WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights From Jan. 12
On the heels of a dominant message sent to Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits, what did Karrion Kross, Scarlett, The Authors of Pain, and Paul Ellering have in store for the WWE Universe on the January 12 episode of SmackDown?
The questions surrounding the newly formed faction were just one part of a jam-packed FOX broadcast that also saw the latest in AJ Styles, LA Knight, and Randy Orton's pursuit of the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship and a showdown between familiar foes Bayley and Bianca Belair.
Find out what went down, what it means to the company on the road to Royal Rumble, and how each segment graded out with this recap of the show.
Lineup
1 of 8Announced in advance for Friday's show were:
- AJ Styles, Randy Orton, and LA Knight prepare for Roman Reigns, Royal Rumble title shot
- Bianca Belair vs. Bayley
- Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro vs. Angel Garza and Humberto Carrillo
- Cameron Grimes vs. Grayson Waller
Paul Heyman Fails to "Fix This"
2 of 8
The scheduled match between Cameron Grimes and Grayson Waller never started as Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso, accompanied by Paul Heyman, jumped the former in the aisle way.
Heyman painted SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis as the villain in this picture, not him nor The Bloodline.
The top-ranking official on Friday nights insisted the Fatal 4-Way Match between AJ Styles, LA Knight, Randy Orton, and Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns at Royal Rumble was a done deal.
He further asserted his control over the brand by booking a 3-on-2 Handicap Match for the main event, pitting Styles, Knight, and Orton against Sikoa and Uso.
This was, if nothing else, a noteworthy and unpredictable start to the show. It comes at the expense of Grimes, who was poised to make his first appearance in weeks, but something tells this writer that he will find a way to make his presence felt at some point in the near future.
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Sikoa and Uso attacking Grimes coming out of the video recap from last week's show was a nice touch that felt completely unplanned and unpredictable. Considering how rarely that is the case, it was a welcome addition to the show.
- "Disassume yourself of the notion that this is a conversation between two equals, because it is not," Aldis told Heyman in a badass way of telling a loudmouth advocate that he is not as important as he thinks he is.
Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde vs. Angel Garza and Humberto Carrillo
3 of 8
Santos Escobar, Angel Garza, and Humberto Carrillo built momentum in their rivalry with the LWO Friday night as Garza and Carrillo defeated Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde in tag team action, though not without controversy.
Late in the match, Carlito appeared, jumping Escobar from behind at ringside. The distraction it caused allowed Garza to score a tainted victory via pinfall and a handful of rope.
The match was as good as one would expect given the talent involved, hampered only by a needless return late. Carlito could have been held off for another week while Garza and Carrillo scored a clean-ish win and the shine that comes from it.
As it is, the heels picked up a win, but Carlito's return suggests it may be short-lived. With Rey Mysterio out of action for a bit yet, the former Intercontinental and United States champion is over enough to keep Escobar busy.
Result
Carrillo and Garza defeated Del Toro and Wilde
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Corey Graves asked Escobar what has changed in Garza and Carrillo since the last times fans saw them. Little things like that help differentiate them from the Latin Lotharios we saw the last time the tandem was on main roster TV.
- The double gorilla press off the top by the heels was a great spot.
- Backstage, Carmelo Hayes attempted to talk to Aldis about a spot in the Royal Rumble when Grayson Waller and Austin Theory interrupted, leading to the making of a match between Hayes and Theory.
- Elsewhere, Paul Heyman tried to recruit Carlito to team with Sikoa and Uso in the main event but failed. Miserably.
Bianca Belair vs. Bayley
4 of 8
For the second, consecutive week on SmackDown, we got a lengthy match from the women's division as Bianca Belair battled Bayley in the rekindling of their rivalry.
The action was strong, featuring some great ring psychology from the heel and a resilient performance from The EST, but the story remained in the disintegrating relationship between The Role Model and her Damage CTRL teammates.
Late in the match, Bayley pleaded with Dakota Kai, Asuka, Kairi Sane, and WWE Women's champion Asuka for help but found none, left to go it alone and lose to Belair on her own.
Backstage, Kai wrote it off as an attempt by the group to show Bayley what she is up against in the Royal Rumble, but it is clear the faction is poised to excommunicate their former leader sooner rather than later.
And, potentially, ignite a babyface run for the former champion.
Result
Belair defeated Bayley
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Logan Paul cut a pre-match promo threatening legal action on Kevin Owens for the knockout punch he dealt the United States champion last week.
- Elsewhere, in a pre-taped vignette, Tyler Bate met Butch for coffee. They had a discussion that centered on the latter discovering his identity, with Bate asking what name he wants to make for himself, insinuating that the return of the "Pete Dunne" moniker is near.
