That led into the next match.
– NXT Tag Team Champions SAnitY (Eric Young & Alexander Wolfe) defeated The Authors of Pain to retain their titles
Previously: GFW Global Champion Eli Drake defeated Johnny Impact to retain his title.
Tonight: James Storm & Ethan Carter III take on El Hijo Del Fantasma & Texano.
Show Recap —
– An in memoriam graphic paying tribute to Lance Russell aired. It was followed by a “Pray for Vegas” graphic.
– Eli Drake and Chris Adonis came down to the ring to open the episode. Drake bragged about beating Johnny Impact last week and revealed that Impact isn’t at the show. He took off his jacket and gave it his finisher — The Gravy Train. Drake got Adonis a match tonight against Garza Jr. Adonis wasn’t happy about the surprise match.
Chris Adonis defeated Garza Jr. by DQ
Drake joined the commentary team for the match and Adonis dominated the action early on. Garza was able to hit a hurricanrana, but he missed an attempt at a plancha.
Backstage, Johnny Impact arrived at the Impact Zone. Drake ran off from the commentary booth. In the ring, Garza made a comeback and scored a close near fall. Impact ran in and attacked Adonis for the disqualification, while Drake and Garza ended up brawling.
Jim Cornette then ran out and made a match between Impact and Garza for next week, with the winner getting a Global Championship title shot at Bound for Glory.
– Moose was on the phone and searching for Bobby Lashley. He arrived at the American Top Team gym and told the person on the phone he didn’t need their help.
– At the LAX Clubhouse, Konnan was irate that Santana and Ortiz lost the belts last week. This erupted into a heated argument.
GFW Global Tag Team Champions OVE defeated Jon Bolen & Trey Miguel
OVE dominated the match and picked up the easy win with a version of Total Elimination.
– Knockouts Champion Sienna and KM came down to the ring. Sienna was upset that she doesn’t have a title defense at Bound for Glory. She thinks it’s because she defeated all the women and will have to start fighting men soon. She then assumed she knows what Impact Wrestling has planned and announced that she’s the newest inductee into the Hall of Fame.
This brought out Gail Kim, who demanded a championship match at BFG. Taryn Terrell came down to the ring and pointed out that Kim has never defeated her. Terrell challenged Kim, which brought out Allie. She wanted a title shot too, and out came Karen Jarrett. She announced Sienna defending against Kim, Terrell, and Allie at Bound for Glory.
– Joseph Park organized a very successful autograph signing for Grado where he charged $100 per autograph.
Sonjay Dutt, Petey Williams & Matt Sydal defeated Trevor Lee, Andrew Everett & Caleb Konley
Everett and Lee were partners here despite being bitter rivals not long ago. The heels were in firm control, but the faces made a comeback by hitting suicide dives to the floor. The faces cut off Konley from his corner and worked him over, then Everett kneed Dutt in the back and the heels took over.
The heels isolated Dutt in their corner until Williams got the hot tag and ran wild. Sydal caught Everett with a hurricanrana and hit the shooting star press for the win.
After the match, Dutt, Williams, and Sydal all demanded an X Division title shot at Bound for Glory.
– Moose entered the American Top Team gym. He shoved Dan Lambert, then ATT jumped Moose and beat him down in the Octagon. ATT threw Moose out of the gym.
El Hijo Del Fantasma & Texano defeated James Storm & Ethan Carter III
Early on, Storm and EC3 weren’t working well together. Fantasma caught Storm from behind and the AAA team took over. EC3 and Storm finally worked together and briefly gained the advantage, but the heels took back control by isolating EC3. Pagano made his way to ringside, which distracted Storm as EC3 tried to make the tag.
Fantasma missed a big splash and Storm got the hot tag. Storm ran wild and scored a very close near fall on Fantasma. Pagano distracted Storm as AAA regained control. Storm tried to suplex Fantasma into the ring, but Pagano grabbed Storm’s legs and enabled Fantasma to score the win.
– At the LAX clubhouse, they made up after their earlier argument. They will challenge OVE to a 5150 street fight at Bound for Glory.
Next Week: Johnny Impact vs. Garza Jr. with the winner getting a GFW Global Championship title shot at Bound for Glory.
The Big News: Drew McIntyre made his first televised title defense as he beat Roderick Strong in the main event.
The Medium News: Nikki Cross again inserted herself as Ruby Riot’s partner as they defeated The Iconic Duo again.
The Little Beaver-sized News: Lio Rush tried to debut, but Velveteen Dream laid him out before he could face Aleister Black.
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The show started with a tribute to the victims of the senseless shooting in Las Vegas this past weekend.
