WWE Friday Night Smackdown Review – February 3, 2023
Kicking off this week’s Smackdown with a video recapping the turn of Sami Zayn at Royal Rumble and the subsequent attack he endured.
We then head backstage to Kayla Braxton waiting outside the arena for The Bloodline. A car pulls up, and Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa, Paul Heyman & Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champion Jimmy Uso get out of it. Braxton asks for a comment about the status of Jey Uso in the group, and Heyman says they cannot confirm or deny everything while Reigns,Sikoa & Jimmy brush past her.
Finals Of The Smackdown Tag Team Title #1 Contenders Tournament
Braun Strowman & Ricochet vs. Imperium
Match starts off with a lock up then Braun Strowman pushes Giovanni Vinci across the ring before Vinci tags in Ludwig Kaiser. Kaiser gets in the ring, and Vinci looks to attack Strowman’s leg. Strowman shakes him off then sends Kaiser crashing into the mat.
Imperium rolls to the outside and takes a minute to strategize with Gunther as Ricochet tags in. Kaiser gets back in the ring, and Ricochet catches him with a dropkick. Kaiser then fires back with an uppercut that sends us to a break.
After the break Kaiser is raining down right hands on Strowman. Strowman then drops Kaiser and tags in Ricochet. Vinci tags in and Ricochet delivers a crossbody off the top then follows it up with a hurricanrana and a flying forearm. He hits a standing shooting star press, then goes for a pin but Vinci kicks out.
Vinci sends Ricochet into the ring post shoulder first, then tags in Kaiser. Ricochet catches him with a springboard elbow that sends him to the outside before Strowman throws Ricochet over the top to level them.
Gunther gets in Ricochet’s face and becomes increasingly frustrated which leads to him shoving Ricochet. The referee sees this and subsequently ejects him from ringside that sends us to another break.
Back from another break, Ricochet delivers a step up knee strike then rains down right hands on Kaiser. Vinci tags in and delivers a crossbody off the ropes. He then delivers a back body drop then tags Kaiser back in. Kaiser beats him down, then tags Vinci in.
Vinci delivers a vertical suplex, then goes for a pin but Strowman pulls Vinci out of the ring to break the fall. He then tags in and tosses Kaiser across the ring, then hits the Monster Bomb. Ricochet tags in and climbs on top of Strowman’s shoulders, then delivers a Swanton Bomb for the win.
Winners & #1 Contenders To The Smackdown Tag Team Titles: Braun Strowman & Ricochet
We then head to a video highlighting Rhea Ripley’s performance in the Women’s Royal Rumble match and her promo segment from this past Monday’s Raw during which she chose to face Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 39.
We head backstage to Kayla Braxton is with Smackdown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair. Braxton asks Flair how she feels about facing Ripley at the SoFi Stadium and Flair says it will be awesome but tonight she has her sights set on Sonya Deville. Deville walks in and starts running her mouth, then says she will walk into WrestleMania as Smackdown Women’s Champion.
Back from the break, we head to a video of Judgment Day crashing Rey Mysterio & NXT Tag Team Champions New Day’s appearance at a NASCAR event yesterday ahead of the first race of the year on Sunday.
Smackdown Women’s Title Match
Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Sonya Deville
Charlotte Flair & Sonya Deville lock up to kick this match off. Flair delivers a shoulder tackle, then hits a bog boot and ascends to the top before delivering a crossbody. Deville then knocks Flair to the mat that sends us to a break.
Back from the break, Flair rolls Deville up but Deville kicks out. Flair delivers a forearm, but Deville fires back with a knee. Flair sends Deville’s head crashing into the top turnbuckle then hits a pair of lariats and a series of chops.
She then hits a back suplex, then delivers a big boot and goes for a pin. Deville kicks out before she sends Flair’s leg bouncing off the top rope and follows it up with a big boot of her own.
Flair climbs to the top and looks for a moonsault. Deville gets her boot up, then goes for a pin but the referee catches her with her feet on the rope. Deville looks for a sunset flip but Flair reverses it into the Figure 8 for the win.
Winner By Submission & Still Smackdown Women’s Champion: Charlotte Flair (STILL CHAMPION!!!)
We then head to a video of Cody Rhodes discussing his win in the Royal Rumble match.
We head backstage to an angry Roman Reigns & The Bloodline. Reigns asks Jimmy where Jey is, and Jimmy says he doesn’t know. Reigns asks if he’s talked to him, and Jimmy says he hasn’t. Reigns says he finds the lack of communication between Jimmy and Jey disrespectful, then asks Jimmy (more intensely) if he’s talked to Jey. Jimmy says he hasn’t, then tells Reigns he will be there for him in their Smackdown Tag Team Title match. Reigns asks Solo Sikoa if he’s talked to Jey & Jimmy says if he hasn’t talked to Jey, then no one has. He then tells Jimmy & Sikoa to find their brother.
