It’s that time again. The WWE SmackDown Recap begins now! We have a contract signing, Jey Uso vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and King Corbin vs. Rey Mysterio on tap. As always at 1Z1ProWrestling you’ll see a live play-by-play of the show as it airs right here on this page! So stay with me for the WWE SmackDown Recap.
Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman backstage with the contract. Paul says it’s just like every other PPV contract, cookie cutter with the names changed. Roman doesn’t say a word the whole segment but Heyman seems to be able to read his mind. Knows he doesn’t like it, and the match should have a stipulation that lets him be him. He says he’ll get it done.
Jey Uso makes his way out with a microphone. Talks some smack on Adam Pearce, people should be saying “Thank You Roman”. As for Main Event Uso, the family is about to expand. He declares his entry for the Royal Rumble match, promises to win and beat Drew McIntyre, Oldberg or any other WWE Champion at WrestleMania. He moves onto his opponent tonight, Shinsuke Nakamura. Everybody talking about his performance, surviving one Superstar after another. Nakamura beat Mysterio, Corbin, even Daniel Bryan. But then they said ‘not tonight’ and he was done, out like a light.
Jey says Nakamura should be thanking them for letting him survive but now he wants to step up, King of Strong Style, see how strong he really is. Soon as he crosses the family, he’ll leave the ThunderDome in a stretcher or worse.
Shinsuke Nakamura makes his entrance, the rap has been removed from his theme.
Nak says if Roman Reigns is the Big Dog, that makes Jey his little puppy. He laughs. Jey charges and eats a roundhouse kick that drops him swiftly. Nakamura makes his little pose in the ropes. Commercial break, WWE SmackDown Recap will be back with the first match of the night.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Jey Uso
Grappling for position, Jey with a back elbow. Bodyslam. Cover for 1. Nakamura fights back, knees to the ribs, Front Suplex. Shinsuke with a chinlock cinched in. As Shinsuke stays in control, Cesaro’s music hits and he makes his way to ringside. Nak smiles, takes Jey out of the ring and posts him. Commercial break as the WWE SmackDown recap rolls on. Nakamura kicking Jey around in the ring as we come back. Uce takes Shinsuke to the apron, enziguri drops him to the floor.
Jey throws Nakamura into the ring and talks some trash at Cesaro at the announce desk. Jey with an uppercut to Nak drops him, stomps him into the mat. Uso stomping him into the corner. Shinsuke fighting back, Kitchen Sink knee into the sliding knee, Jey staggers to the corner. Charge, Uce with a boot up but Shinsuke spins him into the ropes for the Ishimori German Suplex! Nearfall. Jey fights back, Samoan Drop for a nearfall. Shinsuke fights back but Jey stops that with an uppercut, Elevated Neckbreaker for a nearfall! Nakamure sidesteps a charge, roundhouse kick, Flying Knee off the second rope for a nearfall!
Shinsuke stalking for the Kinshasa but Jey nails him with a Superkick mid-charge! Jey up top for the Uso Splash but Nakamura with the knees up! Shinsuke charges but Jey sidesteps, Nak shoulderfirst into the post! Uso rolls him up, feet on the ropes, count of 3 – but no, the ref waves it off! Jey bickers with him, Shinsuke rolls him up into the Kinshasa for the win!
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
Very good match. Nakamura’s momentum keeps rising.
Sonya Deville and Adam Pearce are discussing the Universal Title match. Paul Heyman shows up with the revised contract and hands it to Adam. Says he has the opportunity of a lifetime. The opportunity never given to ‘Scrap Daddy’. And the rules, the stipulations are tilted in HIS favor! Because it will be contested under no DQ. Adam says this is part of the sales pitch, it’s ridiculous and he’ll sign it.
Elsewhere backstage after a commercial, Jey is yelling at Charles Robinson about that call. Says he needs to do his job better or he’ll be fired. That has the veteran ref a bit rattled.
Elsewhere ELSEWHERE backstage the Street Profits clap their way on-screen. Montez says they’re a lot of things but one thing you can’t call them is scared. On March 2nd of 2020 they became world tag team champions. For 312 days every team that stepped up got dealt with. To not accept Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler’s challenge, it’d be disrespecting the legacy they’ve tried to build. They have a lot of names, run through insults but concede that the last name is ‘champions’. But they’ll run it back. Promise the sequel is coming.
