WWE Smackdown 1/26/2024

WWE Smackdown 1/26/2024

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/01/wwe-smackdown-1192024.html 

They had a singer named Eladio Carrion introduce Randy Orton. Orton said he bet nobody thought he was friends with him and thanked him for putting him in his music video. Orton said he's here to talk about Bloodline though. He said Roman's been the champ for a long time then said he will win The Rumble, beat Roman and be a 15-time champ. He said he will do it with the RKO.

AJ Styles came out. He said there are other people in the 4-way and asked if Orton looked past him. AJ says to join the club. He said he asked for a match with Solo Sikoa and said Pearce game that match to Orton instead. AJ said Orton should know better and said he has a receipt coming.

LA Knight comes out. He tells AJ to stop crying and said he doesn't want to fight Solo Sikoa a day before The Rumble. He accused Paul Heyman of lobbying for this in an attempt to soften him up. LA says it's because he's the biggest threat. He said he will hit Solo so hard that he will do his dad's dance moves. He said he will walk over all 3 of them and anyone who walks in the way of him being champ.

LA leaves and AJ kicks Orton, knocking him down.

Carlito vs Santos Escobar

They get in each others faces. Carlito hits punches then hits corner stomps. Carlito bangs Santos' head off buckles. Carlito is kicked then body blocks him. Carlito hits mounted punches and is pulled into the 2nd buckle. Santos goes for a plancha, is caught and has his head banged off the apron. Carlito argues with Angel and Humberto then Santos topes him.

We go to break and return. Santos lariats him then rips Carlito's shirt and tape off. Santos flying double knees him then 2nd rope hurricanrana's him. Santos works him arm and punches it. Santos pulls him down by the hair.

Carlito gets out and hits lariats. Carlito hits a nice dropkick then a spinning neckbreker for 2. Carlito spinebusters him then hits a knee lift and lariat. Humberto distracts the ref and Angel pulls Carlito out. The LWO fights with Humberto and Angel outside. Cruz top rope swantons out then Elektra Lopez arrives and takes down Zelina Vega off the apron. Santos then rolls up Carlito and wins it.

It was about what I expected - an average match with shenanigans between the two groups that affected the finish.

Lopez does a group cheer with Legado del Fantasma after.

They talk about how important of a week this was for WWE, metioning that they will be on Netflix and not mentioning that Vince just got accused of pooping on someone. They then say The Rock is on the TKO board.

AJ Styles walks into Jimmy Uso in the back. Jimmy said AJ should help them get rid of LA tonight, then they won't have to worry about him tomorrow. The OC then walk in and ask what that was about. AJ says don't worry about it.

Nick Aldis and Ava Raine talk in the back. Nick congratulates her and Ava asks for tips. Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits pop in. Boby grabs his number for The Rumble. Legado del Fantasma walk in. Bobby said don't think we forgot about you. Santos then says something in spanish and grabs his number for The Rumble.

Bayley talks about what the walls would say about her. She said she stepped up at times and said she had it all until she didn't and got injured. Bayley then talks about Damage Ctrl's creation and successes. She said The Kabuki Warriors will win the women's tag titles and said she will win The Rumble tomorrow. She said everything she predicted will become true and said it's destiny.

R-Truth is spinning the Royal Rumble tumbler and signing while doing it. He picks out a number and says "aw no". He then asks if it means he will have to quarantine. He is then told it's his Royal Rumble entry number. He then calls Nick "Adam" and said Mr. Pearce's hair grew fast.

WWE Women's Tag Titles - Katana Chance and Kayden Carter (c) vs The Kabuki Warriors

Carter and Asuka start us off. Carter basement dropkicks her off the bottom rope. Chance slingshot sentons Asuka then armdrags both opponents. Chance and Carter hit stereo dropkicks through the ropes and Chance corkscrew plancha's outside. We go to break and return.

Chance takes kicks from both opponents and a baseball slide. Chance hits shots then pulls the ropes down and Asuka goes out. Chance throws Sane out as well and goes for the tag but Carter isn't there. Carter then jumps off the top onto Sane and Asuka outside. Carter dropkicks and senton combos on her opponents outside then running booths Asuka in the face.

Carter springboard legdrops Asuka for 2. Carter is codebreakered then Sane headhunters her while she is in it. Carter takes a kick + sliding d combo. Sane uraken's both opponents. Sane goes for a top rope elbow and Carter gets her feet up. Carter does a hammerlock blade runner to Asuka. Chance and Carter then do the keg stand on Asuka for 2. 

Chance top rope crossbodies Sane then Asuka sliding knees Chance. Chance takes an alabama slam on the commentary table. Asuka spin kicks Carter then high kicks her. Carter takes a reverse ddt + top rope elbow drop. The Kabuki Warriors win.

It could have been a little better but it wasn't a bad effort. I'm really not sure why they did the title change here and this way though. The match was not built up that well and the Royal Rumble is tomorrow. Why not do it there instead? I feel bad for Chance and Carter as it took them a long time to get to this point and it ended soon after it happened.

The Kabuki Warriors celebrate with Damage Ctrl and get fireworks after.

