Match Ratings For 1/9/18 Smackdown Live From Sean Ross Sapp

Opening segment

• Renee Young has a talk show segment? Sweet. She has AJ Styles on.
• She asks questions that would come off as whining. Renee Young pushes him to answer the questions. This is good.
• AJ Styles says it's a bad booking decision, and he didn't mean to be taken seriously.
• KO and Zayn come out and troll him, but Shane McMahon books them against Styles, Orton and Nakamura.
• Bryan backs Shane's decision.

Becky Lynch (w/ Charlotte & Naomi) defeated Ruby Riott (w/ Riott Squad)
5.25/10

• I'm a fan of Becky Lynch's less obnoxious hair color.
• This is fundamentally sound, and it's made very clear that Becky Lynch is calling the match. 
• Becky Lynch taps out Ruby Riott after a fine match.
• What are the Riott squad? Buncha dorks. 
• Mixed Match Challenge reveals being the new Promposals is either genius or doofy, I dunno. I like them

Bludgeon Brothers defeated The Ascension

• Ascension try to get Breezango to join them, but they have a match later. Too bad, so sad.
• R.I.P Ascension. That's it. 

United States Championship Tournament Quarterfinals
Mojo Rawley defeated Zack Ryder

•  Bobby Roode is at ringside.
• Mojo Rawley has had more good promos and good matches combined since WrestleMania than Jinder Mahal. His phone promo this week was great. 
• Zack Ryder is burned to a crisp. He gets beat up for a while before getting a hope spot. 
• Mojo gets the win. This wasn't pretty, but Mojo isn't here to be Bret Hart.
• His theme also sucks. They didn't show anything from his phone promo. Odd. 

Backstage crappenings

• Natalya didn't want to team with Rusev or Zayn, and is happy Shinsuke Nakamura is her partner
• Jinder Mahal cuts a promo about facing Xavier Woods next week. 
• Randy Orton lets AJ Styles know that he's coming after the title. 

Training Day

• Training Day cut a promo about getting screwed.
• Compared to what they usually do, this is good. Not a high bar. 
• Chad Gable has one of the best sarcastic voices I've ever heard. SHOOSH. Training Day run a therapy gimmick and it's pretty good.
• Daniel Bryan ends up booking a two out of three falls title match at the Royal Rumble. Sweet,

Breezango defeated Rusev Day
5/10

• Rusev announces that he and Aiden English will be entering the Rusev Rumble!
• Aiden English always shows me something new. Even if it's him rolling seven times like he's goddamn Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop.
• After a series of kicks, Breezango gain a big upset.
• WWE can't really be so lazy as to constantly run the same stories on separate brands right?
• They scripted Daniel Bryan to say "I can't believe how Breezango connect with the audience" WHEN THEY WRESTLED RUSEV DAY. He and Shane McMahon call each other unstable in very calm voices.

Handicap Match
AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, Randy Orton defeated Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
4.5/10

• I really like Randy Orton going for the RKO early in matches.
• Think they'll bring up Chris Jericho and Chyna being co-IC Champs? Doubt it.
• KO and Zayn try to get counted out, but Shane McMahon makes it a no-countout match.
• Later, Owens and Zayn get themselves DQ'd with chairs. 
• Shane McMahon restarting the matches is the new Teddy Long tag team match. No DQ now.
• Daniel Bryan literally said earlier that the referee's decision is final.
• Zayn eats a Singh Bomb on the announce table. Kinshasa, RKO gets the win.
• This was lame. I mean, I get it. But lame.