Elsewhere elsewhere ELSEWHERE backstage Roman Reigns is talking with Apollo Crews…? Heyman comes in with the contract but Roman doesn’t want to sign it. Didn’t ask for a No DQ match. He wants a Last Man Standing match. Paul says he’d never sign that but Roman says they’ll make him sign it and he wants it signed in the ring.
Natalya vs. Liv Morgan
Billie Kay comes out with the Riott Squad in a punk look. She seems hilariously unnatural this way. Bell rings, lock-up. Nattie with a shove. Liv ducks a line, rana nailed. Flying Apple! Whip reversed, back elbow from the corner. Test of Strength out of nowhere, Nattie pulls her around, Double Wristlock Suplex but Liv with a Judo throw, they’re both on the mat for a moment, bridging up, Nattie pulls Liv up and yanks her into the buckle. Battering her with shots.
Nattie with a snap suplex, clothesline for 2. Argentine Backbreaker. Liv escapes to the apron, forearm, Sunset Flip for 2. Kick to the gut, pump kick to face, enziguri! Running high knee, stands on her shoulders to stomp her. Natalya fights back, clothesline lands, nearfall as Billie Kay rushes to ringside. Liv retakes the advantage, Single-Knee Codebreaker, nearfall! Billie is freaking out at ringside, Tamina chases her into the ring, Liv trips up as Billie rushes in front of her and Natalya rolls her up for the win.
Winner: Natalya
I really wish they’d just get going with pushing Liv Morgan already. There’s always something…
WWE SmackDown Recap rolls on after the commercial.
King Corbin vs. Rey Mysterio
Rey ducks between Corbin’s legs, gets hoisted up but Mysterio ranas him into the corner. Corbin avoids a shot, nails him with a big clothesline to the back of the head! Takes him to the corner and wrings him through the ropes. Back Suplex for a 1 count. Rey counters a back suplex with a Wheelbarrow Bulldog! Corbin throws him to the floor, rushes out for a lariat. Corbin facewashes Dominik for the hell of it and throws Rey into the ring. Cover for a nearfall.
Corbin drapes Rey’s neck across the middle rope and chokes him. Steps on his head and keeps mocking Dominik. Pulls him to his knees, hits the ropes for a running punch to the face. Rey with a dropkick to the shins, uptop, West Coast Pop, tries a Springboard Crossbody but Corbin with a lovely catch! Hoists him up but Mysterio ranas him in 619 position! Goes for it but Corbin counters with the Deep Six! No 19 tonight… cover for the nearfall.
King Corbin taken to the floor, tries Ring Around The Ringpost but Mysterio with a Baseball Slide stops him. Looks for a quick tope but Corbin catches and throws him back into the ring, back elbow to Dominik. He pulls him close to the ring, Rey with a Baseball Slide to Corbin. Brings him into the ring, Dominik wants to get involved but Rey keeps him on the apron, Corbin knocks Rey into his son and there’s the End of Days for the win.
Winner: King Corbin
Decent match but I can’t say I’m into the finish. Rey and Dominik having themselves a father/son moment in the ring afterwards.
Adam Pearce backstage is WALKING~! Heyman comes up to him with the revised, revised contract. Paul says Pearce didn’t sign the contract because he agreed with his concerns about a No DQ match. What does it say about him to deliver a match that’s No DQ against the single biggest superstar Roman Reigns, Adam Pearce’s big return to the ring… says no, it’ll be Last Man Standing. Pearce asks what’s with him? Paul tells him he’ll sign it in the ring tonight and consider this handled.
Elsewhere backstage Dominik and Rey are still fuming after the loss. Dominik says Rey has been fighting giants his whole life, he backs away now? Rey says you need a plan against a guy like Corbin.
Now it’s time for Ding Dong, Hello. Bayley’s new talk show.
She steps out of a door placed in the ring and welcomes us. Her first guest is Bianca Belair. Belair comes into the ring and Bayley demands her to ring the door bell and be let through the door before she can sit. Bianca then sits upon Bayley’s little loveseat rather than the wooden stool she had prepared for Bianca. Bayley decides to stand and congratulates her on the WWE Chronicle. Wants to give a sneak preview and we see Bayley pinning Bianca last month. She apologizes and acts like that was an accident.
