 Grayson Waller vs. Cameron Grimes Went to a No ContestIt was certainly suspect when it looked like this was kicking off the show because the match had minimal storyline significance, and it quickly turned out to be an angle with The Bloodline attacking Cameron Grimes during his entrance and preventing the match from happening. Nick Aldis informed Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa that they'd fight Randy Orton, AJ Styles and LA Knight in a six-man tag team main event if they could find a partner (since Roman Reigns wasn't in the building). It was a fine way to start the show and set up a show-long story with Paul Heyman trying to recruit someone to team with Uso and Sikoa. Angel and Humberto def. The LWO (Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro)Angel and Humberto previously had their last names taken away in 2021 when they joined forces as Los Lotharios. They got their last names back during their recent run in NXT, only to apparently lose them again on the main roster. Make it make sense. That aside, this was a nice match and I appreciated that these two talented teams got some time. Carlito also returned to SmackDown to brawl with Santos Escobar, so I assume we'll soon be getting the matchup we were supposed to get at Survivor Series. Bianca Belair def. BayleyBelair and Bayley have had what feels like a thousand matches in the last three years, and although they always work well together, they'd benefit from putting their rivalry to rest for a while after this. However, this was a great match that lasted longer than almost any other women's matchup we've gotten on SmackDown in months. I'm loving the subtle tension being teased between Bayley and the rest of Damage CTRL, which should culminate in Bayley either winning the women's Royal Rumble or being booted from the group soon after the event (or both). The Final Testament Interrupted Bobby Lashley and The Street ProfitsThe Final Testament is the name for Karrion Kross' new group and that's pretty badass. The Pride, on the other hand, not so much. That was rumored to be the name for Lashley and the Profits, and Lashley seemed to confirm it by putting it in his Twitter bio today (even though he didn't mention it in this segment). Oh well, I'm sure we'll all collectively forget about/deal with it as we have other silly stable/ring names over the years. This segment furthered the faction feud, but there wasn't much to it. Carmelo Hayes vs. Austin Theory Ended in a No ContestI was wondering what Hayes' status was as a member of the main roster following his involvement in the United States Championship number one contender's tournament and I can't imagine he would've shown up here if the idea wasn't to make his call-up official soon. He needs to finish his NXT storyline with Trick Williams before he joins the blue brand full-time, but he should be able to pull double duty in the meantime. This was a very good match from him and Theory up until that scary spot where both got hurt and the referee called for the bell. Thankfully, WWE later said they're okay. Randy Orton, LA Knight and AJ Styles def. The Bloodline (Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa) in a 3-on-2 Handicap MatchUso and Sikoa didn't end up finding a partner, so this started out as them against Knight and Styles two-on-two. Orton (who was attacked by The Bloodline beforehand) then emerged toward the end to make it a Handicap match. It was fairly standard stuff on the whole, but the crowd had fun with it. The babyfaces standing tall for a change was a welcome change of pace. Perhaps their post-match assault on The Bloodline means Uso and Sikoa won't be present for next week's contract signing. I'd say the Royal Rumble, too, but the attack wasn't that vicious. Overall ShowThere was also a vignette with Butch and Tyler Bate talking about their future as a team and Bate teased Butch becoming Pete Dunne again. About damn time! SmackDown this week wasn't nearly as eventful as last week's New Year's Revolution special, but it was still a solid show with some storyline advancements and enjoyable action. Even with the Royal Rumble approaching, these shows don't feel like filler and that makes me optimistic for upcoming episodes.
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