WWE SmackDown! | Episode | 1/24/20 | American Airlines Center |Dallas, Texas | Review Written by Kyle Combs
Can you feel the excitement? The road to Wrestlemania begins this Sunday, January 26th, 2020. Friday night Smackdown is our last stop before the rumble.
Rundown
Smackdown kicked off with a 6-man tag team match. The Usos teamed up with the big dog Roman Reigns against King Corbin, Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode. Remember with Roman’s victory last week he decided the stipulation for his match, a falls count anywhere match, against King Corbin at Minute Maid Park at the Royal Rumble.
Jimmy Uso injured his knee early on and Ziggler made sure to make his presence known, he wasn’t the legal man, and took the opportunity to blast Jimmy into the steel steps and ring post. Jimmy was escorted away from ringside and the match continued as a two on three handicap match.
This was a fun match to kick off the show, Jay was given a chance to dig deep and he did. Roman always gets to dig deep, that’s the appeal of him. After several near falls by team Corbin, Jimmy comes back, cleans house and while Roman beats the crap out of Corbin all around the arena, Jimmy gets the pin fall over Roode.
After this match, a video package showing The Fiend, Kane and Daniel Bryan from last week’s episode of Smackdown. Just a reminder, Bryan vs. The Fiend at Royal Rumble is a strap match.
Lacey Evans had an interview with Michael Cole and cuts a heartfelt interview at that, talking about her father who she lost to addiction. The WWE Universe was all over it. Bayley comes out of nowhere and attacks Lacey. Michael Cole got the hell out of there.
Kayla Braxton with a backstage interview with Carmella and Dana Brooke to discuss the women’s Royal Rumble. We are all reminded that Mella is money and Dana wasn’t having any of it. Bayley and Lacey continue their beat down of each other, interrupting the interview. Dana and Carmella restrain Lacey.
The pop the Goddess Alexa Bliss gets when her music drops is always cool. Her and Nikki make their way to the ring for some women’s tag team action against fire and desire Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville. Before the match starts, we see Mandy and Sonya in the back talking about Otis and how they are fire and desire, not fire and desire and Otis.
The match begins and Lacey and Bayley are still throwing down and they make their way to the ring. It’s pandemonium as the women just start fighting anyone they can get their hands on.
After the beat down in the ring, we go backstage again for Braun and Elias and they come face to face and the WWE Universe enjoys their opportunity to walk with Elias.
This leads us to tag team action….again as Braun and Elias team up against Shinsuke and Cesaro. This was a quick match with a lot of back and forth. Braun and Elias looked great as a tag team, quick but entertaining match.
The New Day, Kofi and Big E cut a backstage promo. Kofi is in singles action against John Morrison and Big E is incredibly….greasy.
King Corbin cuts a near perfect obnoxious, heel interview with Kayla Braxton, he’s confident in himself that not only will he defeat Reigns at the rumble but will also win the rumble.
John Morrison makes his way to the ring, does his cool slo-mo thing and Sami Zayn, whoops I mean the Miz came out with him and begins plugging his reality show and blaming the WWE Universe for not cheering John Morrison after returning after eight long years. The Miz announces he and Morrison are entering the Royal Rumble, nobody is surprised. But the mic work was AWESOME!
Kofi and John put on a fun match. We all know what these two guys are capable of and they brought it from start to finish. After high risk moves, going in and out of the ring, flying over the top ropes, and incredible striking by Morrison and a Spanish fly from the middle rope from him as well, Kofi lands an SOS, these guys go hard the whole time. The Miz and Big E get into it outside and unfortunately this entertaining match comes to an end soon after the Miz takes a kick from Kofi. Morrison got the pin fall victory. Great match.
Daniel Bryan entered first for the contract signing and the crowd went nuts. Yes! Yes! Yes! Bray Wyatt was in the Firefly Funhouse messing with a fax machine that started to smoke, much to the dismay of the fireflies, poor fireflies. Bray pointed out that Daniel won’t be facing him, but the fiend instead. So, it’s only fitting that HE signed the contract.
Daniel attacks the fiend and they start to go at it. The fiend hit a sister Abigail and ripped off Daniel’s shirt and proceeded to whoop Daniel with the very strap that he will be attached too with the fiend on the other end. The fiend signed the contract with his blood after stabbing himself in the hand with the pen, and we have a Universal Championship match ready to go!
Really fun show leading into the Royal Rumble, the matches were fun and everyone seemed to be on their game.
The road to Wrestlemania begins this Sunday, will you be watching? Let us know in the comments and let us know your predictions for the men’s and women’s Royal Rumble. My picks are Drew McIntyre and Sasha Banks.