WWE Friday Night SmackDown comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Jan. 27, 2023) with a live show emanating from Sames Auto Arena in Laredo, Texas, featuring the go home show for tomorrow night’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) event.
Advertised for tonight: Kevin Owens goes one-on-one versus Solo Sikoa. As far as The Bloodline is concerned, Roman Reigns has made it clear that he doesn’t want to see Sami Zayn before the Royal Rumble.
Elsewhere on the card: Rey Mysterio vs. Karrion Kross, SmackDown Tag Team title contender’s tournament semifinal matches (Banger Bros vs. Hit Row; Imperium vs. Legado del Fantasma), and more!
Come right back here at 8 pm ET when the SmackDown live blog kicks off once the show starts on FOX. It will be below this line here. (Note: Links to illegal streams are prohibited. Pics and GIFs are allowed.)
WWE SMACKDOWN RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG FOR JAN. 27
Well, you’ll be surprised if we find ourselves reaping a strange and bitter fruit that sad old man beside you keeps feeding to young minds as virtue, but me? I’m just here to liveblog this here pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with a recap of the Trial of Sami Zayn from this week’s Raw.
We see Solo Sikoa and the Usos roll up to Raw together and Sami sneaks around a corner to talk to Jey. Uso warns him about violating an order from the Tribal Chief like that, and Zayn tells him he just wanted to make sure he knows his defense at the trial means the world and if Jey needs absolutely anything ever, all he has to do is ask.
Thence to the intro video.
Commentary hypes up tonight’s show.
Karrion Kross vs. Rey Mysterio
Kross in control early, Mysterio sidesteps on the floor and headscissors him into the barricade to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Kross in control, Cobra Twist sets up a backbreaker for two! Back suplex sets the legend up in the turnbuckles, Karrion tearing at his mask, tripping him up into the Tree of Woe! Lining him up, charging in, dodge the shoulder block and he takes the post hard!
Rey with a front kick, sets up an enzuigiri, off the ropes, Scarlett trips him up to block the 619! Tripping Kross again, 619 connects this time, Mysterio off the top… KARRION KICKS OUT OF THE DIVING SPLASH! Kross with locomotion northern lights suplexes, Rey reverses the second…
Rey Mysterio wins by pinfall with a crucifix pin.
Austin Theory makes his entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a website video from Damage CTRL about how they’re all in the Royal Rumble and nobody will be able to win.
In the ring, Austin Theory gets on the mic and tells us the champ is here, and not only did he retain his United States Championship on Raw, now he’s going straight to the Royal Rumble and he’s going to win the Royal Rumble.
Enter the New Day.
Kofi Kingston says there’s only three Austins he respects— Austin Creed, Stone Cold Steve, and the city in which he lives, Austin Texas, baby! Xavier Woods says he gets that Austin can waste time filling three hours of Raw talking, but this is SmackDown and here they get to business.
They slide in the ring and cast doubt on Theory’s claim to win the Royal Rumble, because they’re going to win it, and when one of them wins it, they both win the Royal Rumble. Austin says they can’t walk out here and interrupt him and he’s the biggest star there is in WWE.
Enter the Miz.
He points out he’s been competing in Royal Rumbles since before Theory went through puberty, and Austin says that just makes him old. Miz says he’s wiser and smarter than he’ll ever be and he’s gonna eliminate him and everybody else to win the one thing he hasn’t in this industry— the Royal Rumble match.
They laugh and the A-Lister says there’s nothing more dangerous than him with something on his shoulder, and he offers an education on what’s going to happen tomorrow.
A brawl breaks out, Bobby Lashley runs down and eliminates everybody, and that’s how the Royal Rumble works. Bob grabs the mic and says since Brock Lesnar interrupted his title match on Raw, he’s gonna terrorize all of these guys in the Royal Rumble until he gets what he deserves around here.
BROCK LESNAR JUMPS THE RAIL AND SLIDES IN THE RING TO TAKE LASHLEY OUT WITH AN F-5! He grabs the mic and says he’ll see him tomorrow at the Royal Rumble!
