Welcome to the Fightful.com live discussion & coverage for the 1/6/2023 edition of WWE SmackDown on FS1. We will bring full results and breakdowns for every match and segment on the show. Follow Fightful on Twitter.com/Fightful and Facebook.com/FIGHTFULONLINE
Here's what is set for the show:
Preview.
- Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship Match: The Usos (Jey Uso & Jimmy Uso) (c) (w/ Solo Sikoa) vs. Drew McIntyre & Sheamus.
- Royal Rumble Qualifier Match: Ricochet vs. Top Dolla (w/ Ashante "Thee" Adonis & B-Fab).
- WWE SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair Speaks.
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Live Coverage.
- Michael Cole & Wade Barrett welcomed the audience to the broadcast before transitioning to the opening segment.
- Sami Zayn, Solo Sikoa, and Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos (Jey Uso & Jimmy Uso) caused havoc in the ringside area as Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns made his way to the ring alongside Paul Heyman. Reigns asked the Memphis, Tennessee crowd to acknowledge him, to which they obliged. Reigns told the crowd that they would give the fans what they wanted and gifted the microphone to Sami Zayn to speak. Zayn bragged about The Bloodline putting everyone on notice because 2023 would belong to The Bloodline. Reigns agreed, but Reigns stated that he wanted to speak about last year, specifically about the loss he & Zayn had against Kevin Owens & John Cena on the 12/30/2022 edition of SmackDown. Reigns said that he did not lose, but Zayn did as he was the one that got pinned before using Zayn why did he guarantee the shot & the win in the match? Reigns said that he is the one to call the shots because he does not want to fail to deliver. Reigns shouted at Zayn and asked him if he wanted to be the one to take over The Bloodline before being interrupted by Kevin Owens. Owens said that Reigns's problem was not with Zayn, but it was with him and he challenged Reigns to a match for the Undisputed WWE Championship, and Reigns agreed to it but emphasized that he did not care because he only wanted him to leave forever. Owens said that he would leave, but that he would see him on the Royal Rumble 2023. Owens told Zayn he would see home whenever he gets his guts back.
Kofi Kingston (w/ Xavier Woods) vs. Santos Escobar (w/ Zelina Vega, Joaquin Wilde & Cruz Del Toro).
The two locked up to begin the match before Escobar leaned Kingston into the corner. Kingston hit a Hurricanrana on Escobar. Escobar lifted Kingston onto the apron with a Bandera toss before hitting a sliding dropkick to send Kingston to the outside. Kingston teased doing some rumble spots before hitting a diving crossbody and tossing Escobar to the outside to give another taste of the Royal Rumble before the commercial break. After the break, Escobar hit a running knee strike on Kingston in the corner for a near fall. Escobar hit a chest kick on Kingston, but Kingston responded by hitting a chop on Escobar before hitting a dropkick off the middle turnbuckle on Escobar. Escobar laid in the punches on Kingston and slammed him with an Irish Whip, but Kingston tossed him into the apron with the Bandera. Escobar was scared by Woods with his trombone, but Escobar got back in the ring and hit a running enziguri kick for a near fall. Kingston got a pin on Escobar for a near fall before slamming Escobar to the corner. Kingston hit two double chops on Escobar, but Escobar hit a body shot before Kingston hit the SOS on Escobar for a near fall as Woods sang "I HEAR THEM SHOUTING". Escobar & Kingston got to the top rope before Escobar attempted to hit a superplex, but Kingston dropped him with a headbutt before going for an ex-handle, but Escobar caught him with a rising knee strike mid-air for a near fall. Kingston went for a Monkey Flip on Escobar but instead turned it into a double-stomp on Escobar for a near fall. Kingston hit the Boom Drop on Escobar and went to set up the trouble in Paradise, but Del Toro distracted the referee to allow Wilde to distract Kingston before Escobar hit a single-leg dropkick & the Phantom Driver on Kingston for the pinfall win.
Winner: Santos Escobar (w/ Zelina Vega, Joaquin Wilde & Cruz Del Toro).
- Sami Zayn was backstage and wanted to speak with Reigns, but Paul Heyman told him it was not the time. Heyman told Zayn that life in the Isle of Relevancy is being three steps ahead, but not three steps downward. As a bit of motivation, Heyman told Zayn that he still loved him before heading back to the Bloodline Lounge.
- Liv Morgan cut a promo backstage to talk about the Royal Rumble, saying that if she had it her way, she would be the first entrant. It was revealed that she was the first official entrant of the Women's Royal Rumble match.
- LA Knight was interviewed backstage by Kayla Braxton, with Knight promising that he would beat Bray Wyatt after Uncle Howdie attacked Wyatt on the previous SmackDown.
Karrion Kross & Scarlett vs. Madcap Moss.
Scarlett hit a side exploder suplex on Emma for a near fall. Emma rolled over and hit a Butter Fly suplex followed by a single leg kick on Scarlett before Kross pulled Emma. Emma slapped Kross, but Moss tagged in and attacked Kross. Scarlett stopped moss's step to allow Kross to hit a lariat on Moss. Scarlett slammed Emma into the ring post while Kross hit a Kross Hammer into locking in the Kross Jacket for the submission win. Moss placed a Rey Mysterio mask on Moss after the match.
Winners: Scarlett & Karrion Kross.
- Drew McIntyre & Sheamus were in the restaurant of WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler when they strike each other in the chest and back as they discussed their road in WWE their match against the Usos later in the night. Michael Cole revealed that McIntyre & Sheamus would be called The Banger Bros as a tag team.
- Newly crowned SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair came to the ring to cut a promo after her triumphant return to SmackDown on the 12/30/2022 edition of SmackDown. Flair said that she admittedly never expected the crowd to chant "Thank you Charlotte" before saying she was overwhelmed by the support she received after winning the title. Flair that she focuses on three things: Passion, dedication & consistency and said that she would not be complacent and that she would not evade any obstacle in her way because that is what a champion does. Sonya Deville interrupted Flair and that she was smart enough to see through Flair's "lies" and said that there should be an asterisk on winning title number 14, but the crowd responded by chanting "WHOOP THAT TRICK", a nice shoutout to NXT talent Trick Williams. Deville challenged Flair to a match for the title, which Flair accepted.
SmackDown Women's Championship Match.
Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Sonya Deville.
Deville attacked Flair from behind before firing away with forearm strikes on Flair, but Flair responded by hitting a big boot on Deville as Deville rolled out of the ring before the commercial break. After the break, Flair had Deville in the corner before Deville rolled over and hit a chop block on Flair followed by a knee strike on Deville for a near fall. Deville hit a series of crossface strikes before locking in a headlock on Flair, quickly transitioning into the Bulldog Choke on Deville. Deville got up and slammed Deville into the corner to break the hold before hitting a corner enziguri kick, two lariats, five chops & a back suplex on Deville. Deville went for a middle turnbuckle lariat, but Flair evaded and hit a running buckshot lariat on Deville for a near fall. Deville slammed Flair's neck through the top rope as she got back in the ring, but Flair caught her with a spear before locking in the Figure Eight for the submission win.
Winner & Still SmackDown Women's Champion: Charlotte Flair.
- There was a video vignette of Cody Rhodes' return to WWE in 2022. Rhodes spoke about the American Nightmare being an extension of Dusty Rhodes's American Dream, with the video focusing on Rhodes's pectoral injury and his aspirations to become WWE Champion.
- There was a Lacey Evans video vignette of her using her military experience and adapting the Cobra Clutch, teasing a new character for Evans.
Royal Rumble Qualifier Match.
Ricochet vs. Top Dolla (w/ Ashante "Thee" Adonis & B-Fab).
- Ricochet got on the apron and evaded Top Dolla's offense and went for a springboard move, but Top Dolla caught him on the top rope and slammed him across the ring for a near fall. Top Dolla got his knee on Ricochet in the ropes before swinging Ricochet off the ropes onto the mat. Top Dolla went for the taunt elbow drop, but Ricochet hit an uptick and locked in an inside cradle on Top Dolla for a near fall. Ricochet hit the Running Sliced Bread on Top Dolla before hitting a picture-perfect Shooting Star Press on Top Dolla for the pinfall win, qualifying for the Men's Royal Rumble match.
Winner & Qualified to The Men's Royal Rumble: Ricochet.
