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This week's SmackDown was all about the blue brand's tag team division and the program started with a 25-minute fight. Four tournament matches took place on Friday night and it was proof of just how far the company's tag team division has come. In other action, Charlotte Flair and Sonya Deville got into it, the Firefly Funhouse returned and Kevin Owens got one over on The Bloodline when he eliminated the numbers advantage be sneaking into the ring and taking out the group during their contract signing.
Here are your winners and losers for SmackDown, January 20, 2023:
Winner: Banger Bros vs. Viking Raiders
Sheamus and Drew McIntyre versus Erik and Ivar started the show and this was as physical a match as fans should have expected. Both teams included some strong technical wrestling, but not at the expense of the heavy blows that made this bout stand out from the others that were likely to follow. Sheamus and McIntyre move on here and it will be intriguing to see if The Brawling Brutes move on as well and WWE teases the idea of the faction mates against each other on the final. This was a solid way to start the show.
In a backstage segment after the match, WWE showed Sami Zayn talking to Roman Reigns, and Zayn explained how he felt slighted last week when the Usos interfered in his match with Kevin Owens. Reigns was not excited to hear the news and kicked Sami Zayn out of his office.
Winner: Firefly Funhouse Returns
After a short match that saw LA Knight defeat an enhancement talent, Bray Wyatt returned with an episode of the Firefly Funhouse. A huge segment of the fan base will be extremely excited by this turn of events. This is the second week in a row where Wyatt has offered to call back to previous gimmicks, the Firefly Funhouse being among the fan's favorites. The entire cast was back and Knight just stood in the ring and watched on with a confused look on his face.
Wyatt talked to his puppets, who were back as well, and noted that LA Knight should be afraid of the dark and threatened that he opened the door and that whatever comes through it is now Knight's problem. This seems to be a tease that The Fiend might return at the Royal Rumble, although that was not confirmed on Friday night.
Loser: Los Lotharios vs Hit Row
This contest will probably be the least entertaining of the evening as the match wasn't given much time to build and Hit Row picked up a victory after B-Fab interfered. Los Lotharios showed some high-flying and fun offense, particularly Humberto Carrillo, but it wasn't enough to make this match a winner on the night. The fans weren't really into it, including a fun spot where Top Dolla accidentally ripped off Angel Garza's pants leading to a tag.
Winner/Loser: Charlotte Flair and Sonya Deville Promo
Give credit to Flair for trying to come across as a likable babyface. She gave all the typical lines that someone going for a cheap pop would give. Unfortunately, she's such a good heel, it will take some getting used to and fans aren't quick to accept this version of her character. That's why putting her against Deville is smart: Deville is easy to hate.
This was a standard promo in terms of nothing standing out that made it exceptional. Deville did her job.
Winner: Imperium Defeats Brawling Brutes
The WWE announce crew teased the idea of all members of The Brawling Brutes fighting in the final, but the company resisted the urge to go there and chose Imperium to go over in a strong match that showcased both teams' talents. This was an evenly matched contest with real doubt as to who would move on. By the time it was over, Imperium had done its job in making themselves feel like actual contenders. If they go on to win, few should be surprised.
After the match, WWE aired a video highlighting 30 years of Raw and promoting Monday's special. During the promo, it was confirmed that more legends would be on hand, including Hulk Hogan, Diamond Dallas Page, Jimmy Hart, Ted DiBiase, and IRS.
Winner: Legado del Fantasma
In what was probably the most predictable match of the evening. Legado del Fantasma defeated Maximum Male Models. There wasn't much to this match, thus grading the heels a winner is simply because they move on and it's clear WWE is pushing them.
The downside to the first round of the tournament is that the semifinal matches are quite predictable. Sheamus and McIntyre should easily defeat Hit Row and Imperium will likely defeat Legado del Fantasma.
Backstage, Reigns had a change of heart and told Zayn that he was wrong for losing his cool earlier in the night. Noting that he now understands Sami just wanted clear communication and to make sure he was up to speed with all the little details. Zayn appreciated it and noted he would always put The Bloodline first, no matter what. The hint here is that Reigns will inevitably ask for something Zayn isn't comfortable with and hurts The Honorary Uce and/or his personal development.
Winner: Undisputed Universal Championship Contract Signing
The final segment of the show was the contract signing between Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens. Reigns has Solo Sikoa and Zayn by his side and Michael Cole hinted the cracks are starting to show in the group and that Zayn is growing more popular by the day. He suggested Reigns was growing paranoid.
Owens snuck into the ring and immediately stunned Reigns. The Usos came out for the save as Owens took out everyone. Back in the ring, Owens delivered a pop-up powerbomb to Reigns through the table set up for the signing. Owens then grabbed the contract from the hands of Paul Heyman and signed it.
Zayn stared at Owens, let him run away and The Bloodline was left in the ring dumbfounded.
This was a strong finish to the show and a smart way to book Owens. He used a sneak attack to outsmart The Bloodline and eliminate the numbers advantage, all while asking the question, 'Did Zayn do his best to stop the attack?' Owens is unlikely to win at The Royal Rumble, but WWE is doing a good job of ensuring there is the chance he could pull off the unexpected.
