WWE SmackDown Live comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Jan. 10, 2017) from the Raising Can’s River Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana featuring all the latest build to the upcoming dual brand Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) scheduled for later this month in San Antonio, Texas.
Advertised for tonight: American Alpha defend the tag team titles against The Wyatt Family, John Cena vs. Baron Corbin, Natalya vs. Nikki Bella, and more!
Come right back here at 8 p.m. ET when the SmackDown live blog kicks off once the show starts on USA. It will be below this line here. (REMINDER: NO GIFS OR PICS ARE ALLOWED IN THE COMMENTS SECTION. OFFENDERS WILL BE BANNED.)
WWE SMACKDOWN RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG FOR JAN. 10
Invisible airwaves crackle with life, bright antennae bristle with the energy. Emotional feedback on a timeless wavelength, bearing a gift beyond price, almost free. Which, coincidentally, is how much this here liveblog I'm writing for you costs, folks.
The show opens with a video package recapping the Miz and Dean Ambrose’s feud to date. We then head in the arena where Dean makes his entrance.
He welcomes us to the first Ambrose Asylum of 2017, and the first ever hosted by the Intercontinental Champion, and he declares his entry into the Royal Rumble match! But since we’re in cajun country, he thought it’d be great to have a live alligator on the show. They don’t have the permits, alas, so he bought a gator head at the gas station and named it Maurice. (Get it?)
But you can’t interview an inanimate object, so he introduces his guest— Miz’s music cuts off his intro and he and Maryse make their way to the ring. Miz tells him to understand that each day he carries his title, he undoes the hard work he put in to restore it to its former glory. And now he’s gonna taint the integrity of the Royal Rumble match? Miz has no intention of letting him, because he’s gonna announce for everybody watching that he is officially entering the Rumble as well.
That’s in the future, though, and Miz wants to talk about last week when Dean stole his title, coercing referee Dan Engler into letting the match continue when it should have been thrown out. Before he takes legal action and puts Ambrose in years of lawsuits and legal fees, he wanted to give him the opportunity to do the right thing right now, and hand the title over. The crowd pleads with Dean not to do it, and he holds the title like he’s thinking about it.
Dean says he’s right, he has something that belongs to Miz and he deserves to have it back. Miz puts him over as a sensible guy, doing the right thing. Ambrose yanks the title away and says he had it under the gator. He pulls a bag out and fishes the Miz Participation Award out! He tells Miz he tried and presents him the award. Miz says people say Dean isn’t funny— and throws the award at him!
Miz raining down grounded punches before taking his jacket off and throwing crossface strikes. He invites Maryse over and drags Ambrose up, she hauls off... AND DEAN DUCKS! The slap hits Miz and Dean takes advantage... DIRTY DEEDS! He offers the award to Maryse, who takes it, and leaves as she spikes the award into the mat. She tends to her husband as Dean walks off.
Commentary puts over Baron Corbin vs. John Cena as well as our tag title rematch and Nikki Bella vs. Natalya, which they have a video package for.
Nikki is walking backstage... and Nattie assaults her from behind! We’ll find out if the match is actually going to happen after the break.
Back from commercial and Natalya makes her entrance. Nikki’s music plays and she makes her way out, she’s ready to fight!
Nikki spears Nattie before the bell rings and throws wild mounted punches! Nattie tries to bail and Nikki spears her again for more but Neidhart reverses and throws punches of her own before taking her into the barricade for more. She throws Bell in the ring and kicks her squre in the face as referee Dan Engler tries to separate them so he can ring the bell.
Nattie bails, satisfied but Nikki follows and yanks her off the barricade for more violence. Back in the ring, they roll around and more referees come down to try and separate them. They get them apart but Nikki charges right back in. Separated again, Natalya comes over with a chop block and takes Bella outside before applying the Sharpshooter.
Neidhart breaks and poses for the crowd as Bella writhes in agony on the mat.
