Smackdown Review – 02.06.26

Some things have happened and it would behoove you to catch up: Royal Rumble | Raw | NXT | Evolve | Impact

Coming off the Royal Rumble(s), Smackdown comes to the USA Network and Netflix from the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC. The television presenters for tonight’s show are Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett on match calls and analysis, Mark Nash on ring introductions, and Cathy Kelley on backstage interviews and breaking news segments. Let’s watch some wrestling!

Then, Now, Forever….TOGETHER

We open with a Royal Rumble highlights package. Some folks are arriving to work and they include Tiffany Stratton, Chelsea Green with Alba Fyre, and Lash Legend with Nia Jax as all of them are in an Elimination Chamber qualifier match tonight. Then it’s the men’s turn as we see Randall Keith Orton, Solo Sikoa flanked by the MFT’s, and Aleister Black with Zelina Vega ahead of their EC qualifier on tonight’s show.

Here’s WWE Men’s Undisputed Champion Drew McIntyre stalking through Gorilla and out into the arena. McIntyre is fresh off of retaining his title in Riyadh, and also sneaking in to eliminate Cody Rhodes in the Rumble. Rhodes also bursts out of the back to attack McIntyre and runs him over the barricade into the crowd. A small army of referees and Security goobers pour out from the back to break things up. Rhodes grabs a mic while McIntyre retreats to the back. Rhodes says that McIntyre has entered a self-fulfilling prophecy by eliminating Rhodes from a match he wasn’t even entered in. Rhodes calls himself the biggest WWE fan while watching CM Punk and Roman Reigns declare their hatred on Monday night. Rhodes says he knew that meeting was going to be a “you-know-what measuring contest” but Rhodes wasn’t in that moment. Rhodes says he didn’t get the nickname RAHEEM for giggles, and asks Charlotte what they want to talk about. Rhodes mentions that he was born in Charlotte at Presbyterian Hospital with Arn Anderson and Manny Fernandez fighting in the waiting room. Rhodes feels shame returning to Charlotte without the title and promises that his shame and discomfort over this will become McIntyre’s and promises that McIntyre won’t make it to Wrestlemania.

Cathy Kelley is backstage with WWE Women’s US Champion Giulia and Kiana James who will challenge for the Women’s tag team championship tonight. James mentions that this match is part of the plan to make Giulia a three time champ prior to and including Wrestlemania. WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Rhea Ripley and IYO Sky make their entrance as we go to commercials.

Smackdown GM Nick Aldis tells an irate Cody Rhodes that he’s in an EC qualifier next week, and tells Rhodes to control his emotions. Rhodes promises to do that and that he’ll leave the arena so he can see Aldis in Dallas next week for that qualifying match.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship: RHIYO (IYO Sky and Rhea Ripley) (C) vs WWE Women’s US Champion Giulia and Kiana James

Ripley starts with James and Ripley manages to threaten James into tagging Giulia in quickly. Giulia wants Sky, so Ripley tags her in. Giulia hits a big forearm and some kicks before mocking Sky’s taunt. Giulia slips a charge but Sky sweeps the leg and smashes Giulia with a shotgun dropkick. Giulia yanks Sky down by the hair and irish whips her into the ropes where Sky holds on. Giulia distracts the ref so that James can yank Sky down over the top rope throat-first. James tags in and dumps Sky before following her out. James rams Sky into the ring apron and then kicks her down to the floor. Giulia flies in with a dropkick on Sky as we go to commercials.

