SmackDown on Fox Episode #66 – New Year’s Day Episode
SmackDown Episode # 1,115
Orlando, FL – The Thunderdome (Tropicana Field)
1/1/20
It’s Friday Night, you know what that means. Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
The show opens with a memorial graphic for Jon Huber aka Brodie Lee/Luke Harper
The show starts out with the Universal Champion Roman Reigns coming to the ring alongside Jey Uso and Paul Heyman.
Reigns wishes us a Happy New Year and talks about how 2020 was a rough year, but when you’re the “Tribal Chief” you make it work. Reigns says he wears a golden glove because everything he touches turns to greatness. Reigns then talks up how great Heyman is and how he saved him when others threw him away like garbage and then says Heyman is the most honest man he has ever done business with. Reigns moves on to Uso and talks about how after Uso started listening to him he had the best year of his career as he is main eventing the show every week and stealing the show every time he is in the ring and all of that happened because he acknowledged Reigns as his “Tribal Chief”.
Reigns says that he has done all of this for Uso because he knew who he was and what he was capable of and while everyone else was asking which Uso he was, Reigns always knew that Jey was the main event Uso and that is why he has put all of this pressure on him because he knows he can handle it. Reigns says that Uso knocks it out of the park every time and that’s why he loves him.
Kevin Owens comes out and Reigns just wants him to go away as he compares him to a roach that won’t die. Reigns hope that KO was able to provide his family a good Christmas. Reigns says that he and KO are done now and KO is embarrassing him and furthermore this is now Uso’s time and KO should stop being selfish.
KO says that Reigns should be embarrassed because he is still standing despite Reigns and his family trying to end his career. KO says that Reigns’ days of being the Big Dog is gone as he is now the giant bitch. KO says Reigns can continue to celebrate because tonight he is off the hook as he is here to fight Jey Uso. KO says he is going to the back and he is going to tell whoever he needs to that he is fighting Uso tonight. KO walks to the back as the segment comes to an end.
I am happy to see that the Roman Reigns vs Kevin Owens feud is continuing because as you can see here they deliver every time they interact with each other. I really liked KO in this segment as his demeanor was completely different than what we are used to as there was no joking around, he came out there to make a point and call out Uso, and once he did that he was finished. I thought this was a really good way to set up the main event match for this episode of SmackDown.
We get a highlight video of Big E’s big Intercontinental Championship win last week and then he comes to the ring as he is set for action next and that sends us to a commercial break.
Match #1: Big E vs King Corbin w/ The Knights of the Lone Wolf
Sami Zayn is on commentary for this match.
We get a lockup with both men jockeying for position until Corbin grabs a side headlock but Big E quickly shoots him into the ropes and Corbin tries to take him down with a shoulder block but Big E doesn’t move and then he swivels his hips. We get a drop-down and leapfrog spot that ends with Big E taking Corbin down with a back elbow which gets a 2 count. Big E pays tribute to Brodie Lee as he puts Corbin in a gator roll and then once they both get back to their feet Big E sends Corbin into the ropes but he ducks his head too early which allows Corbin to take him down with a clothesline, and then Corbin repeatedly drives his elbow into the shoulder region of Big E. Big E tries to make a comeback but Corbin hits him with a punch to the throat and then sends him shoulder-first into the ring post. Corbin sends Big E into the ropes and takes him down with a back elbow which gets a 2 count.
Corbin runs off the ropes and hits Big E with a big right hand and then he tries for another but Big E throws him out onto the apron and goes for the suicide spear, but Corbin gets a knee up to block it. Corbin charges at Big E but gets passed into the corner which leads to the slide out and slide in spot and when he comes back in Big E catches him with the Big Ending, Big E goes for the pinfall but it gets broken up by an interfering Sami Zayn.
Winner: Big E via DQ Match Rating: *½
After the match, Big E gets triple-teamed by Sami Zayn and The Knights of the Lone Wolf until Apollo Crews runs down to make the save, Crews throws the Knights out, and the press slams Zayn onto them and that sends us to a commercial break.
We come back from commercial with the next match already in progress
Match #2: Big E & Apollo Crews vs Sami Zayn & King Corbin
When we join the match Zayn reverses a whip into the corner on Crews, but he jumps up and over Zayn and then nails him with a dropkick for a 2 count. Zayn crawls over to the ropes and when Crews goes over to get him he is hit with a back elbow and then he tags in Corbin. Crews falls for a knuckle lock attempt from Corbin and gets kicked in the gut for it and is then thrown over the top rope, but Crews lands on the apron where he tries to leap up to hit a springboard but Corbin hits him with a right hand to knock him down.
