[WWE intro music plays]
[John Cena] Then…
-[Ric Flair] Woo! -[glass shatters]
[The Rock] If you smell…
-[bell tolls] -[Cena] Now…
[Roman Reigns] Acknowledge me.
-♪ The King of Kings ♪ -♪ You can't see me ♪
[Cena] Forever.
Together.
[music fades]
[Cole] It is the eve of one of the most important events of the year,
the Royal Rumble,
and tonight, we're in beautiful Miami for Friday Night SmackDown live on Fox.
Sponsored by Progressive, a triple threat of protection with home, auto, and more.
Well, Asuka and Kairi Sane on the left, The Kabuki Warriors,
the longest-reigning Tag Team Champions in history.
They will try to take the titles tonight from the team on your right,
Kayden Carter, Katana Chance, live on SmackDown.
[Graves] And 24 hours before
the Undisputed Universal WWE Championship Fatal 4-Way
at the Royal Rumble,
"The Megastar" LA Knight goes one-on-one
with The Enforcer of The Bloodline, Solo,
after watching his plot go up in smoke last week.
[Patrick] AJ Styles against "The Megastar" LA Knight.
[Graves] So much vitriol between these two.
This thing is gonna be nasty.
[dramatic music playing]
[Patrick] Oh, watch out!
-[bell rings] -Samoan Spike to LA Knight.
[Graves] And the havoc is being wreaked by The Tribal Heir.
Two down,
one to go.
[bell rings]
[Graves] When Solo delivers a promise to The Tribal Chief, Solo follows through.
Solo has almost single-handedly spoiled a match for the Royal Rumble.
[Patrick] Oh, Solo across the announce desk!
[Graves] Orton is coiled.
[Patrick] But Solo Sikoa has backup.
[Graves] LA Knight!
[Patrick] Oh, there's AJ Styles!
RKO!
-[crowd] Two! Three! -[bell rings]
[Graves] Nick Aldis has obtained three of the four signatures
for our Royal Rumble Championship Match.
[Patrick] Orton with the RKO!
This is every man for himself.
Oh, it's Roman Reigns!
[Reigns] That's why I'm here.
To make everything right again.
[Graves] Reigns has signed the contract.
[crowd] Ooh aah!
[Patrick] RKO!
Is that the RKO that could shatter Roman's historic reign?
["RKO" by Eladio Carrión playing]
[ring announcer] Please welcome
Latin Grammy Award-winning recording artist
and creator of the hit new single "RKO,"
off the album Sol María, Eladio Carrión!
[Cole] And this gentleman performed that song, "RKO,"
on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon this past week.
Hey, everybody, one night only, Michael Cole joined by Corey Graves.
A special Royal Rumble edition of Friday Night SmackDown.
Oh, I am so excited for the Royal Rumble, the beginning of the Road to WrestleMania.
Almost as excited as you are about Eladio being in the WWE.
-I know he's a Bad Bunny friend. -Yeah.
Maybe that means you won't have to twerk alone anymore.
[Cole] Maybe not.
Miami! Buena noche!
Welcome to SmackDown!
[crowd cheering]
How you guys doing tonight?
We have an amazing, amazing show for you guys.
We hope you guys have an amazing time tonight.
And without any further ado, let me present the legend,
my personal friend.
It is an honor for me to present
-Mr. RKO himself, Randy Orton! -[crowd cheering]
♪ I hear voices in my head ♪
♪ They counsel me, they understand ♪
♪ They talk to me… ♪
[Cole] Randy Orton, a 14-time World Champion!
With an opportunity to make it 15
tomorrow night at the Royal Rumble event.
[Graves] Cole, I know you're a big New York Mets fan.
How cool is it that the video for "RKO"
shows both Randy Orton and Eladio in Citi Field?
[Cole] On the mound!
[Graves] Or is it slightly better shaped than Bartolo Colón?
[Cole] Well, you know, The Undisputed Champion is Roman Reigns.
He has held the title for three and a half years now.
But perhaps the most precarious position he has ever been in happens tomorrow night
in a Fatal 4-Way Match at the Royal Rumble event live on Peacock.
And, Corey, this is the situation for Roman.
He does not have to be involved in a decision to lose the championship.
[Graves] Wherever he is at this moment, I assure you,
Roman Reigns keeping a close eye on tonight's proceedings.
And I'd be willing to bet Roman's not sleeping too comfortably in bed tonight
knowing the threat facing his championship reign.
[Cole] The first man to gain pinfall or submission
will become the Undisputed WWE Champion.
Will Roman Reigns' historic reign end tomorrow night?
[Graves] You've got Randy Orton, a 14-time World Champion.
AJ Styles, a two-time World Champion.
And LA Knight, a man who is obsessed
with reaching the top of the mountain for the first time in his WWE career.
It is gonna be a long, difficult night for The Tribal Chief.
-♪ I feel justice crawlin' ♪ -[song fades out]
And I bet… I bet none of you all thought…
What's up, Miami?
[crowd cheering raucously]
I bet none of you all thought that Randy Orton was friends with Eladio.
It's pretty wild, right?
Hey, man, thanks for putting me in your music video, by the way.
Please show some love to my man, Eladio.
[crowd cheering]
He deserves every bit of it.
Now, I'm here to talk business. I'm here to talk…
I'm here to talk The Bloodline.
[crowd booing]
Now, whether you like them or not, The Bloodline has had one hell of a run
these last few years.
One hell of a run.
And the main reason they have done so is because
Roman Reigns has held the World Title for almost 1,300 days.
[crowd booing]
That, ladies and gentlemen, is unfathomable.
[chuckles]
It's virtually unheard of.
Nobody can stop him.
Nobody can stop The Bloodline.
Nobody, well, except for maybe, maybe me.
[crowd cheering]
You see, because tomorrow's the Royal Rumble.
And once all the smoke clears and the dust settles,
the only number that's gonna mean anything to anybody is the number 15.
I'll tell you why.
Because after I beat Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble,
I am going to be a 15-time World Champion.
[crowd cheering]
And how you think I'm gonna go about accomplishing that? What's that?
[crowd shouting unintelligibly]
[crowd chanting] Randy! Randy! Randy! Randy!
And I'll tell you how I'm gonna do that.
I'll tell you how I'm gonna become a 15-time World Champion
by beating Roman Reigns tomorrow at the Royal Rumble.
I'm going to do it courtesy of the three most destructive letters
in sports entertainment.
-RKO -[crowd] RKO!
["Phenomenal" by CFO$ playing]
♪ No, they don't want none ♪
♪ They looking scared No, they don't really want none… ♪
[Cole] Another man in the Fatal 4-Way tomorrow night.
♪ Ain't nobody man enough To feel the pain ♪
-♪ And you could be next ♪ -[song fades out]
You do realize
there's other people in this match with Roman Reigns, don't you, Randy?
Or did you just look past AJ Styles?
[crowd cheers]
Well, to you, I'd say join the club.
You see, I asked Nick Aldis
to let me have a match against Solo Sikoa so I could take his head off.
And he gave that match to a man who stepped over my body
to get everything he's ever wanted in the WWE,
LA Knight.
[crowd] Yeah!
Did you forget about me, Randy?
As long as you've been in this business,
as long as you've been in the WWE,
you should know better.
We have history, Randy.
[crowd chanting] Randy! Randy! Randy! Randy!
And after you RKO'd me in this ring last week,
just know
you got a receipt coming.
[crowd booing]
And at the Royal Rumble tomorrow night,
I'll be stepping over Randy Orton,
Roman Reigns, and L--
["Welcome to LA" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[Graves] What an ovation for The Megastar.
[song fades out]
[crowd cheering]
Let me talk to you.
[crowd] Yeah!
AJ, go ahead, have a time with it.
Because you were about to say the name of the next WWE Champion
with everybody saying…
[crowd] LA Knight!
-Yeah! -Yeah!
But my god, AJ, since you've come back,
all you've done is whine, cry, and complain.
"Everybody's jumping over me. Everybody's stepping over me."
[mock crying]
Quit your crying, dummy.
[crowd cheering]
You think for a second, with 24 hours before we have our Fatal 4-Way,
you think for a second that I want to fight "The Muscle,"
"The Enforcer of The Bloodline" Solo?
