WWE Friday Night Smackdown Live Coverage - February 2nd, 2024
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Roman Reigns Returns to Begin His Road to WrestleMania
Standing supreme for more than 1,240 days, The Head of the Table has conquered the best in the business and seems all but unstoppable on The Island of Relevancy. Moments after winning the Royal Rumble Match as well as during the press conference, Cody Rhodes made it clear that he had every intention of challenging Reigns in an attempt to finally finish his story at The Showcase of the Immortals. His path hit an unexpected turn, though, when World Heavyweight Champion Seth "Freakin" Rollins confronted Rhodes on Raw and declared that he was the man that Rhodes needed to defeat for the "true championship" on The Grandest Stage of Them All.
:smackdown:
WWE SmackDown kicks off with The Bloodline walking into the arena and into their office.
They air clips of the Royal Rumble event.
In the arena, out comes the United States Champion Logan Paul to the ring. The fans boo Logan as he tells them he was going to be nice. They don’t want him here and he doesn’t want to be in Alabama, he says the place sucks. He says he underestimated Kevin Owens. He says Owens looks like a pissed off donut. He says Kevin Owens made more damage than Floyd Mayweather but he is still the champion. He says he is the strongest person in the locker room. They all get hurt, everyone except him, he is unbreakable, one of one, the beast from the east, the best in the west, the United States Champion.
As he is talking, out comes Kevin Owens.
He says Birmingham seems like a pretty cool place for him. He says Logan forgot to add unbearable idiot on his list. Owens says it was a moral win because as great as being the United States Champion is, it feels even better to knock the hell out of him. And now that he has done that a few times, he is ready to restore a level of prestige and honor to that title and the first step is taking it off Logan and getting it sanitized as soon as possible.
Logan tells him it is too bad Owens did not take advantage of his one and only shot for the title. He says the brass knuckles were a set up. He took the bait, he showed his true colors. He was playing chess and Owens was playing go fish. He says he outsmarted him. Owens says this might be new to Logan but every one knows that Kevin Owens is going to stop at nothing to win a match. Owens tells him he got caught and that was a great job by the referee. Owens gets in the ring and he tells Logan that the next time he gets in the ring with him, Logan will realize he doesn’t need brass knuckles to beat him up. Logan tells him his title shot is over and Logan is going to find a real challenger. He tells Owens to focus on his match with Austin Theory and he will talk smack about him on commentary.
Austin Theory’s music hits and out he comes with Grayson Waller.
We go to commercial.
Kevin Owens vs. Austin Theory (w/ Grayson Waller)
The bell rings and we are under way. Owens with a head lock take down. He gets to his feet and hits Theory with a shoulder tackle. Theory gets back to his feet and an arm drag take down by Owens in the middle of the ring. Theory gets to his feet and Owens with a right hand but Theory with a kick. Theory to the ropes but Owens with an elbow to the face. Owens goes for a splash but Theory gets his knees up.
Austin Theory with left hands. He goes for a drop kick but Owens moves out of the way and he hits Theory with a senton. Owens with a cannonball in the corner. He goes for the cover but Theory kicks out. Theory rolls to the ring apron and Owens gets on the ring apron. Theory with a left hand but Owens kicks. He goes for a power bomb but Theory reverses it into a back drop on the ring apron.
We go to commercial.
Back from commercial, Owens with a clothesline in the ring. Owens with chops to the chest. He climbs the second rope and hits Theory with a tornado DDT. Owens climbs the top rope and he lands the swanton. He goes for the cover but Theory kicks out. Owens goes for the Stunner but Theory pushes him into the top turnbuckle and shoulder first into the ring post. Theory with a modified blockbuster. He goes for the cover but Owens kicks out. Theory places Owens on the top rope and picks Owens up and his shoulder, spins him and slams him onto the mat. He goes for the cover but Owens kicks out. Waller climbs the turnbuckle and Logan Paul gives Theory brass knuckles. Owens grabs them from Theory and hits him with a super kick. Logan gets on the ring apron but the referee talks him down. Waller gets on the ring apron and Owens knocks him down. With the referee distracted, Owens hits Theory with the brass knuckles. He goes for the cover and gets the pin.
Winner: Kevin Owens
After the match:
Logan stands at ring side and Owens chases his away.
Backstage:
We see the WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley walking into the arena earlier that night.
Clips of the women’s Royal Rumble match air.
Backstage:
We see Naomi backstage and she walks out with a SmackDown contract. She celebrates with Bianca Belair, Michin and Shotzi. Tiffany Stratton walks out with her contract. Stratton says they will remember her and she slaps Michin and runs away. Nick Aldis gets out of his office and Michin asks for a match tonight against her.
