ProWresBlog

Thursday, May 21, 2026

EPW Wrestling 5/16/2026 Episode #242

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2026/05/epw-wrestling-592026-episode-241.html

Gene Jackson and Joey Gross welcome us to the show.

The Order are interviewed by Jaxx Roxx. Jaxx brings up them not having titles anymore. Hollywood Jimmy says only Eli Knox has his belt and he's angry. He asks if we remember when Jimmy Valiant hit Jerry Lawler during his concert. He says he's angrier than Jerry. He asks if we remember when Bill Dundee's wife had to get her head shaved. He says he's angrier than that. Jimmy then pokes Jaxx.

Dorian Vain tells Jimmy to shut up. He says they haven't been operating at a team and says people are trying to take their legacy from them. Dorian says they aren't even in the intro and their legacy are being taken away. Izzy is asked where his partner Ethan Ross is and says that's his point. He says they are trying to take everything they created.

Dorian says they gotta change. He says they were trying to change hearts and minds and be the best. Dorian says he wants to give EPW PTSD now. He says they are beneath taking titles. Dorian says he wants to take their opponents health away. He wants their opponents families and children feel the pain. He says Jimmy took weeks off and did some talking. He grabs Jimmy and says if he doesn't shape up, they are going to have a problem.

Dorian's girlfriend (?) pulls him off and says they talked about this and tries to cool him off. She then pulls him away.

Thoughts: It appears that The Order lost the tag titles and Dorian Vain lost the world title at a live event, but I believe that's the first we heard of it.

Kale vs Mike Anthony

Mike is in full face mode here after seemingly turning more serious last week.

Kale hits Mike as he goes to get in. He stomps on him then stands on him. Kale hits forearms and chops. Mike lariats him down twice then overhead throws him for 2. Mike suplexes him for the win.

Thoughts: It was a quick squash and nothing more.

Zay Washington does a promo on Isaiah Cone. He says he wants Cone in 2 weeks in a ladder match for Cone's skateboard. He says he came here to take away everything from the people the fans love and says Cone is next.

Jaxx Ross interviews Big John Dalton. John says he's happy to be back and brings out his good friend from Missippi and it's Marko Stunt. Marko Stunt comes out. He says he's excited to be back and excited for what he has planned tonight.

John says Stunt has been a mentor for him. He says Stunt's brother beat him last time he was here. Stunt says that's not cool and don't bring up past stuff. John says they should team up tonight. John says "let me help you" to him. Stunt asks if John thinks he needs his help and can't get it done on his own. Stunt says he has done more wrestling shows than him. He says he's tired of the subtle disrespect. Stunt says John is lucky he let him carry his bags into the building. Stunt suggests they do a singles match and says he will show him what it takes to get on his level. Stunt then slaps him.

Thoughts: I don't think this segment worked. I'm not sure who the face or heel was supposed to be here but I think Stunt was supposed to be the face.

Mike says he's here to shut everything down. He says he failed to get consistency out of EPW. He says consistency is what you want and breathe on. He says he wants to get to the top of the mountain and he doesn't care how he gets there. He says he will shut down all our favorites.

Thoughts: It seems like the Mike Anthony cutting promos and the Mike Anthony who wrestles are two different people at this point.

Lil Bit vs Diana Taylor

They lock up. DT is backed up on the ropes. DT side slams her for 2 then chinlocks her. DT chinlocks her then low leg lariats her for 2. DT misses a corner charge. Bit drop toe holds her and pulls her arms back. Bit pump kicks her and rolling sentons her for 2. They trade forearms and kicks then high kick each other down at the same time. DT boots her and hits a snapmare driver. DT pins her.

Thoughts: It was a shorter bout. They did the basics and mostly jumped right into the finishing stretch. It wasn't much of note.

Big John Dalton does a promo. He says he thought he was friends with Marko Stunt but Stunt slapped him. He challenges him for next week.

Elijah Owens vs Xero

EO offers a handshake then boots him. EO atomic drops him and bulldogs him for 2. Xero is hiptossed into the ropes and he armdrags off of it. Xero does a seated springboard armdrag. Xero's slingshot is caught and he takes a twisting neckbreaker down.

Xero goes up and over and backrolls him into a knee to the face for 2. Xero kicks him in the gut and knees him in the face. EO powerslams him for 2. EO chokes him. He hits punches. Xero kicks him then is flipped on a lariat.

They trade shots and Xero jawbreakers him. Xero goes up top and mise a splash. EO turns Xero's mask around so he can't see. EO does like a spinning doi fives (called the self-made statement) and pins him.

Thoughts: It was a decent bout here. Xero moved well and I'd like to see him again. EO was an okay heel here and this went pretty well.

Marko Harris is interviewed. He says things didn't go well at the last live event. He says he doesn't know what's next but says he will get back on top somehow and someway. He says he will start again with Eli Knox and get his Apex Title back.

EPW Apex Title - Eli Knox (c) vs Marko Harris

MK side headlock takeovers him. Eli headscissors him. MK armlocks him. MK rolls him from the mat then dropkicks him. MK topes him outside. MK facekicks him outside. MK misses a charge outside and goes into the rails.

MK is dropped body first on the rails. MK lariats him from behind and hits mounted punches. Eli chinlocks MK. MK hits punches and chops. Eli corner spears him. Marko overhead belly to belly suplexes him.

We go to break and return. MK slingblades him. Eli is thrown head first into the 2nd buckle then MK hits a chaos theory german for 2. The Order come out then Parental Advisory come out and fight them to the back. MK grabs the Apex Title and gives it to the ref. Eli pulls MK's neck against the ropes and fameassers him over the 2nd rope. Eli then pins him.

Thoughts: This was fine. Eli winning dirty should lead to a rematch and I'm sure something will come of The Order and Parental Advisory out of this. Eli took some good bumps, Marko had a nice dropkick as usual and they kept it moving.

Eli does a low fameasser after.

Overall thoughts: We had some okay action here for this level of wrestling. Mike Anthony needs to figure out whether he's going to be the smiling face or if he's going to be a more menacing guy. He won a quick squash here. Marko Stunt appeared but his segment didn't work. Lil Bit/Taylor wasn't much of note. I enjoyed Owens/Xero and would like to see more of Xero. The main was fine and was not clean as expected. I'd give this a 5 out of 10 as there were a couple of things that could have been better here. This was average.

AEW Dynamite/Collision 5/20/2026

Last week's Dynamite is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2026/05/aew-dynamite-5132026.html

We are in Portland, ME. Taz, Excalibur and Tony Schiavone are on commentary.

We see The Young Bucks and Chris Jericho outside near a lightpost. The Bucks say CJ is one of AEW's founding fathers. CJ apologizes for beating up their dad. CJ says he's honored to team with them. The Bucks say their opponents won't know what hit them tonight. They then argue over what their team name should be.

Chris Jericho and The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) vs The Don Callis Family (Andrade el Idolo and Mark Davis) and Ricochet

CJ shoulders over Idolo. CJ chops him. Idolo flirts with women in the front row. CJ chops Idolo. Idolo takes a triple team in the corner. CJ dropkicks Idolo off the top. Idolo takes a fist drop + standing moonsault + springboard 450 combo from all 3 opponents. Mark slams and sentons a Buck.

CJ and Idolo's heads are banged together. A Buck hits punches on CJ and Idolo. He then shiranui's Idolo off of Ric. A Buck superkicks Mark outside. A Buck northern lights suplexes Idolo then rolls and drops Ric chest first on the mat. A Buck hits a double northern lights suplex. The Buck's hit stereo topes outside. CJ top rope plancha's on the heels outside.

We go to PiP break and return. A Buck walks up the ropes and does a diving headscissors + armdrag. CJ shoulders over Idolo. CJ top rope double axe handles Idolo then bulldogs him. All 6 men fight in the corners. The faces all hit mounted corner punches then do hurricanrana's down one by one.

Idolo takes a double superkick then a codebreaker. Ric is thrown out. Idolo takes superkick from the Bucks. Mark is swept into a double superkick. Ric springboards into a double superkick. Idolo suplexes a Buck 3 times. Idolo suplexes one Buck onto the other. Idolo takes a BTE trigger.

CJ lariats Ric over the top. CJ baseball slides Ric. Ric bangs CJ's head off the commentary table. BC backdrops Ric off a box through a table. Idolo spinning back elbows Mark on accident. Idolo takes a double superkick then a BTE trigger for 2. Clark Connors and David Finlay interfere. Finlay hits a Buck with his shillelagh and Idolo scores the pin to win on him.

Thoughts: I didn't like the comedic stuff here as it wasn't even timed well. It was the usual Bucks match otherwise with them doing a bunch of flips and superkicks. We didn't see a lot of Mark Davis in this for some reason. It was average and the finish wasn't great.

Toa Liona comes down and beats up one of The Bucks. Jack Perry comes out with a bag of onions. He hits Toa with them. Toa lariats him. Mark chokes Jack with a chair. Toa puts an onion in Jack's mouth.