You'd be smart if you weren't so damn stupid.
I tell you like this.
As far as I can see, isn't it a little bit convenient?
Four men in that match tomorrow for the WWE Championship,
and only I have a match tonight?
Isn't that a chin scratcher?
That tells me Paul Heyman lobbied, did everything he could
to make sure to soften me up.
Why? Because I'm the biggest threat.
[crowd cheers]
He saw it at Crown Jewel. He's seen it ever since.
So here's the deal.
I'm gonna walk in tonight. I ain't gonna complain about it.
I gotta fight Solo, that's what I'll do.
I'll hit him so damn hard, he'll start doing his dad's dance move.
And then with that same energy, I'll walk right into Royal Rumble.
I will walk over you, I'll walk over you and your little voices,
I'll walk over Roman Reigns,
and I'll walk over any single sorry soul
that gets in my way of being the WWE Champion.
And that's not an insult. That is just a fact of life.
Yeah!
[crowd] Yeah!
[Cole] LA Knight fired up tonight!
[indistinct] Who's stepping over. Damn right, I step over.
-I'll step… [indistinct] -[Cole] Oh! AJ with a Pelé kick to Orton!
And what did he say about a receipt, Corey?
[Graves] AJ warned the Viper.
"There's a receipt coming your way tonight in the form of a Pelé kick."
But in 24 hours,
when the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship is on the line,
much like the Royal Rumble match itself,
it will be every man for himself.
And Roman Reigns has three extremely motivated,
hungry challengers
headed to the Island of Relevancy tomorrow in Tampa.
And AJ Styles hoping that this inferiority complex
that he's developed is going to help propel him to another championship.
Again, no champion's advantage.
Roman Reigns is in trouble.
Up next, Carlito says, "Actions have consequences."
This is what Santos Escobar did to Carlito in a sneak attack back in November.
[Cole] Escobar launching an attack that would take Carlito out of action.
And Carlito not exactly feeling cool tonight.
["Bad Apple" playing]
♪ It's me… ♪
[bell rings]
[ring announcer] The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first, accompanied to the ring by Zelina Vega,
Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde representing The LWO,
Carlito!
[Graves] This is sure to be an epic battle of personal animosity.
The embodiment of charisma and cool, Carlito,
collides with a former friend now turned enemy.
He's the sinister master manipulator, Santos Escobar.
They clash live next on Friday Night SmackDown.
[Cole] Here on Friday Night SmackDown on Fox Live in Miami,
Carlito set for some revenge tonight.
["Legacy of the Ghost" playing]
[ring announcer] And his opponent, accompanied by Angel and Humberto,
representing Legado Del Fantasma,
Santos Escobar.
[Cole] Oh, Corey, this has been brewing for months
ever since Santos Escobar turned his back on
and, uh, injured the Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio.
[Graves] Oh, in Santos' point of view,
Carlito is responsible for what is the current downfall of the LWO.
Santos Escobar believed that everything was fine
until Carlito was inserted into the family.
[Cole] And now Santos is hell bent on sending Carlito packing for good.
[Graves] Well, I don't see the LWO going anywhere.
-You see them here at ringside tonight. -All right.
[Cole] Stronger than ever.
[Graves] I stated it was from the perspective of Santos Escobar,
who does not walk alone these days.
Of course, you got Humberto on the left of your screen,
Angel on the right.
Three men who were born and bred for this industry.
Santos has already tasted a great deal of success in his native Mexico,
and the sky is the limit here in WWE at this trajectory.
[Cole] And Escobar knew what he was doing.
He took his time before he finally went after Rey Mysterio
and caused these issues… brought in.
Look at this. Face-to-face now, jaw-jacking Carlito and Escobar,
and Carlito now hammering away.
[Graves] Heavy left hands from Carlito
rocking the jaw of Escobar in the early moments.
[Cole] Carlito said, I mentioned earlier, "Actions have consequences."
"You don't turn your back on your family."
Carlito said he's been waiting for this for months.
[Graves] Much like AJ Styles did to Randy Orton tonight,
this is an opportunity for Carlito
to deliver a receipt of sorts to Santos Escobar.
But you can't not be impressed with what Escobar has done
since breaking away from the LWO.
[Cole] I'm impressed with the athlete that Escobar is.
He truly is the Emperor of Lucha Libre.
I just don't like the way he goes about things,
especially what he did to the Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio,
who's been on the shelf with a knee injury
ever since the attack a couple of months ago.
[Graves] At the end of the day, above all else, Santos Escobar is obsessed
with creating and forging a legacy for himself and those closest to him.
And Escobar's been around this game long enough to understand
that if you want to make an omelet, you gotta break some eggs.
[Cole] And Escobar, that kick not--
[Graves] Oh!
[Cole] …stunning Carlito within the least. Carlito now!
[Graves] Look at him go, hammering away on Santos Escobar.
I like this stripped-down style of Carlito recently.
Nothing fancy.
-Just straight forward smash mouth. -[Cole] He called Escobar a traitor.
Many people will, oh, agree with that assessment.
As Escobar turned things around,
and Carlito goes face-first into the turnbuckle
as Angel and Humberto look on at ringside.
[Graves] Carlito better be well aware of his surroundings
at all times during this one.
Because Angel and Humberto are lurking on the outside.
[Cole] Escobar over the top rope, caught by Carlito,
bounced face-first off the apron.
-Now the dapper-- -[Graves] Oh-oh!
[Cole] Angel and Humberto
caused a distraction.
Carlito's in trouble.
[Cole] And we are back live on Friday Night SmackDown.
It is Carlito versus Santos Escobar
in a highly emotional and a personal battle.
[Graves] It's Escobar who blamed Carlito for the LWO becoming less than,
in the opinion of Santos Escobar,
who's out to seek and create a legacy all his own.
-Cover here by Escobar. -One, two…
[Cole] Oh, and Carlito manages to kick out at two.
Zelina Vega at ringside along with the LWO.
She said that it is great to be out here
to watch Santos Escobar get beat down by a real man in Carlito.
As Santos now just continues to shred
the symbolic t-shirt of Carlito.
[Graves] Carlito knows a thing or two about legacy and tradition
as the son of the WWE Hall of Famer, Carlos Colón.
[crowd chanting] Santos sucks!
[Cole] Now taking off the Kinesio Tape
and exposing the injured right arm and shoulder.
Remember, that's the shoulder that Escobar first targeted
all the way back in November.
[Graves] And it took Santos a few moments to arrive at this point,
but it's a brilliant strategy
by The Emperor of Lucha Libre, who may snap Carlito's arm in two.
[Cole] Escobar punishing Carlito.
And now showing that vile, vulgar side as Escobar now comes off the second rope.
Oh, double knees in the corner to Carlito.
And now Escobar hammering away on Carlito.
The Emperor of Lucha Libre sends Carlito across the ring.
[Graves] That could be it for Carlito. Cover by Escobar.
-Hook of the legs. Is it enough? -One, two…
[Cole] Kickout at two by Carlito.
Carlito showing his veteran presence and instinct.
He's been through many wars over the years.
[Graves] He can chalk this one up to the latest.
A hurricanrana from the top turnbuckle nearly won this one for Escobar,
but not just yet.
[Cole] Escobar continues to put pressure
on the injured arm and shoulder of Carlito.
Continuing… continuing to punish him.
[Graves] Notice how deliberate Escobar is with each of his movements.
Carefully measuring before delivering a strike to the shoulder of Carlito.
[crowd applauding]
[Cole] LWO looks on.
Trying to will Carlito back into this matchup,
back to his feet. Oh! And taken down by Escobar again.
[Graves] Referee Jessika Carr showing a little leniency.
Understanding how deeply personal
this matchup is between these two Superstars.
And wisely, once again, right back to the armbar goes Santos.
[Cole] Carlito trying to make it back to a vertical base
and relieve some of that pressure. But a grand… handful of hair.
And Escobar paid for it.
And here comes Carlito starting to build momentum.
[Graves] This had to be what Escobar wanted to avoid.
Carlito able to get the adrenaline flowing.
[Cole] Oh!
[Graves] Fighting through the pain. Dropkick on the money,
much to the delight of the LWO looking on.
