Jordan Huie of the Overtimer here to recap the commencement of the 2019 WWE Draft! What more do I have to say?! Watch this space for the blow-by-blow and of course, the announcement of every pick!
Startin’ off big…
SmackDown’s Roman Reigns vs. Raw’s Seth Rollins (Non-title, winner’s brand gets the first pick in the draft)
Lock-up, Rollins gets a side headlock. Reigns shoots him to the ropes, shoulder block. Tie up again, Rollins gets a hammerlock, Reigns reverses into a back suplex, Rollins escapes with a hip toss. Rollins with a roll-up, quick kickout, Reigns dumped, baseball slide, Rollins wants a suicide dive but Reigns clips him with a forearm. Wants the Drive-By, Rollins evades it, tries for a springing double stomp onto the apron but Reigns rolls out of the way! Back into the ring, Rollins gets a big shot in, Reigns exchanges one of his own. Rollins unloads! Hits the ropes, Reigns gets a leaping clothesline. Commercial break.
We come back to see Reigns caught in a headlock, Rollins tries to turn this into a suplex, Roman fights it and they’re both looking for it, eventually Roman instead gets his Roll-up-into-a-deadlift-powerbomb for 2! Rollins gets back into it with a clothesline to the outside, suicide dive hits once, twice! Seth whips Roman back into the ring, springboard knee takes him down! Rollins up top, gets his Frog Splash! Nearfall. Rollins starts a-stomping, looking for a superkick. Gets the kick to the midsection, looks for the Stomp, Roman avoids it and gets an uppercut, Rollins bounces off the ropes into an enziguri. Trading heavy blows! Rollins wants a Buckle Bomb… nails it! But Roman bounces right off into a Superman Punch for a nearfall!
Both slow to rise after that sequence. Reigns gets up first, looks for the spear… Rollins counters with a psuedo-Pedigree for a nearfall! Rollins stalking for his Stomp now. I assume 12 of them would do the trick. Just as I write that, the lights go out; the Fiend breaks out from the mat, grabbing Rollins with the Mandible Claw and dragging Rollins under the ring. Lights come up and smoke emits… Rollins surprisingly escapes. He’s clutching his throat. Fiend pops his head out and just stares for a moment. We get the laugh, darkness, and eventualy gaze from the stage as the strobe lights flicker.
Winner: Seth Rollins (by DQ)
That’s certainly a DQ win in my book, PICK GOES TO RAW~! Nah they’ll probably call it a no contest…
We see the ‘war rooms’ of the FOX and USA execs. Hilariously, FOX’s weird football robot is in theirs. USA doesn’t have such a thing so that’s an automatic loss. We do hear that Raw is indeed on the clock so it is a DQ.
Stephanie McMahon makes her way onto the podium. She’s disappointed by the lack of booing and the crowd reacts in kind. She welcomes us to the WWE Draft where for the first time, USA and FOX executives are picking the draftees. And the #1 Draft Pick for Raw… whaddya know it’s the Raw Women’s Champion, Becky Lynch. I was kinda hoping they’d trade the Raw and SmackDown’s women’s champs and just keep the names and let it be confusing.
First pick for SmackDown, Roman Reigns. Second picks for Raw, The OC. Second pick for SmackDown, the Fiend. Last pick of the first round for Raw, Drew McIntyre.
We have for once the pre-show panel set, definitely the exact same setup they tend to use, where Renee Young, Samoa Joe, Booker T and uh, someone else speak on the draft. Joe gets a shot on Jon Moxley and AEW in, saying he’s glad Renee can keep the lights on in her house.
Baron Corbin makes his way out and says before he can make short work of Shorty Gable, he wants to adress you as his king. He explains that he will be a benevolent king who will share all of his riches with all of you. Nah, not really, he wouldn’t give any of them anything. He’ll sit up in his throne up in his castle as far away as he can from everyone because he can’t stand their smell.
Before that match occurs we hear from Troy Aikman and Joe Buck. Joe talks up Troy being a #1 draft pick in football. Asks him about wrestling and Troy says his finisher would be the Tombstone Piledriver. Sure.
Baron Corbin vs. Shorty Gable
Yeah it’s just his ringname now… Baron clotheslines Gable into the corner, big biel throw takes him to the floor. Baron drives him into the barricade. Gable escapes a powerslam, throws him into the post. Baron tries to escape back into the ring but Gable pursues and gets a chop block, working the leg over until Corbin gets a knee to his gut. Whips him to the ropes, Gable ducks a clothesline and comes running in with a big arm drag, but Corbin nails a big boot for a 2 count. STD chants start up.
