Posted on 1/10/126 by Bob Magee
Randy Orton kicks off SmackDown
“The Viper” Randy Orton opened the show to a massive ovation
from the Berlin crowd, who serenaded him with a singalong of
his theme song. Orton took in the cheers from the crowd as
he got to the ring before he took a mic, ready to speak his
mind.
Orton said that it was good to be back in the ring as he
welcomed everyone to SmackDown. Before he could continue, he
was interrupted by the music of the newest addition to the
blue show’s roster, Trick Williams.
Williams started by talking about how another comes out
every week and says it’s going to be “their year”. He said
that he didn’t do that because that a new star has arrived,
and his name is Trick Williams. He noted how every country
loved themselves some “Trick Willy” as he boasted about his
physical traits. “This ain’t 2006, this is 2026, let’s talk
’bout it,” said Williams.
Orton responded by talking about how he’s 6″5′, 270 pounds,
has five kids and a “smokin’ hot wife” but that the only
number that matters is 14, which is the number of World
Titles he’s won. Orton expressed confusion on why Williams
came out to interrupt him, of all people, questioning if he
has the brains.
Williams said that he was the only one to seize the
opportunity to brush up against greatness, and that he was
here to put Orton on notice, as he was the Viper no longer.
Williams posed as Orton warned him not to turn his back on
him again because if it happened again, he wasn’t going to
whoop that Trick, he was going to kick that ass. Williams
belligerently slapped Orton’s microphone away as he got
punched by the Viper.
Orton hit Williams with his signature draping DDT and looked
like he was going to hit him with the RKO until the Miz
snuck up from behind to attack him. As Miz tried to plant
Orton with a Skull-Crushing Finale, that got reversed into
an RKO instead to the delight of the crowd. Orton looked
down on Williams, who was left stunned outside the ring and
had some harsh words for him.
As Orton left the ring, Rey Fenix’s music hit with our first
match set to take place in mere moments. Orton showed
respect to Fenix with a fistbump before he walked to the
back and encouraged Fenix to kick Williams’ ass (while also
emulating Fenix’s entrance taunt).
A fun opening segment and I have to say, I like how Trick
Williams has been presented so far in his main roster as a
cocky such-and-such who’s willing to talk a big game and can
back that up. It makes for a nice dynamic, especially when
he’s brushing up against veterans such as Orton, like we saw
here tonight. With the reports that SmackDown is overseen by
someone new creatively (more on that in the wrap-up), it’s a
good start.
**********
Trick Williams vs. Rey Fenix
Our opening bout tonight got underway with Williams shoving
Fenix to the rope and talking some smack to his face.
Williams slammed Fenix’s head to the mat but couldn’t keep
up with Fenix’s athletic display early on. Fenix avoided the
spin kick from Williams, but got shoulder blocked to the mat
afterwards.
Williams chopped at Fenix’s chest and Irish whipped him.
Fenix dodged between the ropes and used his speed to
capitalize with a springboard missile dropkick, which sent
Williams out of the ring. Fenix faked out Williams with a
diving feint, but got shellacked with a leg lariat from the
former NXT Champion. Williams planted Fenix with a MIchinoku
Driver for a near-fall as he then threw his foe out of the
ring. At ringside, Williams sent Fenix into both steel steps
as we took a break in the action.
Our match continued as Williams hit Fenix with a popup
uppercut for another near-fall. Williams tried to maintain
the aggression as he used his raw power to hoist Fenix on
his shoulders. Fenix got out of that predicament as he put
Williams on the top rope, looking for a high-risk maneuver.
After a struggle, Fenix connected with a top rope
hurricanrana on Williams, who managed to kick out at two
afterwards. With Williams laid out in the ring, Fenix
launched himself from the top rope. Williams put his knees
up to block the attack as he then hit a spinning pump kick
on Fenix. The former TNA World Champion then hit an
impressive modified Book-End for yet another near-fall.
