This is the Fightful.com live coverage for tonight's episode of WWE Smackdown! Live! We are just days away from the 2018 Royal Rumble where AJ Styles will defend his WWE Championship against Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn in a handicap match, but tonight the Phenomenal One looks to derail The Yep Movement before they even get there. We also have Jey Uso in a against Chad Gable, Naomi faces Liv Morgan and much more so be sure to come back here at 8 PM EST for all of the action and be sure to stick with us for the post show podcast afterwards!
-Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn come out to the ring and Kevin talks about how they're the future of the WWE and not as he refers to them as "retirees" and he and Sami introduce each other as co-WWE World Champions. Kevin talks about how AJ has no shot to defeat he and Sami this Sunday at the Royal Rumble before Sami grabs the mic and says that they will add insult to injury and hurt AJ before AJ comes out and interrupts them. AJ refers to them as Kami and shoots down all of the things they said they were going to do Sunday and that they are facing him and should not be so confident. AJ says that he will never let them win and that this is his house and his show before Sami and Kevin mock AJ and make fun of how he ended up in a handicap match. Daniel Bryan then comes out and says that he has faith in AJ before AJ tells him to shut up and calls his alliance into question before AJ himself makes a set of matches between he and Kevin and Sami tonight in our main event as we go to commercial.
-We come back from commercial to Daniel and Shane talking backstage before Shane hints that he's rethinking having Daniel as Smackdown Live General Manager before leaving.
Jey Uso vs Chad Gable
They lock up to start the match before Chad backs Jey into a corner for a clean break, then Chad takes Jey down to the mat before Jey gets back to his feet and sends Chad out of the ring as we go to commercial.
Chad is in control as we come back from commercial until Jey superkicks him off of the apron only for Chad to hit him with a forearm when he goes for a tope to the outside. Jey sends Chad out of the other side of the ring before diving out of the ring at the corner ala Punishment Martinez and taking Chad out. They then get back in the ring and counter each other until Chad hits a rolling, bridging German suplex for the pin and the win.
Winner: Chad Gable defeats Jey Uso via pinfall with a rolling, bridging German suplex.
-We go backstage to Shinsuke Nakamura being interviewed about being in the Royal Rumble match before he's interrupted by Baron Corbin and Shinsuke makes a match between for later tonight.
Naomi vs Liv Morgan
They lock up for a clean break before Naomi mule kicks Liv across the ring, then the two exchange back slides for quick two counts before Liv sends Naomi into the bottom turnbuckle face first. Liv then puts Naomi in a straitjacket submission that she tries to fight out of before Liv drops her. Naomi then fights her away from the apron and back into the ring before hitting a sunset flip powerbomb for the pin and the win.
Winner: Naomi defeats Liv Morgan via pinfall with a sunset flip powerbomb.
-After the match the entire women's division gets in the ring and send each other over the top rope before Charlotte comes out and wishes everyone luck as we go to commercial.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs Baron Corbin
They lock up before exchanging wrist locks, then Shinsuke tells Corbin to bring it before kneeing him in the midsection and sending him into the corner. Shinsuke hits Good Vibrations before Corbin opts to leave and Shinsuke goes after him only to be sent into the ring post as we go to commercial.
Corbin has Shinsuke in a half nelson as we come back from commercial, Shinsuke coming back with a flurry of offense and a kick that sends Corbin across the ring and into the corner. Shinsuke hits double running knees in the corner for a quick two count before hitting a reverse exploder suplex. Shinsuke goes for the Kinshasa before Corbin catches him coming in and hits a Deep Six for a near fall, then Corbin turns him inside out with a lariat for another near fall. Shinsuke then hits a flying armbar before Corbin rolls him up, Shinsuke breaking the hold before going for another Kinshasa, but he's interrupted by Randy Orton who RKO's him out of nowhere for the disqualification.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura defeats Baron Corbin via disqualification when Randy Orton attacks Shinsuke.
-After the match Randy hits Corbin with an RKO as we go to commercial. Before going to commercial we get a recap of the 25th Anniversary of RAW from last night.
-New Day come out to the ring as we return from commercial and Xavier talks about nearly going on to win the WWE United Kingdom Championship last week before the newly crowned champion Bobby Roode comes out to the ring and talks about becoming WWE United States champion before their six-man tag match against Rusev Day and Jinder Mahal.
Six-Man Tag Match
The match starts during the commercial before we come back from commercial to Rusev having Kofi in a bear hug, then Kofi comes back and drops Rusev with a bulldog before tagging Bobby in just as Rusev tags Aiden in. Bobby hits a spinebuster to Aiden before sending Jinder off of the apron and hits a blockbuster off of the second turnbuckle for a quick two count. Rusev comes in and drops Bobby with a kick before everyone hits a move, then Xavier gets the blind tag and hits his elbow drop to Aiden for the pin and the win.
Winner: New Day & Bobby Roode defeat Rusev Day & Jinder Mahal via pinfall when Xavier Woods pins Aiden English with an elbow drop.
AJ Styles vs Kevin Owens
-Before the match Shane comes out and sends Sami to the back before saying that if either he or Kevin are anywhere near each other's matches tonight that they will be out of the title match Sunday night and he will fire them on the spot.
AJ backs Kevin into a corner with a series of right hands as soon as the match starts before missing a running splash only for Kevin to miss a cannonball. AJ then starts focusing on the now injured leg of Kevin before immediately locking in the Calf Killer and Kevin is forced to tap.
Winner: AJ defeats Kevin Owens via submission with the Calf Killer
-After the match AJ will not let go of the submission until Sami comes out and attacks him.
AJ Styles vs Sami Zayn
Sami beats AJ down as soon as the match starts, not giving him a moment to breath, stomping on him in the corner when he's not beating him down with right hands, then turns him inside out before putting him in a headlock that he fights out of. Sami doubles AJ over with a knee to the midsection before AJ drops him with a series of punches of kicks as we see medical staff helping to Kevin Owens at ringside and see Daniel and Shane looking on backstage. Sami gets a series of quick two counts before AJ sends him over the top rope and hits a Phenomenal Forearm to the outside, then AJ attacks Kevin at ringside before Sami clotheslines AJ as we go to commercial.
Sami is in control of AJ as we come back from commercial in the ring before AJ comes back with a superplex as we see Daniel and Kevin looking in backstage, the medical staff somehow not having Kevin on a stretcher yet as AJ hits an ushigaroshi for a near fall. They counter each other before Sami hits a tornado DDT and goes for the Helluva Kick, but AJ catches him coming in with a boot before hitting a Pele kick for a near fall. Sami then catches AJ coming in and hits a Michinoku driver out of nowhere for a near fall before Sami slaps AJ across the face and sets him on the top turnbuckle, but AJ slips out of the back and goes for a Styles Clash, but Sami rolls out of the ring. AJ then drops Sami with a knee from the apron before rolling him back into the ring before pushing Kevin and the stretcher over only for Sami to put him back into the ring and hit a Blue Thunderbomb for the pin and the win.
Winner: Sami Zayn defeats AJ Styles via pinfall with a Blue Thunderbomb
-After the match Sami and Kevin stand tall over AJ in the ring as we go off the air.
