WWE Smackdown TV taping report
January 13, 2015
Baton Rouge, La.
Report by Cliff I., PWTorch reader

Smackdown SPOILERS 1/15

- The new announce team for the Thursday night return show is Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, and Byron Saxton.

- Daniel Bryan comes out for an in-ring interview with Saxton. The crowd watches Bryan’s beat down at the hands of Kane eight months ago. Bryan agrees he must take Kane seriously and promises to win from here on out. Bryan is then interrupted by The Authority, sans Stephanie McMahon. Triple H calls for the first match of the night...

(1) Daniel Bryan beat Kane via DQ when J&J Security stormed the ring and pulled Kane out of the Yes! Lock. More Authority members entered the ring, forcing Bryan up the ramp, where Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns joined him.

Hunter wants to get this resolved and sets up a six-man tag match for the show’s main event.

- Next is one of many reminders that the "Macho Man" is the first 2015 Hall of Fame inductee. A video flashes across the Titantron, followed by a Bray Wyatt monologue.

(2) The Miz & Damien Sandow & Alicia Fox beat WWE tag champs The Usos & a rather vicious Naomi in a mixed six-person tag match. Mizdow's act was way over and quite hilarious in-person. Eventually Miz pinned Jimmy for the win.

- Renee Young interviews Roman Reigns over the Titantron concerning the six-man tag match later.

- A video shows Paul Heyman doing a darn good Vince McMahon powerwalk impersonation, navigating backstage. And he’s up next. First, a video recap of the WWE Title contract signing mayhem from Monday's Raw fills the Titantron.

Although Heyman looks mad, he claims to be sad, maybe because he’s about to be interrupted by Seth Rollins accompanied by J&J Security. Seth wants to curb-stomp Brock Lesnar, but since Brock isn’t here, he will settle for a Curb Stomp on Heyman. Heyman talks his way out of the ring corner that Seth backed him into, reminding Seth that he’s a powerful man, power built upon Brock’s defeat of The Streak and Brock capturing the World Heavyweight Title. Heyman tells Seth that he will determine when The Future is now.

(3) Natalya (w/Paige) beat Divas champion Nikki Bella (w/Brie) via submission to the Sharpshooter.

- Back to the Titantron for an interview with Big Show. He reminds everyone of all the people he has knocked out and what he intends to do at the Royal Rumble. He claims that no group of men in WWE can eliminate him from the Rumble. Enter Kane to inform Show of his newly-acquired spot in the Rumble. It came across that dissension is building in The Authority between Kane and just about everyone else.

(4) IC champion Wade Barrett beat Sin Cara via pinfall to retain the Intercontinental Title.

(5) Daniel Bryan & Roman Reigns & Dean Ambrose beat The Authority (Big Show & Kane & Seth Rollins w/The Authority) in a six-man tag match. Early on, Seth takes a lot of punishment from Ambrose and Reigns until Kane enters, which is followed by a long ringside brawl near the announce table. A long argument takes place between Kane and the rest of The Authority as the faces watch from the ring. Back in the ring, Show destroys Ambrose, who does a great job for the remainder selling a leg injury. Hot tag to Bryan, who handles all the heels. Eventually Bryan gets the pinfall on Kane.

Post-match, Hunter applauds Bryan and says Kane deserves a re-match next Thursday. Should Bryan lose, he loses his spot in the Rumble.

- Afterwards, Bryan gave a heartfelt and sincere address to the live crowd telling everyone how he’s missed this for the last eight months. He reminds us what he loves to do and why he loves to do it. He’s glad to be back because this gives him solace in the wake of his father’s death. He thanks Baton Rouge, then makes the rounds shaking hands along the barricades to send everyone home happy.

No match for the live crowd.

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