SmackDown will air tonight (December 30) with a live show from the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. This is the fifth episode of SmackDown during the nine-week run-up to Royal Rumble, which takes place on January 28th.
John Cena’s return to WWE ruins everything for Sami Zayn
John Cena returns to WWE tonight for his first and only match of 2022. He teams up with Kevin Owens to take on Sami Zayn and WWE Universal Champion Roman rule.
Everything was going great for The Bloodline after WarGames as Sami Zayn proved his loyalty to Reigns at the expense of his best friend Owens. It looked like Zayn would be rewarded by becoming a full-fledged Uce on the December 16 episode of SmackDown. But then John Cena put on his stupid face (via satellite) and ruined everything for Sami. Sami now has to prove himself again in today’s tag team match. Roman Reigns never loses. So if Cena and Owens find a way to win, know that Sami will be blamed. All the hard work he put into earning The Bloodline’s favor could just go up in smoke thanks to Super Cena.
There are several ways WWE can book the end of this fight, which is one of the most anticipated televised fights of the year. If the idea is to field Kevin Owens as the next challenger for Reigns Gold at Royal Rumble, then the babyfaces will likely be over and Zayn will take the fall. If the idea is to schedule a WrestleMania 39 match for John Cena instead, then anyone who wants a piece of him can show up and help The Bloodline win.
As far as I can tell, Cena hasn’t won a match on WWE TV or PPV since 2019, so I think that’s where he’s coming from. And when that happens, maybe it won’t be long before Sami is beaten by the rest of The Bloodline. Keep in mind that the Montreal Elimination Chamber PPV is about seven weeks away and it makes a lot of sense that hometown hero Zayn is positioned opposite Roman in the main event of this map. Cena’s return could set everything in motion in tonight’s main event.
The rest of the title scene
knock down champion of women Ronda Rousey is scheduled to defend her belt against Raquel Rodriguez tonight. This was rumored to be a match for Royal Rumble, so maybe there will be a crazy ending to give them a reason to fight again in a couple of weeks. Raquel could likely use the extra time to recover from her kayfabe elbow injury, although that didn’t stop her from beating four different women last week.
Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER kept his belt against Ricochet two weeks ago but now has Braun Strowman on his radar. Will the Monster Among Men make a statement tonight by imposing its will on Imperium?
Jimmy and Jey Uso beat Hit Row last week to continue their current record as longest-serving WWE Tag Team Champions any times. Your services will likely be needed to help the other Bloodline members wrestling tonight.
You never know when Bayley and WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions IYO SKY and Dakota Kai will show up on SmackDown to treat Michael Cole like trash.
Other things to keep an eye on
– Lacey Evans returns to WWE tonight and her goal is to “destroy every woman in WWE.” There’s no word yet on what processed foods she plans to use to complete her mission.
– Sheamus hasn’t been on TV for a few weeks, but tonight he’s back to take on Solo Sikoa in a singles match. Well, theoretically it’s a one-on-one match, but there should be a lot of ringside involvement from The Bloodline and the Brawling Brutes. Can Sheamus take Solo out of the mix so he can’t interfere in Cena’s tag match later in the night?
– Bray Wyatt demanded an apology from LA Knight last week after proving he is a different person from Uncle Howdy. The segment ended with Wyatt grabbing and attacking a cameraman. Will today’s discussion with Knight bring us closer to a Pitch Black Mountain Dew match at Royal Rumble?
– Rey Mysterio came back from injury last week with a win over Angel. With Rey back in the ring, it’s only a matter of time before Karrion Kross and Scarlett attempt to end his legendary career.
– Speaking of Scarlett, she was slapped in the face by Emma last week. Will this lead to a mixed tag match of Kross & Scarlett vs. Emma & Madcap Riddick Moss?
– Xia Li disguised herself to screw Tegan Nox in a women’s tag team title match a few weeks ago. Li then defeated Nox in less than two minutes during a gauntlet match last week. Will Nox finally make them pay tonight?
– When will Liv Morgan declare her place in the women’s Royal Rumble match?
– Can Legado del Fantasma or the Viking Raiders get back on track after struggling to build momentum this month?
– Drew McIntyre has been sidelined with injury since Survivor Series. Will he make a surprise return tonight to neutralize the Usos during the Cena Main Event?
What will you be looking for on SmackDown?