The first WWE SmackDown of the new year delivered a night full of action, drama, and surprises. From title defenses to shocking betrayals, here’s a detailed breakdown of what went down on Friday Night SmackDown:
The show opened with Cody Rhodes addressing the crowd, blaming Kevin Owens for his current injury and revealing he was not cleared to wrestle. Drew McIntyre interrupted, offering his support, but Rhodes dismissed him. The segment took a violent turn when Kevin Owens ambushed Rhodes from behind, leading to a chaotic brawl that required officials and security to intervene.
In a hard-fought match, Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Andrade with a Kinshasa after a brutal exchange on the top rope. However, the celebration was short-lived as former United States Champion LA Knight stormed the ring and attacked Nakamura, declaring his intentions to reclaim the title.
Michin picked up a victory over Piper Niven after countering an aerial attack with Eat Defeat. Women’s United States Champion Chelsea Green observed the match from ringside, possibly scouting her next challenger.
The highly anticipated WWE Tag Team Title match between #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) and the Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) ended in a no-contest. Interference from Pretty Deadly and Los Garza caused the referee to call off the match just as the Machine Guns appeared poised to reclaim the gold.
Nia Jax successfully defended her WWE Women’s Championship against Naomi, thanks to interference from Tiffany Stratton, who struck Naomi with her Money in the Bank briefcase. However, Stratton shocked everyone by turning on Jax moments later. After taking out Jax and Candice LeRae, Stratton cashed in her Money in the Bank contract. With help from Bianca Belair, who hit Jax with a K.O.D., Stratton delivered the Prettiest Moonsault Ever to pin Jax and capture the WWE Women’s Championship.
The main event saw Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu, and Tama Tonga defeat Sami Zayn and The Usos in a chaotic six-man tag team match. Jey Uso appeared to have the match won after hitting Jacob Fatu with a Samoan Splash, but he failed to realize Solo Sikoa was the legal man. Solo capitalized on the confusion, delivering a Samoan Spike to Jey for the victory.
The win gives Solo momentum heading into Tribal Combat against Roman Reigns on Raw’s Netflix premiere this Monday.
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| Singles Match | Shinsuke Nakamura (c) def. Andrade |
| Singles Match | Michin def. Piper Niven |
| Tag Team Match | #DIY (c) vs. Motor City Machine Guns (No Contest) |
| WWE Women’s Championship | Nia Jax (c) def. Naomi |
| Money in the Bank Cash-In | Tiffany Stratton def. Nia Jax (c) |
| Six-Man Tag Match | Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu, and Tama Tonga def. Sami Zayn and The Usos |
With Tiffany Stratton now holding the WWE Women’s Championship, LA Knight targeting Shinsuke Nakamura, and Solo Sikoa preparing for Tribal Combat, the road to WrestleMania season is heating up. Fans will also be watching closely to see how Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens’ rivalry unfolds as tensions continue to escalate.