WWE SmackDown Live Results And Recap 1/17/18

Opening Segment

The New Day came out first to campaign for Xavier Woods and his quest to become the new United States Champion. They rolled their R’s for twenty minutes to really accentuate the Modern Day Maharajjjjja which was clever.

Woods said he wanted to talk about the Principal Of The Pancake and I still don’t understand the whole pancake thing.

They said Jinder Mahal hates the movie Home Alone and Big E kind of said Home Alone 3 doesn’t count, because it doesn’t.

It was a very entertaining segment overall and they really got the crowd going. Then the Singh Brothers and they introduced Jinder Mahal.

Jinder Mahal vs Xavier Woods

Jinder Mahal took control through most of this match and Woods took a lot of punishment. Woods barely made it in the ring before a count out and then started to come back until Mahal shot him into the corner like a rocket.

Woods eventually went for an Honor Roll but Mahal caught him in the face in a brutal counter but only got a two count. As the New Day rooted their stablemate on, he laid in some chops but Mahal soon took him down with a stiff clothesline.

Mahal started to come back and mount some kind of attack and hit a couple takedowns with his forearm. Woods hit a suplex but missed with that nice elbow drop he does off the ropes. Jinder launched Woods into the bottom rope and Mahal started to amp himself up.

Then Jinder Mahal hit the Khallas and that was that. Woods sold the damage to his neck well and looked very out of it. He really is an outstanding WWE Superstar and could be a great singles star eventually.

Winner: Jinder Mahal via pinfall

AJ Styles cut a backstage promo on how he got to this point and how he’s going to do everything in his power to put an end to Kevin and Sami’s Yep Movement.

Bobby Roode vs Mojo Rawley

Mojo tried to gain an advantage with his fast offense but Roode relied on his experience to maintain his hype.

Roode ground Mojo Rawley down with a headlock until he finally got up and mounted an offense. Mojo continued abusing Roode for a while but Roode hit a neckbreaker and a blockbuster to really slow Mr. Get Hyped Stay Hyped down.

But Mojo picked Roode up into a fireman’s carry and sent Roode slamming facefirst into the canvas in an unconventional yet highly effective move.

“Glorious huh?!” Mojo kept repeating as Roode was in the corner. Then Bobby blocked Mojo’s running punch finisher and hit a spinebuster and a Glorious DDT. That was all it took.

Winner: Bobby Roode via pinfall

Then the Singh Brothers jumped Bobby Roode as he was celebrating his victory. Jinder Mahal stood on the entrance ramp and he was very proud of himself. He talked some trash to Roode and then the Glorious One demanded a mic.

“We don’t have to wait till next week. Why don’t we do this tonight?” Roode said as the crowd broke into huge “yes” chants.

Mahal said they’ll do it on his time and then he turned around to see a smiling Daniel Bryan standing behind him.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Daniel said, “we will have the United States Championship match…tonight!” Insert more “yes” chants here.

Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, and Naomi vs The Riott Squad

The veterans ran over the Riott Squad early on and really stayed on top of them to apply some seasoned knowledge thanks to Charlotte Flair.

But when we came back from commercial, Ruby had turned things around on Lynch and tagged in Liv Morgan who sat on the top rope and Riott droved Becky’s head right into them. Live rubbed it in well and applied some more damage before tagging Sarah Logan in to have some fun too.

Lynch tossed Logan over the top rope after taking some abuse but Sarah got right back in to stop Becky from getting to her corner. Morgan and Naomi got tagged in and The Glow caught a springboad kick followed by a dropkick.

Naomi caught a kick from the apron and hit a springboard crossbody but Logan broke up the pin. Flair took out Logan and Riott kicked Naomi followed by a finisher from Liv Morgan for the win.

Winners: The Riott Squad via pinfall

The Usos were interviewed backstage and it’s nice to see them not in an actual penitentiary. They said Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable met on “Tag Team Tinder” and then they got jumped from behind by their challengers at the Royal Rumble.

This is interesting that the Usos are babyfaces again in this feud at least. Gable and Benjamin said The Usos are going to be former Tag Team Champions.

Bobby Roode vs Jinder Mahal

Shane McMahon came dancing down the ramp to have a front row seat for this match.

Mahal took the punishment to Roode early on and it continued through the first commercial break. Jinder stretched Roode using the ring post and knocked him off the apron and into the barricade.

Once the action returned to the ring, Jinder locked in an abdominal stretch to further abuse Roode’s ribs. But Jinder Mahal still couldn’t secure a pinfall.

Roode fought back with some chops but Mahl caught him with a knee to the face for another two count. Jinder Mahal continued to drive his knee into Roode’s back but The Glorious One soon powered out of a submission hold.

Jinder caught a kick to the face for another two count. Roode clotheslined Mahal over the top rope and hit a clothesline on the outside while still selling his ribs.

Roode continued the fight in the ring and hit a blockbuster for another two count. Roode sold the pain in his ribs as he went for the Glorious DDT but Mahal countered out of it. Then they both took each other out with a double clothesline.

Suddenly, Bobby Roode hit a spinebuster but Mahal countered out of another Glorious DDT. He rolled Roode up for a pin but Roode kicked out. Mahal went for the Khallas but Bobby Roode countered into a Glorious DDT and he nailed it that time.

1-2-3 and we have a Glorious United States Champion.

Winner and NEW United States Champion: Bobby Roode