We go to commercial.
Backstage:
We see Bianca Belair talking with Nick Aldis. She asks him what she has to do to get a title shot. In comes Logan Paul and he tells Nick that they keep calling him a part timer, he wants a challenger. Bianca tells him she is having a conversation. He congratulates her on being on the cover of 2K but to leave. She tells him he is being unprofessional. He tells Nick Aldis to get his show under control and walks away.
A clip of Legado Del Fantasma sitting at a restaurant with Santos Escobar giving a speech airs. He tells them they have to carry the legacy of their fathers, grandfathers, brothers, sisters and the mantle of lucha libre itself. That is why they must eradicate Rey Mysterio’s LWO. They toast to honor and loyalty.
Winner takes on RAW's Fatal 4 way winner at Elimination Chamber
Pretty Deadly vs. LWO vs. Pete Dunn and Tyler Bate vs. Angel and Humberto (w/ Electra Lopez)
The bell rings and we are under way. Kit Wilson and Bate start the match. Bate with an arm bar and Pete is tagged in. He twists Wilson’s fingers. He stomps on Wilson’s arm. He grabs Wilson bit WIlson with a right hand. Wilde is tagged in and all eight men end up in the ring fighting. The fight goes to the outside. Wilde is catapulted off the second rope onto Pretty Deadly and Legado Del Fantasma.
We go to commercial.
Back from commercial, Pete with a kick to the side of the head onto Prince. In comes Wilson and he knocks him down. Pete knocks down Legado Del Fantasma. Pete with kicks onto Prince and a kick onto Wilson. Del Torro gets in the ring and Pete slams him down. A right hand onto Wilde. Prince with a big boot onto Pete. They double team him and hit him with the Bad Apples. He goes for the cover but Bate breaks it up. Bate spins Prince around and slams him. A German by Pete. He goes for the cover but Angel and Humerto break it up. They double team Bate. The LWO knock down Angel and Humberto to the outside. They go for a suicide dive but Lopez gets on the ring apron and stops them. Zelina trips her down. The LWO with a suicide dive onto Humberto and Angel. Back in the ring, Pete twists Wilson’s fingers. Bate is tagged in. They double team Wilson. Bate goes for the cover and gets the pin.
Winners: Pete Dunn and Tyler Bate
We see a clip of Bayley and Damage CTRL on Raw with Rhea Ripley getting attacked by Nia Jax.
Backstage:
Damage CTRL are backstage. IYO says Bayley is done tonight and they all laugh and walk away. We see Bayley standing behind them next to a door, overhearing what they said.
We go to commercial.
In-Ring:
Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis are in the ring. Mike Rome introduces the winner of the 2024 women’s Royal Rumble, Bayley to the ring.
Out comes Bayley and Damage CTRL to the ring.
The fans chant “Bayley” and she says when she thinks about WrestleMania, she has almost done it all. She defended the Raw and SmackDown Women’s Titles, she even hosted it. She says but this year is different, this year is special. It is different because she did not get here on her own, she had a lot of ups and downs. But she was not in it alone because she had her girls. She had something that she never had before going into WrestleMania. They supported her, they were there for the car rides, when she was crying in the locker room because it was not working for her. She says Damage CTRL is family. Damage CTRL laugh behind her back.
Bayley says when she thinks about WrestleMania, she thinks about matches, moments and being the best. And that brings her to one of the best, Rhea Ripley. Or she can fight a different fight because sometimes it is not all about holding a title, it is more personal. Sometimes it comes down to what is in your heart and proving people wrong. Proving doubters wrong. And sometimes the people who you thought were your friends, sometimes you have to prove them wrong. Bayley looks at Damage CTRL.
She asks them if they are done laughing and she speaks to them in Japanese. She said she picked it up after all the times they talked about her behind her back. She says she sees all around her, she has done it all, seen it all. They talk about her constantly. All she wanted was for Damage CTRL to be the beste. TO take it to WrestleMania and to do it together. SHe asks IYO what happened.
The fans chant “Bayley”. She tells IYO she turned her back on her. The Kabuki Warriors attack Bayley from behind. They attack her into the corner. Bayley grabs a steel pipe from under the ring and she hits the Kabuki Warriors with it. She goes to hit IYO but IYO holds up the Women’s Championship and leaves the ring. Bayley grabs a microphone and says she will see IYO at WrestleMania.
We go to commercial.
Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits vs. The Final Testament
All six men are in the ring and begin fighting. The fight spills to the outside. Lashley and Kross are in the ring. Lashley with a spinebuster. He goes for the Hurt Lock but Scarlett jumps onto Lashley’s back. In comes B-Fab who pulls her down and kicks her in the face. Lashley looks at her stunned. He hits Kross with a spear and AOP grab Kross to the outside.
