WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from January 17

The SmackDown Women's Championship was up for grabs Tuesday night as Alexa Bliss defended against Becky Lynch in a Steel Cage match, which headlined the Jan. 17 episode of WWE SmackDown Live.

The rivalry between the two women had intensified of late, particularly with the arrival of masked competitor La Luchadora. Would she make her presence felt Tuesday night?

The answer was a resounding "yes."

Elsewhere on the show, Shane McMahon made a huge announcement, AJ Styles was in action and Dean Ambrose battled Randy Orton in a showdown of former WWE champions.

What went down, how did each match and segment grade out and how would it affect the build to WWE's Royal Rumble pay-per-view?

The answers lie within.

Shane McMahon Announcement

SmackDown's commissioner, Shane McMahon, kicked off this week's episode and made a gigantic announcement: In four weeks, the WWE Championship will be up for grabs inside the Elimination Chamber.

AJ Styles took exception to the ruling and told McMahon he should consult the champion before making stupid decisions. The commissioner responded by calling Styles phenomenal and then said he has the chance to prove he is the best.

John Cena made his entrance and jawed with Styles before The Miz interrupted.

Cena instigated an argument between the heels before a match between the two was made.

Grade

B

Analysis

The Styles-Cena feud is so organic because fans have real allegiances to both Superstars. Like Cena vs. CM Punk, it is a program that will forever be hot because of the manner in which it splits the audience.

With that said, this was a strong segment that announced the pay-per-view main event for February, hyped Cena vs. Styles and potentially introduced The Miz to the WWE Championship picture.

AJ Styles vs. The Miz

The issues between AJ Styles and The Miz date back to the first television segment The Phenomenal One had in WWE, and they were reintroduced Tuesday night.

Each Superstar took turns controlling the match, working as heels to varying degrees of success.

Late in the bout, the action spilled to the floor, where Styles grabbed hold of The Miz and tossed him into John Cena, who was sitting in on commentary. Cena shoved The Miz into the barricade, drawing a disqualification win for the former intercontinental champion.

After the match, Styles attempted a Phenomenal Forearm, but Cena dodged and planted him with an Attitude Adjustment to close out the segment.

Result

The Miz defeated AJ Styles via disqualification.

Grade

B

Analysis

The heel vs. heel dynamic hurt this one, as the match itself was not up to the standards of their previous encounter.

With that said, it was still an entertaining match that intensified the disdain that exists between Styles and Cena ahead of another high-profile pay-per-view match.

The biggest X-factor is The Miz, who can now tout a victory over Styles. Perhaps a match with Cena will follow next week.

Nikki Bella Calls Out Natalya

Nikki Bella stood in the center of the ring and called out Natalya, eager to settle the differences that exist between them.

Instead of appearing before the live audience, Natalya walked through the arena lobby and made her way to the merchandise stand. She cut a scathing promo on Bella, including a few jabs at her own uncle, Bret Hart, before Bella came from out of nowhere.

The women crashed through a table and unloaded on each other with fists of fury before security separated them.

Grade

B-

Analysis

This was a hot brawl between the Total Divas stars and the best angle of the entire feud.

With that said, this still feels like a foregone conclusion—a story set up specifically to keep Bella busy until it's time to start the Road to WrestleMania.

There are no stakes, the feud has not been furthered in any measurable way and Natalya needs some serious help when it comes to over-emoting on the mic.

There are too many times where it feels forced rather than natural, though the same can be said about her on-screen rival.

Dean Ambrose vs. Randy Orton

The issues plaguing The Wyatt Family continued Tuesday night as Randy Orton attempted to beat intercontinental champion Dean Ambrose in a non-title match.

Late in the match, Ambrose mounted a comeback and sent Orton to the ringside area. He performed a suicide dive through the ropes and onto Luke Harper, who bumped into the commentary team.

Orton seized the opportunity to plant The Lunatic Fringe with a draping DDT. Harper, angered, entered the ring and attempted to avenge his assault at the hands of the champion. Orton and Bray Wyatt cut him off, arguing with the loose cannon.

That distraction allowed Ambrose to score the pinfall victory off a schoolboy roll-up.

Result

Dean Ambrose defeated Randy Orton.

Grade

B

Analysis

The match itself was good, with solid psychology, but the meat of this segment was in the closing minutes and the continued dissension within The Wyatt Family.

Orton and Harper do not get along, and their inability to function as a cohesive unit threatens the entire family.

It will be interesting to see which direction WWE Creative takes the story, but how Wyatt attempts to keep things together should make for some extraordinary television.

The King's Court with Dolph Ziggler

Jerry "The King" Lawler returned to SmackDown Live for a modern take on his King's Court talk show. His first guest...Dolph Ziggler.

Lawler tried to talk Ziggler out of his attitude change, reminding him it has not helped him change his losing ways.

Ziggler responded by airing footage from 2012 of the tag team match against Lawler, which aired just moments before The King suffered a heart attack at ringside. He threatened to finish the job if Lawler did not stop with the stupid questions.

Lawler asked The Showoff how it feels to forever be a loser, to which the former world champion responded with a superkick. He walked up the ramp as Lawler yelled his name, closing out the segment.

Grade

B

Analysis

There will be some who claim WWE Creative exploited Lawler's heart attack for storyline purposes, but The King is a consummate pro, and if he thought it would benefit a story, there is no way he would stand against it.

It remains to be seen if Ziggler's slower, more evil tone will strike a chord with fans, but it worked a hell of a lot better than his screaming shtick has in the past.

A strong angle that did more to make fans want to see Ziggler vs. Lawler than anything else the promotion has done with The Showoff to this point.

Steel Cage Match for the Women's Championship: Becky Lynch vs. Alexa Bliss

The women of SmackDown Live made history, headlining the Tuesday night show inside a steel cage with the women's title up for grabs.

Alexa Bliss controlled the majority of the match, but Becky Lynch caught her late with a huge Bexploder suplex from the middle rope. To the shock of the challenger, the maneuver netted her only a count of two.

With Lynch ready to escape through the door, La Luchadora arrived and blocked the exit point. The masked competitor blasted Lynch with a kick, setting up a big DDT from Bliss, who scored the pinfall victory.

After the match, the heels attempted a two-on-one beatdown, but Lynch fought back and revealed La Luchadora to be...the returning Mickie James.

The heels regained control and left The Lass Kicker lying to bring the show to an end.

Result

Alexa Bliss defeated Becky Lynch.

Grade

B+

Analysis

The match was strong and had some solid psychology. Never did Lynch or Bliss appear out of their element or overwhelmed by the enormity of the moment. They wrestled their match and had fans buying into the big spots.

The revelation of Mickie James as La Luchadora was expected but still creates an excitement for the women's division that should fuel it through the first few months of 2017. Lynch vs. James should result in some spectacular matches while Bliss continues her program with the Irish-born competitor.

A great bit of booking featuring two Superstars who more than deserved the opportunity they had bestowed upon them Tuesday.