The latest WWE and AEW News and Results
After a week away, the one and only Les Thatcher and I return for a new Wrestling Weekly to talk about all the things happening between The Elite and Tony Khan in AEW, as well as the full results from last week’s WWE Draft.
Thanks for listening and have a great weekend~!
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John Laurinaitis, who would have been a key figure in the Janel Grant lawsuit against Vince McMahon, Laurinaitis, and the WWE, has seemingly flipped to siding with McMahon based on a statement from lawyer Edward M. Brennan on 5/2.
“John Laurinaitis has filed a Motion today fully joining in and adopting Vince McMahon’s motion to compel arbitration. Mr. Laurinaitis corroborates Mr. McMahon in publicly declaring that Ms. Grant’s allegations of sexual abuse and coercion in her Complaint are completely unfounded. My client will fight these false allegations together with Mr. McMahon in the proper forum, arbitration.”
Previously Brennan released statements that backed up Grant’s side, but claiming he, like Grant, was the victim of McMahon.
“Mr. Laurinaitis denies the allegations in the misguided complaint and will be vigorously defending these charges in Court, not the media,” Laurinaitis’ lawyer Edward Brennan told VICE News in February. ““Like the Plaintiff, Mr. Laurinaitis is a victim in this case, not a predator. The truth will come out.”
Brennan had previously called the Grant complaint well written but that Laurinaitis was coerced into the situation by McMahon, just like Grant was.
By stating that he sided with McMahon and that no sexual abuse or coercion took place, it hurts Grant’s argument.
It would make sense for Laurinaitis to want everything in arbitration because a sympathetic jury and everything in public would bring with it far more publicity regarding McMahon, but also a sympathetic jury could be more unfavorable from a financial standpoint to McMahon and Laurinaitis provided the jury believed Grant.
Those close to McMahon have stated that they believe her story will fall apart once she’s deposed.
Other stories this week include:
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive is back with tons to talk about including all the RAW trades, why an effective soft brand split makes a Draft pointless, Smackdown and Collision and Rampage ratings, all the news, Bryan’s disastrous week and an update on his daughter, and more. A fun show as always so check it out! And the Abe Lincoln video!
Night two of the 2024 WWE Draft featured some noteworthy appearances.
With Raw being held in Kansas City, two-time NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes was in the building. The Kansas City Chiefs superstar took part in an angle using his three Super Bowl rings. Mahomes gave Logan Paul the rings to use as a weapon against Jey Uso. But when Uso moved out of the way, Paul struck JD McDonagh with them.
The returning Braun Strowman then saved Jey from an attack by Paul and Finn Balor. Strowman went face-to-face with Mahomes and his teammates Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith until Jey pulled him away. This was Strowman’s first time back in action since undergoing neck fusion surgery last year.
Mahomes has a sponsorship deal with Paul’s Prime Hydration.
Paul also brought internet celebrity IShowSpeed to Raw last night to help announce some of the draft picks. Stephanie McMahon, The APA, Alundra Blayze & Teddy Long, and The Dudley Boyz announced picks as well.
Though CM Punk is still recovering from his torn triceps, he appeared last night and was among the wrestlers drafted. Punk and Drew McIntyre both ended up on Raw. Punk promised that, when he’s 100 percent, he’ll make McIntyre’s life a living hell.
More coverage from last night —
WWE Raw video highlights —
Nia Jax issues a challenge for her last night on Raw
Stephanie McMahon announces first-round draft picks
Gunther vs. Xavier Woods
Logan Paul & IShowSpeed announce second-round draft picks
Logan Paul attempts to use Patrick Mahomes’ Super Bowl rings as a weapon
Braun Strowman returns, saves Jey Uso from Logan Paul & Finn Balor’s attack
Chad Gable interrupts Sami Zayn vs. Bronson Reed Intercontinental title match
The APA announce third-round draft picks
Maxxine Dupri vs. Candice LeRae
CM Punk promises to make Drew McIntyre’s life a living hell when he’s 100 percent
Alundra Blayze & Teddy Long announce fourth-round draft picks
Liv Morgan vs. Nia Jax
The Dudley Boyz announce fifth-round draft picks
Awesome Truth vs. Alpha Academy for the World Tag Team titles
Adam Pearce & Nick Aldis announce sixth-round draft picks
Jey Uso, Ricochet & Andrade vs. The Judgment Day
Raw fallout: It was destiny for Ilja Dragunov and Gunther to be on the same brand
Raw fallout: Lyra Valkyria is ready to conquer Raw
Raw fallout: This is everything Blair Davenport has ever wanted
Raw fallout: Dijak gets drafted to Raw
Raw fallout: Ava knows NXT’s draft picks will shine on their new brands
Raw fallout: Kansas City Chiefs, guests of honor, first responders open Raw
Raw Talk: Imperium, Awesome Truth, Nia Jax appear
Following SmackDown, Raw on Monday will draft the rest of the WWE roster.
Raw tonight will feature six rounds of draft picks, with both Raw and SmackDown making two picks per round. Raw will have the first pick. The brands will lock on May 6, two days after WWE Backlash in France.
WWE Champions are not eligible to be drafted and will remain on their current brand. The only champions that can be selected are The Kabuki Warriors (Kairi Sane & Asuka) who will appear on both brands.
The roster has been divided into two draft pools, with the second pool being picked tonight. Check here for results from the first night of the Draft.
Last Friday’s SmackDown had the announcement that Roman Reigns has ‘voluntarily withdrawn’ from the draft, and will not be selected. Paul Heyman on that show said that Reigns would not be returning in the immediate future.
Here is the full list of night two picks and the updated rosters for both Raw and SmackDown.
