SmackDown: The final episode of SmackDown before WWE Royal Rumble 2024 has concluded, creating quite a buzz. In this episode of SmackDown, there was chaos, and the condition of Roman Reigns’ brothers took a hit. Let’s take a look at the results of this week’s WWE SmackDown.
Segment with Randy Orton in WWE SmackDown:
– The rapper Eladio Carrion appeared at the beginning of WWE SmackDown, and soon, he called out Randy Orton. Orton mentioned that people might not know that he and Eladio are friends. He then discussed the dominance of Bloodline and Roman Reigns’ historic title run. Orton claimed that he would become a 15-time World Champion at Royal Rumble 2024. AJ Styles interrupted and reminded Orton that he is also in the match. Styles taunted Orton by proposing a match against Elias Knight instead. AJ Styles mocked Randy Orton about their history and expressed his desire to get revenge for last week’s RKO. El A Night came out and challenged Orton for the Universal Championship at Royal Rumble. El A Night then claimed he would become the new Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. El A Night was attacked by AJ Styles, who then delivered a Pele Kick, leaving Orton stunned.
Santos Escobar vs. Carlito in WWE SmackDown:
– Santos Escobar faced Carlito in a match, and it was a fantastic encounter between the two superstars. Humbero Carrillo and Angel Garza tried to interfere, attempting to help Escobar gain an advantage. This led to LWO members attacking them, resulting in a brawl ringside. NXT superstar Electra Lopez made her debut by attacking Zelina Vega. Carlito took advantage of the distraction and pinned Santos Escobar with a roll-up for a significant victory.
Winner: Santos Escobar.
– Jimmy Uso offered AJ Styles to join him in causing damage to Elias Knight. However, The O.C. Styles came out to meet Elias Knight, but the former WWE Champion left the scene soon after.
– Nick Aldis congratulated Ava Ren for becoming the General Manager of NXT. Later, Bobby Lashley came out with The Street Profits and chose his entrance number for the Royal Rumble match. It was revealed that members of the Santos Escobar team would participate in the Royal Rumble, setting up an intense face-off.
– Bayley announced her entry into the Women’s Royal Rumble match through a video package.
– R-Truth had a funny segment, revealing his entrance number for the Royal Rumble match.
Kabuki Warriors vs. Kaden Carter & Katana Chance (Vimense Tag Team Championship Match) in WWE SmackDown:
– Kaden Carter & Katana Chance defended their Vimense Tag Team Titles against the Kabuki Warriors. The champions created dominance early in the match, but Kabuki Warriors fought back, and Asuka attacked Katana Chance to secure the victory and retain their titles.
Winner: Kabuki Warriors.
– Backstage, Paul Heyman reminded Solo Sikoa that their issues were not resolved yet. Soon after, Mega Star made their way to the ring, confronting Solo Sikoa about his upcoming match against WWE Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins.
– Nick Aldis wished Ava Ren well on becoming the General Manager of NXT. Later, Bobby Lashley appeared with The Street Profits, and he chose his entrance number for the Royal Rumble match. Santos Escobar’s faction faced off with the Saint Santos Escobar team, and Santos chose his Royal Rumble number. It was revealed that superstars from all three brands would participate in the Royal Rumble match.
– Bianca Belair and Bayley announced their entry numbers for the Women’s Royal Rumble match.
Segment with The Pride and Final Testament in WWE SmackDown:
– Bobby Lashley delivered a promo, boasting about his achievements and counting Street Profits’ accomplishments. Afterward, Lashley called out Carrion Cross’s faction to come out. Carrion Cross’s faction members were on the ramp, and Scarlett was in the ring. Cross taunted Lashley, claiming that things weren’t going as per Lashley’s plans. Scarlett said that Cross was not in the mood to fight. Despite Cross’s reluctance, Scarlett attacked Lashley. Taking advantage of the situation, Carrion Cross & Others of Pain launched a vicious attack on Lashley & Street Profits, leaving them in a bad condition. In the end, Cross delivered a Cross Hammer to Lashley.
– Jimmy Uso was not happy with his entry number for the Royal Rumble match.
Austin Theory vs. Carmelo Haze in WWE SmackDown:
– Carmelo Haze executed a dropkick and delivered chops to Austin Theory at the beginning of the match. After a brief fight back from Theory, Gretna Waller interfered and attacked Haze. Despite the interference, Haze continued to fight, but Waller’s attack allowed Theory to pin Haze with a roll-up for the victory. Post-match, heels stars attacked Carmelo Haze, but Trick Williams came out to save him. Despite the help, Carmelo Haze did not seem pleased and left without acknowledging Williams.
Winner: Austin Theory.
Main Event in WWE SmackDown – LA Knight vs. Solo Sikoa:
– LA Knight attacked Solo Sikoa at the start of the match. Soon, Solo fought back, severely damaging Knight. Throughout the match, both continued to assault each other. After LA Knight’s interference in Jimmy Uso’s match, AJ Styles attacked Knight, resulting in a disqualification. Afterward, Styles attacked Uso and Sikoa, delivering a Phenomenal Forearm to Uso. Randy Orton entered the arena and attacked Styles, delivering an RKO. Later, Viper appeared to give a DD-T to Styles. In the end, LA Knight attacked Randy Orton, delivering a BFT.
This recap summarizes the key events of WWE SmackDown before Royal Rumble 2024.