Sky is being worked over in the heel corner when the show returns. James smashes Sky with a kick to the head and tags in Giulia. Giulia wallops Sky with a top rope dropkick and covers for two. James tags in and Sky slips a Giulia charge before dumping James to the floor. James tries to prevent the tag but Sky finally makes it. Ripley starts cleaning house before dumping James face-first to the mat. Ripley crushes Giulia to the floor and Sky follows with a tope suicida on Giulia. Ripley hoists James for another facebuster but James kicks out at two. Sky tags in and James slips Riptide before powerbombing Sky on top of Ripley. James tags in Giulia before smashing Sky down and Giulia flies in with the Arrivederci knee. Ripley breaks up Giulia’s cover at two. Ripley hits a headbutt on James but Giulia flies in with a helicopter rana that sends Ripley to the floor. Sky tags in Ripley who hits a headbutt and Riptide on Giulia, and Sky follows with Over the Moonsault. Ripley covers and gets three.

I think the ref messed up the ending because I’m pretty sure Sky was legal but it hardly matters. This was actually better than I expected and I enjoyed it a bunch. The heat sequence on Sky mostly happened during the commercials but this followed the standard face-in-peril tag formula that almost always works. Ripley looked fine, but this was by far James and Giulia’s best effort as a tag team. I’m hoping Giulia goes back to defending the US title as a singles now but we’ll see. At any rate, this was a fine opener. 3.75*

Winners AND STILL WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions – RHIYO (Sky Over the Moonsault on Giulia)

Ilja Dragunov is walking backstage when he runs into The Miz and Dragunov is in no mood. WWE Men’s US Champion Carmelo Hayes wanders in to tell Miz he’s getting a non-title asswhooping tonight. Dragunov tells Hayes to get it done and Hayes promises he will.

The Miz makes his entrance as we go to commercials.

WWE Men’s US Champion Carmelo Hayes vs The Miz

This is non-title, as previously mentioned. Miz attacks at the bell and Hayes flies off the second rope with a forearm to break up the early flurry. Miz responds with a back elbow before starting to work over Hayes in a corner. Hayes reverses an irish whip and smashes Miz with a springboard legdrop before covering and getting two. Hayes works over Miz in a corner and then puts the boots to Miz. Miz trips up Hayes during another springboard move and then wallops Hayes with a lariat that gets a two count. We go to commercials.

Hayes fires up with some chops when the show returns but Miz responds with a boot to the mid-section. Hayes hits a helicopter facebuster and covers Miz for two. Hayes hits a tope con hilo and then runs Miz back into the ring. Hayes ascends and his dive meets Miz’s knees. Miz covers and gets two. Miz goes to the Yes kicks but misses the last one as Hayes rolls him up for two. Miz wants the SCF but Hayes slips it and hits a superkick that gets two. Hayes ascends but misses another dive, and Miz yanks him up for a slingshot powerbomb that gets two. Miz wants the SCF again but Hayes slips it and hits the First 48. Hayes covers and gets three.

Hey, the Miz lost again on television. What a shock, I gotta lie down from all the shock. This was okay for what it was which was a showcase for Hayes in a non-title situation against a vet who will make him look good. Nothing major you have to seek out here but the ending sequence of Hayes slipping the SCF and transitioning smoothly into the First 48 was very well done. 2.5*

Winner – Carmelo Hayes (First 48)

Cathy Kelley is with Tiffany Stratton who says that one bad night at the Rumble won’t ruin her goal of getting back to Wrestlemania. Here’s Chelsea Green and Alba Fyre to mention that they will be getting the Wrestlemania match but Stratton blows that off to tell them that she’s the one to watch. Stratton leaves. Lash Legend makes her entrance accompanied by Nia Jax as we go to commercials.

Bo Dallas has some words for Solo Sikoa regarding THE LANTERN. Dallas says that Sikoa is scared of standing in the dark by himself which is why he stole THE LANTERN. Dallas says fear doesn’t show up when everyone is together, it shows up when you’re alone.

The Bennett Family has gotten better seats due to the PAPA JOHN’S UPGRADE. Isn’t that nice.

