Sure, Randy Orton looks great after being out for more than a year due to injury. But do we really need to make him work double duty tonight on WWE SmackDown?
Let’s back up just a step. Orton is part of the contract signing that should be a major part of tonight’s show from Atlanta. Not only will it require another appearance from Roman Reigns, but it also means all three of his challengers at Royal Rumble will be on hand: Orton, AJ Styles and LA Knight.
If that sounds like something might go down with all four of them in the ring at once, you probably aren’t wrong. Yet on top of that, GM Nick Aldis announced today that Orton will be in action as well, and it won’t be a light day at the office since his opponent is The Bloodline’s enforcer, Solo Sikoa.
Now granted, none of the trio of challengers is a spring chicken, as all four of them are in their 40s (yes, even Knight). So it’s not even a matter of letting the youngest guy have to be in the match as well as the anticipated donnybrook, because there is no youngest guy.
Still, there’s no need to make Orton go so hard just eight days away from Royal Rumble. He’s out there RKOing people in music videos and stuff and we’re still asking him to be in two different segments on one SmackDown? Protect Randy at all costs!
Ahem. Anyway, this episode should be an eventful one with the Rumble so close at hand, so we’re looking forward to it. On with the show!
WWE SmackDown results from Atlanta:
(please scroll down for more details on any match or segment in bold)
- Roman Reigns isn’t happy to see Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa since they didn’t fix things, so he’s there to make everything right again; but Sikoa also vows he’ll fix everything
- The Fatal Four-Way contract signing is on, but without Roman Reigns, and AJ Styles and LA Knight end up fighting each other
- Styles finds Aldis and demands a match with Knight tonight, and the GM says that’s fine with him
- Legado Del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Angel and Humberto) def. The LWO (Carlito, Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde) by pinfall
- Pretty Deadly feels good about facing Tyler Bate and Butch as they’ll be ready for their opponents tonight … but the way they’re emphasizing Butch’s name makes one think they’re about to be surprised
- Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits tell The Final Testament they have their attention, and if they want a fight, just name the time and place
- Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne def. Pretty Deadly by pinfall
- Pretty Deadly seem unfamiliar with Pete Dunne and blame that for their loss
- Logan Paul joins The KO Show, and it ends in violence
- Reigns lays into Jimmy Uso, but Sikoa steps in-between them and takes the blame for what happened last week while promising to fix things tonight
- Katana Chance and Kayden Carter def. The Unholy Union (Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn) by pinfall to retain the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship, then have a brief in-ring confrontation with the Kabuki Warriors
- The O.C. tells Styles that even with everything going on, they still have his back, but he says nothing and storms off
- The Final Testament call Lashley and the Profits the yes men of the company while they are the disruptors
- Carmelo Hayes talks about the spot that ended his match with Austin Theory, and Theory shows up acting angry; Melo challenges him to a rematch, and though Austin says he’s busy, Grayson Waller accepts on his behalf
- AJ Styles vs. LA Knight ends in a no contest (we think) after interference from both Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa
- Randy Orton def. Solo Sikoa by pinfall, but …
- … after the bell, Orton, Knight and Styles end up in the ring together, where Randy gives both of the others an RKO; he turns and takes a Superman punch from Reigns, who laughs as all three of his challengers are now down on the mat before asking Aldis for the contract and signing it (and tossing it on the ground in front of the GM); but as Reigns rushes in to spear Orton, he’s caught with an RKO instead
As the contract signing breaks down, Randy Orton keeps his cool
GM Nick Aldis welcomes everyone to SmackDown and introduces the participants in the Fatal Four-Way contract signing, beginning with AJ Styles. He wastes no time signing emphatically on the dotted line.
LA Knight is next, followed by Randy Orton. Both of them quickly sign as well, so all we need now is the Tribal Chief. But it’s Paul Heyman who comes out instead, suggesting that Reigns isn’t going to sign a contract that neither he nor the lawyers have seen.
