WWE Friday Night SmackDown Results
January 29, 2021
St. Petersburg, Florida (Tropicana Field)
Commentary: Michael Cole and Corey Graves
Results by: Roy Nemer of Wrestleview.com
WWE SmackDown kicks off with Daniel Bryan already in the ring. He welcomes everyone to the show and to the Royal Rumble weekend. He says now that we are getting close, he can feel the excitement starting to boil inside of him. He says he has accomplished a lot but there’s one accomplishment he hasn’t done and that is winning the Royal Rumble match. Bryan says winning means being able to fight either the WWE or Universal Champion in the main event of WrestleMania. And nobody knows more about how life changing that is than he does.
Bryan says for him to climb that mountain one more time involved him going through 29 other men and winning the Rumble match. Bryan says the honest truth is he doesn’t know how many WrestleMania moments he has left. But he knows that if he wants to accomplish his dream one more time, it involves going to the main event of WrestleMania, then he has to win the Royal Rumble match. And thanks to Chad Gable and Otis, the Alpha Academy, he is ready. Whether he is number 1 or 30, he is ready for anything. It’s every man for himself. Bryan says you will see best friends use ever fiber in their being to throw each other over the top rope. You will see bitter enemies working together.
Out comes AJ Styles from Raw. He says and you will see AJ Styles throw 29 other men over the top rope and go on to WrestleMania. Bryan says he knows both brands are competing in the Royal Rumble match but this is SmackDown and AJ is a Raw superstar. While he’s glad to see him, he asks AJ what he’s doing here. AJ says this is the house that AJ Styles built. It’s really simple. Omos says every quarter any superstar from any brand can go over as he pleases. Styles says it’s not a secret, he should know that he’s the gatekeeper for Raw.
AJ says ever since he declared himself being in the Rumble, every superstar tried following in his footsteps. But they had to go through him first and he crushed their hopes and their dreams. And speaking of dreams, Bryan doesn’t look ready as he has his sports coat on. AJ asks Bryan if he’s GM again. It’s almost like he has one foot out the door. Bryan says he doesn’t have one foot out the door of anything and if he wants, he’ll prove it to him. Bryan challenges him to a match tonight. AJ says he has been getting ready for the Rumble beating everyone on Raw and he’d love to get one more warm up tonight against him. AJ pushes Bryan down. Bryan looks up and it’s Omos standing in front of him.
Bryan tells AJ if he was a man, he’d come out for their match tonight without Omos. He tells AJ with or without Omos, he’s still going to kick his ass.
Kayla Braxton is backstage with Bayley. She asks her about last week but Bayley cuts her off. She said she threw Bianca into the steel basketball hoop. She says she’s proud of Bianca after watching her Chronicle. But Bianca ran away from all of her problems for over half of her life. Ding dong, this is the biggest problem she will ever have and she won’t win the Rumble and won’t win tonight. After she beats her again, she can crawl into the dark-est hole of her life.
Daniel Bryan really got me hyped for the #RoyalRumble. And they really do think of anything for these brand invitationals but AJ Styles against Daniel Bryan tonight, I won’t say no! #SmackDown
— Wrestleview.com (@PWrestling) January 30, 2021
-Commercial Break-
Bianca Belair vs. Bayley
The bell rings and we are under way. An arm bar by Bayley but Bianca reverses it into a body slam. Bayley back up and she goes for another arm bar but Bianca reverses it into a suplex. She goes for the cover but Bayley kicks out. Bayley back up. Bayley with a kick to the leg as she slams Bianca down onto the mat. She runs to the ropes and a clothesline. She goes for the cover but Bianca kicks out. Both women up and Bayley once more goes after Bianca’s left arm.
Bayley grabs Bianca by the hair but Bianca with a right hand. Bianca stomping on Bayley but Bayley grabs the ropes. Belair with the drop kick onto Bayley followed by a standing moon sault. She goes for the cover but Bayley gets her foot on the ropes.
-Commercial Break-
Back from commercial, Bianca lifts Bayley up and slams her face first onto the mat. She goes for the cover but Bayley kicks out. Bianca spears Bayley in the corner. She goes for another spear but Bayley gets her knees up. Bayley on the top rope as she grabs Bianca’s arm and slams it onto the mat. She goes for the cover but Bianca kicks out. Bayley with a knee to the face. She goes for the cover but Bianca kicks out. Bayley on the top rope and she lands an elbow drop. She goes for the cover but Bianca kicks out. Bayley goes for another cover but Bianca reverses it into a cover of her own as Bayley kicks out. Bianca lifts Bayley up and she lands the Kiss of Death. She goes for the cover and gets the pin.
Winner: Bianca Belair
Out comes Kayla who asks her about her win. Bianca says Bayley has been trying to get her to apologize for being herself but that’ll never happen. Bayley is not her role model but she was a Women’s champion for so over a year and this is the biggest win of her career. The only thing that can top beating Bayley is winning the Royal Rumble match.
We cut to the back as we see AJ Styles, Omos and Cesaro all talking.
Baron Corbin makes his way down to the ring but Dominik Mysterio attacks him from behind.
Bianca with a big win. If they do have her winning the #RoyalRumble match, this is good momentum going into the show. They can also claim that Bayley has a win against her which could help set something up for WrestleMania. #SmackDown
— Wrestleview.com (@PWrestling) January 30, 2021
-Commercial Break-
Dominik Mysterio vs. Baron Corbin
The bell rings and we are under way. Rey is on commentary. Dominik attacks Corbin and Corbin to the outside. Corbin gets back in the ring and Dominik is slammed into the mat. A back drop by Corbin followed by a right hand. Corbin with another right hand and a splash into the corner. Corbin runs towards Dominik but Dominik moves out of the way and Corbin shoulder first into the ring post.
Dominik with a drop kick off the second rope. Dominik goes for the cover but Corbin kicks out. Right hands by Dominik but Corbin with a right hand. Dominik trips Corbin up. He goes for the 619 but Corbin catches him. Dominik runs to the ropes, Corbin picks him up but Dominik throws Corbin into the turnbuckle. Dominik runs towards Corbin but a back drop as Dominik lands on the ropes. Dominik is thrown to the ropes but an acrobatic DDT by Dominik. He goes for the cover but Corbin kicks out.
Corbin on the ring apron, Dominik goes for a jump kick but Corbin ducks. Corbin gets back in the ring and lands the End of Days. He goes for the cover and gets the pin.
Winner: Baron Corbin
Rey Mysterio gets on the ring apron as Corbin grabs him but Rey pushes him into the ring post. Rey checks on Dominik on the outside.