Bron Breaker is backstage with Nick Aldis. In comes Adam Pearce and he tells Breaker not to sign anything before he speaks with him on Monday. Breaker tells Aldis he will keep the contract but speak with Pearce on Monday.
In comes Jade Cargill who asks him if now is a good time. Aldis tells her it is and he asks Pearce to leave.
We go to commercial.
Tiffany Stratton vs. Michin
The bell rings and we are under way. Michin with a drop kick. Right hands by Michin but the referee breaks it up. Michin slams Riffany face first into the top turnbuckle. Michin with kicks. She grabs Tiffany and hits her with a gut wrench suplex. Michin with a suplex. She goes for the cover but Tiffany kicks out. Tiffany rolls to the outside of the ring. Michin gets on the ring apron but Tiffany trips her up.
We go to commercial.
Back from commercial, Michin with a right hand and chops. She throws Tiffany to the ropes and hits her with a clothesline. A drop kick by Michin. Tiffany gets back up and Michin with a neck breaker. A right hand by Michin and she hits Tiffany with a double knees to the face. She goes for the cover but Tiffany gets a foot on the ropes. Michin grabs Tiffany but Tiffany slams her onto the mat. Tiffany with the Alabama slam. She goes for the cover but Michin kicks out. She lifts Michin up on her shoulders but Michin lands on her feet. Michin with kicks but Tiffany pushes Michin back into the turnbuckle and down onto the mat. Tiffany with the Prettiest Moonsault Ever. She goes for the cover and gets the pin.
Winner: Tiffany Stratton
We go to commercial.
In-Ring:
Nick Aldis and Adam Pearce are both standing in the ring and Roman’s music hits. Out comes Roman Reigns and the Bloodline to the ring.
The fans chant “Cody” and Roman says they will get to him but first, “Birmingham, Alabama, acknowledge me”. Roman says he does not like to recap, he prefers to move forward. But there were things said on Monday that they just can’t let slide. His little brother Seth Rollins said that he has the title. Roman says he had to think about it. He had to beat everybody competing for that title. That would make them all the number 2’s and that should be the loser bracket title. And Seth says he is the guy. Roman says he can’t run around in his wife’s clothes for two years and say he is the guy. And Seth says he is a work horse but three months in, he breaks his back. Roman imitates Seth limping and asks if workhorses walk like that.
Roman says and Seth wants to attack his schedule. He says Roman works less than Seth, he works like 10 times less and he still makes 10 times more. He asks the fans if they want Seth’s money or Tribal Chief money. HE says Cody is an idiot. He has values and all of that. He doesn’t care about the money. He tells Cody he won’t beg him like the other guy. He can either be the very best number two in the industry or he can take a crack at number one again.
Cody’s music hits.
We go to a commercial.
Cody Rhodes stands in the ring and the fans chant “Cody”, he asks them and Roman Reigns what they want to talk about. He says perhaps they can have the ring to themselves. Roman waves and tells the Bloodline to leave the ring. Paul Heyman stands behind Roman. Cody says he took a great deal of council, he spoke to friends, family, legends. And Roman cheated him. He had him more than anyone who have been in the ring with him and he thinks Roman knows it. Seth made a lot of amazing points with but one he disagreed with, he called Roman’s title the Hollywood title. You can call it what you want, it is still the title that Bruno Sammartino held. The title that was in his father’s hands and swiftly taken away. Call it what you want, he still wants that title.
Rhodes asks Roman what is finishing the story. Because he heard Roman say that all of this is Roman’s. The ring, the canvas, the ropes, the camera, the announce desk, the people all belong to Roman Reigns apparently. Cody says is finishing the story taking that Championship from Roman or is it taking everything from him. He says he wants to make it abundantly clear, he wants that title. He is moving his own goal posts, he wants that title, everything and he is coming for Roman Reigns.
Cody says but not at WrestleMania. He mentioned taking council. He says one of the people he spoke with knows him very well. The fans get on their feet.
The Rock’s music hits and out he comes to the ring. The Rock and Cody stare at each other and The Rock extends his hand and they shake. The Rock pulls him in, whispers something in his ear, Cody smiles and they hug. Cody leaves the ring. The Rock turns around and looks at Roman Reigns. Paul Heyman is on the ring apron and Roman puts the belt on his shoulder. The fans chant “Rocky” and he looks across at Roman. The fans chant “This is awesome” and both men slowly walk towards the middle of the ring. They go face to face and SmackDown goes off the air.
End of show