The Hurt Business comes down to join the fight. The fight goes into the crowd. Lashley hits shots on Toa and hits a big spear.

We get a video on Okada vs Takeshita.

Darby Allin is interviewed. He says he feels all the bumps and bruises from all the title matches he has been in. He says it's a great feeling to be champ. He says MJF is vain and says without his hair, he will be eaten alive. He says he will do whatever it takes vs Speedball tonight.

We get a video on MJF vs Darby.

Anything Goes Match - Tommaso Ciampa vs Mark Briscoe

TC has an anime button down shirt on for some reason. Mark comes out with a trash can backpack. Mark throws it in.

Mark hits punches on TC. TC punches back. Mark uppercuts him. Mark flying forearms him. TC dropkicks Mark in the knee and hits him in the back with a trash can. TC tries to grab a weapon out of the trash can and gets his hand caught on a mouse trap. Mark dropkicks him through the ropes. Mark breaks a mop on TC's back.

TC is put in a chair and Mark cannonballs him off the apron. Mark chokes TC with a chain. TC is put on a table. Mark is up top and TC throws him through the table.

TC uses a cheese grater on Mark's head and immediately busts him open big. We go to PiP break and return. Mark sprays TC with a fire extinguisher. A ladder is in the ring. TC hits Mark with a metal sign. Mark hits forearms and exploders TC.

Mark pounds on TC outside. Mark staples barbed wire to a table. TC hits Mark with a trash can. TC rakes Mark's face with barbed wire. Mark has paper stapled to his head. TC gets a kneepad with tacks on. TC is tripped into a ladder.

Mark stabs TC with a screwdriver. Mark is suplexed into a ladder for 2. TC pumping knees Mark with the tacks. Mark puts two chairs back to back then iconoclasm's TC onto the top of them. Mark jaydrillers TC off the apron through a table. Mark froggy bows TC inside and wins.

Thoughts: It was all hardcore wrestling here with them using a bunch of different weapons and bleeding. It was alright but there wasn't much here beyond the hardcore stuff.

Tony Schiavone talks in the ring. Prince Nana comes out and interrupts. He tells him to get out. Nana brings out Swerve Strickland. Bandido attacks Swerve from behind. Band sends him into the rails. Band knocks Swerve off the apron and tope con hilos him. Band sends Swerve into the steps. Nana grabs a chair and Band catches him.

Swerve hits Band from behind. Swerve hits mounted shots. Band gorilla press slams Swerve with one arm. Band goes for a chair shot (after failing to catch it) and Swerve retreats.

Willow Nightingale says winning the TBS Title was one of the best moments of her career. She says she wanted to prove she's everything she says. She says she injured her shoulder vs Red Velvet. She says she wants to wrestle at Double or Nothing but she has to withdraw from the Owen Hart Tournament and vacate the TBS Title. She says she will be back but doesn't know when and will come back to the top.

AEW Continental Title Eliminator Match - Jon Moxley (c) vs Kyle O'Reilly

Mox blocks a takedown and KOR arm locks him. Mox side headlocks him and takes him over. Kyle side headlocks him. Mox takes him down by the wrist. Kyle trips him. They grapple. Mox hits a big forearm and facekicks him.

Mox chops him in the corner. Kyle hits kicks and a legsweep. Kyle leg kicks him and suplexes him for 2. They trade forearms. Mox hits punches. Mox drops him with a gut punch. Mox eye rakes him then hits shots to the gut.

Kyle back body drops Mox over the top rope. Kyle runs the ropes but hurts his ribs. Mox facekicks him. We go to PiP break and return. Kyle eye rakes him. Kyle hits leg kicks. Kyle flying forearms him then flying knees him. Kyle misses a rebound lariat and Mox goes for a sleeper.

Kyle snapmares him then top rope flying knees him. Kyle ankle locks him and Mox ropebreaks. Kyle facekicks Mox off the apron. They facekick each other at the same time and double lariat each other down.

Kyle is up top and is hit with a forearm. Mox bites him and rakes his back. Mox superplexes him. Kyle armbars him then goes for the ankle lock. Mox bulldog chokes him. Kyle pulls Mox's arm down over the top rope. Kyle running corner dropkicks him. Mox utters Kyle then hits mounted shots. Kyle does a head and arm choke. Kyle exploders him.

Mox hits up kicks and Kyle PK's him. They trade forearms. Mox misses a curbstomp and Kyle ankle locks him. The time limit then runs out.

Thoughts: It was as lower paced match with only a 20 minute time limit so it was obvious it was going the limit after a certain point. They sold a lot and traded a bunch of holds. It wasn't the most exciting bout ever but I'd say it was acceptable.

Kyle earns a title shot for surviving the 20 minute time limit. Kyle says he has a rematch and says it'll be no time limit when they face each other.

Kris Statlander and Hikaru Shida are interviewed about Willow Nightingale. Shida says they will fight for the tag titles and are so excited. Shida says they aren't here to fight tonight but to watch. Shida says their eyes are on the entire division. Shida moves down Kris' glasses. Kris tells her to watch herself. Kris then leaves.

Rush does a promo. He says if Darby Allin survives this week, he says he wants a title shot next week. He says he will win and says if you mess with the bull, you get the horns.

Athena, Julia Hart, Thekla and Skye Blue vs Thunder Rosa, Jamie Hayter, Alex Windsor and Mina Shirakawa

Rosa wristlocks her. Rosa headscissors her into a roll up. Rosa springboard twisting crossbodies her. Alex and SB get in and chop each other. SB takes a sunset flip and is booted in the head.

Mina spin kicks Thek then trips her. Mina basement dropkicks her from behind. Mina slingshot tornillo's Thek. We go to PiP break and return. Mina hits forearms on SB and is thrown back. Mina is put in the tarantula. Alex takes a hanging headscissors over the top. Ath goes to slam Mina and Mina escapes.

Mina flying headscissors Ath. Rosa hits lariats on SB. Rosa flying lariats her and dropkicks her against the bottom rope. Rosa northern lights suplexes her for 2. Everyone comes in to hit a move then leaves. The sequence ends with Ath hitting a euro on Rosa.

Ath goes for a dive and Mina kicks her to block it. Ath catches Mina off the apron. Mina spinning ddt's Ath on the floor. Rosa corner dropkicks Thek. SB superkicks Rosa then pumping knees her. SB takes a russian legsweep + kick outside. Hart mists Rosa and Thek rolls up Rosa to pin her.

Thoughts: It was all action. It didn't get a ton of time for how many people were involved and they definitely rushed things. They missed a few shots here but it wasn't that bad.

Jetspeed talk. Knight says they will become the face of AEW together like they drew it up. Knight says he will become AEW champ. Knight tells him not to forget about him when he wins the title as he wants to challenge him. Mike says he's on.

The Death Riders work out in the back. Mox is asked how things will be vs Kyle with no time limit. Mox says tonight wasn't a moral victory. He thanks Kyle for pushing him. He says Kyle did something extraordinary by tapping him out twice. Mox says Kyle rolled the dice tonight an won. He asks what Kyle's odds are and says the house finally wins. He says Game 7 is the only game that matters. He says when the game is on the line, does he miss?

AEW World Title - Darby Allin (c) vs Mike Bailey

MJF comes out before the match starts to do commentary.

Mike kicks him down then 2nd rope dropkicks him. Mike corner corkscrew kicks him. Mike hits some kicks while DA is between the ropes. Mike then legsweeps him off the apron. Mike triangle moonsaults DA outside. DA is sent into the rails. Mike hits mounted shots on the floor and double knee drops DA.

Mike slams him on the floor then double knee drops him off the steps. Mike is crotched on top of the rails. DA reverse ddt's him on the rail top. We go to PiP break and return. Mike hits him in the gut. DA puts the steps on Mike's bare foot. Mike superkicks him with the other foot.

DA topes Mike hard. DA blind springboards and is hit in the back. Mike superkicks him and misses ultimate weapon. DA top rope coffin drops Mike's back. DA goes for the pin and MJF helps Mike ropebreak. Kevin Knight runs down and gets in MJF's face.

Mike gets a 2 count on DA and roundhouse kicks him. Mike spinning roundhouse kicks him for 2. Mike PK's him then hits a standing moonsault double knee. Mike superkicks him.

DA reverse ddt's him. DA scorpion deathlocks him. Mike rope breaks and DA top rope coffin drops him. DA scorpion deathlocks him. Mike taps out.

Thoughts: It was a very one-sided match with Mike getting a bunch of offense in before losing. Mike lost as expected. They didn't overdo it here too much. I would have liked a different finish in this. It was very fast paced and you'd miss something if you blinked. This was alright.

Kevin Knight tells Mike he's okay and says he give Darby the biggest fight of his life as Mike is half out of it. Kevin says he's proud of him. Kevin says Darby represents AEW and says it's up to him to humble MJF. Kevin says if he can beat MJF, he knows Darby can. Kevin says they will send MJF back to Turkey after shaving him bald. Kevin says they will be waiting on him after. Kevin says they are counting on him.