Williams missed on the running splash as Fenix fought back
and connected with a reverse spinning DDT from the top rope,
but that wasn’t enough to put this one away. Fenix kicked
Williams in the back of the head as he then hit the Adios
Amigo kick from the ropes. Williams caught Fenix on the dive
and the subsequent pinning exchanged ended with the upstart
picking up the win thanks to a handful of tights on his pin.
Trick Williams def. Rey Fenix via pinfall
Fantastic SmackDown debut match for Williams that was a good
show of his strength and Fenix was the perfect foe to match
him up with here.
**********
– Intrepid reporter Byron Saxton was with Giulia and Kiana
James and asked them about the Women’s U.S. Title victory.
Giulia said that the title was back where it belongs and
that tonight, Alexa Bliss will be made an example of when
they face off.
– We got a recap of last week’s Ambulance Match between
Damian Priest and Aleister Black. After that recap, Priest
was interviewed about that match. Priest said that he was
hurting because Black put a beating on him, but he
ultimately won the war. As for what’s next for him? He said
he was going to call his shot for the WWE Title, as it might
lead him to the path of a man he respects, Cody Rhodes. At
that moment, Drew McIntyre interrupted. Priest reminded
McIntyre of the last time when they faced off when his
brains got scrambled.
After Priest left, McIntyre was asked about Three Stages of
Hell as he reveals that he had Cody Rhodes’ coveted Rolex
watch. He reiterated his vow to win the WWE Title by taking
advantage of Rhodes’ anger towards him.
– Elsewhere, Alexa Bliss was chatting with Charlotte Flair
on the phone before Nia Jax and Lash Legend, who tried to
antagonize her. Bliss said that Jax was maybe projecting her
own insecurities about her own trust towards her and
Charlotte. Bliss then warned Legend that Jax might not be as
she seems, speaking as someone who was once in that
position.
Women’s U.S. Championship: Giulia (c) (w/ Kiana James) vs.
Alexa Bliss
Giulia and Bliss got into a shoving battle to start as
neither woman could get the upper hand. That was until
Giulia grabbed Bliss’s hair and pulled her into a suplex.
With Bliss in the corner, Giulia ran into her with a
charging attack before she capitalized with a missile
dropkick. The women’s U.S. Champion seemed to have things in
control until Bliss dodged an attack from Giulia, which
caused her to fly out of the ring. Bliss then connected with
a dive from the apron as we took a break.
The match continued as Giulia kicked out of a pin attempt
from Bliss. The champ got the advantage once more as Kiana
James got involved thanks to Giulia’s distraction of the ref
providing an opening for her to attack Bliss. An elbow from
Bliss allowed her to start a bit of a comeback, as she then
followed up with strikes and a dropkicking to a kneeling
Giulia. Bliss then hit her modified version of Natural
Selection, but Giulia kicked out at two.
Giulia hit Bliss with the Arrivederci Knee, but she couldn’t
capitalize on the Northern Lights Driver as Bliss countered
it. Bliss had Giulia in position for the Sister Abigail, but
Kiana James got on the apron to cause a distraction. Bliss
gave James a punch for her troubles. With the referee
distracted by James, Bliss headed up top and looked like she
had one in the chamber with Twisted Bliss, but Lash Legend
pushed her down from her perch. This allowed Giulia to
connect with the Northern Lights Bomb for the three and a
successful Women’s U.S. Title defense.
Post-match, Nia Jax and Lash Legend attacked Bliss without
interruption as Charlotte Flair was not around to make the
save.
Giulia def. Alexa Bliss via pinfall to retain the Women’s
U.S. Championship
Not sure what can be done with regards to the lack of
reactions for Giulia, but having her win matches due to
outside interference — especially in the service of others
getting heat like the Jax/Legend duo — isn’t gonna help her
at all.