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Ruby Riot & Nikki Cross defeated The Iconic Duo (Peyton Royce & Billie Kay)
This was a rematch of the tag team match from a few weeks ago where Cross named herself Riot’s tag team partner and scored the win over the Iconic Duo. As Riot came out, Mauro Ranallo got to pay tribute to Lance Russell briefly.
Like last time, this bout began as a two-on-one handicap match. If you recall, William Regal refused to sanction a handicap match and then Riot refused to actively pursue a tag team partner twice now. So, why isn’t Mr. Regal disallowing this match or assigning a partner? Who knows.
Anyway, Riot held her own for the longest time, but she was taken down by her two foes. As Kay and Royce continued to get the heat, Cross came in through the crowd to assume her self-appointed position as Riot’s partner.
Riot finally saw her “partner,” who reached her hand out for the tag. Riot reluctantly tagged out and allowed Cross to run wild on Royce and Kay.
Cross kicked out of the Iconic Duo’s finish, which is a bulldog onto the knee. No one seemed to recognize it was their finish because they rarely win. Anyway, Riot tagged herself back in and won after a Pele kick on Kay.
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Earlier today, Lars Sullivan cut a promo saying that he is unequivocally and categorically in control of everything he does. He said his opponents should be afraid and recommended Danny Burch, his opponent next week, get in control of his fear.
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Zelina Vega was trying to talk on the phone earlier today when she was stalked by camera people. She said Andrade “Cien” Almas beat Johnny Gargano fair and square last time, but she’ll allow the rematch because now Almas can beat Gargano over and over again and get closer to a title shot. Vega didn’t even consider the idea that Gargano could win.
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The Undisputed Era face SAnitY in a six-man tag in two weeks.
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The match between Aleister Black and Lio Rush never started
The crowd popped for Rush’s entrance. Unfortunately, anyone looking for a happy ending to this debut had their hopes dashed when Aleister Black’s music hit. It’s kind of funny that it’s become a running joke that Black faces almost every new ROH signee in their first match. He beat Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish previously.
Just as we got prepared for the match, Velveteen Dream ran in through the crowd and destroyed Lio Rush!
Dream dropped Rush and gave him the Purple Rainmaker before motioning Black into the ring. Black got in the ring ready to give Dream a beating, but Dream slithered out of the ring. Black sat cross-legged in the ring as Dream screamed at him to say his name.
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Kairi Sane defeated Aliyah
The winner of the Mae Young Classic got the biggest reaction of the night so far. Aliyah hasn’t been on TV in a few months and she picked the wrong week to make her return. She did get quite a bit more offense than people expected, but the expected finish happened.
Aliyah’s selling needs a lot of work, but she did succeed at one thing and that was to lay on the ground as Sane hit the Insane Elbow for the win.
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Next week:
Nikki Cross vs. Liv Morgan vs. Billie Kay in a Women’s title qualifying match
Johnny Gargano vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas
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NXT Champion Drew McIntyre defeated Roderick Strong to retain his title
This was a battle between the two top babyfaces on the brand as the reigning and defending champion McIntyre and his challenger spent the early part of the match kicking at one another. Both men got the advantage briefly with their kicks, but it was Strong using a backbreaker onto the ring steps that gave him a sustained advantage.
McIntyre got just enough offense to stay in this, but seemingly no matter what he did Strong would come back with something even more brutal. McIntyre went for a top rope Emerald Fusion, but Strong got out and went for a sunset flip powerbomb until McIntyre stopped that. McIntyre was perched for a maneuver, but Strong kicked him in the head and hit a superplex.
They did the Frye-Takayama spot (think a hockey fight with both men throwing punches repeatedly at the same time) before Strong laid out his foe with a Tiger Driver for a two count. McIntyre went for the Claymore Kick until Strong hit three knees and a Sick Kick, but McIntyre kicked out. They ended up outside the ring and McIntyre gave Strong a powerbomb into the ring post. Back in the ring, he then hit the Future Shock and the Claymore Kick for the win.
After the match, champion and challenger shook hands to the approval of the crowd. Strong backed up the ramp to give his opponent center stage. Suddenly, The Undisputed Era showed up — but they patted Strong on the back and walked away. What does this mean?
That was a very good main event to cap off a good show. We are on the road to NXT TakeOver: Houston — and until next week, remember to say your vitamins and take your prayers.
Enzo Amore’s issues with Kalisto started the show off strong, and Kalisto began his run on 205 Live with a strong outing against Ariya Daivari.
