WWE SmackDown: Results, Highlights and Grades for January 3rd

The first WWE SmackDown of the decade offers two huge tag matches. Bayley and Sasha Banks are in a triple threat tag while Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns team up to wrestle King Corbin and Dolph Ziggler.

We open the first SmackDown of 2020 with The Miz approaching Daniel Bryan backstage about how The Fiend violated his family and how he still needs revenge. But he accepts that Bryan earned his WWE Universal Championship match last week. He begs Bryan to beat The Fiend at the Royal Rumble. “Not just for me. For everyone,” Miz adds.

Then, we move on to WWE’s first televised wrestling match of the decade. Because … IT’S BOSS TIME!

But first, Bayley and Sasha Banks cut a promo about how they had to make some tough choices in 2019, but it paid off as they walked out of the year victorious; Bayley as a champion and Banks as “The Standard.” They start to trash Lacey Evans and her daughter, but Evans and Dana Brooke interrupt at the ramp.

Evans talks about how she wants to build a better life for her daughter, but admits Bayley and Banks have gotten to her. She wants to prove by beating Bayley and Banks that that “the bad guys can be stopped regardless of the cards stacked against you.”

Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross make their way to the ramp with their own microphones. Bliss finds it funny 2020’s barely started and both teams are already at each other’s throats. She also wonders if they even belong in this match since they don’t have beef with either team.

Cross thinks they do, as a win brings them one step closer to getting back in the WWE Women’s Tag Title picture. Bliss agrees and vows a win to kick the year off (right after this first commercial break, of course). Which I like, since without feuding without team, Bliss/Cross actually have stakes for themselves as well.

https://twitter.com/WWEUniverse/status/1213268643846508546

Bayley and Sasha Banks vs. Lacey Evans and Dana Brooke vs. Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross

Evans starts the match backing Banks into the ropes. Banks tags to Cross. Cross and Evans with back and forth pin attempts until Evans backs Cross into her corner before tagging Dana Brooke. Brooke with a scoop slam for a quick kickout by Cross.

Cross backs Evans into her own corner before tagging Bliss. Bliss trades headlocks attempts with Brooke. Brooke clobbers Bliss with a forearm before getting blind tagged by Sasha Banks. Bayley then drags Bayley to the outside.

Slap and some kicks to Banks by Bliss. Bliss is too distracted to see Bayley get the blind tag herself, which allows her to blindside Bliss, leading to a quick kickout. Tag back to Banks, who locks a sleeper hold onto Bliss.

Bliss tries to fight out of it, but Banks knocks Cross off the apron before Bliss can make a tag. Bliss then goes to the opposite corner, but Bayley knocks Brooke off the apron. Bliss then hurricanranas Banks into Evans, knocking her off the apron.

Before we go to another break, Cross climbs the top rope dives onto the remaining participants.

Back from the break, Banks hits a Meteora on Cross, but Brooke breaks up the pin attempt before hitting a cartwheel elbow onto Banks and Bayley, then suplexing them both for a two count (did not catch Brooke go for a tag, but there’s a lot going on).

Bayley snatches Brooke by her head to the ground, allowing Banks to hit a high knee. Then a tag to Bayley, followed by a double pull into the corner for a two count. Bayley then stomps on Brooke before mocking Brooke’s attempt at a hot tag to Evans.

Puts Brooke back in the corner before tagging Banks, allowing her to hit a springboard knee for a two count. Tag to Bayley again for a double team. Bayley teases movesets from her own persona before knocking Evans off the apron. Then, a back suplex before tagging back to Banks. Banks pins for a two count.

Brooke blasts Bayley off the apron and hits a tornado suplex on Banks. Banks hot tags to Bayley, the latter prevents Brooke from making her own hot tag, but after an enzuigiri, Brooke tags Evans, who goes for a huge babyface comeback spot.

Evans goes for a moonsault, but Banks pulls Bayley out the ring. Bayley runs in for a Bayley to Belly, but the pin gets broken up by everyone. This spills into chaos until Bayley tags to Banks. Evans avoids a double team while Brooke pulls Bayley out the ring.

Meanwhile, Evans hits a Woman’s Right on Banks, then tags to Brooke who hits a Swanton Bomb for the win.

Winners: Brooke and Evans

Grade: B

Not a bad way to start off the new year. Great action from everyone involved, but Evans/Brooke and Bayley/Banks stood out the most. If there was any issue, it’s that Bliss/Cross didn’t have much of a presence and felt like they were on defense most of the time, but they still put up their end of the bargain.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1213273199590432768

Backstage, Mandy Rose wishes Otis a Happy New Year, but Otis is heartbroken that his mom saw Dolph Ziggler destroy her fruitcake. That one hurt me in my heart. Ouch. Tucker tells Otis that it’s time to focus on their match and they walk away as Rose looks guilty.

Elsewhere, The Miz runs into The New Day as they offer 2020 pancakes, but Miz says he’s not in the mood for this. Kofi says he understands Miz was disappointed how 2019 ended, but between main eventing Mania, getting married and holding the record for the most titles won since 2010, The Miz had a great decade. Though Big E clarifies Miz is actually tied with Kofi Kingston.

Miz says this isn’t about titles. He wants a fight, as he smacks the plate of pancakes out of Kofi’s hand. Kofi says he understands Miz is just angry over The Fiend, but he’ll give Miz the fight he wants.