Smackdown Review – 01.30.26

The week prior to the Royal Rumble has produced the following: Raw | NXT | Evolve | Impact

The go-home show for Royal Rumble 2026 was shown earlier today on Netflix around the world and the USA Network here in America at it’s regular time. The show takes place at the temporary-and-apparently-built-in-a-month KAFD Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The television presenters for the show are Michael Cole and Wade Barrett on match calls and analysis, Mark Nash on ring announcements, and Cathy Kelley on backstage interviews and breaking news segments. Let’s watch some wrestling!

Then, Now, Forever….TOGETHER

In attendance this evening: GUNTHER, AJ Styles, WWE Men’s Undisputed Champion Drew McIntyre, and Sami Zayn. Highlights are shown of SNME which was a terrific show in case you might have missed it.

Cody Rhodes enters to “Kingdom” looking dapper as usual for a non-wrestling segment. Rhodes has a microphone, let’s see how long it takes for him to get interrupted. Rhodes name-drops Jacob Fatu and says his fun at SNME was prematurely ended by Drew McIntyre. Rhodes says that McIntyre won the title but nothing else and talks about how his social media is a poor substitute for being the role model he promised to be. Rhodes gets some weird reactions when he talks about winning the Rumble for the third time so he could challenge McIntyre, or perhaps Sami Zayn should he win the title match at the Rumble. Rhodes also mentions CM Punk and says they have to do something eventually as well. Rhodes says he has something no one else has in the field in that he’s won the Rumble twice….and “Voices” hits. Randall Keith Orton emerges from the back and soaks in the crowd singing along. (I often wonder how much it actually means to these folks when the crowd sings their entrance themes back to them, especially in an era where there aren’t that many iconic entrance themes any more.) Rhodes hands Orton his microphone and Orton says he loves Saudi to a huge pop. Orton puts an arm on Rhodes shoulder and says everyone knows how Orton feels about Rhodes because they’re brothers and Orton respects everything Rhodes has done in the industry. Orton points out that the Rumble is every man for himself and a desperate Rhodes is dangerous, but there is nothing more dangerous than a “Viper chasing number fifteen”. Orton promises zero respect for Rhodes or anyone else tomorrow during the Rumble and he’ll eliminate Rhodes without hesitation. Orton points out that he’s also won the Rumble twice, and here’s WWE Men’s Tag Team Champion Jey Uso entering to “Main Event Ish” to an appreciative and ready-to-yeet crowd. Uso puts over “Randy Uce” and “Cody Uce” and says he’s going to run it back to back by winning tomorrow and winning at Wrestlemania. “Worlds Apart” hits and here’s Sami Zayn to join the proceedings. (Orton is starting to look bored. Randall…buddy, I’m with you.) Zayn speaks Arabic to a pop, but he recognizes he’s in the ring with three of the absolute best. Zayn reminds all of them of his match with McIntyre and says it’s the culmination of three stories that have been building for him – one, Zayn has been chasing the title for a long time now, two – McIntyre is 11-0 against Zayn in singles, and three – Zayn has never lost a match in Saudi. Zayn says if one of the other guys in the ring wins the Rumble, they’ll be seeing him at Wrestlemania and not McIntyre. Here’s Paul Heyman with The Vision and Heyman says he sees four huge WWE superstars in the ring but with no vision at all. Heyman says Zayn will not win the title and none of the other three will win the Rumble. Heyman mentions that they will all learn tomorrow that it will be Bron Breakker’s night. Orton tells Heyman to shut up and dares the Vision to come down right now for an ass-kicking. Here’s Smackdown GM Nick Aldis to welcome Heyman and the crew. Aldis decides to get where everyone knows we’re going and books an eight man tag for tonight’s main event. (Thirty minutes to set up an eight man. Jesus wept.) We go to commercials.

WWE Men’s US Championship Open Challenge: Carmelo Hayes (C) vs Rey Fenix

Fenix works some acrobatics and does a ring-rope assisted armdrag to start. Fenix runs the top rope and blasts Hayes with a kick before nailing Hayes with a corkscrew plancha. We go to commercials.

