Episode
WWE Friday Night SmackDown: January 2, 2018 (Orlando, FL)
Overview
The disunity between Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan came to the forefront during AJ Styles' main event showdown against Sami Zayn, leading to a huge Royal Rumble WWE Title Match announcement. Elsewhere, Shelton Benjamin & Chad Gable finally got their two-on-two opportunity at SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos.
Details
- Series
- WWE Friday Night SmackDown
- Season
- Season 20
- Episode
- Episode 1
- Air date
- 2018-01-02
- Runtime
- 85 min
Episode context
January 2, 2018 (Orlando, FL) is Episode 1 in Season 20 of WWE Friday Night SmackDown. It aired on 2018-01-02. The runtime is 85 min.
Previous / Next
More episodes from this season
Episode 3: January 16, 2018 (Laredo, TX)
In an impromptu main event, the Final of the United States Championship Tournament went down when Jinder Mahal took on Bobby Roode after each qualified earlier in the night. Elsewhere, the women of Team Blue continued to slug it out as the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble draws near.
Episode 4: January 23, 2018 (Washington, DC)
Feeling backed into a corner, WWE Champion AJ Styles found himself in another jam when he agreed to take on both Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in back-to-back singles matches on SmackDown LIVE. Elsewhere, the Team Blue women threw down in a wild melee just five days before the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble Match.
Episode 5: January 30, 2018 (Philadelphia, PA)
With their WWE Title Match at WrestleMania now official, WWE Champion AJ Styles & Shinsuke Nakamura teamed up against Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn on SmackDown LIVE. The one rub? Owens & Zayn were informed beforehand that they would be squaring off against one another next week, with the opportunity to be the next challenger for Styles’ WWE Championship at WWE Fastlane on the line.
Episode 6: February 6, 2018 (Kansas City, MO)
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn’s one-on-one encounter to determine a challenger for WWE Champion AJ Styles at WWE Fastlane took a chaotic turn, leading to Daniel Bryan throwing all three a curveball. Elsewhere, United States Champion Bobby Roode defended his title against Rusev.
Episode 7: February 13, 2018 (Bakersfield, CA)
Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn tried to take control of their own destiny by ambushing Dolph Ziggler and Baron Corbin before their match to see who would advance to the WWE Title Match alongside them and WWE Champion AJ Styles at WWE Fastlane. However, their plan would ultimately backfire when SmackDown LIVE Commissioner Shane McMahon flipped the script and gave both Ziggler and Corbin a chance to advance, potentially making it a Fatal-5 Way Match for the title at WWE Fastlane.
Episode 8: February 20, 2018 (Phoenix, AZ)
With the WWE Championship Fatal 5-Way Match at WWE Fastlane coming into focus, WWE Champion AJ Styles took on Baron Corbin in non-title competition, and Kevin Owens squared off against Dolph Ziggler, with Sami Zayn playing a pivotal role in both bouts.
Episode 9: February 27, 2018 (Los Angeles, CA)
John Cena arrived on SmackDown LIVE with a clear plan to move forward to WrestleMania, setting his sights on the WWE Title Match at WWE Fastlane. Elsewhere, Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan continued to clash over Bryan’s handling of Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn.
Episode 10: March 6, 2018 (Green Bay, WI)
The one-on-one main event between WWE Champion AJ Styles and Dolph Ziggler took an unexpected turn after The “Yep!” Movement injected themselves with a surprise attack. Elsewhere, Randy Orton and Jinder Mahal rekindled their epic rivalry, as United States Champion Bobby Roode watched on from the announce desk.
Episode 11: March 13, 2018 (Indianapolis, IN)
After announcing he'd be taking an indefinite leave of absence from his position, SmackDown LIVE Commissioner Shane McMahon delivered on his promise to make a major WrestleMania announcement, but the plan backfired on him when Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn were not happy with what they heard. Elsewhere, matters intensified between WWE Champion AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura, as their WWE Title Match at WrestleMania 34 draws closer.
Episode 12: March 20, 2018 (Dallas, TX)
On one of the biggest nights of his life, SmackDown LIVE General Manager Daniel Bryan spoke emotionally about once again being cleared to compete in WWE. When he fired Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn later in the night, however, his celebration turned upside down, as he suffered a brutal assault at the hands of The "Yep!" Movement.