Round one:
WWE Raw: Imperium (Gunther & Ludwig Kaiser)
WWE SmackDown: Jade Cargill
WWE Raw: Damage CTRL (IYO SKY, Dakota Kai, Kairi Sane, & Asuka)
WWE SmackDown: Kevin Owens
Round two:
WWE Raw: CM Punk
WWE SmackDown: The Pride (Bobby Lashley, Angelo Dawkins, Montez Ford, B-Fab)
WWE Raw: Braun Strowman
WWE SmackDown: Tiffany Stratton
Round three:
WWE Raw: LWO (Rey Mysterio, Cruz Del Toro, Joaquin Wilde, Zelina Vega, Dragon Lee, Carlito)
WWE SmackDown: Legado Del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Humberto Carrillo, Angel Garza, Elektra Lopez)
WWE Raw: Drew McIntyre
WWE SmackDown: Shinsuke Nakamura
Round four:
WWE Raw: Judgment Day (Finn Balor, Dominik Mysterio, and JD McDonagh)
WWE SmackDown: Naomi
WWE Raw: Ilja Dragunov
WWE SmackDown: Chelsea Green & Piper Niven
Round five:
WWE Raw: The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods)
WWE SmackDown: Pretty Deadly (Elton Prince & Kit Wilson)
WWE Raw: Lyra Valkyria
WWE SmackDown: Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell
Round six:
WWE Raw: The Final Testament (Karrion Kross, AOP, Scarlett, Paul Ellering)
WWE SmackDown: DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa)
WWE Raw: Bronson Reed
WWE SmackDown: Blair Davenport
Picks announced on social media:
WWE Raw: Dijak, The Creed Brothers, Ivy Nile, New Catch Republic (Tyler Bate & Pete Dunne), Kayden Carter & Katana Chance, Natalya, Odyssey Jones
WWE SmackDown: Giovanni Vinci, Tegan Nox, Apollo Crews
**********
Updated SmackDown roster —
Updated Raw roster —
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including the NBA and WBD negotiations and how it could affect AEW, Cody’s shoulder, AEW injuries, RAW ratings drafted to Smackdown, Tyson vs. Jake Paul, UFC 301, RAW, the DRAFT, plus mailbag and more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
Timestamps:
Start: NBA-WBD negotiations and how it may affect AEW negotiations
4:26: Cody Rhodes update, Powerhouse Hobbs & Julia Hart injury updates
6:23: Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson now a sanctioned boxing match
11:00: WWE Draft night two results
20:16: Ratings, UFC 301 & WWE Backlash preview
25:24: WWE Raw report
42:58: Mailbag
Stephanie McMahon and Braun Strowman made unannounced returns to Raw on night two of the WWE Draft Monday.
In her first WWE appearance since WrestleMania 40, McMahon announced the first round selections for night two of the WWE Draft.
Although she does not have an official role with WWE as an employee, McMahon returned to the company on WrestleMania weekend this year in her first on-camera appearances since resigning from the company in January 2023.
Strowman made his return in an angle involving United States Champion Logan Paul, as well as NFL star and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Paul and The Judgment Day were attacking Jey Uso when Strowman made his unannounced return, chasing off Uso’s attackers. Strowman was then announced as a second round selection for the Raw brand in the Draft.
Strowman has been sidelined for nearly a year after undergoing neck fusion surgery. A former Universal, Intercontinental, and Tag Team Champion, Strowman re-signed with WWE in September 2022 after being cut from the company in June 2021.
Our full coverage from Raw is here.
An updated list of picks from night two of the WWE Draft is here.
Date: April 29, 2024
Location: T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, MO
**********
Show Recap —
US Champion Logan Paul was shown arriving with IShowSpeed and Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (who got a huge reaction). They were welcomed by Damian Priest and Judgment Day. Priest congratulated Paul on his success and Paul returned the favour. Paul said Priest would destroy the ugly Uso at Backlash. Judgment Day, Paul, IShowSpeed, and Mahomes entered the arena together.
(We’ll see if he’s used at all but Mahomes seems like a huge get for the show.)
Michael Cole and Pat McAfee ran down the draft rules while standing ringside.
Opening segment
Becky Lynch entered. She said Kansas City might be where The Man was born. This arena was where her face got busted and she let the world know this was her show now. She stood there as champion six years later and it was still her show. The crowd chanted for Becky.
Lynch said it took nearly two years to regain the championship which led to “You deserve it” chants. Lynch didn’t want to just hold the title, she wanted to defend it. She wanted to fight the best.
Liv Morgan interrupted. Morgan said Lynch should look no further for her next challenger. The crowd chanted “Mami.” Morgan felt like Lynch owed her one. Lynch was only the champion because Morgan did what Lynch couldn’t and that was take out Rhea Ripley. Morgan said this was still her revenge tour and she would not stop until she got everything she wanted.
Lynch admitted that she wouldn’t be champion without Morgan but Morgan would be champion right now if not for what Lynch did to her (in last week’s battle royal).
Nia Jax interrupted. Cole explained that the new rosters weren’t in effect yet. Jax got a ton of heat — way more than Morgan. Jax said they were lucky she got drafted to Smackdown. She said tonight was her last night on Raw (the crowd popped) and before she left, she planned on taking one of them with her.
Morgan dropkicked her off the apron and accepted her challenge for a match.
********
Jey Uso, Sami Zayn and Bronson Reed were shown arriving. Reed wore a Calgary Hitmen t-shirt. Zayn defends the IC title tonight against Reed.
Stephanie McMahon entered to make the first round of night two draft picks.
WWE Draft Round 1
Pick 1: Raw selects Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser (Imperium)
Pick 2: Smackdown selects Jade Cargill
Pick 3: Raw selects Damage CTRL (Asuka, Kairi Sane, Iyo Sky, Dakota Kai)
Pick 4: Smackdown selects Kevin Owens
So Raw got six people, Smackdown got two. McAfee even pointed this out.
