SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE SMACKDOWN TV REPORT
JANUARY 19, 2024
ATLANTA, GA. AT STATE FARM ARENA
AIRED ON FOX
Announcers: Kevin Patrick, Corey Graves
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO OUR POST-SHOW PODCAST
[HOUR ONE]
-A video package aired on last week’s main event with The Bloodline vs. Randy Orton & A.J. Styles & L.A. Knight.
-Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman arrived. Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa were in the arena already waiting for them. Reigns asked Jimmy if he fixed things. Jimmy said no. Reigns calmly said he was there to make things right again. Heyman and Reigns walked away. Solo said to himself that he would fix everything.
-Kevin Patrick and Corey Graves introduced the show.
-Nick Aldis stood mid-ring and introduced the contract signing for the Royal Rumble main event title match. He introduced Styles first. Styles entered the ring to his music and immediately signed the contract with an intensity to his demeanor. Aldis introduced L.A. Knight, who marched to the ring and also promptly signed the contract. Randy Orton came out to his music and signed the contract.
Paul Heyman then stepped out. Heyman said they just arrived and haven’t had time to submit the contract to an attorney. “So therefore, unfortunately, Roman Reigns will not sign that contract this evening.” Boos rang out and they cut to jeering fans.
Aldis said: “Just to be clear, Roman Reigns isn’t signing this contract? Paul, that’s absolutely fine.” Heyman smiled and turned and began to leave. Aldis said he’s got three signatures and he’ll just make it a Triple Threat match for the vacant Universal Championship. Heyman turned around and marched to the ring. A “Randy!” chant broke out.
Heyman stepped onto the ring apron and told Aldis he cares deeply about him. “I half-way respect and admire the mediocre job that you’ve done as the Smackdown executive in charge of the show.” He said he looks really good while doing his job including “these wanna-be custom suits you’re wearing.” He said no matter how good he looks, there’s no way he can sell that to the Board of Directors or even the fans nor the Tribal Chief “who calls the shots” on Smackdown. He said Roman will defend his title at the Royal Rumble, but only in a one-on-one match.
Knight yelled, “Will you shut the hell up?” He said he had Reigns’s shoulders pinned at Crown Jewel and Jimmy saved him. He threatened Heyman and then said two Johnny Come Lately’s have arrived and inserted them into the match that should be his.
Styles interrupted and said Knight doesn’t seem to get it. He said The Bloodline tried to end his career and then Knight walked over his body to get the title match against Reigns, “and you lost.” He told Knight he’s lucky to be in the match. Knight said if anyone has a horseshoe up their keister, it’s Styles. He told him to watch the bass of his voice when he talks to him. Styles said they’re not fighting just Reigns, but also each other. Knight sarcastically thanked Styles for explaining it to him.
Knight said he’ll pin Reigns to become champion and then he’ll step over his body. Knight said everyone will be saying his name. Fans obliged. Styles heard enough and ignited a brawl with Knight. Aldis tried to break them apart. Other officials came out. Styles broke free and they fought some more.
Back in the ring, Heyman was smiling and enjoying what he was seeing. Orton then grabbed his tie and said he sees what Heyman is trying to do and it won’t work. He said later he’s going to drop Solo and beat him in the middle of the ring 1-2-3. He said after that, he’s going to reintroduce to Reigns “to the three most dangerous letters in all of sports entertainment – R-K-O!” Heyman cowered as Orton patted him and left the ring.
(Keller’s Analysis: Aldis continues to excel in his role as an authority figure with actual confidence. Heyman was entertaining as he reacted to Aldis not putting up with his crap. Orton was that alpha top babyface that Reigns needs if there’s going to be any sense of jeopardy going into title defenses.)
-Patrick and Graves hyped the rest of the show.
-They showed Logan Paul backstage with his own cameraman.
-The LWO made their entrance. [c]
-Styles asked Aldis for a match later against Knight. Aldis agreed.
(1) SANTOS ESCOBAR & ANGEL GARZA & HUMBERTO CARILLO vs. CARLITO & JOAQUIN WILDE & CRUZ DEL TORO (w/Zelina Vega)
Wilde and Del Toro landed ringside dives and then celebrated in the ring as they cut to an early break. [c]
The heels isolated Wilde for a while until he hot-tagged in Carlito. Eventually Carlito landed a backstabber on Humberto, but Escobar had blind-tagged in and rolled up Carlito for the win. As Carlito sat up looking frustrated, the heel trio quickly fled to the stage
WINNERS: Escobar & Garza & Carrillo in 9:00.
-Kayla Braxton interviewed Pretty Deadly backstage briefly. They were brimming with confidence. They said they spent the past week studying their opponents and there won’t be any surprise partners this week. They said they’ve never been better prepared. They turned and made their entrance. [c]
-A vignette aired with Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits who said they’re up for a fight with Karrion Kross and AOP anytime.
(2) TYLER BATE & PETE DUNNE vs. PRETTY DEADLY (Elton Prince & Kit Wilson)
Bate walked out first. Then the big screen said “Pete Dunne.” Corey Graves excitedly said, “Hell yes!” He called him The Bruiserweight. They cut to an early break with Dunne and Bate in control. [c]
Dunne eventually hit his Bitter End finisher on Prince for the win.
WINNERS: Bate & Dunne in 7:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: No surprise after last week’s skit that they were changing Butch’s name. I was hoping for Sparky McGee as his new name, but Pete Dunne will do, I suppose.)
-A sponsored video package aired on the Kevin Owens-Logan Paul feud.
-A promo aired with Logan Paul who threatened to sue Owens if he uses his cast in their match.
