Featured Columnist IVJanuary 11, 2025WWE SmackDown Outcomes: Winners, Dwell Grades, Response and Highlights From January 10
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SmackDown.WWE
Welcome to Bleacher Report’s dwell protection of WWE SmackDown on January 10.
Following her profitable cash-in of the Cash within the Financial institution contract final week, Tiffany Stratton confirmed as much as have a good time her first week as the ladies’s champion.
Talking of titles two had been on the road this week. Shinsuke Nakamura put his United States Championship on the road in opposition to the previous champion, LA Knight, and Chelsea Inexperienced put her United States Championship on the road in opposition to Michin.
With the Royal Rumble lower than a month away, WWE additionally spent a while organising the present.
Let’s check out the whole lot that occurred on Friday’s SmackDown.
Chelsea Inexperienced vs. Michin
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- There was a humorous audio glitch for one second when you would hear Heyman layered on high of himself like an echo.
- Inexperienced was actually leaning into the patriotic imagery along with her gear.
- Yim’s hurricanranas seemed good.
SmackDown. WWE
SmackDown opened with a fast recap of the Uncooked debut on Netflix earlier than Paul Heyman got here out to debate Roman Reigns profitable again his Ulafala and changing into the Tribal Chief once more.
Cody Rhodes got here out however Kevin Owens confirmed up a couple of moments later. He insulted Rhodes till he lept over the barricade and went after him. In the meantime, Heyman was alone within the ring when Jacob Fatu and Tama Tonga confirmed up. Jimmy Uso tried to make the save however was taken down by Fatu.
Rhodes ultimately made his means again to the ring to assist drive Fatu and Tonga away. After the break, Michin was within the ring ready for Inexperienced to return out and defend her U.S. title.
The challenger was aggressive proper out of the gate. She was the one who Inexperienced defeated to win the belt, so she hoped to proper a perceived incorrect. Sadly for her, Piper Niven was at ringside to provide the champ an unfair benefit.
This was a reasonably common match. Inexperienced and Yim each seemed good however this did not fairly dwell as much as their earlier efficiency. Inexperienced retained with a pin, however you would inform Yim was not achieved along with her.
End result: Inexperienced defeated Michin
Grade: B-
Notable Moments and Observations
Los Garzas vs. Fairly Lethal
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- Angel was exhibiting loads of energy by tossing each members of Fairly Lethal round for slams and suplexes.
- Wilson yelling for DIY to return assist was hilarious for some motive.
Package Wilson and Elton Prince had been in motion this week in opposition to Legado Del Fantasma’s Angel and Berto.
All 4 males began combating earlier than the ref might name for the bell. The high-flyers took management first and used their pace to maintain Wilson on protection.
Whereas this was not a very one-sided battle, Los Garzas undoubtedly dominated a lot of the motion. Wilson even tried to yell for DIY to return assist them at one level.
Angel and Berto scored a win because of slightly assist from Santos Escobar and Elektra Lopez. This was quick and uneventful, however Los Garzas getting a win isn’t a nasty factor. They’re an incredible crew with limitless potential.
End result: Los Garzas defeated Fairly Lethal
Grade: C+
Notable Moments and Observations
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. LA Knight
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- Nakamura’s entrance is superior, however it feels prefer it’s lacking one element. It is arduous to pinpoint what it’s.
- The announcers mentioned that they had a brand-new bolstered desk.
- Nakamura seems to be like he has placed on some muscle in current months.
- Knight’s bounce to the highest rope for a superplex was nice.
- A reverse Boston crab looks like it could be a lot tougher to make use of successfully than a daily Boston crab.
The following match noticed Nakamura defend his U.S. title in opposition to the person he defeated to win it, Knight.
They stored locking up and discovering themselves in a stalemate. They felt evenly matched in virtually each means, which is all the time a enjoyable dynamic for a match.
Knight ultimately discovered a method to take management and introduced Nakamura out of the ring to slam his head into the announce desk a number of occasions.
These two have had a handful of matches and their chemistry has grown with every encounter. Nakamura’s versatility pushed Knight outdoors his consolation zone a bit.
Sadly, this match led to a disqualification when Tonga and Fatu interfered. Earlier within the present, Knight had helped lock them out of the constructing, so that they had been getting slightly revenge.
Jimmy and Cody got here out to run them off and issued a problem for a tag match that was accepted.
Nakamura vs. Knight was enjoyable however the ending stored it from being what it might have been.
End result: No Contest
Grade: B
Notable Moments and Observations
A-City Down Below vs. Motor Metropolis Machine Weapons
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- The peak distinction between the 2 groups was wild as soon as they had been standing subsequent to one another. Waller and Idea are massive guys, and with Sabin and Shelley being on the smaller facet, it made them look even larger.