Asks her why she calls herself the EST of WWE. Bianca says it has to do with all of her accomplishments. Bayley is mad and says it disrespects the women who built this place. Bianca says she doesn’t even use it to brag. When she calls herself the best – Bayley cuts her off and says that makes her the best since she beat her. Bianca challenges her to a rematch. Bayley says she doesn’t have to prove anything to her. Suggests an obstacle course challenge instead. Bianca cackles. Thanks her, challenge accepted.
TO THE BACK~! Gable, Bryan and Otis continue their hip exercises. Bryan says the pursuit of excellence never ends with the Alpha Academy. He’s all-in heading into the Rumble. There’s no shame in losing to Shinsuke Nakamura, he has infinite respect for him and he feels Shinsuke thinks the same. Cesaro comes up to him and says Bryan doesn’t speak for Shinsuke, he’s not his friend, he is. Tells him that Nakamura only shook his hand out of pity. Mocks their training methods. Bryan promises to prove they work.
Daniel Bryan vs. Cesaro
Once again my laptop froze so unfortunately I can’t do play-by-play for the first part of this match. But they went back and forth with uppercuts and strikes and holds until Bryan hit a Monkey Flip that landed Cesaro awkwardly in the ropes. Commercial break. We come back with Cesaro randomly in control though he’s got blood on the side of his head. Stomps him, Giant Swing into a Sharpshooter. Bryan eventually reverses into the LeBell Lock until Cesaro gets the ropes.
Bryan takes him up top for a Super Rana but Cesaro blocks. Pulls him up for a WILD Spinning Superplex! Nearfall. Looks for a Neutralizer but Bryan back body drops him out, backslide for a close nearfall. Yes Kicks. Looks for the Buisaku Knee but Cesaro reverses with the Very European Uppercut! Neutralizer!! Cesaro gets the upset!
Winner: Cesaro
Well hot damn, didn’t see that coming. Real good match too obviously.
Carmella talks smack on Sasha Banks. Sasha appears and challenges her boytoy. WWE SmackDown Recap continues.
Apollo Crews vs. Sami Zayn
Big E is on the couch with a ridiculous Ghostbusters Christmas Sweater for this one. Sami with a knee to the gut, hits the ropes, Crews with an Overhead Belly To Belly. Back Suplex attempted, Sami with back elbows. Clothesline takes him to the floor. Sami bickers with Big E, Crews with a Moonsault off the table on Zayn! Takes him into the ring, Sami clips on the way back in. Sami with a flying elbow to the head, cover for several nearfalls. Wants another but Crews catches and tosses him!
Enziguri drops him hard. Standing Moonsault but Zayn with the knees up, cradle for a nearfall! Roll-up, holds the tights but the ref catches him. Crews attacks but an Exploder Suplex sends him into the buckles! Wants the Helluva but Crews ducks the kick, rolls him up with a big handful of the tights to show Sami’s asscrack and get the win.
Winner: Apollo Crews
Crews afterwards grabs the IC title and tosses it to Big E. They have some good-natured but not TOO good-natured taunting over it.
WWE SmackDown Recap about to conclude here. Roman Reigns and company come to the ring. Adam Pearce slowly makes his way down the ramp with a contract. Wonder if he’ll have a theme song by the time his world title match happens. Anyway they sit at the contract table. Roman of course stands at the head of it. Paul offers him a seat but Roman decides he wants Pearce’s. Jey bullies him out of the chair and Roman takes it so Pearce sits on the opposite side instead. Signs the contract with a sigh.
Roman signs the contract and this match is official. Pearce says he’s waited all night for him to do that. Grabs the contract and walks off, Roman is confused. Pearce is walking kind of weird on his way up the ramp, starts to stagger. Wants to talk but his mic isn’t working. Pearce says he’s got a leg injury creeping on him at the worst possible time.
But standard WWE contracts always say the same thing: card subject to change. Since he might not be medically cleared he can find a suitable replacement and in fact, he has one. Introduces Kevin Owens! And that’s the end of the show.