Drew Gulak’s PowerPoint presentation continued, much to the dismay of Akira Tozawa and Mustafa Ali. Ali blatantly disregarded the new “no flipping” edict, while Tozawa violated the “no chants” rule. Cedric Alexander got a more serious edge by attacking Brian Kendrick, while Kendrick’s ally Jack Gallagher battled against Alexander in the main event.
Show Recap —
Enzo Amore’s promo from Raw was recapped, then we saw the debut of Kalisto in the division. Surprisingly, they didn’t even try to add in a crowd reaction to it. Vic Joseph and Nigel McGuinness hyped up Kalisto vs. Ariya Daivari and Cedric Alexander vs. Jack Gallagher.
Kalisto is back to his “lucha lucha” theme and McGuinness compared him to Rey Mysterio Jr. Kalisto said the cruiserweights are the hardest workers, leading to Amore coming down. Amore buried his outfit for being horrible, saying he’d be ashamed to donate it to the Salvation Army — but he’s a good guy, so he’d still do it.
Kalisto showed Amore cheating to win the title to further the idea that the important things for the division happen on shows that aren’t this. Amore said that he’ll give Kalisto his due — he went toe-to-toe with Braun Strowman, but he left in the trash and hasn’t done anything since losing the US title. Amore hyped up Daivari and apologized for insulting him last night.
Kalisto defeated Ariya Daivari
Daivari slugged away to start things off, but Kalisto sent him out with a tilt-a-whirl headscissors. Daivari punched away more in the corner, but Kalisto hit the corkscrew crossbody and his snap rana for two.
Daivari countered the Salida del Sol and landed a frog splash for two. Kalisto then countered a pickup off the mat and ended it with the Salida del Sol. We got a replay of the frog splash — and it was pretty outstanding.
A replay aired of Jack Gallagher’s heel turn and his beating of Cedric Alexander last week, then Drew Gulak walked backstage to prepare to face Mustafa Ali. Gulak’s revamped news magazine-style theme is just perfect for this act.
Gulak talked about his Drewtopia and how Akira Tozawa ruined everyone’s chance to see the remainder of his 269 proposals — and if anyone missed his prior proposals, you can watch him on demand. Gulak got a “Yes” chant for the PowerPoint presentation and showed his new slide — no flipping.
Ali’s theme interrupted slide number nine, to the dismay of McGuinness. Tozawa further interrupted with a chair and his war cry.
Mustafa Ali defeated Drew Gulak
Gulak was kicked off to the floor before Tozawa did his war cry on the mic. Gulak marched around ringside with his “no chants” sign to further remind everyone that he is fantastic. Ali did a backflip and waved “Hi” to Gulak. Ali did a spinning rana that went a bit awry, but a crossbody off the top got two.
Gulak turned a tornado DDT into a slingshot knee strike for two. Gulak got a nerve hold, but Tozawa’s chant distracted him — so he turned it into a seated straightjacket choke. Ali hit a pop-up dropkick and a flying neckbreaker for two.
Ali ate a suplex into the buckle and Gulak set up something in the corner, but Tozawa’s chant distracted him and he did a charge into the corner that missed. The 054 then ended it for Ali. McGuinness demanded that this loss be stricken from the record due to the flips.
Dasha Fuentes talked to Brian Kendrick, who said that Gallagher is busy thinking of ways to torture Alexander. Kendrick said that he feels bad for being part of the mob that was against Amore, and he should have been there for him because he too had a locker room against him once. Kendrick said he stands by Amore now, then Alexander jumped him and attacked his left leg.
Gallagher entered in his full suit and tie while Alexander came down to the ring with a purpose.
Jack Gallagher defeated Cedric Alexander by DQ
Alexander started things off with intense forearm strikes to the jaw before Gallagher attacked and went to work on the mat. A quick takedown got two before Gallagher hit a series of round kicks to the stomach in the corner. He furthered the destruction on the mat and undid his jacket, but Alexander sent him out and dove onto him on the floor.
Gallagher ate a nasty forearm and tossed Alexander into the barricade. Gallagher went under the apron and jumped Alexander before undoing his tie. He grabbed William III, but Alexander stood on it and cracked him over the back to give Gallagher the win by DQ.
Alexander tossed Gallagher around the timekeeper’s area before tossing him into the announce table, with McGuinness telling Joseph to run for his life. Alexander kept beating Gallagher down before Kendrick limped down to help his friend.
– SmackDown Tag Team Champions The New Day defeated The Usos and Breezango to retain their titles
Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston worked the match. Woods took the beatdown from The Usos while Breezango kept getting knocked off the apron. The New Day retained when Woods hit an elbow off the ropes on one of the Usos.