Zayn tags himself in and nails Crews with some punches and elbows and then he puts Crews in the heel corner so he can tag Corbin back in. Corbin sends Crews into the corner and charges in but eats a boot which backs him up for a moment until he charges in again and hits Crews with a clothesline. Corbin throws Crews out of the ring where the Knights attack him until Corbin goes out to grab Crews and throw him back into the ring. Zayn tags himself in for a second time and Corbin doesn’t look pleased. Zayn grabs Crews and throws him to the outside where he expects the Knights to attack Crews, but they inform him that they only work for Corbin as they stand still. Zayn throws Crews back in the ring and continues to bicker with the Knights and Corbin.
Zayn looks to send Crews into the ropes but Crews counters and pulls Zayn into a powerslam which creates an opening so that Crews can make the tag to Big E and Zayn makes a tag to Corbin as well. Big E hits Corbin with the belly to belly trifecta and then follows up with the big splash, Big E looks to hit Corbin with the second Big Ending of the night but Corbin slides out and sends Big E into the ropes where he hits him with the Deep Six for a 2 count.
We then see that Zayn is still arguing with the Knights for some reason to the point where it distracts Corbin as he is screaming for them to stop. In the ring, Big E makes a tag to Crews who meets Corbin with a running forearm and a leaping clothesline and then he looks to whip Corbin into the ropes but Corbin decks him with a right hand, and then for the third time Zayn tags himself in. Corbin grabs a waistlock on Crews but Crews starts firing away with elbows and this forces Corbin to back into the corner, Zayn goes for the Helluva Kick on Crews who is being held by Corbin but Crews gets out of the way which almost causes Zayn to hit Corbin with the kick but he is able to stop himself in time.
Zayn and Corbin argue some more and the Knights hop up on the apron and Zayn begs off until Corbin finally gets enough and rolls out of the ring and this leads to him and his the Knights walking out of the match which leaves Zayn alone. Crews hits Zayn with an enziguri and then follows that up with the spinning powerbomb for the win.
Winners: Big E & Apollo Crews via Pinfall Match Rating: *¼
I didn’t like any of this as it was a terrible way to follow up on the big title win from Big E last week, first, they have him win by DQ when it was clear that he was going to win anyway, they should’ve just let him win the match and have Zayn attack after the match as it would’ve served the same purpose and Big E could’ve got a win under his belt. In the second match, they don’t even let Big E get the pin for his team and wasn’t even involved in the majority of the match. I also hated the bickering that Zayn was doing with Corbin and the Knights of the Lone Wolf as nobody cares or wants to see two heels arguing with each other. This whole thing should’ve been a showcase for the new champ but it did nothing for him and felt like a complete waste of time.
We go to the back where we see Adam Pearce on his phone as KO walks up to him and tells him he wants to fight Uso, but Pearce hesitates so KO reminds them of their 15-year friendship. Pearce tells KO that he can have a match against anyone else on the roster so KO says he wants Reigns and Pearce shoots that down as well. KO reminds Pearce that one time he told KO that the only thing that matters is what the people watching wanted and not the people in the locker room, this leads to Pearce finally giving in and making the match for later tonight.
We go to a commercial break.
We come back to Big E and Apollo Crews celebrating their win until Kayla Braxton walks up for an interview and asks Big E what we can expect from him in 2021, this leads to Big E giving another shoutout to Brodie Lee as he mentions his hometown of Rochester, Brodie’s wife and youngest son Amanda and Nolan, as well as Brodie’s favorite NHL team the Toronto Maple Leafs. Big E says he is going to be a fighting champion and that is why next week he is issuing an open challenge and as soon as he said that Crews speaks up and tells him to consider that open challenge answered and he considers it an honor to face Big E for the title. Crews claims that he helped Big E win the title last week and next week he may not be lucky enough to keep the title since Crews won’t be watching his back. They start laughing hysterically as the segment comes to an end.
I really liked this segment as it was nice to see Big E pay further respects to his fallen brother Brodie Lee and his family. I also liked Crews during this as he was showing signs of a cocky heel which is nice because the super smiley babyface Apollo Crews has gotten old and it’s past time to change up his character. I feel like if Big E loses the title next week or anytime before the Rumble his chances of winning the Rumble match increase but if he is still holding onto the title on 1/31 then we are looking at a midcard Intercontinental Championship match for Big E at WrestleMania.
