WWE SmackDown live results: The Usos vs. Drew McIntyre & Sheamus
The first SmackDown of 2023 takes place tonight from the FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee.
WWE Undisputed Tag Team Champions The Usos will defend their titles against the team of Drew McIntyre & Sheamus. The title match was planned for a few weeks ago, but that changed when McIntyre went down with an injury. McIntyre returned last week to save Sheamus from a Bloodline beatdown.
Charlotte Flair made her shocking return to SmackDown last Friday and promptly defeated Ronda Rousey to win the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Flair returned moments after Rousey retained the title against Raquel Rodriguez.
The new SmackDown Women’s Champion makes an appearance on tonight’s episode to celebrate her win.
Ricochet goes one-on-one with Top Dolla in a Royal Rumble qualifying match. Last week, Ricochet and a bunch of the guys made fun of Top Dolla for messing up a dive. Top Dolla shoved Ricochet when he felt they went too far.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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Bloodline Segment
As Micheal Cole and Wade Barrett opened the show, Sami Zayn, Solo Sikoa, and The Usos ran out. They went crazy at ringside, destroying random stuff.
Roman Reigns music hit, and he made his way to the ring with Paul Heyman. They recapped Kevin Owens & John Cena defeating Reigns & Zayn last week. Cole noted Reigns was furious about losing, so he sent The Bloodline to invade Raw.
Reigns demanded the fans acknowledge him. The fans popped and cheered the Bloodline. He then turned his attention to Zayn. The fans popped for Zayn and broke into a “Ucey” chant. Zayn took the mic and talked about making 2023 their year. He added that they started right with wins on Raw.
Reigns doesn’t want to talk about this year. He wants to talk about last year. Reigns noted he never loses because it’s not in his makeup. He realized that he didn’t lose last week. The fans booed when Reigns blamed Zayn for losing. He added that Zayn lost, not him.
Reigns calmly began asking Zayn if he wants to be him. Maybe, Zayn wants to be the tribal chief. Reigns lost his cool and started yelling at Zayn.
Kevin Owens’ music hit, and he walked out onto the ramp. Owens thinks Reigns’ problem is with him and not Zayn. Owens challenged Reigns to a title match at the Royal Rumble. Reigns just wants Owens to leave. Owens agreed to go. As he walked away, he told Zayn that he’d see him when he digs his balls out of Roman’s pocket.
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New SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair arrived at the arena.
Santos Escobar (w/Zelina Vega & Legado Del Fantasma) defeated Kofi Kingston (w/Xavier Woods) (9:52)
Kingston and Escobar had a fun, fast-paced match. However, the story revolved around Royal Rumble eliminations. So it was odd when Kingston and Escobar tried not to get eliminated, even though it doesn’t apply here.
Earlier today, Escobar interrupted Kayla Braxton interviewing Kingston. Escobar mentioned Kingston’s Royal Rumble history with avoiding eliminations. They argued, leading to the upcoming contest.
Escobar sent Kingston to ringside with a forearm. Kingston wouldn’t let his feet touch and did a handstand to the steps as a preview for the Royal Rumble. Kingston rocked Escobar with a kick to the head and sent him over the top rope. Cole noted that would be an elimination in the Rumble.
Back from the break, Escobar was firmly in control with a running knee in the corner. Kingston recovered and hit a second rope missile dropkick. Kingston sent Escobar over the top rope, but he landed on the steps. Of course, that proves he would avoid elimination in the Rumble. As he celebrated, Woods played the trombone, scaring Escobar, who jumped off the steps with both feet hitting the floor.
Kingston fired up and hit the SOS for a close near fall. They fought on the top rope, but Kingston knocked off Escobar. As Kingston jumped off, Escobar rocked him with a knee to the face.
Kingston then hit a double foot stomp for another close two-count. He followed with the boom drop and set up for trouble in paradise. Joaquin Wilde and Zelina Vega caused a distraction. That allowed Escobar to hit a superkick and the phantom driver for the win.
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Michael Cole announced Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens at the Royal Rumble.
Sami Zayn tried to enter the Bloodline locker room. Heyman wouldn’t let him into the room. The Usos then walked by and ignored Zayn. Heyman noted he warned Zayn last week.
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Liv Morgan talked about the Royal Rumble and promised to win even if she’s number one.
Kayla Braxton spoke with LA Knight. They recapped the Bray Wyatt-LA Knight-Uncle Howdy angle. Knight promised to defeat Wyatt at the Royal Rumble in the Pitch Black match.
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Mixed Tag Team Match: Karrion Kross & Scarlet defeated Madcap Moss & Emma (3:09)
The match had no heat or crowd reactions except for one spot when Kross broke up a pin attempt. It felt thrown together and rushed.
They recapped Emma slapping Scarlet last week.
Kross and Scarlett made their entrance as they went to a break.
Back from the break, they joined the match in progress. Moss and Emma didn’t get an entrance.
Kross and Moss went back and forth but quickly tagged in the women. Emma ran wild on Scarlet and had the match won. Kross jumped in and broke up the pin attempt. That got the most heat in the match. Emma slapped Kross, leading to Moss running wild on Kross. Kross regained control with a forearm to the back of the head. At ringside, Scarlet sent Emma into the ring post while Kross locked on the Kross Jacket in the ring for the win.
After the match, Kross and Scarlet put a Rey Mysterio mask on Moss.
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A video package recapped Charlotte Flair’s return last week and her defeating Ronda Rousey for the title.
