WWE SmackDown Live Coverage – January 10, 2025
The night began with a huge celebration for Tiffany Stratton, the new WWE Women’s Champion after cashing in her Money in the Bank briefcase. Following her title win over Nia Jax, Stratton was joined by Paul Heyman, who also hyped up Roman Reigns’ victory over Solo Sikoa on “WWE Raw” to reclaim the title of Undisputed Tribal Chief.
Paul Heyman introduced Cody Rhodes to the ring to inform him of Roman Reigns’ intentions. Reigns, who’s entering the 2025 Men’s Royal Rumble, is set to challenge Cody for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. However, Kevin Owens interrupted and called out Rhodes for his recent alliances, specifically his handshake with Heyman and his refusal to let The Bloodline tear Reigns apart. This led to a chaotic brawl between Owens and Rhodes.
The action intensified backstage, where Jacob Fatu and Tama Tonga ambushed Paul Heyman. They were met with resistance from Jimmy Uso, who attempted to take down the duo with chair shots. Despite his best efforts, Fatu and Tonga overwhelmed him, with Fatu eventually clotheslining Jimmy and sending a message of dominance.
Meanwhile, the action continued in the ring with the Women’s United States Championship match. Chelsea Green, accompanied by Piper Niven, defended her title against “Michin” Mia Yim. The match saw back-and-forth action, with Michin gaining momentum. However, after a distraction from Niven, Green pulled off a sneaky pin, retaining her championship.
Backstage, Nick Aldis set up matches between various tag teams, including Pretty Deadly, Los Garza, and MCMG. Los Garza managed to secure a victory over Pretty Deadly after some interference from Elektra Lopez and Santos Escobar.
The evening also featured a highly anticipated match between Shinsuke Nakamura and LA Knight for the United States Championship. Both men displayed incredible athleticism, with Knight gaining control early on, even sending Nakamura into the announce desk. Nakamura fought back, delivering his signature Kinshasa but was met with an incredible comeback from Knight, who nearly captured the win after hitting his BFT finisher. However, the match ended in chaos as Tama Tonga and Jacob Fatu interfered, leaving both men incapacitated.
The night ended with Cody Rhodes and Jimmy Uso coming to the rescue of LA Knight, leading to a stand-off with Fatu and Tonga as chaos reigned backstage.