Fenix and Hayes roll around a bit and Fenix gets a cover for two when the show returns. Fenix hits a springboard back elbow and covers for two. Fenix hits some kicks but Hayes fires up and hits a springboard forearm. Hayes hits rights and chops before ascending for a second rope spike DDT that gets two. Hayes First 48 attempt turns into traded two counts, and Fenix fires up with a big back thrust kick to Hayes’s jaw. Fenix gets rolled up for two and then Hayes blasts him with a back kick. They trade kicks and both guys go down. Hayes yanks Fenix up for a chop and then they meet with simultaneous lariats. We go to commercials.

Fenix hits a double stomp when the show returns and then crushes Hayes with a moonsault that gets two. Hayes fires up with a helicopter bulldog that gets two. Hayes hits a springboard DDT and covers for two. Hayes ascends and misses his move before running into a Fenix DDT that gets two. Hayes hits the First 48 and ascends again to smash Fenix with Nothing But Net. Hayes covers and gets three.

I wish they would move Hayes into an actual feud rather than all these one-offs, and please don’t make it Dragunov if you’re reading Hunter. This was fairly basic and rote for these two in that no one really broke a sweat and this didn’t ascend to anything resembling epic. The crowd only popped for the entrances and mostly sat on their hands. The match was technically proficient and stayed in the ring, which I always appreciate. You didn’t miss too much if you didn’t see this, though. 2.5*

Winner AND STILL WWE Men’s US Champion – Carmelo Hayes (Nothing But Net)

Here’s Ilja Dragunov being confronted by The Miz who tells Dragunov that Carmelo Hayes was behind Miz’s attack last week during the US Open Challenge. Dragunov introduces himself to Miz cordially, and then yanks on Miz’s hand to tell him that his pain will entertain tonight. We go to commercials.

Highlights are shown of the Pat McAfee show on Wednesday where he took a call from Brock Lesnar who promised to win the Rumble. R-Truth is backstage with Nick Aldis, and here’s Damien Priest to find out that he’s in the Rumble. Priest draws one of Truth’s balls and the paper that comes out of it is apparently not to Priest’s liking.

Here’s Cathy Kelley with Drew McIntyre. McIntyre specifically points out Sami Zayn’s comments from the opening segment and can’t believe that Zayn talked himself into the eight man tag on the night before the biggest match of his life. McIntyre promises to do whatever it takes to keep his title and questions whether or not Zayn would do whatever it takes to take it from him. We go to commercials.

Cathy Kelley is with Rhea Ripley and IYO Sky and Ripley mentions they understand that it’s every woman for themselves but her and Sky will be friends after the Rumble no matter what. Here’s Kiana James and WWE Women’s US Champion Giulia to chat with them. Sky and Giulia go back and forth with each other in Japanese, and here’s Lash Legend and Nia Jax to say that one of them will win the Rumble. A screaming match ensues and some refs come out to try to calm everyone down.

Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss make an entrance and Flair says that she’s going to win her third Rumble and can’t think of a better friend than Bliss to have at her side. Bliss has a similar plan but it involves her winning the Rumble. Bliss mentions that she had the first women’s match in the middle east and will win the Rumble in Riyadh. Bliss says they don’t need each other’s help, and then says that not everything is about Flair. Flair asks if she turns her back will Bliss toss her over the top rope, and Bliss asks if Flair will toss her? Here’s Liv Morgan, Roxanne Perez and Raquel Rodriguez to join the scene. Morgan says that while Bliss and Flair are backstabbing each other tomorrow night one of them will be winning the Rumble. Flair invites them to come down and find out just how much her and Bliss are actual friends. Morgan fakes coming down and wants to leave, but here’s Nick Aldis to cut them off and make a tag match and it’s RIGHT NOW PLAYA. We go to commercials.

Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss vs Liv Morgan and Roxanne Perez

We’re joined IN PROGRESS as Perez backs off from Flair. Perez slugs Flair and tags in Morgan. Flair pops Morgan and goes after Perez, but Morgan flies in to slug Flair down from the back. Rodriguez is at ringside, as an aside. Perez tags in and Flair ends up dumping them both to the floor with a suplex. Bliss tags in and she hits a baseball slide. Perez fires up with some rights on Bliss and then clobbers her with some kicks. Morgan bullies Bliss in a corner while Perez keeps the ref occupied. Morgan tags in and smashes Bliss with a running knee that gets two. Bliss fires up with some rights and a short dropkick. Perez interferes to help Morgan blast Bliss with a flying roundhouse. Bliss ends up on the floor and Perez rolls her back in to cover Bliss for two. Perez goes for a sunset flip and Bliss flies up with a dropkick. Perez talks shit to Flair while preventing Bliss from tagging. Perez dumps Bliss along the ropes and then crushes her with a flying forearm. Morgan tags in and puts the boots to Bliss before smashing her with a dropkick. Morgan’s cover gets two. We go to commercials.