[Cole] And Carlito feeding off the WWE fans here tonight in Miami.
And hooking Escobar.
-Vertical suplex by Carlito. -[crowd cheering]
-[Graves] I don't know if Carlito's-- -[Cole] Oh! What a neckbreaker!
-[Graves] I stand corrected. -[Cole] Cover!
-Hook of the leg for the win! -One, two…
[Cole] Escobar kicks out!
[Graves] It looked as though for a moment Carlito's arm was going to play a factor.
Not in that dropkick,
but in this maneuver here, I thought Carlito was calling an audible.
But instead, driving Escobar down in a neckbreaker.
Spinebuster by Lito.
[Cole] And now Carlito in control.
Rey Mysterio has gotta be looking on and loving what he sees.
[Graves] Santos Escobar looks all out of sorts at the moment.
Look at this power of Carlito.
[Cole] Escobar caught him with an elbow, though.
[Graves] Big knee there.
[Cole] That running knee by Carlito. Down goes Escobar again.
[shouts]
[shouting indistinctly]
[Cole] And now look at this.
[referee shouting indistinctly]
[Graves] Carlito making sure the official--
letting the official deal with Humberto on the outside.
It should come as a surprise…
-[Cole] Oh! Another fight! -…to absolutely nobody.
The LWO, Angel and Humberto, throwing down!
[Cole] The brawl underway!
And you can feel this just simmering, Corey.
[Graves] No doubt about it. Chaos on the outside of the ring.
-Keep your eyes on the skies! -Del Toro from the top rope!
Everybody wiped out. Everybody down.
-[Graves] Who the hell-- -[Cole] Wait a minute! Zelina taken out!
-Is that? It is! -[Graves] Elektra Lopez!
Elektra Lopez is here!
Assaulting Zelina Vega!
And now Escobar taking advantage from behind,
-rolls up Carlito for the win! -[bell rings]
["Legacy Of The Ghost" playing]
[ring announcer] Here's your winner, Santos Escobar!
[Cole] Escobar took advantage, but the story is Elektra Lopez, Corey.
Remember, she was once part of Escobar's group,
Legado Del Fantasma, down in NXT.
[Graves] The action was spectacular, as expected.
Cruz Del Toro taking out Angel and Humberto,
when La Madrina of NXT, Elektra Lopez, arrived on scene,
caught the attention of Carlito,
and opened the door for Santos to steal the W.
But you're right, Cole, this is the headline.
Elektra Lopez.
If you wanted to make Angel, and Humberto, and Santos Escobar even more dangerous,
you just need to add a little Elektra.
This is big news for Friday Night SmackDown.
And this rivalry is far, far from over between these groups.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, it has been an historic week here in WWE.
A truly groundbreaking announcement this week
that will change WWE and the TV world as we know it.
Beginning January of next year, our flagship show,
the longest-running episodic television show in history,
Monday Night Raw is moving to Netflix.
The first time ever, a 52-week-a-year TV show will stream live.
Netflix will become the exclusive home of Raw
in the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, Latin America
once the deal begins, with more countries and regions to be added over time.
Netflix will also become the television home
for all WWE shows outside the United States.
And then later Tuesday, WWE celebrated the massive news
at its company headquarters in Stamford with the newest member of the TKO board,
former eight-time WWE Champion, actor, businessman,
only the biggest star on the entire planet, The Rock.
The Rock can't wait to get started, saying, "It's my honor to be here,
and I'm extremely motivated and grateful to help build both TKO brands."
[rock music playing]
[music fades out]
AJ Styles.
Chill.
Real quick, man.
Listen.
Everybody knows where LA's gonna be at tonight, alright?
Help us get rid of that fool.
We drop him tonight,
we ain't gotta worry about him tomorrow night at the Rumble.
Which is good for you and for us, alright?
Think about it.
What…
So what was all that about?
Don't worry about it.
[Graves] Styles has certainly never been one to do things the easy way,
nor has "The Megastar" LA Knight,
who looked to gain momentum before the colossal, Fatal 4-Way Match
for Roman's Undisputed WWE Universal Championship
as Knight steps into the ring to settle some unfinished business
with The Enforcer of The Bloodline, Solo Sikoa.
[Cole] Well, Corey, this year, the iconic video game series
WWE 2K24 is celebrating 40 years of WrestleMania,
with a special edition featuring stars of the past and present.
Also, Women's World Champion Rhea Ripley and the EST of WWE, Bianca Belair,
will grace separate covers of the Deluxe edition.
And "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes will be on the cover
of the standard edition of the game WWE 2K24.
Finish your story.
[Gorilla Monsoon] The irresistible force meeting the immovable object.
My story started at the very beginning, brother.
My story's full of ass whooping.
[Vince] Steve Austin doing what he does best.
[Cole] Look at the power of Belair!
I got the EST story!
[man] Fight me!
This story's not finished.
[crowd cheering]
[announcer] Rated T for Teen.
[upbeat music playing]
[Cole] We are in beautiful Miami, Florida tonight
for Friday Night SmackDown, sponsored by Progressive Insurance.
Save when you bundle auto, home, or motorcycle insurance.
[Graves] Headed your way tonight, "The All Mighty" Bobby Lashley
and the spectacular Street Profits gear up to defend their pride
and potentially turn the tide against the ominous force
known as The Final Testament
as both groups face off tonight
in what promises to be explosive, raw, and anything but civil.
[song fades out]
-Ava. -Nick.
-Welcome and congratulations. -Thank you very much.
Youngest general manager in the history of WWE.
Thank you so much for having me here. Do you have any tips?
Well, we can get into that, but right now…
-How we doin'? -Bobby.
[indistinct chatter]
Congratulations.
-Shall we? -Whenever you're ready.
Let's do it.
[crowd chanting] Bobby! Bobby! Bobby! Bobby! Bobby! Bobby!
-All right. Bobby, thank you very much. -[man, indistinct] Yeah! That was easy.
[indistinct chatter]
-Santos. -Roberto.
Don't think we forgot about you either.
[speaking Spanish]
-[chuckles] -[indistinct]
-Santos. -Ava.
[speaks Spanish]
[in English] You know, you saw Ava, the general manager of NXT there.
All three brands will be represented in the Royal Rumble match tomorrow night.
You can see it already. Tensions at an all-time high.
Everyone understands what's at stake tomorrow.
Thirty men, thirty women.
The winners will main event WrestleMania.
One of the women includes Bayley.
Here's our Progressive Match Flo.
[man] Match Flo is sponsored by Progressive.
A triple threat of protection with home, auto, and more.
[dramatic music playing]
[Bayley] Whenever I find myself looking for that next step to take, I end up here.
And if these walls can talk, the stories they would tell you,
good stories, bad stories.
They'd tell you about all the times I almost gave it all up.
But they'd also tell you stories about all the times that I stepped up
before I became a Grand Slam Champion, before I became a double champion.
[Cole] She has won every title in WWE.
And when the rest of the world stopped, inside these walls, I had it all.
Until I didn't.
And then I spent months inside this building rehabbing an injury
when the rest of the world was out there creating new history,
and that bothered me.
Because I wanted to create history.
I wanted to create something of my own, something that's never been done.
And what I was craving was right in front of my eyes.
Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai,
two women that I've known for a very long time,
two women that were desperate and anxious
to get out of these walls and create history of their own.
And the vision of Damage CTRL was born.
I had a vision of Damage CTRL taking over WWE,
and that's exactly what we did.
[Cole] The Tag Team Titles for the second time.
The Genius of the Sky,
Miss Money in the Bank.
Iyo Sky wins the championship.
We became so good
that Kairi Sane came all the way back from Japan to align herself with us.
[Wade] Now, the statement is being made.
And then we became so dangerous
that the Empress Asuka knew that, with us, she would be unstoppable.
[KP] This spells trouble for the women's division.
And tonight, we're gonna prove that again
when the Kabuki Warriors win the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships.
And tomorrow night, I am going to win the Royal Rumble.
And then I'm going to challenge Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania,
and I'm gonna win the gold.
And then everything I said from day one is going to be true
when Damage CTRL holds all the gold. [laughs]
Because between these walls,
my visions are always true.
And it's not a story.
It's destiny.
