WWE SmackDown Live REVIEW: Full Results, Grades & Highlights for 1/2/18

INTRO: We rewatched a recap of last week’s AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens match. This package highlighted Shane McMahon’s unwitting role in costing Styles the match, as well as Sami Zayn’s deft dousing of a victorious Owens with a water bottle.

OPENING SEGMENT: Tom Phillips announced a Styles vs. Zayn match for this evening. Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin would also receive a SmackDown tag team championship match against the Usos tonight.

Styles made his way to the ring. He wished everyone a happy new year, and shared his perception that many superstars had made a new year’s resolution to win the Royal Rumble. Styles said his resolutions include taking his WWE title to WrestleMania and walking out of the main event wearing the gold. He also resolved to beat Zayn tonight. Styles questioned whether SmackDown general manager Daniel Bryan would allow Owens to stand in Zayn’s corner. Bryan (the non-wrestler) got an even bigger crowd response than Styles (the WWE champion) as the announce team questioned whether the general manager was showing favoritism to Zayn and Owens.

Shane-o-Mac made his own full entrance just after Bryan got to the ring. Shane shook both men’s hands. He admitted that his presence may have contributed to AJ’s loss, so he apologized to the champion. Styles gave him a fist bump to end the matter. McMahon said that many people suspected Bryan of sharing a kinship with Owens and Zayn. He asked Bryan pointblank if he was turning the “Yes!” movement into the “Yep!” movement. When Bryan tried to respond, Shane cut him off, and declared that he’d be ringside himself tonight to counter Owens’ presence.

Bryan said that he wasn’t planning to bring McMahon to ringside, but if the commissioner is going to be there, Owens should allowed there as well. And, if Shane and KO would be at ringside, Bryan said he’d join them. McMahon and Bryan trumpeted their plans to start off 2018 with a bang. Styles looked flustered at these announcements.

SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match

The Usos (c) vs. Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin

Phillips said that Gable and Benjamin earned this title shot by winning last week’s tag-team triple-threat match. Benjamin started this match by cheap-shotting Jey Uso off the apron, then wrestling Jimmy into his corner. Chad Gable made a bling tag before getting elbowed to the arena floor. Jimmy Uso slugged Benjamin with an uppercut, then went to the top rope. Benjamin jumped onto the top turnbuckle to catch and beel-throw Uso to the mat. Meanwhile, Gable went to the adjacent corner and nailed a prone Uso with a moonsault. Jey dove into the ring to break up the pinfall. The referee attempted to regain control as we went to break.

Jimmy Uso was still trying to break free of Gable’s grip when we returned. With Gable holding his left leg, Jimmy missed one roundhouse enziguri but “connected” with another kick. That looked atrocious on live television, although the Orlando crowd didn’t seem to notice the whiff. Both wrestlers tagged out. Jey Uso ducked a Benjamin haymaker, then pulled down the top rope to send Benjamin falling to the floor. Uso then took a running start and squashed Benjamin with a leap over the top rope.

Back inside, Jey Uso slid under Gable’s attack, then hip-tossed him over the top rope. When Gable got up, Uso launched himself onto Gable with the same high-flying move that he used on his partner. Jimmy and Jey called for a tandem assault on Gable. When they bounded off the ropes, however, Benjamin tripped Jey. He pulled him outside the ring and threw him into the ringside barricade. Gable returned to the ring and was summarily ejected by Jimmy Uso. When Jimmy attempted to dive through the ropes onto Gable at ringside, Benjamin cut him off with a hard knee to the head. Benjamin and Gable executed their top-rope powerbomb/bulldog combination maneuver on Jimmy for the apparent victory.

The official awarded the belts to Gable and Benjamin. Jey returned to the ring and told the referee that he was the legal man, so the pinfall should not have counted. A second referee passed Gable and Benjamin on the ramp and explained the situation to the in-match ref. We go to a Titantron replay that showed Jey Uso and Shelton Benjamin tagging into the match, then Gable pinning Jimmy Uso. Gable and Benjamin stood worried on the ramp. The referee motioned for the ring announcer and told him, “My mistake.” As neither man involved in the pinfall was legal, the match was restarted as we went back to break.

