This is the Fightful.com live coverage for tonight's episode of WWE Smackdown! Live. Tonight we have the final Smackdown! Live of the year and it is shaping up to be a great show. Tonight we find out who the next challenger or challengers for AJ Styles' WWE Championship, Dolph Ziggler's seemingly vacant WWE United States championship and many more matches to set up the coming weeks of the brand heading into WWE's first big event of the year; Royal Rumble. Be sure to come back here at 8 PM EST for all of the action and be sure to stick with us for the post show podcast afterwards!
-Daniel Bryan comes out to start the show and talks about how Dolph Ziggler left the title in the ring last week and has subsequently made himself unavailable and that there will be a tournament to crown a new WWE United States champion. Chad and Shelton come out and talk about how they never got a tag title match even though they had beaten the current champions; The Usos. Rusev and Aiden come out next and say that they have earned a title shot as well, Aiden saying that they had beaten the Usos twice. New Day come out and stake their own claim for a title shot before Daniel makes a match between the three teams.
New Day vs Rusev Day vs Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin
Chad, Aiden and Shelton team up against Big-E early before he comes back and tags Xavier in. Xavier hits a dropkick to Aiden before hitting a flipping clothesline to Chad. Xavier gets a quick two count off of a discus forearm before Shelton tags in and hits a spinebuster to Aiden. Chad tags in and suplexes Xavier out of the ring before Aiden dropkicks him, then tags Rusev in, Rusev dropping Xavier before hitting him and Chad with s clothesline in the corner. Rusev takes out E when he tries to interfere and plays to the crowd before Aiden gets a blind tag. Xavier takes out Aiden before exchanging strikes with Chad, then hits a uranage backbreaker with E for a near fall.
Chad gets a near fall off of a high knee by Shelton before Aiden comes in and sends Xavier out of the ring with a boot before getting a near fall off of a Death Valley bomb. They hit a tower of doom before Aiden hits a splash for a near fall, then tags Rusev in and Rusev drops Xavier with a roundhouse kick before piling him on top of Chad and locking in a double Accolade that Shelton breaks up. Shelton tags in and gets speared through the ropes by E before being rolled back in the ring. Shelton counters the Big Ending before he and Chad hits their finisher for the pin and the win.
Winner: Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin win via pinfall and gain a WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Championship match next week.
Breezango vs the Bludgeon Brothers
Harper and Rowan double team Tyler before taking out Fandango at ringside, then hit their finisher, but rather than pinning him, they brutalize them until The Ascension come out and save Breezango before carrying them off backstage.
Winner: No Contest
Naomi vs Ruby Riott
They brawl to start the match before Liv distracts Naomi and Ruby hits her finisher for the pin and the win in a matter of seconds.
Winner: Ruby Riott via pinfall
-The Riott Squad beat on Naomi after the match before taking out Charlotte when she comes down to save her. Natalya and the rest of the women's roster then come out to the ring before the Riott Squad flees to the back.
Bobby Roode vs Baron Corbin
They lock up to start the match for a clean break before Roode beats Baron down and sends him out of the ring. Baron quickly gets back in the ring and gets a neckbreaker for his troubles before Roode sends him back out of the ring. Baron drags Roode out of the ring before sending him into the barricade, then back into the ring before dropping him with a right hand. Roode tries to come back with a series of chops, but Corbin hits a side slam for a quick two count before tossing Roode out of the ring. Corbin clotheslines Bobby at ringside before tossing him back into the ring, then Roode clotheslines Corbin over the top rope before hitting a diving clothesline off of the apron.
They get back in the ring and Roode hits a blockbuster off of the top for a near fall before Corbin sends him shoulder first into the ring post. Roode hits a spinebuster before Corbin counters the Glorious DDT into the Deep Six for a near fall. They then counter each other until Roode rolls Corbin up for the pin and the win.
Winner: Bobby Roode via pinfall
Jinder Mahal vs Tye Dillinger
They grapple to start the match before Tye sends Jinder out of the ring where he regroups with the Singh Brothers as we go to commercial.
Tye comes back and drops Jinder with a series of chops before stomping him in the corner, but Jinder counters the Tye Breaker and rolls him up for a near fall. Jinder then knocks Tye off of the top and hits the Khallas for the pin and the win.
Winner: Jinder Mahal via pinfall
AJ Styles vs Kevin Owens
AJ dropkicks Kevin as soon as the match starts before beating Kevin down in the corner until the referee makes him back off. AJ hits a snapmare into a knee drop before locking in the Calf Killer, but Kevin is quick to the ropes for the break. AJ starts focusing on the leg of Kevin before Kevin kicks him out of the ring, then rolls him back into the ring and hits a senton for a quick two count. AJ fights out of a rear headlock before Kevin drops him and kicks him in the back as we go to commercial.
Kevin is in control as we come back from commercial until AJ fights his way out of a rear chin lock only for Kevin to drop him with a boot for a near fall. AJ fights out of another headlock with a sit-out facebuster, then they counter each other until Kevin turns AJ inside out with a lariat for a near fall. Kevin immediately follows up with a neckbreaker for another near fall before AJ hits an ushigaroshi and the two exchange strikes until AJ hits a sliding forearm. Kevin counters a Styles Clash, but AJ hits a Pele kick before Kevin counters a Phenomenal Forearm into a gutbuster and a diving elbow for a near fall. AJ counters a suplex into a reverse DVD for a near fall before AJ hits a slingshot cross body onto Sami at ringside, then sends Kevin back into the ring.
Kevin superkicks AJ for a near fall, then Shane comes out and has Sami barred from ringside before AJ rolls him up, then Kevin rolls AJ up for the pin and the win.
Winner: Kevin Owens via pinfall