Women’s Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: Lash Legend vs Chelsea Green vs Tiffany Stratton

Green has Alba Fyre with her, and again, Jax is with Legend. I feel the need to point this out since this will be No DQ due to the triple threat scenario. Green slaps Stratton and Legend to start and that proves to be a bad idea as Legend wallops her with a right that sends Green to the floor. Legend uses Stratton as a battering ram to keep Green on the floor and then wants a chokeslam on Stratton who slips off and clips Legend. Legend bails and Stratton hits a tope suicida on Legend and Jax. Stratton runs Legend back in and hits a standing moonsault but Green breaks up the subsequent cover at two. Stratton and Green beef with each other and Legend has had enough of that. Fyre holds Legend’s leg as Stratton and Green send her to the floor. Green tries to use the ropes to get a quick cover on Stratton, but Stratton breaks out at two and rolls up Green for two. Stratton goes to the apron and Green snaps off a neckbreaker before ascending. Green hits a cross-body on Jax and Stratton but Legend flies in with a pump kick on Green. Legend points at the Wrestlemania sign as we go to commercials.

Legend lariats Green down and then hoists Stratton before press slamming her on Green. Legend’s double cover gets two. Green fires up with an enziguri and Stratton follows with a shotgun dropkick on Legend. Stratton hits a hoisted shotgun dropkick on Legend and then wants the Unpretty-her on Green. Green stops that with a big boot and ascends but Stratton springs up as they duke it out up top. Stratton hits a superplex and Stratton rolls through with a backdrop suplex. Legend breaks up Stratton’s cover at two. Stratton gets dumped and Legend hoists her up for a buckle bomb and chokeslam. Legend’s stack cover gets two. Green ascends and hits a coast-to-coast dropkick on Legend but Jax yanks her off the cover and to the floor at two. Fyre flies over and gets dropped by Jax. Stratton and Green drop Legend into the timekeeper’s area and Jax flies in to wallop Fyre who had pushed Green out of the way. Stratton and Green hit superkicks on Jax and then Green rams Stratton’s head into a ring post. Stratton recovers to hit her rolling driver and the Prettiest Moonsault Ever. Stratton covers Green and gets three. Tiffany Stratton is the first woman to qualify for the Elimination Chamber!

This got sloppy in the second act, and then it went to overbooking during the end sequence on the floor. As expected, the seconds came into play since this was No DQ. I figured Stratton was going into the Chamber and that’s what happened, so she’ll get her highlight moment of doing that moonsault off the top of one of the pods, surely. Everything felt rushed after the break and the whole thing turned into kind of a mess, but we got there and hopefully no one got hurt through all that. 2.75*

Winner – Tiffany Stratton (Prettiest Moonsault Ever on Green)

Cathy Kelley is with Randy Orton and his approach will be different since this will be his tenth Chamber match. Aleister Black wanders in with Zelina at his side. Black says we’re blessed to still have Orton around since we’ve lost two great wrestlers (assuming he’s talking about John Cena and AJ Styles). Orton seems nonplussed as Black and Zelina leave. We go to commercials.

We get a look at the NXT performers in the Rumbles, including recent alumni and current performers, and Royce Keys is included in the package. (I thought he was going to debut on Smackdown? I guess we’ll see.) There are some NASCAR drivers in the crowd which makes sense for Charlotte.

Here’s Kit Wilson out to his super-catchy theme song to get a fairly decent pop from the crowd. Wilson grabs a mic and says he’s the TOPIC. Wilson mentions being at the Royal Rumble and he was disgusted by the toxic chauvinistic pigs who were there. Wilson says he’s the true real man and has confidence in his emotions. Wilson moisturizes and listens (This is a potent combination.) and moves his hips! Wilson says anyone who was in the Rumble can come down and face the man who’s re-defining masculinity.

Oba Femi vs Kit Wilson

This is not going to go well for Kit Wilson. Tessitore: “I hope you moisturized well today, Wilson”. Femi wallops Wilson with some running forearms and then tosses Wilson back-first to the mat. Femi hits the Fall From Grace and covers Wilson for three.

