WWE taped matches for next week’s New Years Day episode of Smackdown Live in PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA, on Saturday, and here’s everything you need to know about what went down. These are full, actual spoilers for next week’s Smackdown Live, so if you’re planning to watch the show when it airs, proceed with caution.
WWE Smackdown Live Results:
– New Day opened the show with their New Year’s Celebration, and all three members declaring for the Royal Rumble.
1. Samoa Joe defeated Jeff Hardy by submission with the Coquina Clutch, earning a spot in a fatal five-way main event with Styles, Mysterio, Orton, and Mustafa Ali to name a new number one contender to Daniel Bryan’s WWE Championship.
– A backstage segment featured Vince McMahon and Shane McMahon confronting AJ Styles, and saying they want to see the “real AJ Styles.”
– Rusev and Lana held a United States Championship celebration, which was (of course) crashed by Shinsuke Nakamura. Nakamura attacked Rusev, injuring Lana in the process, and left both of them lying.
2. Sonya Deville defeated Naomi. Mandy Rose teased facing Naomi, but backed out. Deville got the jump on Naomi, and won with a spinebuster.
https://twitter.com/MagicMoocher/status/1079204054788501506
– John Cena issued an open challenge. Becky Lynch answered, to tell him she’s The Man around here these days and is taking his place. They were interrupted by Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas and Zelina Vega, which set up a mixed tag team match.
3. John Cena and Becky Lynch defeated Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas and Zelina Vega. After Cena hit is signature moves on Almas, Lynch tossed Cena out of the ring (!!) and tapped out Vega with the Disarmer.
– Miz and Shane McMahon backstage tomfoolery.
4. Number One Contender Fatal Five-way: AJ Styles defeated Randy Orton, Mustafa Ali, Rey Mysterio, and Samoa Joe. Styles pinned Orton with a springboard 450 splash, and will move on to face Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble.
