Here are your quick and dirty, editorial-free WWE Smackdown Live results for January 3, 2017. The first Smackdown of 2017 featured an Intercontinental Championship match and a contract signing for the Royal Rumble.
Be back here tomorrow for the full Best and Worst of Smackdown column.
WWE Smackdown Live Results:
— The show opened with Miz and Maryse coming to the ring. Miz demanded an apology from Renee Young for slapping him two weeks ago. He ran down Renee until Dean Ambrose came out. Miz fled and Maryse slapped Ambrose.
1. Baron Corbin defeated Dolph Ziggler. Corbin was able to hit the End of Days and get the pin.
— After the match, Corbin was going to attack Ziggler with a chair, but Kalisto chased him off. Ziggler superkicked Kalisto and yelled at him about how he doesn’t need anyone, and he never did.
2. Becky Lynch defeated La Luchadora. At one point in the match, La Luchadora went under the ring and a different La Luchadora entered the ring from the other side. La Luchadora missed Twisted Bliss and Becky Lynch locked in the Disarmer to get the tapout.
— After the match, Becky unmasked La Luchadora to reveal Alexa Bliss, but the other La Luchadora entered the ring and she and Bliss beat down Lynch and then left.
— Daniel Bryan introduced John Cena and AJ Styles for the contract signing of their WWE Championship match at the Royal Rumble. Styles complained that Cena gets to be off TV for four months and come back for a title match, but Bryan explained this is the biggest match he can make and he needs Smackdown to stay on a roll. Styles explained to Cena how the tables have turned from a year ago, and now it’s Cena that has something to prove. Styles called Cena a has-been, and Cena said Styles made the biggest mistake of his life: he pissed off John Cena. He promised to beat Styles at the Rumble, because he’s John Cena. Then he signed the contract.
At that point, Baron Corbin’s music hit and he came out. He said he would be the first Smackdown Superstar to not only enter the Royal Rumble match, but he’s winning it. He said no matter who wins at the Royal Rumble, he’s leaving WrestleMania as WWE Champion. Cena tried to fight Corbin, but got blindsided by Styles. Corbin told Cena his time is up.
3. Carmella defeated Aliyah. Carmella was accompanied to ringside by James Ellsworth. Carmella got the submission win with the Code of Silence.
4. American Alpha defeated Breezango. This was a non-title match. American Alpha hit Grand Amplitude on Tyler Breeze and got the pin almost immediately.
— The Wyatt Family appeared on the screen and Bray Wyatt advised American Alpha to enjoy this moment, because nothing lasts forever, and they haven’t really won anything just yet. He said next week, they’re going to reclaim what is rightfully theirs.
— Nikki Bella confronted Natalya in the ring. They bickered about who deserved what, and Natalya finally insulted Nikki enough that Nikki laid her out and left the ring.
5. WWE Intercontinental Championship Match: Dean Ambrose defeated The Miz (c). Maryse tried to get Miz disqualified by slapping Ambrose, but Dean managed to convince the referee to toss Maryse from ringside instead. Ambrose hit Dirty Deeds and got the pinfall and his second Intercontinental Championship.