Bliss fights her way out of a rear chinlock when the show returns. Bliss slugs away at Morgan who grabs a roll up for one. They roll around a bunch and Morgan finally gets a two count to end that. Bliss slugs Morgan and finally tags in Flair. Perez is legal and Flair hits a top rope cross body on her and Morgan. Flair runs wild with chops and then hits her walkover clothesline on Morgan. Flair hits a fall away slam on Perez and then walks over her and Morgan to ascend. Flair hits her moonsault on both and covers Morgan for two. Morgan drops Flair throat-first over the top rope and then blasts her with an enziguri. Bliss tags in and hits a rolling blockbuster on Morgan. Perez, who was busted open on the moonsault by Flair’s knees, tags in and she and Morgan work a side Russian leg sweep-Codebreaker combo on Bliss. Perez’s cover gets two. Flair flies in and smashes Morgan, but Rodriguez jumps up on the apron to distract as Morgan flies in with a chop block on Flair. WWE Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer comes in from OUTTA NOWHERE to smash Rodriguez away with a superkick, and Perez walks into Sister Abigail. Bliss’s cover gets three.

It got a little over-booky at the end, but in general this was fine. Bliss playing Ricky Morton is a formula that works for this team, with Flair as the heater coming in to wreck shop. Morgan and Perez have gelled instantly into a fine team, but from a top down perspective, there are too many solid singles performers in this women’s tag division at this point. It’s actively hurting the build for this Rumble, but perhaps I’m being over-critical about that. Regardless, this was fun up until the end when creative had to pull out their bag of overbooking tricks. 2.75*

Winners – Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss (Sister Abigail on Perez)

Here’s Cathy Kelley with Jordynne Grace who mentions that the Rumble changes lives, and when she wins the Rumble…and here’s WWE Women’s Undisputed Champion Jade Cargill flying in to start a brawl. Refs pour out to try to stop it before the suits show up to help.

.FrAxiom make their entrance as we go to commercials.

Axiom vs Johnny Gargano

Nathan Frazer is out with Axiom, and Candice LeRae is barred from ringside by Nick Aldis. This feud has been going on since before Tommaso Ciampa left for SOMEWHERE ELSE. Also, Aldis has stated that if Axiom wins he gets his mask back that Gargano absconded with. Axiom and Gargano trade armlocks and then Gargano goes to a side headlock. Axiom hits a rana and then grabs a backslide for one. Gargano gets a chant from the crowd but Axiom uses that to fire up and wallop Gargano with a dropkick. Axiom’s cover gets two. Axiom goes to chops and Gargano finally gains some momentum by crotching Axiom on the top rope. Gargano hits a tope suicida as we go to commercials.

They’re slugging it out when the show returns. Axiom hits a Spanish Fly that gets two. Axiom hits a half-and-half suplex and follows with a top rope moonsault to the floor. Axiom dumps Gargano back in and ascends for a missile dropkick that gets two. Gargano hits a superkick and then a single leg driver before covering and getting two. Gargano eats an enziguri and Axiom follows with a twisting cutter. Gargano shakes off Axiom and hits a reverse package piledriver that gets two. Axiom fires up with another enziguri and a top rope Spanish Fly. Axiom misses a Golden Ratio attempt after retrieving his mask, and Gargano rolls him up for two. Gargano takes Axiom’s current mask off, so he just grabs the stolen mask and puts that on. Axiom hits the Golden Ratio and covers Gargano for three.

