WWE SmackDown: 1/14/2022

We’re officially two weeks away from the Royal Rumble payperview! The hype is set: champions defending their titles and superstars both old and new are ready for the Royal Rumble match itself so we could finally see a new face or a familiar one winning said match to earn a main event match at the biggest show of the year, WrestleMania!

Match 1: Tag Team Championship contenders match; The Viking Raiders vs Los Lotharios vs Jinder Mahal and Shanky vs Cesaro and Mansoor. (Rating: 3/5)

A real fun opener to decide who would be the next team in line to face Bloodline members the Usos in a match for the SmackDown tag team championship at the Royal Rumble payperview. Multi man tag matches like these are always fun due to how much chaos ensues and tonight wasn’t any exception. The winners of the match, to my surprise, were the Viking Raiders after pinning one half of the Lotharios after hitting their Viking Experience finisher for the three count. The upcoming match between the champions and new challengers will be one of the ages, and I’m definitely rooting for the fellow Vikings.

Segment 1: InZayn in the membrane

Sami Zayn really has some sort of beef with celebrity guest stars. From YouTuber and boxing star Logan Paul to now Johnny Knoxville from the Jackass franchise, it seems that Zayn should focus on conspiracies as to why these celebrities show up and under his skin relatively quickly. After last week’s news of Knoxville now being a participant in this year’s Royal Rumble for the men, Sami offered to do a “tribute” (more or less) to the Jackass star by doing a stunt of his own which involved a shopping cart that would’ve crashed in to the commentary table (surrounded by padding, of course). And after teasing the crowd that he was about to do the “stunt,” none other than Rick Boogs showed up and like the good guy that he is, put Zayn’s prone body in the shopping cart and sent him crashing to the commentary table. With how amazing Boogs is in the ring, I have no doubt that he’d be getting pretty far into the Rumble match.

Match 2: Aliyah vs Natalya. (Rating: 1.75/5)

Not much of a match happened. Natalya bragged about having world records for competing in the most televised matches for any female wrestler (with her records actually being in the Guinness Book of World Records, it wasn’t just for the sake of a gimmick) and wanted to show the rookie why she’s earned those accolades. Aliyah made her entrance to a pretty good ovation, followed by Nattie. And right before the bell rings, Hart attacks the rookie with the book and it looked as if the match wasn’t going to happen, but then Aliyah told the ref she was ready to go and immediately pinned Natalya for the 3 securing not only her first win on the SmackDown main roster but also breaking a record set long ago by the Rock of competing in the shortest match in WWE history.

Segment 2: Passion, love, energy, fury

As it was revealed last week (again, the reasoning of the reveals of the surprise entrants was poorly. Let surprises be as such, a surprise!), WWE Hall of Famer Lita was named as a participant in this year’s Royal Rumble for the women’s side. Truly an icon and a trailblazer along side longtime friend and bitter rival Trish Stratus, Lita will be making her second appearance in the match. However, the biggest bombshell that was revealed was that this will in fact be Lita’s final run in wrestling (not sure if just in WWE), and I cannot wait for that. Celebration unfortunately cut short as SmackDown’s women’s champion Charlotte Flair came out and made a statement that not only will she also compete in the Rumble match herself but she’d be the one to eliminate the Hall of Famer and thus putting a halt to Lita’s final run plan. Cocky as she can be, Charlotte thought making a physical statement on the legend would’ve been a smart plan but one Twist of Fate later, Lita stood tall and proud as she’s ready to make her final run a reality!

Match 3: Sheamus vs Ricochet. (Rating: 3.75/5)

This was such a fun match, a really great match. Ricochet is a phenomenal athlete and is easily my favorite high flyer that WWE has to offer right now, and Sheamus is just a different story. Not many people could get behind the Celtic Warrior but it’s matches like these that remind me why I’m a Sheamus fan. He brings the best out of not only himself but his opponents as well. Sheamus wins the match via a Brogue Kick midair after Ricochet tried connecting with a crossbody off the ropes (and the way Ricochet sells moves is absolutely beautiful.).

Final segment: Acknowledge the Messiah?!

Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins: two thirds of the greatest wrestling stable in the past decade. The former SHIELD brothers are in the ring, face to face and the hype is firmly set. Loved how Seth’s still playing as his heel character with a mixture of him acknowledging the fact that he’s clearly the babyface in this feud, pretty much solidifying that he’s a tweener. With the roles of of good guy vs bad guy being reversed, this match will definitely feel different from their previous encounters. Both men are in the prime of their respected careers and make up the Mount Rushmore of current WWE wrestlers, and with Reigns being this unbeaten and longest reigning Universal champion, it really does seem obvious that Roman’s reign is continuing; however if for some reason Rollins slays the Tribal Chief has he did with Brock Lesnar and Triple H in the past, I would not complain and would absolutely love a tweener Rollins championship run. He certainly deserves it.

Final Rating: 4/5