Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for January 31, 2025

Michael Cole introduces Pat McAfee. Pat McAfee says he has worked to bring the Royal Rumble to Indianapolis, Indiana, and he tells everyone from outside of the city that Indianapolis hosts the biggest show on Earth every single year. He says that the entire city is ready, then says he loves the city and WWE and that he is thankful to be here. Afterwards, Joe Tessitore interviews Kevin Owens in the ring. Owens mocks Tessitore for caring only for Cody Rhodes' feelings while disrespecting his and states that he will be the one to become Undisputed WWE Champion on Saturday. When Tessitore apologizes for potentially coming up short in his coverage of him, Owens tells him to shove it up his ass, then takes back the Winged Eagle Championship only for CM Punk to show up. Punk apologizes for interrupting him, then says he heard his name being invoked. He also apologizes for making it seem like he is looking past him on the way to win the Royal Rumble and potentially face Owens in the main event. Punk tells Owens that when he wins the Royal Rumble, he is coming for him and that his reign will not last long. Owens says he likes everyone else in the Royal Rumble more than Punk, but entertains the thought of beating Punk in the WrestleMania main event. Owens says he knows how much winning the Royal Rumble means to Punk, and admits that he loves the idea of CM Punk not winning the Royal Rumble and obsessing over what could have been before going to his grave as a miserable failure. After Owens says he hopes Punk does not win the Royal Rumble and attempts to leave, Punk says Owens may have accomplished a lot in WWE, he has never lost five title matches at Royal Rumble or to Logan Paul, or took shortcuts to win a title. Punk then dares Owens to get in the ring right now so he can kick his ass, and says that while he may not main event WrestleMania, he can still kick his ass. Owens teases getting in the ring, but leaves instead.

Backstage, The Miz meets with General Manager Nick Aldis. As The Miz says he could have taught Andrade so much and that he would punch him in the face right now, Miz finds out Andrade is in the room. Andrade challenges The Miz to a match tonight, and while The Miz has nothing to prove, he will teach him greatness any time, anywhere. Aldis makes the match official for tonight.

Backstage, Jimmy Uso says Carmelo Hayes has a lot to prove tonight and that if Carmelo misses tonight, it is over for him.

Before the next match, Carmelo Hayes says Jimmy Uso is talking like he is "The One" when he is really "The Two," then says he will not miss because his name is not Tyrese Halliburton (who is in the crowd).

Jimmy Uso beats Carmelo Hayes with a schoolkid pin and a grab of the tights after kicking out of a roll-up in which Carmelo grabs the middle rope for leverage.

Royal Rumble, by the numbers.

Backstage, Byron Saxton interviews Chelsea Green and Piper Niven. Chelsea says "Michin" Mia Yim tried to destroy "the face of the United States," then says she will return the favor, win the Royal Rumble, and win at WrestleMania.

"Michin" Mia Yim beats Chelsea Green by disqualification after Chelsea hits her with a shinai. Chelsea Green retains the WWE Women's United States Championship. After the match, Michin fights back and starts striking Chelsea with the shinai until Chelsea runs away.

Backstage, Byron Saxton interviews Bianca Belair and Naomi. Bianca says that she and Naomi will be a tag team before and after the Royal Rumble, and Naomi says they will support each other no matter what. Bianca says that if one of them does not win, the other will. Bianca says that she and Naomi are going to stay Women's Tag Team Champions no mater what, and Naomi says that Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez should be ready to rumble.

We see another vignette for Charlotte Flair. She agrees that she is arrogant and greedy and that she has worked her ass off in the last year to get where she is, and says that the stories she has heard are all true. She says it is lonely at the top because she does not need to make friends, and that she has reached her goal to stay on top for ten years and that she is not going to let the last year define her. Charlotte says she is fortunate and blessed, but also history-making, record-breaking, never scared and "the woman of WWE."

Stephanie McMahon is seen in the crowd.

Damian Priest heads to the ring. Priest talks about how he started four years ago on Raw and only cared about his name living forever, making an impact and wanting to be know. He says he went from betrayer to betrayed, follower to leader, and nobody to World Heavyweight Champion. He says he does not want to live in the past anymore and that the goal now is championships, and that will start by throwing people over the top rope in the Royal Rumble to secure his spot at WrestleMania and getting his hand raised as world champion. Jacob Fatu and Tama Tonga get in the ring. Jacob says he knows who Priest is and what he has done, and says Priest has accomplished more than everyone in the back. He says they both came out of the gutter and from the streets, with the only difference being he was in prison. He tells Priest not to get things twisted, as he is off the leash and it is "all gas, no brakes," and that he will not let Priest make a name for himself because he and Tama run SmackDown. Priest makes it clear he is not intimidated and that Jacob should no better, then asks why they are even talking before superkicking Tama. After a staredown, Priest and Jacob brawl, and Priest gets the upper hand until Tama jumps back in. At this point, the numbers game takes over, and Tama grabs a metal folding chair. LA Knight suddenly shows up and bootsthe chair into Tama's face before smacking it into Jacob's back. It has no effect, but that allows Priest to hit a superkick and gives LA Knight the upper hand. LA Knight then challenges Jacob Fatu to a tag team match against him and Damian Priest.