Backstage, Dolph Ziggler is interviewed about his aggressive breakdown last week. He stews in silence for a moment before setting his jaw and walking off as we go to break.
Back from commercial with a house ad for 205 Live tonight, and in the arena Kalisto is making his entrance.
Dolph Ziggler vs. Kalisto
Kalisto charges in with kicks and forearms, whip, reversed, headscissors takeover and Dolph bails outside. Ziggler back in, circling, he picks a leg into a pin before grabbing a front chancery. Kalisto reverses to an wristlock, looking for a Kimura lock but Dolph fights away and gets a cover. Another cover, Kalisto back to the arm with a hammerlock, Ziggler out with a knee and he snaps off a neckbreaker for one.
Dolph grabs a Fujiwara armbar for a moment before scissoring the arm and going for a pin. Kalisto to his feet, body blows, knee from Dolph, going for a neckbreaker, Kalisto reverses to a backslide for two. Dolph catches him in the face with an uppercut, looking for a big boot, Kalisto ducks, whip to the corner, charge, sent to the apron, kick to the head, tries to springboard in but Dolph blocks him and knocks him outside as we go to break.
Back from commercial and Dolph is wrenching back on Kalisto with a modified bow-and-arrow stretch but Kalisto reverses to a pin for two. Ziggler changes to a reverse chinlock and goes flat to the mat, but Kalisto gets to his feet and out with a jawbreaker. Dolph charges into a back elbow, Kalisto charges into a boot to the gut, whip off, Dolph eats a kick and a headscissors takeover, Kalisto blocks a superkick and rolls him up for two.
Dropkick for two, Kalisto reverses the cradle...
Kalisto wins by pinfall with a crucifix pin.
Dolph clobbers him with a lariat after! Referee Ryan Tran backs him off but Ziggler throws some mounted punches before breaking again and heading outside for a chair. He hammers at Kalisto’s back with the chair twice before heading off, but Apollo Crews comes down! Right hands! He throws Dolph back in the ring but gets caught with a knee and a hammer blow to the back.
Dolph has the chair again, he puts it into Apollo’s gut and his back, seething with rage. Another chair shot to the back, Ziggler turns his attention to Kalisto again, who’s dragging his way up the ropes. Kalisto eats another shot to the back, screaming agony.
American Alpha are interviewed about their title defense. Jason Jordansays the Wyatts have proved to be one of the most intimidating groups in WWE. Bray Wyatt may think he’s the Alpha and the Omega, but as long as AA have the belts, they’re the Alpha. Chad Gable says they’re not underestimating the Wyatts, but they’re ready to go to war. They beat them before, they’ll beat them again.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a god, a serpent, or whatever Luke Harper is, but you can’t hang with American Alpha, nor can you take the titles from them.
Commentary puts Cena/Corbin over as the main event and we head to break.
Back from commercial and Renee Young is interviewing John Cena backstage. He asks who the hell Baron Corbin thinks he is to need to make a statement. He’s run through everything in his path in WWE so far, the Lone Wolf is backward, John’s the one who has to make a statement. AJ Styles called him something he’s never been called last week, a has-been.
Cena agrees, it HAS been a long time since he had to fight to prove he belongs. The bad news for Corbin is that he’s fired up tonight and looking to find the toughest guy in the room and knock his teeth down his throat. The Lone Wolf may be on the prowl, but recognize John Cena, his time is now.
Cut to the smokey room, where Bray Wyatt is telling American Alpha that nothing lasts forever and the devil is at their doorstep. Knock, knock, knock. Randy Orton says they’re here and they make their entrance. The match is up after the break!
Back from commercial and the bell rings!