Aldis asks for clarification and says that’s fine, because if Roman won’t sign, it will just be a Triple Threat match for the vacant Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. A somewhat panicked Heyman says there’s no way Aldis will be able to sell that to the board of directors, the fans and the Tribal Chief, who Paul says should be defending the title in a singles match.
Knight has heard enough, saying that he should get Reigns one on one but is ready to shut Heyman up. Styles takes exception to Knight saying he should be the one at the front of the line, and the two of them end up throwing hands while Orton just calmly watches things break down.
A bunch of referees and officials pour from the back to separate Styles and Knight, not very successfully as they fight to the back. Alas, that leaves Heyman in the ring with Orton, who tells Paul his machinations aren’t going to work since he’s going to beat Solo Sikoa later tonight. And after that, he’s going to reintroduce Reigns to those three dangerous letters.
Logan Paul joins The KO Show, and it ends in violence
KO says he can’t even believe he’s saying this: Please welcome my guest, Logan Paul, to The Kevin Owens Show. Paul makes it clear he’s not honored to be there, and the show is only a thing because he’s on it.
Logan claims Kevin is the reason he’s in WWE. Roll the clip! It’s from WrestleMania 2021, where KO gave him a Stunner in front of the whole world. It was a driving force for Paul, but Owens says he was just one of many he stunned over the years — though he does give Logan credit for putting in the work and becoming way better than anyone ever would have thought.
Owens says Paul is nothing like them, but Logan laughs because he says he’s so much more than just a superstar. And KO, you’re just … you.
That brings a passionate reply from Owens, who says Paul has been especially protected and it’s a joke that he’s the United States Champion, one KO will end at Royal Rumble. Paul says it’s hypocritical for Owens to talk about anyone being protected when he has the cast on to use as a weapon, whereas Paul knocks people out clean.
After a few more words, and KO taking off his cast, Paul lays out Owens with a punch he doesn’t see coming, then turns in surprise to see KO pull himself up and go right back at him. Paul tries to flee but is caught by Owens, only to have Logan smash his right hand into the post.
Katana Chance and Kayden Carter take down The Unholy Union, but the Kabuki Warriors are lurking
Bayley joins the announcers for guest commentary while the rest of Damage CTRL leans back along the barricade right next to her. The champs weather an early storm and try to double team Dawn, but she ends up getting hurled down onto her partner and nearly pinned.
Fyre fares no better once she tags in, and soon takes the Keg Stand to end the match. No time to celebrate, though, as the Kabuki Warriors have the title belts and mock the champs as they hand them back.
AJ Styles and LA Knight run into a Solo problem
These two look like they can’t wait to get after it, and Styles is looking like he’s in control until Knight sends him sliding face first into the middle turnbuckle. Dueling chants are ringing out through the crowd.
Styles wins an exchange of shots in the corner, then kicks Knight while he’s down. A backbreaker gives AJ time to plan his next move, which ends up being choking Knight along the middle rope.
The Megastar battles back with a series of right hands, followed by a popup powerslam for a two count. Knight batters Styles into the corner but sees his foe slide out to the floor, where he executes a successful ambush.
Knight is whipped into the barricade but ends up getting bounced off it in return. That’s followed by getting his head bounced off the announce table, and the cheers turn to boos as Jimmy Uso comes down the ramp.
Uso’s mere presence allows Styles the time he needs to recover, but Solo Sikoa emerges from the timekeeper’s area and hits AJ with a Samoan Spike. The ref calls for the bell, but that doesn’t stop Solo from dragging Styles into the ring for another Samoan Spike.
Sikoa calls for a mic and says “two down, one to go,” calling Orton out now.
Randy Orton stops Solo Sikoa with an RKO
We’ll see if they actually fight to a finish or this is just Solo beating up the Viper until Roman Reigns arrives. Sikoa is all over Orton to start, smashing him in the corner and driving him into the announce table and the steel steps.
After a commercial break, Orton has turned the tables enough to hit his hanging DDT, and the fans love that. The Viper looks for an RKO, and while Jimmy Uso looks like he wants to interfere, he’s laid out by LA Knight and AJ Styles. Amidst the chaos, Orton hits Sikoa with an RKO and ends their match.