This week’s episode comes in live from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, TN.
We start things off with a shot of a steel cage hanging above the ring. The women’s championship match is expected to take place in the steel cage later tonight. Shane McMahon is out to kick things off. He announces that there would be one more stop between the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania. He announces that the Elimination Chamber pay per view and that the match would be for the WWE Championship.
This brings out the current WWE Championship, AJ Styles and complains about having to defend his title in the elimination chamber. Shane says AJ might be phenomenal but calls his attitude non-phenomenal. Cena is out to interrupt next and even before he finishes his first sentence, AJ interrupts and claims that the SmackDown Live management is out to get him. The Miz is out next with his wife, Maryse and says that he plans to walk out of WrestleMania as both the WWE champion and the Intercontinental Champion. The Miz and AJ get into each other’s faces and Cena eggs them on. Shane books both AJ and the Miz in a match for later tonight.
Backstage, Dean Ambrose is shown talking to Shane McMahon. He asks for another one on one match against Randy Orton. Shane books the match for later tonight.
AJ Styles vs The Miz: This is a non-title match and John Cena is out for commentary for the match. There is plenty of chain wrestling in the early minutes of the matches and AJ gains control after hitting a forearm to the face. He sets up on the apron for a springboard move, but gets distracted by Maryse, allowing Miz to kick Styles to the floor. Miz connects with a flying clothesline once back in the ring and pokes AJ in the eye. Styles retaliates with a Pele kick, sending the Miz to the outside. AJ follows him to the outside, and shoves John Cena causing the referee to call for the bell. The match ends in a No-Contest.
Cena chases Styles through the ring and connects with the Attitude Adjustment on the Miz. AJ attempts to connect with the phenomenal forearm on Cena, but Cena is able to avoid it and connects with an attitude adjustment on Styles as well.
Nikki Bella is out next and calls out Natalya. We see video footage from somewhere backstage where she walks up to a merchandise stand and complains that all of the merchandise is only for Nikki Bella, John Cena and Bret Hart. She starts tearing down the merchandise of the superstars and gets jumped from behind by Nikki. They go through a table together and are eventually separated and end the segment by yelling at each other.
Dean Ambrose vs Randy Orton: The other members of the Wyatt family, Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper are out at ring side for the match. There is back and forth action in the initial moments of the match and Orton knocks Ambrose off the commentary table. Once back in the ring, Orton connects with a spinning power slam and goes for a top-rope suplex. Ambrose is able to fight out of it and they take things back to the mat outside and follows it up with a suicide dive, but Harper pushes Orton out of the way and takes the dive on himself. Once back in the ring, Orton connects with a DDT and sets up for the RKO, but Harper walks towards Ambrose in the ring. Orton and the referee are able to convince Harper to leave the ring. This distraction allows Ambrose to capitalize and rolls Orton up from behind for the three count and picks up the win.
After the match, Harper gets back into the ring and faces off with Orton. Bray pulls both of them apart and punches Harper in the face out of frustration. Harper blames Orton and Bray gets into Orton’s face next. Harper leaves the ring with Orton and Bray following him to the back.
Becky Lynch is shown backstage cutting a promo on Alexa Bliss and says that Alexa will not be leaving tonight with the Women’s championship.
Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler is out next to host the ‘King’s court’ segment with Dolph Ziggler. He discusses about Ziggler’s attitude change, but Ziggler does not want to talk. A footage from last week is shown and Ziggler plays a footage of his own, back from 2012, where he elbow drops Jerry, before Jerry’s heart attack. Ziggler takes credit for Jerry’s heart attack and threatens to finish what he started and finish the job if Jerry does not stop asking questions. Lawler says that it’s too bad because he has another question, and that is how it feels to know that no matter how many times Ziggler changes his attitude, he will always be a loser. Ziggler answers with a super kick and Lawler is down. Ziggler walks away and JBL rolls into the ring to check on Jerry Lawler. Lawler yells at Ziggler to get back into the ring if he has guts. Ziggler declines and walks away coolly.
Bray Wyatt is shown on screen next. He announces that not only is the Wyatt Family entering the Royal Rumble, but Orton and Harper would be facing each other next week on SmackDown Live to settle their differences.
Alexa Bliss vs Becky Lynch: This is a steel cage match for the WWE SmackDown Live Women’s championship. Becky goes for a power bomb, but Alexa grabs onto the cage. She hangs there while Becky follows her. The brawl on the cage till they fall down to the mat simultaneously. Becky slams Alexa’s head into the cage wall and connects with a missile drop kick off the middle rope for a two count. Becky climbs to the top of the cage, but Alexa grabs her and pulls her down. They are on the top rope fighting till Becky kicks Alexa onto the turnbuckle. She then connects with a T Bone suplex off the middle rope for another two count. Becky locks Alexa in the dis-arm-her but is distracted by La Luchadora standing in the cage door. La Luchadora enters the ring and kicks Becky in the head. Alexa hits Becky with a DDT for the win.
Both the divas beat down on Becky. Becky rips the mask off La Luchadora and it is revealed to be Mickie James! Mickie and Alexa continue the beat down on Becky and celebrate as we go off the air.
- Updated card for the WWE Royal Rumble pay per view - January 28, 2017
- WWE SmackDown Results – 01/24/2017 - January 26, 2017
- WWE RAW Results – 01/23/2017 - January 24, 2017
