WWE SmackDown Results (01/27) - Kevin Owens Vs. Solo Sikoa, Karrion Kross Vs. Rey Mysterio, Tag Team Title Tournament Semi-Final Matches
Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s results of "WWE SmackDown" on January 27, 2023, coming to you live from the Sames Auto Arena in Laredo, Texas!
In the go-home show for the Royal Rumble, Rey Mysterio will take on Karrion Kross as the two look to settle their issues following weeks of animosity. Kross has managed to get into Mysterio's head, questioning the ways in which he raised Dominik Mysterio and leaving him several warnings indicating that he plans to put an end to him. "The Harbinger of Doom" hasn't stopped there however, as he has launched a series of attacks on Mysterio and got the better of him last week when he locked in his signature submission, the Kross Jacket and refused to release it. Who will come out on top?
Before he squares off with Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns tomorrow, Kevin Owens has one last obstacle ahead of him tonight when he goes one-on-one with "The Enforcer" Solo Sikoa. Owens has been at odds with The Bloodline for a number of months now, and got the better of the group last week when he blindsided them with an attack during a contract signing between him and Reigns. Which man will manage to score the win?
Two semi-final matches for the "SmackDown" Tag Team Championship Contender's Tournament will be held tonight, as Sheamus and Drew McIntyre will join forces to take on Hit Row, and Legado Del Fantasma's Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde will take on Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci of Imperium. The winners of the tournament will become the number one contenders for the "SmackDown" Tag Team Championship and face current titleholders Jimmy and Jey Uso at a later date. Who will advance to the finals?
Speaking of The Usos, they are advertised on tonight's show (as per WWE's event page), along with "SmackDown" Women's Champion Charlotte Flair, and "The Beast Incarnate" Brock Lesnar.
We are live! The show kicks off with a video recapping Tribal Court from "Raw is XXX" and Sami Zayn's not guilty plea. We then see The Usos and Solo Sikoa pulling up to the arena. Sami Zayn appears and Jey spots him. He asks him what he's doing there (given that Reigns told him not to show himself until the Rumble). He says he won't be going into the arena, but he had to thank Jey for his help in Tribal Court. He tells Jey if he ever needs anything, he has his back.
Michael Cole and Wade Barrett greet audiences at home as Rey Mysterio heads to the ring. Karrion Kross and Scarlett follow.
Karrion Kross (w/ Scarlett) vs. Rey Mysterio
The bell rings and the two lock up. Kross tosses Mysterio across the ring before Mysterio delivers a dropkick and a hurricanrana. Kross knocks Mysterio off his feet, then tosses him to the outside. Mysterio manages to send Kross into the ring post, then sends him crashing into the barricade.
Back from the break, Kross delivers a backbreaker. He then tries to rope off Mysterio's mask, but is unsuccessful in his attempt to do so. Mysterio sends him shoulder first into the ring post, then hits a step-up enziguri and sets him up for the 619. Scarlett distracts him, but Mysterio sets him up for it again and manages to deliver it this time. He climbs to the top and delivers a Frog Splash, then goes for a pin. Kross kicks out and delivers an overhead toss, then looks for another one, but Mysterio manages to reverse it into a pinning predicament for the win.
Winner: Rey Mysterio
We then head to a video recapping the match between Austin Theory and Bobby Lashley this past Monday at "Raw is XXX".
Back at ringside, Austin Theory then heads down.
We Hear From United States Champion Austin Theory
Theory says that "the champ is here", then says not only did he retain his title at "Raw is XXX", he will be the winner of the 2023 Royal Rumble.
New Day's music hits and they make their way to the ring. Kofi Kingston says there's only three Austin's he respects: Austin Creed, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, and Austin, Texas. Xavier Woods says New Day has to get down to business, and Kingston asks if he heard him correctly when he said he would win the Rumble. He and Woods laugh, then say New Day will be the winners. Woods says when one of them wins the Rumble, they all do. Theory asks if they know who he is, then says he is the biggest star in WWE.
The Miz's music hits and he appears. He tells Theory has been competing in Rumble matches since before he hit puberty. Theory says that means Miz is old, and Miz says he is older, wiser, and better than him. He says he will be the winner of the Rumble as New Day laughs. Miz says there is nothing more dangerous than "something on his shoulder", then says he will give him a lesson.