Gable with a dive onto the outside, Baron grabs him, the two brawl, Baron tosses him over the table. Gable scrambles back up though, hops off the table into a chokeslam bringing him right back down onto it. Commercial break. Gable escapes a Deep Six when we return, rolling liger kicks. Baron wants to do his ring-around-the-ring-post but Gable pursues him to the outside, running dropkick takes him over the barrier! Throws him into the ring, beautiful moonsault gets 2! Corbin meets an idiot charge with an elbow, back suplex spins him to the mat! Gable slips from an End of Days attempt, Chaos Theory! Nearfall. Huge German Suplex follows, looks for a second but his back gives out.
Gable gets a roll, Corbin kicks out but Gable picks the leg for the Ankle Lock! Corbin spins to kick him away but Gable catches him with a Jacknife Cover, Baron kicks out, Gable charges into the End of Days.
Winner: Baron Corbin
Cut to a FOX panel. Terry Bradshaw says his #1 pick would’ve been Dusty Rhodes. Howie Long claims Bruno Sammartino is his guy. Michael Strahan goes Ric Flair. Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan and other names that they would know come up.
Stephanie back at the podium. She announces Randy Orton being picked for Raw. Sasha Banks drafted to SmackDown. Raw gets Ricochet. SmackDown drafts Braun Strowman. And Raw selects Bobby Lashley.
Lesnar and Heyman make their way out. Paul introduces himself and the champion as always. Paul says when a normal human being has a fear, they shake and quiver and have nightmares. A normal human being, when being confronted by their fears, will cower away from the mere thought of a confrontation. Brock Lesnar fears one thing in life, to relive October 23rd, 2010 when the butcher of UFC Cain Velasquez beat, victimized, bloodied and conquered Brock Lesnar. When Cain took, at will and by force, the UFC Heavyweight championship of the world from Brock Lesnar in a first round TKO. And for nine years Brock Lesnar has never offered a single excuse about that night because he has none, that’s the kind of fighter Velasquez truly is.
But last week Brock Lesnar won the WWE title in about five seconds (this gets booed) when Rey Mysterio came out to make him confront the ghost of his past. But Lesnar embraces his fears and conquers his fears. A little over nine years after that feat Lesnar will conquer the nightmare of his past on October 31st at Crown Jewel. Brock Lesnar will conquer Cain Velasquez. He says you can roll this clip back in a few weeks because what he just offered was not a prediction- but before he can say it’s a spoiler, Mysterio’s music hits. Sorta significant that he wasn’t allowed to say it.
Rey and Cain come out. Rey introduces footage of Lesnar and Cain’s UFC match. Cain promises to beat him again in Spanish. Rey says he’ll give him a matching scar on the other side of his face at Crown Jewel. Staredown from across the arena.
New Day are backstage, their match is next. E just gives his usual intro but is visible for once.
Another shot to Fox football folks. None of these are of any significance.
New Day are out in a very pink stage to present a couple of white and pink WWE titles. Susan G. Komen video plays. A recovering cancer patient recounts her story of befriending Xavier Woods. Kofi says they’re here to promote the power of positivity and support to fight against breast cancer. Big E introduces Samantha and Sarah Veilleux. Xavier says to see them go on this journey, all the ups and downs and highs and lows, they want to say that you are two of the strongest people they’ve ever met and insanely proud of the both of them. He sounded really sincere and emotional about that. Like a switch flipped he goes into New Day mode to present them honorary Women’s Championships. They then ask to be excused so as to put a hurting on the OC. One of the women asks, “Why?” prompting a ‘New Day Rocks’ chant as they enter the ring.
It’s also barely even dawned on me that the big PPV 3D graphics for entrances have been here on this show.
