WWE Smackdown Live: Results, highlights and live stream for 2 January 2019

It’s the first show of the year, and WWE Smackdown Live has promised us big things…including the return of a certain 16x Champ. Let’s get 2019 rolling!

Kicking things off are your boys, The New DAAAAY. Which includes Big E dressed like the New Year’s …baby??

The New Day announce that they will all be competing in this year’s Royal Rumble. The joke winning the Rumble and challenging Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania…but they’re not sure he’d show up. Kofi loses control and says he’s been coming to work every day for 11 years and never received a world title shot. Woods and Big E calms him down. The New Day then run down their New Year’s Resolutions. They announce the next match, in which the winner will qualify for a Fatal 5-way later tonight…

Jeff Hardy vs Samoa Joe

Result: Samoa Joe wins via submission when he chokes out Hardy with  the Coquina Clutch

Backstage Vince and Shane McMahon are talking, and then interrupted by AJ Styles. He threatens to show Vince the old AJ Styles again…Shane steps to AJ but Vince steps between them. AJ walks off and Vince smiles. Shanes asks if he is sure that’s the AJ he wants? Vince says “Oh Yes!”

Back in the ring, the new US Champion Rusev and Lana make their way down for a celebration.

Rusev thanks everyone and starts a USA Rusev Day chant. He’s blindsided by Shinsuke Nakamura who beats down Rusev, Lana jumps on Shinsuke’s back and Rusev nails him with a Machka kick, but Nakamura falls on top of Lana. Rusev rushes over to check on Lana, but Nakamura nails him with the Kinshasa and leaves him laying.

We get a recap and the Naomi, Mandy Rose and Jimmy Uso incident from last week, and both Naomi and Mandy Rose make their way to the ring for a match, but it’s a setup as it’s Sonya De Ville in the match, not Mandy.

Naomi vs Sonya DeVille

Result: Sonya De Ville wins via pinfall after Mandy Rose distracts Naomi by showing a picture of herself in a  towel on the big screen.

We get comments from the competitors in the Fatal 5 way match later tonight. Including Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio and Mustafa Ali.

It’s time for the return of John Cena…he heads to the ring to a great response.

John Cena gets on the mic and gets his usual mixed response. He thanks everyone, and then recaps his year, including growing his hair which he still thinks is a good idea. He questions why he’s back, and he’s just waiting for someone’s music to hit and come down and tell him he’s not good enough anymore. Oh wait, here comes The Man…Becky Lynch has heard enough. She says things have changed and they not so simple anymore. Becky says her goal was not just to replace Charlotte on the posters and merchandise, but John Cena too. She says is Cena has a problem with that, Nikki Bella won’t be the only women to drop him this year. Ouch. Here comes Zelina Vega and “Cien” Andrade Almas. She runs them both down and it leads to a mixed match.

John Cena & Becky Lynch vs Andrade “Cien” Almas & Zelina Vega

Result: Becky taps out Zelina to win. At the end of the match, Becky  threw John Cena out the ring and took over.

We get a recap of The Miz and Shane McMahon’s union. Backstage The Miz questions Shane’s commitment, but Shane reassures him he’s in. Miz show’s him some drawings of their new costumes. Some funny stuff here.

Next up, Triple H addresses WWE Smackdown Women’s Champion Asuka and her new challenger. She says she will take on anyone, because nobody is ready for Asuka. Charlotte, Carmella, Becky all appear to state their case. Triple H says he will take it under consideration and come back to them.

FATAL 5-Way
Rey Mysterio vs Mustafa Ali vs Randy Orton vs Samoa Joe vs AJ Styles

Result: AJ Styles picks up the win over Mysterio to become the new #1 contender to face Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble.

SuperSport 4 will broadcast all the action live from 2:00 on 2 January (that’s Wednesday morning). Repeats will be available throughout the day and you can catch the highlights after the show right here on TheSouthAfrican.com.