Smackdown – January 16, 2018: This Was An Insult To America
Smackdown
Date: January 16, 2018
Location: Laredo Energy Arena, Laredo, Texas
Commentators: Corey Graves, Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton
US Title Tournament Semifinals: Jinder Mahal vs. Xavier Woods
The finals will now be next week instead of at the Royal Rumble. Mahal kicks him in the face to start and elbows a charging Woods in the jaw. A jumping knee gets two and we take a break. Back with Jinder holding him in a chinlock and Big E. throwing pancakes at the Singh Brothers. The fans want pancakes as Jinder forearms Woods down to the floor. Back in and a knee to the head gets two as we take a second break.
We come back again with Woods hitting a missile dropkick and winning a slugout (with those AMERICAN right hands). A discus punch drops Mahal and a Shining Wizard gets two. New Day goes after the Singh Brothers and chases the up the aisle, leaving us one on one. The top rope elbow misses though and Woods is whipped throat first into the bottom rope (kind of a dangerous move). The Khallas sends Mahal to the finals at 18:02.
AJ Styles dubs Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens as Kami and says he sees himself as being down 3-1 because Owens is like two people.
Lana promises to make it the Ravishing Rumble.
Naomi is going to make everyone feel the Glow.
Riott knows how to create chaos and no one can stop her.
US Title Tournament Semifinals: Bobby Roode vs. Mojo Rawley
Randy Orton, in a ring in an empty arena, likes to be surrounded by chaos, so the Rumble is his match.
Charlotte/Becky Lynch/Naomi vs. Riott Squad
Long video on AJ Styles vs. Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens.
Next week: Rusev Day vs. Ascension.
US Title: Bobby Roode vs. Jinder Mahal
The bosses present Roode with the title to end the show.
Overall Rating: D-. Oh just no in every sense of the word. This was a great illustration of everything wrong with Smackdown as of late, with the focus completely missing and no reason to watch. You think the low attendances of late might have been bolstered by guaranteeing you get to see a new champion? Not happening here of course, because we need to do something like this instead with almost no big name talent appearing instead.
Results
Jinder Mahal b. Xavier Woods – Khallas
Bobby Roode b. Mojo Rawley – Glorious DDT
Riott Squad b. Charlotte/Becky Lynch/Naomi – Codebreaker to Naomi
Bobby Roode b. Jinder Mahal – Glorious DDT
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume VI: July – December 1999 in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/11/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-and-thunder-reviews-volume-vi/
And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:
