The show opens with a video package recapping last week’s main event between AJ Styles and Sami Zayn and Daniel Bryan’s controversial decision to book a handicap WWE Championship match at Royal Rumble.
Tom Phillips welcomes us to the show. He is joined by Corey Graves and Byron Saxton.
We are live in Birmingham, Alabama and AJ Styles makes his way down to the ring for a sit-down interview. He starts off by saying that every time he steps foot in the ring he takes pride in what he does, but he’s human, he does make mistakes, and had he known Bryan was going to take him seriously, he probably wouldn’t have been sarcastic last week. But he can’t change it and it’s a handicap match now.

He continues by saying is there a chance he could lose his title? Absolutely. Is there a chance he’s gonna beat the crap out of Owens and Zayn? You better believe it, he is going to hit them so hard and so fast that they don’t know what’s happening. But they’re professionals, and logic tells him that the longer the match goes, the more likely they are going to win as they can tag in a fresh man.
As to whether it was a fair decision of Daniel Bryan to make, no, but neither is life. And yes, Sami and Kevin have non-title victories over him, but that doesn’t mean that they deserve a shot together. Separately? Let’s do it, he’ll fight both of them in the same night, but to him it’s not smart booking to do it on SmackDown. AJ is asked if he thinks Bryan is playing favorites. Well the crowd thinks he is, but AJ doesn’t know what his deal is.
Styles says he doesn’t know what Bryan is thinking, and as far as Shane McMahon, he’s not gonna point fingers. He’s already in the middle of Zayn and Owens, he doesn’t need to be in the middle of Bryan and Shane as well. The truth of the matter is he can’t allow those two idiots to take his title from him, and when he does win, he’s gonna thank the high heavens for beating them in the same match and there will be no doubt that SmackDown.
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn interrupts and makes their way down to the ring. Owens asks the crowd to give it up for AJ before suggesting that a better moniker might be the regretful or the remorseful AJ Styles, rather than phenomenal. Or perhaps the AJ Styles who put his foot in his mouth and is doing everything he can to take it back. Owens says that it will take a miracle for AJ to beat them one-on-two and heaven doesn’t give out miracles to people like him.

Owens continues by saying that Styles can sing to high heaven all he wants but he has no chance of walking out of their match with that title. When it’s all said and done, Owens says, when the night is over they’re going to be the first-ever co-WWE Champions and they will turn the House That AJ Styles Built into the Sami and Kevin show. Yep.
Shane McMahon’s music hits and he makes his way down to the ring. He says that it is not fair that AJ has to defend in a handicap match and he is puzzled by Bryan making it in the first place. He is further baffled as to why Bryan would let the Yep! Clowns have another chance at the title, but be that as it may, he backs the decision to do the match at the Royal Rumble, for now. But while they are on the subject of handicap matches, he wants to have one tonight, right here in Birmingham, Alabama.
So why not have Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn team up to take on Shinsuke Nakamura, Randy Orton, and AJ Styles.

Shane heads backstage to see Bryan standing there. Bryan asks about him being puzzled and says he has made a hell of a main event tonight. They proceed to shake hands.
Commentary hypes up our last First Round United States Championship Tournament Match as well as Becky Lynch vs. Ruby Riott and we go to a commercial break.
Back from the break commercial, we are just in time for the entrances of our first match of the night.
As Becky Lynch is making her way down to the ring, she gets a picture-in-picture promo. She says that she promises that Ruby is going to get burned, and that she is the last woman on SmackDown to enter the Women’s Royal Rumble Match and thus the last one to leave, because she is winning.
SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair and Naomi will be in Becky Lynch’s corner for this matchup.
Becky Lynch vs. Ruby Riott: Becky starts off strong from the opening bell. Logan tries to grab Becky’s leg from under the ropes, and Ruby tries to capitalize on the distraction, but it backfires and Becky drops her. Becky throws Ruby out to ringside on top of Liv and Sarah. Back in the ring, Ruby drops Becky and works on keeping her grounded. Becky breaks free, but Ruby slams her down again. Ruby hits some knee strikes and applies an abdominal stretch. Becky breaks free and rolls up Ruby for a two count. Becky fires up and lays into Ruby with strikes, and drops her with an uppercut. Becky follows up with some suplexes. She goes for a running kick, but Ruby dodges it and connects with a kick of her own. Ruby goes for another kick, but Becky blocks this one and latches on to her with the Dis-Arm-Her for the win via submission. Winner: Becky Lynch
After the match, The Riott Squad retreats to the stage as the baby-faces stand tall in the ring.
We see a Facebook Video of Sami Zayn and Becky Lynch’s partnership for WWE’s Mixed Match Challenge being announced. Commentary discusses the field for a moment and we go to a commercial break.
