SmackDown 26.01.2024

Finally, the Radiant Team is come back in Miami, Florida!  After last week, it is interesting to witness how Bloodline will respond to the assault on Solo. LWO should win tonight to secure at least one victory in their confrontation with Legado, and the Kabuki Warriors will test their strength in challenging for the tag team titles. Tonight promises to be intriguing, so let's dive right in!

Megastar is fired up before Royal Rumble

The show was opened by rapper Eladio Carrion, who enthusiastically introduced his homie Randy Orton. The Viper was clad in his ring gear, prompting speculation about a potential match for the night. Moments later, AJ Styles joined Orton in the ring. Orton hinted at having a solid plan for the Royal Rumble, but Styles vowed to triumph over any obstacles and emerge victorious in the battle. Just then, LA Knight made his presence known.

SmackDown 26.01.2024 - Royal Rumble main event participants exchange final words. 

Tonight, the megastar would be in a match, presenting Roman with what he deemed the biggest threat. However, Roman remained unfazed, asserting his confidence in overcoming Solo tonight and leaving the Royal Rumble as the new Universal Champion. "And that," he declared, "is a fact of life, YEAH!"

SmackDown 26.01.2024 - Sneak attack by AJ Styles. 

While LA Knight raised valid points in the conversation, doubts lingered about his condition after facing Sikoa. As LA departed, Styles struck Viper with a Pele Kick, adding another layer of intrigue to the unfolding drama.

LWO suffers third loss in a row

We've witnessed the conflict between these two groups escalate from a 2-on-2 tag team match to a 3-on-3 showdown when Carlito decided to join the fray. However, even with Zelina's presence at ringside, the dynamic didn't shift in LWO's favor. With no other options left, it seems the only way forward is to let both leaders settle their differences in the ring.

SmackDown 26.01.2024 - Electra joins Legado and distracts Carlito. 

It's worth noting that Carlito's current form doesn't allow for the same level of excitement in the match, so the focus shifted to the brawl outside the ring. The unexpected return of Electra Lopez added a new twist to the narrative, as she targeted Zelina and caused significant chaos, allowing Santos to secure a crucial victory via roll-up, marking the third consecutive win for Legado.

SmackDown 26.01.2024 - A great demonstration of skill by Cruz.

With Legado's dominance evident, it's challenging to see a path for LWO to stage a comeback from this situation.

Jimmy got a good plan

In the backstage area, Uso crossed paths with AJ and made an interesting proposition. Why not destroy LA Knight together tonight in the main event and turn the match into a Triple Threat? Styles didn't get a straight answer.

Kabuki Warriors fulfil their dream

The match I've been eagerly anticipating for two weeks finally arrived. I have a strong feeling that the former champions will reclaim their titles tonight. Both teams showcase incredible skill and seamless tag team interactions. A single mistake could prove fatal in this high-stakes encounter.

SmackDown 26.01.2024 - Kabuki Warriors looking very impressive in this outlook.

After an intense exchange, the tag team champions executed their signature move first and seemed poised for victory with a pinfall. However, Kairi intervened at the last possible second to save her partner. Katana attempted to deal with the illegal participant outside the ring but ended up crashing into the announcers' table, a sight that looked quite nasty and left me feeling sorry for Chance.

SmackDown 26.01.2024 - Tag team Insane Elbow by Kairi and Asuka.

Kayden valiantly tried to hold her ground, but the Kabuki Warriors swiftly executed their finishing move, the Insane Elbow, leading to a victorious pinfall. As I expected, the Kabuki Warriors reclaimed the tag team championships once again. Up next are Zoey and Shayna, who could pose a significant challenge for the new champions.

Paul Heyman inspires Jimmy

Heyman is a great strategist. After Jey left Bloodline, Jimmy seems lost and somewhat irrelevant within the family. So, Paul devised a clever plan to reintegrate Jimmy into the fold. He offered him the opportunity to join the Royal Rumble and emerge victorious. By winning, Jimmy would bring gold to the Bloodline, and Roman would view him in a completely different light. Perhaps, Uso would be next in line after the Tribal Chief.