Gable and Benjamin continued to plead their case to the referee as we return, then just pulled the tag-team championship belts away from him. With their attention elsewhere, the Usos blasted the newly uncrowned champions off the ring apron. They belted Gable and Benjamin with right hands, then tossed them into the barricade. Inside the ring, Jey hit Benjamin with a reverse crescent-kick, uppercut, and Samoan Drop. When Uso went for the running hip-block, Gable pulled his partner out of harm’s way, sending Uso crashing into the turnbuckle. Gable then struck Jimmy Uso with his rolling somersault kick outside the ring. Jey Uso punched Gable when he got back onto the apron, but that move allowed Benjamin to roll up Uso for a two-count.

With both men on their feet, Benjamin planted Jey Uso with a spinebuster. The challengers set up Jey for their top-rope finisher. But when Gable went for his bulldog, Jey dipped upside-down in Benjamin’s arms, and Gable jumped over his partner straight into a Jimmy Uso superkick. Jey punched his way out of a Benjamin powerbomb, and made the tag just before cracking Benjamin with his own superkick. Both Usos clocked Benjamin with a double-superkick. Jey tagged back in to smash Benjamin with a top-rope splash for the win.

Result: The Usos beat Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin when Jey Uso pinned Benjamin with a top-rope splash.

Grade: B+

Backstage, Zayn and Owens chanced upon Renee Young. She asked Zayn if the trifecta of interlopers at ringside would affect his match’s outcome tonight. Owens took the question instead, assuring her that, although the city and his Tuesday breakfast were different than last week, their duo would still beat Styles tonight. Zayn claimed that Bryan is just being a good general manager. He touted the “Seven, I’m sorry, Sami and Kevin Show.” Owens acknowledged it was weird that Zayn said “Seven,” but proclaimed that his guardian angel would beat the WWE champion.

Breezango vs. The Bludgeon Brothers

The Bludgeon Brothers started beating up Breezango during the recap package for this feud, which was smart planning. The production team took us back to live action as Luke Harper slapped Erick Rowan. Harper whipped his partner into a corner splash of Breeze, whom Rowan then fed into a Harper boot. Harper scored with a running elbow into Fandango, then stood him up for a Rowan cross-body-block. As Phillips announced that this match never officially started, we heard the Ascension’s music.

Konnor and Viktor ran to ringside and barked at the Bludgeon Brothers from the apron. The Bludgeon Brothers simply knocked Konnor to the floor and manhandled Viktor into the ring. Konnor got superkicked by Harper when he tried to intervene. The Bludgeon Brothers slammed Viktor with their double-team cross-drop maneuver.

Result: No match.

Grade: N/A

Back in the locker room, a blindfolded Xavier Woods swung at the air with a large stick. His New Day partners stopped that behavior, telling Woods they had a present for him. He guessed incorrectly that it was a Golden Girls DVD boxset, then guessed correctly that it was pancakes arranged to spell out “2018” and surrounded by whipped cream. While Big E and Kofi Kingston were disappointed that the lousy blindfold ruined their surprise, Woods told them that they’d all be U.S. champion when he won the tournament. As he prepared to blow out the pancake candle, Rusev and Aiden English interjected themselves into the conversation. English said every day would be Rusev Day when he became U.S. champion. Rusev blew out their pancake candle, leaving New Day indignant.

The World Wildlife Federation advertised during this past commercial break, which is a funny way of dunking on WWE’s legal team. We returned to find Mojo Rawley glaring at us. He told Ryder he’d beat him in the U.S. title tournament and stick him back in the past where he belonged. Rawley mockingly pumped his fist and intoned, “Woo woo woo.”

Before the U.S. title tournament match, Rusev silenced English so he could sing himself. He crooned his advice for WWE fans to, “Mark your calendars, save your dates / This is your new champion of the United States. He’s so tall, he’ll make Woods pay / for Aiden English brings a victory to the Rusev Day.” That tune called to mind Russell Crowe’s vocal performance in Les Miserables.