The OC vs. The New Day
Gallows with a big boot immediately on Xavier. OC swiftly take advantage, Xavier thrown into the steps. Commercial break. We come back to see Xavier and Anderson struggling, simultags to Kofi Kingston and AJ Styles. Kofi is a house of fire running all over AJ, leaping clothesline, Boom Drop. Kofi goes off the top with a Frog Splash, Anderson breaks up the cover, E gets Anderson with a belly to belly, Gallows with a big boot takes out E, Xavier comes in with a Tornado DDT, tope con hilo takes out Gallows and Anderson on the outside! In the ring, AJ gets back body dropped to the apron, wants the Phenomenal Forearm, Kofi ducks it, AJ breaks the SOS and goes the Styles Clash, Kofi escapes, hits the ropes, Calf Crusher but Kofi escapes, AJ persists and tries an Ushigoroshi but Kofi flips right off his back to his feet, spins around into a Trouble In Paradise!
Winners: The New Day
In theory that’d set up for a US title match but pinning the US Champ wasn’t even mentioned, given the situation they’ll probably end up on opposing brands anyhow. So just a decent win and New Day still seems pretty popular in spite of what occured last week.
Alexa Bliss is drafted to Raw, splitting up the team with Nikki Cross. SmackDown gets Lacey Evans. Raw selects Kevin Owens, bit surprised by that one. And SmackDown of course keeps the SmackDown Tag Team Champions, The Revival, who were actually on Raw in spite of holding SmackDown’s belts but WWE definitely don’t remember that. Lastly, Raw gets Natalya.
Charlotte warming up backstage. Her women’s title defense is coming close.
Yannow they probably could’ve done a better job at promoting that there are separate draft pools for tonight and Raw. That’s why a lot of big names are still on the board, they simply weren’t eligible tonight. I’m sure that’s confused a lot of people, they haven’t really brought it up yet.
Fourth and final round of tonight’s draft. Raw selects the Viking Raiders. For SmackDown, we have Lucha House Party. Raw drafts Nikki Cross. Okay, so Nikki and Alexa get drafted together anyway. Could’ve just done that as a team but whatever. SmackDown selects Heavy Machinery. And the last pick of the night, Raw gets the Street Profits.
It’s pointed by one of the analysts that injured superstars are eligible to be taken later down the road, including Elias and Samoa Joe.
Bayley emerges… rips off the fun hoodie that she was wearing. Her music cuts off. Bayley takes up some kind of prod and then literally just starts tearing up her wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube men. They all dramatically deflate and fall, one of them hilariously falling right onto her in what will be a beautiful gif. She also cut her hair by the way and has it down for the first time in a long while.
WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship: Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Bayley
Bayley charges, immediately pounding on Charlotte as the bell rings. Charlotte with a slap, gets a rope-assisted neckbreaker. Bayley bails, Charlotte throws her into the barricade. Again into the opposite barrier, Bayley ends falling into the crowd. Grabs her by the hair to pull her back inside, Bayley counters, pulling her into the barrier to take her down. Back out into ringside, Bayley slams the back of Charlotte’s head into the steps. She gets back into the ring and poses as we go to commercial.
We come back to see Bayley getting the heat on Charlotte. Charlotte fights her way to her feet. Takes her to the outside, tope takes her out. Back into the ring, ton of knife edge chops ensue. Big exploder takes her over, kip-up. Bayley tires to get the legs up on an idiot charge, but Charlotte counters, knee drop to the exposed leg. Wants the Figure Four, Bayley escapes to the apron, but eats a big boot taking her to the floor. Charlotte goes out there, moonsault off the barricade wipes Bayley out! Whip into the ring, cover for 2. Charlotte and Bayley fight for a backslide, Bayley slips out, Bayley-to-Belly, nearfall.
Bayley argues with the official, Charlotte manages to trip her into the turnbuckle. Charlotte goes up top, moonsault, Bayley gets the knees up but Charlotte grabs the legs in a boston crab! Wants to transition to the figure four, but Bayley kicks her away into the corner. Bayley bundles her, gets the feet on the ropes but Charlotte kicks out. Bayley rains down punches. Quick back suplex has some good snap to it, running knee in the corner. She drags Charlotte all the way to the center before going up top. Elbow drop, nails it, nearfall! Bayley can’t stop bickering with the ref, Charlotte sneaks up, Natural Selection! But when she tries to get the Figure Four, Bayley counters into a cradle with two handfuls of hair, and this gets the win!
Winner: Bayley
Amazingly she got new music made during that match, as a different song plays for her victory. Bayley celebrates with her regained title.
Bayley gets on the mic and the first words out of her mouth are “Hey, bitches.” Nice. “Screw all of you.” she finishes before throwing the mic away.
The show ends over two minutes early.
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