Tuesday’s WWE SmackDown didn’t linger on what unfolded at the Royal Rumble on Sunday. The first episode following Sunday’s pay-per-view looked forward instead, planting seeds aplenty.
The night was not as entertaining as Monday’s Raw, and there was no great match to speak of. SmackDown was more subtle, moving along midcard narratives and setting up what’s ahead for the blue brand’s championships.
AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura, who are set to collide at WrestleMania 34 on April 8, teamed up. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn played the blue brand’s unhappy couple. And as for SmackDown’s titles, the show offered a hint at what’s next for tag champ The Usos, and Rusev stepped up to earn a shot against United States titleholder Bobby Roode.
None of it will make big headlines, but there was a lot to pick apart.
Read on for a breakdown of Tuesday’s show from the opening promo to the tag team main event.
Shinsuke Nakamura Crosses Paths with AJ Styles
Nakamura kicked off SmackDown by recalling his Royal Rumble accomplishments and promising to win the WWE title at WrestleMania.
Owens and Zayn interrupted to complain about their own WWE title match. They claimed KO didn’t tag in before Styles pinned him.
Styles emerged to challenge the heels to a tag team bout, but they did not accept. The champ and the Royal Rumble winner were able to land a shot in the mouth to the pests before they retreated.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
Fans welcome Nakamura by chanting his name.
“AJ Styles the winner. You are losers.”—Nakamura to Owens and Zayn.
“I say we turn this dream match into a dream team.”—Styles.
Nakamura and Styles punch Owens and Zayn off the ring apron.
Grade
C-
Analysis
Even with as much charisma as Nakamura wields, it’s still not a great idea to have him talk so much. This would have been a great time for someone such as Renee Young to lead the way.
Owens and Zayn continue to have legit gripes. It’s hard not to be on their side in these kinds of situations. Why not have them cheat and scheme to play up their villainy instead of making them figures we can empathize with?
Kofi Kingston vs. Zack Ryder vs. Rusev vs. Jinder Mahal
Bobby Roode sat ringside to catch this United States Championship No. 1 Contender’s match.
Rusev beat on Zack Ryder as Jinder Mahal dominated Kofi Kingston. The action spilled to the outside as the pace picked up.
Samil Singh tried to interfere, but Aiden English and The New Day confronted him. The referee decided to throw them all out.
The Modern Day Maharaja gained control once things settled down.
Both Ryder and Kingston rallied back, but the powerhouses reigned. The Bulgarian Brute bullied his way to a win courtesy of the Accolade on Kingston.
Result
Rusev wins via submission.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
Ryder dropkicks Mahal into the announce table.
Mahal hurls Kingston into the ring steps.
Ryder turns getting tossed by Rusev into a Rough Ryder on Mahal.
Grade
B-
Analysis
The solid action won’t have people talking as much as the result. There wasn’t a great spark between these four foes.
Rusev taking the victory, though, is an exciting move.
Fans have been vocal about how much they are into The Lion of Bulgaria. This is a sign the company is listening. He would make a great champ or at the very least an opponent who can push Roode to his limits.
The Usos Celebrate; The Bludgeon Brothers Squash Match
Jimmy and Jey Uso rattled off the opponents they have defeated as prison bar graphics appeared on the screen. The champs talked about their bond and their struggles.
They called themselves the best tag team in WWE.
The Bludgeon Brothers marched past them on their way to the ring. Luke Harper and Erick Rowan rolled over two jobbers. They toyed with their foes before hitting them with a double crucifix powerbomb.
Result
The Bludgeon Brothers win via pinfall.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
“We’ve been sweeping through this tag team division since we arrived on SmackDown Live.”—The Usos.
“It don’t matter if you’re a Club, a Bar, a Day, a Shield or Brothers yourselves.”—The Usos.
One jobber tries to run away but finds himself surrounded by Harper and Rowan.
Grade
B
Analysis
Cheesy graphics paired with heartfelt passion and emotion for a mixed-bag promo. This didn’t overstay its welcome, and the champs established their points effectively. The prison stuff has to go, though.
The image of The Bludgeon Brothers crossing paths with The Usos was quite the intriguing one.
