Arena: Resch Center
City: Green Bay, WI
Smackdown opens tonight with the return of the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion the Tribal Chief Roman Reigns along with Jimmy Uso, Solo Sikoa and the Wiseman Paul Heyman. They stop after the entrance to pose and for fireworks prior to being announced and then they proceed to the ring.
Roman begins telling the crowd to be quiet and then says it’s the holiday season and he is there to celebrate and its promotion season and then goes on to name Solo Sikoa as the next Tribal Chief for sacrificing everything he has and doing a good job.
Randy Orton then interrupts. Randy says he thought for 18 months about what he was going to say to him, and he told Roman he is coming after him and he is challenging him for the championship at the Royal Rumble. Roman tells him he hasn’t even thought about him for 18 months and he hasn’t done anything to earn a title match and go back to the end of the line. Roman then says he is above him and everyone else. Roman tells Randy he will never come back if he challenges him.
Randy then tells him he has changed, and he is now a legend. Then he says he has changed too but one thing he will always be is a legend killer then attempts to RKO Roman and Roman falls and avoids it. Randy tells him maybe he better start thinking about him and the voices in his head say Roman may have just crapped his pants and he will leave you with this “Daddy’s Back”.
Grayson Waller VS. Carmelo Hayes in the 1st Round in the United States Championship Contender tournament.
Hayes hit the leg drop off the top rope and got the pin.
Winner: Carmelo Hayes
Randy Orton is shown walking backstage and LA Knight asked him what time he should come out to help him this week. Orton says he doesn’t need his help. Orton says they are good, but he needs to stay out of his way. Knight then tells him he will take everything away from Reigns before he does.
Kevin Owens VS. Austin Theory in the 1st Round Match for the United States Championship Contender Tournament
Theory was working on Kevin’s broken arm and started trying to tear the cast off and Kevin swung and hit Theory with the cast hand and knocked Theory out and Kevin advances.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Roman Reigns is shown shaking his head and said Randy Orton ruined the celebration. Jimmy said he could shut Randy up, but it sounded like the job for the Tribal Heir. Roman says it’s promotion season and if he could shut Randy up it would be a great thing for him.
Karrion Kross in a video says everything is about to be recycled and its going to crumble.
Kevin Owens walking backstage and Cameron Grimes told him he did great, and he wished he could punch Theory like that. He then ran into Kayla Braxton, and she asked him how he is going to prepare for a match against Carmelo Hayes and Hayes comes in and he says he respects him, but he needs this way more than he does.
They announced Charlotte Flair will be out with a knee injury for at least 9 months.
Kabuki Warriors (Kairi Sane & Asuka) VS. Mia Yim & Zelina Vega
Vega & Yim attack the Warriors before the match. Sane hits the elbow off the top rope and gets the win.
Winners: Kabuki Warriors
Jimmy Uso is getting ready for his match with Randy Orton and asked Solo if he thinks this is a set up and asked Solo if he would tell him if something was going to happen to him and Solo said I am your brother.
Santos Escobar is shown talking about the United States championship and his match with Bobby Lashley and says he is going to beat Bobby and take away from Logan what he helped him get.
Bobby Lashley was then shown talking about his match with Escobar. Lashley tells Santos he is just standing in his way.
Randy Orton VS. Jimmy Uso
As Randy sets up for the RKO, Solo’s music comes on and he comes out and LA Knight was quickly behind him to stop him, and Randy then hit the RKO on Jimmy and got the win.
Winner: Randy Orton
Roman Reigns hit Knight from behind as Randy gets ready in the ring waiting on what Reigns is going to do next. Reigns gets in the ring, and they started going to blows but Jimmy Uso from behind and helps Roman. Knight is back up and, in the ring, to help Randy. Solo now in the ring and taking out Knight. As the Bloodline continues to beat down Orton and Knight, AJ Styles music comes on and he is on the apron and hits Reigns with a phenomenal forearm.
As Orton and Styles were yelling at the Bloodline, Knight taps AJ and gets on the ropes to yell at the Bloodline and AJ grabbed Knight and clotheslined him Orton looked at AJ who briefly looked his way and then walks out and goes past the Bloodline and to the back.