**********
– Nick Aldis was meeting with Jordynne Grace, who was
officially welcomed to the SmackDown roster when Chelsea
Green and Alba Fyre barged in. Green complained about not
getting her re-re-rematch for the Women’s U.S. Championship,
as Grace talked about how she wasn’t going to be another
diva like Green. Aldis booked Fyre against Grace for later
tonight. Before he could enter, Kit Wilson interrupted and
talked about how Matt Cardona was an embodiment of toxic
masculinity. Aldis told Wilson to “hold that thought” as he
just entered his office and slammed the door shut. Wilson
then declared Aldis to be toxic in response.
– And speaking of Cardona, he was interviewed about how he
felt being back in WWE. Cardona talked about how he had
three options: 1. be negative and bitter, 2. coast off the
Zack Ryder name for the rest of his career, 3. reinvent
himself and bust his ass. Before Cardona could continue, he
chatted with his old friend Cody Rhodes. Cardona reminded
Rhodes that he wasn’t just back for no reason, he was
staking his claim for the Undisputed WWE Championship.
Rhodes said that once he was done with Drew McIntyre, he’d
consider giving Cardona a shot.
Eight-Man Tag: The M.F.T.s (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Talla
Tonga, Tanga Loa) vs. The Wyatt Sicks (Uncle Howdy, Joe
Gacy, Dexter Lumis, Erick Rowan)
Lumis and Tanga started off, and the Wyatts had the upper
hand early with double team sentons that left Tanga
isolated. Outside the ring, Tama and Tanga were shelled by
dual suicide dives from Lumis and Gacy. On the outside, the
two factions faced off as we took a break in the action
early.
We continued from commercial with Sikoa stomping on Gacy in
the corner, as he then blasted him with a running hip
attack. Tama was tagged in as he continued the attacked on
Gacy, who tried to tag in Rowan. Meanwhile, Tama struggled
to get to his corner in a tug of war. Gacy escaped and hit
his handspring clothesline on Tama, which allowed Rowan to
enter the match and clean house on the M.F.T.s. After this
chaos, Talla tagged in as we got big meaty men slapping meat
here. Talla knocked Rowan to his knees, but he got nailed by
a clothesline from the Wyatts’ big man instead. Talla
managed to escape an attempted slam from Rowan and knock him
down instead. He then chokeslammed Lumis when he tried to
intervene as Talla and Rowan got each other with a double-
down on the clothesline.
As both big men struggled to their corners, Uncle Howdy and
Solo Sikoa begged their respective giants to tag them into
the match. With both family leaders now the legal men, Sikoa
and Howdy duked it out in the middle of the ring. Howdy and
Sikoa gave each other their best shots, but it was the
former who avoided a Samoan Spike from Sikoa and responded
with a fiendish uranage on his foe. Howdy targeted Sikoa for
Sister Abigail, but he couldn’t connect. Tama entered the
match and got hit with the uranage by Howdy, as J.C. Mateo
then found himself thrown into the fire by the Wyatt Sicks
leader.
Howdy locked the Mandible Claw on Mateo while Sikoa
absconded the Bray Wyatt lantern and held it in his hands.
This got Howdy’s attention and allowed him to be taken out
by a Talla big boot, followed by a not-so-elevated and not-
so-hidden bladed Cutthroat from Tama for the three.
The M.F.T.s def. The Wyatt Sicks via pinfall
This wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t really good either. It
was honestly inoffensive, which is probably the best I can
say about this match, and indeed this M.F.T.s/Wyatt Sicks
feud as a whole.
**********
– The Miz confronted Carmelo Hayes and bragged about how
he’d be the Grand Slam Champion once more after he wins a
new WWE Title opportunity given to him. Hayes was about to
be on his way for the U.S. Title open challenge, as he told
him to watch out for Randy Orton. After Miz left, Ilya
Dragunov met with Hayes, as he talked about how there’d be a
time and place for them to meet again, but he was on his way
to talk to Nick Aldis about something different.
– We got another tease for Oba Femi, who is coming to either
Raw or SmackDown, especially after he vacated the NXT
Championship this past Tuesday.
