WWE SmackDown LIVE Results: January 2, 2018By Cassidy| January 3, 2018 WWE SmackDown Previous Page Detailed Results Kicking off 2018 the same way he kicked off 2017; as the WWE Champion, the first SmackDown LIVE of 2018 kicks off with WWE Champion AJ Styles. AJ wishes everyone a Happy New Year before saying that his New Year’s Resolution is to carry the WWE Championship into WrestleMania and leave WrestleMania as the champion. AJ then vows to beat Sami Zayn tonight before saying that the same man who let Sami Zayn be at ringside for his match against Kevin Owens last week wants to come out there right now to reveal whether or not he will let Kevin Owens be in Sami’s corner later tonight. This brings out SmackDown LIVE General Manager Daniel Bryan but, before the GM can even speak, SmackDown LIVE Commissioner Shane McMahon interrupts, joining AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan in the ring. Shane says that he had the “best intentions” when he came down to ringside last week to ask the referee to eject Sami Zayn from ringside. The Commissioner then admits that his presence may have cost AJ Styles the match last week, apologizing to the WWE Champion with AJ accepting Shane’s apology. Shane continues, saying that he has been accused of having a “personal vendetta” against Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn before accusing Daniel of having a “kinship” with Owens & Zayn. Shane then asks why Daniel would allow Sami Zayn to be at ringside last week. Daniel tries to respond by Shane cuts the GM off to announce that, if Kevin Owens is going to be in the corner of Sami Zayn here tonight, then he is going to be in the corner of AJ Styles! The GM says that’s not what he had in mind but, if Shane is going to be at ringside, then they might as well have Kevin Owens out there too before adding that, if Kevin Owens and Shane McMahon are going to be out there, then he should be at ringside as well! Daniel then leads a “yes” chant before the General Manager and the Commissioner leaves the ring. The opening match of the night would determine the top tag team on SmackDown LIVE as The Usos would defend the SmackDown Tag Team Titles against Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin. At the end of a surprisingly short title match, Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin would hit their double team powerbomb clothesline on Jimmy Uso with Chad Gable pinning Jimmy to win the match as Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin kick off 2018 by winning the SmackDown Tag Team Titles! However, controversy would arise after the match as Jey Uso would explain to the referee that he was the legal man in the match, not his brother Jimmy. This would bring a second referee out to the ring before a replay is shown, revealing that neither Chad Gable or Jimmy Uso were legal in the match! This would lead to the original referee waving off the decision, declaring that the match was “null and void” and declaring that the title match will be restarted! After literally having the gold in their hands moments earlier, the SmackDown Tag Team Title match between The Usos and Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin would be restarted. In the end, it was The Usos hitting Shelton Benjamin with a double super kick before Jimmy Uso tags in his brother as Jey Uso lands the Uso Splash on Shelton, pinning Benjamin to pick up the win as The Usos successfully retain the SmackDown Tag Team Titles. In a rematch put together by The Ascension, Breezango would once again face The Bludgeon Brothers on SmackDown LIVE. However, The Bludgeon Brothers would not wait for the match to begin as Harper & Rowan would quickly lay waste to Breezango before The Ascension tries to come to the aid of Breezango. However, Harper & Rowan would easily dispatch The Ascension, hitting Viktor with the double arm lift powerbomb. This leaves The Bludgeon Brothers standing tall, having destroyed two tag teams in a matter of minutes. With Bobby Roode and Jinder Mahal advancing in the tournament last week, the First Round Matches in the United States Championship Tournament would continue on SmackDown LIVE as Aiden English, with Rusev in his corner, would go one-on-one with The New Day’s Xavier Woods, with Big E & Kofi Kingston in his corner, with the winner advancing to the Semi-Finals to face Jinder Mahal. In the end, it was Xavier Woods hitting the Up, Up, Down, Down on Aiden English, pinning Aiden to advance to the Semi-Finals where he will face Jinder Mahal. After reuniting last week to chase off The Riott Squad, the team of Natalya, “Ms. Money-in-the-Bank” Carmella, and Tamina, with Lana in their corner, would face The Riott Squad in a 6-Woman Tag Match. In the end, it was Liv Morgan shoving Tamina off of the top rope, allowing Sarah Logan to hit a unique handstand knee drop, pinning Tamina to pick up the win for The Riott Squad. After the match, Ruby Riott says that the fans “phonies”, saying that the fans pretend to be happy but, deep down, they are “miserable”. Ruby then says that The Riott Squad is “real” and their success is “real” before announcing that Liv Morgan & Sarah Logan will be joining her in the Women’s Royal Rumble Match! SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair then interrupts, saying that actions have “consequences” before bringing Naomi out for backup. However, Charlotte would have another trick up her sleeve as the champion introduces the returning Becky Lynch! Together, Charlotte, Becky, & Naomi would take it to The Riott Squad, taking out Liv Morgan & Sarah Logan before Becky Lynch hits Ruby Riott with the Becksploder. Becky then follows this up with a Becksploder to Liv Morgan, forcing The Riott Squad into retreat. Then it was time for the main event as WWE Champion AJ Styles would go one-on-one with Sami Zayn, with Kevin Owens in his corner, in a non-title match with Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan at ringside. During the match, the referee would inadvertently get knocked out of the ring and, after the referee came to, Kevin Owens would make sure to stall the referee long enough so that Sami Zayn could kick out of a roll-up by AJ Styles. This would spark an argument between AJ Styles and the referee as, on the outside, Shane McMahon would set his sights on Kevin Owens, shoving Owens down before instructing the referee to eject Kevin Owens from ringside. The referee does as he’s told but, as this is going on, Daniel Bryan grabs a microphone, saying that, if Kevin Owens has to leave ringside, then Shane should leave too! As Shane stares quizzically at the GM, Kevin Owens was on the ring apron and, while AJ would knock Owens to the floor, the distraction was enough for Sami Zayn to score with the Helluva Kick to Styles as Sami pins the WWE Champion for the win! With both of them victorious over the WWE Champion in back-to-back weeks, Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn would celebrate on the outside as Shane McMahon is, once again, left in disbelief. Fed up, AJ Styles tells Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan to stop bickering like children before suggesting that Shane and Daniel put him in a Handicap Match against both Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn. Daniel then adds to this idea by announcing that, at the Royal Rumble, AJ Styles will defend the WWE Championship against Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn in a 2-on-1 Handicap Match! The GM then leads a “yes” chant as AJ Styles sits in disbelief in the ring while Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn celebrate even more. What did you think of the first SmackDown LIVE of 2018? 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