Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens will meet for a third time. SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis granted Rhodes’ request for a ladder match at the WWE Royal Rumble on Feb. 1.
Owens is parading around with the retired Winged Eagle version of the WWE championship. The belt was awarded to Rhodes, the undisputed WWE champion, ahead of their title match at Saturday Night’s Main Event. After losing, Owens injured Rhodes with a banned neckbreaker and stole the belt. Aldis demanded Owens return the belt on Friday, but Rhodes chose to retrieve it.
SmackDown also featured an appearance by Raw superstar Sami Zayn, Chelsea Green’s coronation as the first women’s United States champion and more.
CBS Sports was with you all night with recaps and highlights of all the action from Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.
Rhodes, Owens set the stage for rubber match
Aldis opened the show by giving Owens an ultimatum. The SmackDown general manager emphasized the sentimental value of the Winged Eagle world championship that Owens stole from Rhodes after attacking him at Saturday Night’s Main Event. Aldis instructed Owens to return the title by the show’s end or risk severe consequences.
Later in a Twitter video, Owens dubbed himself the rightful undisputed WWE champion. Owens refused to return the title without an in-person conversation with Aldis, with no security present.Â
SmackDown closed with the one-on-one meeting between Aldis and Owens. “The Prizefighter” questioned why he would hand over the belt. Owens called the Winged Eagle belt his only bargaining chip to getting a rematch against Rhodes. Owens insisted that he was screwed out of their title match after the referee was absent to make the count. Aldis said this wasn’t a negotiation, and that Owens would be banned from WWE unless he handed over the title.
Rhodes’ music hit before Owens could respond. Aldis urged Rhodes, who wasn’t medically cleared, to stay away from the ring. Rhodes proposed a ladder match for the undisputed WWE and Winged Eagle championships. Aldis booked the match for the Royal Rumble. Owens shoved Aldis into Rhodes after the champ refused to shake his hand. Owens repeatedly stomped Rhodes’ injured neck as Aldis tried to intervene.
Rhodes vs. Owens is the best feud of Rhodes’ championship run. It’s great to see SmackDown’s top title get a month-plus build to a major pay-per-view match. We don’t often see world titles defended in ladder matches. You can expect Rhodes and Owens to make good use of the stipulation. Both men have legitimate reasons to want the trilogy, making the feud more compelling than ever. Grade: A-
What else happened on WWE SmackDown?
- Bayley, Bianca Belair and Naomi def. Nia Jax, Tiffany Stratton and Candice LeRae via pinfall Naomi hit a Full Nelson bomb on Stratton. Pre-match, Jax continued to deny assaulting Jade Cargill last month.
- Braun Strowman def. Austin Theory via pinfall with a running power slam.
- Michin, equipped with a kendo stick, ruined Chelsea Green’s women’s United States championship celebration.
- Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) def. Los Garza (Angel Garza and Humberto Carrillo) via pinfall after hitting a doomsday blockbuster on Garza. Pre-match, Pretty Deadly accused Los Garza — instead of Johnny Gargano — of attacking Street Profits a few weeks ago. Afterward, Apollo Crews informed Street Profits that #DIY attacked them.
- Sami Zayn def. Carmelo Hayes via disqualification after The Bloodline attacked Zayn. Strowman tried to make the save but was also beaten down by Solo Sikoa’s group.