[laughter]
[Graves] Well, I know you've got a bit of an adversarial relationship
with Bayley, but you have to give the devil her due.
Every shot Bayley has called has come true thus far.
[Cole] And the thing about Bayley is she's accomplished just about everything
in her career here in WWE.
But she has yet to win a Royal Rumble match.
["Reigning Warriors" playing]
[Cole] But now the Damage CTRL turns its attention
to the Women's Tag Team Titles.
The Kabuki Warriors, Asuka on the left, Kairi Sane on the right,
look to win gold here tonight.
[Cole] Asuka and Kairi Sane once held the Tag Team Titles.
In fact, no team in the history of WWE
has held the Tag Team Titles for a longer period of time.
[Graves] The Kabuki Warriors have a chance
to once again call themselves The Standard,
as the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions,
but they must topple Katana Chance and Kayden Carter.
It goes down live, and it goes down next.
["Reigning Warriors" continues]
["Rest In Peace" playing]
[Cole] The critically acclaimed Undertaker 1 Deadman Show
is coming to Tampa Bay during Royal Rumble weekend.
Tickets are on sale now via wwe.com/events.
You gotta spin it both ways.
You see that, Ava?
You see what I'm doing? You see that?
You like that, right? Stop.
And then you turn it back.
♪ The wheels on The Judgment Day Goes round ♪
Stop.
All right.
Let's open this up.
Let's see what we got.
Ah, balls everywhere.
Ah.
Just for me to see.
Oh no!
[grunts]
Does this mean I'm out of the quarantine?
No. Truth, this is your entry number for the Royal Rumble match.
Oh, my bad. Thanks, Adam.
Mr. Pearce, I must say…
Your hair grew extremely fast.
And it has a lot of body.
Toodle-oo.
[indistinct]
[Graves] R-Truth is a national treasure. He just doesn't know which nation.
[Cole] Well, the Royal Rumble is sponsored by Cricket.
With fast and powerful nationwide 5G coverage,
you can stress less and smile more.
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Available February 2 on PlayStation 5.
We are back on Friday Night SmackDown here in Miami.
Kabuki Warriors set to battle for the Tag Team Title.
["Life of the Party" playing]
[Cole] And here come the champs. They love to party.
Kayden Carter, Katana Chance,
they're very formidable and fighting champions.
[Graves] No doubt about it,
Carter and Chance have been extremely impressive
in their relatively short tenure in WWE.
As you can see, the reigning Women's Tag Team Champions.
But above all, Michael Cole,
these two love to party until the bell rings.
Then they get down to business.
When it comes to athleticism and spectacular maneuvers,
look no further than Carter and Chance.
[Cole] Yeah, Carter and Chance saying that they want to face the best.
And that's what they're doing tonight against former Tag Team Champions,
in Asuka and Kairi Sane.
["Life of the Party" continues]
[song fades out]
[bell rings]
The following contest scheduled for one fall
is for the WWE
Women's Tag Team Championship!
[crowd cheers]
Introducing The Challengers.
The team of Kairi Sane and Asuka,
the Kabuki Warriors!
[crowd cheering]
And their opponents.
They are the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions,
Kayden Carter and Katana Chance.
[Cole] Corey, let's talk some strategy.
First, for the challengers from Damage CTRL.
What do Asuka and Kairi Sane have to do to win the gold tonight?
[Graves] Asuka and Kairi somehow need to recapture past chemistry.
Yes, they've been a team recently,
but it's been a significant amount of time
since they were Women's Tag Team Champions.
On the other side of the coin, you've got Carter and Chance,
who are a full-time tag team.
They train together. They travel together. They're a team in every sense of the word.
[Cole] The longest reigning NXT Tag Champs in history.
Carter, with a cover on Asuka, and now a dropkick.
Tag made. Here comes Chance.
[Graves] I know it sounds cliché,
but this could all boil down to which team makes the first mistake.
Carter and Chance firing on all cylinders out of the gate. Cover by Chance.
-One, two… -[Cole] Is it enough to put Asuka away?
Kickout at two. Carter and Chance, so fun to watch.
-You want some of this? -Complete team, as you mentioned earlier.
[Graves] Yeah, absolutely.
Carter and Chance love to innovate new offense as well as defense.
Deep armdrag by Katana Chance.
And these two are never afraid to take risks.
[Cole] Here comes the double-team by the Tag Team Champions,
Carter and Chance!
[Graves] Corkscrew Plancha by Katana Chance!
And The Champions are in control.
-[crowd cheering] -Come on!
That's right!
[Cole] And we are back live on Friday Night SmackDown.
The Women's Tag Team Titles on the line.
Chance and Carter against the Kabuki Warriors.
And right now, Asuka and Kairi Sane starting to cruise.
[Graves] A series of vicious strikes by the Kabuki Warriors.
Cover by Asuka to win the Tag Team Championship.
And a kickout by Katana Chance.
[Cole] Now the thing about Asuka and Kairi Sane you mentioned earlier,
just trying to get that chemistry back. It seems like they're getting there.
[Graves] We've certainly seen glimpses of it.
But to make it to the top of the mountain, you can't be lacking in any department.
[shouts indistinctly]
[Cole] Asuka, a former Women's World Champion as well.
-Former Royal Rumble winner. -[Graves] That also can't be discounted.
Just the fact that Asuka has experienced all of the things that she has here in WWE
gives her a bit of an advantage. Oh, uh-oh!
[Cole] And Asuka, right through the second rope to the floor.
And now, Katana Chance has an opportunity.
But her partner, Kayden Carter, had been knocked down.
Not up on the apron to make a tag.
[Graves] Katana desperately in need of her fresh partner.
Here comes Kairi.
There she goes.
[Cole] Katana Chance, tremendous heart and resilience.
Great athleticism.
Now just trying to hang in there.
Trying to somehow drag her to the corner, but there's nobody there to tag.
And Asuka taking advantage.
[Graves] Ankle lock is cinched in.
Katana Chance in all types of trouble.
[Cole] Asuka sent through the ropes.
And now Carter climbing back up to the apron.
Tag made. Kayden Carter legal.
Carter now launches herself off the top rope
and takes out the Kabuki Warriors.
[Graves] Carter and Chance complement each other so incredibly well.
Carter realizing the situation immediately and capitalizing.
-Taking out both challengers. -[Cole] Asuka taken down as well.
The combination dropkick splash
from one half of the Women's Tag Team Champions.
Kayden Carter and the Empress of Tomorrow in jeopardy now.
-[Cole] And now Carter sends-- -Oh! Big boot to the face of Asuka.
[Carter] Let me hear you!
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] And that springboard leg drop.
Is it enough to win the matchup? Asuka kicks out at two.
[Graves] Here we see Kayden Carter throwing caution to the wind.
Not once, but twice.
And still unable to vanquish the Kabuki Warriors
in this Championship Match.
[Cole] Friday Night SmackDown on Fox tonight sponsored by Progressive.
This is for the Women's Tag Team Titles.
Carter and Chance against Asuka and Kairi Sane of Damage CTRL.
Tag made. Sane is legal.
[Graves] Double knees to the face by Asuka. Oh!
[screaming]
[Cole] Double-team coming from the Kabuki Warriors.
-For the win. For the championship. -One, two…
[Cole] And Chance just breaking things up.
[Graves] A little too close for comfort.
For the reigning champions,
the challengers nearly escaped with the gold.
-[Cole] Backhand by Kairi Sane and-- -Good lord!
[shouts]
[Graves] That'll turn your lights out in short order.
[Cole] And Kairi Sane calling for the Insane Elbow
as she heads up to the top rope to try to put Carter away.
Kairi Sane… Nobody home!
Carter got the knees up!
[Graves] Carter actually got both feet up.
Added impact from a downed champion.
And Kairi unable to make the tag to Asuka.
Kairi's elbow connecting with the legs of Carter.
And now trying to roll into a tag.
Tag made. Here comes Asuka.
The Empress of Tomorrow misses with a sliding kick.
[Graves] And now it's Carter who's missing a partner to tag.
[shouting]
[Cole] Carter… Face-first goes Asuka.
[Graves] Very unique facebuster by Kayden Carter.
Surveying the situation, hoping for Katana Chance.
-There she is! -[Cole] And Chance makes the tag.