********
Gunther (w/Ludwig Kaiser) defeated Xavier Woods (w/Kofi Kingston) (16:33)
They went to break a minute into the match. The screen “glitched” as Gunther maintained control. Woods tried fighting back with chops so Gunther just chopped him down. Woods chopped Gunther off the middle rope and hit a missile dropkick for two. Woods’ leg got caught in the ropes moments later so Gunther stomped his knee.
Gunther continued to target Woods’ leg following another break and mocked him as he did it. Gunther went for a splash but Woods got his knees up. Woods tried to fire back but Gunther chopped him down and applied a half crab.
It seemed like there was no escape for Woods so Kingston grabbed a white towel. Kingston teased throwing it in but Woods begged him not to. Woods almost fought out but Gunther applied an STF and Woods tapped out.
This was a pretty one-sided win for Gunther.
********
Cathy Kelley interviewed Jey Uso. She wondered if he was feeling any pressure but Jey said no and that Priest would receive a Yeet-down at Backlash. She asked about Logan Paul’s earlier comment. Jey was glad they signed a Paul brother but wished it was the one with a winning record. The crowd liked that line.
********
Patrick Mahomes was in the first row and Samantha Irvin announced him to the crowd to a big ovation. Chiefs players Trey Smith and Creed Humphrey were there too. They aired a clip of Smith and Humphrey joining a young fan in the ring before the show started. It was the fan Smith helped to safety during the shooting at the Super Bowl parade.
Paul and IShowSpeed entered to make the next round of picks.
WWE Draft Round 2
Pick 1: Raw selects CM Punk
Pick 2: Smackdown selects Bobby Lashley, Montez Ford, Angelo Dawkins & B-Fab (The Pride)
Pick 3: Raw selects Braun Strowman
Pick 4: Smackdown selects Tiffany Stratton
The crowd chanted for Punk after his name was called. Cole notes that Drew McIntyre must be pissed that Punk was picked and he wasn’t.
********
Paul made his way to the ring. Paul said he spoke the truth when he said Priest would beat Jey Uso. Jey leaving the Bloodline was a mistake because he couldn’t win a title on his own — unlike Paul.
Jey Uso interrupted. Jey asked the crowd if they thought he could beat Priest and become champion. They said “Yeet.” Jey asked if they thought he should beat up Paul. They said “Yeet.” Paul said “Yeet” too but the crowd didn’t do it with him.
Paul trash-talked Jey as Finn Bálor and JD McDonagh marched to the ring. Jey didn’t wait to get attacked so he went after Judgment Day but they got the better of him.
Mahomes gave Paul his three Super Bowl rings and Paul put them on. Paul took a swing but Jey ducked and Paul decked McDonagh. Paul and Bálor acted shocked while Jey was amused. Jey went after Bálor but Paul jumped him and Jey was down again.
Braun Strowman entered to make the save. Paul bailed from the ring as Strowman laid out Bálor with a chokeslam.
Strowman drew his attention to Mahomes in the crowd. Mahomes’ teammates Smith and Humphrey stood up beside him. Jey pulled Strowman away and calmed things down — even though Mahomes gave Paul the rings to take him out.
Jey and Strowman left together.
********
R-Truth was in the back making some sort of deal with Chad Gable. Miz showed up and wanted to know what was going on. This led to some dumb comedy as Cole snickered into his mic. Truth didn’t realize it was the WWE Draft and not the NFL Draft.
After Miz and Truth left, Gable was suddenly booted out of nowhere by Sami Zayn.
********
Kelley asked Booker T for his thoughts on the draft so far. Booker liked the picks of Cargill and Punk. Drew McIntyre showed up behind him. McIntyre asked Booker if he thought it made sense for the guy who’s had one match this year before getting injured should get drafted over the guy who won the world title at WrestleMania. Booker wondered where that title was now.
McIntyre thought he was in a backwards world. He knew Booker back in the day and he knows how Booker really felt about Punk. McIntyre told Booker that he’s changed.
********
Cole noted that if Reed won the title, he would be protected in the draft and Zayn would move into Reed’s slot.
Intercontinental Championship match: Sami Zayn defeated Bronson Reed via disqualification (8:51)
Zayn hit a dive and went for a flying crossbody but Reed caught him and hit a powerslam and a senton. Zayn fought back after a break but Reed hit a Uranage for two and a sit-out powerbomb for two. Reed hit a shoulder tackle off the apron but as he slipped back in the ring, Zayn nailed him with a Helluva Kick.
As Zayn went for a cover, Chad Gable grabbed him and hit a German suplex for the DQ.
Gable put Zayn in an ankle lock and after he let go, Reed flattened Zayn with a Tsunami.
Gable posed with the IC title belt so Reed dropped Gable with a Death Valley driver. Reed posed with the belt.
********
Ron Simmons and JBL entered to announce the next picks.
WWE Draft Round 3
Pick 1: Raw selects LWO (Rey Mysterio, Dragon Lee, Cruz Del Toro, Joaquin Wilde, Zelina Vega & Carlito)
Pick 2: Smackdown selects Legado Del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Elektra Lopez, Angel & Berto)
Pick 3: Raw selects Drew McIntyre
Pick 4: Smackdown selects Shinsuke Nakamura
They noted that Carlito was still technically with LWO. Raw got six people with that one pick.
McIntyre entered. He wondered if APA had been drinking since Friday because it was stupid he was only getting picked in the third round. McIntyre said Punk was no longer anti-establishment. He was a corporate ass-kisser.
McIntyre congratulated Punk on finally accomplishing something — Punk fractured his elbow at WrestleMania. However, unlike Punk, McIntyre showed up every week because he was a real man.
Punk’s music hit and McIntyre looked around. Punk appeared in a suite. Punk called McIntyre a little bitch (even though Punk was the one in the safety of a suite). McIntyre marched to the back.
