The Usos, Sheamus, John Morrison, so many returns in one episode! The first SmackDown of the new year was a real treat. Then, what to do with them now? We know The Usos will compete tonight and we’ll hear of John Morrison. With the Royal Rumble in 2 weeks time, the Blue brand is at a turning point, with a bunch of storylines going on (some should really find an end soon…) and these New Kids on the Block who could be game-changing and literally propel SmackDown to the top. Welcome to the most must-see VultureHound review in history; welcome to… the SmackDown Review.
Results:
– The Miz defeated Kofi with a little help from John Morrison.
– Mandy Rose defeated Alexa Bliss with a little help from Otis.
– Lacey Evans vs Sasha Banks never took place with a little help from Sasha not being here.
– Braun Strowman defeated Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura with a little help from Cesaro and Zayn Guevara being involved.
– King Corbin & Dolph Ziggler defeated The Usos via DQ with a little help from Roman Reigns trying to knock The Revival down and really knocking Corbin down.
Nygma’s Best Bits:
John Morrison is back and it was enough to open the show with MizTV. Same music, same charisma, JoMo may have left like 8 or 9 years ago, it seems like it has never happened. No Dirt Sheet revival, well a little bit, just 2 more mature men and grown-up wrestlers reminding of their friendship, joking and showing the wrestling business they are not done yet. Morrison is back for his best friend and he insisted on it. The fans angle of “you love Kofi but not Miz” was not a necessity but to build up a feud between New Day and Miz/Morrison maybe… I’m not sure The Miz deserved these “You Suck” chants… Well, Miz was wearing his wrestling gear so it was to expect he would face either Big E or Kofi. The match itself was custom-made to make Morrison come back in the game and that’s what happened. He will face Big E next week and so make his official comeback in a WWE ring.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiIVzupEWIU]
The mind games between Bray Wyatt and Daniel Bryan are not done yet. In the new edition of the Firefly Fun House, Bray Wyatt sais he loves everyone. Love is special but not everyone is capable of it, mostly Daniel Bryan. The Fiend feels the opposite of love for Bryan. Wyatt said Bryan will be in trouble at the Royal Rumble when he faces The Fiend. He added first The Fiend wanted to help Bryan, then change Bryan, now he wants to hurt Bryan because Bryan wants to take the Universal Title. Later, Ramblin’ Rabbit would come cut Daniel Bryan during a promo to tell him he’s Bryan biggest fan. Wyatt appeared and squeezed Rabbit until he can’t speak again. Daniel Bryan would later find what remained of Ramblin’ Rabbit on a gift box in his locker room.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqZSotdW6CI]
As Elias was ready to make Brock Lesnar walk with him at Royal Rumble, Mandy Rose made a cake for Otis. Otis was speechless and made her win against Alexa Bliss. Deville looked unsure but humoured by everything. As far as I’m concerned, when it comes to The Beauty ad The Beas, I’ve seen enough of it.
Lacey Evans was supposed to face Sasha Banks. Instead, she had Bayley on the screen saying Banks was not in the arena but in Los Angeles finishing her rap album. Evans was not surprised but still ready to fight. Banks trash-talked on Bayley’s attitude as a Champion and challenged her to come to the ring and put the title on the line. Evans rushed backstage. Bayley attacked her, Evans replied, referees had to stop the beatdown. Bayley as a heel and Evans as a face is something very pleasant to watch…
The Nakamura/Strowman thing is something that was meant to happen by the end of last year, but Strowman’s injury prevented WWE from doing it before. Strowman defeated Nakamura and raised the belt. Zayn Guevara and Cesaro, this time, came up short helping their friend but they saved his title from these hands. The title match is not set yet but I have no doubt it will happen at the Royal Rumble. Then, is Braun Strowman made for the Intercontinental Championship? I’m not convinced at all. Putting this belt in his hands is, for me, like Lesnar with the WWE Championship, trying to get the titles out of their hands looks like mission impossible…
Fantastic promo from Sheamus. Rise over size, embrace who you are. Shorty G has been saying a lot of things but he didn’t say anything last week as Sheamus showed the little rat just how much SmackDown is about to change now that he’s returned. He knocked G down but G did not rise again. That represents all the ills and problems that have infested SmackDown since he’s been gone. Small isn’t something to be embraced, it’s something to be crushed and disposed of. Sheamus said last week he proved that size does matter. Shorty G said embrace who you are and Sheamus agreed. Since he’s returned, Sheamus is ready to embrace chaos. On that, I’m ready to walk with Sheamus…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_3tqc7GDgM]
Roman Reigns has been outnumbered, jumped and even embarrassed by King Baron Corbin and his crew. Reigns has always had back-up but this time he didn’t need the help of friends, this time he needed the help of his family. The Usos arrived, they’re back and ready to send Corbin & co to The Uso Penitentiary. Corbin and Ziggler arrived and said they were ready to hand two more dogs.
The match that followed was a trap, of course. When Reigns had family, Corbin had a bunch of roadies to help him. First, his pom-pom boy Ziggler, then The Revival, and finally Robert Roode who came back the day his suspension was over. Reigns cost The Usos the match when he speared Corbin at ringside. Once again, Reigns was beaten down. Once again, the episode ended with this now common pic of Corbin standing tall. Could we stop this feud, please?
For FOX Sake:
For a few seconds, during the Elias segment, I almost forgot I was watching a wrestling show and I found that cool. The crowd was in there and made of this moment something we could see in a music gig. Of course, Elias spoke and sang wrestling but his musical segments have become something fun to watch and listen to. Then, Elias can also wrestle. And he will do it at Royal Rumble, as he, Otis and Tucker will be in the Royal Rumble match. Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross will also be a part of the Royal Rumble match, but the women’s one…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eew_q4ggokE]
Let them eat cake, I put as a title… Everyone wants his place under the Sun, eat a slice of this giant cake a wrestling show can represent. For the moment, the focus is on Sasha/Lacey, Corbin and his roadies against Reigns and his family, Mandy and Otis. With such a plethora of talents, think Ali, Gable, Drew Gulak, Cesaro, etc. SmackDown is big enough as a cake to let every member of roster bite in it. Some will have a bigger slice than others, for sure, but in the end, the whole thing looks pretty good and, compared to RAW, the Blue brand is way more enjoyable to watch than the Red one…
All pics and videos courtesy of WWE