– Rusev defeated Chad Gable
Rusev used a lot of headlocks and bear hugs before winning with the Accolade.
– Luke Harper & The Hype Bros defeated Erick Rowan & The Ascension
– Sami Zayn defeated Mike Kanellis
Zayn won with the Helluva Kick. After the match, Kanellis was mad about losing and wanted another opponent. That led to Sin Cara coming out.
– Sin Cara defeated Mike Kanellis
Sin Cara beat him in about 30 seconds.
– United States Champion AJ Styles defeated Tye Dillinger and Baron Corbin to retain his title
Styles hit the Phenomenal Forearm on Dillinger to retain.
– Charlotte Flair, Naomi & Becky Lynch defeated SmackDown Women’s Champion Natalya, Lana & Carmella
Charlotte submitted Natalya with the Figure Eight.
– Bobby Roode defeated Dolph Ziggler
This was a very entertaining match. Ziggler talked about not needing to have any flashy entrances, then Roode entered to a big pop. Roode ended up winning with the Glorious DDT.
– WWE Champion Jinder Mahal defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to retain his title
During the middle of the match, a fan tried to jump the barricade and was immediately stopped by security and taken out of the arena.
The Singh Brothers later interfered to give Mahal the win, but Nakamura landed a Kinshasa on both Singhs after to send the crowd home happy.
The Big Takeaway: A Shield reunion looks imminent. Cesaro and Sheamus interfered during Roman Reigns’ Intercontinental Championship match with the Miz, which ended in a DQ. It led to Sheamus, Cesaro and Miz doing the old Shield pose over Reigns. Earlier, Miz, Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel walked down the steps of the arena for a ring entrance directly ripped off from the Shield. At the end of the show, Ambrose and Rollins walked in beside Reigns and nodded their heads at them, not saying a word. Kalisto has officially joined the cruiserweight division and took out Enzo Amore in the main event. Bray Wyatt teased a persona similar to Finn Balor’s Demon King. Wyatt’s version looks like it will be based on Sister Abigail. The first match announced for the TLC PPV is Alexa Bliss defending the Raw Women’s Championship against Mickie James.
Show Recap:
The show opened with a moment of silence with the entire roster out on the ramp, including Vince and Shane McMahon, in memory of the Las Vegas.
Braun Strowman defeated Seth Rollins (10:27)
Strowman won when he blocked Rollins rainmaker knee strike and hit a chokeslam, followed by the running powerslam. Rollins went for a tope early, but Strowman blocked it with a right hand. Interesting that the announcers (Tom Phillips in for Michael Cole tonight) never made the connection about Strowman using the Big Show’s trademark punch. Rollins made the comeback with a tope and a superkick.
Postmatch, Strowman laid out Rollins with another powerslam. He started to leave but walked back in. Ambrose ran down and kicked the ropes into Strowman’s groin, but Strowman recovered to give Ambrose a choke slam, and then another. Strowman also took out Ambrose with a running powerslam. Then the Bar, Cesaro and Sheamus, came down in matching white tank tops. Cesaro gave Ambrose the Gotch Neutralizer and Sheamus delivered the Brogue Kick to Rollins.
James walked around backstage when she walked up on Alicia Fox, who was chuckling over what Bliss told James last week. James walked away and found Emma, who told James that even at James’ age she had a secret admirer who left a present for her in her dressing room. James walked in to find a walker and a package of Depend Super Plus. Fox was holding back laughter and James stormed past her and pounded on Bliss’ dressing room door. Nia Jax was inside with Bliss and told James that Bliss wasn’t interesting in facing her tonight. Bliss said James was off her rocker, but Jax didn’t have a match scheduled. James accepted Jax’s challenge for later tonight.
Bray Wyatt popped up on the TitanTron and said his mother once told him that he should put away his bow and arrow for killing and just use his hands. He repeated over and over “she would never lie to me” before he finished.
Elias was in the ring and said he would rather ground himself a mile below the ocean than live in the Mile High City. He strummed a song to the tune of Alice in Chains’ “Nutshell” running down Denver before Titus O’Neil came out.
Elias defeated Titus O’Neil (3:00)
Elias won with drift away. O’Neil knocked Elias out of the ring. Elias started jawing with Apollo Crews, who didn’t interfere. Elias punched Crews and dared him to punch back, but the referee was looking at him so Crews didn’t because he didn’t want to get O’Neil disqualified. Elias snapped O’Neil’s neck off the ropes before the finish.
Another Asuka vignette aired which quotes Sun Tzu from “The Art of War.” She’s now referred to as the Empress of Tomorrow and will debut at Tables, Ladders and Chairs on October 22nd.
