Hello, hello!
Rey Mysterio vs. Santos Escobar
At the start of the match, Rey is the one delivering heavy blows to Santos, attempting to disbalance him the best way he can after he challenged Escobar last week. Mysterio lands a little funny on his knee when trying to avoid Santos. He may have tweaked his injured limb…
We’re seeing a much more brutal version of Rey as he baseball slide kicks right into, what I believe, is Santos’ crutch. Ha! Escobar makes a comeback with a drop kick to Rey’s face.
Mysterio fights his opponent off by sending him all the way onto the main floor. Ha! Escobar crashed hard. Rey delivers a sliding splash, squashing Santos.
However, the tied turned when Escobar nearly broke Rey’s knee again like he did the first time. Mysterio is moving a little gingerly around the ring.
The Hall of Famer dodged an incoming spear as Santos hits the post. A beautiful Moonsault almost took Escobar out. Unfortunately, a sudden Super Kick from Santos stops Rey from enacting the 619.
Santos chooses to insult Rey and refers to him as an “old cowardly man”, which just upsets Rey to kick him in the side of his head multiple times before forcing a collision with the announcement desk. Let’s not forget that seat-out Senton into the timekeeper’s area.
Rey was doing a great job beating Santos up. That simply wasn’t good for others involved such as Dominik Mysterio, who comes out of nowhere wearing one of Rey’s masks and trips his father, distracting him from Santos’ winning Phantom Driver.
Winner: Santos Escobar
Backstage, while Naomi is seen stretching prior to her upcoming match against Iyo Sky, Bayley approaches her to thank her for trying to help last week.
This may be random, but Naomi’s flexibility is amazing to witness.
Anyway, although Naomi was willing to do the right thing when the time came, Bianca Belair finds that very opportunistic of Bayley. For the past two years, she was attacked by Damage Control, and she’s sure that Bayley meant all of it.
I reckon that Belair doesn’t want Naomi to get involved with Bayley, or she could suffer the same fate. Naomi deescalates the arguing by taking Bianca aside, leaving Bayley on her own.
Naomi reminds Bianca that she can’t do anything about the past, she can only move forward. She’s always on Belair’s side regardless. With that in mind, Naomi knows she can’t do this by herself, just like how Belair couldn’t either knowing that Damage Control is picking them off one by one, they need to stay focused.
I think she was able to slightly change Bianca’s perspective a little bit. Enough for her to be understanding.
Austin Theory & Grayson Waller vs. The O.C. – WrestleMania 40 Tag Team Championship Qualifying match
Because we’ve been focusing on AJ Styles so much so since he came back, I honestly forget about The O.C.’s Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. I’m glad they’re getting their chance right now to remind us, me, that they still exist.
Legado del Fantasma and the New Catch Republic will face each other next week to determine who’s going to WrestleMania joining Awesome Truth, Judgment Day, The New Day and DIY in a 6-Pack Ladder match for the Undisputed Tag Team Championships.
There’s only two spots left. Who will be going between The O.C. and A-Town Down Under plus The Street Profits and AoP?
Ding. Ding. Ding.
Austin looks to talk some smack to Luke Gallows, which was a mistake as Gallows delivers a striking uppercut to the jaw of Theory. The little idiot… Waller collides with a right hand as well.
Theory and Waller aren’t doing so good since the start of the match as if they’re doing all this nonsense for show. Theory gets planted through the ring, regrettably, Gallows couldn’t go for the cover due to his knee. That could have finished this match.
Michin delivers a deep arm drag to Grayson, who tried to sneak his way to Anderson on the apron. Ha! You thought… Luckily, the referee didn’t see that.
A spinning neck breaker by Anderson to Theory was ingenious. He nearly got Austin with a secondary neck breaker.
Waller comes to the aid of his partner, preventing The O.C. from initiating the Magic Killer. They knew they were losing, so as Theory rolls Gallows up, he uses the second rope as leverage as Grayson assists the winning cover.
Arg… Boooo!!
They’ll be facing the winner between The Street Profits and AoP later tonight.
Winners: Austin Theory & Grayson Waller
Earlier today, The Pat McAfee Show played host to the Tribal Chief as he talks about his Anoa’i-Fatu lineage and his confrontations with Cody Rhodes since August of 2020.
“I didn’t have to go to Hollywood. Hollywood came to me.” He said
Naomi vs. Iyo Sky
As we’re about to begin this fight, we don’t see Iyo Sky on stage with Naomi. Instead, she’s backstage beating up Bayley. When she’s done, she finally makes her way to the ring.
As soon as the bell rings, Naomi goes after Iyo in a huff. Clubbing blows to the head of the WWE Women’s Champion. Iyo turns things around with a Huricarana. Luckily, Naomi delivers a beautiful off-the-ropes kick. She continues her development with a running Bulldog.
Naomi connects with a crossbody that nearly takes Iyo’s head clean off. Ha! Also, those kicks left Sky in need of an exorcism. Ooh, the holy ghost… Naomi has a creative way of wrestling that that’s good reason to miss her. She’s amazing.
Iyo turns the tied by grabbing the bottom rope then follows that save with a drop kick from the sky. A Meteora in the corner leaves Naomi whipped, but she delivers a high kick that rocks Iyo a little.