MJF then comes in when Kevin and Mike leave and nails Darby from behind. MJF then hits mounted shots on Darby. MJF grabs hair clippers. Darby stomps him from using them. Darby then grabs the clippers and MJF runs away.

The Death Riders hype up Will Ospreay in the back. Garcia says he's got it.

Will Ospreay vs Katsuyori Shibata

KS runs at him and they battle for an armbar. KS offers a handshake and Will gives him in the finger. KS knees him in the face and throws him out. KS suplexes him on the apron then the floor. Will's head is banged off the apron.

Will is put in a chair and KS boots him over. KS hits chops and forearms in the corner. Will running facekicks him. Will hits more forearms. KS flying facekicks him. Will facekicks him down.

Will slingshot plancha's him. We go to PiP break and return. They trade shots in the ring and Will handspring corkscrew kicks him. Will springboard flying forearms him for 2. Will armbars KS then hits Kawada kicks on him. Will chops him. KS front facelocks him. KS corner dropkicks him then underhook suplexes him for 2.

KS kicks him in the back then Will does it back to him. Will back elbows him and falcon arrows him for 2. Will flying forearms him behind. Anthony Bowens comes out and interferes. KS hits a hidden blade on Will for 2.

Shafir and Claudio of The Death Riders come out. Shafir backs up Bowens. KS blows Will. Will powerbombs him off a triangle attempt then hits a styles clash. Will hidden blades him from behind and wins.

Thoughts: It was one of Shibata's better AEW matches. They were able to work around his weaknesses and the two were able to work together despite being very different wrestlers. This was an interesting match and I liked this.

Samoa Joe comes out. He says Will's friends came to his rescue again. Joe says he will have Will all to himself soon. He says he came out to check on his friends and Will made a choice not to be his friend. He says he will make him suffer those consequences at Double or Nothing. Joe says he will give him his dream match and says he guarantees he will have put him to sleep.

Will says the match is a dream come true but says Joe says it's a nightmare situation. Will talks about wanting to win the Owen Hart Tournament goes to fight for the title at Wembley Stadium. He says The Death Riders killed the old him and rebuilt him into a killer. Will says he will be champion.

Adam Copeland and Christian Cage talk. Cope says he met him in 6th grade and found out they both love wrestling. He says they did everything together. Cope says FTR wants to kill their connection and their tag team. Cope says he wants the best version of FTR and wants to make them say "I Quit". Cage says FTR made questionable decisions. Cage says when you are born you look like your family and when you die, you look like your choices. Cage says they will f*ck them up.

Rush vs. TJ Crawford

They shake hands and Rush doesn't let go. Rush forearms him down. Rush chops him in the corner then stomps on him there. Rush then does his corner basement dropkick and pins him.

Thoughts: It was the usual Rush squash and Rush won as expected.

Rush does his "get the horns" line after.

AEW Women's World Tag Team Title Five Minute Challenge Eliminator Match - Divine Dominion (Lena Kross & Megan Bayne) vs Elle Valentine & Kayla Lopez

Rnee talks in the aisle and Lena says let's see how long this will last into the mic.

Meg rams her opponent in the corner and hits corner spears. Elle chops her from behind. Elle's head is banged off the buckles and Meg lariats her. Meg hits bolo punches in the corner. Lena corner splashes Elle then hits back elbows on her. Lena spinning side slams her.

Lena superkicks Lopez then hits corner shots. Lena pump kicks her and Meg facekicks her. Meg release germans Lopez. Lena's team suplexes one of the jobbers and throws the other one onto her. Meg chokeslams Lopez and Lena picks up the pin.

Thoughts: It was all squash as expected with Lena's team running over their opponents.

AEW World Tag Team Title Match - FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) (c) vs. The Conglomeration (Orange Cassidy & Roderick Strong)

FTR attack before the bell. OC gets a 2 count on Dax. FTR start waling to the back and RS hits them in the aisle. OC top rope elbow drops FTR outside. RS hits chops on Dax. Dax is back body dropped. Dax takes a fireman's carry gutbuster and Dax is pulled out by Cash.

We go to PiP break and return. Dax chinlocks RS. RS and Dax trade chops. RS backbreakers Dax. RS chops Cash then they double lariat each other. Cash blocks a spinning ddt. Dax is pushed into Cash. OC does an assisted sunset flip on Dax for 2.

RS lariats Dax over the top. RS topes Dax. Dax spinebusters OC for 2. Cash drops OC with a punch. Cash hits punches on OC then chops him. Cash cobra clutches him. OC throws him over. Dax piledrivers OC for 2. We go to PiP break and return. OC is double teamed in the corner. Cash misses a flying move in the corner. RS leg lariats Dax then flying lariats Dax.

RS olympic slams Dax. RS throws OC into the heels then throws him into a ddt on Cash. RS dropkicks Dax through the ropes for 2. OC avoids a shatter machine and gets a 2 count on Cash. FTR mock OC with weak kicks and pretend to put their hands in their pockets. OC cradles Dax for 2 after RS flying kicks Cash.

Dax lariats OC down. Stokeley tries to hit OC and misses. OC is sent into him. OC gets hit with a shatter machine. RS lariats Cash over the top and goes with him. OC backslides Dax for 2. Stoke hits OC with his watch and Dax pins OC.

Thoughts: FTR won as expected, though it took a while. OC didn't screw around so much, so it was more tolerable. FTR also showed OC how you do the pocket spot - by being a heel and mocking someone with it, not by doing it as a fake. I was fine with this one and it was alright.

Overall thoughts: The opener was average. I liked the match with Ciampa/Briscoe but it was mostly just hardcore wrestling. Mox/Kyle was slower paced and they kind of telegraphed that they would be going the time limit. It was acceptable though. The women's 8-man tag wasn't bad. I was fine with Darby/Bailey. Shibata/Ospreay was one of Shibata's better AEW bouts and I liked that more than expected. Rush and Divine Dominion won squashes. The AEW Tag Title match was fine a OC didn't get to screw around so much and it got enough time to play out. It was a long show at over 3 hours and they did their best to account for most of the main players. I'd give it a 6 out of 10 as it was okay and they gave us some good matches right before the PPV.

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

WWE Evolve 5/20/2026

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2026/05/wwe-evolve-5132026.html

We are the Performance Center in Orlando, FL. Blake Howard and Peter Rosenberg are on commentary.

Kam Hendrix does a promo. He says Tate Wilder has been playing games with them for months. Tate says Kam and Harley made his life a living hell. Tate says he has made it his mission to prove he doesn't lay down. Kam says Tate keeps getting up like he likes punishment. Kam says he will put him down for good. Tate says he will put him down.

Anya Rune vs Layla Diggs

Layla has Masyn Holiday with her.

They lock up. AR armdrags her and side headlock takeovers her. Veronica Haven and Gianna Capri are in the VIP Lounge. AR rolls up LD then armdrags her. LD leg lariats AR then full nelsons her. AR rolls her up for 1. AR upkicks her then backslides her. LD hits kicks on her and step up enzugiri's her. LD legdrops and elbow drops her.

LD full nelsons her again. LD missing a flying pumping knee. AR hits forearms and drops her. AR running corner euros her then high kicks her. AR takes her down for 2. LD flips out of lariat and overhead kicks her for 2. LD standing moonsaults her. LD hits a very nice top rope moonsault on AR and wins.

Thoughts: It was a short bout but it was fine. Diggs' moonsault at the end looked good. They called Diggs an Evolve vet here but she's still not exactly a full-timer on this show.

Capri comes in and Masyn tells her to shut up. Capri ends up leaving.

Timothy Thatcher does a video. He says he's the foreman but is active on the indy scene and is a player/coach. He says the talents we see here are available to wrestle at local indies. He says there's ROW, Freelance Wrestling, Memphis Wrestling and Rocky Mountain Pro. He says when he comes to your promotion, he's there to wrestle and scout.

Thoughts: These are always so weird when WWE does these every now and then. It's like something the AWA would do and doesn't seem very high quality.

The Mog Squad talk before the next match. They make fun of It's Gal. CJ Valor says it's time they take care of Starboy. CJ says he's got this and tells his partners to hit the tanning bed while he goes out alone.

Chazz "Starboy" Hall vs CJ Valor

They lock up and Str is pulled down off of it. CJ shoulders Star over. Star spin kicks him in the face then hits mounted corner punches. Star spinning heel kicks him. Star flips over him then superkicks him in the gut. Star goes for a shiranui but is hit with snake eyes.

CJ running lariats him. CJ powerslams him for 2. CJ corner lariats him. They pieface each other. Star hits shots to the gut. CJ elbow drops him then twists his head. CJ hits headbutts then misses an elbow drop. Star spin kicks him. Star jawbreakers him and high kicks him. Star springboard flying headscissors him. Star high kicks him and hits a standing shirauni. Star standing corkscrew moonsaults him for 2.