Xavier Woods vs. Aiden English (U.S. championship tournament)

English grabbed a headlock to start. He shoulder-tackled Woods, then exchanged counters with his opponent. Woods evaded two English strikes before connecting with a discus forearm for a two-count. He avoided an English charge that sent the Drama King spilling to ringside. Woods slingshotted himself over the top rope. When English moved out of his path, Woods rolled to the concrete, and hit English with a kick to the gut. Rusev distracted Woods, who went for his Honor Roll clothesline on the outside. English sidestepped him, slamming Woods’ head into the steel steps.

English brought Woods inside the ring as Big E tried to revive his partner by tossing pancake bits at him. It didn’t work, as English pounded Woods with a kick to the head and some right hands. Corey Graves repeatedly invoked Beauty and the Beast song lyrics as English clutched Woods in a reverse chinlock. Woods battled to his feet. He flung English to the mat, then hit him with a superkick to the sternum. Woods struck English with chops, then recovered from a kick to the midsection to lift English into a torture rack and drop him into a lumbar check. That move earned a near-fall.

Both men slowly recovered. English got his boot up when Woods charged him in the corner, but Woods responded with an O’Connor Roll for a two-count. English reversed that move, then caught Woods with his fireman’s carry into a spinebuster move. He covered Woods for a 2.9 count, looking incredulous that he hadn’t won. English brought Woods to the corner. He climbed the top rope, and lifted Woods for a potential powerbomb. After a protracted fight, Woods backdropped English to the mat. He followed up with his top-rope-walk elbow drop to advance in the U.S. title tournament.

Result: Xavier Woods pinned Aiden English with his top-rope-walk elbow drop.

Grade: B-

Dasha Fuentes stood backstage with Natalya, Carmella, Lana, and Tamina. All four competitors have “qualified” for the inaugural women’s Royal Rumble. Natalya told Fuentes they were feeling good after running off the Riott Squad last week. She said the Welcoming Committee would show the Riott Squad tonight that their imitation is no substitute for the real thing.

Natalya, Carmella, & Tamina vs. The Riott Squad

Natalya took Liv Morgan over with a side-headlock, which Morgan countered with a head-scissors. They repeated this sequence with their roles reversed. Morgan kipped up and celebrated her move. Natalya shut her up by applying a top wristlock, which Morgan reversed. She whipped Natalya into the ropes. Liv pulled off the old Trish Stratus matrix move to avoid a Natalya clothesline, spouted off about it, then got drilled by a discus clothesline for a two-count. Natalya went for the Sharpshooter, prompting Morgan to kick herself free and squirm to ringside.

Back from break, Sarah Logan grounded Carmella with a submission move. After fighting the hold for a minute, Carmella broke it with a jawbreaker and brought Logan down with an O’Connor Roll. Logan kicked out, sending Carmella into Tamina for the tag. Tamina bashed Logan with a big right hand, clothesline, and elbow, then knocked down an interfering Ruby Riott with an impressive superkick. She slammed Logan with a Samoan Drop and went up top. When Riott distracted the official, Morgan shoved Tamina off the ropes. Logan performed a cartwheel into a kneedrop to the neck for the pin. That’s not a worthy finisher.

Result: The Riott Squad beat Natalya, Carmella, and Tamina when Sarah Logan pinned Tamina after a cartwheel-aided kneedrop.

Grade: C+

Riott told the Orlando crowd that magic was phony, just like they were. She yelled that the Riott Squad and its success were real, and her two partners would join her in entering the Royal Rumble. Charlotte Flair walked out to congratulate the Riott Squad on their victory. She said she is a dreamer, but offered to give Riott a dose of reality. She summoned Naomi, then introduced someone who wanted to make the Riott Squad pay for their actions. The crowd chanted “Becky!” even before Becky Lynch joined her allies for a fight.

Flair, Lynch, and Naomi brawled with the Riott Squad at ringside. Flair booted Logan while Naomi kicked Morgan to the mat. Lynch threw Riott and Morgan with Becksploders. The heels backtracked up the ramp as Lynch celebrated her return.

