Sophia Michaels
Here are your quick, editorial-free WWE Friday Night Smackdown results for January 17, 2020. The show included the return of Kane and the in-ring return of John Morrison. Make sure to come back tomorrow for the complete Best and Worst of Friday Night Smackdown column.
WWE Friday Night Smackdown Results:
– Kane returned to WWE to open the show. He cut a promo about the upcoming Royal Rumble and his accomplishments in past Rumbles. The Firefly Funhouse interrupted Kane and Bray Wyatt talked about the Royal Rumble. A picture on the wall of the Funhouse reminded him of when the Fiend attacked Kane in the past. He threatened the Big Red Machine and the lights went out in the arena.
– When red lights turned on, the Fiend came out of a hole in the ring to attack Kane from behind. An unfazed Kane asked “What took you so long?” and the Fiend was blindsided by a running knee strike from Daniel Bryan. The Fiend retreated through the hole in the ring, but Bryan managed to pull out a few of his dreadlocks before he escaped. Team Hell No led the crowd in a “Yes!” chant.
– Backstage, Team Hell No bickered a little before Bryan challenged The Fiend to make their Royal Rumble bout a Strap Match, putting the guy who always disappears into the type of match where he can’t.
1. John Morrison defeated Big E. Morrison pinned E after hitting Starship Pain. Morrison was cornered by The Miz and Big E by Kofi Kingston for this match.
– Backstage, The Usos asked Roman Reigns what stipulation he would pick for his match with King Corbin at the Royal Rumble. Reigns said they would find out with everyone else. They all performed the Usos’ catchphrase together.
2. The Usos defeated The Revival when Jimmy Uso pinned Dash Wilder with an Uso Splash.
– Backstage, The Revival told Kayla Braxton that if the company wasn’t going to make a change, they needed to make a change. The interview was interrupted by Bayley and Sasha Banks fighting with Lacey Evans.
– Mandy Rose approached Sonya Deville as she was preparing for a match later. Deville asked Rose to ask Otis to be ringside at her match, saying she figured out what Rose sees in him now. Rose agreed to ask but didn’t look happy about it.
– As Banks iced her ankle, Bayley said she would turn Evans into a stay-at-home mom. Due to Banks’ injury, management put Bayley in a match with Evans instead. Bayley said she would do it, but wouldn’t give Evans a title shot, and management agreed the match would be non-title.
3. Lacey Evans defeated Bayley. Evans pinned the Smackdown Women’s Champion in a non-title match after hitting the Women’s Right.
– Sheamus interrupted Shorty G’s backstage interview, mocking him for being short. G snapped and attacked him.
– Backstage, Braun Strowman cut a frustrated promo to Kayla Braxton about why he deserves a shot at Shinsuke Nakamura’s Intercontinental Championship.
– Sami Zayn, Cesaro, and Shinsuke Nakamura interrupted a performance by Elias. Zayn said that Nakamura will “absolutely not” defend his title against Strowman. Elias insulted the trio and they attacked him. Strowman saved Elias.
– A Rocky Johnson memorial video package played.
4. Alexa Bliss defeated Sonya Deville. During a distraction caused by Mandy Rose trying to get involved in the match and Nikki Cross knocking her into Otis’s arms, Bliss rolled up Deville for the win.
– Backstage, Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, and Robert Roode talked about the upcoming Roode vs. Reigns Tables Match. Corbin said that after their victory, they would choose a stipulation that would make Reigns “bow down to his king.”
– A Smackdown Women’s Championship match between Bayley and Lacey Evans and a singles match between Shorty G and Sheamus were announced for the Royal Rumble. Bryan vs. Wyatt was officially made a Strap Match as well.
5. Tables Match: Roman Reigns defeated Robert Roode. Corbin and Ziggler got involved in this match on behalf of Ziggler but were thwarted by The Usos. This allowed Reigns to spear Roode through a table set up in a corner of the ring for the win.
Written by: Uproxx