Star pulls CJ over the top and and asai moonsaults him outside. Star is caught off the buckles. Star rolls him up off the electric chair for 2. Star enzugiri's him. Star top rope ssp's him and pins him.

Thoughts: I didn't think they had CJ throw Star around enough which hurt some of his comeback. The match got a little better near the end when Star flew around. I thought it was average though. CJ not having his partners around made him the underdog in this.

Laynie Luck talks to Wendy Choo. She says this is Choo's moment. Luck says their match wasn't what either of them had in mind. Choo says Nikkita and Sloane tried to ruin it. Choo says they are sick of the sneak attacks and suggests a tag match for next week.

Chuey Martinez brings out Tristan Angels and Aaron Rourke for an Evolve Title contract signing ceremony. The fans say TA's "order" line and he says the fans don't say that, he does. TA says AR became an overnight success when he won the Evolve Title. He says he has blinded all the idiots and convinced them to clock in. He says he's not convinced though.

TA says AR is a lucky man. He says if he debuted in Evolve sooner, AR's reign wouldn't have happened. TA says he will take the title and burn Sparkle City to the ground. AR says is TA is done and got it all out. AR tells TA to call him Mr. Evolve. AR says TA's face breaks each mirror he walks by and asks him how much he cost Evolve in mirrors. The crowd chants "ugly" at TA.

AR says his beauty standards are different and it's how you treat people. He says TA is nothing more than an ugly narcissist. They argue and security pushes TA down.

Thoughts: This was a dumb segment with a pageant winner being called ugly.

Harlem Lewis comes out. He says he talked to Thatcher and it's official - he's gets Braxton Cole 1v1. He says he will bust his face in and he better get the best cosmetic surgeon he can find.

Chuey then sees Elijah Holyfield. He says he's here to knock fools out but is just checking out the scene today.

Nikkita Lyons and Sloane Jacobs talk in the back. Sloane says she's ordering boxes of tissues for Luck and Choo to cry into. Sloane say she has wrestled Luck all over the indies and there's nothing more she likes than watching her big chance get ruined. Sloane says they will accept the tag match and get Nikkita back in contention. Nikkita says she will get her title match once she pins Choo.

Kam Hendrix vs Tate Wilder

They crossbody each other at the same time and both go down. Tate boots and euros him. Tate hits punches then goes up and over. Tate flying shoulders him down. Tate tries to slingshot in and is forearmed. Kam drops Tate's face over his knee.

Kam elbows Tate's neck outside. Kam suplexes Tate on the apron. Tate is thrown over the rail into the VIP Lounge area. Tate pulls Kam into that area. They hockey right. Tate jumps off the couch with a crossbody on Kam. Tate is back body dropped onto the apron edge.

We go to break and return. Kam suplexes Tate for 2. Kam cobra clutches Tate. Kam throws him down backwards for 2. Kam hits Tate in the gut. Tate boots him out of the corner. Tate hits punches and running forearms. Tate flying shoulders him. Tate neckbreakers him for 2. Kam spinebusters him then sitout powerbombs him for 2.

They trade shots on their knees. Kam superkicks him and hits a big punch. Tate backdrops Kam. Tate top rope moonsaults Kam for 2. Harley Riggins comes out. Tate is distracted. Romeo Moreno flying kicks Harley from the side. Tate suplexes Kam. Tate top rope 180 splashes Kam and pins him.

Thoughts: It was acceptable but not quite as great as they planned. I don't think it was heated enough for the long term issues they have had and they didn't get too violent. Kam loses yet another big match...

Timothy Thatcher talks to Elijah Holyfield. Chuey asks him what's going on with Elijah. Thatcher says he will address it next week.

Overall thoughts: It was an average episode of Evolve and not one of my favorite episodes of the show. Rune/Diggs was just acceptable. Hall/Valor wasn't as good as it should have been. The Aaron Rourke segment didn't work at all. The main was alright but not as good as it should have been. I'd still say it was the best match on the show though. I'd give it a 5 out of 10 as nothing was that great here, there were a lot of people missing and there were a decent amount of things not followed up on.

WXM Ground Zero 4/25/2026 Episode 18

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2026/04/wxm-ground-zero-4182026-episode-17.html

Jonny Loquasto and Dave Bradshaw are on commentary.

Jeet does announcement with Bobby B. He says a masked man entered the Performance Center and attacked Raj the Maharajah. He says Raj is banned from WXM until he is medically cleared. He says he is keeping safety in mind and it's necessary.

The commentators talk about tonight's show. We have:

XWM Heavyweight Title Tournament - Avi vs Charles Sterling

Kaptaan and Veera vs The Burner Brothers (Ricky and Scott Burner)

XWM Heavyweight Title Tournament - Guru vs Mecca

B2B (Regner & Suraj) vs Fateh The Zamindar and Dev

WXM Tag Titles - JAI Connection (Baliyan Akki and Anthony Green) (c) vs Robbie X and Jack Morris

----

XWM Heavyweight Title Tournament - Avi vs Charles Sterling

Char has Lady Sterling with him. They lock up and Char armlocks him. Char wristlocks him then throws him over by the arm. Avi side headlock takeovers him. Avi flying headscissors him then dropkicks him.

Avi misses a top rope move and is lariated. Char suplexes him then backbreakers him. Char kneels on his back and chinlocks him. Avi forearms him. Char forearms him in the spine. Avi pump kicks him. Avi goes up top but is in pain. Char crotches him then backdrop uranage's him. Char pins Avi.

Thoughts: It was a shorter bout and it was fine. Avi was the underdog and got beaten as expected.

Donovan Dijak interrogates Skyler and has his hands all chained up. Dijak tells him to open the box up on the table. Skyler shows him it and it's a barbell. Skyler says his fingerprints are on it and he might want to check for more. Dijak asks why he's helping him. Skyler says his partner has outlived his forgiveness. He says he likes starting fires and watching them get bigger until nobody can stop it. Dijak says he's sick and Skyler says he's been sick his entire life. He says he has an itch in the back of his head that won't go away. He says when he sees the WXM Title, the itch goes away. Skyler says he'd hurt anyone to wear it and would burn everything. Dijak says he has work to do.

The Zamindar Gang head to the ring and Lady Katherine is asked why there's so much security. Katherine says they saw how weak security was and don't want to take chances in case Raj shows up.

Kaptaan and Veera vs The Burner Brothers (Ricky and Scotty Burner)

Ricky is the bald one and Scotty has the long hair.

Rick shoves Veera down then side headlocks him. Rick shoulders him over. Veera jumps up and is powerbombed down. Rick chops Veera hard then slaps him. Rick gorilla press throws Veera into a Scott open hand shot.

Veera's head is banged off the buckles and he is chopped. Scott knocks Kap off the apron. Veera hits shots on Rick then Rick lariats Veera down. Veera is thrown into a german from Rick. Rick gets a 2 count on him.

Veera chops his opponents. They try to sandwich him but hit each other. Kap comes in and hits forearms and kicks on Rick. Kap basement dropkicks him. Kap hits a corner spear, an apron enzugiri then a springboard diving lariat. Kap facekicks Rick.

Rick blocks Kap's springboard and slams him on the floor. Veera is double thrown into a neckbreaker + sitout powerbomb and Veera is pinned.

Thoughts: It was a little one-sided but the faces got a comeback in before going down. The Burner's aren't the prettiest but they hit hard and do come across as tough guys. Veera really got thrown here. I was fine with this.

Jeet wants to talk to Fateh and muscles his security guards around. Bobby B interrupts and says to let the guards go. Bobby says Fateh says he wouldn't come unless he could have his own security. Jeet says WXM has turned into a circus.

The interviewer talks to Zack Sabre Jr. Zack says he's having a great time and says WXM is impressive. He says the fans have been amazing and he will come back. He says he's leaving undefeated and they gave him a good run for his money. He says Kevin Malik is special and he expects big things from him.

Robbie X and Jack Morris interrupt. Jack says it looks like Zack is running away scared from them. Zack says he has a flight to catch but says to talk to him next them are over in Japan.

XWM Heavyweight Title Tournament - Guru vs Mecca

Mecca has Fateh's guards with him.

They lock up and Guru is pushed back. Mecca pulls him down off the next lock up. Guru side headlocks him. Mecca shoulders him over. Guru spin kicks him in the head and corner dropkicks him twice. One of the guards gets in the ring. Mecca gains the edge off of it and drops Guru with a punch.

Mecca foot chokes him then corner hip attacks him several times. Mecca corner splashes him for 2. Guru hits shots to the gut. Mecca pop up samoan drops him for 2. Guru hits leg kicks and punches. Guru hits forearms. Mecca headbutts him.

Guru corner euros him then bulldogs him. Guru backdrops him. Guru topes Mecca and the guards outside. Guru dropkicks Mecca into the steps. Guru top rope elbow drops him and pins him.