And here comes the double-team.
They call this…
-the Keg Stand! -[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Connecting. Cover!
-To Retain The Gold! -[crowd] One, two…
[Cole] And breaking things up at the last moment is Kairi Sane!
[Graves] Take a look at this.
The maneuver that captured these two women the gold, the Keg Stand,
-nearly put Asuka away for three. -[crowd] One, two…
But Kairi Sane at the last fraction of a second keeping this one alive.
[Cole] What a match for the Women's Tag Team Titles
here tonight on Friday Night SmackDown.
[Graves] Look at the carnage all over the ring
just for the right to be called WWE Women's Tag Team Champions.
[Cole] Rowdy vocal crowd in Miami tonight on the eve of the Royal Rumble
and the start of the Road to WrestleMania.
[Graves] This is Carter and Chance's kind of town.
Get ready for the After Party!
[Cole] Oh. Crossbody!
[Graves] Great wherewithal by Chance calling the audible for the moment.
[Cole] Asuka, though, with a running sliding kick.
Sane and Chance out here on the floor
feet away from our announce table.
[shouting]
-Uh-oh. -[Cole] And now Kairi…
sending-- Oh my goodness!
Back and neck-first right across the announce table!
[Graves] But Kayden Carter inside the ring. Asuka shoulders down.
[Cole] And Asuka able to kick out.
[Graves] What a battle!
[Cole] Oh!
Uh-oh. Kick!
-[Graves] A high kick from Asuka. -[Cole] Tag!
[Graves] Kairi Sane from the top!
Don't you know?
She's loco!
-Insane Elbow! -[crowd] One, two, three.
-[bell rings] -And new champions!
["Reigning Warriors" playing]
[ring announcer] Here are your winners,
and the new
WWE Women's Tag Team Champions,
The Kabuki Warriors!
[Graves] All of Bayley's predictions have thus far come to pass,
including brand new champions.
This is where it all broke down.
A sliding kick from Asuka rocked Katana Chance
before Kairi nearly broke Katana in half,
and an assisted Insane Elbow.
-[crowd] One, two, three! -[Graves] Asuka standing guard.
-[bell rings] -[Graves] Deep hook of the leg… "and new!"
[Cole] What a performance tonight by Carter and Chance.
They were great champions, but as Damage CTRL comes out to celebrate,
Asuka, Sane, the Kabuki Warriors, the new Women's--
[fireworks exploding]
[Cole] …Women's Tag Team Champions,
along with the WWE Champion, Iyo Sky, Dakota Kai.
And now the question is,
can Bayley somehow pull it off and win the Rumble tomorrow night?
[Graves] It may seem unlikely,
but it's hard to argue with the Role Model these days.
What a win for the new champs.
…look at it. There's different definitions of the word itself, "fix."
And I understand
that-that sometimes "fix" can sound like "solve,"
and "solve" can sound like "fix."
Last week, you solved the problem,
but the orders from The Tribal Chief are for you to fix the problem.
So please, I beg of you. Tonight, Solo,
fix the problem
and don't be merciful.
[chuckles softly] Okay.
Was that a smirk? That's scary.
You know?
Y-you know what… You know what's scary to me?
Your cousin,
Roman Reigns,
went from Big Dog to Tribal Chief
because he saw the moment, and he seized it.
This weekend,
there's a moment
for Jimmy Uso to seize.
Over on Monday Night Raw,
there's a World Heavyweight Champion with one leg.
He thinks he's a visionary,
and he's gonna drag his visionary tuchus into WrestleMania looking to be a martyr.
You need to make him that martyr.
You need to seize this moment.
You need to enter the Royal Rumble.
You need to win the Royal Rumble.
You need to challenge Seth Rollins.
You need to beat Seth Rollins at WrestleMania
for the World Heavyweight Championship.
You need to bring the World Heavyweight Championship
to The Bloodline. And then…
then, Jimmy,
you're going to understand
that the line of succession
to who is truly The Tribal Heir…
all starts
at the Royal Rumble.
["All Mighty" playing]
[Graves] The Wiseman sure does have a way with words.
Intrigue in the eyes of Jimmy Uso.
[explosion]
[crowd cheering]
[ring announcer] Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the Street Profits
and "The All Mighty"
Bobby Lashley!
[Cole] Well, Corey, when Jimmy Uso does enter the Rumble,
Bobby Lashley is gonna be one of the 29 other men
he's gonna have to go through if he wants to win the thing.
[Graves] That is the absolute truth. But before we head to Tropicana Field,
The All Mighty and The Street Profits gear up to defend their pride
against The Final Testament in a face-to-face encounter
that we expect to be explosive
-and nothing resembling civil. -[fireworks exploding]
["Nobody Better Than Me" playing]
[Graves] Friday Night SmackDown is live in Miami tonight
and sponsored by Progressive Insurance.
Save when you bundle auto, home, or motorcycle insurance.
And, Cole, I gotta be honest with you.
I think everything Will Smith said about this city
in his song is absolutely true.
It is beautiful. Everyone here is beautiful.
We're in the home of the Miami Heat,
who could use a little help, but we're having fun tonight.
Nick Aldis! Did you see that?
Ah! What are you doing here?
I just picked my number for the Royal Rumble.
So what did you, uh… What'd you get?
[laughs] Wouldn't you like to know?
But what you should know is that
I'm about to become a two-time Royal Rumble winner.
[clicks tongue, giggles]
Now it's my turn.
[clattering]
What the heck is wrong with this thing?
[pops]
There's two in there.
-Okay. Thank you, Bayley. -Thank you.
Thank you, Nick.
["All Mighty" playing]
[Graves] The Role Model didn't look too pleased, Cole.
In the ring right now, "The All Mighty" Bobby Lashley,
Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford, the Street Profits.
[song fades out]
So here we go again, chasing cowards.
But please, let me reintroduce our group.
We got standing beside me
former Triple Crown Tag Team Champions, The Street Profits.
[crowd cheering]
And myself, former United States Champion, former Intercontinental Champion,
and former WWE Champion, "The All Mighty" Bobby Lashley.
[crowd cheers]
[crowd chanting] Bobby! Bobby! Bobby! Bobby!
Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And listen, we didn't come to Miami to come and play.
See, the people of Miami came to see a fight.
[crowd cheers]
And a fight is what we're gonna bring.
So Final Testament, no more hiding.
Come on out and come get some.
[crowd cheers]
["The End Is Near" playing]
[Cole] Talk about intimidating.
♪ The end is here ♪
♪ Fall and… ♪
[Cole] Karrion Kross, Scarlett, The Authors of Pain, Paul Ellering.
♪ The end is here ♪
[Graves] Quite the collection of disturbed, dangerous individuals.
And you see the stunning Scarlett lead the way.
[song ends]
Listen, Kross, quit playing these games.
This is the kind of coward you are?
You gonna send your lady come out here and do your work for you?
[crowd booing]
I mean, it is crazy. You know what I'm saying, Tez?
Correct me if I'm not understanding this rightly.
Wasn't this supposed to be a face-to-face?
But you know what it is, Daws?
It's cause they ain't standing on no type of business.
But you know what, Miami? I think I figured it out.
Final Testament is something that we could never be,
scared.
[crowd] Ooh.
[Lashley] Partner.
Behold!
There is no fear in Karrion Kross.
Gentlemen, Mr. Ellering speaks the truth.
[crowd] What?
You know, every time I look at you three, all I see is frustration.
All I see is desperation.
-[crowd] What? -And look, I get it. I understand.
Shut the hell up.
[crowd loudly] What?
[crowd booing]
I understand.
You feel like things aren't going according to plan anymore.
[booing continues]
You feel like you're not in control, Bobby.
And guess what?
You're not.
But I will give you one thing. I'll give you one thing.
And I'll do it for the city of Miami.
You said we're supposed to do this face-to-face.
And technically, we're out here. We've honored that agreement.
You're standing across from the prettiest face in the world.
[crowd] What?
So unfortunately, Miami, since you wanna have a big mouth anyways…
[crowd] What?
…you're not getting your fight tonight.
[crowd] What? [boos]
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, Kross. Hey, listen. I will give you credit.
I will give you the benefit of the doubt. We are standing face-to-face.