We’re getting there with Oba, but I want to see him in a real singles match and soon. This was cute, short, and to the point. 1.5*

Winner – Oba Femi (Fall From Grace)

R-Truth and Damien Priest are watching on a monitor backstage as Truth mimics Femi’s now-famous stride. Truth is very excited about Femi and Priest seems upset. Drew McIntyre bumps Truth and Priest steps in front of Truth to say McIntyre doesn’t need another problem and to keep on walking.

Drew McIntyre makes another entrance without pausing for his pyro. McIntyre gets a mic and he’s immediately ambushed by Jacob Fatu. Fatu works over McIntyre in a corner and then smashes him with a Hip Attack. Fatu clotheslines McIntyre to the floor and then waffles him with a tope suicida. Fatu starts whooping on Security as McIntyre takes cover in the timekeeper’s area. Fatu wallops McIntyre with a right so McIntyre decides to get the hell out of Dodge and leaves in a hurry. We go to commercials.

Jacob Fatu is backstage with Nick Aldis who tells him to go home after mentioning that Fatu will be in a qualifier next week. (The same one as Cody? That could be a whole thing if so.) Fatu promises to “dogwalk they ass” before brushing Security aside and leaving.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs Tama Tonga

Tonga is accompanied by JC Mateo and Tonga Loa. Tama Tonga has facepaint, the others do not. Nakamura got a haircut! Tonga starts clubbering away and then misses a corner charge. Nakamura lifts a knee and then starts kicking away at Tonga. Nakamura buries a foot in Tonga’s throat and then gets dropped by Tonga with a reverse facebreaker after some rope-running. Nakamura goes to the floor and Tonga chases him to run him onto the announce table. Tonga drops a flying elbow on a prone Nakamura and the MFT’s gather to celebrate as we go to commercials.

Nakamura and Tonga are slugging it out when the show returns. Nakamura fires up with a running boot and then goes to some strong style kicks that drop Tonga to the mat. Nakamura hits an enziguri and then drops Tonga to the mat with a sliding German before ascending. Nakamura hits a high knee and covers Tonga for two. Tonga fires up with a reverse DDT and then hits a running splash. Tonga crushes Nakamura with a double underhook facebuster before covering and getting two. Tonga gets snapped over and Nakamura hits a reverse facebuster of his own. Nakamura runs into a Tonga jumping DDT after disposing of Mateo on the floor. Tonga hoists Nakamura who fights his way off to hit a Saito suplex. They start slugging it out mid-ring and Nakamura drops Tonga with a flying enziguri. Tonga runs into a sit-out Michinoku Driver and Nakamura covers for two. Loa prevents a Kinshasha while Mateo had the ref distracted. Tonga hits the Cutthroat on a prone Nakamura and covers for three.

I’m SHOCKED that there was interference here. No, I’m not actually shocked at all. I’m still searching for the point of this mini-feud between Nakamura and Tama Tonga but perhaps one is coming soon? Who can tell. It’s all just time-filling content at this point. This was fine if a bit short, and you can sense these two could have a much better and longer match without interference if allowed to. At any rate, there’s nothing major to seek out here but this was decent enough for what it was. 3*

Winner – Tama Tonga (Cutthroat)

Here’s FrAxiom and The Motor City Machine Guns chuckling it up while walking backstage. Here’s Candice LeRae to show John Wrestling laying on top of a box with a black and gold NXT logo on it. LeRae begs the Guns to talk to Gargano, and Chris Sabin seems less than enthused about doing that. Alex Shelley begs off as well, and LeRae goes back to tending to Gargano.

Cathy Kelley is with RHIYO and Sky says that Giulia and James put up a good match but they’re still champions. Ripley says they are on the road to Wrestlemania. Kelley mentions that Ripley is in an Elim Chamber qualifier on Monday night and Ripley says they can always use more gold. Nia Jax and Lash Legend step up and threaten the champs before Jax decides they should go talk to Nick Aldis about RHIYO ducking them. Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez join the scene to grin at the champs before leaving as we go to commercials.