Naomi nearly pinned Iyo after that brilliant superplex from the second rope. A double stomp to Naomi’s stomach stops her for the moment. Alas, Iyo unwittingly gave Naomi too much breathing room as she plants Sky’s head against the mat. She was setting the champ up nicely until Damage Control intervened.
A sneaky Moonsault from Iyo ends this match in her favor… If it stopped there, that wouldn’t be Damage Control’s motto, so they attack Naomi. She defense herself quite well until that poison mist from Asuka.
Bianca runs out to assist. She drops Dakota against the stairs and the rest of the unit inside the ring. Just as Belair has Kairi on her shoulders for the KOD, Kai takes out her knee, which allows Iyo to drop kick her.
Naomi is seen crawling over to Belair to shield her as the fans chant Bayley’s name. Alas, she doesn’t show up…
Winner: Iyo Sky
I know I’m not the only one who saw Paul Heyman spying on Cody Rhodes and Nick Aldis in the background… The little weasel.
In other news, Jade Cargill has confirmed her official signing with SmackDown and will be making her first appearance NEXT FRIDAY!!! Well done, Nick Aldis!
Also, to pay dividends to Windham Rotunda, his new documentary Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal will be streaming on Peacock April 1. “Reminding that the fireflies are forever.”
After suffering the burning of the poison mist, Bianca helps Naomi wash the effects of the assault. Tiffany Stratton, however, seems more pleased than concerned.
Elsewhere, Kevin Owens has a chat with Nick Aldis about his upcoming WrestleMania match, I believe, which involves Logan Paul, Randy Orton and the U.S. title. Annoyingly so, Pretty Deadly come shouting about a conspiracy against them.
This turns into an exchange of words between Owens and Pretty Deadly that naturally revolves into a Tag Team match next week. Elton Prince nearly has a heart attack when Randy appears next to him. Ha! Orton agrees to team up with Owens much to the dismay of Prince and Wilson.
Just to make matters worst, Kevin punches both boys at the same time like he did to Theory and Waller. Ha! Ha! Ha! I love how Nick simply walks over them one his way out.
Last night, a film crew who was meant to document AJ Styles’ home preparation for WrestleMania, Styles receives an unexpecting guest in LA Knight. Ha! The Megastar has gone crazy… Since Styles wouldn’t show up in the arena, LA Knight went to his home.
The cameras cut due to the brawling, but we were able to get footage from the local Police Department. The way the cop kept saying “Police! Stop fighting.” was hilarious because it felt like a joke. Ha! Ha! LA Knight was getting his ass arrested.
First Dominik, now LA Knight. Ha! Who’s next? And just as I said that, Styles nearly got arrested, too. LA Knight swears he’ll be back, though. Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
The Street Profits vs. AoP – WrestleMania 40 Tag Team Championship Qualifying match
Angelo Dawkins manages to hit two or maybe three punches to his opponents before being overwhelmed by AoP as a whole. Once Montez Ford tags himself in, the wind changes in their favor a little bit.
Um… that switches real quick as AoP catches Montez in mid-air as he flies then throws him against Dawkins. Wow-wee. It felt like one-sided dominance from AoP as Rezar dismantles Ford.
Rezar and Akam made sure to cut the ring in half to prevent Montez from reaching Dawkins on the other side. However, that step-up enziguri from Ford gave him time to breathe. He was able to tag Angelo, who clears house. He bulldozed through Rezar at ringside.
It’s that easy for AoP to climb back into this after Akam avoids disaster and delivers a boot to Ford’s face. Luckily, Dawkins saves this match by shoving Rezar as AoP were setting up Montez for the final blow. Ford flips Akam into an inside cradle and wins.
Next Friday, the Profits face Waller and Theory to determine who’s going to Mania 40. Look at that, they can be beaten. It just takes longer than others.
Winners: The Street Profits
Next week, Bianca Belair looks to get even with Damage Control’s Dakota Kai. Also, the match between Kevin Owens and Randy Orton versus Pretty Deadly has been made official.
I forgot that Rhodes and Reigns agreed to meet tonight one-on-one, so that’s why Heyman was spying to make sure the American Nightmare was truly alone. If he really believes what he said on Monday, he’s a liar. The wise man promised Roman would come alone, but Reigns didn’t promise anything.
A man of his word, my ass.
Anyway, Roman thinks that Cody is stupid for aligning himself with Rollins. He knows Seth better than anyone given they were in The Shield together where he thought they were brothers until Rollins stabbed Roman in the back, if you guys remember. With the chair.
Reigns warns Rhodes that the same could happen to him if this continues. Cody returns fire by reminding Roman which team beat The Shield in the past. The Rhodes.
Cody knows that Seth hates him, but he hates Roman a lot more. He also asks the awaiting question if Reigns can trust The Rock. Who’s really in charge in The Bloodline? The Tribal Chief, or the Final Boss?
The Rock called Cody a Politician given the structure of his words, which seem to have no effect on Roman as well. Rhodes has made promises after promises that never came to fruition. The fans don’t seem to care, and neither does Cody.
He wishes Roman good luck with a handshake, but the champ doesn’t accept. Instead, he snaps his fingers, and here comes Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso marching from the audience area surrounding the ring.
Roman wasn’t expecting Cody to stand his ground alone, but he did. Although he did a great job of it, Jey and Seth stood by him regardless as they were also seen hiding in the crowd. My boys! Rhodes may have gotten the jump on Roman for once.
TOP PHOTO: Jey, Seth and Cody stand together. Courtesy of WWE