We then go to the ring where the Riott Squad is patiently waiting for their opponents for the next match. Billie Kay comes out and announces her partner for tonight is once again Tamina, however, Natalya walks out moments later and it looks like it is going to be Tamina and Natalya teaming up against the Riott Squad which has Billie Kay all confused.
Match #3: The Riott Squad vs Natalya and Tamina Snuka w/ Billie Kay
Natalya and Liv start out and Natalya grabs a side headlock but Liv sends her into the ropes and Natalya comes back with a shoulder block. Liv and Natalya do a drop-down and leapfrog spot that ends with both women trying their own hip toss but they both block it, so Liv hits Natalya in the gut and then brings her with her as she springboards off the ropes and into a wheelbarrow that she turns into a victory roll for a 2 count. Natalya shoves Liv to the mat and then starts arguing with Billie on the outside who is trying to coach her team, this allows Liv the opening to make a tag.
The Riott Squad hit Natalya with a double dropkick that sends her into her own corner and leads to Tamina tagging in. Ruby connects with some forearms to the chest as she ducks some big swings from Tamina and then she steps on the toes of Tamina. Ruby runs off the ropes but gets taken down with a big uppercut from Tamina which Billie imitates at ringside. Tamina puts Ruby in the heel corner but she fights back as she knocks Natalya off the apron, Ruby goes up to the middle rope and jumps over Tamina, and then rolls through into a tag to Liv.
Liv ducks under a clothesline and takes Natalya off the apron and then she fires away at Tamina with forearms and leg kicks until Tamina shoves her away which allows Ruby to tag in. Riott Squad ducks a clothesline and take Tamina down with a double STO which gets a 2 count. At this point, it seems that Billie has had second thoughts about her team as she is now in the corner of the Riott Squad. Ruby tags in Liv and they try for a double team move but Tamina throws Liv away and hits Ruby with a sloppy looking superkick. Tamina gets Liv up in a firemans carry as she is looking for the Samoan drop, but she gets distracted by Billie who is now on the steps screaming advice to her and this allows Liv to roll Tamina up for the 3 count.
Winners: The Riott Squad via Pinfall Match Rating: **1/4
After the match, Billie tries to celebrate with the Riott Squad but they are having none of it as they walk up the aisle leaving Billie behind while she celebrates as if she won the match.
I know I probably rated this match higher than it deserves, especially since it is a match that involves Tamina, but I enjoyed it. Before she retired there was a time where no matter what Alicia Fox did on the show I couldn’t help but have a genuine smile come across my face because she was so ridiculously funny that you couldn’t help but love her (and she is one of the legends I am most looking forward to seeing on Monday) and I have to say that I am quickly getting to that same point with Billie Kay as she genuinely entertains me and makes me laugh every time she is on my screen and this match was no different as her work outside the ring was a true highlight on this episode of SmackDown. This could be my bias talking but I thought Liv came off as the star in this match while Ruby took a bit of a backseat. I like how the Riott Squad seems to have a new double team move every week as this week we got a double STO which I don’t believe we have seen from them yet. I thought this was a really fun match for the two and a half minutes that it got.
We get a recap of the Women’s Tag Team Championship match from last week and then Sasha Banks makes her way to the ring as she is in action after the break.
We come back from the break and go straight to our next match.
Match #4: Sash Banks & Bianca Belair vs Bayley & Carmella
Bianca and Carmella start out the match with Carmella going for a rear waistlock but Bianca escapes and slams Carmella face-first into the mat. Carmella goes for a slap but Bianca blocks it and then locks in a knuckle lock and uses her power to lift Carmella into the air with one arm but Carmella is able to escape and land behind Bianca and then she tags in Bayley. Bianca hits Bayley with a dropkick and kip ups and then when Bayley charges at her she passes her through the ropes to the outside and then she passes Carmella out to the apron and knocks her off with a handspring kick. Sasha goes for a Meteora off the apron onto Bayley but comes up short, however, Bianca is there to assist her as she helps her quickly get up to the apron so that Sasha can come off with a crossbody onto Bayley. Sasha rolls Bayley back into the ring and goes for a cover but only gets a 2 count and that sends us to our next commercial break.
