Smackdown Review – 01.02.26

Let’s do some catching up on all things WWE (and related): Raw | NXT | Impact

Smackdown returns to three hours tonight as it comes to the CW and Netflix LIVE from the Key Bank Center in snowy Buffalo, NY. The announcing team for tonight will be Michael Cole and Corey Graves on match calls and analysis, Mark Nash on ring introductions, and Cathy Kelley on backstage interviews and breaking news segments. Let’s watch some wrestling!

Then, Now, Forever….TOGETHER

Here’s a video package on, as Cole calls it, the “Cody Rhodes-Drew McIntyre affair”. Well, Drew is a sexy Scot, so…anyway. McIntyre proposed a Three Stages of Hell match and told Cody after he sends him to hell he should say hi to his Dad for Drew. NOW THAT’S GOOD INSULTIN’. WWE Men’s Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes has arrived, as have Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss. Rhea Ripley and IYO Sky have also decided to show up in Buffalo, and here are Nia Jax and Lash Legend looking stylish as always. WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions The Kabuki Warriors have graced us with their presence and here’s Damien Priest striding in confidently. Aleister Black and Zelina have also shown up for work prior to the big AMBULANCE MATCH that presumably will close the show. Cole informs us that this is the first of that match type to ever happen on Smackdown.

Here’s a very grumpy The Miz to say we’re not moving on to 2026 until he airs his grievances. Miz mentions his wanting a match during the John Cena Retirement Tour and that he should have been the one to tap Cena out, but instead he’s stuck here in Buffalo. Miz also mentions offering his mentorship to younger superstars who should have been grateful to receive it, but his generosity was met with disdain. Miz mentions being passed over for “Marty Supreme” and says it’s not over, Chalamet! Miz also mentions “He who shall not be named” and how he ruined the last Smackdown of 2025 by bringing back a certain testicles-related nickname. Miz says he’s the new face of WWE because he wins championships unlike the city of Buffalo (Um, you didn’t win a singles match on television in the entire year of 2025, but go off, my dude.)

“Voices” hits and here’s Randall Orton wearing a Buffalo Sabres t-shirt to a sizeable pop. Orton has a quick off-mic chat with Miz before hitting his corner pose, and Miz gives him a quick clap of appreciation and a big grin. Miz hypes up the crowd to give Orton a bigger reception and the “R-K-O” chant breaks out. Miz now says that he AND Orton are the faces of WWE and proposes “Miz-KO” . This prompts Orton to immediately hit an RKO on Miz, followed by a second one because the crowd wanted it again.

The Kabukis are backstage and here’s Nia Jax and Lash Legend to join them. Jax says when they help the Kabukis win tonight they can retain against Rhea and IYO and then they’ll owe Jax and Legend. Asuka guffaws at that suggestion and leaves. Sane says they won’t be ready for Asuka, who bellows Sane’s name to get her to leave.

Rhea Ripley and IYO Sky make their entrance make their entrance as we go to commercials.

Randy Orton runs into Cody Rhodes backstage, and they dap it up. Orton says he’s glad he ran into Rhodes because after Rhodes beats Drew McIntyre next week in Berlin, Orton is coming for the title. Here’s Smackdown GM Nick Aldis to remind Rhodes that he cannot touch Drew McIntyre tonight despite knowing that McIntyre will try to provoke him during the verbals that will be happening around Three Stages of Hell.

Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, Rhea Ripley, and IYO Sky vs Nia Jax, Lash Legend, and WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane)

A Pier Six breaks out at the opening bell, and Ripley is left for the faces as Asuka smashes her with kicks. Ripley eats a back kick but responds with a roundhouse. Ripley dumps a charging Sane as Bliss gets a tag. Bliss hits her rolling tackle on the Kabukis and we go to another set of commercials.

Bliss and Legend are legal when the show returns, but Jax has apparently just launched Sky off the apron to the floor. Bliss dumps a charging Legend and then hits a tornado DDT on a lumbering Jax. Bliss tags in Flair who ascends to hit a big cross-body that wipes out Legend and Jax. Flair wallops them both with chops and then crushes Legend with a clothesline off a cartwheel. Flair ascends again and hits a moonsault on Jax that gets a two count. Flair wallops Asuka off the apron and then hits Legend with a kick. Flair wanted a roll-up but Jax catches Flair and waffles her with a legdrop. Asuka tags in and Flair gets a quick roll-up for two before slapping on the Figure Eight. Sane gets a tag and hits the Insane Elbow on Flair. Bliss charges in and gets dumped by Sane. Flair crawls over and tags in Sky who hits a double stomp on Asuka before snapping Sane’s arm over the top rope. Sky ascends and hits a missile dropkick on Sane and Asuka. Jax charges over and pulls Ripley off the apron as Asuka crushes Sky with a kick. Legend gets a blind tag and wallops Sky with a pump kick that gets a long two as we go to commercials.