-Owens made his ring entrance. [c]
-The announcers hyped Styles-Knight and Orton-Solo.
-Kayla Braxton interviewed Pretty Deadly backstage. She noted that they said they were ready, yet they still lost. They claimed they were prepared to fight Butch, not this new guy they’ve never seen before Pete Dunne.
[HOUR TWO]
-Kevin Owens Show: KO stood in the ring and introduced Logan as his guest. Logan made his way out. He said Owens is the reason he’s a wrestler in WWE. He said he came prepared with a clip. They showed KO giving him a stunner at WrestleMania in 2021. Logan said that embarrassment inspired him. KO said he didn’t remember doing that because, unlike Logan, he has been in wrestling for decades and has done too much to remember something like that. Logan said he didn’t hear anything he said. Logan said he’s an innovator and maverick, where as Owens is just KO.
Owens said he’s heard Logan insult him for his weight, but he’s a real wrestler unlike Logan. He said Logan has become U.S. Champion, but he got an advantage because of his status. He was given every opportunity on the fast-track. He said Logan is protected so he can’t even say everything he wants to say about him. KO said there’s not anything Logan can dish out to him that he can’t get up from. KO said he heard him threaten to sue him if he wore his cast, so he vowed to not wear it at their match at the Rumble. He said he’d take it off now. He did, but Logan attacked him. KO got up as Logan was celebrating. Logan then slammed Owens’ injured arm into the ringpost. Logan stood on the ringside steps and held up his title belt.
-Reigns was upset with Heyman and Jimmy over what happened last week. Solo said it was his fault, but he’d fix it tonight. Reigns seemed surprised if not impressed with Solo stepping up like that.
-The announcers hyped the tag title match up next. [c]
(3) KATANA CHANCE & KAYDEN CARTER vs. ALBA FYRE & ISLA DAWN – WWE Women’s Tag Team Title match
Bayley was on commentary for the match and the rest of Damage CTRL stood by her. Both teams’ ring entrances aired along with formal ring introductions. Bayley vowed to win the Royal Rumble and then beat Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania. Carter landed a Destroyer on Fyre. Chance tagged in and Chance and Carter finished Fyre with their Keg Stand finisher.
WINNERS: Carter & Chance in 3:00 to retain the Women’s Tag Team Titles.
-After the match, Asuka and Kairi Sane entered the ring and had the tag title belts with them. Carter and Chance yanked them away from them.
-The announcers acknowledged the late Pat Patterson’s birthday and said he invented the Royal Rumble.
-Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, and Michin spoke to Styles backstage. Gallows said they will still watch his back. Styles turned and left without acknowledging or approving of what Gallows said. [c]
-A vignette aired with The Final Testament, the faction name for Karrion Kross, Paul Ellering, and AOP (Akam & Rezar). Kross said they are disrupters and it costs them the opportunities that go to people like Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits. He hyped their match next week.
-Cathy Kelley interviewed Carmelo Hayes backstage. He said he and Austin Theory were fortunate to walk away from last week’s match against Austin Theory without injuries due to bonking heads leading to the match being stopped. Theory and Grayson Waller walked in. Theory accused Carmelo of trying to injure him. Carmelo challenged him to wrestle in a rematch next week. Theory hemmed and hawed about having a lot going on. Waller then volunteered himself instead. Theory told Waller not to do that.
-As Styles made his ring entrance, the announcers hyped Cody Rhodes and C.M. Punk in a “face to face” segment, plus Drew McIntyre vs. Damian Priest. Also, Seth Rollins would update his status as the World Hvt. Champion, the implication being that his knee injury might necessitate him relinquishing his title if he’s going to miss extended time with his MCL tear and a partial of tear of his meniscus, as reported earlier by Fightful Select.
(4) A.J. STYLES vs. L.A. KNIGHT
Knight made his ring entrance next. The bell rang 37 minutes into the hour. They brawled to ringside a few minutes in. Solo attacked them at ringside, giving Knight a Samoan Spike and then giving Styles a Samoan Spike.
WINNER: No contest in 5:00.
-Afterward, Solo said, “Two down, one to go.” [c]
(5) SOLO SIKOA vs. RANDY ORTON
As Orton made his entrance, Graves said Aldis has three signatures for the Royal Rumble match, but he still needs Roman’s signature. The bell rang 48 minutes into the hour. They cut to an early break. [c]
Back from the break, Orton slammed Solo onto the announce desk. Solo fought back right away and threw Orton into the ring. Orton caught Solo re-entering the ring and delivered his hanging DDT off the middle rope. Orton signaled for an RKO, but then Jimmy marched out. Knight attacked Jimmy half way up the aisle. Styles made his way to the ring next. Orton watched. Solo turned Orton around with intent to Spike him, but Orton delivered a sudden RKO for the win.
WINNER: Orton in 6:00
-Reigns came out and took out Orton with a Superman Punch. Aldis handed him the folder and then Reigns signed the contract. Instead of handing it back to Aldis, he dropped it at his feet. He set up a Spear, waiting for Orton to stand. He charged, but Orton caught Reigns with a sudden RKO also. Fans cheered. Everyone was down and slow to rise. Orton sat up as his music played. Patrick asked if that’s the RKO that could shatter Reigns’s historic reign.
(Keller’s Analysis: Largely by the number logical booking to have the four wrestlers involved in the main event mixing it up along with Solo and Jimmy. They really put over Orton strong with his RKOs and his music playing at the end, so the emphasis this week is on framing Orton as the most likely to beat Reigns at the Rumble among the three challengers.)
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.