Cole says “the saga is over” when this ended and PLEASE JESUS LET IT BE SO. Everyone needs to move on from this and soon. The Smackdown tag division needs to ramp back up and this pointless shit between FrAxiom and what was DIY was like two months of NOTHING. Anyway, this was another in the series of paint-by-numbers matches we’re getting tonight so that A. no one gets hurt prior to potential Rumble appearances and B. giving the Saudis something resembling real competition while everyone looks to get back to their presumably palatial hotels. This was the match of the night so far, but it wasn’t a high hill to climb. 3*

Winner – Axiom (Golden Ratio)

Here’s Ilja Dragunov and Carmelo Hayes chatting about last week’s match, and Dragunov questions Hayes’s involvement with Miz’s interference. Hayes claims he had nothing to do with it and that he’s friends with Dragunov now, so Dragunov promises to whoop Miz and then expects a rematch for the title. (That will be five matches in like two months for this title, but it’s like me and six other people who watch this show regularly so WHO CARES RIGHT?) We go to commercials.

Cathy Kelley is with Trick Williams who wants the cameraman to pan down to catch a shot of his “lemon pepper steppers”. Trick mentions all the places he’s put on a show, and tells everyone to sign up for his website (which, by a quick search, doesn’t actually exist). Trick promises to be the last man in the ring tomorrow with his sights set on the main event of Wrestlemania.

“Phenomenal” hits and here’s AJ Styles to make his entrance. It’s weird to me that there’s no stakes for GUNTHER in this match tomorrow, but here we are. Styles puts up the Bullet Club hand sign and soaks in some loud chanting from the crowd. AJ mentions that Smackdown is the house that he built. Styles mentions that he’s got “kind of a big match” scheduled for tomorrow and tells everyone to not be worried about it. Styles says once he beats GUNTHER tomorrow he starts his finale tour, and will face Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, and CM Punk. Here’s GUNTHER emerging at ringside to stand on the announce desk, microphone in hand. GUNTHER says everything Styles mentioned about his future will not be happening because he made a mistake so severe that it’s going to cost him his career. GUNTHER promises to end his career tomorrow and will do it the same way he did to John Cena by making Styles tap out. Styles says “you’re real funny, Professor” and reminds GUNTHER that he was the one that tapped out like a little bitch the last time they met. GUNTHER jumps up on the apron and Styles is ready to go, but GUNTHER thinks better of it and backs off before leaving.

Here’s Tama Tonga confronting Shinsuke Nakamura. Tonga puts over Nakamura as the former King of Strong Style, but says the old Nakamura would have beaten Styles. Nakamura calls Tonga a “young punk” and promises to give him a gift. Nakamura will see Tonga in the ring next week.

The Miz makes his entrance as we go to commercials.

The Miz vs Ilja Dragunov

A reminder that Miz went oh-for-2025 in singles matches on television. Dragunov and Miz will both be in the Rumble, and it will be Miz’s 17th time in that match, only one behind the record holder Kane (who has 18 appearances). Dragunov fires up and grabs a wristlock on Miz. Dragunov misses some chops and gets trucked by Miz. Miz runs the ropes and eventually eats a huge Dragunov chop before getting waffled by a big boot. Dragunov hits a knee lift and a running big boot that sends Miz to the apron. Dragunov ascends and Miz ends up dumping him down after blocking a couple of suplex attempts. Miz hits a running big boot that sends Dragunov to the floor as we go to commercials.

Dragunov fights his way out of a rear choke when the show returns by dropping Miz back-first into some turnbuckles. Dragunov fires up with some right forearms but Miz responds with a back body drop. Miz hits a reverse cutter and gets two. Miz bullies Dragunov with his boot but this just pisses Dragunov off and a strong style battle ensues. Dragunov hits some chops and a step up enziguri as both guys are down. Dragnuov pops Miz with some chops and a knee lift before going to the Misawa shotgun chops. Dragunov hits the Constantin Special and covers Miz for two. Dragunov hits a series of German suplexes and then he hoists Miz for a back drop. Miz fires up with a DDT and covers for two. Miz wants the SCF but Dragunov breaks it only to get waffled by Miz’s Yes kicks. Miz hits a running lariat and ascends, but Dragunov fires up with a slap. Miz goes to the eyes as Dragunov drops throat-first on the top rope. Dragunov shakes it off and hits Torpedo Moscow followed by an H-Bomb before covering and getting three.

