WWE SmackDown Grades: The Real AJ Styles Is Royal Rumble Bound

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4. Samoa Joe vs. Jeff Hardy

One of the most elite heels in the entire WWE in 2018 had to be considered Samoa Joe.  The Samoan Submission Machine was downright dastardly, at times, and he had a very impressive 2018 that featured a couple of standout feuds, the most recent one with Jeff Hardy.

Joe focused on Hardy’s past demons that are well-documented and made it a mission to take out The Charismatic Enigma.  He would have a chance last night in a key matchup with Hardy where the winner would advance to the night’s Fatal 5-Way main event to determine the new number one contender for Daniel Bryan’s WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble.

The match between the two last week never finished, but this week would see a winner crowned.  In what turned out to be a solid match, albeit a bit on the shorter side in terms of duration, Joe made sure to not let the opportunity go to waste.  After attempting to choke out Hardy on the outside so Hardy would get counted out, Joe accomplished that inside the ring.

The Charismatic Enigma beat the referee’s count of 10, but just to wind up in another coquina clutch where Joe would choke out Hardy and get the win.  This was a solid match, but it would have been nicer to see it get a little more time.  Regardless, it did a lot for The Samoan Submission Machine and gave him a key win.

Joe was all-business last night and it proved to elevate him into an opportunity to become number one contender for the WWE Championship.

Final Grade: B