Kit Wilson is backstage feeling the after-effects when he runs into Matt Cardona and Apollo Crews. Wilson blames Cardona for his current condition, and Cardona says he’s always ready if Wilson wants to go again. (Apollo Crews outta nowhere! I know he’s been doing Main Event or whatever, but it was good to see him again.)

Nick Aldis introduces Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. Morgan high-fives Aldis and grabs a mic. Morgan calls herself the greatest Royal Rumble winner of all time to a big pop. Morgan says she’s also the hottest, smartest, funniest, most charismatic, most talented, and most iconic woman in the history of WWE. Morgan says that comes with power, and with power comes responsibility. Morgan has a decision to make and she’s been thinking long and hard about it. Morgan says there’s another thing she’s been thinking about and turns to Rodriguez. Rodriguez grabs the mic to address this “elephant in the room” and SHOCKINGLY here’s WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill to interrupt. Cargill stomps down to the ring and stares daggers at Morgan and Rodriguez. Cargill says she doesn’t care about Morgan winning the Rumble or being here on Smackdown. Cargill says if Morgan chooses her “she’ll beat that ass at Wrestlemania” and then wants to know why Rodriguez is staring at her. Morgan says she can pick Stephanie Vaquer and let Rodriguez win the Chamber so that both of them will leave Wrestlemania as champions. Here’s Jordynne Grace to join the proceedings while congratulating Morgan on winning the Rumble. Grace wants Cargill to defend the title so that Morgan could face Grace in Las Vegas. (I should note here that all of these women are in their gear…so you can do the math on what’s coming.) Morgan chastises Grace and Cargill screams at her to “shut up, bitch!”. Aldis tells everyone to shut up and reminds Morgan that his conditions, as always, are that if you’re available to talk, you’re available to fight. Aldis makes a TAG MATCH PLAYA and calls for a referee.

Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez vs WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill and Jordynne Grace

Morgan and Rodriguez attack at the bell and Cargill and Grace gain a fairly quick advantage before barking at each other. We go to commercials.

Morgan yanks Grace down off a top turnbuckle as the show returns. Rodriguez tags in and her and Morgan run some double team stuff on Grace. Rodriguez slams Grace and covers for two. Rodriguez starts dropping elbows and then covers Grace for two. Grace grabs a headlock but Rodriguez yanks her up for a side suplex. Rodriguez misses a splash attempt and tags in Morgan. Morgan hits two Amigos but Grace blocks the last attempt and suplexes Morgan down. Grace hits some lariats and then slams Morgan a couple of times. Morgan hits a sit-out driver and Rodriguez breaks up her cover at two. Grace dumps Rodriguez to the floor and then blocks an Oblivion attempt. Morgan hits a Codebreaker and tags in Rodriguez who charges over and dumps Cargill to the floor. Grace slips off Rodriguez’s back and Rodriguez slips a Cargill superkick attempt which then lands flush on Grace’s jaw. Cargill snaps at Grace, but then she slips a Rodriguez charge and Rodriguez wallops Morgan with a high boot. Cargill and Rodriguez face off and Grace runs Rodriguez into Cargill before rolling her up for three.

I wasn’t sure if there was going to be a decision here but it was either Rodriguez or Grace who was eating the pin if there was, and so that’s what happened. Everything after the commercial break was rushed and a bit frenetic. Grace looked like she belonged but you really get a sense of how tiny she is when she’s in there with Cargill and Rodriguez. I still feel like we’re leaning towards Morgan and Vaquer at WM so we’ll see how that plays out. ANYWAY, this didn’t move the needle for me but there was nothing too outrageously awful here, it was just too fast and too furious to make an impact. 2.75*

Winners – Grace/Cargill (Grace roll-up on Rodriguez)

Tessitore and Barrett talk about Sami Zayn coming up short against Drew McIntyre in Saudi as a highlights package plays. Here’s Sami Zayn walking around backstage where he runs into Rey Fenix who offers some words of encouragement. Trick Williams wanders in to call Zayn a guy who gets to the playoffs and can’t get a ring. Williams says he knows how to get the job done, and Fenix says Williams has a big mouth. Williams says anytime, anywhere, and leaves. A despondent Zayn is left on his own. We go to commercials.