American Alpha (Chad Gable & Jason Jordan) (c) vs. the Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt & Randy Orton) (WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship)
Bray and Chad to start, Wyatt taking an advantage off the bat. Whip across, Gble ducks a pair of lariats, tag to Jordan. Gable takes care of Orton and Jordan goes for a pin before throwing shoulder thrusts in the corner. Waistlock takedown into a pin, he holds on the waistlock and shifts to a front chancery, adds a leg for a pin, sticks with the chancery, Wyatt gets him in the corner, tag to Orton.
Randy whips Jordan across, Jason gets a waistlock, Orton escapes, side headlock from the Viper, shoots him off, blind tag from Gable, double leg into a waistlock, Randy out with an elbow. Uppercuts, tag to Bray, right hands and scraping Chad’s face ascross the top rope. He sets the Olympian up, top, ARMBREAKER IN THE ROPES!
Bray catches a diving lariat into his huge Rock Bottom, Gable escapes at the apex of the lift, Sister Abigail countered with a roll-up, somersault leg drop off the apron when Bray goes outside! Running crossbody from Wyatt into a pin for two, tag to the Viper. Orton chucks Chad outside like a sack of potatos, back suplex into the apron and then a second!
Bck in the ring for a cover, Gable kicks out and Randy lays in the Garvin Stomp. Tag to Bray, stomp of his own, back suplex lift swung into a single-knee facebreaker and then a reverse chinlock to ground the Olympian. Chad to his feet and out with body blows but Bray slams him to the mat and tags Orton in.
Randy with a wristlock into a slingshot suplex for two and back to the stomps, dragging Gable over for a tag to Wyatt. Bray drags him up but Chad hits a jawbreaker, shove, tag to Jordan! Exploder on Wyatt, back suplex on Orton, charging shoulder blocks on block men, two count on Bray.
Jordan going up top, Harper runs interference and Bray hits a northern lariat and tags Orton in. A gourdbuster hangs Jason on the top rope and he clatters outside as we go to break.
Back from commercial and Orton has a reverse chinlock in on Jordan. Jason escapes and Randy scrapes his bootlaces across his face before clawing him in the corner. Big uppercut, Wyatt comes in with a lariat and a cover. Of the ropes with the senton, still no good and Wyatt rains punches down on Jordan’s head.
He takes Jason’s face into the top turnbuckle and lies in wait, off the ropes but Jordan’s ready with a clothesline! Tags all around, huge diving crossbody from Gable, northern lights suplex, corner mounted punches, eyes in teh back of his head as he hits a diving crossbody on Wyatt! German suplex, Jordan comes in as things break down but Bray tosses him out and Gable low-bridges Wyatt and hits Orton with a forearm.
Diving lariat from Gable gets two. Thumb to the eye from Orton as Harper runs interference on referee Charles Robinson, rope-hung DDT but he knocks Harper off the apron in doing so! Orton’s going to his special place and Harper gets back on the apron. Orton goes to see what’s up and Gable is ready...
American Alpha win by pinfall with an O’Connor roll from Chad Gable on Randy Orton, retaining the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship.
Orton and Harper yell at each other in the ring and soon words turn to shoves but Bray comes in and tells them not to fight. Orton pushes past him and Harper nails Wyatt with a superkick! Luke and Randy stare each other down more but Bray once again intercedes, talking to each man in turn before heading off. Harper follows after a moment as Orton lingers.
Commentary talks about the main event before tossing to a video Corbin left for Cena. Tonight he hunts, and his prey is John Cena. We head to break after.
Back from commercial with a video package about today’s WrestleMania 34 press conference.
Backstage, Becky Lynch is going over her match last week with Daniel Bryan, trying to figure out who the second La Luchadora was. She’s trying to use her victory to get a title shot and Alexa Bliss rolls up demanding Bryan not give it to her. She claims she went undercover as La Luchadora to find out who she was and Becky ruined it by attacking her.
They bicker and Bryan tells them to stop, saying the one thing he knows here is that Alexa tapped out to Becky, so next week she has to defend her title. Bliss complains, and Bryan says he’s not finished, next week, to stop any interference, for the first time ever on SmackDown, the women’s title will be defended inside of a steel cage!