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial we get a web promo from Rhea Ripley about how 2023 is her year and she’s going to win the Royal Rumble.
Jazmin Allure vs. Lacey Evans
Biel out of the ring, drop toehold, hairpull facebuster, doing push-ups and taunting Allure, no hope spots here, a Woman’s Right sets her up…
Lacey Evans wins by submission with the Cobra Clutch.
Post-match, Lacey cuts a promo, telling the fans to shut up and the world that the Cobra Clutch is unbreakable. She says we’re gonna be really mad when she uses it to win the Royal Rumble somehow, desptite being a submission move. She demands a salute from the crowd for your soon-to-be Royal Rumble winner and dumps Jazmin to the floor for good measure.
The Banger Bros are interviewed backstage.
Drew McIntyre says he thinks Sheamus is on a roll and he’s gonna win the Royal Rumble. The Celtic Warrior says he thinks Drew is gonna get it done, and they go back and forth slapping each other and saying they think the other is going to win.
As for Hit Row, they’re gonna send them back to Skid Row, presumably the 1970s Irish outfit led by occasional Thin Lizzy guitarist Gary Moore rather than the American glam metal outfit of the same name, but who knows?
And on that note about my own special interests, we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a Cody Rhodes comeback video package.
Viking Raiders attack the Banger Bros during their entrance and a brawl breaks out! After a valiant defense the Vikings get the better of the Bangers and leave them lying and battered against the barricade as referees and road agents come to check on them, no match and we go to break.
Back from commercial, our solution is apparently to bring Ricochet and Braun Strowman out.
Braun Strowman & Ricochet vs. Hit Row (Ashante “Thee” Adonis & Top Dolla) (WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship #1 Contender’s Tournament Semifinals)
Ricochet and Adonis to start, the One and Only running circles, enzuigiri to Dolla on the apron, B-FAB runs interference and Ashante comes back with a big dropkick for two! Tag to Top, working Ricky over at some length, grinding him down. Braun with the tag, throwing dudes around, big back body drop lays Adonis out!
Calling for the powerbomb, Ricochet in and off the ropes with a corkscrew plancha to clear the path…
Braun Strowman & Ricochet win by pinfall with a Monster Bomb from Strowman on Ashante Adonis.
Backstage, Kevin Owens is interviewed.
He says he wants to become Universal Championship and right a wrong that happened two years ago at the Royal Rumble, and he knows he’s fighting the same odds, but he’s gonna take out as many members of the Bloodline as he can to even the odds.
The Usos roll up, a fight breaks out, but Adam Pearce breaks it right up with security and sends us to break.
Back from commercial, we’re informed that Adam Pearce has booked Kevin Owens vs. Solo Sikoa for later tonight.
Bray Wyatt makes his entrance, but it’s actually LA Knight in a Hawaiian shirt and a straw hat.
He gets in the ring, lights up, and takes his faux-Wyatt gear off and asks to talk to us. He says his appearance at Raw XXX was the greatest moment in the history of WWE and he gives us what we want even though we don’t deserve it, and like the turd in the punch bowl, here comes the Undertaker to assist Bray Wyatt.
And why is that? Neither of them wanted Knight one on one, yeah! When the Alamodome goes Pitch Black, Bray’s dumpy ass ain’t coming back, and that’s a fact of life.
Bray appears on the stage in his rocking chair.
He says he sees LA making jokes but he knows he’s not smiling on the inside and it doesn’t even matter anymore. The time for talking has come and gone, and tomorrow night he finally gets to meet the man he’s been looking for, so take your time and have a great night, sweetheart.
Laught it up, joke all you want, because tomorrow night when the lights go out, you’ll see.
Uncle Howdy appears in a skybox gesturing through the smoke, and we go to break.