Sky and Asuka are battling it out when the show returns. Asuka and Sane hit a double team neckbreaker on Sky, but she recovers to dump Asuka on her face before tagging in Ripley. Ripley runs wild on the Kabukis and wants Riptide on Sane but Asuka distracts the ref so that Jax can wipe out Ripley with a lariat. Flair charges in and boots Jax down as we’ve reached the “everyone charges in and hits something before being wiped out by the next person” stage of the match. It ends with Ripley catching Sane off an Insane Elbow attempt to deliver a bunch of headbutts and Riptde to Sane. Sky tags in and smashes Sane with a moonsault before covering and getting three.

We’re going to be getting longer matches with the three hour format but an eight-person tag getting that distinction doesn’t bother me as much as some other matches getting it inevitably will. This was fine for what it was in terms of setting up Monday night’s big title showdown, but the result tells me that the Kabukis will probably retain in that match. Sky was the MVP here as usual, and Ripley’s work mostly came in the third segment. Flair and Bliss were just kind of there, as were Legend and Jax. 2.75*

Winners – Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, Rhea Ripley, and IYO Sky (Sky moonsault on Sane)

Here’s Nick Aldis with Jordynne Grace as Aldis mentions wanting her for Smackdown in 2026. Grace starts to respond and here’s WWE Women’s US Champion Chelsea Green with Alba Fyre to complain about the Buffalo weather. Aldis introduces Grace to Green and Green says she knows who Grace is. Grace says her decision will be easy and leaves as Green mentions being “mentally unwell” over the ending of Stranger Things. Aldis: “I agree with that”. Green says her New Year’s resolution is to remain the US champion for the whole year, while Aldis says she should be more of a fighting champion while threatening to “impeach” Green and strip her of the title. Green and Fyre leave in a huff.

Kit Wilson has new entrance music and graphics, and he makes his entrance as we go to commercials.

Several members of The Buffalo Bills are in the crowd and Cole begs them to beat the Jets this weekend so they can get a higher draft pick. I bet you get your wish, Cole.

Wilson says he’s in the home of the most toxic sports fans in all of America and mentions the Bills Mafia. In an interesting twist, “Woo Woo Woo” hits but it’s Matt Cardona and not Zack Ryder who emerges to new music and graphics. We spent some money this week, didn’t we!

Matt Cardona vs Kit Wilson

This is not a match I would have expected to recap in 2026 but here we are. Wilson hits a flying elbow and puts the boots to Cardona directly after the bell. Wilson hits a drop kick as Cole mentions that Cardona is an official member of the roster now. (I’m legit happy for Cardona over this as he once again gets to work with his spouse and gets back to where he clearly wanted to be for so long. If they can keep Truth around, they can have a spot for Cardona to bump around and take pins when necessary. Good for you, dude.) Cardona recovers to smash Wilson in a corner with a big forearm. Cardona hits a facebreaker and then sends Wilson to the floor with a lariat. Cardona hits a sliding drop kick and then runs Wilson back in. Cardona goes back to clubbering away in a corner but Wilson slips out and dumps Cardona with a kick. Wilson drops some elbows and covers for two. Wilson yanks Cardona up and fires some rights at his head. Wilson mounts Cardona and yells at him, so Cardona responds with a missile drop kick. Cardona hits an elbow and a clothesline before walloping Wilson with a facebuster. Cardona hits a running boot and a double-underhook powerbomb before covering Wilson for two. Wilson goes to the eyes and then hits something called The Tourniquet that gets two as Cole keeps calling Cardona “Zack”. Wilson meets Cardona’s knees off a charge, and then Cardona smashes Wilson with the Ruff Ryder before covering and getting three.