The four men begin brawling with one another before Bobby Lashley's music hits and he levels all of them. He sets his sights on Theory and hits him with a Spear. He picks up a mic, then says since Brock Lesnar interrupted his title match on "Raw", he will terrorize everyone until he gets what he deserves. Lesnar then runs in through the crowd and delivers an F-5 to Lashley. He tells him that he will see him in the Rumble tomorrow night.
Back from the break, Lacey Evans heads to the ring as Jazmin Allure already waits inside.
Lacey Evans vs. Jazmin Allure
The bell rings and the two lock up. Evans tosses Allure across the ring, then executes a drop toe hold before sending Allure's face into the mat. Evans delivers a boot, then sends her head colliding with the bottom turnbuckle. Allure looks for a kick, but Evans catches it and delivers a right hand to her knee. She then sends Allure's leg crashing into the mat, then delivers the Woman's Right. She locks in the Cobra Clutch for the win.
Winner: Lacey Evans
Evans then grabs a mic, then says the Cobra Clutch is unbreakable. She says she will lock in the submission hold on 29 other women, then send them over the top and win the Women's Royal Rumble. She tells fans to salute the Rumble winner, then tosses Allure over the top rope.
We then head backstage to Kayla Braxton, Sheamus and Drew McIntyre. McIntyre says tomorrow is a huge night, then says he has a feeling Sheamus will be the winner of the Men's Royal Rumble. Sheamus thanks him, then says he thinks McIntyre will take home the match. The two go back and forth with one another before Braxton interrupts and asks them about their Tag Team Championship Contender's Tournament match later tonight. Sheamus says they will send Hit Row back to "skid row".
Back from the break, we head to a video of Cody Rhodes' journey back from injury.
Back at ringside, Drew McIntyre and Sheamus head to the ring. The Viking Raiders blindside them with an attack and level the two men. They toss McIntyre into the barricade, then set their sights on Sheamus and do the same to him. Erik delivers a knee to Sheamus and a kick to McIntyre before Ivar hits the two men with running crossbodies.
Back from the break, we see Sheamus and McIntyre storming to the back during the commercial break. At ringside, Hit Row makes their way to the ring before Adam Pearce informs the trio that McIntyre and Sheamus have relinquished their spots. He says they won't automatically win the match, and will have to defeat their replacements: Ricochet and Braun Strowman. The pair then make their way to the ring.
Braun Strowman and Ricochet vs Hit Row (w/ B-Fab)
Ricochet and Adonis begin the action. The bell rings and the two lock up. Ricochet delivers a chop, then delivers a crossbody and rains down right hands. He follows it up with a bodyslam and an elbow drop, then hits a dropkick that sends Adonis to the outside. Adonis gets back inside, then delivers a dropkick of his own. He rains down right hands, then delivers an uppercut and tags in Top Dolla. Top Dolla continues to beat Ricochet down before Adonis tags in and delivers a running knee. While the referee is distracted, B-Fab takes a cheap shot. Top Dolla tags in and whips Ricochet into the corner, then tags Adonis back in. Adonis delivers a bodyslam before Ricochet rolls Adonis up. Adonis kicks out and Ricochet delivers a right hand. Strowman tags in and delivers a big boot, followed by a running splash and a back body drop. He then hits a Monster Bomb for the win.
Winners: Braun Strowman and Ricochet
We then head backstage to Kayla Braxton and Kevin Owens. Braxton asks Owens why he chose to face Solo Sikoa tonight, and Owens says it's because he wants to become the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. He says in order to do so, he has to take on as many Bloodline members as possible. The Usos appear, and the two parties begin brawling before officials break them apart. Adam Pearce then kicks The Usos out of the arena and tells Owens to go get ready for his match.
Back from the break, we see The Usos getting in their car and leaving the arena. Before Jey gets in the car, he calls Sami Zayn and asks him if he's still in town because he needs a favor.
Back at ringside, Bray Wyatt's music from his Wyatt family days hits and a figure holding a lantern emerges in an Hawaiian shirt and a fedora hat. The figure gets closer, and we see this person is actually LA Knight.