We come back to Bayley charging at Bianca in the corner but she gets her boot up and then she jumps off the middle rope over Bayley and is then taken down by a clothesline from Bayley. Bayley grabs the arm of Bianca and ties it up in the ropes and then she drags Bianca into the heel corner and tags in Carmella. Carmella stomps a mudhole in Bianca and then goes back to work on the arm as she wraps it around the ropes. We get another tag by the heels and Bayley goes for a schoolgirl roll up but Bianca is able to kick out. Bayley does everything she can to cut off Bianca from making the tag but when she goes for a suplex Bianca reverses into one of her own and this leaves an opening for a tag, but just as she is about to reach Sasha she is cut off by Carmella who had been tagged in.
Carmella knocks Sasha off the apron and then goes for a suplex on Bianca but Bianca reverses it into an inside cradle which gets a 2 count. Carmella kicks Bianca in the cut and applies a hammerlock, Bianca lifts Carmella up and tries to slam her but Carmella slips out the back and this allows Bianca to finally make the hot tag to Sasha. Sasha talks some trash to Carmella as she enters the ring and then tries to drive Carmella out of the ring but Carmella reverses and sends Sasha out to the apron. Sasha hits Carmella with a shoulder to the gut and then nails her with a knee strike and bounces her head off the top turnbuckle which causes Carmella to drop down into the corner, Sasha has Carmella’s upper body hanging out of the ring and chokes Carmella with her boot. Sasha slingshots into the ring and hits Carmella with a double knee strike and she immediately follows that up with a running double knee attack. Sasha connects with a sliding knee on Carmella and goes for the cover but only gets a 2 count as Bayley breaks up the pin.
Bianca comes in and throws Bayley out of the ring and then gets on the apron looking for the tag but when it seems like Sasha won’t be able to reach her Bianca looks to use her hair just like she did last week, however, this time Bayley slides in and grabs the ponytail and tries to use it to pull Bianca off the apron but Bianca overpowers her and pulls the ponytail which sends Bayley face-first into the ring post and then she suplexes Bayley on the floor. Carmella rolls Sasha up in a schoolgirl but Sasha is able to kick out, Carmella hits Sasha with a superkick and when she doesn’t go all the way down Carmella hits her with a basement superkick.
Sasha rolls over to the corner and Carmella looks to hit the bronco buster, but Sasha moves and rolls Carmella into the Bank Statement, before Carmella suffers too much she is pulled out of the ring by the sommelier who we are told is named Reginald. Reginald slides in the ring and faces off with Sasha but before Sasha can beat him up again he backrolls through the ropes to the floor and then he hops up on the apron but as Sasha charges at him, he backflips to the floor. Carmella spins Sasha around and tries for a superkick but Sasha catches the leg and nails Carmella with a knee and then goes for a jackknife pin but only gets a 2 count. Sasha finally gets her hands on Reginald as she knocks him off the apron, but when she turns around Carmella hits her with a wrap-around X-Factor to pick up the win.
Winners: Bayley & Carmella via Pinfall Match Rating: ***
This was a good match as all four women put on a great showing. I guess we are getting a rematch between Sasha and Carmella at the Rumble given how this match ended which is fine as Carmella is a solid challenger to hold Sasha over until she starts her feud going into WrestleMania.
We go to the back where Reigns and his crew are watching the monitor where they see that Jey Uso will face Kevin Owens tonight, Reign is surprised that someone would make this match after all he has done for the company and he then sends Heyman to find out who made the match.
The Street Profits make their way to the ring and then we go to commercial.
We come back and get a big surprise as we see that Sonya Deville has returned and as she walks through the backstage area she gets the attention of everyone she walks by.
We go to the ring where the Street Profits welcome us to the New Year Smoke-Tacular and talk about how 2020 wasn’t that bad for them as they were both the Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Champions and won two Slammy Awards. The Street Profits then have some 2021 predictions one of which is that Dolph Ziggler will change his nickname to a more suitable Heartache Kid.
Ziggler and Roode hit the ring and attack the Street Profits and Ziggler hits superkicks on both men. Roode goes out to grab a chair and hits Dawkins with it and then he throws Dawkins over the barricade. Roode and Ziggler place Ford in the corner and Roode wraps his leg around the ring post and then they hit Ford in the leg with the chair repeatedly. Dawkins crawls back over the barricade to check on his friend as Roode and Ziggler slowly back away as the segment comes to an end and we go to a commercial.
This feud desperately needed this segment to happen because prior to this attack there was zero heat between these two teams and without heat, there is no reason to care about a feud so good job in getting me to finally care about this feud even though it feels like it has been going on for a month already. These two teams are set to face each other in a title match next week, but I feel like something wonky is going to happen and that match won’t actually happen and the feud will be extended until the Royal Rumble. While I did like this segment I don’t like the new name that Roode and Ziggler are going back which is the Dirty Dawgs, while I usually like when a duo have a team name I have to say that if this is the best that Ziggler and Roode can do then they should just stick to being called Ziggler and Roode.