Mickie James defeated Nia Jax by DQ (9:38)
James hit Jax with a tornado DDT when Bliss ran in to jump James for the DQ. Postmatch, Bliss threw James out of the ring, but James laid out Bliss with a slap and the Mick Kick. The match was mainly Jax clamping on bearhugs and her usual monster spots. Announcers played it up like James was on the verge of upsetting Jax with the DDT before Bliss ran in.
Amore did an interview with Renee Young. Young said the entire cruiserweight division came out in protest of Enzo being the cruiserweight champion. She asked about his reaction to that. Enzo just stood there with a stunned expression on his face and said nothing.
James did an interview with Charly Caruso saying she would love to represent the WWE Universe as the new Raw Women’s Champion. Kurt Angle showed up and told James she would get a Raw Women’s Championship shot against Bliss at TLC. James said “It’s true! It’s dame true!”
Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows defeated Matt Hardy and Jason Jordan (11:01)
Karl Anderson pinned Matt Hardy after the magic killer. Anderson threw Jason Jordan into the dasherboards outside the ring. Matt Hardy tried the twist of fate on Luke Gallows, but Anderson distracted Hardy, leading to Gallows pushing Hardy into the corner and Gallows delivering a running splash. Good match with Hardy getting the final hot tag and delivering a side effect on Anderson. Jordan didn’t get booed as much and fans seem more accepting of him when he teams with Matt. Phillips mentioned Jeff Hardy undergoing surgery tomorrow.
Reigns was backstage when Caruso asked him about Rollins and Ambrose getting jumped by Sheamus and Cesaro. Reigns said he wasn’t surprised by Sheamus and Cesaro going after them because Ambrose and Rollins had taken the Raw Tag Team Championships from them. He said Ambrose and Rollins were probably thinking of a plan to go after Sheamus and Cesaro next week. As for his match tonight against Miz, he said he doesn’t believe in long-range strategies, he just wants to leave Denver as the Intercontinental Champion.
Dana Warrior was in the ring with Jax, Fox, Bliss, Bayley, James, Emma, Sasha Banks and Dana Brooke. Warrior introduced three breast cancer survivors and paid tribute to them for always believing. She unveiled three WWE Championship belts as the Ultimate Warrior’s music played. The three honorees joined Warrior in shaking the ropes like Warrior used to do during his ring entrance.
The Miztourage made its ring entrance by walking down the steps in front of the fans, just like the Shield used to do. As Jojo was introducing Miz, Reigns jumped Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas, giving both men a Superman punch. Axel backed away through the crowd, but Reigns attacked him with a chair on the ramp. Dallas triedto make the save, but he was laid out with chair shots to the back. So Miz had to face Reigns by himself with the Intercontinental Championship on the line.
Roman Reigns defeated Intercontinental Champion The Miz by DQ, so the Miz retained the Intercontinental Championship (10:40)
Reigns hit his second Superman punch when Cesaro and Sheamus ran out and jumped Reigns, dragging him out of the ring and putting the boots to him. It was a good match where they teased a countout finish early when Miz dumped Reigns into the timekeeper’s table and Reigns got back in the ring at nine. Reigns hit a Superman punch, but Miz kicked out. Miz hit the Skull Crushing Finale, but Reigns kicked out.
Postmatch, Cesaro gave Reigns the Gotch Neutralizer. Then Sheamus delivered the Brogue Kick on Reigns. Miz hit the Skull Crushing Finale as the crowd chanted for the Shield. Miz, Sheamus and Cesaro started to leave, but Miz told Cesaro and Sheamus the fans wanted the Shield. So Miz, Sheamus and Cesaro entered the ring like the old Shield and gave each other the fist salute just like the Shield once did. Phillips all but said that the Shield would reunite at TLC, though Corey Graves said there was no chance of it happening now.
Finn Balor came out for an interview. He said he doesn’t like to come out and talk, he likes to fight. But Wyatt likes to play mind game. He said if Wyatt really had the whole world in his hands, he wouldn’t know what to do with it. He said he sees Wyatt for what he really is, a coward. Balor said Wyatt lost to the Demon at Summerslam, he lost to the man at No Mercy. Wyatt can make as many excuses as he wants, but he’s afraid. Despite all the games that Wyatt plays, he can’t beat Balor. If Wyatt thinks otherwise, Balor challenged him to come out.
