Smackdown Live Review 01/02/2018

Hello Misfits. It’s time for this weeks Smackdown Live review. It’s the first episode of Smackdown Live of 2018. The road to Wrestlemania officially kicks off in the new year with the first stop being the Royal Rumble. This year there is going to be both a male and female Royal Rumble. Last week we saw some superstars make announce their participation for the rumble matches and I wonder if we’ll see more superstars announce that they are entering this week. Also the Usos defend the tag team titles against Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin. What is next for Owens and Zayn? Will we find out who Styles will face at the Royal Rumble defending his WWE Championship? Will there be more tension between Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan? Who will advance in the United States Championship tournament? Lets find out.

Smackdown comes to us live from Amway Centre in Orlando, FL.

–  Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton and Corey Graves are on commentary.

AJ Styles/Daniel Bryan/Shane McMahon
Styles wishes the WWE Universe a happy New Year. It’s a new year and its time for new beginnings. Styles is sure that everyone in the back has made New Years Resolutions. Styles has made resolutions too. Walk into WrestleMania as WWE Champions and LEAVE WrestleMania as the WWE Champion. That may be hard with people like Sami Zayn being in the way but Styles’ second resolution is to beat Zayn tonight. That said, Styles wants to hear from the man who allowed Zayn to be at ringside last week. Daniel Bryan’s music hits and he makes his way to the ring. Before Bryan can say a word Shane McMahon joins them in the ring.
Shane says he had the best of intentions last week when he came to the ring last week when he instructed the referee to eject Zayn last week. Shane says his presence may have contributed to Styles’ loss. Shane apologizes to Styles for what happened. Shane accuses Bryan of having a kinship with Kevin Owens and Zayn. Shane can’t understand why Bryan would allow Zayn at ringside last week. Shane asks Bryan if he is turning the Yes! Movement into the Yep! Movement. Shane says he is going to be in Styles corner tonight. Bryan says that isn’t what he had in mind but if Shane is going to be out for the match there shouldn’t be a problem with Owens being at ringside. And if that’s the case, Bryan will be at ringside as well.
Opinion
I liked the fact that Styles opened up the show but it ended up being about the Authority figures again. Nice decoy there WWE. It was necessary though to build to what would happen later in the evening. If this does not lead to Bryan vs Shane-O, than I’m really confused because they are spending a ton of time building this tension between the two guys.

Tag Team Championship
Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin def. The Usos (C)
Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin defeat The Usos after Gable and Benjamin hit their finisher on Jey.
Opinion
This was shocking and unexpected. Most of the match took place during the commercial break but I was conflicted about how I felt about this regardless. I was happy for Gable and Benjamin but I really wanted The Usos to hold the titles until at least Wrestlemania.

-After the match, Jey argues with the referee about the call. It seems he is arguing that he was the legal man, not Jimmy. a second referee runs to the ring and they watch a replay. The referee reverses the decision. Gable and Jimmy were not the legal competitors. The match has been restarted.

Tag Team Championship
The Usos (C) def. Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin
The Usos defeat Gable and Benjamin in the restarted match after the Usos double super kick Benjamin and then pin him after a splash off the top rope.
Opinion
The match was restarted due to the ONE TIME or rare time the referees decide to look at the instant replay footage to realize that the legal men weren’t in the ring for the finish. There are two full moons so I expect a lot of “once in a blue moon” moments this happen this month. I see this more as angle progression rather then the end of the feud. I definitely could see these two teams facing each other at the Royal Rumble in a 2-out-of-3 falls match or something.

– Backstage, Renee Young asks Owens and Zayn if Shane being at ringside will affect the outcome of the match tonight. Owens list the reasons why tonight is different. Zayn adds a “yep” after every point. Last week Owens beat Styles. This week, Zayn will beat Styles. Zayn says it doesn’t matter who is out there. Tonight, Zayn will defeat Styles on the Sami and Kevin show.

The Bludgeon Brothers vs. Breezango
The Bludgeon Brothers and Breezango ends in a No Contest. Harper and Rowen attack Breeze and Fandango before the bell rings causing the Ascension to come out for the save. Harper super kicks Konner and they hit the upside down on Viktor.
Opinion
I stand corrected from last week where I thought the Ascension were going to face the Bludgeon Brothers. Instead we got Breezango vs the Bludgeon Brothers again. Harper and Rowen seemed to be just as over this match as the fans were because they just attacked Breezango before the match began. I was okay with this but I’m curious to if this is leading to anything else. Plus…were the Bludgeon Brothers who Breezango were trying to find the entire time. I’m ready for the Ascension to step up their game against the Bludgeon Brothers with Breezango rooting them on in a change of heart.

– Backstage, Big E. and Kingston bring Woods a stack of pancakes shaped to spell 2018. Woods says when he wins the United States title they ALL become WWE United States Champion. Aiden English and Rusev walk in. English says he is going to win the United States Title. Rusev makes fun of New Day and blows out the candle on their pancakes.

– Mojo Rawley pre-taped promo where he says he’s going to defeat Zack Ryder next week to advance in the United States Tournament and that he’s doing to leave Ryder where he belongs…in the past. WWYKI.