- Belair used her own braid, tied to the bottom rope by her opponent, to trip Bayley up and send her face-first into the turnbuckle.
- Kevin Owens, in a pre-taped promo of his own, invited Paul to join him on The Kevin Owens Show next week.
Bobby Lashley Promo
5 of 8
Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits, still infuriated following the beatdown they suffered at the hands of Karrion Kross and The Authors of Pain a week ago, challenged the heels to meet them in the ring.
Instead, Paul Ellering emerged from the darkness and pointed to the video screen, where a new warning from Kross aired. In it, the former NXT champion officially labeled the group The Final Testament.
The babyfaces were left on guard following it as their newfound rivals continue to create an ominous environment on SmackDown.
This was a solid followup to last week in that it allowed the heels to take center stage without having to run the beatdown back or book a similar segment this week. It was a warning, more than anything, and is unlikely to be the last one.
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
- The video packages for Kross and Co. are going to get them over. The presentation to this point has been fantastic.
Carmelo Hayes vs. Austin Theory
6 of 8
What was a hotly contested match between two of the bright young stars poised to be the future of WWE, Carmelo Hayes and Austin Theory, came to an abrupt conclusion following what appeared to be a head and/or neck injury suffered by the latter.
The injury came after a top-rope maneuver in which Theory clearly landed on the top of his head/side of his neck and was clearly stunned.
The match was called off and commentators Corey Graves and Kevin Patrick did a great job of putting over the risk and danger of the in-ring action before transitioning into the next topic at hand, but not before wishing well to the competitors involved.
Result
No contest
Grade
Incomplete
Top Moments and Takeaways
- "If you've got eyes, Carmelo Hayes will impress you," Graves said of the former NXT champion.
- Theory's old-school SmackDown logo-inspired tights were pretty sweet.
- Referee Brian Tran showed great awareness and alertness in recognizing Theory's injury and calling off the match. It is a testament to the training the officials have today to recognize injury and react quickly and accordingly.
Randy Orton, LA Knight, and AJ Styles vs. Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso
7 of 8
Randy Orton, AJ Styles, and LA Knight officially have The Bloodline shaking ahead of Royal Rumble, as evidenced by the manner in which they pummeled Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso Friday night.
The heels took out Orton prior to the scheduled 3-on-2 Handicap Match main event but failed to keep him out as The Viper emerged from the locker room late in the contest and rocked Uso with an RKO for the win.
After the match, the successful babyfaces further punished their opponents, concluding by putting Sikoa through the announce table.
It was a definitive statement to Roman Reigns ahead of Royal Rumble that The Tribal Chief should be worried about losing his Undisputed WWE Universal title in the schedule Fatal 4-Way Match.
In the grand scheme of things, that being the overarching Bloodline story, it put Uso and Sikoa in a position to be scapegoats and tackling dummies. They were served up to the top contenders without any backup from The Head of the Table and left to endure their vengeance.
It will be interesting to see how long it is before they stand up to Reigns and we see the cracks continue to grow within what was once the most dominant faction in WWE.
Result
Orton, Knight, and Styles defeated Sikoa and Uso
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Next week on SmackDown: contract signing for the four-way Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match, Logan Paul on The Kevin Owens Show, and Katana Chance and Kayden Carter defend the Women's Tag Team Championship against Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn.
- Sikoa, unfazed by Heyman's failed attempts to find The Bloodline a partner, attacked Orton prior to the bell, essentially making the main event a two-on-two tag bout.
- Orton made the predictable comeback and won the match for his team, dropping ol' Jimbo with an RKO.
Overall Grade
8 of 8This was the first show where we got a clear indicator of what Triple H has in store for the blue brand.
Sure, there was the normal array of main event guys at the top of the card, but it was what happened around it that fans should be excited about.
From the tease of the return of the Pete Dunne moniker, to the official introduction of The Last Testament faction, to the video package highlighting NXT's Carmelo Hayes, it is clear that the COO of WWE is introducing the stars he once oversaw in the black and gold brand, as he originally envisioned them arriving on the main roster.
Add to that the further dissolving relationship between Bayley and Damage CTRL, as well as the intensifying battle between the LWO and the trio of Santos Escobar, Angel Garza, and Humberto Carrillo, and you have a lot to like about the foundation The Game is putting in place.
With the potential for more dissension within The Bloodline, there are more than a couple of stories to keep your eyes on moving forward.
The in-ring work was solid, if not spectacular this week, but the overarching show and the stories within made up for it.
Overall Grade: B+
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