But you lied because you said we're not fighting tonight.
Oh yes, we are.
-[Graves] Oh boy. Here we go. -[Cole] Lashley and the Profits.
-[Graves] Wait, wait, wait. -[Cole] Scarlett, Scarlett!
[screaming]
[Cole] Rake of the eyes of Lashley.
[Graves] And there's Karrion Kross.
[Cole] Kross taking the advantage of the Scarlett distraction,
sending Lashley into the post.
[Graves] That was much more than a distraction.
I think Scarlett blinded Lashley.
And here comes the AOP, Rezar and Akam.
Over 600 pounds of pure destruction.
-[Cole] Complete beat down… -[Graves] Oh God.
[Cole] …of Lashley and the Profits.
[Graves] Look at these two behemoths.
[Cole] Kross set the trap, and they capitalize.
Bobby trying to fight back.
But he's gonna be overwhelmed and mauled by The Final Testament.
[Graves] That's not a statement you can make frequently.
Seeing someone the size of Bobby Lashley being absolutely brutalized.
[Cole] The Kross Hammer…
lays Bobby Lashley out.
The Final Testament promised control.
["The End Is Near" playing]
[Cole] And, man, did they bring it tonight.
Corey, this is a very dangerous group.
[Graves] No doubt about it. With Paul Ellering pulling the strings,
who knows what sort of atrocities The Final Testament will commit?
You gonna learn your lesson, Bobby?
It's really starting to come together.
Mr. Uso.
Whenever you're ready.
Yeet?
[pops]
No yeet.
[Nick clears throat]
["A-Town Down" playing]
[Cole] Jimmy Uso didn't appear to be thrilled with his draw,
which means Roman Reigns won't be thrilled either.
♪ A-Town Down! Tearin' the place down ♪
♪ A-Town Down! Like my next sound ♪
♪ Yeah ♪
♪ You see the future Right in front of your eyes ♪
♪ Headin' to the top But it's not a surprise… ♪
I'm bringing the heat because it's Austin Theory, live!
[explosion]
[bell rings]
[ring announcer] The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first, accompanied to the ring by Grayson Waller,
from Atlanta, Georgia, weighing 220 pounds,
Austin Theory.
[Graves] These are two young gentlemen who thrive in a city like Miami, Cole.
-[Cole] Gentlemen? -[Graves] Of course.
[Cole] The reason Theory is even in this rematch tonight
is because of Waller.
-It's Theory, Carmelo Hayes, live, next. -You came to see me.
That's all day.
[upbeat music playing]
♪ I'm here to set it off right ♪
♪ Get you all hype ♪
♪ I am the vibe and I'm on tonight ♪
♪ And I'd like to feel the beat Right now ♪
♪ I might just let it all hang out ♪
♪ I need to celebrate out loud ♪
♪ Feel free to come with me Show you how ♪
♪ So come on now, go on and get up ♪
♪ Get up, yeah! ♪
♪ Come on now, go on and get up ♪
♪ Get up, yeah! ♪
♪ Come on now, go on and get up ♪
♪ Get up, get up ♪
♪ I'm gonna go all night ♪
♪ See how cute I am ♪
♪ Never gonna stop me now ♪
♪ No, no, you can't ♪
♪ I'll be the life of the party ♪
♪ Yeah, that's my plan ♪
[Graves] Well, tomorrow night at the Royal Rumble,
LA Knight will be part of a Fatal 4-Way
for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
Tonight, Knight looks to gain momentum as he steps into the ring
to settle unfinished business
with The Enforcer of The Bloodline, Solo Sikoa.
Also, tomorrow night, Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg,
8:00 Eastern, 5:00 Pacific, exclusively on Peacock.
The United States Championship is on the line as well.
Logan Paul will defend against Kevin Owens, personal and emotional.
Last week on Friday Night SmackDown, Logan Paul, a guest on "The KO Show."
It's only gonna take me one second to KO you, KO. Okay?
There isn't a punch you can throw that could keep me down for three seconds,
let alone knock me out.
And as far as this cast goes,
I'm not gonna have this cast on at the Royal Rumble.
In fact, you know what?
I'm gonna take it off right now if it makes you feel any better.
[Cole] And Logan Paul
with a right hand, would drop Kevin Owens,
but KO would not be kept down.
[Logan] Nobody!
Is that it?
[Graves] Kevin Owens living up to his motto of "just keep fighting."
Attempting to gain the upper hand, but watch that!
Logan Paul slamming Owens' broken hand against the ring post.
-Things look bad for The Prizefighter. -[Cole] It wasn't done there, though.
Logan Paul posted on his Instagram story.
This happened at the Performance Center yesterday in Orlando.
[shouting indistinctly]
[Logan] Look at you. Look at me. I'm here, Kevin! I'm here.
-I'll see you in two days! -Yeah, you will.
I'll see you in two days, Kevin!
That's what I thought. Walk away! Walk away, Kevin!
[Cole] And then Logan Paul did this,
and this just started an all-out fight and a brawl.
[man] Whoa! Hey!
[Cole] This thing has just broken down.
It's gotten so emotional and so personal.
Both of these men so proud of what they do.
[Graves] Both men are proud,
and Owens with an opportunity to claim a prize as a Prizefighter.
As Kevin Owens challenges "The Social Media Maverick" Logan Paul
for the United States Championship.
Tomorrow night, streaming live on Peacock at the Royal Rumble.
And back here on Friday Night SmackDown,
Austin Theory with that goofball Waller in the background
set for action here tonight.
["Melo Don't Miss" playing]
♪ 'Cause I'm the greatest Ain't no hatin', I'm the best here ♪
♪ You want your shot Well, I guess you wait 'til next year ♪
♪ I'm at the top Get respect while I get feared ♪
♪ Who got a problem, huh? Tell 'em to step… ♪
[ring announcer] And his opponent, from Boston, Massachusetts,
weighing in at 210 pounds,
Carmelo Hayes!
[Graves] WWE Universe, this is Carmelo Hayes from NXT.
And Carmelo Hayes is HIM.
One of the most spectacular athletes, known from the Black and Gold brand,
with an opportunity tonight to run it back.
It was several weeks ago, these two would collide
and have the matchup stopped prematurely due to concern for injury.
Now tonight, we will get a clear-cut winner.
Who is the better man? Is it Austin Theory?
Or is it the former NXT Champion, Carmelo Hayes?
[Cole] Carmelo Hayes, so exciting, flashy, agile, athletic as they come.
-[bell rings] -[Cole] As is Austin Theory.
[both shouting indistinctly]
[Cole] Two bright, young Superstars in WWE today.
SmackDown is mine!
[Graves] Power advantage here is gonna go to Austin Theory,
but Carmelo Hayes is such a versatile competitor.
He can take to the skies. He can grapple.
-Oh! -[Cole] What a dropkick!
And Hayes has hops for days.
Sharp knife edge chop rocks Theory.
[Cole] It was three years ago that Carmelo Hayes shot to fame in NXT,
winning the Breakout Tournament.
Bro, you think I'm playing?
[Cole] Would go on, as Corey mentioned, to become NXT Champion.
[Graves] Carmelo Hayes with a golden opportunity.
-This is my show. You hear me? My show! -Coming up soon in the finals
of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic in NXT
along with his tag team partner, Trick Williams.
[Cole] The Trick-Melo game. And look at this now.
Carmelo has Theory in trouble.
[Graves] Listen, it's entirely possible
that Carmelo caught Austin Theory sleeping.
Theory's been very vocal. He's focused on the Royal Rumble.
Austin Theory wants to punch his ticket to WrestleMania.
But Theory had better not look past Hayes.
[Cole] And let's not forget what Austin Theory has accomplished
-at WrestleMania. -[Graves] No doubt about it.
Theory, the man who defeated John Cena at the Showcase of the Immortals.
Theory would love to add to that resume, and Carmelo Hayes would love to start his.
[Cole] And Theory taking his time getting back in the ring.
And Carmelo is taken out by Theory.
And now Waller with a cheap shot right here in front of us.
Theory's in control.
-[crowd booing] -[referee, indistinct]
It is what it is!
[Cole] And we are back live on Friday Night SmackDown on Fox.
Two of the brightest stars in WWE today,
Carmelo Hayes, Austin Theory, going one-on-one.
