WWE Smackdown Review – January 19, 2024
Kicking off this week’s Smackdown with Smackdown GM Nick Aldis introduces AJ Styles, LA Knight & Randy Orton, all of whom then make their way down to the ring. Styles, Knight & Orton waste no time and sign the contract as soon as they each get inside the ring. Paul Heyman appears to inform Aldis that him & Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns just arrived and haven’t had a chance for an attorney to look over the contract for the match. He says due to this Reigns will not be signing the contract.
Aldis says it’s fine that Reigns refuses to sign the contract because he has 3 signatures and will make it a Triple Threat match for the vacant Undisputed WWE Universal Title. Heyman tells Aldis he cares deeply about him and compliments him on his looks. He says Aldis won’t be able to sell the match to the Board of Directors, fans or Reigns.
Knight tells Heyman to pipe down and says this should be a 1 on 1 match between him & Reigns. He says instead Styles & Orton got to jump the line after they both had a few months off. Styles tells Knight that The Bloodline tried to end his career and when Knight stepped over him, he lost. He says as a result Knight shouldn’t even be in the match. Knight expresses his confidence in being able to dethrone Reigns and says he’ll walk over him again. He says it won’t be The Bloodline that leaves him laid out but him instead.
Styles & Knight begin brawling with one another up the ramp. Aldis and several other officials run down to separate them but Styles breaks free and goes after Knight again. They brawl to the back leaving Orton alone with Heyman in the ring. Orton tells Heyman he sees what he’s trying to do but it won’t work because he’ll beat Solo Sikoa later tonight.
After the break Styles finds Aldis and demands a match against Knight later tonight. Aldis grants him such.
6 Man Tag Team Match
Legado Del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Angel & Humberto) vs. Latino World Order (Cruz Del Toro, Joaquin Wilde & Carlito)
Angel sneaks up on Carlito after sliding out of the ring targeting his leg then Cruz Del Toro tags in and delivers a hurricanrana off the top to Angel. Joaquin Wilde tags in and delivers a double back elbow with Del Toro.
Del Toro & Wilde then double team on Angel before Humberto tags in and Wilde delivers a dropkick arm drag combination to the 2 of them.
He sends an interfering Escobar crashing out of the ring then goes flying over the top as Del Toro does the same to take down Angel & Humberto as we go to a break.
After the break Escobar delivers a dropkick to the side of Wilde’s face as the legal Humberto holds him in place. Angel tags in then immediately tags back out to Escobar.
Angel & Humberto send Wilde colliding with Escobar’s knee before Garza tags back in.
Humberto becomes legal and fires off stomps on Wilde in the corner with Garza then Garza tags back in and delivers a dropkick then tags back out to Humberto.
Wilde delivers a DDT to Humberto then looks to tag in Del Toro or Carlito but Angel pulls them both off the apron but Carlito hops back on and tags in.
Carlito levels Humberto then flips him inside out with a clothesline and catches Garza with a dropkick. He lands a spinebuster on Humberto and goes for a pin but Escobar breaks the fall.
Escobar makes the blind tag in as Carlito hits Backstabber to Humberto but Escobar sneaks up on him and rolls him up for the win.
Winners: Legado Del Fantasma
After the break we head to a video from Bobby Lashley & Street Profits who challenge The Final Testament to a match at any time or place.
Tag Team Match
British Strong Style (Pete Dunne & Tyler Bate) vs. Pretty Deadly (Kit Wilson & Elton Prince)
Match starts off with Tyler Bate & Kit Wilson lock up then Pete Dunne tags in and snaps Wilson’s fingers then stomps on the back of his knee and tags Bate back in.
Bate gets Wilson up on his shoulders and executes an Airplane Spin taking out Elton Prince in the process who looks to help Wilson out. Wilson rolls to the outside as we go to a break.
After the break Wilson tags in and lands a gutbuster on Bate after Prince tosses him over. Bate responds with a kick out of the corner and Wilson looks to land an uppercut on him.
Bate catches him and hits a t bone suplex to him then tags in Dunne & Dunne stomps on Wilson’s fingers then delivers a kick to his head then does the same to Prince then sends Wilson crashing on top of him.
He fires off stomps on Prince then tags out to Bate & Bate wears down Prince then tags Dunne back in.
British Strong Style deliver a double running enzuigiri Prince & Bate goes flying on the outside to level Wilson.
Dunne snaps Prince’s fingers back in the ring and hits The Bitter End for the win.
Winners: British Strong Style
Kevin Owens welcomes fans to The Kevin Owens Show then introduces United States Champion Logan Paul.
Paul makes his way down to the ring and says he would say he’s honored but he’s not seeing as it’s a bottom of the barrel show. He tells Owens that it’s his show now and throws it to a video of their encounter at WrestleMania 37. He says Owens embarrassed him in front of 70,000 people 4 years ago and thanks him for being the reason he became a WWE Superstar. Owens says he barely remembers encountering Paul at WrestleMania 37 but Paul would have as it was his 1st WrestleMania. He tells Paul that he’s been in the business for 25 years and Paul was one of many for him then gives Paul credit for putting in the work and becoming better than anyone thought. He says Paul isn’t a wrestler and Paul says he doesn’t want to be like them before he rattles off all his titles.
