WWE Friday Night Smackdown results, recap and highlights: January 7, 2022

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Bengaluru, January 8: Two top champions of the current WWE roster were under the same roof during this week’s Friday Night Smackdown as they prepared for a potential Champion vs. Champion showdown at WrestleMania.

Major announcements were also made regarding this year’s Women’s Royal Rumble match on the show while the main event featured a Street Fight between The New Day and The Usos. All this and more went down at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut

Check out the recap and results from the January 7 episode of Friday Night Smackdown:

– Universal Champion Roman opened the show with a promo to mention how he never wanted to see two men in his life – Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman, who then came out.

After Heyman did his usual introduction for Lesnar, the WWE Champion said he got what he wanted last Saturday (WWE Championship) and now it’s time to give the fans what they want and that’s Lesnar winning the Universal Championship.

Lesnar then challenged Roman to a Title vs. Title match. Roman backed away from the challenge and then laid out Lesnar with a Superman Punch! He then left the ring by saying that Brock will always be the number-two champ in WWE behind him.

– Sami Zayn told Johnny Knoxville in a backstage segment that he doesn’t have technical wrestling skills to compete in WWE and therefore he shouldn’t be a part of the Royal Rumble match. But Knoxville said that he doesn’t need that skill as he only needs to throw people over the top rope in order to win the Rumble.

– Rick Boogs (with WWE Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura) defeated Sami Zayn in the opening contest of Smackdown. Nakamura distracted Zayn from outside the ring as Boogs rolled Zayn up for the pin to win.

Knoxville then entered the ring after the match and threw Zayn over the top rope. The ring announcer then officially announced that the movie star will officially be a part of the Men’s Royal Rumble 2022 match.

– Charlotte Flair announced that she’ll be entering the Women’s Royal Rumble 2022 match. Charlotte also announced a list of big names that will be in this match and the list is given below:

• Rhea Ripley

• Nikki A.S.H.

• WWE Hall of Famers The Bella Twins

• Shotzi

• Natalya

• Michelle McCool

• WWE 24/7 Champion Dana Brooke

• WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Carmella and Queen Zelina Vega

• Impact Knockouts Champion Mickie James

• Tamina Snuka

• Kelly Kelly

• Aliyah

• Summer Rae

• Naomi

• Shayna Baszler

• WWE Hall of Famer Lita

Naomi came out and said that Charlotte doesn’t have to wait till Royal Rumble to find out her WrestleMania 38 opponent. Naomi then slapped Charlotte in the face to set up a match-up.

– SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair defeated Naomi in a Championship Contender’s Match. Sonya Deville distracted Naomi multiple times during this match when she was about to win, by announcing that she can’t win via count-out or disqualification.

Naomi went for the split-legged moonsault but Flair dodged it and slammed her to the mat with a back suplex. Flair immediately connected with a Natural Selection followed by the pin to win.

– In a backstage segment, WWE Official Adam Pearce told Sonya Deville that WWE management has told him to announce Roman Reigns’ challenger for the Universal Championship for Royal Rumble 2022 by the end of Smackdown. The decision would be made later the night.

– Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss defeated The Viking Raiders – Erik and Ivar in a tag team contest. Moss mocked injured McIntyre during his entrance. In the match, Ivar was sent into the ring post by Corbin as Moss dropped Erik with The Punchline to secure the pin-fall win.

– Sheamus announced his entry into the Men’s Royal Rumble 2022 match in a backstage promo.

– The Usos (c) defeated The New Day (Kofi Kingston and King Xavier) in a Street Fight to retain the SmackDown Tag Team Championships. Xavier was put down with a dual superkick.

Kofi also suffered the same move from The Usos. Usos then paid tribute to WWE Hall of Famers The Dudleys by planting Kofi with The 3D through a table for the pin to win.

– RAW Superstar Seth Rollins met Roman Reigns in his locker room and laughed in the champion’s face. Adam Pearce probably chose Rollins to be Reigns’ opponent in the Universal Championship match at Royal Rumble 2022. Roman was seething in anger to send Smackdown off air.