Thoughts: It got a lot of time. Mecca threw him around and squashed him with splashes. Guru did some flying and eventually picked up the win. It was acceptable but it went a little long and I think the first half of this needed more.

Kanji does a problem. She says her dad is Indian and his family liked wrestling. She says she watched wrestling with her family and her and her cousins said they wanted to be wrestlers. She says her dad passed away before she started wrestling but her grandparents were happy to see her wrestling. She says she's so proud to be here. She says she wanted to come here and show that everyone an unknown wrestler says is wrong about India.

JD Lee is laughing at stuff on his phone. He sees Ikemen Jiro dancing with people. He tells Jiro to stop and says this is stupid. He says Jiro's here for a fight. Jiro dances again and he says he's still stupid. He pulls Jiro away.

Neel is interviewed. He says he's waiting for Dijak to provide an update on the investigation. Big Damo comes in. He says it was a hell of a war last week. Damo says he'd be cracking skulls if someone was attacking hm. He tells him to start acting like a beast and stop acting like the gentle giant.

Jack Morris asks Robbie X if he's ready. X says he's always ready. Jack says let's not hit Anthony Greene in the face today. Jack says they have a lot of history together and asks that they avoid attacking his injured face. X isn't going for it. Jack says do whatever it takes to win, but don't hit him in the face.

WXM Tag Titles - JAI Connection (Baliyan Akki and Anthony Green) (c) vs Robbie X and Jack Morris

Mei Suruga is with JAI. AG has a protective face mask on.

Jack backs up AG on the ropes and taps his face mask. AG side headlocks him then shoulders him over. AG blcoks a hiptoss. They try to boot each other at the same time and let go of their legs at the same time. They then hug.

X tags himself in. He boots AG and tries to punch him in the face. Jack yells at X for it. Akki gets in and the four argue. X hit punches on Akki. Akki shoulders him over then tilt-a-whirl backbreakers him.

X spits at AG. Jack knees Akki from the apron. Akki boots X out of the corner. Akki is up top and X cartwheels into a pele kick on him. Jack clubs on Akki then knees him in the head for 2. Jack abdominal stretches Akki. Akki hiptosses him. X gets into Mei's face outside. Akki flying headscissors Jack.

AG gets in and hits back elbows on X. He corner chops him. X goes up and over then spin kicks him in the gut. AG superkicks X then AG flips him off a backdrop for 2. X pushes JAI into each other. X handspring kicks his opponents off the apron then he slingshot plancha's Akki.

X standing ssp's Akki. Jack top rope splashes Akki for 2. Jack falcon arrows Akki for 2. Akki hits kicks on Jack then lariats him. Jack tries to pin Akki with his feet on the ropes and AG stops him. AG superkicks X outside. Akki rolls up Jack and pins him.

Thoughts: It was a decent tag bout here with Jack and AG trying to be friendly towards each other and Robbie X being a bit more heelish. Akki wasn't bad as the undercard face and I thought this worked out well.

The four stand in the ring after. Akki offers a handshake and X shakes his hand. Jack and AG shake hands. Jack kicks him in the nuts. X dropkicks Akki out. X then takes off Jack's protective face mask. Zack Sabre Jr. comes out and saves AG. Zack euros the heels and throws AG out. Venomous then attacks Zack. Venomous grabs a chair then Kevin Malik comes out. Malik and Venomous go head to head but they don't fight.

Axel Tischer is interviewed. He says he hasn't been here due to Jeet not wanting him here. He says Jeet has a problem with him since he embarrassed his golden boys. Axel says he's here to stay and has big plans for WXM.

Skyler is told Samuray del Sol is looking for him. Neel then grabs Skyler and throws him into chairs. He chokes him and demands he tell him who the masked man was. Skyler tells him to ask Dijak as he already told him. Neel leaves and Skyler laughs.

B2B (Regner & Suraj) vs Fateh The Zamindar and Dev

Suraj is the smaller one with the braids.

Fateh has his whole crew and guards with him. Dev and Fateh attack B2B before the bell rings. Fateh drops Suraj. Suraj cartwheels out of a wristlock and is tripped. Suraj headscissors Fateh then corner splashes him. Suraj rolls Dev into Fateh. Suraj dropkicks Dev.

Suraj dropkicks Dev in the knee. Reg legdrops Dev on the back of the neck. Suraj is sent into the steps. Reg is lariated onto Dev's double knees. Fateh hits mounted shots on Reg.

Dev boots Reg in the gut. Dev taunts Reg then stomps his gut. Fateh euros Reg in the back of the neck for 2. Reg enzugiri's Dev and tags out. Suraj comes in and flying forearms Dev. He high kicks him then single leg dropkicks him. Suraj top rope crossbodies Dev.Reg superkicks Fateh out.

Suraj top rope plancha's Dev and overshoots a bit. Reg's tope is caught by Fateh then Fateh superkicks him. Suraj is sent into the rails. Fateh flying cutters Reg and pins him.

Thoughts: Dev's gotta work on his work a little as he comes off a bit clumsy. It was acceptable but nothing too special. B2B needed to do a little more here and the finish could have been better.

Raj gets behind Dev and Fateh while wearing security gear. He clears them away with a night stick and beats up the guards. Raj cobra clutch slams a guard and Raj stands tall as the heels yell at him.

Overall thoughts: The wrestling was fine here. Nothing was bad. The tag title match was the best match on the show and had some good stories in it. Raj returned at the end despite being banned which wasn't too shocking. As always, they have some decent in-ring action along with some good storylines and they just get wrestling. These shows are always easy and fun watches and this was no exception. I'd give it a 6 out 10 and I thought it was good.

All Japan Pro Wrestling 5/17/2026 Champion Carnival 2026 Day 10

Day 9 is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2026/05/all-japan-pro-wrestling-552026-champion.html

The announcer talks before the show. 2 Dragon Gate wrestlers will be in for the 6/18 show and the NWA World Title will be defended.

Champion Carnival 2026 Semi Final Match - Go Shiozaki vs. Madoka Kikuta

They lock up and let go. Go side headlocks him. They shoulder battle. Go chops him out of the ring. MK sends Go into the rails then stands on his taped up ribs. MK walks on his ribs. MK hits boots to the face then bites his hand.

MK hits corner spears. MK shoulders him over. MK slaps him around then throws him down backwards. Go flying shoulders him. Go's nose is busted open. Go chop flurries him in the corner. MK then chops back.

MK flying hip attacks him off the apron. MK is up top and gets hit. Go headbutts him up there then superplexes him. MK leg lariats him down. MK flying hip attacks him. MK lariats him then Go lariats him down. MK flying hip attacks him then running hip attacks him.

Go hits chops and MK laughs. They chop each other. MK hits a bunch of chops in a row and lariats him down. Go lariats him down. They lariat each other at the same time. MK flying hip attacks him. Go spinning lariats him. Go hits a go flasher for 2.

Go running lariats him and pins him.

Thoughts: It was alright. Go got chopped up and got his injured ribs worked on some. MK bullied him around for a bit and eventually lost to him. Go got his nosed busted open and with the his chest being all red, it added to the effect of him being the underdog. It would have been nice if MK worked the injured ribs a bit more though.

MK spits on him after.

Champion Carnival 2026 Semi Final Match - Hideki Suzuki vs. Rei Saito

HS jumps on his back with a sleeper to start then grabs another sleeper. Rei throws him over and slaps him. The ref makes them break. Rei yells at the ref then HS rolls him up and pins him.

Thoughts: I'm not shocked this happened. Someone was going to have to wrestle twice here so they made it short to make that easier. It's still lame, but I get it.

Hokuto-gun (Aizawa NO. 1, Hokuto Omori & Takashi) vs. HAVOC (Oddyssey, Shotaro Ashino & Xyon)

Odd shoves Takashi down and they shoulder battle. Odd doesn't budge much. Takahashi running throat thrusts him then hits a double throat thrust. Takashi then does it off the 2nd rope. Odd lariats him down. Aizawa is tagged in and he is totally dressed up like a woman for some reason.

Aizawa offers Ashino a handshake and Ashino slaps his hand. Ashino then head chops him. Aizawa offers another hand shake then takes a euro. Aizawa dropkicks him. Ashino takes corner attacks.

Omori's partners powerbomb him on a failed tower of doom spot. Omori takes corner attacks. Ashino then karelin's lifts him for 2. Omori ddt's Ashino. Takashi gets in and hits throat thrusts on Ashino. Ashino running euros him.

Takashi hits throat thrusts on his Ashino and Xyon then Odd runs him over. Takahashi knocks over Ashino and Xyon on the fall. Takashi enzugiri's Odd. Omori forerms Xyon then flying forearms him. Omori's team powerbomb Omori on a failed tower of doom spot. Omori pulls Odd over the top rope.