Wyatt showed up on the TitanTron in a rocking chair repeating “She never lied to me.” But he said Balor did. Wyatt said Balor claimed he was just a man, but at No Mercy Balor was a little more. Wyatt challenged Balor to bring back his demon persona. Wyatt said that Abigail is alive and she is dying to meet Balor. Wyatt face turned into its own persona, but with Wyatt’s long hair obstructing his face, it was hard to see exactly what it looked it. Wyatt laughed in sinister fashion, and then a female’s laugh could be heard, as well, as Wyatt vanished off the screen. So now Wyatt is getting his own Demon King persona, and it appears it will be some sort of offshoot of Sister Abigail.
Bayley and Sasha Banks defeated Emma and Alicia Fox (10:54)
Bayley pinned Fox with a Bayley-to-belly suplex when Fox reached for a tag, but Emma walked out on her. Earlier, Banks had thrown Fox into Emma to set up the hot tag. Match dragged but spiced up when Bayley got in late. The gimmick seems to be that Emma is going through tag team partners in an effort to beat Bayley and Banks while proclaiming herself the innovator of the Women’s Revolution.
Enzo came out limping heavily. He said the entire cruiserweight division can go to hell, and anyone who agree with the sentiment that the cruiserweight division shares can go to hell. They could use his certified GPS to help get them there, the same Certified GPS he used to put 205 Live on the map. Enzo said he made 205 relevant and the main event of Raw two weeks in a row. He said the same cruiserweight division is in the main event that the people called the snoozerweight division. Then came a odd statement. Enzo said last week, when the cruiserweights left him laying like a pancake, Enzo heard the fans say “you deserve it.” Enzo held up the cruiserweight championship and said you damn right he deserves it. Fans were supposed to boo that line, but it got mostly cheers.
Enzo said anyone who said “talk is cheap” never booked Enzo Amore for an event. Enzo said he put more butts in seats than Lazy Boy, but he’s hurting. His back is hurt from carrying the cruiserweight division on his back. Enzo didn’t have to wait in line for the cruiserweight championship because he stepped over the line. Enzo brought up his no contact clause in his contract, then brought up another agreement he reached with Angle saying anyone who made contact with him tonight would not only forfeit a title shot against him, they would get fired.
Neville came out with Akira Tozawa, Gran Metalik, Cedric Alexander, T.J. Perkins and Mustafa Ali. Then Tony Nese, Noam Dar, Jack Gallagher, Rich Swann, Brian Kendrick, Ariya Daivari and Drew Gulak came out from the side entrance. They all surrounded the ring one-by-one while Enzo rubbed his contract with Angle in their face. Enzo ran down each of them one-by-one, including telling Gallagher he dressed like a 1920s paperboy, telling Perkins that he had more hair on his chest than Perkins had on his face, so before he steps in the ring make sure he presents an ID because Enzo didn’t want to assault a minor.
Finally Angle came out. He admitted that based on what happened last week, none of the cruiserweights can challenge him for the cruiserweight championship. Based on their conversation today, none of the cruiserweights can touch him or they will be fired. None of this applies to the newest member of the cruiserweight division he just signed. It was Kalisto, who had a new mask looking like Konnan’s little brother. Crowd was expecting something big, especially since Drew Galloway was at ringside (though he was never identified by the announcers) and seemed let down by Kalisto, who laid out Enzo with Salina Del Sol.
Backstage, Reigns was hurting from the beating earlier. Ambrose walked up beside him. Reigns gradually stood up. Then Rollins walked in and the place went crazy. Ambrose and Rollins both nooded, and Reigns did too. Then Ambrose and Rollins walked away.
– SmackDown Tag Team Champions The New Day defeated The Usos and Breezango to retain their titles
New Day retained in a fairly short match. Xavier Woods sold for a majority of it, then Big E got the win with the Big Ending on Fandango. Tyler Breeze only came in to get superkicked once.
– Rusev defeated Chad Gable
This was a pretty solid match. Rusev got good heel heat and won with the Accolade.
– Luke Harper & The Hype Bros defeated Erick Rowan & The Ascension
It was pretty surprising how over Harper was after not being on TV for so long. The match was fun and had some comedy. Everyone swapped finishers near the end until Harper hit Konnor with the discus lariat to win.
– Sami Zayn defeated Mike Kanellis
This wasn’t anything special. Zayn sold for a while and then won with the Helluva Kick.
After the match, Kanellis got on the mic and said he is fighting for his wife Maria and wants another match to show he is a winner. Sin Cara then came out to answer his challenge.
– Sin Cara defeated Mike Kanellis
Sin Cara won in a minute with a frog splash.
– United States Champion AJ Styles defeated Baron Corbin, Kevin Owens, and Tye Dillinger to retain his title
A sign said “Corbin’s hairline has seen the End of Days,” which got his attention and even seemed to get Owens laughing.