********
Gable approached Alpha Academy in the back. He wasn’t impressed that Maxxine Dupri eliminated two people in the battle royal because she didn’t win. He wondered if she wanted a ribbon for participating. He told Otis and Tozawa to win him a freakin’ championship tonight.
********
Kelley interviewed Bron Breakker. Breakker said Adam Pearce knew he was the best pick because he was on Raw to take over. Sheamus approached him and Breakker got in his face for interrupting. Sheamus told him to calm down. Sheamus was impressed and said Breakker reminded him of a younger version of himself. Sheamus stopped speaking upon seeing McIntyre storm by. Breakker didn’t seem to care about Sheamus’ compliments.
********
Candice LeRae (w/Indi Hartwell) defeated Maxxine Dupri (w/Ivy Nile) (1:44)
Dupri hit a Northern Lights suplex and a reverse Caterpillar. Dupri applied an ankle lock but lost focus when Hartwell shoved Nile into the ring post. This allowed LeRae to slip out and hit a Wicked Stepsister (curb stomp) for the pinfall win.
********
Rey Mysterio (with LWO) told Kelley they had mixed emotions but they were excited to be on Raw. He had unfinished business with Carlito.
Dominik showed up to mock them and tell them that Judgment Day ran Raw. Rey thought that was funny given that Dom hasn’t been drafted yet. Rey asked him, “What’s that on your lip, Dirty Sanchez.” Dom sheepishly backed away while saying, “You’re lucky I’m not cleared.”
********
McIntyre stormed through the suite level demanding to know where Punk was. He opened a few doors but couldn’t find him. He finally did find Punk’s suite but Punk was gone. The only thing remaining was a signed photo of Punk.
Punk’s music hit at this moment and he entered the ring as McIntyre looked on. Punk said he didn’t want to waste the fans’ time so he planned on doing his promo in less time than McIntyre held the world title — 5 minutes and 46 seconds.
Punk said McIntyre was like an ex-girlfriend he couldn’t get rid of. Punk was glad he hurt McIntyre’s elbow. McIntyre prayed for Punk to get injured but Punk hurt McIntyre himself. Punk was drafted ahead of McIntyre for a simple reason: he was the best in the world.
Punk wasn’t mad or out for revenge because McIntyre had given him purpose. Losers hoped and prayed for things to happen while winners made things happen. When Punk was cleared, he promised to make McIntyre’s life a living hell.
(The stuff with Punk and McIntyre tonight was really good and their inevitable match feels like a big one.)
********
Teddy Long and Alundra Blayze entered to announce the next round of picks. Punk embraced them on the way out. (Blayze initially backed off when Punk asked for a hug but eventually accepted his embrace.)
WWE Draft Round 4
Pick 1: Raw selects Judgment Day (Finn Bálor, Dominik Mysterio & JD McDonagh)
Pick 2: Smackdown selects Naomi
Pick 3: Raw selects Ilja Dragunov
Pick 4: Smackdown selects Chelsea Green & Piper Niven
A pumped-up Dragunov was shown reacting live at NXT while the roster gave him a standing ovation. Shawn Michaels embraced him and gave him a Raw hat (which he did not put on).
********
Liv Morgan defeated Nia Jax (10:31)
Tiffany Stratton watched the match from the front row.
They went to break and came back with a commercial for a movie. Morgan bashed Jax’s head repeatedly against the ring post but Jax came back with a Samoan Drop for two. Jax climbed to the middle rope and set up for Annihilator but Morgan used Jax’s arm to yank her against the top turnbuckle. Morgan followed with a powerbomb for two.
Naomi entered through the crowd to attack Stratton before Jax knocked Naomi off the apron. Morgan used the distraction to hit a Codebreaker and Oblivion for the pinfall win.
********
Kelley asked Booker about the draft again and he congratulated Dragunov on getting selected. He mentioned Trick Williams and Roxanne Perez as potential future picks. Kelley approached Pearce and asked about his feelings so far. Pearce was just happy Smackdown took Chelsea Green.
********
Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley entered to make the next round of picks. They brought out a table and did their catchphrase.
WWE Draft Round 5
Pick 1: Raw selects Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods
Pick 2: Smackdown selects Pretty Deadly
Pick 3: Raw selects Lyra Valkyria
Pick 4: Smackdown selects Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell
They showed an emotional Valkyria reacting live as the NXT roster gave her a big ovation.
********
Miz rapping alongside Truth during their entrance is real embarrassing.
R-Truth & The Miz defeated Akira Tozawa & Otis to retain the World Tag Team Championships (2:00 of TV time)
Alpha Academy did not get an entrance and this match started during a break. Miz booted Tozawa off the apron and Tozawa took a huge flip bump onto the mats. Otis dropped Miz and hit a Caterpillar elbow drop. Tozawa went for a big diving senton but Miz got his knees up. Miz and Truth gave Tozawa their double-team finisher for the pinfall win.
These belts are pointless on Truth and Miz.
********
Dom was annoyed that Judgment Day fell to the fourth round. Priest said they shouldn’t be surprised. Priest told them to stick to the plan and get it done tonight in their match. (McDonagh had a huge make-up bruise on the forehead as a result of Paul’s loaded punch.)
********
Pearce and Nick Aldis announced the final round of picks.
WWE Draft Round 6
Pick 1: Raw selects The Final Testament (Karrion Kross, Scarlett, AOP & Paul Ellering)
Pick 2: Smackdown selects Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa
Pick 3: Raw selects Bronson Reed
Pick 4: Smackdown selects Blair Davenport
Davenport looked completely shocked and the NXT roster gave her an ovation.
Davenport’s scouting report mentioned, “gothic charisma meets cold-hearted fury.” McAfee seemed baffled by “gothic charisma” and Cole quickly moved on.