Those duos were excellent together when Harper and Rowan were still The Wyatt Family. Revisiting that feud with the hosses’ new act is a no-brainer.
The Usos need a fresh set of rivals. The Bludgeon Brothers need to move on from taking down bottom-feeders. It’s a clear win-win.
Charlotte Flair Faces Off with The Riott Squad
Charlotte Flair recalled how the end of the Royal Rumble unfolded. She wondered who would face her at WrestleMania, but The Riott Squad wouldn’t let her finish.
Ruby Riott dismissed The Queen as an imitation of Ric Flair and threatened to take her out. The Riott Squad attacked the SmackDown women’s champ. She was able to keep them at bay for a moment but ultimately found herself overwhelmed.
Carmella ran out to cash in her Money in the Bank contract afterward. A dropkick intended for Flair knocked the referee out of the ring before he could make the match official.
The Princess of Staten Island had to retreat instead.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
“Your ego is as big as your father’s.”—Riott.
“That makes me the most dangerous woman on SmackDown Live.”—Carmella.
Grade
B+
Analysis
The scene played up how dangerous and ferocious Riott is. She is the clear leader, while Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan are her attack dogs.
Carmella’s attempted cash-in was a reminder of that briefcase she wields, something WWE has seemingly forgotten about of late.
The whole scene pointed to how unsure the road to WrestleMania will be. Rather than assume Flair will be champ, the audience is forced to consider the possibility that chaos will upend her before then.
Baron Corbin vs. Tye Dillinger
Baron Corbin and Tye Dillinger bickered backstage before SmackDown Live general manager Daniel Bryan booked a match.
Once the bell rang, Dillinger floored The Lone Wolf with the crowd behind him. The two men then slugged it out, with Corbin winning the exchange.
The Perfect 10 was able to outquick the big man to battle back. The End of Days, however, left Dillinger unable to kick out before three.
Result
Corbin wins via pinfall.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
Dillinger leaps off the ring steps to fly at Corbin.
Grade
C+
Analysis
Dillinger showed some good fire here. With the proper space, he could tell quite the story as a long-shot babyface.
It doesn’t seem like WWE has a plan for either Dillinger or Corbin, though. This felt like the result of WWE Creative realizing both guys are on the roster and throwing them into a match.
Breezango vs. Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin
The Ascension manned laptops to field social media questions for Breezango.
Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin charged in to make fun of it all. They challenged Tyler Breeze and Fandango to a match before flipping over the table and computers.
Benjamin laid out both Breeze and Fandango once the bout began. He and Gable were able to keep Breezango off balance with a relentless offense.
A powerbomb-diving clothesline combo did The Fashion Police in.
Result
Gable and Benjamin win via pinfall.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
“Fashion Files is still a thing?”—Benjamin.
Gable yanks Breeze off the ring apron.
Gable and Breezango tumble over the top rope onto the floor together.
Grade
B-
Analysis
More than usual, Breezango were able to look like game competitors even if they got their butts handed to them.
Gable and Benjamin got a win to boost their momentum after losing at the Royal Rumble. Keeping them looking like strong contenders is a smart move. The duo flipping over Breezango’s table was a nice touch, the kind of bully tactic we need to see more of from them.
AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
Backstage, Bryan announced Owens will face Zayn to decide who faces Styles at Fastlane.
In the night’s main event, KO and Zayn beat on Nakamura in their corner. The heels argued in the midst of the battle.
The two friends smacked each other around in between trying to take down The Phenomenal One. A frustrated Zayn left Owens to fend for himself.
That allowed Styles and Nakamura to topple KO. A Kinshasa from Nakamura was Owens’ undoing.
Result
Styles and Nakamura win via pinfall.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
“Don’t you do that stupid thing!”—Owens.
“See how good you do without your guardian angel.”—Zayn.
“I said tag me. Tag me, damn it.”—Owens.
Grade
B-
Analysis
The tension between Owens and Zayn dominated here. It wasn’t as much a match as it was a platform for their infighting.
Their crumbling relationship suddenly got more interesting. Hopefully, WWE doesn’t rush that storyline, though. It has the potential to be a stirring drama with the right timing.
There’s a lot of work to be done with Styles vs. Nakamura as there’s no bad blood between them, but announcing it so early allows for a good amount of time to do so.