Was it a thing of beauty? No. Did Cardona appear to have a slight case of nerves? Yeah, a little bit. Did Cole treat the whole thing like a joke and call him Zack like three or four times? Of course he did. Anyway, this was fine for what it was and Wilson actually looked good for just bumping around like he did. Cardona will be a good low-to-mid card hand who will always get the nostalgia pop, but hopefully they’ll give him something interesting to do moving forward. 2.5*

Winner – Matt Cardona (Ruff Ryder)

Here’s Cathy Kelley with Damien Priest and says that the rivalry between him and Black has consumed most of his 2025. Priest says it will end tonight after six months and says that Black is not his Creator. Priest says Black has awakened something inside of him and he will put Black in the ambulance after beating his ass all over the arena. We go to commercials.

Cole and Graves run down the HUGE Raw card coming this Monday night. Here’s The Wyatt Sicks to talk about family and how Solo Sikoa was exiled from his own Bloodline. Bo Dallas says Sikoa mocks what he doesn’t understand. Dallas says his family is filled with millions of Fireflies around the world who will always remember. Dallas says it’s time for them to chop down Sikoa’s family tree from the roots.

Sami Zayn makes his way to the ring for a chat. Zayn says it feels good to be back out in front of the crowd since the last time everyone saw him he was in the front row at SNME for John Cena’s last match. Zayn says Cena’s last match really hit him differently because he was with his son who didn’t understand the “Never Seen 17” and Zayn had to explain that Cena won the title 17 times. Zayn’s son asked him how many times he’s won that title, and Zayn had to say zero. Zayn didn’t have an answer as to why that is and runs down the list of guys he’s been in the ring with. Zayn says his son has pictures of Zayn with all the titles he has won but doesn’t understand why Zayn hasn’t brought home the big title. Zayn says he’s here now to become the world champion in 2026 and says he’s coming for it now.

Here’s Trick Williams to interrupt while looking resplendent in white. Trick enters the ring to a huge “Whoop that Trick” chant and says that he’s finally arrived. Williams introduces himself to Zayn and runs down his list of nicknames and says he’s the combination of Michael Jordan, Michael Jackson and Mike Tyson at the same time. Trick says he’s on Smackdown because it needs some flavor and pizazz. Zayn goes to interrupt and Trick says he’s not done talking. Trick says he’s a grown-ass man who can challenge for the title and says he’s there to be world champion. Trick says it’s not going to take him 20 years to get a shot and he’s not a guy who “almost gets the job done” like Zayn is. Zayn says Trick isn’t wrong about his look and potential but the problem with Trick is that he’s not been humbled. Zayn says Trick isn’t the first guy to try to cut the line and look down on Zayn, and Zayn has no problem teaching him a lesson and humbling him. Zayn throws down his mic and leaves while glaring back at Trick. (Trust me when I tell you that this match, or matches, will probably kick a lot of ass.)

Cole and Graves talk over the highlights of Carmelo Hayes winning the US title from Ilja Dragunov on last week’s Smackdown. Here’s WWE Men’s US Champion Carmelo Hayes running into Ilja Dragunov backstage and Dragunov mentions that the outcome wasn’t was he expected but there are worse things in life than losing to HIM. Dragunov says it won’t be the last time they fight and asks Hayes if he’s going to keep the Open Challenge going. Hayes confirms he will and Dragunov leaves. Hayes then runs into The Miz and thanks him for leaving him alone because he’s been better ever since. Miz gives Hayes the gas face as he leaves.

Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae make their entrance prior to Gargano’s US title match as we go to commercials.

Nick Aldis is having a chat with Rey Fenix when Trick Williams barges in to yell about Sami Zayn disrespecting him. Fenix says the “new guys” need to learn some respect and Trick tells him to keep his mouth shut when grown folks are talking. Aldis says Trick will make his debut against Fenix next week.

There’s a quick highlight of Johnny Gargano trashing Carmelo Hayes during last week’s Smackdown before Hayes makes his entrance.

WWE Men’s US Championship: Carmelo Hayes (C) vs Johnny Gargano

They go right at it before the bell and Hayes dumps Gargano to the floor. Gargano eats a Hayes dropkick and some chops, a big forearm, and a running leg drop. Hayes misses a charge and Gargano smashes him with a kick to the face. Gargano hits some chops of his own (Gargano is still in his t-shirt, someone alert Kevin Nash!) but Hayes drops him after a failed charge. Hayes stops his charge when Gargano pulls LeRae into the path. Gargano sneaks back in and starts pounding away on Hayes who bails to the floor. Gargano hits a springboard cross-body and we go to commercials.