The match was really good. Owens and Corbin worked together for a while, then Styles won with the Phenomenal Forearm on Corbin.
– Charlotte Flair, Naomi & Becky Lynch defeated SmackDown Women’s Champion Natalya, Lana & Carmella (w/ James Ellsworth)
This was a fun match that the babyface women pretty much dominated to get the crowd back into it after intermission. Charlotte was over huge and submitted Lana with the Figure Eight.
– Bobby Roode defeated Dolph Ziggler
Real good match. It felt like they were prepping for their pay-per-view match next Sunday. Roode kicked out of Ziggler’s big moves and then won with the Glorious DDT.
– WWE Champion Jinder Mahal (w/ The Singh Brothers) defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to retain his title
The Singh Brothers interfered a lot in this one. If Mahal and Nakamura were getting ready for next Sunday, it will be better than the SummerSlam match. Mahal won after the Khallas, then Nakamura destroyed both Singh Brothers and Mahal to send everyone home happy.
– SmackDown Tag Team Champions The New Day defeated The Usos and Breezango to retain their titles
This was mostly a comedy match with lots of stalling and taunts. There was a huge pop at one point when Tyler Breeze lifted Big E for a suplex after a failed attempt, but New Day retained after hitting the Midnight Hour on one of the Usos.
– Rusev defeated Chad Gable
There were “USA,” “we want Lana,” and “Rusev sucks” chants during this. Rusev was largely in control of it until Gable made a comeback. Gable hit two impressive belly-to-belly suplexes, but Rusev won with a superkick and the Accolade.
– Luke Harper & The Hype Bros defeated Erick Rowan & The Ascension
Harper’s entrance got a huge pop and he got the pin on Viktor after hitting a discus lariat.
– Sami Zayn defeated Mike Kanellis
Zayn got a good reaction, though Kanellis didn’t get much of a response. Maria wasn’t with him there.
The match didn’t have any heat for most of it. Kanellis did lots of headlocks, then Zayn eventually got the crowd going with an arm drag into an armbar. He later took control and hit a tornado DDT and the Helluva Kick for the victory.
Kanellis got on the mic after, screaming “No!” as the crowd shouted “Yes!” He demanded another match and Sin Cara came out.
– Sin Cara defeated Mike Kanellis
Kanellis did a sneak attack to start, but Sin Cara took over and won with a frog splash in about two minutes.
– United States Champion AJ Styles defeated Baron Corbin, Kevin Owens, and Tye Dillinger to retain his title
Owens taunted a Sami Zayn cosplayer and his son in the front row a few times, which was pretty funny. Styles was crazy over.
Styles spent most of the match on the floor while the heels worked over Dillinger in the ring. There was a fun spot later where everyone was down after superkicks and a Pele kick from Styles. The finish came when Styles pinned Corbin after a Phenomenal Forearm. Styles posed with the belt after while Corbin laid in the ring.
– Charlotte Flair, Naomi & Becky Lynch defeated SmackDown Women’s Champion Natalya, Lana & Carmella (w/ James Ellsworth)
The crowd was really into this one and Carmella’s screeching got a lot of heat. Charlotte ended up getting the hot tag and running wild on the heels. She got the win for her team by submitting Lana with the Figure Eight.
– Bobby Roode defeated Dolph Ziggler
Ziggler came out to cut a promo before this started. He acted like a face, but then said he doesn’t give a damn about us and that we turned our backs on him. He said he’s the best ever and no one can do what he does. He then claimed he’s the best thing in wrestling, sports entertainment, WWE, and Boise. Roode came out for the match after that.
There were chants for Roode immediately. For the finish, Ziggler went for a superkick until Roode cut him off and won with the Glorious DDT.
– WWE Champion Jinder Mahal (w/ The Singh Brothers) defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to retain his title
The Singhs introduce Mahal before the match and got massive heat. Mahal said Boise is disrespectful and we should respect him. He did his usual promo as a “USA” chant broke out. Before he could speak in Punjabi, Nakamura’s music hit.
There were massive chants for Nakamura. The Singhs attacked him at one point when the referee wasn’t looking. Nakamura later hit a big kick off of the top to set up for the Kinshasa, but the Singhs interfered and Mahal retained with the Khallas.
The Big Takeaway: Dash Wilder made it three losses in three weeks, then Lince Dorado and Gran Metalik put on a beautiful display in the main event.
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Heath Slater defeated Dash Wilder (5:35)
Two weeks ago on Main Event, Dash Wilder was beaten with relative ease by Rhyno’s spinebuster. Last week, he and Slater went back and forth in a fairly by-the-numbers bout with Slater getting the win with the Smash Hit. This week, Wilder lost again. To Rhyno. With the spinebuster.