In the arena, Carmella makes her entrance, coming to the ring holding James Ellsworth’s hand. She’s wrestling Thunderkitty, billed here as CJ Lunde.
Carmella vs. CJ Lunde
Circling, collar and elbow, Carmella gets a wristlock and throws Lunde to the mat. CJ goes for a schoolboy pin but Carmella slips out and kicks her before running her into a boot against the turnbuckle. Putting the boots to her in the corner now, moonwalk, Bronco Buster, picks the legs for a cover but only gets one.
Carmella charges Lunde into the corner, Dan Engler backs her off and cJ does some evasion before charging in with a back elbow Sends Carmella in the corner for antoher back elbow, whip, reversed, Ellsworth gets on the apron and distracts her long enough for Carmella to throw a stiff forearm shot that gets a nearfall.
CJ with body blows and a forearm of her own but Carmella bails. CJ follows, Carmella back in, Lunde after her, Ellsworth drags Lunde back out. Carmella with a very sloppy reverse STO...
Carmella wins by submission with the Code of Silence.
She and Ellsworth celebrate like they just won the world title together.
We get a recap of the Undertaker’s appearance on Raw last night, commentary puts Corbin/Cena over again and we head to break.
Back from commercial and commentary confirms our women’s championship steel cage match as well as putting Talking Smack over.
Backstage, Carmella and James Ellsworth are still celebrating. Carmella calls him her good luck charm and Jimmy says he’s been waiting for this moment for 32 years, and sprays something in his mouth to freshen it. She’s not doing that, but she promises him a shopping spree!
Baron Corbin is being interviewed. He says tonight he’s making John Cena a liar. He turns around and AJ Styles is there. AJ tells him to take it easy, tonight’s his night, and says he’ll be on commentary, so Corbin should do his best AJ Styles impersonation and beat up John Cena!
AJ makes his entrance and commentary recaps last week’s contract signing before going to break.
Back from commercial and Noam Dar cuts a quick promo recapping his encounter with Alicia Fox last night and promising to beat Cedric Alexander tonight on 205 Live.
Entrances are made and we’re onto our main event!
Baron Corbin vs. John Cena
Circling, the crowd starts the traditional dueling chant and Cena soaks it in. Corbin charges in, John ducks a lariat and throws a punch. Again, a series of punches this time, off the ropes and Baron catches him with a big boot. Knee lift from the Lone Wolf, Cena crawls up the ropes, hammer whip catches him hard and Corbin jaws at AJ Styles.
Baron throws the 15-time champion to the outside and we go to break.
Back from commercial and Cena gets Corbin up in a fireman’s carry but his legs go out from under him and Corbin throws punches to his face. Baron jaws at JBL before heading out to jaw at AJ but John is right on him with punches. Corbin powers through and traps Cena’s head against the barricade, raining blows down before sending him back in the ring.
The Lone Wolf takes more time to jaw at Styles and when he comes back in, he charges and John low bridges him, following it with a diving axe-handle. Baron with another charge, Cena ducks and he eats steel steps for his trouble. Back in the ring, John hits a shoulder block but a second gets caught into a World’s Strongest Slam for two!
He draws Cena up and throws a punch but John comes back with more of his own, off the ropes and Baron counters with Deep Six! He comes off the ropes with a punch and poses for the crowd. John crawls to his feet an charges again but Corbin has him in a bear hug! I can hardly bear it!
Cena out but Corbin has a boot for him, John ducks a charge, boots up on a second, tornado DDT connects and both men are laid out on the mat. Cena ducks a lariat, hits the sloppy falling Blue Thunder Driver, Five Knuckle Shuffle...
John Cena wins by pinfall with an Attitude Adjustment.
AJ immediately shakes his headset and they jaw at each other from the turnbuckles to the announce table. That’s the show, folks.