Alba Fyre (w/ Chelsea Green) vs. Jordynne Grace
Grace went on the attack right away on Fyre with some hard
strikes, particularly a set of fierce lariats that left Fyre
stunned. A powerslam by Grace maintained the SmackDown
newcomer’s early advantage until Fyre fought back with her
signature DDT. Fyre tried to hit a suplex, but Grace used
her strength to block it. Grace dodged Fyre in the corner
and hit a spinebuster, followed by a package powerbomb.
Chelsea Green got on the apron to yell at Grace, but got
knocked down as Fyre was thrown into her on the apron. Grace
then ended things with a torture rack bomb, called “Beast
Mode”, to pick up the easy victory.
As Grace left the ring, Jade Cargill came out with mic in
hand and began to trash talk her. Cargill said that Grace
wasn’t anything special, because she was “that bitch”.
Jordynne Grace def. Alba Fyre via pinfall
The match was essentially a showcase for Grace, and her
addition to the roster does somewhat help with the nagging
problem of the SmackDown women’s division feeling a bit
light, especially with talents like Michin and B-Fab having
been recently injured.
**********
– Sami Zayn was interviewed backstage about who he thought
would win tonight between Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre.
Zayn said that part of him wanted McIntyre to win because
he’s the one guy he hasn’t beat yet, but he also believes in
his friend Rhodes. At the end of the day, however, Zayn said
that he was waiting for whoever won tonight.
– Backstage, Nathan Frazer was confronted by Axiom, who
suddenly attacked him. It turns out, “Axiom” was Johnny
Gargano in disguise, who fled when the real Axiom ran after
him.
U.S. Title Open Challenge: Carmelo Hayes (c) vs. Shinsuke
Nakamura
Hayes and Nakamura engaged in a chain wrestling battle to
start this title match off as the challenger tried to get
ahead with striking attacks. Hayes was more than ready for
it with a dropkick that caused Nakamura to roll out of the
ring. As he got ready to dive to the outside, Nakamura
intercepted with a kick. Hayes responded with his signature
springboard clothesline, which was our cue to head to a
break in the action.
We returned from the break with Nakamura battering Hayes in
the corner with clubbing blows and knees to the ribs. Hayes
got out of it and missed with the clothesline, and was
instead hit in the upper quad by a kick from the challenger.
Hayes’ quad remained a target for Nakamura, who exploited it
with a dragon screw against the top of the rope. In the
ring, Nakamura hit an axe kick on Hayes while the champ was
draped over the top rope. Near-fall as Hayes kicked out at
two after the kick from Nakamura.
Nakamura again used the dragon screw across the top rope as
he then remained serious for a moment and locked in the
single-leg crab on Hayes’ hurt leg. Nakamura kept the match
to his pace as he went after the chest of Hayes. However,
the champ started to fight back as he blocked Nakamura’s
kick and went after him with a DDT for the near-fall.
Nakamura responded as he put Hayes on the top rope, but he
couldn’t find the opportunity to capitalize as Hayes instead
got him with the elbow drop. With both men down, we took
another break in the action.
We returned from break as Nakamura again attacked Hayes in
the corner. He hoisted Hayes up on the top rope, as another
kick on the leg put Hayes in a tree-of-woe position. Hayes
managed to pull himself up at the last moment to avoid a
sliding dropkick from Nakamura. With Nakamura writhing
outside, Hayes capitalized with a diving forearm from the
top. Back in the ring, Hayes missed the frog splash and
found himself trapped in the kneebar submission by his ever-
on-his-game challenger. Hayes reached the rope to break the
hold, and managed to reverse a slam attempt into a modified
Stundog MIllionaire. Nakamura answered with a nice kick to
the jaw of Hayes, followed by the Michinoku Driver.
Hayes avoided a Kinshasa attempt as he hit Nakamura with a
springboard elbow to the back of the head. The U.S. Champion
powered through the pain and got himself to the top rope.
