WWE made its final stop before the restart of Saturday Night's Main Event, as Crush rolled to the Excel Center in Hartford, CT. Roman Reigns vs Solo Sikoa is the first WWE match confirmed for Netflixas the OTC challenged Sikoa for the ula speech on January 6th. Sikoa and his bloodline would defeat LA Knight later in the night after losing the match via disqualification, and Jimmy Uso was attacked by Drew McIntyre as the Scottish Warrior defeated another member of Roman Reigns' bloodline.
Kevin Owens and Cody Rhodes would fight backstage after failing to meet in the ring for a final confrontation, Braun Strowman is SmackDown's latest signing and celebrated the change by defeating Carmelo Hayes. DIY and Motor City Machine Guns cut each other's vignettes after Ciampa and Gargano won the tag titles and turned heel on last week's SmackDown, and Michin vs. Cheslea Green for the first United States Women's Championship will take place on Saturday Night's Main Event after they defeated Tiffany Stratton and Bayley respectively.
1
Roman reigns
The first departure of the Netflix era is confirmed by OTC
WWE's presentation is about to change forever when the company completes its massive move to Netflix in less than a month. One of the subtle changes in recent months has been the “cinematic presentation” of moments like Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns meeting on an empty football field at Georgia Tech in Atlanta before Bad Blood, or CM Punk and Reigns meeting at a local not specified ahead. from their Survivor Series match. Roman Reigns challenged Solo Sikoa for the Tribal Chief title on Night 1 of WWE on Netflix in another one of those dramatic segments.
This style of presenting a promo feels elegant and bigger than was possible in Vince McMahon's WWE. Innovator Paul Heyman fuels this latest innovation behind the scenes. Talent benefits from a new way to express their feelings, character and intentions, tailored to Netflix's home theater vision. This delivery from Roman was ice-cold, filled with historical significance and the image of The OTC recovering its speech is perfect for Netflix's curtain raiser.
2
Saturday Night's Real Main Event
Cody Rhodes vs Kevin Owens could go either way
Playing a game of psychological warfare, with fascinating cat and mouse tactics from the challenger, The rivalry between Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens for the WWE Championship was one of the highlights of the year. Both men cut sizzling promos, both have valid reasons for their anger, and the brawl, from backstage to ringside, in the final stop before Saturday night's Main Event seemed inevitable. This rivalry feels intensely personal and the right choice to restart that legacy.
Perhaps the best part of all this is that Cody vs. KO looks like it could go either way when the bell rings on Saturday night's main event. Cody Rhodes being the poster boy for WWE's new look when they hit Netflix is the most likely outcome, but Kevin Owens has been the company's best performer since he injured Randy Orton in early November. He hasn't held WWE's top championship since winning the Universal Championship in August 2016 in a Fatal Four Way against Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Big Cass (!) after Finn Balor's injury forced him to vacate it. No one could argue that he didn't deserve to be WWE's top man in this form. It's a Main Event that has everything.
3
The U.S. Women's Championship Reserve
It's great to see faith in today's emerging superstars
In a tournament bracket that began including Bianca Belair, Bayley, Naomi, Tiffany Stratton and more, Michin and Chelsea Green will compete to become the first United States Women's Champions in Saturday night's main event. The fact that Michin reached the final by defeating SmackDown's heir apparent, Money in The Bank holder Tiffany Stratton, and Chelsea Green defeated future Hall of Famer Bayley, shows the title's future intent. This belt was designed to elevate talent, and this match puts its money where its mouth is.
It would have been so easy to have one of the traditional big guns win the first U.S. Women's Championship. Having a tried and trusted former champion written into the history books is a smart and safe booking. Michin x Chelsea Green is exciting because someone will be champion for the first timeas well as the first US champion. May the best woman win.
4
Carmelo Hayes
Who is responsible for booking Melo?
As anyone who has watched the show over the past few months can attest, Carmelo Hayes has been one of SmackDown's standout performers. What started as an innocent 1-on-1 with Andrade turned into an inspiring 7-match series. If there's a school of thought that LA Knight's dance partners didn't really stand out when he won the US Championship, the exception to that rule was his several run-ins with Melo. So with all this on your side, why the hell is Carmelo Hayes losing to Braun Strowman in less than 90 seconds?
The pros of WWE in the Paul Levesque era are that people often don't look weak for long and that it's impossible to believe that WWE doesn't have a long-term plan for Carmelo Hayes. Even though we believe better days are ahead, it's disappointing to see Carmelo Hayes suffer a loss like this to someone who probably won't trouble the main event scene anytime soon. Maybe Melo will get revenge on the big man at the Royal Rumble. Whatever happens, This is a day that Carmelo Hayes and everyone else should forget in a hurry.
5
Jimmy Uso
Drew McIntyre is eradicating Roman's bloodline piece by piece
The goodwill of all WWE audiences towards the non-Yeeting Uso brother continues to flow, but how long will it be interesting? In a year where Solo Sikoa found a breakthrough with his improved humor and delivery, Jimmy Uso continues to struggle to find a definable character in addition to his association with The Bloodline. Being half of one of the greatest tag teams of all time gives him a lot of time and opportunities, but it seems like it's time for Jimmy to find a lane that works for him.
He opened SmackDown with an agitated conversation about the injuries he and his compatriots suffered in the War Games before Drew McIntyre appeared and threw a lethal Claymore at Jimmy. After Jey Uso was eliminated by a mystery assailant, Drew seemingly put three of the five members of Roman Reigns' Bloodline on the shelf. It's a nice return for The Scottish Warrior. A victory over Sami Zayn in Saturday Night's Main Event would be the crown jewel of one of his most successful years to date.
6
Los Angeles Knight
Is this the worst month of the Paul Levesque era?
What a brutal month it has been for LA Knight. He lost the US Championship to Shinsuke Nakamura and now Knight was taken down at the hands of Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu and The Bloodline. His match against Sikoa might go down as an LA Knight win by disqualification, but he won't feel like a winner this morning.
This is a very important moment for LA Knight. With hordes of new viewers about to experience the WWE roster for the first time, LA Knight's Attitude Era vibe will be huge with fans of a certain age. His feud with Logan Paul was the highlight of his 2024, but it was a busy year for The Megastar. There's undoubtedly more to come for LA Knight in the new year and beyond. It looks like The Bloodline will be your first point of order. Yes.
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It's so cool to hear things like Michael Cole referencing Harley Race as the first US Champion.
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A WWE Raw Netflix Kick Off event has been scheduled for the WWE YouTube channel. Logan Paul is among the guests.
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The only two women to beat Michin since March on the main roster are WWE Champion Nia Jax and Chelsea Green.
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This is the third meeting between Michin and Chelsea Green this year. They are currently 1-1.
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Braun Strowman will be a guest on The Grayson Waller Effect on next week's SmackDown.
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DIY and Motor City Machine Guns vignettes were strong.
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Carmelo Hayes hasn't won a match in over two months.
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Remember Kevin Owens lost the Universal Championship to Bill Goldberg? Congratulations Vincent.
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With Jade Cargill injured, Naomi will replace her as Bianca Belair's tag team partner.
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LA Knight saying “phew lafa”. Very silly, but very funny.
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Kevin Owens wearing a Stardust t-shirt is an excellent joke.