The End of All mighty era

Bobby has a great desire to face Last Testament tonight. So, the All Mighty and the Street Profits are in the ring, while Karrion and his associates are also present. However, Cross isn't here to fight. Instead, he sends Scarlet to the ring to convey Karrion's demands to Bobby. Lashley decides he's had enough and sends both Montez and Angelo into action.

SmackDown 26.01.2024 - All Mighty Era members.

But Scarlet turns out to be a hidden weapon. She jumps on Bobby's back, allowing AoP to enter the fray and clean house, ultimately assisting in the three-person takedown of the All Mighty. Clearly, the numbers game isn't on the side of the All Mighty Era. It seems Bobby must seek out allies to contend with this threat.

SmackDown 26.01.2024 - Another vicotry for Last Testament group.

Austin vs Carmelo v 2.0

Another attempt to witness a spectacular match between two young and talented superstars. Last time, we saw a nasty landing from both competitors, so I hope tonight we can avoid any injuries. The match was incredibly intense, fast-paced, and filled with impressive combinations. Hayes seemed to have a slight upper hand, but Theory had Greyson by his side, causing plenty of distractions and ultimately allowing Austin to capitalize with a dirty roll-up for the win.

SmackDown 26.01.2024 - Two future top superstars of WWE. 

Carmelo was understandably angry, but after the match, Waller and Theory attempted to further assault Hayes. Fortunately, he had backup. Trick Williams, Carmelo's buddy, rushed to his aid, and together they managed to fend off the villains. However, Trick's intentions weren't entirely clear and clean. He primarily came to Carmelo's aid because of their participation in the Dusty Rhodes tournament, where they are scheduled to have a match soon. Well, at least he prevented Carmelo from being beaten down.

LA Knight stands tall befor Royal Rumble

For the second week in a row, Solo faced a tough opponent, raising questions about whether Roman is intentionally testing Sikoa by placing him in such challenging matches. LA Knight started the match smartly, targeting Solo's hand to prevent him from using the Samoan Spike. Jimmy Uso quickly got involved, but his intervention didn't have the desired effect on LA, who continued to dominate Solo.

SmackDown 26.01.2024 - Megastar dominates Solo.

In the recent two matches, it seemed like Sikoa may have lost his temper or motivation to fight. This could have spelled trouble for the Bloodline, but it appeared that AJ Styles accepted Jimmy's proposal and delivered a Phenomenal Forearm to LA, ending the match. However, the Bloodline's involvement didn't end there.

SmackDown 26.01.2024 - AJ Styles interference in main event.

Jimmy hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether to strike AJ from behind with a steel chair or allow him to take care of LA. Ultimately, Jimmy made a bad call, opting for the latter. Solo's overconfidence in himself led to him giving orders to Styles, which only angered him, resulting in Styles attacking both Jimmy and Solo.

SmackDown 26.01.2024 - Jimmy feels the Viper's wrath.

In a strange turn of events, Randy Orton decided to intervene as well. Jimmy suffered a vintage DDT from Orton, while Styles faced the wrath of an RKO. However, in the final moments, LA Knight managed to deliver a devastating BFT to Orton, emerging as the last man standing tonight.

Ranking and Opinion

Not a bad show after all. We have new tag team champions, bringing almost all the women's gold under Damage CTRL's control. The All Mighty still appears to be suffering from Last Testament, and this group of individuals will likely cause havoc on SmackDown. With the Royal Rumble just days away, we have four competitors vying for the most relevant title in WWE. Each has a 25% chance of winning, but considering Roman's greatness and the fact that this type of match has no rules, Reigns undoubtedly has a much higher chance of retaining his title. I'd rate this show a 7/10. Stay tuned and stay safe! :)