With of Clash of Champions over, SmackDown Live this week focuses on the fallout and the beginning of the road to the Royal Rumble. The Riott Squad is in action, The Usos take on Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin, and there is a star-studded six-man tag team main event.
Opening Segment
To kick off the show, SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan comes down to the ring and Commissioner Shane McMahon joins him. At Clash of Champions, Bryan and McMahon were both special guest referees in a match that could have resulted in Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn losing their jobs. Things got heated, leading to McMahon refusing to count a three count while Bryan counted a quick three to make up for it.
Bryan’s actions were to protect the “shared vision” of SmackDown Live being the land of opportunity that it is grown to become over the last two years. He says that he wants to protect Shane McMahon “from himself,” because if he continues down the road he is going, he might be going from “Shane O’Mac” to “Mr. McMahon,” a reference to the evil boss that his father became almost 20 years ago.
The Usos vs. Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin
At Clash of Champions, The Usos successfully defended the SmackDown Tag Team Championships in a Fatal Four-Way match against Rusev and Aiden English, The New Day, and the team of Char Gable and Shelton Benjamin. Going into the match, Gable and Benjamin didn’t garner much of a reaction, but in what seems to be the case of the tag division this year, they earned tons of praise with their in-ring work.
Gable and Benjamin learn from their mistakes this past Sunday and dispose of Jimmy Uso before double-teaming Jey Uso. After hitting Jey Uso with a rolling German suplex, they team up to hit him with a powerbomb assisted from Gable hitting a clothesline off of the top rope. Winners: Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin
Announcement
Naomi makes history by being the first official entrant in the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match, taking place next month.
Charlotte Flair & Naomi vs. Sarah Logan & Liv Morgan (w/Ruby Riott)
After Naomi makes her historic announcement, she and Charlotte Flair are interrupted by the Riott Squad. Before they can start their assumedly planned attack on the current and former SmackDown Women’s Champions, Naomi challenges them to a match.
Naomi dodges a spear from Sarah Logan, leading to Logan running right into Liv Morgan on the apron. When Logan turns around, she hits the Rear View, scoring a win over the Riott Squad. Winners: Charlotte Flair & Naomi
Dolph Ziggler’s United States Championship Celebration
In a shock to the entire WWE Universe, Dolph Ziggler defeated Baron Corbin and Bobby Roode to win his second United States Championship. Ziggler “celebrates” by showing the fans that this is far from his first big win. He shows clips from every championship win he has had, with two US Title victories, five Intercontinental Championship wins (with three of them in 2010), and of course, his World Heavyweight Championship win over Alberto Del Rio.
As usual, Ziggler goes on to say that he is underappreciated and this time, it is the final straw. He says that the fans are not “worthy” of his presence, so he drops the US Title in the ring before walking away.
Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods (w/Big E) vs. Rusev & Aiden English
This is not the first time that these two teams are squaring off, but it is different from every other match. Since Christmas is next week, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods are dressed up as the gingerbread man and a reindeer, respectively. They face Rusev Claus and Aiden English in a snowman outfit.
After English gets flapjacked into a plate of flapjacks, Woods finishes him off with a springboard elbow, picking up the victory. Winners: Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods
Randy Orton, Shinsuke Nakamura, & AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, & Jinder Mahal
It seems like WWE doesn’t know what to do with the WWE Championship scene, so they just threw everyone into a six-man tag match.
To end a pretty typical six-man main event, the faces pick up the victory to keep the crowd happy going into 205 Live. Winners: Randy Orton, Shinsuke Nakamura, & AJ Styles
