So about last night... SmackDown Live (01/01/2019)

So about last night… SmackDown Live was brilliant. We now know who is facing Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship at Royal Rumble PPV.

Let’s get into analyzing the show!

Introduction:

The show started with The New Day celebrating the new year. Big E was in a diaper and ate pancakes from the said diaper. There was mention of Steiner math which is very funny for WWE to reference these days!

They announced that they would be entering themselves into this year’s Royal Rumble match.

They hyped up the upcoming match to see who would get the final spot in the Fatal 5-way match in the Main Event of the show.

Jeff Hardy vs Samoa Joe

These guys have been in a feud and seem to be coming to a head as it doesn’t look like that there is going to be a continuation of the storylines.

Match finished when Joe put Hardy in the Coquina Clutch which caused Hardy to pass out for the submission victory.

Samoa Joe joins Rey Mysterio, Mustafa Ali, AJ Styles & Randy Orton in the main event tonight!

Mandy Rose & Jimmy Uso?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

After last weeks shenanigans where Mandy tried to get a kiss with Jimmy Uso under the mistletoe, Naomi wasn’t happy and demanded a match with her.

Mandy Rose came out flanked by her tag team partner Sonya Deville. It wasn’t until the bell rang that the match turned out to be Naomi vs Sonya Deville with Mandy on the outside. During the match, Mandy grabbed a mic and told Naomi that she sent a picture of per in a towel in a shower to Jimmy. That said picture was displayed on the Titantron for all to view.

Deville picked up the victory by slamming Naomi to the mat for the pinfall.

John Cena & Becky Lynch?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

(I’m sorry) – John Cena returns to SmackDown Live since his match at Wrestlemania and while he is here promoting his new Bumblebee movie (That is 94% Fresh). He said that he was ready to take on any man in the locker room, but not The Man.

Becky came out and spat words at the 16-time WWE Champion. Becky warned that Nikki Bella wouldn’t be the only person to drop John Cena this year. Feisty!

Out came Zelina Vega and Andrade “Cien” Almas to insult the two which turned into a Mixed Tag Team Match.

Zelina Vega & Andrade “Cien” Almas vs Becky Lynch & John Cena.

Nothing much to report on this match. The finish came when Cena carried out all of his finishing moves in about 15-seconds to Almas, before being shoved out of the ring by Becky whom then locked in the Dis-arm-her on Vega for the tap out victory.

Becky left by telling Cena, “You can’t see me”

Rey Mysterio vs Mustafa Ali vs Randy Orton vs AJ Styles vs Samoa Joe – Fatal 5-way match

It’s time for your main event… This will determine whom will face Daniel Bryan at the Royal Rumble PPV later this month for the WWE Championship.

In my head, I had hoped that the newest arrival to SmackDown (Mustafa Ali) would have been the person to challenge Bryan for the title but it wasn’t to be.

The finish came when Styles hit Orton with the 450 Splash for the victory.

AJ Styles will face Daniel Bryan at Royal Rumble.

And that was the show. A very good SmackDown, despite it being recorded. Next week, it should be better as it goes live again after the holiday break!.

There is 3 SmackDown’s before the PPV, so we’ll see what other matches will be formed and whom would be entering into the 2019 Royal Rumble PPV.

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