Back from the commercial break, the Ascension are in the ring for the next match, and we see a clip from WWE.com of the Fashion Files explaining why Breezango are not in their corner. They have a match against Rusev Day tonight.
The Bludgeon Brothers (Harper & Rowan) vs. The Ascension (Konnor & Viktor): The Ascension double teams Harper off the opening bell. Harper fires up and drops both Konnor and Viktor, and Konnor gets thrown outside. Rowan tags in and they double team Viktor for the win after a quick squash match. Winners: The Bludgeon Brothers (Harper & Rowan)
After the match, Rowan & Harper stand tall over Viktor as their music hits. They invite Konnor to enter the ring but he holds off. They go to leave and in comes Konnor to check on Viktor. Rowan and Harper turn their attention back to Konnor and attack, leaving him laying. They leave as their music plays.
We are informed that Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin will be demanding justice later.
Bobby Roode makes his way down to the ring, and he will be joining the commentary booth for Mojo Rawley vs. Zack Ryder, which will take place after the commercial break.
Back from the commercial break, we are just in time for the entrances of the next match.
Mojo Rawley vs. Zack Ryder (U.S. Title Tournament First Round Match): Ryder connects with a dropkick early on, and Mojo rolls outside to stall. Back in the ring, Mojo takes Ryder into the corner. Mojo backs up and charges, but Ryder stops him with knees. Ryder goes up top but Mojo knocks him down. Mojo continues the beat down on Ryder until Ryder catches him with a neck-breaker. Mojo charges and Ryder drops him then goes for the Broski Boot, but Mojo rolls outside to avoid it. Ryder kicks him through the ropes anyways, then throws Mojo back in the ring for a two count. Mojo ducks a shot and comes back with a big running lariat in the corner. Mojo pins and advances in the tournament to a match with Roode. Winner: Mojo Rawley
After the match, Mojo stands tall as his music hits. We get a look at the updated tournament bracket. Roode enters the ring and faces off with Mojo. Mojo backs away while pointing at Roode. Roode does his pose as his music hits.
We head backstage where Jinder Mahal and the Singh Brothers are standing in front of an Indian flag and Jinder talks about how he defined 2017. He says that no one thought he could be champion except for him, but as 2018 begins he has his eyes on a new prize, the United States Championship. He says that he has already defeated Tye Dillinger and next week he hopes Xavier Woods knows how to play Taps on his trombone because he has already lost. The New Day is a fad, but the Modern-Day Maharaja is forever.
Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin are shown walking backstage to send us to a commercial break.
Back from the commercial break, the commentary team hypes RAW’s 25th Anniversary Show.
We get a video package showing us that Natalya and Shinsuke Nakamura are partners for the Mixed Match Challenge.
Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin makes their way down to the ring and we get a video package recapping their title match last week wherein they pinned the wrong Uso to win the titles for a moment before the decision was reversed and the match restarted. Chad starts off by asking if anyone knows what it takes to be a winner. The hours of training, neglecting your family and friends to chase down one goal.
To hold the championship high over your head to show the world it’s possible, does anyone really know, he’s seriously asking. Shelton says that don’t think for one second that because the University of Alabama won it makes any of the crowd winners, all they did was sit on their couch and stuff their face. On the other hand, Georgia was robbed, he says, due to a bad referee call, just as they were last week.
Last week they broke the titles out of the Uso Penitentiary, they got ecstasy flowing through their bodies and then another referee shows up. A referee who wasn’t part of their match, so why was he in the match? Benjamin says that it boils down to one thing, jealousy. The referee was jealous, and he doesn’t know what it takes to be a winner. He’s no hero, he’s a thief, a tattletale, a rat, a snitch.
The crime was committed last week and they demand justice. They’re here to free the tag titles, because they didn’t lose to the Usos, they lost to instant replay. So they call Generic Referee #2 down to free the tag titles.
This brings Daniel Bryan out. He says that he understands the euphoria of thinking you won, and trust him, he definitely understands having something you’ve worked so hard for taken away. He doesn’t care what they think of their opponents, but when they start knocking management. Gable protests by saying that they were just talking about a referee, but Bryan cuts him off and says that the referees are part of management.
There are some rules talent need to learn to live by, and that is that the referee’s decision is final. Shelton agrees and he points out that the referee counted three and they won the match. Bryan disagrees by saying that they didn’t win the match because they pinned the wrong Uso. The referee realized he made the wrong decision and reversed it. He felt he did the right thing and they stand behind him.
Chad mocks the idea of this referee’s feelings mattering and he asks if this is Dr. Phil. Benjamin says that if we’re talking about feelings, Gable should look Bryan in the eye and tell him how he feels. Chad tells Bryan that he thinks he’s taking it out on him because his boss is mean to him. And he feels like they already beat the Usos. And he feels like they’re already champions.
