WWE SmackDown January 30: Every Match Ranked & Reviewed

WWE took over Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on January 30, kicking off Royal Rumble weekend with Friday Night SmackDown, which was held at the brand new Royal Rumble Stadium, marking the first ever show to take place at the building. The show featured all the last minute build to the Royal Rumble PLE, with several big matches such as an all-star tag team main event, Ilja Dragunov vs. The Miz and Judgment Day vs. Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss, and Axiom vs. Johnny Gargano.

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TheSportster’s rating system will take a look across the entire Friday Night SmackDown card on January 30 to determine the very best match of the night, the worst on the show, and how everything else on the night shaped up.

5

Alexa Biss & Charlotte Flair Vs. Liv Morgan & Roxanne Perez

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 6.25/10

Liv Morgan & Roxanne Perez of the Judgment Day used some good heelish tactics early on in this match, taking advantage of their opponents to control the first segment of the matchup, helped along by Raquel Rodriguez at ringside. The heels cut off the ring and spent a long time taking advantage of Bliss, who had to rally up to reach Flair for a fun hot tag, though it took a while to get there.

Flair fired up the crowd with stiff chops, a big crossbody from the top rope, and some power moves too. Some of the offense in this match was a little off, such as a dodgy moonsault from Flair, but the audience were still into the action regardless. In similar fashion to how she did at Saturday Night’s Main Event, Stephanie Vaquer arrived to counter Rodriguez, allowing Bliss the chance to hit Sister Abigail on Perez for the win.

4

Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso & Sami Zatn Vs. The Vision

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 6.75/10

The all-star main event of Friday Night SmackDown kicked off hot as The Vision attacked the babyfaces during their entrances, creating a rocking atmosphere from the off. It wasn’t long until the heels took control, looking like a well-oiled machine as they beat down Cody Rhodes for an extended period of time, all leading up to an electric hot tag from Randy Orton. The action would soon break down with everyone “eliminating” each other in a preview of the men’s Royal Rumble, and everyone hitting their big moves on one another. However, Sami Zayn was attacked by Drew McIntyre, causing a frustrating disqualification ahead of their WWE Championship match at the Rumble.

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This carried with it a house show energy, and it was very much a throwback main event to the all-star tag team matches we used to see on RAW & SmackDown. It was fun for what it was, but it unraveled in a very predictable manner with a dud ending.

3

Carmelo Hayes Vs. Rey Fenix (United States Championship)

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 7/10

The latest in the United States Championship open challenge series came to SmackDown, as Rey Fenix stepped up to face Carmelo Hayes in a fast-paced match to open up the card with a bang. This match featured some top class athletic exchanges, smooth wrestling, and stiff strikes, though there were some moments that were slightly disjointed due to the level of high-flying and high-risk action.

There was a lack of psychology at times, which is expected for this sort of matchup, but their quick offense, counters, and stylish moves got the audience fired up. Hayes, as expected, walked away with the United States Championship after halting Fenix in his tracks with a First 48, followed by a big Nothing But Net to secure a title defense.

2

Axiom Vs. Johnny Gargano

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 7.25/10

One week after Nathan Frazer defeated Johnny Gargano, it was Axiom’s turn to take on Gargano, though this time Candice LeRae was banned from ringside, and Axiom’s stolen mask was on the line. There were technical exchanges early on, with some mat-based work from both. There were moments in this match that didn’t quite land, such as an awkward Spanish Fly and a dropkick that looked as though it knocked out Gargano’s tooth, but for the most part these two had nice chemistry and showcased some solid in-ring work.

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Despite a somewhat silly storyline, the audience were invested in the action and provided the match with a good atmosphere. In the final moments, Axiom got a little too distracted by his stolen mask, allowing Gargano to take advantage and remove his current mask… only for Axiom to put on his old mask and hit the Golden Ratio for the win. It was a cleverly put together finish.

1

Ilja Dragunov Vs. The Miz

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 7.75/10

Ilja Dragunov and The Miz couldn’t be more different as wrestlers in their respective styles, but The Miz put in one of his best performances for some time as he fought tooth-and-nail to counter the hard-hitting and intense style of his opponent by elevating the level of violence in his own moves, creating a really strong back-and-forth display. Early on, The Miz sold the danger of Dragunov perfectly, before being forced into a grittier fight.

The Miz clawed at Dragunov’s eyes to gain an advantage in the very final stages of the match, but he was caught mid-air by a Torpedo Moscow headbutt, before he hit a partially blind H-Bomb for the win. Although Dragunov walked out as the winner, it was The Miz who really impressed here, showing that he can work a range of styles in WWE.