Omori cutters Xyon. Omori puts Ashino up top and he is lifted for the tower of doom spot again. Omori is about to get powerbombed by his partners again but Xyon sneaks inbetween and buckle bombs Omori. Odd bangs Takashi's and Aizawa's heads together. Odd then double side slams them.

Ashino is sent into Omori. Xyon hits shots on Omori then samon drops him for 2. Odd black hole slams Omori and Xyon top rope diving headbutts Omori. Xyon pins Omori.

Thoughts: Omori's team did all comedy here and got squashed as expected. It wasn't anything too interesting and wasn't very serious.

Omori talks to his partners on the mic after. Aizawa then talks on the mic. Omori seems to disagree with Aizawa and walks off. Aizawa then says something to him on the mic.

Yuma Aoyagi vs Yasutaka Yano

Yano was with Noah and got arrested and fired. He wasn't brought back once the case ended and AJPW has signed him.

Yano wristlocks him and Yuma reverses it. Yano then puts the hold back on. Yuma side headlock takeovers him and is put in a headscissors. Yuma shoulders him over. Yano armdrags him then springboard diving armdrags him. Yano armdrags him and dropkicks him.

Yano hits forearms and wristlocks Yuma. Yano rolls him then splashes his arm. Yuma tries to armdrag him but Yano rolls through and armdrags him into an armlock. Yuma slams him three times for 2.

Yuma stomps him and Yano hits forearms. Yuma hits him in the spine with forearms. Yuma back body drops him for 2. Yano hits chest forearms. Yuma slams him then crabs him.

Yano hits more chest forearms then he dropkicks Yuma over. Yano 2nd rope twisting crossbodies him then flying headscissors him. Yano topes him outside. They trade forearms. Yuma tilt-a-whirl backbreakers him. Yuma then crabs him and Yano ropebreaks.

Yuma knees him in the gut and suplexes him for 2. Yano cradles him for 2. Yano backslides him for 2 then rolls him up for 2. Yuma knees him in the gut for 2. Yuma brainbusters him for 2. Yuma hits a fisherman's buster variation for 2. Yuma spinning fisherman buster's him and pins him.

Thoughts: Yuma won as expected. It basically a rookie vs vet match even though Yano is everything but a rookie. But that's Japanese politics. It was fine for what it was but a more competitive match would have been better.

Titans Of Calamity (Ren Ayabe & Talos) & Shota Kofuji vs. Saito Brothers (Jun Saito, Naruki Doi & Senor Saito)

Jun has an eye patch on and he looks cool with it.

Shota beats up Senor before the match then throws Doi down too. Shota takes shots on Jun and Jun clubs him down. Ren then fights Jun outside and fights as well. Shota does an octopus to Senor in the ring. Rei rips up Ren's jacket with his mouth and Ren hits forearms on him for it. Ren sends Rei into the rails.

Shota hits forearms on Senor and top rope dropkicks him for 2. Shota takes a double back elbow then is tripped into a legdrop and basement dropkick. Shota's head is banged off Doi's foot. Doi double axe handles him off the top. Jun slams Shota.

Shota hits chest forearms then Jun suplexes him for 2. Shota rolls into a dropkick on Jun. Ren comes in and running back elbows Jun. He misses a facekick on him and Doi dropkicks Ren in the leg. Doi swining neckbreakers Ren then flipping sentons him. Ren slams Doi.

Talos corner splashes Doi then running facekicks him for 2. Doi eye rakes Tal. Doi and Senor dropkick Tal in the knees then get shouldered over by him.

Shota and Senor fight. Shota running forearms him. Senor takes a double boot then Shota springboard flying forearms him for 2. Doi hits doi fives on Shota and Senor running lariats Doi. Senor lariats Doi on accident then Shota hurricanrana's Senor for the win.

Thoughts: Shota got one of his first AJPW wins here. It wasn't anything too special otherwise. Shota and Senor were the main focuses in this and we didn't see a ton of the rest of the guys. It was average.

Jun and Ren fight outside after. Ren is sent into the post then Jun is sent into the rails.

Ren and Rei talk on the mic after. The Saito's and Ren/Talos stare down and it seems like a match between them is being set up.

Daisuke Sekimoto, Hikaru Sato, Kengo Mashimo & Suwama vs. Kento Miyahara, Kuma Arashi, Ryuki Honda & Yuma Anzai

Yuma backs up Kengo on the ropes. Kengo wristlocks him then Yuma reverses it. Kengo side headlocks him then Yuma dropkicks him. Suwama comes in, making his return to AJPW after Evolution's defunding. Suwama and Kento lock up and go to the ropes. Kento chops him on the break.

Suwama side headlocks Kento. Kento facekicks him then Suwama shoulders him over. Suwama kicks him in the back and they grab each other's throats. Yuma pounds on Suwama then Suwama double chops him down. Everyone goes out to fight. Suwana hits Yuma with a chair outside. Sato goes into the stands with Kuma. Suwama then beats up Yuma in the stands and chokes him with a towel.

They get back in the ring. Suwama chops and forearms Yuma. Yuma hits forearms on Sekimoto then Sekimoto chops him down. Sekimoto twists his neck with his feet. Kengo punches Yuma. They trade forearms. Yuma 2nd rope dropkicks him.

Kuma and Sekimoto get in and shoulder battle. They trade chest shots and Sekimoto racks him. Kuma then racks him and torture rack drops him. Honda comes in and shoulders Sekimoto over. Honda corner lariats him.

Honda leg chokes him on the 2nd rope and counts along on the break. Suwana sleepers Honda then just lets go of it. Suwama corner lariats Honda then suplexes him. Honda back body drops Suwama. They trade forearms. Honda running lariats him then Suwama running lariats him.

Sato and Kento get in. Kento facekicks him. They trade forearms. Kento dropkicks him in the knee and the side of the head. Sato enzugiri's Kento and Kento pump kicks him. Yuma comes in and flying knees Sato for 2.

Yuma takes an atomic drop then Suwama double chops Yuma down. Kengo buzzsaw kicks Yuma. Sato kicks Yuma in the chest for 2. Kento knees Sato in the head and Kuma 2nd rope sentons Sato. Yuma hits a gimlet on Sato and pins him for the win.

Thoughts: It got a lot of time. There were too many people involved for this to be anything great but we got to see a lot of different interactions here. They did okay with what they got. It never felt like a true tag match though.

Yuma talks on the mic after.

Honda attacks Suwama after. They go into the aisle and fight to the back.

MUSASHI, Ryo Inoue & Seiki Yoshioka vs. Atsuki Aoyagi, Dan Tamura & Rising HAYATO

Rising wristlocks Ryo then Ryo reverses it. Rising headflips out and chops him. Rising chops Ryo then Ryo chest kicks him down. Rising casadora armdrags him then flying headscissors him out.

Musashi and Dan get in. Musashi ducks a lock up. Musashi side headlock takeovers Dan then Dan shoulders him over. Musashi takes double boots in the corner. Rising chops Musashi then Musashi pulls him down by the hair. Atsuki takes a double basement dropkick.

Musashi corner dropkicks Rising. Ryo hiptosses Rising and Seiki kicks Rising in the gut and back. Rising chops Seiki. Seiki kicks him in the back. Seiki spin kicks him then Rising dropkicks him in the corner. Dan comes in suplexes Seiki for 2. Seiki scissors kicks Dan. Musashi comes in and trades hots with Dan. Dan chest clubs him. Musashi double stomps his back and basement dropkicks him. Musashi step up enzugiri's Dan and Dan gutwrench suplexes him. Ryo and Atsuki get in. Ryo chest kicks him down.

Atsuki comes off the 2nd rope and is dropkicked in mid-air. Ryo takes a corner dropkick from Rising. Ryo takes a 2nd rope codebreaker then a backdrop + neckbreaker for 2. Ryo sends Atsuki over the top then enzugiri's Rising. Ryo PK's him and Atsuki. Seiki asai moonsaults everyone outside.

Ryo suplexes Atsuki for 2. Atsuki corkscrew kicks Ryo. Ryo spin kicks him in the gut. Atsuki handspring corkscrew kicks him. Atsuki is 2nd rope hurricanrana'd then Musashi top rope splashes him. Dan suplexes Ryo. Dan double lariats Musashi and Seiki. Ryo hits a double handspring cutter then lifting flatliners Atsuki for 2. Ryo buzzsaw kicks him for 2.

Ryo takes superkicks then Musashi including a double superkick. Ryo is lifted like a suplex and dropped backwards. Atsuki top rope 450's Ryo and pins him.

Thoughts: It got a lot of time. I would have liked for the action to be a bit faster here. What we got was okay but like the last tag match, we could have used more double teams and a longer finishing stretch.

Rising talks on the mic after.

Champion Carnival 2026 Final Match - Go Shiozaki vs. Hideki Suzuki

Go backs him up in the corner and they stare down. Go drops him with a lariat and holds his taped up ribs. Go clubs on HS outside and chops him. HS fires back and blocks some of his chops. Go knocks him down with a headchop. GO hits head punches. Go hits chops on HS then running knees him as he hangs over the apron. GO hits knee drops.

