WWE SmackDown Results: Bloodline tries to recruit; serious injury stops match; Hall of Famer introduces new stable
We got another great episode of WWE SmackDown tonight with the Bloodline causing trouble and Nick Aldis booking a big match with them in the main event.
- Humberto Carrillo and Angel Garza def. LWO
- Bianca Belair def. Bayley
- Carmelo Hayes vs. Austin Theory ended via referee stoppage
- AJ Styles, Randy Orton & LA Knight def. The Bloodline
Grayson Waller and Cameron Grimes were set to compete in a match to kick off SmackDown, but Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso came out and attacked Grimes, derailing the match.
Waller and Austin Theory fled the ring before Heyman and the Bloodline took over, and Paul said that it was all Nick Aldis' fault for setting up the Fatal Four-Way title match against Roman Reigns at Royal Rumble.
Nick got on the mic and said that the Fatal Four-Way was finalized, but there would also be a match tonight on SmackDown between the Bloodline and the team of AJ Styles, Randy Orton, and LA Knight.
Heyman let Aldis know that Roman wasn't in the city, and Aldis told him that Jimmy and Solo needed to find a willing third member, or it would be changed to a handicap match.
The Bloodline was backstage, and Paul Heyman assured them that he would find them a good tag partner for tonight's SmackDown.
WWE SmackDown Results (January 12, 2024): LWO vs. Angel Garza and Humberto Carrillo
Garza was taking a beating in the ring early on while Santos was on commentary and explained that Rey Mysterio and the LWO betrayed him. The heels were sent outside before LWO hit double dives over the ropes.
Garza managed to drop Del Toro from the apron before he and Humberto took control of the match. Carlito's music hit, and he showed up at ringside to attack Santos Escobar.
The distraction allowed Angel to roll Wilde up in the corner and get the pin using the ropes on SmackDown.
Result: Angel Garza and Humberto Carrillo def. LWO
Grade: B-
Carmelo Hayes was in Nick Aldis's office when Austin Theory and Grayson Waller walked in to complain about the Bloodline derailing their match.
Melo and Waller argued, and the latter booked a match with Hayes and Theory.
Heyman tried to convince Carlito to join the Bloodline for tonight's match with an apple, but the latter said that he only wanted to fight Santos Escobar.
Logan Paul showed up in a backstage promo on SmackDown and said that Kevin Owens got a cheap shot on him last week with the cast, and he will make sure it doesn't happen at the Royal Rumble, threatening KO with lawsuits.
Butch was at a coffee shop with Tyler Bate, and the latter tried to tell him about meditation and yoga, but Butch told him he wasn't interested.
Bate said that Butch should leave the Brawling Brutes in the past and show the WWE Universe what British Strong Style was about.
Bayley vs. Bianca Belair on WWE SmackDown
Bayley tied Bianca's hair to the bottom rope and got a big knee strike, but Belair managed to trip her up with the hair and drop her on the turnbuckles in the corner. Belair hit a modified KOD into the ring post before getting some big strikes and a backbreaker in the ring.
Bayley dodged a KOD and sent Belair into the corner before getting an elbow drop for a near fall. Bianca was sent outside before asking her team for help, but IYO and the rest refused to do so. Back in the ring, Bianca got a spear before hitting the KOD for the win.
Result: Bianca Belair def. Bayley
Grade: B+
Kevin Owens was in a promo and said his broken hand wouldn't stop him from competing at Royal Rumble. He invited Logan to The KO Show next week, where he wanted to talk about the upcoming match and Paul's legal threats.
Backstage, Bayley wondered why her team failed to help her tonight, and Dakota told her that they expected Bayley to win alone.
Bobby Lashley and The Steet Profits were out next, and Lashley called out Karrion Kross and told him to stop playing games and face him head-on. The ring went black before Kross and Scarlett showed up on the Titantron.
They discussed how Bobby and the Profits were embarrassing before introducing their new stable with AOP and Hall of Famer Paul Ellering as The Final Testament.
The Pretty Deadly were backstage and wanted to join Solo and Jimmy in the main event. They tried to get Paul Heyman to add them to the match, but Heyman reminded them that they needed only one superstar, not two.
Paul went to Bobby Lashley next and was denied right away.
Carmelo Hayes vs. Austin Theory on WWE SmackDown
Hayes was in control early on and hit a big DDT on the apron, followed by an inverted atomic drop before taking Theory down with a top rope clothesline. Theory came back with an elbow, but his suplex was countered with a superkick.
Melo tried hitting his finisher, but Theory reversed it and dropped him on the ropes. Theory went for a big top rope move and landed on his head, injuring himself. The officials immediately stopped the match as medical personnel rushed in to check on him.
Result: Carmelo Hayes vs. Austin Theory ended via referee stoppage
Grade: B
Heyman was still unable to get a tag partner for The Bloodline tonight and wanted Jimmy and Solo to head to the main event alone.
The Bloodline vs. AJ Styles, Randy Orton & LA Knight on WWE SmackDown
Randy Orton was on his way out for the main event when Solo and Jimmy attacked him on the ramp and took him down. Randy was sent off when we returned from the break, and we were headed for a traditional tag match.
Knight and Styles were in control and isolated Jimmy in the ring early on. Solo was tagged in and took AJ down in the ring before wailing on him in the corner. Sikoa was dominating in the ring when Randy Orton came back and joined the match.
Randy rushed the ring with clotheslines and a powerslam on Uso before getting the draping DDT. Orton took a Superkick but hit the RKO before getting the win.
Result: AJ Styles, Randy Orton & LA Knight def. The Bloodline
Solo tried to attack Randy after the match, but Orton hit back and, with the help of AJ and LA, put Solo through the announce desk as SmackDown went off the air.
Grade: A