We come back to Roode and Ziggler in the back and they are interviewed about what they just did and they say that the fun and games are over and that attack is on the hands of the Street Profits and they want a tag title shot and they will not stop until they get what they want.
We get the entrances for the next match and as Cesaro and Nakamura are making their way to the ring we get footage from earlier today where Otis and Chad Gable are helping Daniel Bryan get ready for the Royal Rumble by training his hips, this training consists of Bryan dry humping Otis while Gable screams at him. Cesaro and Nakamura walk up on this and start making fun of the training trio as they say it’s like the blind leading the blind and that is what led to our next match of the night.
Match #5: Daniel Bryan & Otis w/ Chad Gable vs Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura
We get a headlock takeover by Cesaro on Bryan but he quickly gets back to his feet and sends Cesaro into the ropes but is taken down with a shoulder block and then Cesaro tries to pin Bryan’s shoulders to the mat but Bryan pulls himself up and sends Cesaro across the ring with a monkey flip. Bryan looks to go after the arm but before he has a chance to do anything Cesaro drives Bryan into the heel corner and tags in Nakamura.
Nakamura looks to ground Bryan with a chinlock but Bryan quickly gets to his feet and takes Nakamura down with a rear waistlock a couple of times and then he holds onto the waistlock until Nakamura backs him into the corner and tags in Cesaro. Nakamura goes for a kick to Bryan’s head but he ducks and knocks Cesaro off the apron, Nakamura sends Bryan into the ropes and goes for a clothesline but Bryan ducks and dives outside where he is caught by Cesaro and hit with a pop-up uppercut. Otis charges at Cesaro but we don’t see what happens as we cut to commercial.
We come back to Nakamura kicking Bryan and then he throws him out of the ring and tags in Cesaro. Cesaro hops down to the floor and throws Bryan back into the ring where he hits him with an elbow drop for a 2 count. Cesaro tries to ground Bryan with a rest hold but Bryan quickly gets to his feet and runs off the ropes where he is caught with a big spinning sidewalk slam just as Brodie Lee would’ve done. Cesaro throws Bryan out to the floor and tags in Nakamura who drops down to the floor and places Bryan halfway in the ring so that he can hit him with a running knee to the head, Nakamura throws Bryan back into the ring and goes for a cover but only gets a 2 count.
Nakamura sets Bryan up on the top turnbuckle just so he can hit him with a big kick to the head and then he brings Bryan down where he looks to send him out of the ring for the third time but Bryan reverses and Nakamura gets sent to the outside instead. Bryan crawls over to his corner and we get tags on both ends as Otis comes in on fire as he takes Cesaro down a couple of times with a shoulder block and then he sends Cesaro across the ring with a fallaway slam and then he hits Cesaro with a discus clothesline that Brodie would be proud of. Otis looks for advice from Gable and then he hits Cesaro with an avalanche in the corner. Otis hits Cesaro with the Caterpillar elbow drop and goes for the cover but Nakamura breaks it up.
Otis chases Nakamura out of the ring and then looks to hit the Vader Bomb on Cesaro who is still laid out, but it turns out he was playing possum as he moves out of the way sending Otis crashing down to the mat. Cesaro tags in Nakamura who looks to hit the Kinshasa but Otis counters it by hitting Nakamura with a flapjack. Otis tags in Bryan who comes off the top with a sunset flip which gets a 2 count from Nakamura. Bryan hits Nakamura with an uppercut and then gets sent into the corner where he backflips off the top and then he runs off the ropes looking to hit the clothesline, but Nakamura catches him with a big knee strike. Nakamura goes to slam Bryan but he slips out the back and then runs into a flying armbar from Nakamura which gets broken up by Otis with a falling headbutt.
Cesaro hits Otis with a running uppercut and then he and Nakamura kick Otis to the outside, but when they turn around they see Bryan charging at them and Cesaro pushes Nakamura out of the way so that he is the one hit with the Busaiku Knee. Nakamura rolls Bryan up with a schoolboy, but Bryan transitions it into the Yes Lock and within moments Nakamura taps out.