What else do you want, for them to beat the Usos twice in one night? Bryan says that’s it, Chad is a genius, and at the Royal Rumble, the Usos will defend their titles against Gable and Benjamin in a two out of three falls match.
We head backstage where Randy Orton is getting ready when AJ Styles shows up. He wants to know if Orton is going to talk strategy or just RKO everything that moves. Randy says that works for him and Styles is into it. Orton says that he needs AJ to trust that they are on the same page but to understand that after he wins the Royal Rumble, he’s coming for the title at WrestleMania no matter who holds it.
We see Shinsuke Nakamura lurking on the other side of him, telling the Viper not so fast and Too Sweeting the title belt before taking his leave.
Breezango will take on Rusev Day after the commercial break.
Back from the commercial break, Aiden English sings us an intro.
They have an announcement to make. Rusev Day are in and they are going to win the Royal Rumble. Or, the Rusev Rumble.
Breezango (Fandango & Tyler Breeze) vs. Rusev Day (Aiden English & Rusev): English and Fandango start off and Fandango takes control early on. Breeze tags in and they double team English. English takes a breather at ringside and gets some words of encouragement from Rusev. Back in the ring, English takes control of Breeze. English goes for a senton but misses, and Fandango gets the tag. Fandango beats on English until English stuns him with a kick and tags in Rusev. Rusev flattens Fandango and then hits a spinning heel kick. Rusev goes for the Accolade, but Breeze runs in. Rusev throws Breeze outside, then drops him again when he tries to come back in. Fandango takes advantage of the distraction and rolls up Rusev for the three count out of nowhere. Winners: Breezango
After the match, Breezango retreats to celebrate and recover. Rusev Day is shocked in the ring. Breezango celebrates on the ramp as their music hits while Rusev throws a fit.
We head backstage where we see Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon talking and Bryan is very happy with the way the show has gone. McMahon says that he wants to be honest and they are not on the same page. Bryan is coming off impetuous and we just have to look at the matches he has been making for the Royal Rumble. The handicap WWE Championship Match with Owens and Zayn wanting to be co-champions.
The tag title match in which The Usos beat Gable and Benjamin fair and square, so they shouldn’t get another shot. He asks Bryan if everything is okay and says that he is coming off a little unstable. Bryan says that you could say the same about him thanks to his gene pool, and he has made irresponsible decisions before and likely will again. Shane politely agrees to disagree and takes his leave.
Commentary informs us that our main event is next, after the commercial break.
Back from the commercial break, we get some hype for the Royal Rumble PPV.
We get the entrances for the main event, but the match will begin after the commercial break.
Back from the commercial break, we are just in time for the bell.
AJ Styles, Randy Orton, & Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (2-on-3 Handicap Match): Orton and Owens starts this one. Orton takes control early on, but Owens stuns him with a boot to the face. Orton goes for the RKO early, but Owens evades it and rolls outside for a breather. They brawl outside before taking the fight back in the ring where Sami tags in. Sami works over Orton until Orton decks him and tags in Nakamura. Nakamura takes over the match with knee strikes to Sami. Nakamura hits a big kick, then follows up with a few more to Sami. Styles tags in now and continues the offense on Zayn. Sami fends off AJ and tags in Owens. Sami pulls Owens to safety to avoid a shot from AJ, and they roll outside. The referee starts counting them out, but Shane McMahon comes out to interrupt. Shane says this isn’t happening on his watch, and this match is now a No Count Out match. Shane calls for the match to be re-started, and AJ and Orton immediately leave the ring to brawl with Owens and Sami on the ramp. Back in the ring, Sami and AJ are going at it until Owens tags in. Owens puts the boots to AJ in the corner, then hits a lariat for a two count. AJ finally hits a neck-breaker on Owens to stop his momentum. Orton gets the tag and cleans house. Orton DDTs Sami and looks for the RKO, but Sami avoids it. Owens runs in with a steel chair and nails Orton, and the referee calls for the bell. Winners via DQ: AJ Styles, Randy Orton & Shinsuke Nakamura
After the bell, Owens delivers more chair shots as all of their opponents are down. Sami and Owens backs up the ramp but out comes Shane McMahon once again. Shane tells Sami and Owens to hold on just a second. He announces that the match will now be No Count Out, No DQ, Anything Goes. Shane has the match re-started again.
AJ Styles, Randy Orton & Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (No Countout, No DQ, Anything Goes Handicap Match): AJ runs up the ramp with a steel chair and delivers some chair shots of his own. Owens and AJ brawl backstage, while Sami brawls with Nakamura at ringside. Sami tries to escape through the crowd, but Nakamura and Orton stops him and beats him down around ringside. Back in the ring, Nakamura hits the Kinshasa on Sami, and then Orton hits the RKO on him for the three count. Winners: AJ Styles, Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura
After the match, Orton and Nakamura celebrates in the ring and poses as SmackDown goes off the air.