WWE SmackDown Results, Highlights, And Grades For January 8, 2019

Daniel Bryan vs. R-Truth

R-Truth got the match underway with some quick strikes, and he was matching Daniel Bryan for speed with every single move, going for the first cover of the match. The Mixed Match Challenge competitor was taking the fight right to the WWE Champion, but it wasn’t long before Bryan started laying in his patented kicks on the mid-section of Truth.

Though Truth impressed in bursts, he was ultimately vanquished by a “Running Knee” from Bryan, who picked up yet another victory in his reign as WWE Champion, which began in November on the go-home show before Survivor Series.

AJ Styles met up with Daniel Bryan on the stage following the match, sending Bryan reeling with some fists before contemplating using a chair. This “real” version of Styles clearly isn’t messing around, and he’s ready to get inside Bryan’s head before the Royal Rumble Pay Per View.

Grade: C, It’s always good to see R-Truth out there, even if it’s in a shorter match. That said, this felt kind of like filler, and even the Styles beatdown wasn’t particularly interesting. The first segment of the show with Bryan’s promo was the best part of all this. So yeah, if you’re pressed for time, this is skippable.