Nerdly » Friday Night Smackdown – Jan 3rd 2020: Results & Review

06th Jan2020

Friday Night Smackdown – Jan 3rd 2020: Results & Review

by Nathan Favel

Welcome to this week’s Friday Night SmackDown review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have the first SmackDown of 2020, so let’s enjoy it. I’m here at the home of renowned meth dealer G-UZI and his Kevlar-clad crew of pushers. They do Cross-Fit and drive-bys. We’ve got the TalkTech going to capture the whole thing. G-UZI: Nice to have you. Nathan: Good to be wanted. G-UZI: Want some meth? Nathan: No…thanks though. G-UZI: You’re welcome.

Match #1: Lacey Evans & Dana Brooke def. Sasha Banks & Bayley and Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley and Sasha Banks kicked off SmackDown with a familiar message – that they are the leaders of the SmackDown Women’s division, all the while continuing to talk about Lacey Evans’ daughter. Evans and Dana Brooke hit the scene to chirp back at Bayley and Banks, but before the two tandems could mix it up, Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross hit the scene and announced their intentions to kick off 2020 by toppling both teams in Triple Threat action. Evans attempted to get her hands on Banks at the start of the contest, but the ever-resourceful Boss quickly found her way out of the match. The critical moments came when Evans & Brooke neutralized Bayley, allowing The Sassy Southern Belle to catch an all-alone Sasha with a vicious Woman’s Right that gave Dana the opening to connect with a ring-shaking Senton Splash from the top rope for the win.

My Opinion: 3.1 out of 5 – This was a nice plate of meat and potatoes. The women worked hard to put some life into this, but the match was mostly just the facts ma’am. I thought it worked out well for what it needed to do, but not as a truly exciting bout. Overall, this was a solid match, but that’s it.

Match #2: Shorty G (Chad Gable) def. Dash Wilder

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

After The Revival came at him with some harsh words earlier in the evening, Shorty G took on Dash Wilder on the blue brand. With his partner Scott Dawson providing guest commentary at ringside, Wilder kept Shorty G on defense with some ground and pound. However, the ever-resilient former Olympian fought back and locked his foe in the Ankle Lock for an academic submission victory. Shorty G had no time to celebrate, however, as Dawson bolted from the commentary table and blindsided Shorty G before the former SmackDown Tag Team Champions dropped their new rival with a Shatter Machine.

My Opinion: 2.6 out of 5 – This was a waste of these guys’ time. This was far too short to make the kind of mark it should have. This was decent, but it deserved to be more than just a a glorified angle.

Match #3: Kofi Kingston def. The Miz

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Last week on SmackDown, The Miz failed to win the Triple Threat Match and did not get an opportunity to face “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt at Royal Rumble for The Universal Title. The New Day had tried to cheer The Miz up earlier in the evening after Miz failed to earn the opportunity to get another chance to face “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt at Royal Rumble. After Kofi Kingston made a light-hearted joke, an angry A-Lister chirped back and challenged Kingston to a match, which he accepted. The two long-tenured Superstars would have an ultra-competitive back and forth contest, but Kofi would ultimately catch Miz at the exact right moment with a rollup that secured him the victory.

My Opinion: 3.2 out of 5 – This was a bit too short for my taste, but it was good while it lasted. These guys have developed plenty of chemistry with each other over the years and that’s evident here. This was good, but not great.

Match #4: Otis def. Drew Gulak

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

With Otis heartbroken after discovering the cake he gave Mandy Rose last week was crushed on the floor, Drew Gulak tried to add insult to injury right before their scheduled match by deriding the big man, which led to Otis going on an absolute rampage. The former Cruiserweight Champion had no answers for Otis, which led to Otis finishing off Gulak with a thud-inducing splash off the second rope.

My Opinion: 2.6 out of 5 – This was a missed opportunity all the way. The match was getting along, but it stopped short of its potential. This match deserved more.

Match #5: Braun Strowman def. Cesaro

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

With his sights still set on Shinsuke Nakamura’s Intercontinental Championship, Braun Strowman tonight had to focus on another of Sami Zayn’s clients, Cesaro. Riding the momentum of pinning Nakamura last week in Six-Man Tag Team action, The Monster Among Men looked to use his brute strength to throttle The Swiss Cyborg as Zayn and Nakamura lurked at ringside. After fending off constant distractions from both, Strowman connected with the Running Powerslam for the win. Braun had no time to celebrate though, as he was struck with a Kinshasa from The King of Strong Style mere seconds after winning the contest. The knee left Strowman on dream street, but he nevertheless appears firmly on a path toward Shinsuke.

My Opinion: 3 out of 5 – This got a bit more time, but it didn’t give this match the chance to do more than be a formula gone fine. Cesaro should have won here, but I get that Braun is the star in Vince’s eyes. Overall, this was good fun, if altogether not very enthralling.

Match #6: (Main Event) Roman Reigns & Daniel Bryan def. King Corbin & Dolph Ziggler (Disqualification)

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

The match as scheduled was Daniel Bryan & Roman Reigns vs. King Corbin & Dolph Ziggler in the main event of Friday Night SmackDown. But we wound up seeing many more faces than that. The match had an unusual feel from the jump, as a surging Bryan was interrupted by flickering arena lights and the haunting sound of Bray Wyatt’s laugh. Bryan regained the form that was briefly halted earlier, but in the critical moments, Universal Champion “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt emerged, prompting Bryan to dive right through the ropes at his Royal Rumble opponent. Bryan’s efforts were unsuccessful though, as Wyatt applied the Mandible Claw and smashed Bryan through the barricade on the outside before reapplying the Mandible Claw. Wyatt vanished just as quickly as he appeared, prompting Corbin & Ziggler to pounce on the solo Reigns. King Corbin & The Showoff tried to replicate their actions of a few weeks ago by attempting to handcuff The Big Dog and pour dog food on him, but their plan was thwarted by the returning Usos! Jimmy & Jey struck with a few vicious superkicks to dispatch Reigns and Corbin before helping their cousin to his feet, closing out an absolutely wild first Friday Night SmackDown of 2020.

My Opinion: 3.2 out of 5 – This was a good match when it was all about the wrestling, but it often wasn’t about the wrestling, so there you go. This was a decent match, but I wish that it was more wrestling orientated. This was a solid main event with a bad ending.

News Of The Night:

Dolph Ziggler hit on Mandy Rose.
The Miz turned heel in a fit of rage.
John Morrison returned to support The Miz.
Sheamus returned to attack any-one he felt like (Chad Gable/Dash Wilder).
The Usos returned to help Roman Reigns.
The Miz still wants revenge against Bray Wyatt.
Daniel Bryan versus Roman Reigns is being teased for Wrestlemania (Universal Title Match).