Post by Steveweiser on Dec 19, 2017 8:21:26 GMT -5
SmackDown and 205 are Live tonight in Newark, New Jersey, as we are a couple of days removed from Clash of Champions, and on the road to the Royal Rumble... or should that now be Royal Rumbles?
Sunday night saw the biggest divide yet in the relationship between SmackDown Live Commissioner Shane McMahon and the General Manager Daniel Bryan, as after Shane refused to complete the count for Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens against Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura, Bryan responded by fast counting, ensuring that Zayn and Owens would keep their jobs in the WWE. As Shane wanted Zayn and Owens gone from the company for tormenting him over the past few months, his GM is disobeying his orders to ensure that his life continues to be made a living hell. How will Shane-O-Mac react tonight - will Bryan be fired instead?
In Sunday's main event, AJ Styles retained the WWE Championship against former champion Jinder Mahal, and tonight, those two will clash again in a rematch from last week's Tribute To The Troops, as Styles teams with Orton and Nakamura against Mahal, Owens and Zayn. This is an opportunity for Mahal to try and get his way back into a shot at the title, or one of Owens or Zayn could add to Shane's misery by putting themselves in title contention. In addition, an impressive performance by Orton or Nakamura could earn them a future chance at Styles' title. Who will come out on top in this six-way tussle?
Last night on RAW, the first ever Women's Royal Rumble Match was announced, taking place on January 28th in Philadelphia. This is of course also open to SmackDown Live competitors, so if the winner comes from the blue side, as it stands they'll square up to Charlotte Flair in New Orleans at WrestleMania 34. One woman looking to prove people wrong is Natalya, who after losing to Flair on Sunday, proclaimed that the roster and the fans had turned their backs on her (despite the majority of the lumberjacks helping her), and that she is turning her back on everyone. How will the "new" Natalya react, and will Carmella be angry at the Riott Squad for denying her the chance to cash in her Money In The Bank Briefcase during that match?
The Usos survived three teams on Sunday, but they're in action again tonight against one of those teams, in the form of Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin. Last time they met for the titles, Benjamin and Gable won via count-out, and feel that they're entitled to another title match, but this one's non-title. Can they defeat Jimmy and Jey inside their own penitentiary to claim another shot at the titles?
Dolph Ziggler surprised a lot of people by winning the United States Title on Sunday, defeating former champion Baron Corbin and Bobby Roode. Tonight, the Show Off will have a title celebration, to rub it in the face of his many nay-sayers, but he's got an angry Lone Wolf hunting him down in a bid for revenge. No doubt Roode will also be seething... also tonight, The New Day will be spreading some holiday cheer... or whatever that entails for them. Probably loads of pancakes and Booty-O's.
All this and much more from 8/7c on USA, then it's 205 Live on the WWE Network, featuring the official 205 Live debut of Hideo Itami (after he showed up on RAW last night)... and maybe someone else showing up too? Plus Cedric Alexander gets ready for his future Cruiserweight Title shot against Enzo Amore - and how will Drew Gulak and Nia Jax play into that?
Sunday night saw the biggest divide yet in the relationship between SmackDown Live Commissioner Shane McMahon and the General Manager Daniel Bryan, as after Shane refused to complete the count for Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens against Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura, Bryan responded by fast counting, ensuring that Zayn and Owens would keep their jobs in the WWE. As Shane wanted Zayn and Owens gone from the company for tormenting him over the past few months, his GM is disobeying his orders to ensure that his life continues to be made a living hell. How will Shane-O-Mac react tonight - will Bryan be fired instead?
In Sunday's main event, AJ Styles retained the WWE Championship against former champion Jinder Mahal, and tonight, those two will clash again in a rematch from last week's Tribute To The Troops, as Styles teams with Orton and Nakamura against Mahal, Owens and Zayn. This is an opportunity for Mahal to try and get his way back into a shot at the title, or one of Owens or Zayn could add to Shane's misery by putting themselves in title contention. In addition, an impressive performance by Orton or Nakamura could earn them a future chance at Styles' title. Who will come out on top in this six-way tussle?
Last night on RAW, the first ever Women's Royal Rumble Match was announced, taking place on January 28th in Philadelphia. This is of course also open to SmackDown Live competitors, so if the winner comes from the blue side, as it stands they'll square up to Charlotte Flair in New Orleans at WrestleMania 34. One woman looking to prove people wrong is Natalya, who after losing to Flair on Sunday, proclaimed that the roster and the fans had turned their backs on her (despite the majority of the lumberjacks helping her), and that she is turning her back on everyone. How will the "new" Natalya react, and will Carmella be angry at the Riott Squad for denying her the chance to cash in her Money In The Bank Briefcase during that match?
The Usos survived three teams on Sunday, but they're in action again tonight against one of those teams, in the form of Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin. Last time they met for the titles, Benjamin and Gable won via count-out, and feel that they're entitled to another title match, but this one's non-title. Can they defeat Jimmy and Jey inside their own penitentiary to claim another shot at the titles?
Dolph Ziggler surprised a lot of people by winning the United States Title on Sunday, defeating former champion Baron Corbin and Bobby Roode. Tonight, the Show Off will have a title celebration, to rub it in the face of his many nay-sayers, but he's got an angry Lone Wolf hunting him down in a bid for revenge. No doubt Roode will also be seething... also tonight, The New Day will be spreading some holiday cheer... or whatever that entails for them. Probably loads of pancakes and Booty-O's.
All this and much more from 8/7c on USA, then it's 205 Live on the WWE Network, featuring the official 205 Live debut of Hideo Itami (after he showed up on RAW last night)... and maybe someone else showing up too? Plus Cedric Alexander gets ready for his future Cruiserweight Title shot against Enzo Amore - and how will Drew Gulak and Nia Jax play into that?