Charlotte Flair Segment
Charlotte Flair made her way to the ring. She got a good reaction coming out. She mocked Rousey, leading to a loud “Thank you, Charlotte” chant. Flair mentioned being a 14-time champion. It doesn’t matter if the fans boo or cheer Flair; she’s never complacent. A champion always needs to be ready for the unexpected.
Sonya Deville interrupted, and the fans broke into a “whoop that trick” chant. Deville mocked Flair for beating Rousey after she had a match. Deville then challenged Flair to face a fresh fighter. Flair asked the fans, and they erupted in a “whoop that trick” chant.
SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair defeated Sonya Deville (6:46)
Deville jumped Flair to start the match. Flair fought back and sent Deville to ringside as they went to a break. Deville took over during the break by working over the knee. She slowed the pace with a chin lock.
Flair broke free and caught Deville with a kick to the head. After a series of chops, Flair hit a back suplex. Flair avoided a running knee. She then did a forward flip into a clothesline for a near fall. Deville briefly fought back. Flair recovered and hit a spear. She locked on the figure eight for the win.
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A video package recapped Cody Rhodes’s return to WWE and suffering his injury before Hell in a Cell.
They aired a Lacey Evans vignette. They showed her beating up a bunch of women at the performance center with the cobra clutch.
Royal Rumble Qualifying Match: Ricochet defeated Top Dolla (w/Ashante “Thee” Adonis & B-Fab) (1:56)
Somehow, Ricochet had a bad match. They only got two minutes, and Top Dolla was in control for most of it. The story revolved around Top Dolla’s botch a few weeks ago.
Cole used the word “botch” and talked about it the entire match. Hit Row turned heel and attacked Ricochet after the loss.
Michael Cole mentioned Top Dolla botching the dive a few weeks ago. He noted that the botch was trending for several days, and fans were making fun of him. Cole explained that Top Dolla shoved Ricochet when he made fun of him too.
Ricochet went for a springboard, but Top Dolla cut him off. Dolla continued the beat down with a boot to the face. Ricochet fired up and gained control. The finish came when Ricochet hit the shooting star press for the win.
After the match, Top Dolla and Ricochet shook hands. Suddenly, Adonis rocked Ricochet with a superkick. B-Fab caught Ricochet with a knee to the face. Hit Row beatdown Ricochet until Braun Strowman ran down for the save.
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In the Bloodline locker room, The Usos headed to the ring for their upcoming match. Roman Reigns turned to Paul Heyman and demanded to see Sami Zayn.
After the break, Zayn entered the locker room. He acknowledged Reigns as the tribal chief and apologized. Reigns refused to accept his apology. Reigns noted he should control his temper better. Nobody has the right to talk to Zayn that way in public like Reigns did earlier. Surprisingly, Reigns apologized instead. Even Heyman was surprised that Reigns was sorry.
Reigns admitted that Kevin Owens was right. He’s mad at Owens, not Zayn. Reigns isn’t worried because he has a solution. Heyman then announced Zayn vs. Owens for next week. Zayn accepted the match and promised to beat Owens. Reigns asked Zayn to stay and watch the title match with him.
WWE Undisputed Tag Team Champions The Usos (w/Solo Sikoa) defeated Drew McIntyre & Sheamus to retain the titles (13:14)
The Usos retained the titles in a hard-hitting, fast-paced main event with tons of near falls. Two near falls, in particular, got a big reaction because the fans thought it was the finish.
They showed Sami Zayn, Roman Reigns, and Paul Heyman watching in the Bloodline locker room several times. It turned into a funny running joke by the end.
The Usos took over when Jimmy interfered from the apron, allowing Jey to hit a Samoan drop on McIntyre. The Usos isolated McIntyre on their side of the ring. Jimmy slowed the pace with a chin lock. McIntyre broke free, but Jimmy yanked him down by his hair.
McIntyre ended up on the apron. He tried fighting off The Usos, but they overwhelmed him. McIntyre rocked Jimmy with a clothesline at ringside. Jey took advantage and caught McIntyre with a suicide dive.
Back from the break, Sheamus was running wild on The Usos. Apparently, the hot tag happened during the break. Sheamus was on his own as he gave Jey the ten beats of the bodhran. Jey rocked Sheamus with a superkick, allowing Jimmy to hit a splash for a near fall.
In the Bloodline locker room, Zayn had a bucket of popcorn. He offered Reigns and Heyman popcorn as he talked about the action in the ring. They gave him weird looks.
In the arena, The Usos went up for a double splash, but McIntyre and Sheamus cut them off. McIntyre and Sheamus hit white noise on each Uso off the middle ropes.
McIntyre fired up, hitting a dive over the top rope onto The Usos. McIntyre then hit the claymore on Jey, but Jimmy broke up the pin attempt to a big reaction. After taking out McIntyre, the Usos hit a double superkick on Sheamus and the 1-D. That appeared to be the finish, but McIntyre broke up the pin attempt with another big reaction.
They went back to The Bloodline locker room. Now, Zayn, Reigns, and Heyman each had their own bucket of popcorn.
In the arena, Sikoa pulled out McIntyre and hit the spinning Solo onto the barricade. Butch and Ridge Holland ran out and fought Sikoa to the back. Sheamus fought The Usos on his own for several minutes. The finish came when Jimmy rolled up Sheamus, and Jey held him down from the apron for the win.
Zayn celebrated The Usos winning by throwing his popcorn all over the locker room. Reigns and Heyman gave him weird looks for making a mess.
The Usos celebrated their title win as SmackDown went off the air.
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Next Week: Sami Zayn goes one-on-one with Kevin Owens. Plus, Intercontinental Champion Gunther defends his title against Braun Strowman.