Imperium (Giovanni Vinci & Ludwig Kaiser) vs. Legado del Fantasma (Cruz del Toro & Joaquin Wilde) (WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship #1 Contender’s Tournament Semifinals)
Kaiser and Wilde to start, Ludwig grinding away on a hammerlock, reversed, shift to a test of strength and Joaquin starts clubbing to get away! Arm drag reversal, off the ropes, duck a lairat, tilt-a-whirl countered with a right hand! Tag to Vinci, tag to del Toro, in with jabs, duck a lariat, slide under, big chop staggers the Italian!
Catch a boot, drop him with a lariat, Cruz kicks out at two! Quick tags from the Europeans, boot up in the corner for a hope spot but Kaiser unloads with boots and headbutts on the mat! Boot for Wilde on the apron, back and forth and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Kaiser is holding court and working Wilde over, Penalty Kick gets two! Quick tags, keeping the pressure up, Joaquin with uppercuts to try and get away, whip reversed, step-up tornado DDT gets Wilde the separation he so desperately needs!
Tags made, del Toro with a high crossbody, off the ropes, tijeras, fired up, running enzuigiri in the corner! Whip reversed, Pele kick in the corner, springboard into a double dropkick to send both Imperium men running! Legado off the ropes… STEREO TOPES CON GIRO!
Back inside, Giovanni with a boot up but del Toro hits a cartwheel enzuigiri and follows it up with an avalanche Frankensteiner! Tag to Wilde, splash off the top… LUDWIG KAISER BREAKS IT UP! Vinci with an avalanche powerslam, coming up lame in the knee, dragging himself over for the tag and he gets it!
Ludwig drags Joaquin up by his ear, setting him up…
Imperium win by pinfall with the Imperial Bomb on Joaquin Wilde.
We get a Royal Rumble hype reel.
Kevin Owens is shown walking backstage to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Xia Li joins the parade of web videos talking about winning the Royal Rumble.
We see Sonya Deville interrupting a Charlotte Flair appearance on Ryan Satin’s podcast trying to angle for another title shot.
Backstage with Adam Pearce, Charlotte rolls up.
She asks him to book a title shot for Sonya to get her off her back, and he agrees for next week’s show.
Commentary hypes up the tag tournament finals.
Kevin Owens vs. Solo Sikoa
Slugging it out with punches, Owens off the ropes, trading shoulder blocks with increasing intensity, sending each other careening off the ropes, drop down, big back elbow from KO sets up a senton! Action to the floor, Sikoa puts Kev into the barricade and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Solo knocks Owens down with a headbutt and KO is down and gasping in the corner. Sikoa charges in, sidestep the Ode to Rikishi, Kev with right hands, whip reversed, front kick into a Manhattan Drop and then a series of lariats takes the Enforcer off his feet!
He pops right back up with a headbutt but Owens kicks him in the midsection and hits a DDT… NOPE! Up in the turnbuckles, jockeying for position, Kev knocks him down, frog splash… NOT ENOUGH! Trading superkicks in the middle of the ring, front kick, Stunner blocked, Samoan Drop connects… SO CLOSE!
Charging in, Owens sidesteps, superkick connects, another one, off the ropes for the cannonball! KO perched up top, senton atomico… SAMI ZAYN PULLS SOLO OUT OF THE RING! Referee Jason Ayers clears out and we don’t get an announcement but…
Solo Sikoa wins by disqualification, presumably.
To the floor, Solo lands a superkick to Sami and Kev takes advantage, putting him into the steel steps!
Clearing the announce table, Sikoa turns him around and puts him into the post! Solo smashes Kev with a steel chair and sets him on the table! He climbs up on the barricade but KO cuts him off at the pass! Punches get a headbutt, Solo goes for it… CUT OUT OF MIDAIR WITH A SUPERKICK! Charging in.. POP-UP POWERBOMB ONTO THE ANNOUNCE DESK!
KO grabs the steel chair and wallops Solo with it before throwing it at Zayn and leaving him.
Owens tells Sami that he’ll see him tomorrow night.
That’s the show, folks.
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