Gargano hits a tornado DDT and covers Hayes for two when the show returns. Gargano puts the boots to Hayes who fires up with some slaps and chops. Hayes hits a springboard reverse lariat and twisting facebreaker before covering and getting two. Hayes hits a back elbow and then kicks Gargano in the back. Hayes hits a springboard reverse legdrop and then flies over the top to hit Gargano with a legdrop on the floor. Hayes hits a frog splash and covers for two. Cole calls this a “banger” as I cringe openly. Hayes ascends again and Gargano flies over to start smacking Hayes in the chest. Gargano ascends and Hayes slips behind and out before waffling Gargano with an enziguri. Gargano responds with a twisting cutter from the second rope and covers Hayes for two. We go to commercials.

They’re slugging it out when the show returns and Gargano smashes Hayes with a clothesline. Gargano runs into a Hayes superkick, and then Gargano returns the favor. Hayes hits a lifted cutter and covers Gargano for two. They slug it out again with Gargano on the apron. Hayes hits a cutter over the top rope and then smashes Gargano with a springboard facebreaker on the apron. Gargano hits a tornado DDT for two. Gargano hits a tope suicida but he runs into a Hayes knee when he tries a slingshot spear. Hayes ascends and LeRae jumps on the apron to distract. Gargano hits an Air Raid Crash and Hayes kicks out at two to Gargano’s utter shock. Gargano and Hayes exchange roll-ups and Hayes springs up to hit the First 48. Hayes ascends and hits Nothing But Net before covering and getting three.

Cole called it a banger and while I hate that term, this did pretty much kick a fair amount of ass. My biggest problem with it was the “you do a move then I’ll do a move then you do a move” sequence in the third act but that’s becoming much more of a thing these days instead of longer heat sequences. Like we went from the Air Raid Crash to the First 48/NBN sequence pretty rapidly and you’d think that maybe some selling should happen since the show is now THREE HOURS LONG but nope. Anyway, this was very good, not great, but enough to be MOTN thus far. 3.75*

Winner AND STILL WWE Men’s US Champion – Carmelo Hayes (Nothing But Net)

Backstage Tama Tonga was watching the match, and here’s Shinsuke Nakamura to chat with him in Japanese. Tonga responds and Nakamura leaves. Solo Sikoa enters and tells Tonga that next week will be four on four against the Wyatts before they take the tag titles from Gacy and Lumis. Sikoa wants to get the hell out of Buffalo and Tonga stares back at where Nakamura was standing. We go to commercials.

Aleister Black cuts a response promo to Damien Priest’s earlier ramblings. Black says the result tonight won’t change anything because the only thing that has changed is that after tonight Priest will never be the same.

Here’s Cathy Kelley with WWE Women’s Undisputed Champion Jade Cargill who admits she injured Michin at a house show on purpose. Jordynne Grace joins the scene and she mentions that she wants to see what her options are if she joins Smackdown. Cargill says this is her show and she’s That Bitch, so Grace introduces herself formally and says that Cargill definitely is “one of those”. Alrighty.

Here’s Cody Rhodes running into Sami Zayn backstage. Rhodes asks if Zayn has seen Drew McIntyre, and Zayn says no. Rhodes says he heard what Zayn said in the ring about wanting the title, and Zayn says he respects Rhodes and was the first guy in the ring when Rhodes won the title at Wrestlemania but Rhodes has to understand where he’s coming from in terms of the title. Nick Aldis steps in to cut off anything from escalating, and Rhodes says he’s heading to the ring to get his answers about Three Stages of Hell as we go to commercials.

Highlights are shown of the Philadelphia 76ers crowd YEETING to Jey Uso’s entrance theme. Joel Embiid was particularly enthusiastic. It’s nice to know he can be enthusiastic about something.

“Kingdom” hits as WWE Men’s Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes makes his entrance. At least with a three hour show everyone can get their whole-ass entrance, because certainly Randall Keith took forever with his. Cody takes off his suit jacket as the crowd gives him quite a pop. Cody says what separates him from others is his mentality when approaching anyone in a WWE ring. (There’s a Drew Sucks Eggs sign in the crowd and boy oh boy is that a deep cut.) Cody says when people see him they think about the main event, the money, the fans, and then comes the envy and Drew McIntyre reeks of it. Cody says he can’t wait for the fight that’s coming and he has an even bigger secret. Cody says that he plays dumb a lot because no one ever really asks him what he sees, and when he sees Drew McIntyre he sees lunch. Cody says no matter what you call yourself he calls himself the champ, and that’s not going to change in Berlin.