********
Six-man tag match: Jey Uso, Ricochet & Andrade defeated Finn Bálor, JD McDonagh & World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest (w/Dominik Mysterio) (10:39)
They went to break 90 seconds into the match after the good guys hit dives. The heels were in control anyway after the break (with no explanation). Priest worked over Ricochet before kicking Jey off the apron. Andrade tried to get in which distracted the referee long enough for McDonagh and Bálor to get some shots in on Ricochet.
Ricochet gave McDonagh a Recoil and made the hot tag to Jey who knocked Priest off the apron before hitting Bálor with right hands, a thrust kick, an uppercut and enziguri. Jey hit Bálor with a flying crossbody but McDonagh broke up the cover. Andrade hit McDonagh with a back elbow before Priest kicked Andrade and planted Ricochet with a flatliner.
Priest tagged himself in and clotheslined Jey. Jey slipped out of a Razor’s Edge attempt and hit a Samoan Drop.
Dom distracted the ref as Jey went to the top rope. Priest was going to chokeslam Jey off the top but McDonagh stepped in and shoved Jey off the top instead. Priest was annoyed at McDonagh for getting involved. As Priest and McDonagh argued, Jey superkicked Priest into Bálor. Jey superkicked Priest again and superkicked McDonagh too.
They claimed Bálor tagged in at some point but I think Priest just knocked him off the apron. Anyway, Jey gave Bálor a spear and splash for the pinfall win. Jey posed with Andrade and Ricochet.
The crowd seemed relatively quiet for this match.
— Jey and Priest faced off as the show ended.
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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter
The new issue of the Observer is loaded with news:
This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter
With Bryan Alvarez out being a good dad, myself and “Filthy Tom” Lawlor team up today on Wrestling Observer Live to let you know about all of the news taking place.
We take a look at tonight’s WWE Raw and get you updated on what’s taken place so far in the WWE Draft, AEW injuries, plus, we need to talk about Conor, bare fisticuffs, and so much more.
A fun show as always, so check it out~!
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Of the wrestlers eligible to be selected last night, Bianca Belair went first overall in the 2024 WWE Draft.
The draft began with SmackDown and Raw each making eight selections on last night’s SmackDown episode. Belair (SmackDown) and Jey Uso (Raw) were the first picks for each brand. Carmelo Hayes also went to SmackDown and Seth Rollins went to Raw in the first round.
It didn’t take long for former NXT Champion Hayes to make his in-ring debut as a SmackDown wrestler. He confronted Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes and then faced Rhodes in last night’s main event. Hayes lost the non-title match but earned Rhodes’ respect in the process.
SmackDown also added Randy Orton, Nia Jax, LA Knight, The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga & Paul Heyman), AJ Styles, and Andrade to its roster.
Raw selected Bron Breakker, Liv Morgan, Ricochet, Sheamus, Alpha Academy (Chad Gable, Otis, Akira Tozawa & Maxxine Dupri), and NXT’s Kiana James.
After the show went off the air, there were some additional draft picks announced on social media. Baron Corbin, The O.C. (Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson & Michin), and Cedric Alexander & Ashante “Thee” Adonis were selected by SmackDown. Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn, Ivar, Shayna Baszler, and Zoey Stark have been drafted to Raw.
The final night of the draft takes place on Raw this Monday. The list of wrestlers eligible to be picked can be seen here.
More coverage from last night —
WWE SmackDown video highlights —
Paul Heyman says Roman Reigns has “voluntarily withdrawn” from the WWE Draft
JUST ANNOUNCED BY @HeymanHustle: @WWERomanReigns has voluntarily withdrawn himself from the 2024 #WWEDraft… 😳#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/ZuL8du6CWQ
— WWE (@WWE) April 27, 2024
Cody Rhodes-AJ Styles contract signing
Every pick from night one of the 2024 WWE Draft
Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee vs. Angel & Humberto
Santos Escobar reveals that Carlito was Dragon Lee’s attacker
Bron Breakker vs. Cedric Alexander
Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill are challenging for Women’s Tag Team titles at Backlash
Randy Orton helps Kevin Owens even the odds against The Bloodline
Number one contender’s match: Naomi vs. Tiffany Stratton
Cody Rhodes vs. Carmelo Hayes
SmackDown fallout: Ava reveals Baron Corbin has been drafted to SmackDown
SmackDown fallout: SmackDown has always felt like home to Bianca Belair
SmackDown fallout: Nia Jax thinks she sent a clear message with her attack
SmackDown fallout: Trick Williams reacts to Carmelo Hayes being drafted
The 2024 WWE Draft begins with four rounds taking place on tonight’s SmackDown from Cincinnati, Ohio.
There will be 16 picks made on tonight’s show (eight for SmackDown and eight for Raw). Tonight, SmackDown has the first overall selection. Raw will then pick first when the draft concludes on Monday.
As was announced this week, WWE’s champions are not eligible to be drafted. They will remain on their current brand. The only champions who can be selected are WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Asuka & Kairi Sane, who will appear on both brands until they lose their titles.
The roster is divided into two draft pools with different wrestlers eligible to be selected each night. Wrestlers from NXT are also eligible to be selected.
It was announced at the start of SmackDown that Roman Reigns has “voluntarily withdrawn” from the draft. Paul Heyman said Reigns won’t be returning in the immediate future.
Here’s the full list of night one picks and the updated rosters for both SmackDown and Raw:
Round one —
Round two —
Round three —
Round four —
Announced on social media —
**********
Updated SmackDown roster —
Updated Raw roster —
The rosters officially lock on Monday, May 6 (two days after WWE Backlash).
Update —
Baron Corbin, who has been in NXT, is also now back on the main roster. He’s been drafted to SmackDown. That’s the opposite brand of his NXT tag team partner Bron Breakker, who was drafted to Raw.
**********
Night one of the 2024 WWE Draft saw two wrestlers from NXT join the main roster.