Jade Cargill and Jordynne Grace are screaming at each other backstage as Nick Aldis wanders in to say that Cargill will be defending her title next week against Grace. That’s an interesting development, but I suspect Cargill will probably be retaining. Tessitore throws to a highlights package of the massive confrontation between Roman Reigns and CM Punk on Raw. I suspect we’re going to be seeing this highlights package for a few weeks as it was that great.

Drew McIntyre is back for a third attempt to address the crowd. McIntyre has a mic and says he’s going to say what he came to say. McIntyre wants Cody Rhodes and Jacob Fatu banned from the EC qualifiers and then talks about crushing Sami Zayn’s dreams. McIntyre mentions the Monday night chat between Punk and Roman and says he was disappointed by the whole thing because they seemed so insecure. McIntyre says he was frustrated because they kept trying to make the brand and his title seem second-rate. McIntyre says he’s been through hell to get his title and says he’s earned it thoroughly. McIntyre drops a bunch of names who’ve made his title the number one title in the company and says he’ll call anyone a bald-faced liar who differs with that opinion. McIntyre calls Punk “fragile Phil” and says Reigns made the best choice because he’s a 280 pound Scottish war machine. As McIntyre goes to leave, Trick Williams music plays and here he is at the entrance to a “Whoop that Trick” chant. Trick says he wants to come out and watch the main event while kicking up his lemon pepper steppers. Trick says McIntyre is worried about all the wrong things and says he needs to be worried about Trick instead because he’s the one who will be taking the title from McIntyre at Wrestlemania. McIntyre says Trick should walk before he runs and if Trick interrupts the champ again he’ll stick the lemon pepper steppers where the sun doesn’t shine. We go to commercials.

(McIntyre had to address all of the mentions of him during the Reigns-Punk segment and I thought it was interesting that he put over not only the title but the Smackdown brand as well. Smackdown will forever feel like the B-show in the WWE hierarchy and while I doubt it bothers anyone in real life, in kayfabe it’s interesting that McIntyre would care that much to overtly call it out. McIntyre has flaws as a performer and he’s not getting any younger, so you would have to think that he’s got to get all of his stuff in while he can because there is a new generation coming in the form of Oba Femi, Trick Williams, et al and I’m sure he sees where some of his contemporaries are at this point in terms of being in the permanent middle class. Still, this whole evening with Fatu and Rhodes coming at him and then the Trick interaction felt like a very good starting point for the journey to Vegas. Let’s see how it all plays out and how they get to the rumored triple threat because there can only be one Chamber winner.)

Tessitore runs down some matches that have been booked for next week’s card in Dallas when the show returns. The show will include the Cargill defense, a women’s Tag championship match, and two EC qualifiers (Alexa Bliss vs Giulia vs Zelina, and Cody Rhodes vs Sami Zayn vs Jacob Fatu).

Solo Sikoa is looking for the MFT’s and Cathy Kelley catches up with him. Sikoa can’t find anyone and tells Kelley he’s taking the victory tonight before picking up THE LANTERN and coming to the ring.

Men’s Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: Solo Sikoa vs Randy Orton vs Aleister Black

Everyone goes for finishers after the bell and Black dumps Sikoa to the floor before slugging it out with Orton. Sikoa yanks Orton out and rams him into the ring post. Black hits a moonsault on Sikoa and then slips an Orton backdrop attempt before booting him down. Black celebrates with Zelina as we go to commercials.