- Top Dolla & Ricochet shook hands after the match, but Ashante Adonis hit a thrust kick on Ricochet and was followed by B-Fab hitting a pump kick on Ricochet. Adonis & Top Dolla hit a Powerbomb/ KOD combo on Ricochet before Braun Strowman ran to the ring to run off Hit Row.
- Undisputed Tag Team Champions The Usos & Solo Sikoa got out of the Bloodline Lounge as Reigns instructed told Paul Heyman to bring in Sami Zayn before the commercial break.
- There was a video package promoting the match between Braun Strowman & Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER ahead of their match on the 1/13/2023 edition of SmackDown.
- After this video package, Sami Zayn spoke with Roman Reigns backstage, saying that he was the Tribal Chief and that Zayn was not trying to take power from him. Zayn apologized to Reigns for giving him the impression that he may be taking the opportunity. but Reigns did not accept the apology and that he held himself to a high standard and that he should be the one apologizing for taking out his anger on Zayn. Reigns said that Kevin Owens was right and that he was taking out his anger on Owens on Zayn and promised to fix the KO Problem. Paul Heyman revealed to Zayn that he would have a chance to redeem himself as he would be taking on Kevin Owens on the 1/13/2023 edition of SmackDown.
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship Match.
The Usos (Jey Uso & Jimmy Uso) (c) (w/ Solo Sikoa) vs. THE BANGER BROS (Drew McIntyre & Sheamus).
Sheamus & Jimmy began the match, with the two locking up before Sheamus ran the ropes and hit a short-hand lariat on Jimmy. McIntyre tagged in and hit a chop on Jimmy before hitting an overhead suplex on Jimmy. Jey tagged in, but McIntyre hit a series of punches on Jey. McIntyre ran the ropes and striked down Jimmy, but Jey responded with a pop-up Samoan Drop on McIntyre for a near fall. McIntyre got on the apron, but Jey got him back in the ring with a suplex onto the mat. Jimmy tagged in and choked McIntyre into the ropes as Jey attacked McIntyre while the referee was distracted. McIntyre got up and hit a body shot & a chop on McIntyre, but Jimmy slammed McIntyre into the mat. Jey hit a headbutt on McIntyre as he was on the apron. McIntyre hit a lariat on Jimmy on the outside, but McIntyre responded by hitting a Tope Suicida on McIntyre to the outside before the commercial break. Back from the break, Sheamus clotheslined Jey onto the apron and hit 20 Beats of the Battering on Jey before getting him back in the ring and hitting a tilt-to-world powerslam on Jey for a near fall. Jimmy tagged in and hit an enziguri kick before Jey hit a thrust kick on Sheamus. Jimmy hit a frog splash on Sheamus but only got a near fall. Jey tagged in as he & Jimmy went for double Frog SPlashes on Sheamus, but Sheamus & McIntyre got on top and hit stereo Avalanche White Noise Slams on The Usos for a near fall. Jey hit a spinning enziguri kick on Sheamus, but Sheamus tagged Drew as he hit neck breakers on Jey & Jimmy before hitting a Tope Con Giro on the two on the outside. McIntyre hit a Claymore kick on Jey, but Jimmy broke the pin for a near fall as Zayn 7 Reigsn watched the match while eating popcorn backstage. McIntyre slammed himself on the ring post as Sheamus tagged in and went for the High Cross on Jey, but Jimmy tagged in and the two hit double Thrust Kicks before The Usos hit the 1D on Sheamus, but McIntyre broke the pin. McIntyre was slammed onto the barricade by Solo Sikoa, but Butch & Ridge Holland attacked Sikoa out of the arena. Jimmy hit a thrust kick on Sheamus back in the ring, but Sheamus responded by hitting a Brogue Kick on Jimmy, but Jey pulled Jimmy out of the ring to break the pin. Sheamus hit a dive on Jimmy & Jey as they got back in the ring. Sheamus got himself & Jimmy back in the ring, but Jimmy got a roll up before Jey pushed Jimmy to add more weight on the pin, giving the Usos the pinfall win & title retention. The Usos stood tall to end the broadcast.
Winners & Still Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions: The Usos (Jey Uso & Jimmy Uso) (c) (w/ Solo Sikoa).
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