[Graves] Hayes has certainly been giving Theory a run for his money to this point.
Jumping elbow rocks Austin Theory and--
-Whoa! -[Cole] Wow! Hayes!
-[Graves] Innovative. -Waller couldn't believe it.
[Graves] I'm not entirely sure what to call what we just saw, but it worked!
[Cole] Oh! Face-first goes Theory.
-Hayes! Cover! For the win! -[crowd] One, two…
[Cole] Kickout by Austin Theory at two.
-Carmelo Hayes is so fun to watch. -[Graves] No doubt about it.
Case in point. Around the world we go,
driving Austin Theory face-first in the center of the ring.
And now, Melo mounted on the middle rope,
but keep your eyes on the Aussie Icon.
[Cole] Again, Waller who has played such a factor in this match
so far tonight for Theory.
[Graves] Theory has it hooked.
Ataxia! That's gonna do it!
-[Cole] For the win! -[crowd] One, two…
-[Cole] Hayes kicks! -[Graves] Wow!
-What? -[Graves] How?
[Theory] No!
The disbelief on the face of Austin Theory understandable.
Look at the distance.
Theory ripped Carmelo off the turnbuckle and then the Ataxia,
a maneuver Austin Theory invented
and has used to great effect throughout his career.
And now it's Carmelo Hayes in need of a rally.
[Cole] And now Austin Theory says it's time to put Hayes away.
And Theory with Hayes up top. You know, Carmelo Hayes.
-Waist lock. -[referee, indistinct]
[Cole] Again, Waller on the apron.
This time, he pays for it.
[Graves] Look at the power of Theory. Great counter by Carmelo.
-[Cole] For the win! -[crowd] One, two…
-[Cole] Theory reverse and has the tights. -[crowd] One, two, three.
-[Cole] And steals one. -[bell rings]
["A-Town Down" playing]
-[song ends abruptly] -[Graves] Oh, and Theory--
I'm sorry. Waller from behind.
Now Theory.
And poor Carmelo is getting mugged in the middle of the ring.
[Cole] Yeah. Two-on-one attack by Waller and Theory.
-["Locked In" playing] -[Graves] Wait a minute!
[crowd cheering]
-[Graves] Yes, sir! -[Cole] Hayes has back up.
[Graves] Trick Williams is here on SmackDown.
[Cole] Carmelo Hayes' buddy Trick Williams.
[crowd chanting] Whoop that Trick!
[Graves] And Miami letting him know.
[crowd cheering]
[shouting indistinctly]
[Graves] True friends in WWE are tough to come by.
-What are you doing? -Man, I was saving you.
We have a match on Tuesday.
["Locked In" playing]
[Cole] Well, an interesting conversation between the Trick-Melo gang.
-[crowd] Whoop that Trick! -[Cole] But nonetheless Trick Williams has
a very busy couple of weeks coming up, Corey.
[Graves] You're absolutely right about that.
[Cole] Because a week from Sunday at Vengeance Day,
Trick Williams takes on Ilja Dragunov for the NXT Championship.
[Graves] And this coming Tuesday,
Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes will join forces
in the semi-finals of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.
Their opponents, Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro of the LWO.
That's this coming Tuesday.
But what about what happens tomorrow night?
St. Petersburg, Tropicana Field,
8:00 Eastern, 5:00 Pacific on Peacock, The Road to WrestleMania begins,
where it is every man for himself.
Thirty-man, over-the-top-rope Royal Rumble match.
Last man standing punches his ticket to the main event at WrestleMania.
[Graves] And we're gonna run it back on the women's side of things as well.
Thirty women, over-the-top-rope, elimination only.
The Women's Royal Rumble match.
Who will head to WrestleMania?
[Cole] We showed how personal and emotional this one has become.
It is for the United States Championship.
Two very proud men go at it.
Logan Paul defends the United States Title against Kevin Owens.
[Graves] And the Island of Relevancy is under siege
as The Tribal Chief Roman Reigns defends his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship
against "The Viper" Randy Orton,
against "The Megastar" LA Knight,
and against "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles.
Every man for himself.
Pinfall or submission only.
[Cole] And coming up next on Friday Night SmackDown, our main event.
One match to go. Sponsored by Credit One Bank.
Let's head backstage to our own Kayla Braxton.
Kayla Braxton standing by
with Latin Grammy Award-winner Eladio Carrión,
who helped kick off Friday Night SmackDown here in Miami.
-What was that like for you? -Yes, we did. It was super fun.
You know, it was my first time, you know, inside an actual WWE ring.
So that was, you know… It was amazing. It was an amazing experience for me.
We're all very excited. It's Royal Rumble weekend.
And I gotta ask you.
Who do you think is gonna walk out as the WWE Champion?
You know, I gotta go with my boy Randy all day.
You know, that's the kid. You know, can't--
[crowd booing]
I mean, respectfully,
I would love him, you know, to pop out. That's my boy, you know.
Um, yeah--
He's respectful. He's respectful.
With all due respect, you know. I'm respectful.
He's respectful.
He's okay.
We were wrong about him. I was wrong about him.
Hope I was wrong about him.
Maybe I was wrong about him.
Kind of wrong about him.
Little bit wrong about him.
["Welcome to LA" playing]
[bell rings]
[ring announcer] The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first, from Los Angeles, California, weighing in at 240 pounds.
LA Knight!
[Cole] On the eve of one of the biggest matches of his life.
Tomorrow night at the Royal Rumble in a Fatal 4-Way
for the Undisputed WWE Championship,
LA Knight has to get through The Enforcer of The Bloodline.
In tonight's main event, sponsored by eBay Motors,
LA Knight takes on Solo Sikoa, who has his marching orders.
"Don't be merciful. Fix the problem."
It is our main event, up next on Friday Night SmackDown.
[music continues]
["Welcome To LA" playing]
[Cole] LA Knight set for action here tonight in our main event.
["Taking It All feat. Stevie Stone" playing]
♪ We're taking it all ♪
♪ Settle the score… ♪
[ring announcer] And his opponent,
accompanied to the ring by "The Wiseman," Special Counsel Paul Heyman
and Jimmy Uso,
weighing in at 250 pounds,
Solo Sikoa!
[Cole] You know, Corey, by the time Friday Night SmackDown gets
to Birmingham, Alabama next Friday night, you gotta wonder
if Roman Reigns is still gonna be the Undisputed WWE Champion
because all the odds stacked against him tomorrow night at the Rumble.
[Graves] Right now, Solo is a man, as The Enforcer of The Bloodline,
who's got to be feeling the weight of the entire world on his shoulders tonight.
Solo has been tasked with fixing Roman's Royal Rumble problem.
Thus far, Sikoa's been unable to do it.
And LA Knight not gonna make the job easy tonight in our main event.
[Cole] Yeah, Paul Heyman saying, "Don't be merciful tonight, Solo Sikoa."
"Take out one of the men vying for Roman Reigns' crown tomorrow."
[Graves] Well, how about what Paul Heyman was able to unleash within Jimmy Uso,
now who has seemingly a new goal of winning the Royal Rumble match?
That would certainly please The Tribal Chief.
♪ …say it again ♪
♪ Straight to the top, I ascend I'm ruthless, I'm 10 out of 10! ♪
♪ Ready for war… ♪
[Cole] And tonight's main event on Friday Night SmackDown
between LA Knight and Solo Sikoa
-is sponsored by eBay Motors. -[bell rings]
[Cole] And here we go. Sikoa and LA Knight one-on-one tonight.
Now, with everything that's going on with Jimmy Uso entering the Rumble,
and Solo Sikoa trying to take out LA Knight,
I'd venture to say that perhaps Roman Reigns, The Tribal Chief,
is a bit concerned or scared
going into the Royal Rumble Fatal 4-Way tomorrow night.
[Graves] I don't know if fear is an emotion
that Roman Reigns has ever felt,
but certainly there is plenty of reason
for The Tribal Chief to be a bit concerned.
The walls seem to be closing in on the WWE Universal Champion.
Right now, LA Knight looking to get past Solo
in as close to 100% condition as Knight can,
because LA Knight's weekend is not gonna get any easier.
[Cole] Yeah, Solo Sikoa still on his feet. Knight finally takes Sikoa down.