Black has Sikoa in a leg submission when the show returns. Orton breaks it up by stomping on Black and Sikoa. Orton starts walloping Sikoa in a corner with rights but Black cuts it off with a forearm. Orton blocks Black’s kick and slams him head-first into a turnbuckle. Orton drops rights on Black’s head but Black slips out and starts smashing Orton with kicks. Black starts dropping right hands on Orton’s head but Sikoa yanks Black out and runs him into the barricade before glaring at Trick Williams at ringside. Sikoa stars clubbering Orton and then mocks Orton’s pose before pointing at the WM sign. Orton flies out of a corner with a lariat. Sikoa prevents a snap powerslam by hanging on to the ropes and Black flies in to eat a hoisted Samoan Drop. Sikoa covers Black and gets two as we go to the last commercial break.

Orton has Black mounted on a top turnbuckle when the show returns. Orton hits a superplex on Black and Sikoa follows with a frog splash on Orton that gets two. Orton goes to the floor as Sikoa and Black rise to start slugging it out mid-ring. Black gets dropped with a superkick but he slips Sikoa’s Hip Attack attempt. Orton flies in and waffles Black with a snap powerslam. Orton wants the draping DDT on Sikoa, but Sikoa yanks him out to the floor. Orton shakes that off and drops Sikoa twice back-first onto the announce table. Black wanders out and gets a drop on the announce table as well. Orton runs Sikoa back in before crushing him with the draping DDT. Orton fires up the crowd before GOING TO THAT PLACE. Black flies in with a big boot to Orton and Sikoa yanks Black up for a uranage. Sikoa covers and gets two. Sikoa wants the Spike and Black ducks it and lifts a knee. Black covers and gets two. A frustrated Black smashes Sikoa with a running knee and gets another two. Orton comes in and wants the RKO on Black but he slips it and rolls up Orton for two. Black lifts a knee into Orton and wants Black Mass, but Orton ducks it and hits the RKO on Black. Black rolls out of the ring and as Orton turns Sikoa wants the Spike. Orton staggers up and senses Sikoa looming so he hits the RKO on Sikoa and covers for three. Randy Orton is the first man to qualify for the Elimination Chamber!

Listen, I have respect for what Orton has accomplished over time but this is not a decision I would have made for the Chamber. I think Sikoa’s story is much more compelling than “I want another world title before I hang it up” since we’ve seen that now with any number of older performers. Black is where he is in the hierarchy, but Sikoa should have a decently bright future and even if he wasn’t winning the Chamber, he bumps like a champ and makes his opponents look great. Orton’s whole thing now is “Ow my back hurts but I have this unstoppable finish so don’t let me catch you in it.” It’s played out. Sikoa would have been the better choice. Now, this match was more of the typical “one guy on the floor while the other two fight it out in the ring” type triple threats and it wasn’t as compelling as the women’s match was. It was also weird that Trick played zero part in this and didn’t even join the announce team. Smackdown is a confusing mistress, friends. 3.25*

Winner – Randy Orton (RKO on Sikoa)

Post-match sees Orton pose in a corner as the credits roll and we’re out.

The women’s tag title match and the two qualifiers were the highlights of this show, and the Kit Wilson-Oba Femi thing was pretty fun in a vacuum. The Rhodes-Fatu-McIntyre thing is getting there but Cody’s opening promo was kind of weird. Next week’s show seems pretty loaded with the Cargill defense, a RHIYO defense, and two more qualifiers including Rhodes-Fatu-Zayn which should be a whole-ass thing. Tonight was fine but as always, three hours is A LOT. Thumbs in the middle leaning up would be my final verdict, so I’m happy to hear yours in comments.

Thanks, as always, for reading and commenting. Please make sure to go patronize all of our fine reviewers, we very much appreciate your clicks and comments. Have a good weekend, stay warm and hydrated, and LET’S GO HAWKS!