United States Championship Tournament
Xavier Woods w/ The New Day def. Aiden English w/ Rusev
Rusev sings a song for Aiden English before the match.
Xavier Woods defeats Aiden English after hitting his rope walk elbow drop. Jinder Mahal was shown backstage with the Singh Brothers watching this match as he faces the winner. Rusev looked extremely disappointed while The New Day eats pancakes next to the United States Championship.
Opinion
I might be alone on this but I totally don’t understand this whole pancake joke. Did I miss something? Is it to reference something? Anyway, Rusev singing for Aiden English before the match was hard to listen to but the crowd ate it up and it was funny. The whole schtick is bad but its over because it’s so random and funny. I wouldn’t have minded seeing English go over here but this was just fine. I dont see Xavier getting past Jinder Mahal when they face each other and I’d rather it be a single New Day taking the fall rather than English or Rusev. This was solid but I wish they were doing more with Rusev and English.

– Backstage, Dasha interviews  The Welcoming Committee and they announce that they will be a part of the Women’s Royal Rumble.

– Karl Malone was in live attendance for Smackdown Live.

The Riott Squad def. The Welcoming Committee (Natalya, Carmella & Tamina w/ Lana)
In a decent match the Riott Squadd defeat The Welcoming Committee when Logan lands a handstand knee drop to the back of Tamina’s head for the pin fall.
After the match, Riott tells the crowd that magic isn’t real and that the Orlando crowd need a strong dose of reality. Riot than announces that they are all entering the Women’s Royal Rumble. Riott starts talking about how all the other women dream until they out cut off by Charlotte’s music. Charlotte comes out and congratulates the Riott Squad. Charlotte says she is a dreamer and if you have a passion you can make dreams into a reality. Charlotte says she is going to give Riott a dose of reality and that actions have consequences. Charlotte introduces someone who wants them to pay for their actions. Naomi joins Charlotte on the stage and they dance. Charlotte than says there is someone else who wants a piece of the Riott Squad. Becky Lynch comes out to a pop. The faces rush the ring and a huge brawl breaks out. Charlotte boots Logan in the face. Naomi hits the Disaster Kick on Morgan. Lynch hits an exploder on Riott and Morgan.
Opinion
The match was decent and followed your basic formula for a WWE Women’s tag match. The Riott Squad regained some momentum in this match. The promo following the match by Ruby Riott and Charlotte was great. I enjoyed the story they were trying to tell between dreamers and reality. I dig that Riott uses the word phony since its a word I still use. I had a feeling that Becky Lynch was coming back since it was all over social media that she returned at a live event this past week and the filming for the new Marine movie seems to have wrapped up. I was excited to see her return and I hope she plays a key role on Smackdown Live now. Before leaving she was sort of just floating around doing things but she deserves so much more. I really enjoyed this segment.

– Baron Corbin cut a pre taped promo on how he’s going to win the Royal Rumble and how he can’t wait because the match is built for him.

Sami Zayn w/ Kevin Owens def. AJ Styles
Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan are also at ringside for this match. In a controversial finish Sami Zayn defeated AJ Styles after a helluva kick. The finish came when Owens was blocking the referee from getting into the ring to count the fall. Owens finally moves out of the way and Zayn kicks out at two which pisses Shane off. Styles is questioning the referee. Shane pushes Owens and instructs the referee to toss Owens. Bryan gets on the mic and tells Shane if Owens is leaving, Shane needs to as well. As Styles is distracted Zayn hits the Helluva Kick for the win.
After the match, Styles yells at Bryan and Shane to stop bickering like children. Styles says he doesn’t know who’s side Bryan it on. Since Owens and Zayn can’t stay out of each other’s matches, why not just put him in a handicap match against them both. Bryan (quite jovially, might I add) announces that Styles will defend the title against Owens and Zayn at the Royal Rumble in a handicap match. Bryan starts a Yes! chant on the announce table.
Opinion
This was storyline progression while two very talented guys tried giving us a solid match. I have no doubt that these two could possibly tear the house down if given the time and if you were to strip away all the outside stuff with the Kevin Owens and Authority figures. However, that wasn’t its purpose tonight. Once again Shane McMahon got too involved which allowed Styles opponent to take advantage and defeat him. Zayn and Owens walk out victorious again while Styles is pissed at everyone. Shane can’t help but let Owens and Zayn get under his skin but is he the bad guy here? The way Bryan took Styles advice and booked him to defend his Championship against Owens and Zayn in a handicap match at Royal Rumble couldn’t have been Bryan’s most fair decision. I’m sure Shane McMahon would agree. He wouldn’t even want Owens and Zayn in his shows WWE Championship picture but then again it was a request by Styles himself. It’s intriguing to see how this plays out next week.

Final Thoughts
I thought this weeks episode of Smackdown Live was entertaining from top to bottom but it wasn’t anything too spectacular. The highlights for me were the tag team championship match, Becky Lynch returning and all the drama in the main event but none of it was enough for me to say this episode was GREAT. It was good. I feel like they can only get better as the weeks go on heading into Royal Rumble and eventually Wrestlemania. I didn’t mind that Shisuke Nakamura, Bobby Roode and Randy Orton weren’t on the show. I’d rather them not be on the show than to be on it for no reason. I also feel like Nakamura is more of an attraction when he isn’t on every week. I am looking forward to next week since the way this episode went off the air, so thats one thing you know they did right.
Rating – 6.5/10