HS knees him out of the corner and hanging headscissors him over the top rope. HS garvin stomps him in the ring. HS knee drops him for 1. HS cobra twists him. Go tries to ropebreak and hiptosses him out. Go goes with him.

They each hit shots outside and both go into the rails. HS drops him ribs first on the rails. HS then hits knees on him against the rails outside. Go's nose is busted open again. HS hits shots to the gut and drops him ribs first on the rails.

HS clubs and stands on his ribs in the ring. HS hits facekicks. Go gets up and takes a knee to the face. HS spin kicks him in the gut twice. Go flying at him and is knee'd in the gut. Go 2nd rope diving shoulders him. HS blocks Go's chops and Go lariats him down.

Go fisherman busters him for 2. HS backbreakers Go. HS hits shots to the spine. HS cobra clutches him. HS chickenwings him then releases the hold after a while. HS indian deatlocks him. HS then traps his arms so he can hit forearms to the gut.

HS hits more forearms to the gut. Go hits a chop flurry then HS hits him in the gut. HS exploders him and dragon suplexes him. Go hits a go flasher. Go lariats him the backdrops him for 2. HS finlay rolls him then pedigrees him for 2. HS double underhook suplexes him for 2.

Go spinning forerms him then HS double underhook suplexes him for 2. Go lariats him. HS hits a shot to the gut and some kicks. HS double underhook suplexes him and pins him.

Thoughts: It was a longer match and not exactly the most action packed affair. Suzuki mostly worked Go's injured ribs here. Suzuki winning was a surprise and definitely an unexpected outcome. It was okay could have shed some time without anything really being lost.

Suzuki talks on the mic after. Kento Miyahara then comes out. They seem to set up a match and shake hands.

Overall thoughts: The opener was alright and played into the final later on. Suzuki/Rei was a waste of time. Havoc's match was mostly comedy. Yano/Aoyagi was a fine rookie/vet match but Yano isn't a rookie. The Titans of Calamity tag wasn't that good.The 8-man was okay but it didn't quite feel like a tag match. The semi-main was alright but could have also used more tag match formatting instead of people coming in and out. The main was acceptable but a slower and longer match and Suzuki winning the Carnival was an odd result. I'd give this a 5 out of 10. There was nothing you really needed to see here and the card had a lot of filler on it. It was average.

TNA Xplosion 5/15/2026

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2026/05/tna-xplosion-582026.html

Around the Ring with Gia Miller

Leon Slater is this week's guest. Gia talks about him being X-Division champ...which he no longer was by the time this aired. Gia talks about him getting on NXT and Smackdown. Leon says he started wrestling at age 9. He pictured this was what his life would be but he didn't know it'd be at 21.

Gia says he's a great Mafia player (it's a game of some sort) and they talk about that. He talks about almost tricking Vincent in a recent game. They talk about a spirit during that game as they said the hotel they were in was haunted. They talk about the story behind that hotel.

George Iceman/The Personal Concierge does the intro for M By Elegance. He calls the town a dump and says to stand up for M By Elegance.

M By Elegance vs Jada Stone

M side headlocks her and Jada reverses it. Jada rolls out of a wristlock and reverses it. M cartwheels out of a wristlock and faceshoves her. Jada rolls her up for 2 and M shoulders her over. Jada flips out of a hiptoss. Jada walks up ropes, seated moonsaults and armdrags M off of it.

Jada limbos out of a pump kick then dropkicks M. Jada springboard diving headscissors her. Jada then topes M outside. Ash and Heather interfere with Jada outside. M pump kicks Jada for 2.

M boots Jada in the corner then cradle shocks her for 2. M boots her in the corner. M pulls her arms back. M fallaway slams Jada. M pounds on Jada then chokes her over the bottom rope. M sends her hard into the corner then chokes her on the 2nd rope.

M chops and boots her. M misses a corner charge and a corner pump kick. Jada hits forearms and chops. Jada armdrags her and corner euros her. Jada flying headscissors her. Jada kicks her off the buckles then split-legged moonsaults her for 2. Jada handsprings and backflips but is caught with a wheelbarrow german suplex for 2.

M pounds on Jada. M is tripped and hit with a euro from behind. Jada 2nd rope moonsaults her for 2. M high kicks her from the apron. Jada top rope spanish flies her. The Elegance Brand pull M out. Jada top rope moonsaults them all. Jada handspring kicks Ash off the apron then does her backflip into a stunner on M. Jada pins M.

Thoughts: It a fun match. It got a lot of time to play out and they were able to make it more exciting because of it. Jada did her flying as usual and M moved well. The heels interfered here as expected and Jada thwarted to pick up the win.

Overall thoughts: We had one new match and one new interview along with recaps and old matches as usual. The interview was nothing must see but it was one of the less boring ones. The women's match got a lot of time and ended up being a decent bout because of it. I wouldn't recommend this, but you can get through all the new content in 15 minutes so it's not a big time investment.

Tuesday, May 19, 2026

WWE NXT 5/19/2026

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2026/05/wwe-nxt-5122026.html

We are the Performance Center in Orlando, FL. Vic Joseph and Booker T are on commentary.

We see various wrestlers arrive.

Myles Borne and Tony D'Angelo vs Kam Hendrix and Mason Rook

Kam and MB lock up. Kam backs him up in the corner and knees him in the gut. Kam shoulders him over then powerslams him. MB does a nice leapfrog then dropkicks Kam. MB powerslams Kam for 2. Tony hip throws Kam then short arm lariats him. Tavion Heights is watching in the back.

Tony and Rook get in and trade shots. Rook shoulders him over then corner splashes him twice. Rook lariats and sentons him for 2. TD hits corner splashes on Rook. Rook takes a double backdrop. Kam is back body dropped over the top. We go to PiP break and return.

MB hits shots on Rook. MB tries to slam him and Kam clips MB. Rook slams MB for 2. MB takes a Kam back elbow then a Rook splash. Kam short arm lariats MB for 2. Kam facekicks MB down. Kam suplexes him for 2. Rook boots MB then corner splashes him. Rook blue thunders MB for 2.

MB flips out of a double suplex. Rook is tripped into the buckles. TD tags in spears Rook. TD germans Kam twice. Tony spinebusters Kam. Tony hits a hard spear on Kam for 2. MB flying knees Rook then Kam showtime kicks MB. TD powerbombs Kam then lariats Rook over the top. Rook sends TD into the steps. MB tope con hilos Rook.

Tavion Heights comes out, hits Kam from behind and that knocks Kam into MB. Rook backpack rolls MB into the buckles. Rook AA's MB and Kam steals the pin on MB.

Thoughts: It was alright. Rook's look is absolutely awful and he really does look like an older fat woman in a swimsuit. He needs some pants and maybe a shirt. I was surprised Rook didn't get the pin since this was his in-ring TV debut.

Dark State talk in the back. They say they can become 3x NXT Tag champs tonight. Cutler says Dion and Shugars aren't arguing. Dion says they put it behind them. Dion says Griffin says if they don't get this done they will make a change and inquires about it. Shugars interrupts and says not to worry about it. Shugars says they got each other at the end of the day and they will get what's theirs.

Kelani Jordan comes out to talk. She asks what a girl has to do around here. She says she was a main player on NXT in 9 months and makes her the fastest homegrown talent in WWE. She says she beat Kendall Grey last week. She says she's better than all the women that got called up to the main roster. She says she's the only one to make Lola Vice tap out.

She says she has never gotten an NXT Women's Title shot. She says she had to watch women who are half as good as her fumble chances left and right. She says it's her time and says she's the biggest stand out in the locker room.

Izzi Dame comes out. She says she pinned Lola and booted her head off. She says if anyone will get a shot at the title, it's her. She tells her to get to the back of the line.

Lola Vice comes out. She says they both got wins but she won when it mattered. She says Kelani talks a lot. She says she wanted the title but couldn't handle her fists. She says Izzi hit her in the back of the head and she thought she would get away with it. Lola challenges her for the NXT Title next week.

Kendal Grey comes out. She says he eyes are still on the NXT Women's Title. She comes in and says Jrodan won't get close to the title because she has bigger issues. Wren Sinclair then hits Kelani with a crutch and Izzi gets sent out as well.

Dorian Van Dux and Sean Legacy talk about last week with Tate Wilder. Dux tells him not to let one loss get him down. Sean says he and Dux are fighting next week in the Speed Tournament. Dux says he's too goo to let 2 losses get him down. Sean gets a little upset. They say hi to Romeo Moreno and Noam Dar. Romeo says Dar would have won last week if it wasn't for interference. Romeo asks him to be at ringside for his match vs Tristan Angels tonight.

