WWE produced a solid edition of SmackDown from the Sames Auto Arena in Laredo, Texas. The show featured the likes of Brock Lesnar, Kevin Owens, Bray Wyatt, and The Miz. Here are your complete results for the go-home edition of SmackDown for Royal Rumble.
Rey Mysterio def. Karrion Kross in the opening match. A decent match that the crowd really wasn’t invested in. The feud never managed to muster fan support in the first place. Hopefully, the feud it over.
Austin Theory came to the ring next. Mr. A Town said he’ll win the royal rumble and make history at WrestleMania. The New Day arrived to confront the United States Champion. Xavier Woods declared for the rumble. The Miz arrived and did the same. Bobby Lashley arrived and took out everyone. Brock Lesnar came out of nowhere and planted The Almighty with an F5. The Beast officially declared for the rumble. A pretty solid segment that was more focused on the rivalry between Lashley and Lesnar.
Lacey Evans def. Jazmin Allure. This was the in-ring return of Evans. The Marine picked up the win with a cobra clutch. Evans cut a promo wherein she declared for the women’s rumble match. A squash match with little to no interest from the crowd. Frankly, fans are pretty much tired at this point from seeing Lacey Evans get her 100th gimmick.
Braun Strowman and Ricochet def. Hit Row after Drew McIntyre and Sheamus forfeited the match to go after The Viking Raiders. Erik and Ivar attacked Drew and Sheamus before their match against Top Dolla and Ashante Adonis. The crowd was pumped for The Monster Among Men and The One and Only.
LA Knight recreated Bray Wyatt’s old entrance complete with his attire. Knight talked about his not-so great interaction with The Undertaker on “RAW is XXX,” promising to eliminate Bray at the Royal Rumble. The Eater of Worlds showed up with a final warning to Knight ahead of their match. Also, Uncle Howdy showed up on the rafters.
Imperium def. Legado Del Fantasma. An back and forth match that truly showcased the in-ring prowess of the two teams. The crowd was fully behind Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro. It seems that we will see a face turn in the days to come.
Kevin Owens vs. Solo Sikoa ended in no contest. A fun-paced match that made both KO and Sikoa look strong ahead of the Royal Rumble. Also, Sami Zayn made his presence felt, only to get superkicked.
That was all from SmackDown this week. Stay tuned to Pro Wrestling Exclusive for more!