We Hear From LA Knight
Knight says he was the biggest thing to happen at "Raw is XXX", but The Undertaker came to the ring to stare him down. He says both Taker and Wyatt both want to compete in the ring, then says Wyatt should listen to whatever Taker told him because he will walk out of their Pitch Black match as the winner.
Wyatt's logo flashes and he appears on the ramp in a rocking chair. He says the time for talking has come and gone, then tells Knight he will finally "get to meet the man [he's] been looking for". He says to Knight that he should enjoy tonight because when the lights go out tomorrow, he will see.
Uncle Howdy then appears in the crowd and waves to Knight.
Back from the break, Legado Del Fantasma heads to the ring, followed by Imperium.
Legado Del Fantasma (w/ Zelina Vega) vs. Imperium in a Semi-Finals Match for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship Contender's Tournament
Wilde and Kaiser begin the action. The bell rings and the two lock up. They exchange submission holds before Wilde delivers a chop and an arm drag. Kaiser sends him to the mat, then tags in Vinci. Del Toro tags in and delivers a series of right hands to Vinci. He follows it up with a chop, but Vinci catches him with a chop. Kaiser tags back in and delivers a series of headbutts, then tags Wilde back in. Wilde and Del Toro send Imperium to the outside, but Imperium gets back in the ring and levels Legado with a pair of clotheslines.
Back from the break, Wilde fires off several forearms of Kaiser. Kaiser sends Wilde to the mat, then delivers a running knee and tags in Vinci. Vinci delivers a chop and a bodyslam, then tags Kaiser back in. Kaiser beats down Wilde, but Wilde manages to make the tag to Del Toro. Vinci tags in on the other side before Del Toro delivers a head scissors and a dropkick that sends Vinci to the outside. He hits a corkscrew over the top rope, then tosses him back inside and delivers a tijeras. Wilde tags in and ascends to the top. He delivers a Frog Splash, then ascends back to the top. Vinci meets him up there and delivers a modified crossbody. He clutches his knee as he tags in Kaiser. Imperium then delivers the Imperium Bomb for the win.
Winners: Imperium
We then head to a video hyping up the Royal Rumble matches.
Back from the break, we head to a video of Sonya Deville crashing Charlotte Flair's interview with Ryan Satin on "Out of Character" earlier today. We then head backstage to Adam Pearce. Flair approaches him and says Deville is persistent. She says if Deville wants a match, then she will give one to her. Pearce says that's fine with him, then makes the match official for next week.
Back at ringside, Kevin Owens heads down. Solo Sikoa follows.
Kevin Owens vs. Solo Sikoa
The bell rings and the two men waste no time. They rain down right hands on one another before Owens looks for a shoulder tackle. Sikoa no-sells it, and Sikoa looks for one of his own. The two men go back and forth before Owens delivers a back elbow and a senton. He charges at Sikoa, but Sikoa rolls to the outside. Owens follows him out there, and Sikoa sends him into the barricade and the ring post.
Back from the break, Sikoa delivers a headbutt to Owens. He looks for a hop attack, but Owens rolls out of the way and delivers a pair of right hands. He follows it up with an Atomic Drop and a pair of right hands, then delivers a DDT. Owens delivers a stomp, then ascends to the top rope. Sikoa meets him there and delivers a series of headbutts, but Owens fires back with one of his own. He knocks Sikoa off the top, then delivers a Frog Splash and goes for a pin. Sikoa kicks out and delivers a superkick to Owens. Owens returns the favor, then looks for a Stunner. Sikoa reverses it into a Samoan Drop, then goes for a pin. Owens kicks out before delivering a pair of superkicks and a cannonball. He ascends to the top, then delivers a Swanton Bomb. He goes for a pin, but Sami Zayn appears out of nowhere and pulls Sikoa out of the ring.
Winner: Kevin Owens (via disqualification)
Owens and Zayn get into an exchange of words before Sikoa looks to deliver a superkick to Owens. Owens moves out of the way and Sikoa hits Zayn. Owens beats down Sikoa, but Sikoa sends him into the ringpost. He then sets him up on the announce desk and climbs up on the barricade, but Owens rolls off it and delivers a powerbomb to Sikoa on the table. He then grabs a chair, then thinks about hitting Zayn with it. He decides not to, then hits Sikoa with it and throws it down next to Zayn.