Here’s Drew McIntyre outside behind Cody’s bus to say that Cody is very predictable. McIntyre says the stages will be: #1 – A straight wrestling match. #2 – Falls Count Anywhere and #3 – Steel Cage. McIntyre says he’s broken Cody mentally and next week he’ll break Rhodes physically. McIntyre says he let himself into Cody’s bus and looked at everything there before pulling up a picture of young Cody with his father Dusty. McIntyre says Dusty is “looking up” right now and he hopes Dusty has a coat down there because it’s about to get real chilly. McIntyre smashes the picture and Cody storms to the back where he’s confronted by Aldis and a giant amount of referees. McIntyre meanwhile has snuck into the ring, and Cody storms back out with everyone trying to chase him down. McIntyre has the photo of Cody and Dusty and a Zippo. McIntyre lights the picture on fire as Cole says he’s going too far with this. Cody rushes the ring again as McIntyre tosses the burning photo into a trash can as the crowd calls him an asshole. There’s literally like 25 guys trying to hold Cody back as Aldis berates McIntyre from the side of the group. We go to commercials. (I swear, if they don’t put the belt on Drew after this, I have no idea what you do with him moving forward. He’s lost to literally every other top guy at this point.)

Cole and Graves run down the current card for next week’s big show in Berlin when the show returns.

WWE Women’s US Championship: Chelsea Green (C) vs Giulia

Green is seconded by Alba Fyre, and Giulia is seconded by Kiana James. Giulia flies out with a drop kick to start the match and then puts the boots to Green in a corner. Giulia snaps Green over by her hair a couple of times and then smashes Green with a running kick. Giulia goes to the floor to ram Green’s face into the announce table before sending Green back in. Giulia stops to bark at Fyre and gets smashed with a tope suicida by Green. We go to commercials.

Green fights her way out of a sleeper when the show returns, but Giulia just slaps it right back on. They slug it out a bit after Green escapes and Green hits a couple of clotheslines and an enziguri. Green hits a Meteora and then slaps Giulia down before covering for two. Green wants the Unpretty-her but Giulia hits a headbutt in response. Green hits the Ruff Ryder and covers for a LONG count but Kiana James has the ref distracted. Fyre flies over and dumps James to the apron, but Giulia snaps off a suplex and wants the Arrivederci knee. Green slips it and gets a roll up for two. Green ascends and Giulia fires up with a slap and a headbutt. Giulia hits a double underhook suplex from the top and then rolls through and hits a Northern Lights Bomb. Giulia covers and gets three!

Green got a long visual pin here to keep her heat, but this feels like kind of a reset because they didn’t know what else to do with Giulia. Green can move on to other goofy shenanigans I guess, and she still has the deal with Ethan Page and the AAA mixed tag titles, so she’ll be fine. With so many top women involved in the tag scene and everyone’s favorite punching bag Michin on the shelf, I don’t know where Giulia goes next in terms of contenders, but this is apparently the season of call-ups so we’ll see. This was punchy-kicky from the start and very physical, so I’m good with it, booking issues aside. 3.25*

Winner AND NEW WWE Women’s US Champion – Giulia (Northern Lights Bomb)

Cathy Kelley is backstage with Rhea Ripley and IYO Sky and asks about the result from the eight person tag. Ripley says it was fully worth it tonight and they will win the titles on Monday night. Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss wander in and Ripley mentions that the alliance is probably over. Bliss says that’s not what they’re here for and just simply wishes Ripley and IYO good luck. Flair disputes that and says yes, they are in fact next in line. Ripley says that’s fine, and they’ll see Bliss and Flair after they win.

Cole says the Ambulance Match main event is next and we get another quick highlights package of the never-ending Black-Priest feud. I swear, the people who’ve said these two should just team up like Cesaro and Sheamus once did after feuding forever are onto something, but there’s already a ton of useless tag teams on Smackdown and you’d probably have to move them to Raw to really have it mean something. We go to commercials.

Johnny Gargano is backstage with Candice LeRae when FrAxiom approach and tell Gargano to grow up and move on. Axiom wants his mask back and tells Axiom to take it from LeRae after handing it to her. Axiom says he’s going to get Aldis to make a match between them and he’ll take the mask back after he beats Gargano.