Carmelo Hayes was drafted to SmackDown, while Kiana James went to Raw. Hayes was taken with the third overall pick in the first round. James was the last pick of the fourth round.
After being drafted, Hayes faced Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes in the main event of SmackDown. Rhodes won the non-title match with Cross Rhodes. The story was that, even though he lost, Hayes earned Rhodes’ respect in the process.
After a performance like that against the Undisputed WWE Champion @CodyRhodes, @Carmelo_WWE has shown the entire #SmackDown roster that he is HIM. #WWEDraft pic.twitter.com/7FXf6dkQFc
— Triple H (@TripleH) April 27, 2024
Hayes had one reign as NXT Champion and two reigns as NXT North American Champion during his time with the brand.
Shawn Michaels, who runs NXT, tweeted about Hayes joining SmackDown:
@Carmelo_WWE is a champion in every sense of the word who helped lay the foundation of everything this new era of #WWENXT has become.
#SmackDown just picked up a game changer, and I couldn’t be more proud. #WWEDraft
An interview with James from the WWE Performance Center aired after she was drafted. Michaels appeared and congratulated her on being called up to Raw.
Every time she steps between those ropes, @kianajames_wwe gets better and better.
She knows how good she is, and now she gets to show how good she is every Monday Night. #WWERaw #WWEDraft pic.twitter.com/5D2au4BDiI
— Shawn Michaels (@ShawnMichaels) April 27, 2024
James has played a heel businesswoman character in NXT.
The WWE Draft concludes with night two taking place on Raw this coming Monday. NXT wrestlers are also eligible to be selected that night. It’s expected that former NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov will be among those drafted.
Roman Reigns will not be returning to WWE action “in the immediate future.”
Via his manager Paul Heyman, Reigns announced on Friday’s WWE SmackDown episode that he has withdrawn his eligibility for the 2024 WWE Draft, and will not be returning to the ring any time soon.
Heyman made the announcement on Reigns’ behalf in a backstage interview with Kayla Braxton at the top of SmackDown, framing it as Reigns stepping aside so as not to “hog the spotlight” of the first round of the draft given that Reigns has no immediate plans to return to action.
Reigns’ three-plus year reign as Universal Champion ended at night two of WrestleMania 40 earlier this month when he dropped the Undisputed WWE Championship to Cody Rhodes. He has yet to appear on WWE programming since his loss.
A Bloodline civil war storyline has unfolded in Reigns’ absence, with Solo Sikoa seizing control of the group, kicking Jimmy Uso out of The Bloodline, and the addition of Tama Tonga to the faction.
Our ongoing coverage of night one of the WWE Draft is here.
An updated list of WWE Draft choices is here.
The 2024 WWE Draft kicks off on tonight’s SmackDown at Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Both brands will draft twice per round for a total of 16 picks between SmackDown and Raw.
NXT wrestlers will be eligible while WWE’s champions (except for the Women’s Tag Team Champions) cannot be drafted and will remain on their respective brands. The second night of the event is slated for Monday on Raw.
Plus, Cody Rhodes and AJ Styles will sign the contract for their Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match that’s taking place at Backlash. Styles defeated LA Knight last week to earn the shot at Rhodes.
The LWO’s Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee vs. Legado del Fantasma’s Angel & Humberto is also set. It’s Lee’s first televised match since suffering a backstage attack the night before WrestleMania 40.
We are also slated to find out what’s next for Solo Sikoa & Tama Tonga after they attacked Kevin Owens on last week’s episode.
Our live coverage starts at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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– The show began with video of Cody signing weight belts backstage. Shots of AJ Styles walking outside the building followed that. Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair walking backstage was shown. From there, the show went to the arena, where a draft podium was set up. Corey Graves then went over the draft rules.
– Kayla Braxton was backstage with Paul Heyman, who said Roman Reigns has withdrawn from eligibility from the 2024 draft. Heyman said it’s not a negative; it’s a positive. Heyman then ran down all of Reigns’s accomplishments and asked why he would hog the No. 1 draft pick spotlight when he won’t be returning in the immediate future. Heyman said the pressure is now on Nick Aldis and Heyman is intrigued.
– From there, the show went to Jackie Redmond, who was in Orlando at the WWE Performance Center. The crowd in Orlando was loud as NXT wrestlers sat in chairs. Redmond asked “Who’s next?” and threw it back to SmackDown. Corey Graves was in the ring.
The Cody Rhodes/AJ Styles contract signing
This was refreshing. No fighting. No nonsense. The trash talk was a little weak, but at least it didn’t follow the tired pro wrestling contract signing formula. It didn’t heat up the match, but it didn’t damage it, either. The Cody/Carmelo match set for later in the show was a fun surprise and it should be a good way to showcase Hayes to an audience that might not know him all that well. This was a solid first half-hour of SmackDown, and that’s not always promised.
Cody and AJ sat at different tables. In the middle was a mantle with the Undisputed WWE Championship. The crowd was hot. Styles stood up and said before he signs the contract, he wanted to point out that two Georgia boys will be mixing it up for the first time for the biggest prize in the game. Styles talked about how he got his composure back after WrestleMania and he earned the right to face Cody. Styles then said he respects Cody because they’ve been down the same roads and they had to prove themselves outside WWE. The crowd gave Styles the “What?” treatment.
Styles mentioned Dusty Rhodes and the crowd broke into a “Dusty!” chant. Styles said he learned a lot from Dusty and that Dusty was a good man. Styles said Dusty taught him how to carry himself and how to carry the weight of being a champion. Styles said the weight of the title isn’t just leather and gold and at Backlash, he wants to see if Cody can carry it. Styles then signed the contract. Graves picked up the contract and placed it in front of Cody at Cody’s table.