Sikoa's marching orders, take out Knight tonight.
Roman Reigns has to face Knight, Styles, and Randy Orton in the Fatal 4-Way.
[Graves] And that's something I think we are all guilty of perhaps overlooking,
Cole, the fact that LA Knight has a problem with AJ Styles,
who has a problem with Randy Orton.
And it's a great strategy by Knight,
trying to neutralize the right hand of Solo,
used to deliver the dreaded Samoan Spike.
Veteran strategy by Knight.
[Cole] And now Knight still working on the right hand of Solo Sikoa.
[Graves] Yes, it is an unfamiliar look for Roman Reigns,
having to defend his title against three challengers.
But those three challengers, at this point, can't stand one another.
[Cole] We were talking about this earlier. Roman's never been in a Fatal 4-Way
to defend the championship
since he's won the title three and a half years ago.
He was in a Triple Threat at WrestleMania at one point,
but this is perhaps the biggest challenge to date
for Roman Reigns.
[Graves] I'm glad you brought up that Triple Threat, Cole,
because even back then, everyone thought The Tribal Chief was in trouble,
that the reign was in jeopardy. And what did Roman do?
He smashed and stacked two opponents at WrestleMania.
[Cole] Two men, Bryan and Edge, at WrestleMania.
And now, Knight sending Sikoa back into the ring.
Now, let's talk about Jimmy Uso going into the Royal Rumble.
And Paul Heyman saying, "If you win the thing, you challenge Seth Rollins."
Because if Roman Reigns somehow
survives the match tomorrow night at the Royal Rumble, as champion--
[Cole and Graves exclaim]
[Graves] Night, night, LA.
[Cole] If an ally can win the Rumble match,
Roman could be clear at Mania.
We'll talk about that more on the other side. Solo's in control.
[Cole] And we are back live on Friday Night SmackDown.
Miami, Florida tonight.
LA Knight, Solo Sikoa in our main event.
And LA Knight trying to build momentum to the Fatal 4-Way against Roman Reigns,
AJ Styles, and Randy Orton for the Undisputed Champion--
-[Graves] Oh! -[Cole] Oh!
[Graves] My goodness!
-Cover here by Solo. Deep hook of the leg. -One, two…
[Cole] And a kickout by Knight.
[Graves] What a Samoan Drop by The Enforcer.
Take a look at this.
LA Knight was in Miami. I think he landed in Fort Lauderdale.
That was distance.
[Cole] And now Sikoa back to his feet.
And now the beatdown may begin.
[Graves] And we know LA Knight is a supremely confident competitor.
It served him very well.
But this close to the biggest opportunity of his career,
LA Knight is putting himself in jeopardy by competing with Solo tonight.
Not to mention Jimmy Uso on the outside.
We found out a little earlier tonight
he will take part in the Men's Royal Rumble match
with the goal being win the whole thing and head to WrestleMania
-to challenge Seth "Freakin'" Rollins. -[Cole] Oh!
Or whomever is World Heavyweight Champion by the time WrestleMania rolls around.
[Cole] Yeah, Solo Sikoa now taking down LA Knight.
LA Knight can ill-afford to be beaten and battered
24 hours away from his battle for the Undisputed Championship.
One of the biggest matches of his life.
So many different personalities and styles.
Oh! The Bulldog by LA Knight buys some time.
You got the inferiority complex that AJ Styles has been suffering through.
Randy Orton looking to become a 15-time World Champion.
Of course, LA Knight felt like he should've won the championship
back at Crown Jewel late last year.
And Roman Reigns making history.
-One of the longest reigns ever. -[crowd chanting] LA Knight!
[crowd] Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
[Graves] Here comes "The Defiant" LA Knight.
Rights and lefts.
Rocking Solo like a speed bag.
[Cole] Sikoa still on his feet, however.
[crowd shouting indistinctly]
[Cole] Oh! Here comes LA Knight.
[Graves] Side Russian leg sweep by Knight.
[Jimmy] Come on, Uce!
[Graves] Solo retreating to the bottom turnbuckle.
[crowd] Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
[Cole] And the WWE fans firmly behind LA Knight.
[crowd cheering]
[crowd] LA Knight! Yeah!
[Cole] Into the corner!
[Graves] The running knee may have scrambled Solo's brains.
And a right hand for Jimmy Uso.
-But watch out for The Enforcer. -[Cole] Looking for the Samoan Spike.
And a DDT.
Knight planting him.
[Graves] LA Knight just too quick in that instance.
[Cole] And now both men sent over the top rope.
Solo Sikoa right here in front of us.
Here comes LA Knight now.
Wow! That kick driving Solo Sikoa into our table.
[Graves] Think about this, Cole.
LA Knight might be able to neutralize the threat tomorrow of Solo Sikoa
if Knight can inflict enough punishment.
[crowd] Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
[Cole] And you make a great point, Corey, because remember…
[crowd] Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
Oooh, yeah!
[Cole] …under Fatal 4-Way rules, there's no disqualifications.
[Graves] Pinfall or submission only. You want to neutralize Solo.
-[Cole] Running knee. -That's what I'm talking about!
-[Cole] Running knee. -[indistinct]
[Graves] Wait a minute!
[Cole] AJ Styles…
-[bell ringing] -…with a Phenomenal Forearm
from off the barricade!
[crowd booing]
[Graves] AJ Styles has felt as though LA Knight stepped over his fallen body
for Knight to gain the opportunities that belong to Styles.
[Cole] Remember, Styles said he wanted this match tonight.
He wanted Solo Sikoa.
But once again, he claims Knight stepped over him for this opportunity.
And now an angry…
an AJ Styles with a chip on his shoulder.
[crowd chanting] Randy! Randy!
[Graves] Uh-oh.
Styles rearranging the furniture here at ringside.
Jimmy Uso clutching a steel chair, but…
[crowd cheering and applauding]
[Graves] We got us a standoff here at ringside between Styles and Uso.
Go ahead, dawg. Do what you gotta do. Do what you gotta do.
[crowd shouting indistinctly]
Go on.
Go ahead, dawg, take care of him.
[crowd chanting] Randy! Randy!
Hey!
Take care of it, or I'm gonna take care of you.
Hit him.
Now.
Hit him.
[Jimmy] Hit him.
[Graves] Solo was imploring Styles to hit Knight…
and instead a steel chair to the spine from The Phenomenal One.
[Cole] AJ Styles will trust no one when it comes to The Bloodline.
-♪ I hear voices in my head ♪ -[crowd cheering]
♪ They counsel me, they understand They talk to me ♪
[Graves] Styles and Orton on a collision course.
[Cole] And Randy Orton with an uppercut driving Styles out of the ring.
Oh, and there's the powerslam to Jimmy Uso!
And the Viper's in a mood.
[Graves] For the second straight week,
The Viper was taking everybody out.
But now,
it may be Orton victimized.
[Cole] Solo Sikoa now…
looking to take Randy Orton out.
Randy Orton fighting back, though.
Solo was looking for the Spinning Solo,
but Orton dropped Solo Sikoa right on the announce table.
[crowd cheering wildly]
[Cole] I believe somebody's hearing voices.
[Graves] Jimmy, if you can hear mine, get the heck out of here.
Please! Please! Please! Please!
[shouting]
[Cole] Vintage Randy Orton!
-[Graves] But watch Styles! -[Cole] Went for Phenomenal Forearm.
Randy, who suffered a Pelé kick
at the start of the night at the hands of AJ Styles.
Vintage Orton again!
[crowd cheers]
[Cole] Randy Orton sending a message.
Will tomorrow night be his night to inch even closer to history?
RKO!
[Graves] It only takes one.
-And Roman Reigns is well aware. -[crowd chanting] Randy! Randy!
Randy! Randy! Randy! Randy!
[Cole] Will this be the scene tomorrow night?
["Voices" playing]
[Cole] Will Randy Orton end the longest championship reign of the modern era?
Will it be Orton?
Will it be Knight?
-Will it be Styles? -[indistinct]
[Cole] Or will it be Roman Reigns,
who reigns supreme
at the Royal Rumble?
-Wait a minute. Blunt Force Trauma. -[song ends abruptly]
["Welcome to LA" playing]