Baron Corbin stared…and stared into the camera somewhere backstage. He said he couldn’t wait to tear through his opponents in the Royal Rumble and main-event WrestleMania.

WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Sami Zayn (non-title)

We finally saw Zayn’s hyper-dorky skank dance due to Sami getting his full entrance. Styles laced into Zayn with a clothesline just one second after the bell rang. He rammed shoulders into Zayn in the corner, then bashed his face into the turnbuckle. Styles snap-suplexed Zayn and followed him to a corner. When the referee moved Styles back, Zayn took advantage by hitting him with a right hand. Zayn peppered Styles with punches, then back-body-dropped him for a one-count when AJ finally created separation.

Both men exchanged strikes in the center of the ring. Zayn got the better of Styles with a knee and hard elbow. He couldn’t sustain the advantage, as Styles caught him with a dropkick as Zayn bounded off the ropes. Zayn found sanctuary ringside in the form of Owens, who faced off with Styles. This conflict brought over McMahon and Bryan for more discussion. Styles pushed Zayn back inside the ring. Zayn stopped him with a kick upon AJ’s reentry, however, and hooked Styles with a fisherman buster for a two-count as we took our final break.

Zayn grounded Styles with a chinlock as we returned. When AJ tried to get up, Zayn pulled his tights to bring him back down. Styles elbowed his way free and battered Zayn with a flurry of strikes, completing the combo with a terrific clothesline. Styles landed a running forearm, giving him time to recover. AJ connected with a leaping clothesline in the corner, then executed a pump-handle gutbuster for a two-count.

Zayn broke out of a fireman’s carry and bailed to the ring apron. When AJ approached him, Sami snapped his throat down over the top rope. Zayn smiled and went to the top rope. Styles quickly knocked him off his perch, crotching Zayn on the turnbuckle. AJ went for ushigoroshi again, executing it for a near-fall. He signaled for the Styles Clash. Zayn dipped to one knee repeatedly to stop the move, then ducked a wild right and nearly won the match with a Blue Thunder Bomb.

Frustrated, Zayn lined up a Helluva Kick. When he ran toward AJ, Styles similarly sprinted toward him and applied the Calf Crusher. Zayn failed to counter the move, eventually crawling to the bottom rope to break the hold. Styles went right back to the left knee. Zayn forearmed Styles until he dropped his leg, and the two men traded forearms. Styles nailed a Pele kick with no warning, sending Zayn slumping into the turnbuckle. AJ charged Zayn, who backdropped him to the apron. Styles landed on his feet and forearmed Sami, then lowered his elbow pad for a Phenomenal Forearm.

When Styles jumped off the top rope, Zayn rolled under him. Styles rebounded and attempted an O’Connor Roll. He drove Zayn directly at the referee, who fell from the ring while trying to get out of the way. Styles trapped Zayn in a crucifix pinning combination. As the referee attempted to get back in the ring, Owens feigned concern for his wellbeing in order to physically block him from counting the pin. The ref finally got into position, but Zayn kicked out milliseconds before the three-count was made.

Styles reacted with disbelief and Shane shoved Owens to the floor. McMahon demanded that the referee toss Owens from ringside, and the official obliged. Bryan grabbed the microphone, and said, “Hey, Shane. If you’re throwing Kevin out, why don’t you leave with them?” Loud, mixed crowd response for that question. McMahon stared bemusedly at Bryan. With the referee distracted, Owens tried to interfere once more. Styles kicked him off the ring apron, but left himself a sitting target for Zayn’s Helluva Kick. Graves chalked up another assist for the “hotheaded” commissioner.

Result: Sami Zayn pinned AJ Styles following a Helluva Kick.

Grade: B+

An angry Styles grabbed a microphone after the match. He told Bryan and McMahon to stop bickering like children. Styles said that he wanted to “entertain” people without bystanders getting involved. To make everyone happy, he suggested the SmackDown powerbrokers just throw him into a handicap match with Owens and Zayn. Bryan immediately seized on those words to book a Royal Rumble handicap match involving those three superstars for the WWE title. Bryan led the crowd in his “Yes!” chants while Sami and Kevin yelped their own “Yep!” cheers.