The Bloodline minus Roman talk in the back. Paul tells Solo sometimes solve and fix can sound similar but aren't. Paul said Solo solved the problem last week but didn't fix it as ordered. He tells Solo not to be merciful. Solo says "okay". Jimmy then asks if that's the smirk and says that's scary. Paul said Roman went from big dog to tribal chief because he saw the moment and seized it. Paul said there's a moment for Jimmy Uso to seize this weekend. Paul said there's a visionary with one leg looking to be a martyr this weekend. Paul said he needs to seize this moment, win the Rumble and beat Seth at Mania. He says he needs to bring the World title to The Bloodline and will understand that the line of succession to who is really the tribal heir all starts at The Rumble. Paul was really good here.

Bayley goes up to Nick Aldis and runs into Bianca Belair. Bianca won't say which number she got but will become a 2x Rumble winner. Bayley picks her number and doesn't seem happy with it.

 

Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits are in the ring. They talk about their accolades. Bobby said he didn't come to Miami to play as the people came to see a fight. Bobby tells The Final Testament to come get some.

They come out but only Scarlett goes up to the ring. Dawkins said isn't this supposed to be a face to face? Ford said The FT are something they could never be - scared. Paul Ellering says there's no fear in Karrion Kross. Kross said Paul speaks the truth. He said all he sees is frustration and desperation in Bobby's crew. He said Bobby feels like he isn't in control and he is not in control.

Kross said they are face to face and honored their agreement. Kross said they are not getting their fight tonight. Bobby says they are fighting tonight. Scralett rakes Bobby's eyes and The Street Profits fight off camera. Bobby is sent into the post. Dawkins takes a lariat and Ford takes a powerbomb. Kross forearms Bobby in the back of the neck and lays him out.

Jimmy Uso goes to pick his Rumble number. He says no yeet and isn't happy about it.

We see clips from yesterday of Logan Paul and Kevin Owens arguing at the Performance Center. Logan throws a drink at him and they brawl.

Austin Theory vs Carmelo Hayes

The fought two weeks ago. Melo got hurt during it and the match was stopped. They go face to face and talk trash. Melo hits punches then hits a nice dropkick. Melo springboard twisting lariats him and Theory goes out to stall. Theory throws Melo out and Waller nails Melo outside.

We go to break and return. Melo hits forearms then Melo hits flying elbows. Melo hits an unusual neckbreaker then hits a la mistica facebuster on him for 2. Melo is pulled off the top then Theory hits a wild ataxis (flipping the opponent into a flatliner). Melo rolls up Theory, Theory reverses it and grabs the tights to pin him.

Waller nails Melo after. Melo takes a 2v1 then Trick Williams comes out. Trick decks both opponents and throws them out. Melo smacks him on the back and Trick said he was saving him as they have a match coming up.

Trick coming out to help was a shocker here as was him getting a big pop. The match was short but entertaining with some flying. Theory's ataxia move is a wild one.

Eladio Carrion is interviewed. He said it was fun to kick off Smackdown. He said Orton will walk out Royal Rumble winner. The Bloodline then walk in and stare him down. Eladio acts scared and Paul calms things down as they keep on walking.

LA Knight vs Solo Sikoa

Solo splashes LA in the corner then hits punches and headbutts. LA slingshot shoulderblocks him. Solo no sells it and then LA stomps Solo's hand. LA hits a baseball slide then bangs Solo's hand off the apron, commentary table, steps and rail. They sell this as LA trying to weaken the samoan spike. Solo punches him then throws him into the rails. LA bangs Solo's hand off the post. LA slingshots in and is nailed.

We go to break and return. LA hits lariats then takes a release samoan drop for 2. Solo hits headbutts in the corner then lariats him. LA comes off the 2nd rope and bulldogs him. LA hits punches then flying lariats him. LA russian legsweeps him and hits corner stomps. LA running knees him in the corner then knocks Jimmy off the apron. LA ddt's Solo then lariats him over the top. LA dropkicks him through the ropes.

 

LA bangs Solo's head off the table outside then running knees him. AJ Styles then comes off the rails and forearms LA. LA is sent into the steps. Jimmy Uso and AJ stare down then Jimmy passes AJ a chair. Jimmy tells him to do what he's gotta do. Solo tells AJ to take care of LA or he takes care of him. AJ hits Solo and Jimmy. Randy Orton then comes out. Randy euros AJ then powerslams Jimmy.

Solo pulls Randy out and bangs his head off the commentary table. Randy backdrops Solo on the announcer's table. Jimmy tries to run from Randy then takes a bridging ddt. AJ springboards, misses and Randy bridging ddt's him. Randy RKO's AJ. Randy poses then LA hits a BFT on him.

Things were going well here with LA working Solo's hand but they forgot about it.  I didn't love the post match angle. AJ's tweener character was dumb for not using the chair on LA and opting for using it on Bloodline instead, when he had passed up other chances to hurt them.

Overall thoughts: It was a fast paced show. We only had 4 matches here and I wouldn't really recommend this one. I don't know why Chance and Carter lost their titles here. The main event had a dirty finish as has been the trend lately and AJ's tweener character still has logic issues.