The WWE SmackDown train is rolling into Lincoln, Neb. tonight for a show that will not feature the Tribal Chief.
That’s relevant because he was in the house last Friday, and boy did he and The Bloodline make a mess of things. So much, in fact, that GM Nick Aldis threw up his hands (metaphorically, as Aldis is way too cool under pressure to visibly panic) and declared that Roman Reigns would defend his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Royal Rumble against all three of the men gunning for him: AJ Styles, LA Knight and Randy Orton.
They will all be on SmackDown tonight, but we don’t know yet what they will be doing. Perhaps they’ll team in a six-man tag. Maybe they’ll all have their own singles matches. Or it could be they’ll all just appear in the ring together to trade barbs and engage in some light fisticuffs.
In the women’s division, on the other hand, we know there will be one big matchup as Bayley takes on Bianca Belair. This is big for Bayley, since her position as leader of Damage CTRL appears to be largely ceremonial a lot of times, and IYO SKY made it clear that the group believes she should take care of its Bianca problem.
That’s just way easier said than done, and if Bayley loses, it might not work out so well for her. On the other hand, there’s a lot of sentiment that it might be her year to win the Royal Rumble, something she’s never done, which would be one heck of a silver lining.
We’ll see tonight which way the fates are leaning for Bayley. SmackDown is off and running, so here we go.
WWE SmackDown results from Lincoln:
(please scroll down for full details on any match or segment in bold)
- Before we get to the first match, SmackDown helpfully reviews what happened last week with Roman Reigns and The Bloodline interfering in the main event, with Nick Aldis telling Paul Heyman it was now a Fatal Four-Way at Royal Rumble; we also see Reigns telling Heyman to “fix this” after the show
- Grayson Waller is supposed to face Cameron Grimes, but Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa attack Grimes on the ramp and head to the ring … causing Waller and Austin Theory to head for the hills
- “We’re not the bad guys here” – Paul Heyman accuses Nick Aldis of screwing things up, but he has an idea to ensure The Bloodline won’t mess up tonight’s main event
- A short video segment features Santos Escobar discussing replacing Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde with his new “familia,” Angel and Humberto
- Uso is beside himself because no one will team up with them, but Heyman tells him not to worry and that he’ll find them someone; Solo, on the other hand, is not worried
- Angel and Humberto def. The LWO (Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde) by pinfall; during the match Carlito pops out of the crowd and ambushes Escobar, who has joined the commentary desk
- Carmelo Hayes is talking to Aldis when he is interrupted by Waller and Theory, and their chippy conversation ends up creating a match between Hayes and Theory for tonight
- Heyman approaches The LWO backstage and asks if Carlito wants to team with The Bloodline, but he’s concentrating on Escobar (he does take Heyman’s apple, though)
- A replay of KO’s one-shot knockdown of Logan Paul is shown from last week; afterward, a video promo has Paul talking about getting lawyers to get Owens’ cast banned
- Butch and Tyler Bate have some coffee together, and it sounds like we’re close to getting Pete Dunne back
- Bianca Belair def. Bayley by pinfall
- Owens responds to Paul, scoffing at the idea that the cast is an advantage and asking if Logan will be a guest on The Kevin Owens Show next week
- Dakota Kai tells Bayley that they didn’t help her because they didn’t want to cause a DQ, though she tries to encourage the Role Model that she can still win the Royal Rumble
- Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits respond to Karrion Kross and AOP, who now are known by another name
- Pretty Deadly offers their services to Heyman, but there’s only room for one more tag team partner and neither of them seems to want to do it alone
- A hype video shows some Carmelo Hayes highlights for anyone unfamiliar with his game
- Heyman approaches Lashley, who makes it clear he would only get in the ring with The Bloodline if he’s standing across the ring from Reigns
- Carmelo Hayes vs. Austin Theory goes to a no contest, as a Spanish Fly leads to a hard landing for both men
- Heyman has no partner for Uso and Sikoa but makes it sound like no one was worthy of the spot; Solo still isn’t worried, and Jimmy tries to tell himself he isn’t either
- Sikoa and Uso attack Orton before all the entrances for the main event, trying to even the odds
- AJ Styles, LA Knight and Randy Orton def. The Bloodline (Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa) by pinfall, then add to their misery with more punishment as the show ends
Nick Aldis isn’t playing with The Bloodline
After interrupting the scheduled first match, Paul Heyman gives a passionate explanation of why GM Nick Aldis is the bad guy. Oh look, he’s standing right there on the apron.
Aldis reminds Heyman this isn’t a conversation between equals, and The Bloodline won’t be able to interrupt tonight’s main event because they are in it. Tonight, AJ Styles, LA Knight and Randy Orton will take on all three members of The Bloodline … including Roman Reigns.
A furious Heyman tells Aldis the Tribal Chief isn’t in Lincoln, which of course he knew. The GM says The Bloodline has until the main event to find a partner if they want — or it will be a handicap match.
Bianca Belair outduels Bayley with Damage CTRL watching closely
All of Damage CTRL comes out to support Bayley, and they’re all sticking around ringside to see the Role Model fend off a number of early pinning attempts. Her clothesline stops Belair in her tracks, though only for a second.