- Sabin has probably the greatest sizzling tag sequences. He’s far and wide however nonetheless so exact.
- Waller is a type of guys who all the time goes the additional mile to promote for his opponents. It is an underrated talent.
After a phase backstage with Nick Aldis and a few of the SmackDown tag groups, a match was booked with Austin Idea and Grayson Waller taking up Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley.
These two groups couldn’t be extra totally different. Shelley and Sabin are fast-paced wrestlers who work at breakneck speeds, however Idea and Waller are slightly extra methodical and make use of extra energy strikes.
It is all the time enjoyable to see David battle the Goliath, however seeing it in a two on two match just isn’t as widespread, so it created a enjoyable dynamic.
This match had a fast tempo and loads of nice double-team motion. MCMG performed good underdogs who would get briefly bursts of offense.
Everybody was working properly collectively and placed on an entertaining efficiency, however ultimately, it was MCMG that scored the win with Cranium and Bones.
End result: MCMG defeated A-City Down Below
Grade: B+
Notable Moments and Observations
Naomi vs. Bianca Belair vs. Bayley vs. Nia Jax
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- Tiffy wasn’t performing like a whole babyface however loads of her heel tendencies have pale away.
- Naomi and Belair sporting matching gear in a match the place they’re opponents was type of a humorous element.
- The extent of enchancment Jax has made during the last couple of years can’t be understated. She is so a lot better at the whole lot she does within the ring now.
Stratton got here out after a break to have a good time profitable the WWE Ladies’s Championship. She acquired an incredible response from the group, particularly when Byron Saxton interviewed her.
Nia Jax got here out and referred to as her ungrateful and threatened to finish her life. The phase led to a battle that ended with Aldis reserving a No. 1 Contender’s match to see who will get to battle Tiffy subsequent.
Bayley, Jax, Bianca Belair and Naomi had been the rivals. The three babyfaces teamed up on Jax and drove her out of the ring virtually instantly.
Each time Jax was within the ring, everybody else would battle her. As quickly as she was thrown out once more, Bayley and Belair would begin going at it. These two have loads of points going again to 2023, so that they weren’t holding again like Naomi and Belair did in opposition to one another.
Candice LeRae ultimately confirmed as much as present assist for Jax, however it ended up not making a distinction. Bayley scored the win with the Rose Plant on Naomi.
End result: Bayley defeated Naomi, Belair and Jax
Grade: B-
Notable Moments and Observations
Jimmy Uso and Cody Rhodes vs. Jacob Fatu and Tama Tonga
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- Jimmy’s crimson gear was so vivid. It actually stood out in opposition to the blue mat and the group.
- Fatu’s depth is unmatched. He has probably the most intimidating facial expressions in all of WWE.
- Rhodes hit a pleasant suicide dive towards the top of the match.
This week’s primary occasion noticed Jimmy and Cody crew as much as tackle Fatu and Tonga. These 4 had been combating on and off all night time, so Aldis needed them to complete it within the ring.
As soon as the preliminary brawl settled down, Tonga and Fatu started to isolate Uso with fast tags and double-team strikes. For a very long time, Jimmy was struggling to realize any form of momentum.
The American Nightmare acquired the recent tag and turned the tide in his favor with a collection of high-impact strikes.
Owens confirmed up and fought Rhodes to the again, which left Jimmy alone to battle each opponents. Fatu and Tonga had been an excessive amount of for him ultimately.
Fatu hit a moonsault for the pin to get the victory for himself and Tonga. This was an pleasant however extremely predictable match. Betting on KO exhibiting up would have been the most secure cash in Vegas.
KO and Rhodes ended up crashing by a desk whereas combating close to the stage. The present ended with each males being checked out by officers.
End result: Fatu and Tonga defeated Uso and Rhodes
Grade: B
Notable Moments and Observations
The Remaining Phrase
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This week’s SmackDown felt like a reasonably run-of-the-mill present. It had some matches, some interviews, some backstage segments, a couple of fights, and a few storyline developments.
That being mentioned, this week’s episode was a protracted three hours. Not one of the matches stood out as memorable, and with one title match ending and not using a actual winner, it left loads to be desired.
Seeing Tiffy get such a heat welcome was nice and a great indication of her babyface potential, however with Bayley as her subsequent opponent, the champ will not be able to take the excessive street simply but.
Los Garzas and Fairly Lethal had a enjoyable encounter, and MCMG and A-City Down Below did some strong work. Subsequent week, we are going to possible see Los Garzas and MCMG battle for the following shot on the tag titles.
The blue model being three hours goes to take some getting used to, but when the corporate needs it to do properly, it wants to begin placing in additional matches than simply two each hour.
Grade: C+