Cody started by saying, “Cincinnati, what do we want to talk about?” Cody noted how he said Styles is the modern day excellence of execution. Cody said all their respect goes by the wayside at Backlash. Cody said Styles implied that Cody couldn’t carry the weight of the championship. Cody said it isn’t about winning the title; it’s about keeping it. Cody said he respects Styles’s familiarity with his last name, but at Backlash, it will be a level playing field and it won’t be a dream match for Cody. Rather, Cody said it will be a must-win. The crowd chanted “Cody!” and Cody stuck out his hand to shake.
Styles said it was a beautiful thing to see Cody finish his story and win the title, but it will be a shame that Cody’s title reign will end at Backlash. Styles then shook Cody’s hand and Styles left the ring. Cody picked up his title and raised it as his music played. Cody left the ring to end the segment. As Cody walked up the walkway, Triple H’s music hit and Triple H walked out.
Round 1 of the 2024 draft
– Triple H welcomed everyone into the first round of the 2024 draft. Hunter was flanked by Cody at the podium. Hunter talked about the GMs for Raw and SmackDown and said Cody will be staying on SmackDown. From there, Cody announced the first SmackDown pick, which was Bianca Belair.
– Triple H announced that the second pick of the draft, which went to Raw, was Main Event Jey Uso. The crowd chanted “Yeet!”
– Cody announced the third pick of the draft, which went to SmackDown, was Carmelo Hayes.
– Triple H announced the fourth pick of the draft, which went to Raw, was Seth “Freakin” Rollins.
– Carmelo Hayes made his entrance with a microphone. Hayes said when they talk about who’s next up and who’s the hottest out, they call him Carmelo Hayes. “Whoop that trick” chants broke out. Hayes spoke to Cody and said when Hayes shoots, he doesn’t miss and as a first-round draft pick, he couldn’t think of a better way to shoot his shot than to shoot it against Cody. Hayes set his microphone down. Cody picked the microphone up and played with the crowd about the possibility of him wrestling tonight. Cody accepted the challenge for later in the show.
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LWO (Dragon Lee & Rey Mysterio) defeated Legado Del Fantasma (Humberto & Angel) [5:25]
A five-minute match with a two-minute commercial break in the middle of it. Perhaps those first couple segments ran a bit longer than anticipated. Either way, this was just a vehicle to close the loop on the Dragon Lee attack from a few weeks ago, but with the draft happening this weekend, I see this as being little more than a way to set up Dragon Lee vs. Carlito at Backlash. I could be wrong. That happens a lot. Anyway, the match was fine enough while it lasted for what we saw. As I said last week about these performers, here’s hoping the draft gives everyone involved here something else to do coming out of it.
Humberto and Dragon Lee started the match. Lee had control early and landed a suicide dive on Humberto, who was on the outside. Back in the ring, Lee hit a cross-body and worked a head-lock. Lee was running the ropes and Angel held the top rope, spilling Lee to the outside. The show then went to a commercial break. Back from break, Lee got a hot tag to Mysterio. Angel tagged in as well. Mysterio hit a sitting Senton and Code Red for a two count. Angel lifted Mysterio, but Mysterio countered into a 619. Lee then tagged in to hit Project Dragon for the win.
After the match, Santos Escobar walked out and said he didn’t lie when he said he didn’t attack Dragon Lee before WrestleMania. Escobar cued up tape as to whom attacked Lee. The footage revealed it was Carlito who attacked Lee. In the ring, Carlito attacked Dragon Lee again and ran out of the ring, through the crowd, looking weirdly unsure of himself.
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Bron Breakker defeated Cedric Alexander [0:16]
Bron ran at Alexander and Alexander countered briefly because Alexander went for a back springboard move and Breakker caught him with a spear for the win.
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– A video chronicling last week’s Bayley/Naomi/Tiffany Stratton developments aired.
– Nick Aldis was shown walking out of his office and he was stopped by Stratton, who asked for a title match. Aldis said that tonight, Stratton will face Naomi again and the winner will face Bayley at Backlash for the WWE Women’s Championship. Stratton asked whose idea that was and Bayley walked into the frame, saying it was her idea. Stratton then invited Bayley to sit at ringside during the match later.
– Michelle McCool and Torrie Wilson were shown coming out of separate rooms, walking to the ring to make the next draft announcements with Wilson representing Raw and McCool representing SmackDown.
Round 2 of the 2024 draft
– Michelle McCool announced that the fifth pick of the draft, which went to SmackDown, was Randy Orton.
– Torrie Wilson announced that the sixth pick of the draft, which went to Raw, was Bron Breakker.
– McCool announced that the seventh pick of the draft, which went to SmackDown, was Nia Jax.
– Wilson announced that the eighth pick of the draft, which went to Raw, was Liv Morgan.
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– A video recapping the Bloodline attack on Kevin Owens last week aired.
– Heyman was shown backstage waiting and a car pulled up. Heyman opened the door and Solo Sikoa exited the vehicle. Sikoa asked Heyman if the Bloodline got drafted yet and Heyman said no. Sikoa asked for all the details. Heyman said Reigns withdrew from the draft and nobody knows what they’re getting if they draft the Bloodline now. Tama Tonga appeared from the other side of the car. Sikoa told Heyman to repeat what he said. Kevin Owens ran in out of nowhere and attacked Tonga. Officials instantly rushed in to break things up.
– Kayla Braxton was standing in the entrance way to the ring and brought out Bianca Belair. Braxton asked Belair about the tag match at Backlash between Belair/Cargill and the Kabuki Warriors. Belair said she’s had a lot of history with Damage CTRL and Jade Cargill is the perfect person to help her deal with Damage CTRL. Belair said the Kabuki Warriors won’t have a reason to show up to SmackDown after they win the women’s tag team titles at Backlash. Asuka and Kairi Sane made their entrance and held up their titles. Cargill’s music then hit and Cargill walked out to stand next to Belair. The teams jawed at each other.
