Good Morning Wrestling Fans 👊

Straight Shoot UNFILTERED is back, and this edition is all about momentum. SmackDown delivered chaos, contracts, and carnage as the blue brand set the stage for WrestlePalooza. From Brock Lesnar’s destruction to a heated Cody vs. Drew contract signing, the night had fans buzzing. But that was just the beginning. With John Cena vs. Lesnar, AJ Lee’s in-ring return, and the Usos reuniting, WrestlePalooza looks like a PLE already being called the card of the year. Dive into our full SmackDown review and check out Mr. Teshk’s exclusive WrestlePalooza predictions to see what shocks could be coming next.

SmackDown was supposed to be the go-home fire for WrestlePalooza, and in some ways, it was. Brock Lesnar’s carnage, a standout U.S. Title match, and a sharp Cody vs. Drew contract signing delivered the goods. But the constant corporate hammering of ESPN Unlimited turned big moments into mixed messaging. This show felt like half wrestling, half infomercial.

Brock Lesnar’s Path of Destruction

Brock Lesnar opened the night by rag-dolling announcers and props. He hit two F5s on Corey Graves (who Darrion just wrote an article on in our last edition you should check out), dragged Michael Cole, and screamed into the camera that John Cena’s blood is next. Fans begged for “one more time,” and Brock denied them like a true heel.

⭐️ Segment Rating: 4.25/5

Women’s Tag Team Championship

Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss def. Chelsea Green & Alba Fyre

A short, TV-style defense. The stereo Natural Selections looked clean, but much of the action was buried in commercial. Flair and Bliss retain.

⭐️ Match Rating: 2.75/5

Bo Dallas Returns With Erick Rowan

Backstage tension between the Street Profits was interrupted by Bo Dallas, who brought a cryptic message. Erick Rowan attacked, leaving Ford and Dawkins destroyed. This looks like the start of a dark cult storyline with Bo as the voice and Rowan as the enforcer.

⭐️ Segment Rating: 3.25/5

Corporate Overload: ESPN Unlimited

This is where the night went sideways. R-Truth’s parody ESPN booth was funny, but Cody Rhodes walking fans through downloading ESPN Unlimited felt forced. Commentary kept plugging, QR codes popped everywhere, and hype videos ran repeatedly. Fans visibly cooled.

It is historic that WWE is streaming on ESPN. But this had flashbacks to the “$9.99” Network era, where marketing overshadowed the matches.

⭐️ Segment Rating: 2.5/5

Bronson Reed & Bron Breakker vs. Fraxiom

Paul Heyman introduced his monsters. Reed and Breakker destroyed their opponents, then declared victory for WrestlePalooza. The Usos cut in from Indianapolis to fire back, keeping the Bloodline saga alive.

⭐️ Match + Segment Rating: 3.5/5

Nia Jax, Tiffany Stratton, and Jade Cargill Collide

Nia mocked Tiffany, insulted Jade, and demanded alpha status. Stratton shot back, Jade stormed the ring, and Nick Aldis booked next week’s Triple Threat. Hot segment that felt like a main-event angle for the women’s division.

⭐️ Segment Rating: 4/5

Darrion wants to know - does Tiffany FINALLY drop the belt next Friday??? Or are we going to be stuck in this vortex for the foreseeable future …

Sami Zayn vs. Carmelo Hayes – U.S. Title

Best match of the night. Hayes was crisp, Zayn was resilient, and the finish - Zayn hitting a Blue Thunder Bomb for the clean win - surprised everyone.

⭐️ Match Rating: 4/5

Damian Priest Meltdown / Aleister Black Tease

Priest demanded Aleister Black, but when he did not appear (He’s not Joe Hendry, Damian …), Priest lost it. He threw Kit Wilson through a wall in frustration, selling his unhinged “Punisher” aura perfectly.

⭐️ Segment Rating: 3.75/5

Solo Sikoa Package

Solo spotlighted Tonga Loa as his soldier. Simple but effective in keeping the rebuild simmering.

⭐️ Segment Rating: 3.25/5

Main Event: Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre Contract Signing

McIntyre cut deep, calling Cody a “corporate champion.” Cody hit back with history and grit. The pull-apart brawl ended with McIntyre hitting a Claymore, leaving Cody down as the camera faded. It was strong go-home TV, but constant ESPN mentions chipped away at the intensity.