Bayley is able to lure Bianca into the ropes for some pain but quickly gets taken to the mat afterward. Belair leapfrogs Bayley and hits a back drop followed by a standing moonsault for a two count.
A sliding clothesline gets two right back for Bayley. Belair responds quickly with multiple slams, though she ends up tangled in the ropes again right in front of Damage CTRL. Bayley gets run into the post and falls to the floor, where Bianca hits her with a plancha that makes Bayley’s teammates scatter.
After commercials, Bayley has retaken the momentum, and her groupmates are urging her on. But no one gets a second wind like Bianca, who smashes her foe into the corner and peppers her with right hands. Bayley frees herself and hits a running knee, covering near the ropes for a two count.
Despite the referee telling her not to, Bayley ties Bianca’s braid to the bottom rope, but even then The EST manages to trip her into the turnbuckles. Belair unties herself and bends Bayley’s back painfully around the post, and now both wrestlers are slow and trying to gather themselves.
Bianca hoists Bayley onto her shoulders and tosses her back into the post, then returns to the ring for repeated shoulders to the midsection. A stalling vertical suplex is next, then more corner punches.
A backbreaker allows Bianca to cover, but it’s still only for two. As both women counter each other, Bayley finally is able to throw her opponent back into the corner … but she gets lured in and slammed down. Belair hits her rope bounce moonsault and still can’t get the three.
Bayey isn’t about to take the KOD, hurling Belair into the buckles again. The Role Model connects with a top rope elbow, and it’s another two. They battle out to the floor, where Damage CTRL doesn’t intervene.
That might be costly, as Belair hits a spear when the fight goes back in the ring. There’s the KOD, and this time Bayley isn’t kicking out.
Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits get a message from The Final Testament
Lashley speaks for himself and the Profits saying that when someone causes a problem for them, they roll up their sleeves and fight. So get out there now, he demands.
Instead, Paul Ellering appears and points at the big screen, where Karrion Kross and Scarlett say that Lashley and the Profits are “now at the top of the list to be deconstructed.” Together, Kross’ group is The Final Testament.
Carmelo Hayes vs. Austin Theory comes to an abrupt end
Corey Graves muses that Hayes is where Theory once was, with plenty of NXT success under his belt but a need to figure out how things work on SmackDown. A nice dropkick lands and has Theory off guard early on, but he comes right back and drops Melo before taking the Fadeaway in return.
Hayes launches Theory out to the floor and is fired up as commercials arrive. We return to see Austin send Carmelo out in return, and he takes a moment to gloat before resuming his offense.
A counter gets Theory off Hayes’ back, and Melo follows with atomic drops and chops. A springboard clothesline leads to a facebuster, and Hayes covers for a near fall.
They fight over to the corner, where Theory surprises Hayes with a Spanish fly that doesn’t get the required height, and the match is called off as both men look like they landed hard on their heads/necks.
AJ Styles, LA Knight and Randy Orton beat then beat up The Bloodline
Knight and Styles can’t even seem to agree on who will start the match, leaving Knight at the mercy of Uso for just a second until he turns the tables. A tag to Styles leads to some double team offense, so it seems they will cooperate when necessary.
The crowd chants for Styles until he yields control back to Knight to pound Uso down into a corner. A leg across the back of Jimmy’s neck along the ropes leads to a cover and a two count.
Styles scores his own quick near fall before Uso finally gets in some chops … and immediately runs into an AJ dropkick. Sikoa jumps in and tries to even the odds only to eat a barrage of alternating chops and punches. Sikoa is sent to the floor to the delight of the crowd before we fade out to commercials.
It may not surprise you to hear that Solo is controlling the action after the break, bashing Styles from corner to corner. Uso gets in some sneaky shots from the outside too, so it’s all coming up Milhouse … er, Bloodline, at the moment.
Styles finally puts Uso down on the mat, and the fans come to life hoping for a hot tag. Sikoa drags Knight off the apron to prevent it but gets thrown into the stairs for his trouble.
Back in the ring, Styles hits a Pele Kick but argues with Knight instead of making the tag. Uso superkicks Knight off the apron and then turns right into a double cross body with Styles that leaves both of them down.
By now, Sikoa has returned to the apron, but Randy Ortons music hits and he comes down the ramp. He’s in this now too, and Styles leaps to give him the hot tag.
The crowd comes roaring to its feet when he gets it, and Orton runs through some of his trademark offense. Uso foils an RKO attempt with a schoolboy for two, but that only delays the inevitable as a second RKO doesn’t miss and Jimmy is pinned.
After the bell, Styles halts Sikoa’s attempt to get some payback with a Phenomenal Forearm, and Knight piles on with the Blunt Force Trauma. And Orton adds another RKO for good measure before heading to the outside to attack Uso.
Orton uses the stairs on Uso, who is thrown into the timekeeper’s area by Knight. They clear the announce table and work as a trio to powerbomb Solo through it. That’s a definitive victory.