Nakamura intercepted and stunned Hayes, which opened the
champ up for a knee to the gut. He then hit an amazing
avalanche Kinshasa on Hayes and looked like he was going to
hit one more. Hayes intercepted with First 48, as he then
headed up the top rope and made no mistake with Nothin’ But
Net. Eins, zwei, drei. Hayes retains.
After the match, Hayes offered a respectful handshake to
Nakamura, who accepted in a nice show of sportsmanship.
Carmelo Hayes def. Shinsuke Nakamura via pinfall to retain
the Men’s U.S. Championship
This was again another fantastic Open Challenge match,
continuing the incredible streak of greatness we’ve had in
terms of matches featuring the U.S. Title. Hayes having to
overcome the hard-hitting strong style offense of Nakamura
was a good story and these two made for a great match.
**********
– Cody Rhodes was interviewed about his final thoughts
before Three Stages of Hell. He said that as far as Drew
McIntyre is concerned, he saw that his dad’s watch was
stolen. And now, he says that McIntyre’s tactics are cheap
and that it’s him that makes the comeback. Tonight, it’ll be
McIntyre who’ll be left looking at the lights, and after
that it’s Royal Rumble time. Rhodes said we knew what that
meant.
– We learned from SmackDown GM Nick Aldis that next week in
London, we’ll have four qualifying matches, with the winners
set to face off in a fatal four-way match at Saturday
Night’s Main Event in Montreal, with the winner of that
match set to face the Undisputed WWE Champion at the Royal
Rumble.
Next Week on SmackDown
#1 Contender’s Qualifying Match: Randy Orton vs. The Miz
#1 Contender’s Qualifying Match: Matt Cardona vs. Trick
Williams
#1 Contender’s Qualifying Match: Damian Priest vs. Solo
Sikoa
#1 Contender’s Qualifying Match: Sami Zayn vs. Ilja Dragunov
Three Stages of Hell for Undisputed WWE Championship: Cody
Rhodes (c) vs. Drew McIntyre
Stage One: Standard Wrestling Match
Rhodes went after McIntyre right away and battered him with
strikes before he clotheslined him out of the ring. Rhodes
took the challenger out with a suicide dive to the outside
of the ring, as McIntyre grabbed a chair and begged Rhodes
to use it to cause a DQ. Rhodes didn’t take the bait and hit
him with a boot to the face. Back in the ring, Rhodes hit
McIntyre with the Disaster Kick, followed by the Dusty
elbows, which were punctuated by a double-bird to McIntyre.
Out of the ring again, McIntyre finally managed to stop the
barrage from Rhodes by throwing him into the steel steps. As
the action returned to the ring, McIntyre failed to connect
with a back suplex, as Rhodes flipped out of it and hit a
super-springboard Cody Cutter for a near-fall. McIntyre was
stomped on by Rhodes, who was backed off by the referee. The
Scotsman soon found himself thrown across the ring by a
German suplex from Rhodes. McIntyre ripped off the top
turnbuckle, which caused the referee to check on the exposed
turnbuckle. This allowed McIntyre to hit Rhodes right in the
groin, followed by the Claymore to win the first stage.
Drew McIntyre wins Stage 1 (1-0)
Stage Two: Falls Count Anywhere
McIntyre pulled out the Slim Jim-branded table and
powerbombed Rhodes through it. One, two… not quite! The
battle spilled onto the narrow entryway as Rhodes slammed
McIntyre’s head against the steel steps. He then threw him
over the barricade and hit an axe handle off of it. The two
continued to fight in the crowd for a bit. Rhodes bit at
McIntyre’s head and took a selfie with a member of the
audience with this fight heading into the edge of the
backstage area. McIntyre threw Rhodes into the wall, but got
thrown into the metal doors. Rhodes trhen took a banana from
the catering table and stuffed it in McIntyre’s mouth as he
then punched him in the face repeatedly.