Nigel McGuinness was nowhere to be seen on the show and, instead, we were back with Corey Graves alongside Vic Joseph. Graves has a way of drawing you into matches and he really knows his wrestling and calls moves well, but McGuinness is better at putting the talent over.
Wilder is comfortable on his own, here, but lacks the kind of charisma at this stage of his WWE run to be carrying a match with a veteran like Rhyno. Rhyno sold a lot as Wilder took the match until the finish, where Rhyno fired up to hit his big moves.
The match was what you’d expect. It was slow and full of rest holds and Wilder’s quick pin attempts. Rhyno made Wilder look strong and powerful, but he finished him with the spinebuster in the end without too much concern.
Rhyno still seems to exist off the nostalgic pop that hasn’t faded too much, but without Slater the act is less fun for pre-Raw matches like these on Main Event.
Lince Dorado & Gran Metalik defeated Drew Gulak & Tony Nese (4:25)
The Cruiserweight tag match once again saved the show, bringing some pace, action, and invention to an otherwise run-of-the-mill episode. The finish was awe-inspiring from Dorado, who finished Gulak with a magnificent springboard shooting star senton.
Gulak, who is now clean shaven, had a few matches on Main Event over the summer months, but is now without a win on any show, televised or otherwise, since the end of May.
Dorado and Metalik speak for themselves. They’d be fantastic together on the main roster and could easily find a position in the tag team division. They did a great spot here where Metalik was teasing a springboard attack on Gulak on the outside, but the distraction meant that Dorado was able to fly at him with a seated senton. They did similar things a couple of times in the match and it proved to be very effective.
The match was far too short, but the finish made up for it. Metalik flew over the top rope onto Nese on the outside, while Dorado stunned Gulak on the top rope to set him in position for a huge springboard shooting star senton. Graves’ exclamation of “good lord!” after he landed it said it all.
Balor got one of the loudest pops of the night and Wyatt’s entrance is something else even on a house show. Wyatt kept going outside of the ring at the start of the match and the fans booed him pretty loudly. Balor later won with the Coup de Grace.
– Neville defeated WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore by DQ
It sounded like Amore said this was a non-title match due to what happened on Raw. He got a big pop for his shtick, but the reaction for him was pretty mixed during the match. Amore hit Neville with the Cruiserweight title for the DQ, with the fans booing Amore as he spoke on the mic and as he left.
– Titus O’Neil & Apollo Crews defeated Elias & Dash Wilder
Elias started with a song running down Winnipeg and the people. The crowd was pretty quiet throughout this one, then Crews won with the spinning powerbomb.
– Raw Tag Team Champions Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose defeated Curtis Axel & Bo Dallas to retain their titles
Ambrose and Rollins both got good pops.
– WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar (w/ Paul Heyman) defeated Sheamus (w/ Cesaro) to retain his title
Lesnar and Heyman got the biggest reactions of the night, especially for Heyman introducing Lesnar. The match was a pretty standard “Suplex City” one, though Sheamus got some offense. Lesnar won with an F5. He left the ring but came back to give Cesaro an F5 when he was checking on Sheamus after the match.
– Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss defeated Bayley, Sasha Banks, Mickie James, and Emma to retain her title
Bliss and Banks got the best reactions here, but I didn’t think Bayley got much of a pop from the crowd. Bliss retained with a DDT on Bayley.
– Intercontinental Champion The Miz (w/ The Miztourage) defeated Jason Jordan to retain his title
Miz came out with The Miztourage and without Maryse. He teased taking off his jacket at the start of this, with the crowd booing him heavily. He grabbed the microphone, but the crowd would keep booing him when he spoke. Jordan didn’t get much of a reaction at the start.
Miz knows exactly how to get the crowd riled up and even got them behind Jordan as this went on. The Miztourage got tossed from ringside to a big reaction, but Miz won with an eye poke and the Skull Crushing Finale.
– Roman Reigns defeated Braun Strowman by DQ
Strowman got a loud face pop, rivaling Balor for the second biggest of the night behind Lesnar. Reigns got the loudest heel reaction on the show and it wasn’t close to being even between cheers and boos when the match started.
Reigns did get a good reaction for eventually hitting Strowman with a Samoan drop. The finish came when Strowman got disqualified for hitting Reigns with the steel steps. He gave Reigns a powerslam after, which got a “Thank you Strowman” chant from the crowd. He then set up a table in the corner, but Reigns speared him through it to loud boos to close the show.