Winners: Daniel Bryan and Otis via Submission Match Rating: ***¼
It’s a real shame that we have yet to see Daniel Bryan have an extended feud against either of his opponents in this match as he could have some really great matches with either guy. A feud against Bryan could be what it takes to bring back the old Nakamura that we all loved in NJPW, although we thought the same thing about his feud with AJ Styles and we know how that went. I liked how they used Otis in this match as they had Bryan work most of the match and saved Otis for the big hot tag spot which is where he excels as his big comebacks are the highlights of his matches. I thought the pre-match video where Bryan was training with Gable and Otis was dumb, but this match more than made up for it.
We go to the back where Reigns and Uso are chilling backstage and Reigns is looking like the badass mob boss that he is. Heyman returns from his journey to find out who made the Uso vs KO match and to nobody’s surprise it was Adam Pearce, this news doesn’t sit well with Reigns. Reigns gives Uso a pep talk before his match as he tells him to go out there and show Pearce who the main event Uso is.
Kevin Owens makes his way to the ring for the main event and that sends us to a commercial break.
We come back and its main event time.
Match #6: Kevin Owens vs Jey Uso
As soon as the bell rings KO takes Uso down with a double leg and starts punching away at him and then we get a back and forth slugfest as both men brawl on the mat. KO gets to his feet and puts the boots to Uso before sending him into the corner where he stomps a mudhole in him. Uso rolls out of the ring for a breather but KO follows him and takes him down with a clothesline and then he follows up with a senton on the floor. KO won’t let up on Uso as he throws him back in the ring and hits another senton before going for the cover which gets a 2 count for KO.
KO then goes to work on the previously injured leg for quite a while and Uso tries to make a comeback a few times but KO keeps knocking him back down. KO goes for the Stunner but Uso pushes him off and hits him with a superkick which sends KO rolling to the outside and Uso follows him, Uso tries to jump off the steps onto KO but he sees it coming and he catches Uso with a superkick of his own. KO throws Uso over the announce table and that sends us to a commercial break.
We come back to both men up top jockeying for position which Uso gets the best of as he pushes KO back down to the mat, Uso goes for the Uso Splash but KO is able to roll out of the way and Uso lands hard on the injured leg when Uso turns around KO kicks him in the gut and hits him with a Stunner to pick up the win.
Winner: Kevin Owens via Pinfall Match Rating: **¾
After the match, KO continues his attack on Uso as he hits him with another Stunner and then he grabs a set of cuffs and cuffs Uso to the top rope. KO hits Uso with a superkick and then puts the boots to him as he continues to goad Reigns into coming to the ring, KO eventually realizes that Reigns isn’t coming out so he uncuffs Uso and drags him up the aisle as he is going to find Reigns. Uso tries to escape by running off to the right of the stage but KO catches up with him and sends him into one of the Thunderdome screens. KO lays Uso out on a table and climbs up one tier of the Thunderdome crowd screens and looks to dive onto Uso, but before he can Reigns attacks him from behind and this leads to Reigns and Uso beating down KO amongst the Thunderdome screens.
Reigns and Uso lift KO over the screens into a higher tier of the Thunderdome and then they work him over with two steel chairs and then Uso chokes KO with the chain of the handcuffs that he is still wearing while Reigns drives a chair into the midsection of KO. KO desperately to make a comeback as he lands a kick on Reigns, but Uso hits him with a superkick, and then Reigns viciously bashes his head into the Thunderdome screens. Reigns talks some trash to KO as we see that KO has been busted open and then Reigns throws KO off the stage where the Thunderdome screens are and sends him crashing through the table and that is how SmackDown goes off the air.
I loved the intensity that KO showed during the match as this match wasn’t about hitting cool moves to make the fans go ooh and ahh, he was on a mission to kick Uso’s ass and that is exactly what he did. I loved KO getting some payback for last week as he cuffed Uso to the ropes and beat him down. I liked how they used the Thunderdome set up in all of the post-match action. The beatdown of KO by Reigns and Uso was as brutal as we have come to expect from these two and I loved every minute of it as they continue to deliver every single week. At this point, I’m guessing we are either getting a Last Man Standing or I Quit match at Royal Rumble between Reigns as KO since the whole story has been KO surviving the attacks from Reigns and Uso and coming back more determined to beat Reigns each time. Everything about the match and post-match was fantastic and I look forward to seeing what happens next week.
This was another really good episode of SmackDown that flew by as there were some really good matches and storyline development especially when it came to Reigns vs KO. The only part of the show I didn’t care for was the stuff involving Big E as neither match he was in benefitted or showcased him in any way.
That’s it for me this week I’ll be back next week for more action from the blue brand.