Sure. I mean, they need to fill time on this endless slog of a show so why not give Miz ten minutes with Dragunov only to lose AGAIN. He’s the highest paid most well-respected jobber in history. He’s Hollywood Mike Sharpe at this point. At any rate, this was Dragunov’s Greatest Hits only against a jobber, and they had to stretch it so I got bored. Judging by how many of the dwindling crowd were on their phones during the whole thing, I wasn’t alone. 2.25*

Winner – Ilja Dragunov (Torpedo Moscow/H-Bomb)

Here’s Solo Sikoa with THE LANTERN to say that he fulfilled the promises he made by taking everything the Wyatts loved away from them. Sikoa says the tag titles aren’t for him, they’re for his family. Sikoa says the job isn’t done, because he’s going to win the Royal Rumble….and the Wyatts signal interrupts. Bo Dallas says Sikoa thinks he’s won, but he’s wrong. Dallas says that THE LANTERN and the tag titles will return to them and promises that Sikoa’s greed will be his demise. (This is the feud that never ends, it just goes on and on, my friends!)

Cole and Barrett run down the Rumble schedule and card. The Vision, flanked by Paul Heyman, make their entrance as we go to commercials.

Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, Sami Zayn and WWE Men’s Tag Team Champion Jey Uso vs The Vision (Bronson Reed, Austin Theory, Logan Paul and Bron Breakker)

The Vision attack prior to Cody Rhodes entrance, so he sprints down to join the fight. The babyfaces clear the ring and Zayn and Uso hit stereo topes on all the heels. We go to commercials.

Zayn hits a second rope drop on Breakker’s arm before tagging in Rhodes when the show returns. Rhodes gets kicked by Breakker but Breakker uses his speed to wallop Rhodes with a clothesline. Reed tags in and he and Breakker crush Rhodes with some double team stuff before Reed covers and gets two. Theory tags in and stomps on Rhodes hand. Theory goes to ground and pound before grabbing a rear chinlock. Reed tags back in and puts the boots to Rhodes before barking at the other babyfaces. Paul tags in and drives a knee into Rhodes ribs. Paul snatches Rhodes up for a tilt-a-whirl gutwrench suplex. Breakker tags in and hits an overhead suplex before draping Rhodes over the second rope. Rhodes gets driven into the heel corner and yanked to the floor where Theory plants him into the barricade. We go to commercials.

Reed drops an elbow and covers Rhodes for two when the show returns. Breakker tags in and he and Reed smash Rhodes with a standing Tsunami before Breakker covers for two. Paul tags in and misses a charge. Breakker tags in and cuts off Rhodes, but Rhodes snaps off a suplex. Theory tags in and misses an elbow drop. Reed tags in to wipe out the babyfaces from the apron. Reed misses a senton attempt and Rhodes finally gets a tag to Orton. Orton wallops Theory with some lariats and his snap powerslam. Orton hits the draping DDT on Theory as Cole yells “VINTAGE ORTON!”. Paul flies in to prevent an RKO, and then everyone flies in to send teammates over the top rope. Theory dumps Rhodes and walks into an RKO. Paul breaks up the cover at two. Everyone flies in one after another to hit finishers before Zayn hits a tornado DDT on Reed. Zayn wants the Helluva Kick but here’s Drew McIntyre to yank him out as the bell rings for the DQ. McIntyre smashes Zayn around and then grabs his belt. Here’s Jacob Fatu flying in from behind to wallop McIntyre around before crushing him with a tope suicida. Rhodes follows along to smash Fatu with a tope of his own, and McIntyre runs Rhodes into a ring post. McIntyre lines up Rhodes but Zayn flies in to prevent the Claymore by crushing McIntyre with the Helluva Kick. Zayn is left with the title belt, and he and Rhodes grab for it at the same time. Breakker flies in to spear them both before hovering over Cody. The credits roll and we’re out.

So it was going along fine until the non-finish. I’d call it 3.25* or so prior to McIntyre’s arrival. There was a LONG heat sequence on Rhodes and that usually works fine because he can take a beating and still seem like he’s in things. Uso and Zayn didn’t do much during the televised sequences and Orton played his greatest hits as per usual. The Vision team worked very well together and I think that everyone speculating that someone in that group is turning on Breakker tomorrow might be overthinking things. I guess we’ll see. This was fine, you can seek it out, but the finish kind of deflated me and so we’re on to tomorrow.

Thanks for reading and commenting. Enjoy the Rumbles, and your weekend.