⭐️ Segment Rating: 4.5/5

Final Thoughts

This SmackDown had great wrestling and hot angles, but the ESPN Unlimited overkill dragged it down. Lesnar looked terrifying, Zayn and Hayes tore the house down, and the Rhodes-McIntyre brawl built WrestlePalooza perfectly. Yet the show still felt split between being a wrestling broadcast and a corporate ad.

👉 Overall Show Rating: 7.5/10
Strong action and storylines, but the relentless corporate push kept it from being an all-time go-home show.

Peep last nights live stream below!

WrestlePalooza is almost here, and the card looks like one of the biggest fall lineups WWE has ever produced. The stakes are massive, the storylines are boiling, and the outcomes could reshape the entire landscape heading into the end of 2025.

From John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar, where Cena looks to close his career on his own terms, to Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre for the Undisputed Championship with the shadow of Randy Orton looming, this event is loaded with high drama. Add in the in-ring return of AJ Lee, teaming with CM Punk against Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch, and WrestlePalooza already feels historic.

The Usos reunion against Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed could tilt the balance of power in the Bloodline saga. Meanwhile, dream matches like AJ Styles vs. Dominik Mysterio are being teased, adding even more unpredictability to the mix.

👉 That is why this week, Mr. Teshk has dropped his full WrestlePalooza predictions video. From bold takes to likely shockers, he breaks down every announced (and rumored) match, and what each outcome could mean for the road to Survivor Series and beyond.

📺 Watch the video below, leave your predictions in the comments, and stay locked with Straight Shoot Unfiltered for the best fan-first coverage leading into WrestlePalooza.

🎂 Mr. Teshk hit Twitch for his birthday stream … and somehow ended up cosplaying Undertaker’s 2010 Elimination Chamber entrance like it was written in the script.

🔥 The Darrion Drop - The Most Disastrous PPV Main Events in History 🔥

With WrestlePalooza on the horizon, a PLE already hyped as the "PLE card of the year," it is worth remembering that not every marquee event lives up to the billing. Wrestling history is full of nights where fans bought the hype, only to leave disappointed, furious, or downright embarrassed to have tuned in. These disasters are proof that not everything is sunshine and lollipops when it comes to PPVs. Some of these endings did more than just flop - they shifted the course of wrestling history. 💥😬

⚡ Hogan vs. Sting – Starrcade ’97
A year-long build ruined by a botched fast count. Instead of delivering the definitive WCW moment, it killed momentum and left fans scratching their heads.

🎃 Hogan vs. Warrior – Halloween Havoc ’98
Two legends, one nightmare. This “rematch” devolved into one of the clumsiest, most painful main events of all time.

👑 The Royal Rumble (2015)
Roman Reigns was supposed to be crowned, but the Philadelphia crowd revolted. Not even The Rock could save the chorus of boos.

☝️ The Fingerpoke of Doom
A single poke ended a main event, tanked WCW’s credibility, and symbolized the company’s downfall.

💪 Triple H vs. Scott Steiner – Royal Rumble 2003
A dream clash that turned into 20 minutes of blown spots, awkward holds, and a dead crowd.

💀 Goldberg vs. The Undertaker – Super ShowDown 2019
Two legends colliding sounded epic, but botched spots left both men concussed and the fans horrified.

🔥 The Invasion PPV Main Event – 2001
WWE vs. WCW vs. ECW should have been the dream war. Instead, overbooking and bad pacing killed the storyline before it could even peak.

😵 Jeff Hardy vs. Sting – TNA Victory Road 2011
Hardy was in no condition to compete, forcing Sting to finish it quickly. Fans chanted “This is bullsh*t” as Sting walked out disgusted.

🥊 Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns – WrestleMania 34
Fans hijacked the match with chants of “boring” and “this is awful,” drowning out the main event WWE insisted on pushing.

🏆 The Royal Rumble (1999)
Fans expected a star to rise. Instead, Vince McMahon booked himself as the winner, forever tainting that year’s Rumble.

👉 These are the car crashes of wrestling history, the ones that prove even the biggest names and build-ups can fail spectacularly. With WrestlePalooza looming, fans can only hope history does not repeat itself.

That’s it for the very first Darrion’s Drop. Wrestling has always been more than just matches to me … it’s history, drama, and those tiny little tidbits that make you stop mid-scroll and go, “wait, I never knew that.” My hope is that every time you see my name pop up here, you leave with a nugget of knowledge, a spark of nostalgia, or just something that makes you love this wild business a little bit more.

Thanks for riding with me. This is just the beginning - and I’ve got plenty more drops to come.

— Darrion Axel

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Be Good People🤘
mr.teshk

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