 Tensions Rose During the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship Contract SigningAJ Styles, LA Knight and Randy Orton were all present, but Roman Reigns no-showed (despite being in the building), so Paul Heyman filled in for him. That was disappointing, as was the segment on the whole considering the star power involved, but it was solid for what it was. If nothing else, Styles and Knight brawling to the back set up their match for later in the show, and Orton's brief exchange with Heyman was fine. Legado del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Angel and Humberto) def. The LWO (Carlito, Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde)This is the first time Escobar, Angel and Humberto have gone by Legado del Fantasma since joining forces, which was cool to see. This has been a one-sided feud so far in favor of the heels, but I'm not complaining because the heels need heat. This was a well-wrestled match with a finish that protects Carlito since it wasn't decisive. Rey Mysterio should be back soon to resume his rivalry with Escobar, right? Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate def. Pretty DeadlyAbout damn time! It took way too long for Triple H to repackage Butch as Pete Dunne, but better late than never. Granted, Butch was basically Pete Dunne by the end, but the name makes a big difference. He had strong runs in NXT and NXT UK, so I hope he can have similar success on SmackDown with this gimmick because he's great. This was a nice, competitive match. I assume British Strong Style will be sticking together for now, but Dunne betraying Bate and turning heel should be inevitable. United States Champion Logan Paul Attacked Kevin Owens on The KO ShowI'm glad Paul finally acknowledged his history with Owens from three years when Owens hit him with a Stunner at WrestleMania 37. I believe Paul stood tall over Owens in a random talk show segment on SmackDown later that summer, but that was not mentioned. This was strong stuff from Owens and Paul as they successfully hyped their United States Championship clash at the Royal Rumble and told the story that Owens is at a disadvantage with his (kayfabe) injured hand. WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Katana Chance and Kayden Carter def. Unholy UnionI forgot that Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre go by Unholy Union because they're barely featured. It's a badass team name. Too bad they did absolutely nothing to earn an opportunity at the titles. This could have easily been non-title as it was way too short to matter, anyway. This existed to build toward Chance and Carter vs. The Kabuki Warriors for the tag titles, which I'm pretty surprised we're getting as soon as next Friday's SmackDown. LA Knight vs. AJ Styles Ended in a No ContestWith this marking the first time these two have ever gone one-on-one, I was looking forward to this match. What we got was good, but it wasn't long before Solo Sikoa interfered, attacked both men and stayed in the ring for his main event against Orton. Hopefully Knight and Styles are able to have a feud of his own coming out of the Rumble so we can see what they can actually do together. Randy Orton def. Solo SikoaI would have much rather gotten a longer match from Styles and Knight with a clean finish than the rushed mess we got here. This was another first-time-ever match that went to waste. At one point, I thought this could have been saved for WrestleMania 40, but with Orton beating Sikoa in five minutes, it's safe to say that's not happening. Remember when Sikoa destroyed John Cena at Crown Jewel? Orton was made to look like the favorite ahead of the Rumble by laying out all of his upcoming opponents to close the show. Overall ShowThis was the weakest edition of SmackDown we've gotten in recent memory. I've thoroughly enjoyed the blue brand over the last month or two, but this was a lackluster effort on the whole, especially when it came to the build for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match at the Rumble. Orton was spotlighted, but that was about it. The KO Show was much more effective in my opinion, and the long-awaited repackaging of Pete Dunne was notable. I also appreciated that so many matches and segments were advertised for next week's go-home show.
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