Tag Team Match
Viking Raiders vs. Brawling Brutes
Ivar fires off right hands then whips Butch into the corner and tags in Erik. Butch delivers a kick, then goes to work on manipulating Erik’s fingers. Ridge Holland tags in and delivers a shoulder tackle, then delivers a vertical suplex.
Butch tags in and Brawling Brutes deliver a double 10 Beats Of The Bodhran. They spill to the outside before Erik sends Butch into the barricade and knocks him to the floor that sends us to a break.
After the break Holland tags in and delivers a belly 2 belly overhead toss. He follows it up with a double underhook belly 2 belly throw. Ivar tags in and delivers a boot but Holland manages to hit an Alabama Slam. Ivar fires off back elbows, then tags Butch back in. Butch delivers a step up enziguri and a kick before Erik tags in.
Butch hits him with another step up enziguri, but Erik plants him and hands him off to a legal Ivar who is seated on the top rope. Butch delivers a hurricanrana, then looks for a moonsault. Ivar catches him, then tags in Erik. Erik beats him down then tags Ivar back in. Viking Raiders then deliver Ragnarok for the win.
Winners: Viking Raiders
After the match Drew McIntyre & Sheamus head to the ring and launch an attack on the Viking Raiders.
We then head to a video of the Pitch Black Match at Royal Rumble.
We then see Uncle Howdy put his hand on Bray Wyatt’s shoulder as he sits in a rocking chair.
Fatal 4 Way Raw Women’s Title #1 Contenders Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match
Natalya vs. Shayna Baszler vs. Shotzi Blackheart vs. Zelina Vega
Match starts off with 4 women go after one another. Natalya goes straight after Shayna Baszler and sends her out of the ring while Shotzi Blackheart takes care of Zelina Vega. Natalya & Blackheart then set their sights on one another before Vega drags Blackheart outside and locks up with Natalya.
Natalya looks for a body slam but Vega moves out of the way and hits a Code Red. She goes for a pin but Baszler breaks the fall. Blackheart then goes after Baszler but Baszler gets the better of her and targets her arm. Natalya gets involved in things but Baszler levels her.
After the break Blackheart & Baszler exchange right hands. Blackheart rolls up Baszler, but Baszler kicks out. Blackheart delivers a pair of kicks, then follows it up with a hip attack and they spill to the outside. Vega goes flying with a moonsault off the ropes and levels Baszler.
Natalya gets Shotzi in the ring and looks for a Sharpshooter, but Vega breaks it up with a Bulldog. Baszler then locks in the Kirifuda Clutch on Vega but Natalya breaks things up. Baszler gets Natalya into the hold but Natalya escapes and sends her to the outside. She locks in the Sharpshooter on Vega and Vega taps out.
Winner By Submission & Gets Into The Raw Women’s Title #1 Contenders Elimination Chamber: Natalya
We then head backstage to Roman Reigns & Paul Heyman. Heyman tells Reigns that Jey’s phone goes straight to voicemail. Jimmy & Solo Sikoa walk in, and tell Reigns they’ve had no luck finding Jey. Reigns says that there have never been hiccups until now, then says he feels like he’s being pulled in two directions.
He tells Jimmy he loves him, then says he’s sorry for speaking to him like he did. Jimmy accepts his apology, and Reigns says The Bloodline needs to be stronger than ever. He tells Jimmy & Sikoa to go eat on the bus, then says he’s heading out to the ring.
Reigns tells Greenville to acknowledge him as the crowd chants for Zayn, then says he would rather talk about Cody Rhodes than Sami Zayn. He says Rhodes deserves his attention, then says the WWE Universe has reduced him to talking about the past by chanting for Zayn.
The crowd continues chanting for Zayn, then says he will address him. He says it all started at War Games when he saw greed in Zayn’s eyes like he does in everyone else’s eyes. He expresses his frustrations with not being properly acknowledged, then says Zayn used him, his family, and The Island of Relevancy. He says fans do the same thing as Zayn.
Out of nowhere, a hooded figure comes out of nowhere and begins raining down right hands. He takes the hoodie off and reveals himself to be none other than Zayn himself. Reigns eventually gains the upper hand and calls for Heyman to get a chair. Heyman does as he is told, then looks to hit him with it. Zayn catches him with a Spear, then looks down at the chair before picking it up. He looks to whack Reigns with it, but Reigns rolls out of the ring.
Zayn grabs a mic and tells Reigns he’s wrong about him. He says he never wanted anything from Reigns until now: the Undisputed WWE Universal Title.
Jimmy Uso & Solo Sikoa come out of nowhere and launch an attack on Zayn. They deliver several boots before Sikoa hits a Samoan Spike. Jimmy grabs the chair and sets Zayn’s head up in it. Sikoa charges at Zayn but Reigns stops him. He removes the chair off Zayn’s head, then yells at Zayn for breaking up The Bloodline.
He says he gave him the key to the kingdom, but all he did was break up his family. Reigns tells him he will give him what he will want in Montreal so that he can break him in front of his own family and friends.