In the background, Owens and Tonga brawled out of the entrance way and into the ring. Owens was pummeling Tonga but Sikoa ran out and attacked Owens to give the Bloodline the upper hand. Tonga beat up random security people. Randy Orton’s music hit and Orton walked out to save the day. Orton went for an RKO on Sikoa but Sikoa got out of it. Orton and Owens stood together in the ring and Owens hugged Orton.
– Bubba Ray Dudley was shown coming out of the SmackDown draft room, walking to the ring. D-Von was shown coming out of the Raw draft room, walking to the ring.
Round 3 of the 2024 draft
– Bubba announced that the ninth pick of the draft, which went to SmackDown, was LA Knight.
– D-Von announced that the tenth pick of the draft, which went to Raw, was Ricochet.
– Bubba announced that the eleventh pick of the draft, which went to SmackDown, was Solo Sikoa, MFT Tama Tonga and Paul Heyman, AKA, The Bloodline.
– D-Von announced that the twelfth pick of the draft, which went to Raw, was Sheamus.
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Naomi defeated Tiffany Stratton via DQ [6:22]
The finish was trash. I really thought we were destined to get Stratton vs. Bayley locked up for Backlash, but maybe a tag match is in the works for the PLE. Either way, it’s a good way to reintroduce Jax to the SmackDown audience and she looked as dominant as ever, which is a good thing. I’m just not a fan of these lazy finishes that does nothing for any of the wrestlers who actually compete in the actual match. Still, the women worked hard and the match, short as it was, was better than expected and probably the best these two looked together in the ring.
Bayley was on commentary for the match. Naomi hit a Thez Press to begin the match. Naomi sent Stratton to the ropes and Stratton stopped herself, going to the outside. Naomi landed a dropkick to the outside and rolled Stratton back into the ring. Naomi went to the top, but Stratton moved and draped Naomi over the second rope, hitting a hip attack. Naomi came right back and landed a modified piledriver and a split takedown on the floor. The show then went to a commercial break.
Back from the break, Stratton had control until Naomi hit a back kick and drove Stratton’s head into the mat for a two count. Before long, the two landed the same move on each other, slamming each other down. Naomi came out of it with the upper hand and hit an enziguri. Out of nowhere, Nia Jax showed up and attacked Bayley at ringside. Naomi went to help and Jax attacked Naomi, giving Naomi the DQ win.
After the match ended, Stratton set Naomi and Bayley up, went to the top and for the second week hit the Prettiest Moonsault Ever on Naomi and Bayley. Stratton posed to end the segment.
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– Byron Saxton interviewed the Street Profits and B-Fab backstage. Next week, the Profits will challenge A-Town Down Under for the tag team titles. B-Fab said they are going to take the heels down and Austin Theory and Grayson Waller appeared, talking trash. Bobby Lashley showed up and scared Theory and Waller off.
– Teddy Long was shown coming out of the SmackDown draft room, walking to the ring. JBL was shown coming out of the Raw draft room, walking to the ring.
– Karrion Kross was shown backstage and Kross dragged the camera man to show the Final Testament beating up Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne.
Round 4 of the 2024 draft
– Long announced that the thirteenth pick of the draft, which went to SmackDown, was AJ Styles.
– JBL announced that the fourteenth pick of the draft, which went to Raw, was Chad Gable, Otis, Tozawa and Maxxine Dupri, AKA Alpha Academy.
– Long announced that the fifteenth pick of the draft, which went to SmackDown, was Andrade.
– JBL announced that the sixteenth pick of the draft, which went to Raw, was Kiana James.
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– A video package on Kiana James aired. Jackie Redmond interviewed James in Orlando. James said being drafted meant the world to her, but she’s ready to show Raw why James is the One Percent. Shawn Michaels appeared and whispered things into James’s ear. Michaels and James hugged.
– A package recapping Trick Williams winning the NXT Championship on Tuesday aired.
– Braxton interviewed Nick Aldis backstage. Aldis said he felt good about his draft selections. Aldis then announced that Bayley vs. Naomi vs. Stratton for the WWE Women’s Championship will take place at Backlash. Teddy Long then announced that Owens and Orton will take on Sikoa and Tonga at Backlash as well.
– Next week’s SmackDown will feature Cody and AJ going face to face. New Catch Republic will take on AOP. The Street Profits vs. A-Town Down Under for the WWE Tag Team Championship will also go down. Finally, The RKO Show will commence for the first time ever.
Cody Rhodes defeated Carmelo Hayes [8:41]
Good for Hayes, holding his own after being thrown into the fire on his first SmackDown as an official member of the roster. There wasn’t any mystery when it came to the outcome, but that didn’t mean both guys dropped the ball on their performances. It’s clear WWE is high on Hayes – and rightfully so – and as such, I’m curious to see how his main roster will begin in earnest after this loss. A fine TV main event, if nothing else.
The two locked up to begin things as the crowd chanted “Cody!” Cody landed the dropdown punch early and Hayes came back with a springboard takedown. Cody responded with a clothesline The show then went to its final commercial break. The show returned and Cody had control until Hayes stopped Cody with a chop. The two eventually traded a bunch of chops and Cody back-dropped Hayes, but Hayes came back with a Facebuster and a springboard fadeaway DDT for a two-count.
Before long, Cody hit a Disaster Kick for a two-count. The two, on their knees, traded blows until Cody lifted Hayes and hit a running powerslam for another two-count. Cody landed a Cody Cutter after that for a nice near-fall. Out of nowhere, Hayes landed the First 48 before heading to the top rope. Cody moved and hit a super-lkick. The two attempted springboard moves, but both missed. Cody sold shoulder pain as a result of the missed move, but hit CrossRhodes for the win.
Cody was posing after the win and AJ Styles showed up in the ring out of nowhere. Cody and AJ engaged in a stare down and shook hands to close the show.
