Opening Segment
AJ Styles comes out and cuts a promo. He vows to defeat Sami Zayn and invited Daniel Bryan out to see if Owens would be banned from ringside. Bryan and Shane McMahon come out to the ring, and Shane says that if KO is at ringside, he will be too. Daniel says that he will be ringside as well.
While I think it isn’t necessary to have 3 people ringside, it does create opportunity for multiple distractions. The three men being at the match makes it almost inevitable for Daniel and Shane to clash at some point, as they usually do. AJ vs. Zayn is already going to be a fantastic matchup, but those 3 just add to it to make a very entertaining main event.
Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin vs. The Usos
Winner: Usos
Usos cut a short promo as they walk into the ring. I feel like what they’re saying doesn’t make sense sometimes, but they’re never not fun to watch. I think the Uso Penitentiary is a great gimmick and I can see it lasting for a while. This match just proved the in-ring talent of Gable and Benjamin more than it already has. They seem to be veering towards heel-ish tactics, as well.
Gable pins Jey Uso, even though neither of them are the legal men in the match. The restart of the match gave Benjamin and Gable a chance to show a little more character and kept the storyline interesting. As they’re trying to build up this team, it wouldn’t make sense for them to lose easily against the Usos. We got to see momentarily what the championships would look like on Benjamin and Gable and how the crowd would react.
Renee interviews Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens
Once again, Owens and Zayn prove what a good pair they are. Putting these two in a situation together, whether they’re “best friends” or enemies, can only bring success to SmackDown. These two just know how to put on a show, from main plot points like the “Yep” movement to little things like Owens dusting off Zayn’s newsboy hat while he’s talking. SD Live really is the Sami and Kevin Show.
Breezango vs. Bludgeon Brothers
Winner: N/A (match never started)
While I’m glad Breezango is getting in-ring time for the first time in a while, it hurts my heart a little to see them in squash matches. Tyler Breeze and Fandango have shown their potential outside of the ring, and it’s no secret that Breeze is actually a very talented wrestler, so it is getting hard to watch them get pushed around so easily.
I don’t find the Ascension very interesting, but they could be if they turn into Breezango’s punching bags. I think they could make them look better in the ring. Harper and Rowan look fine as they are now and they have potential to be a good tag team if they continue to be booked similarly to Braun Strowman.
Xavier Woods vs. Aiden English
Winner: Xavier Woods
The backstage segment before this made made me wonder why a member of the New Day hasn’t attempted to go for a singles title earlier in their run together, and I applaud WWE for realizing this. The New Day’s gimmick was just starting to dry out for the tag division, in my opinion, and if the Shield can be successful while one member holds a singles title, why can’t the New Day?
And, of course, Rusev Day is just great. I’m excited to see Aiden English’s in-ring potential since he hasn’t really gotten much of a chance to prove himself as a singles competitor. This matchup was a perfect way to further the storyline between the two teams as well as show that both of these men could possibly thrive as singles stars.
Riott Squad vs. the Welcoming Committee
Winner: Riott Squad
Even though the Riots Squad can be seen as the less successful version of Raw’s Absolution, I do think this grouping makes more sense than the Welcoming Committee. SD Live seems to be throwing old groups together just to put them on TV, and even though it looks a little messy, it also makes sense that they might want to show what the women have in store for their first ever Royal Rumble match.
I would like to see more from Tamina, I feel like she has grown as a performer in the past few months. It would be cool to see Tamina and Nia Jax come face to face at the Rumble. I think that although there is still some work that needs to be done with the Riott Squad, these three women proved that they were the right women to come up from NXT.
I’m glad to see Becky Lynch make her return in time for the Rumble as well. Charlotte, Naomi, and Becky seem like a way better fit to compete with and elevate the Riott Squad than the Welcoming Committee.
AJ Styles vs. Sami Zayn
Winner: Sami Zayn
At the beginning of the match, there wasn’t much interference on anyone’s behalf. However, when Owens blocked the referee from being able to get the three count for AJ to win, Shane interfered, shoving Owens and getting him thrown out. Bryan suggested that Shane would go too, infuriating Shane even more.
Hopefully, this match is leading to the eventual confrontation between Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon. In most cases, Bryan has been in the right with his calls regarding the antics of Owens and Zayn and Shane is going too far with his hatred for Owens. AJ spoke for the fans when he told Daniel and Shane to quit bickering- the WWE Universe wants to see them in the ring together.
There isn’t much to say about AJ Styles other than that he’s great on the mic and incredible in the ring. I cant think of a better person to be WWE champion at the time. It isn’t a surprise that the fans are looking forward to the 2-on-1 handicap match between AJ and Owens and Zayn at the Rumble.
Comments