They show us clips from Busted Open Radio with Natalya yelling at someone. Jaida wants to talk to someone and Layla Diggs says she's running her mouth. Jaida says Natalya ran her mouth on a radio show and not to her face. Diggs puts over Natalya and says Jaida thinks the world is against her after losing. Jaida challenges her to a match next week and says she will drag her @ss. The other girls then separate them.

Romeo Moreno vs Tristan Angels

RM waistlocks him. TA sweeps him then RM waistlock takedowns him. TA slaps him and shoulders him over. RM slaps him then headscissors him from the mat. RM trips him and dropkicks him. RM back elbows him. RM is sat on the 2nd rope and TA double stomps him down. TA suplexes him for 2.

TA backbreakers him. We see Shiloh Hill in the crowd with a top hat and a sign that says "Mr. NXT". TA gets mad and yells at him. RM hiptosses him over the top. RM spaceman plancha's him outside. RM the poses on the rail with Hill.

We go to break and return. They trade shots. TA double throat thrusts him. RM flying lariats him twice. RM step up enzugiri's him in the corner. RM springboard dropkicks him for 2. TA double boots him out of the corner. RM headbutts him then top rope dropkicks him to the back of the head for 2. TA sweeps him on the pron then does a knee curbstomp and wins.

Thoughts: Tristan looked a little better here than he did in Evolve. His mouth got busted open some here. I feel like the break probably cut a lot of this up as the announcers were talking about how good it was. I was surprised Hill didn't get involved. I thought it was just average.

Tristan says Hill belongs in the crowd with the plebs. Hill says Tristan told him he couldn't outclass him but he says look at him now. Hill says he's starting his campaign to crown himself Mr. NXT. Hill asks if the crowd wants to see him or Tristan as Mr. NXT. He then shows a photo of Tristan with a top hat on.

Tristan says his opinions aren't valid and says it's impossible for him to understand real beauty. He says Hill will pay dearly for attempting to ruin his in-ring debut.

Lola and Tatum talk in the back. Lola says she doesn't know how Tatum dealt with Izzi. She says she wants to knock her out next week. Tony D and Borne argue about Tavion Heights. Tony says to keep Tavion out of his business. They wish Tatum good luck.

Naraku comes up to Tony. He says evil will strike when he least expects it.

We see The Culling watching the OTM BBQ from last week. Shawn says they have a match vs OTM next week. Niko says Izzi has a title match next week. Izzi walks in and asks if they saw what Lola did to her. Izzi complains and Shawn says next week could be a big night for them.

WWE NXT Women's North American Title - Tatum Paxley (c) vs Lizzy Rain

They lock up and TP armdrags her. Rain kips up and armdrags her. Rain side headlock takeovers her. TP side headlocks her. Rain kimura takeovers her. Rain armlocks her and wristlocks her. TP suplexes her over then keylocks her.

TP rolls her up and they stare down. They trade waistlocks. Rain side headlocks her. They criss-cross. TP dropkicks her out. Rain dropkicks her through the ropes. We go to PiP break and return.

TP goes up and over her. They crossbody each other at the same time. We see Kali Armstrong watching in the back. They trade forearms and chops. They forearm each other at the same time and lariat each other at the same time.

TP superkicks her in the gut. Rain high kicks her. TP high kicks her and is hit with an enzugiri. Rain hits lariats then suplexes her. Rain hits chops. Rain running samoan drops her for 2. Rain tries to dropkick her through the ropes and is hit with a step up enzugiri. Rain headbutts her.

TP superkicks her. Rain germans her then flying headbutts her in the face. They trade pin attempts. TP hits a cemetery drive/tequila shot and wins.

Thoughts: It was pretty even here with them both being in it. It wasn't great but tried hard and it was alright. I didn't expect Rain to win here and she did not. This got a lot of time to play out.

They hug after. Zaria comes out and spears both. Zar F-5's both.

Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair talk about the fight earlier. She say she didn't want to be distraction to her and says KG would have beaten Kelani if it wasn't for her. Robert Stone comes in and says KG can't hit Kelani with crutches. Wren wants a match with Kelani next week. Stone says she can have it if she gets cleared.

Keanu Carver vs Tate Wilder

Tate stands on the rails and the post for his entrance. He then walks the top rope.

KC goes for him and misses twice. KC throws him to the apron. KC hits headbutts. Tate goes up and over then KC back body drops him. Tate enzugiri's him. KC sleepers him. Tate sends him over the top to escape. Tate 2nd rope asai moonsaults him outside.

KC sends him into the post and clubs his chest. KC suplex throws him. KC clubs on him on the 2nd rope. KC germans him. KC busts Tate's eye brow open. KC hits a hard short-arm lariat. KC face shoves him.

Tate hits some shots to the gut. KC knees him in the gut. Tate top rope dropkicks him. Tate slingblades him then knocks him down with forearms. Tate flying shoulders him. KC misses a corner charge and goes into the post. Tate lariats him over the top. Tate then jumps off the steps and ddt's him on the floor.

Tate top rope splashes him. Tate is crotched up top and KC pounces him. KC lifts him into a spinebuster and wins.

Thoughts: It was a decent bout here with Tate being bloodied up and getting thrown around by KC. KC roughed him up. Tate needed to show a little more fire though.

The Vanity Project talk in the back. Drake says Smokes and Brad are the most solid team in NXT. Brad and Smokes are concerned. Brad says there's 4 of them and 3 of us. Myka Lockwood says she's got Osiris and Cutler and they do their hand signal.

OTM talk. Shiloh Hill comes up to them and asks if they will sign his petition to become Mr. NXT. They do. Hill asks Birthright about it. We see Tavion and Borne arguing in the back. Grace says he's not pageant material. Dempsey asks what this is all about. Dempsey says Hill embarrasses himself every week. He says they should fight next week and he will show him what a proper wrestler is.

Kam Hendrix is interviewed in the ring. Kam says he beat 2 champs in his debut match tonight in NXT. He says he wants to be #1 and the best way to do it is to win the big one. He says Tony D's title looks prime for him.

Mason Rook comes out. He says Kam acts like the win tonight was all him. Rook says Kam took the win. He says he will give him a chance to give credit to him. Kam tells him no one will remember him and tells him to get with it or get lost. He pats his stomach. Rook lariats him then backpack cannonballs him into the corner.

WWE NXT Tag Titles - The Vanity Project (Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes) vs Dark State (Sayquon Shugars and Dion Lennox)

Darkstate attacks The Project in the aisle. RS is dropped on the rails. Dion hits shots on Brad and side headlocks him. RS spears Dion off the bottom rope. The Project are sent into each other and Dion slams Brad. Dion shoulders Brad over for 2. SS dropkicks Brad when they go for a double team. SS hiptosses Brad into an armlock. Brad throws SS down by backwards.

SS hiptosses RS. Dion corner spears RS. SS flying knees RS for 2. RS side headlocks SS. Dion hiptosses RS then hiptosses SS onto RS. Brad comes in and SS monkey flips him. SS catapults Brad out. SS double boots him through the ropes.

RS takes punches from Dion's team. RS is double lariated over the top. We go to PiP break and return. SS hits punches on Brad. Brad corner spears RS on accident when SS moves. SS goes out near the rail. RS charges him but goes into the rail.

Dion comes in and lariats and back elbows Brad. Dion northern lights suplexes both opponents. Dion powerslams Brad for 2. Brad pumping knees DL. SS trips RS into the ropes and slides down him to dropkick Brad outside.

SS gets a 2 count on RS. RS smokes SS then chops him. SS enzugiri's him. Brad takes a slingshot sitout backdrop. SS flying springboard lariats RS. Dion double lariats his opponents. Jackson Drake yells at SS. Myka, Cutler and Osiris get involved. Dion spinebusters RS and tries to get a pin but SS tags himself in. SS top rope elbow drops RS.

SS punches Brad over the top. RS cradles SS and pins him.

Thoughts: It had a lot of action and a fast pace. The Project bumped around a lot. We didn't have clear faces here but they made it work. Booker said Smokes was out after a charge into the rails...then he was up 20 seconds later. Dark State lost as expected here, essentially off a miscommunication between Dion and SS. It was an entertaining main and I liked it.

Dark State all in the ring after. They look at Dion. Cutler and Griffin then beat up on Shugars. Cutler and Griffin stare down at Dion. Dion then joins in and beats up Shugars. Dion spinebusters Shugars. Shugars slaps Dion. Shugars then is thrown into a powerbomb through the commentary table.

Thoughts: The turn was rather telegraphed and I was sure it was happening. We haven't really seen Shugars as a face yet so that'll be interesting.

Overall thoughts: NXT is throwing stuff at the wall right now and seeing what sticks. It feels like someone is riding them with a whip and telling them to make something happen now. I think it's a bit too much too soon, but it's developmental and their goal is to produce stars. The show was fine in-ring wise with nothing being bad. There was a lot going on outside of the ring as well. I would say the main was the best match on this show. I'd give it a higher 5 out of 10 as I'm still not sold on the current direction and there was a lot of rushing on this show. It was average.

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