McIntyre regained momentum by smashing the back of his head
against the railings just by the bleachers. He then took a
table and looked like he was about to powerbomb Rhodes
through it. The WWE Champion escaped by climbing the guard
rails to break free. Rhodes then threw McIntyre into the
railing repeatedly and placed him onto the table. Rhodes
looked upwards and climbed up the stairs as he then got on
the railing to hit a splash through the table. Somehow, that
was not enough to pick up the victory as McIntyre managed to
kick out at two.
The two eventually made their way to the ringside area as
McIntyre hit Rhodes in the ribs with a chair, followed by a
shot to the back. Rhodes avoided the Claymore Kick against
the table with a kick to the face as he then rearranged the
furniture on the commentary table. Rhodes hit a Cross Rhodes
through the commentary table and got the pin to win this
stage.
Cody Rhodes wins Stage 2 (1-1)
Stage 3: Steel Cage Match
Rhodes rolled McIntyre back into the ring as the cage
descended from above. Once the cage was lowered, Rhodes
stalked McIntyre and repeatedly tossed him into the sides of
the cage with great relish. McIntyre reversed and gave
Rhodes a taste of his own medicine before he tried to scurry
through the door. Rhodes intercepted and hit a suplex to
bring him back into the ring.
McIntyre tried to climb up with Rhodes struggling to get to
his feet. As the Scotsman got to the top, Rhodes sprang to
life and intercepted him to prevent an escape. McIntyre got
ahead of it and hit a superplex from the top of the cage.
One, two… no! Rhodes recovered and punched away at McIntyre
in the corner, but he was hit with a hard elbow from the
challenger afterwards.
Rhodes again tried for a rally, but got sent into the corner
by McIntyre, who then dropped him with the Future Shock DDT
for a close near-fall. The side of Rhodes’ head was
bleeding, likely from making contact with the ringpost as
McIntyre pounced on the attack with strikes. Rhodes
responded with a nice tilt-a-whirl roll-through reversal
into Cross Rhodes, but somehow McIntyre kicked out at two.
Both men struggled to get to their feet as they then put up
their dukes and hit each other with hard-hitting strikes to
the face.
Rhodes hit McIntyre with a snap powerslam for the near fall
as he had McIntyre in his sights for a Cody Cutter. Again,
McIntyre kicked out at two, so Rhodes went to the well with
an attempt at the triple Cross Rhodes. The Undisputed WWE
Champion managed to hit two, but a rake of the eye allowed
McIntyre to escape. Rhodes ran into the exposed turnbuckle
after a missed clothesline, as he then fell victim to a
Claymore Kick. One… two…. 2.999999999!!!!!!
Both men got to their feet as McIntyre again tried to climb
out to escape. Rhodes met him at the pass as the two fought
it out sat at the very top of the cage. Rhodes smashed
McIntyre’s face across the cage, as he then hit a super Cody
Cutter from the cage. McIntyre miraculously kicked out of
this at the last possible second. Again, McIntyre and Rhodes
tried to get to a vertical base, but it was the champion who
got to his feet first. He thought about climbing up the cage
as McIntyre eventually made it and stopped Rhodes from
ascending the cage. In the ensuing duel, both men fell
groin-first into the top rope, as nobody got the better of
one another.
McIntyre rolled towards the door and crawled his way through
it. However, he was stopped by, of course, a hooded man.
That hooded man revealed himself as Jacob Fatu. McIntyre
looked like he saw a ghost as he was stomped on by Fatu.
Rhodes tried to stop him, but he got slugged by Fatu. As
Fatu was attacking Rhodes, McIntyre took advantage and
crawled out the door of the cage to win the match and the
Undisputed WWE Championship.
Rhodes looked despondent at losing the title in this manner,
while McIntyre clutched his newly-won title like it was the
most important thing in his world as the Levesque & Fitting
credits saw us off this week.
Drew McIntyre wins Stage 3 (2-1) and is new Undisputed WWE
Champion