Backstage, Legado del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Elektra Lopez, Berto, Garza) are met by The Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley). Sabin admits both teams do not like each other, but he wants to make sure they are on the same page, and Shelley wants to make sure they are ready to win. Santos makes it clear that he and the rest of Legado del Fantasma have to fight to get what they want, and while The Motor City Machine Guns want to have their backs, Los Garza (Berto and Garza) say they can take care of themselves and that they will be coming after the Machine Guns at the Royal Rumble.

It is announced that Paul "Triple H" Levesque will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2025.

Pretty Deadly (Kit Wilson and Elton Prince) and #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) beat Los Garza (Berto and Garza) and The Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley) after Los Garza walk out on The Motor City Machine Guns, Tommaso Ciampa accidentally boots Elton Prince in the face and Chris Sabin pins Ciampa with a victory roll.

Backstage, Tama Tonga notices the WWE Tag Team Championships, and when #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) come to take them, Tama simply goes "yeah, yeah, yeah" before DIY leave. DIY then argue with Pretty Deadly (Kit Wilson and Elton Prince) over their loss and booting Elton Prince in the head, but Gargano says it is not the time to argue and says that if they lose their titles, Pretty Deadly can kiss their title opportunity goodbye. Elton Prince tells #DIY they are on their own.

Michael Cole and Pat McAfee interview Tyrese Halliburton. Halliburton says he is excited to see the Royal Rumble in Indianapolis, Indiana. He says tomorrow's game with the Atlanta Hawks will be a good game, and that he looks forward to the Royal Rumble. We then see footage of Michael Cole and "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes crowdsurfing before the show through the Pat-a-Strator.

We see a video package for Kevin Owens vs. "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes in a ladder match for the Undisputed WWE Championship at Royal Rumble.

Naomi beats Liv Morgan after Bianca Belair pulls Raquel Rodriguez off the apron and Naomi reverses a Sunset Flip from Liv Morgan and pins Liv's shoulders to the mat. After the match, Liv and Raquel attack Bianca and Naomi and come out on top.

Andrade beats The Miz with a devastating spinning back elbow.

Backstage, Damian Priest is met by Santos Escobar, who says that SmackDown can be a very hard place to survive in and offers his help. Priest says he is not in the mood, and Escobar says that "Dominik" was right about him having a big ego. Priest tells Santos to pick his next words carefully, but Santos says he will be seeing him. Priest then runs into R-Truth, who thinks tonight is Raw and that General Manager Nick Aldis is Adam Pearce. He then runs into LA Knight, and the two of them agree to team up tonight, but Priest says that on Saturday, he does not know him. As this goes on, Shinsuke Nakamura watches from the background. R-Truth then proposes that the three of them should form a team.

Backstage, Tiffany Stratton runs into Zelina Vega, who entertains the idea of winning the Royal Rumble and going after the WWE Women's Championship. Tiffany says she will be sitting pretty while Zelina fights for her life against 29 other women.

Michael Cole and Pat McAfee interview Tiffany Stratton in the ring. Tiffany says the WWE Women's Championship may be her first title on SmackDown, but she has always been championship material, and now, everyone knows it. She says it does not matter who wins the Royal Rumble, because it is always Tiffy Time, and if Nia Jax wins tomorrow, that is fine with her. Candice LeRae suddenly shows up and calls Tiffany "pathetic," saying she is not deserving of the championship after she betrayed Nia, and that Tiffany is jealous that Nia prefers her as a tag team partner. She tells Tiffany to enjoy what little bit of "Tiffy Time" she has left, as she has entered the Royal Rumble and will make her regret her actions. As she tells Candice that she is the champion while Candice will stay Nia Jax's sidekick, she sees Nia Jax coming. Nia accidentally smashes Candice in the corner, but she soon gets the upper hand on Tiffany and hits her with the A-Nia-Lator.

LA Knight and Damian Priest beat Tama Tonga and Jacob Fatu. After the match, Jacob gets back in the ring and superkicks Priest before hitting him with a Samoan Drop and a top rope moonsault to end the show.

Here's the recap for tonight's show!

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