Ambulance Match: Aleister Black vs Damien Priest

This is No DQ, No Countouts, No Pinfalls or Submissions, and the only way to win is to put your opponent into the ambulance and close both doors. Black is seconded by Zelina as usual. Cole points out that their Last Man Standing match was in OCTOBER and they’ve just been yelling at each other since, or maybe had another match since then, who can remember since this has been going on FOREVER. I don’t even care at this point. Just end this and move these guys onto something else, for the love of Jebus. Also, there’s 24 minutes of run-time left in this show as I BEG THEM to move all of this along, but we’re getting at least two more commercial breaks.

Black attacks prior to the bell and Priest takes over quickly before dumping Black to the floor. Black hits a kick to the face as they fight up the aisle. Black rams Priest’s head into the ambulance door and then opens the doors as Priest staggers in the aisle. Priest drags out the gurney from the back of the ambulance and rams it into Black’s mid-section. Priest slams Black face-first into the gurney as we go to commercials.

They’re firing kicks at each other mid-ring when the show returns. Black drops a knee on Priest’s head and then works him over in a corner. They exchange kicks again and Black hits a big knee lift. Priest counters with a clothesline and we reset. Priest hits a running elbow that sends Black to the floor. Priest heads out and trucks Black onto the announce table and then to the floor. Priest tosses Black over the table again, and Black responds by smashing Priest into the ring post. Black grabs a chair and smashes Priest with it a few times. Black puts Priest’s face on the seat of the chair before kicking it out from under him. Black uses the chair again but Priest fires up with a chokeslam on the apron. They head back into the ring and Priest hits an enziguri. Priest launches Black with a top rope rana and then immediately walks into a Black Mass. We go to commercials.

Priest is on the gurney with his hand on Black’s throat when the show returns. Black hits an elbow and Priest responds with a knee. Black wallops Priest with a backboard and then runs him throat-first into the tron. Black orders Zelina to open the ambulance doors, and here’s Rhea Ripley inside the ambulance to chase Zelina into the ring. Ripley yanks Zelina into Riptide before grinning toothily back at Black. Black accepts what he’s seeing and yanks Priest up so he can boot him in the head a couple of times. Priest fires up with some rights and Black cuts it off with a kick. Black pulls Priest into the back part of the ambulance but he can only get one door shut before Priest fires back. Priest grabs a crutch and smashes Black with it a couple of times. Black runs Priest into the ambulance doors and wallops him with a knee, but Priest shakes it off and kicks Black down. Priest uses a fire extinguisher to send Black down and then Priest uses a fireball to Black’s face to call back to Last Man Standing. (They didn’t get the visual they were going for here as Priest’s hands were too close to Black’s face when the flash paper ignited.) Priest closes the ambulance doors and finds a giant table just backstage. Priest grabs Black and hoists him, but Black slips off and smashes Priest into the side door of the ambulance. Black gets rammed into the side of the ambulance and he responds by firing Priest into the barricade. Black pounds away with elbows and a giant roundhouse kick that drops Priest. Black grabs a rolling cart and cuts off a brief Priest flurry before ascending onto the barricade. Priest rises up quickly and hits a Razor’s Edge on Black into the ambulance windshield after kicking the cart away. Priest hoists Black up onto the top of the ambulance. Black tries to crawl away as Priest drops the straps. Priest yanks Black up and drops him with a chokeslam through the tables that he brought out prior. Priest descends and can’t open the doors, so he opens the side door. Priest drags Black to the side door but then is told the back doors can be opened. Priest sends Black in, shuts all the doors and we have a winner.

Priest was due a victory in this series and I sincerely hope this is it for these two. I guess we’ll see. This was a hell of a fight and they pulled out all the bells and whistles they could think of with the fireball, the gurney, the crutch, the fire extinguisher, and a top of the ambulance chokeslam through a table. 3.5*

Winner – Damien Priest

Cole wishes us a happy holiday weekend as the credits roll and we’re out.

I’m going to try to be nice here, I promise. There was a lot to like about this show. Cody and Drew did a very good job of setting up the stakes for next week although continuously going to the Dusty well is getting very old in general. The match work was all decent to very good. We got a Trick Williams debut, a probable Jordynne Grace debut, a title change, some very good promo work from the Wyatts and the MFT’s, and the full-time return of Matt Cardona. That’s all good. However, and you know what’s coming, THREE GODDAMN HOURS is too long for a television wrestling show in the year of our Lord 2026. I’m sorry, it just is and I’m grumpy about it. You’re now getting over 5000 words from me on this show and man, I’m not sure how long I have this in me. We’ll see. Thumbs mostly up but this runtime….just….ugh.

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