WWE SmackDown Results: The Rock acknowledged; massive return after 1397 days; Roman Reigns Royal Rumble match confirmed

WWE SmackDown: New Year's Revolution kicked off with Roman Reigns showing up to the arena before being asked about The Rock.

Reigns just laughed it off and walked away as we headed to the ring for the night's first match.

• Kevin Owens def. Santos Escobar in the United States Championship Tournament Finals
• IYO SKY def. Michin to retain the WWE Women's Championship
• Butch & Tyler Bate def. Pretty Deadly
• AJ Styles vs. LA Knight vs. Randy Orton ended via referee stoppage

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WWE SmackDown Results (January 05, 2024): Kevin Owens vs. Santos Escobar - United States Championship Tournament Finals

Santos Escobar showed up with Angel Garza and Humberto Carrillo before Logan Paul came out and joined the commentary team. Just as the match began, Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde attacked Angel and Humberto before all four headed backstage, clearing the ringside area.

Owens hit a superkick off the distraction and dropped Santos before getting a frogsplash and a near fall. Santos returned with a backbreaker and sent Owens outside before hitting a big dive.

KO hit a big DDT before getting a brainbuster from the top rope. Escobar got the double knees in the corner and a top rope takedown before getting the splash for a near fall.

The crowd started booing Logan Paul at ringside as Owens got a top rope rolling senton. Escobar countered the stunner but took the pop-up powerbomb before Owens got the stunner and picked up the win on SmackDown!

Result: Kevin Owens def. Santos Escobar

Grade: B+

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Logan Paul got on the mic and mocked Owens, congratulating him for the win before declaring he was the greatest United States Champion in history.

Paul headed to the ring, and as he got there, Owens punched him in the face and knocked him out on SmackDown.

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Grayson Waller and Austin Theory were backstage with Logan Paul when Cameron Grimes showed up and set up a match with Waller.

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Bobby Lashley and the Street Profits were out next in suits, and Lashley said that 2023 was difficult for him, but teaming up with the Profits was a big win. He said his goal was to become The All Mighty again and declared that he would join the 2024 Royal Rumble.

Karrion Kross showed up on the Titantron and then walked up the ramp with Scarlett and Paul Ellering. The Authors of Pain made their return after 1397 days and attacked the Street Profits in the ring!

Kross sent Bobby into the steel steps outside as AOP took out the Street Profits with the Super Collider. Kross took Lashley out in the ring with the TKO before joining AOP, Scarlett, and Paul Ellering on the entrance ramp, where they stood menacingly.

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IYO SKY (c) vs. Michin - WWE Women's Championship match on SmackDown New Year's Revolution

Michin got a nearfall off a big codebreaker off the corner and locked in a single-legged crab, but the champ broke out of it. SKY hit a massive suplex on the apron before going for the Moonsault, but Michin got her knees up.

SKY hit running double knees before taking a Styles Clash from the middle rope! The champ got back up and hit a Meteora before hitting Over The Moonsault finisher for the win.

Result: IYO SKY def. Michin to retain the WWE Women's Championship

Grade: B

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Paul Heyman showed up backstage and said that The Rock called Roman Reigns out to get a chance at being at the Head of the Table. He said that The Rock was trying to be relevant by calling out Roman and that others, LA Knight and CM Punk, among others, had already tried it, but it didn't end well for them.

Damage CTRL was backstage on SmackDown, and Bayley said she would win the Royal Rumble and then beat Rhea Ripley for her title. Bianca Belair showed up and said that she would win the Rumble instead before taking away IYO's title.

After Bianca left, IYO and the rest of the team said that Bayley should take care of Bianca as the group leader.

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Butch & Tyler Bate vs. Prety Deadly on WWE SmackDown New Year's Revolution

Tyler Bate made his SmackDown debut with this match and started against Wilson from the Deadly. Tags were made early, and Butch took Prince out with a clothesline before going for the small joint manipulation.

Butch and Bate hit stereo football kicks on Wilson in the corner before Prince broke up the pin. Prince got taken out before Wilson took the double Tyler Driver '97 before Butch and Bate picked up the win on SmackDown.

Result: Butch & Tyler Bate def. Pretty Deadly

Grade: B-

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Ashante 'Thee' Adonis walked up to Nick Aldis' office and said he was looking for an opportunity. The latter said that he had some ideas before we headed for the main event.

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AJ Styles vs. LA Knight vs. Randy Orton - WWE Undisputed Universal Championship #1 Contender’s Match on SmackDown New Year's Revolution

Knight was in control early on and smacked Orton's and Styles' heads on the announce desk before Randy recovered and dropped him and Styles on the announce desk. Styles got up and sent Knight into the steel steps.

Back in the ring, Orton blocked the springboard dive from AJ before hitting the draping DDT. Randy was getting ready for the RKO, but Knight dragged him outside before AJ took LA out with a dive.

After a break, Orton took out Styles and Knight, but the latter got a near fall off the BFT to Randy. Styles got a Pele kick on Knight before getting a near fall off a springboard 450 splash.

Knight was bleeding from the forehead when Randy returned and hit an RKO on Styles, but LA Knight dragged the referee outside to break the count. Roman Reigns came out with Jimmy, and Solo interfered in the match, taking out all three competitors.

Solo got the ring steps and hit Orton with it before Reigns took Styles out with a powerbomb. Solo and Jimmy rolled Knight into the ring before Reigns hit him with a spear.

Orton was sent in next and took a Samoan Spike/Spear combo before Nick Aldis told Heyman that Reigns earned himself a Fatal Four-Way match for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Royal Rumble as the SmackDown went off the air.

Result: D.N.F

Grade: A