Owens says Paul it’s great Paul can say that he’s a United States Champion for the rest of his life but it’s a joke that’s gone on for far too long and he plans on ending the joke at the Royal Rumble. Paul says the only reason Owens was able to knock him out was because of his cast on his right hand while he’s done it multiple times without one. Owens says the fans have been watching WWE for the last 10 years and know he can always get back up no matter what and says there isn’t a punch Paul can throw that can keep him down for three seconds or knock him out.
Owens gives Paul his words that he won’t have his cast on at Royal Rumble and takes it off. He throws it out of the ring but when he turns around Paul surprises him with a right hand. Paul gloats but Owens gets back up and asks if that’s all Paul’s got. Paul charges at him but Owens fires off right hands on him. They spill out of the ring and Paul sends Owens’ injured hand bouncing off the ring post.
We then head backstage to The Bloodline and see Roman Reigns chewing everyone out. Solo Sikoa takes responsibility for him & Jimmy Uso last week then says he will fix things tonight.
Women’s Tag Team Titles Match
Kayden Carter & Katana Chance (c) vs. Unholy Union (Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn)
Unholy Union attacks Kayden Carter & Katana Chance before Isla Dawn delivers a running knee to her and Alba Fyre pins her but Carter kicks out and Fyre whips her into the corner.
Dawn & Chance tag in and Chance sends Dawn’s head crashing into the mat then follows it up with a hurricanrana and a clothesline in the corner then tags in Carter.
Carter & Chance sits Dawn on the top rope and join her but Fyre pulls them down.
Dawn delivers a kick to Carter then tags Fyre back in. She rolls up Carter but Carter kicks out. Fyre gets Carter up on her shoulders as Chance levels Dawn on the outside.
Carter escapes and hits a Canadian Destroyer then tags out to Chance & they then hit Keg Stand for the win.
Winners & Still Women’s Tag Team Champions: Kayden Carter & Katana Chance (STILL CHAMPIONS!!!!)
After the match Kabuki Warriors slide into the ring with the Women’s Tag Team Titles in hand. They taunt Chance & Carter then hand them their titles.
After the break we head over to a video from The Final Testament & they agree to meet Bobby Lashley & Street Profits’ face 2 face next week.
We then head backstage to Carmelo Hayes chatting with Cathy Kelly before A Town Down Under walk in and Austin Theory challenges Hayes to a rematch after their No Contest bout last week. Hayes accepts.
AJ Styles vs. LA Knight
Both men waste no time going after one another before LA Knight sends AJ Styles crashing into the middle turnbuckle face first then delivers a suplex and fires off chops on him.
Styles catches him with a series of strikes and a backbreaker but Knight fires off right hands on him.
Styles responds with a chop but Knight catches him with a bodyslam and fires off stomps on him in the corner.
They spill to the outside and Styles whips Knight into the barricade near the timekeeper’s area.
Knight then sends Styles crashing into it face first and sends his head repeatedly bouncing off the announce table as Jimmy Uso strolls down to ringside to keep an eye on the action.
Knight gets in his face and returns to Styles where he is met with an enzuigiri as Solo Sikoa sneaks up on Knight and hits Samoan Spike & the ref calls for the bell.
Winner By DQ: LA Knight
After the match Sikoa then goes after Styles and sends him crashing into the ring steps. He dumps him in the ring and grabs a mic then says 2 down 1 more to go tonight.
Randy Orton vs. Solo Sikoa
Both men exchange right hands with one another before Solo Sikoa hits a hip attack to Orton in the corner and they spill out of the ring.
Sikoa sends Orton’s head bouncing off the announce desk then sends him colliding with the ring steps as we go to a break.
After the break Orton sends Sikoa crashing into the announce table spine first before Sikoa sends Orton’s head bouncing off the ring apron, then dumps him back in the ring.
They get back in the ring and Orton delivers a DDT off the middle rope to Sikoa. Jimmy Uso marches back down to ringside but LA Knight blindsides him on the ramp.
Jimmy manages to escape but AJ Styles clocks him and sends him crashing into the Titan Tron.
Back in the ring Sikoa looks to hit Samoan Spike on Orton but Orton sees him coming and lands an RKO for the win.
Winner: Randy Orton
After the match Orton hits an RKO to both Knight & Styles before Roman Reigns blindsides him with a Superman Punch before Aldis hands him the contract. Reigns signs it and drops it at Aldis’ feet then looks to land a Spear on Orton but Orton counters into an RKO and stands tall to close out this week’s Smackdown.
Next Week’s Smackdown
Carlito vs. Santos Escobar
Carmelo Hayes vs. Austin Theory
Women’s Tag Team Titles Match
Kayden Carter & Katana Chance (c) vs. Kabuki Warriors (Kairi Sane & Asuka)
