November 26, 2024

WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from February 10

Lacey Evans #LaceyEvans

WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from February 10

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Did Jey Uso show up for his scheduled tag team title defense Friday night? Credit: WWE.com

Where do Jey Uso’s loyalties lie?

It was the question at the heart of Friday’s SmackDown as The Boodine waited with anxious anticipation for the Right Hand Man to join brother Jimmy for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship defense against Braun Strowman and Ricochet.

Did Jey show up? Did he do enough to sustain him and his brother’s historic reign as the top tag team in pro wresting or did Strowman and Ricochet capitalize on the uncertainty surrounding The Boodline to score the win?

Find out with this recap of Friday’s show.

Paul Heyman Promo

2 of 5

Paul Heyman’s attempt at stopping the bleeding within The Bloodline backfired at the top of Friday’s SmackDown as Sami Zayn interrupted and sent a message loudly and clearly to Undisputed WWE Universal champion: The Tribal Chief does not have to worry about Cody Rhodes because he is going to beat him next Saturday in Montreal at Elimination Chamber.

This was not the same kind of promo as Heyman’s instant classic with Rhodes Monday on Raw but it was still very good and presented Zayn as someone more confident than he has been in months ahead of a premium live event marquee bout.

The crowd loves Zayn, Heyman did another extraordinary job of selling his words, and WWE knows how to best utilize the underdog from the underground.

The result was a fantastic segment at the top of the show that furthers the No. 1 contender’s program with Reigns and created a desire to see the February 18 main event.

Grade

A

Top Moments

  • “Ever since Brock Lesnar and I conquered The Undertaker’s streak at WrestleMania, I don’t issue predictions, I issue spoilers,” Heyman started his promo, setting the tone for the rest of the segment.
  • “I didn’t know “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes raised an idiot,” Heyman insulted Cody Rhodes following their interaction Monday on Raw.
  • “It’s the reason for our existence. It’s why we’re here in WWE,” Heyman said of the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. “It’s the tribe of which Roman Reigns in the chief.”
  • “Without these titles, there is no Island of Relevancy.”
  • “You know what everyone else in The Bloodline knows: Roman Reigns’ days as the Undisputed WWE Universal champion are numbered,” Zayn told Heyman.
  • “You think Jimmy sides with his abusive cousin or do you think he sides with his twin brother whom he shared the womb with?”
  • “You look at him like the sun shines out his ass,” Zayn said of Heyman’s unyielding support of Reigns.
  • “Eight nights from tonight at the Elimination Chamber. That is how many nights Roman Reigns has left.” 
  • “Hey Paul, tell Roman he doesn’t have to worry about Cody because I am going to take him down.”
  • Sheamus and Drew McIntyre vs. Hit Row; Lacey Evans Dominates

    3 of 5

    Anyone questioning whether Hit Row was poised to be taken seriously as a threat in the tag team division found out Friday as Sheamus and Drew McIntyre steamrolled Top Dolla and Ashante Thee Adonis, essentially squashing the tandem in an uncompetitive match.

    The match was one-sided and highlighted the babyfaces before a pre-taped promo from Valhalla set up a match between the brothers of bang and The Viking Raiders for next week.

    The takeaway here was meant to be the continuation of Sheamus and McIntyre’s feud with Erik and Ivar but it was the utter destruction of Hit Row that really left a lasting impact.

    How does Triple H and Co. think any of this helped Top Dolla and Ashante? He probably does not and utilized this segment as a message to the team to elevate their performance or risk falling by the wayside again.

    The company has utilized that booking tactic before, with The Viking Raiders, who took what they were given with a few comedic angles back in 2020 and ran with them. It is their work in those segments that likely earned them as many opportunities to succeed as they have.

    Now, they are poised to battle two former WWE champions in the most significant match of their careers.

    After the match, Lacey Evans hit the ring for a match with Carmen Haress. Like Sheamus and McIntyre, she was dominant, winning a one-sided squash with the Camel Clutch.

    Result

    McIntyre and Sheamus squashed Hit Row; Evans submitted Haress

    Grade

    C+ for the tag match; C for Evans’ victory

    Top Moments

  • Backstage, Jimmy Uso repeatedly called his brother, the reality that he may have to defend the tag titles by himself setting in.
  • Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship Match: Ricochet and Braun Strowman vs. The Usos

    4 of 5

    Jey Uso showed up at the last possible second, embracing brother Jimmy ahead of a tag team title defense against Ricochet and Braun Strowman.

    The reunited brothers and their situational awareness allowed The Usos to successfully retain, with Jey taking advantage of a blind tag from his brother and delivering a splash to an unsuspecting Ricochet for the win.

    The story once again took center stage as Jey arrived at the very last second, nowhere near ready to allow the issues with him and Roman Reigns to affect the history he and his brother had made over the course of their 500-plus day run as champions.

    There was no apparent schism between them as they worked as well together as they ever had.

    A backstage interaction, in which Jey admitted he was unsure if he is still with The Bloodline, all while a scheming Paul Heyman watched from behind a pillar. furthered the story. Heyman caught Jimmy in after he denied Jey saying anything about his spot in the faction.

    Heyman will undoubtedly manipulate the situation, as he has numerous times throughout the family drama, and suggest to Reigns that Jimmy is now lying and that he may not be as committed to The Bloodline as they thought.

    Just great, layered stuff all around here.

    Result

    The Usos defeated Ricochet and Strowman to retain

    Grade

    B+

    Top Moments

  • “Who needs prep time when you’re this damn good?!” Wade Barrett exclaimed as The Usos rolled into the commercial break.
  •  Strowman received the hot tag and exploded into the match, only to have the champions stunt him and Jey to score a two-count off a crossbody.
  • Chants of “this is awesome!” rained from the stands following a great false finish from Strowman to Jimmy.
  • Jey sidestepped a charging Strowman on the floor, then delivered a splash to Ricochet back inside the squared circle moments later to secure the victory.
  • Ronda Rousey Returned and Attacked Natalya; Women’s Tag Team Action; Jey and Sami

    5 of 5

    Ronda Rousey returned to SmackDown Friday night, interrupting an in-ring promo segment between Natalya and Shayna Baszler that was anything but thrilling. Shotzi failed to make the save and the heels stood tall to close out an uninspired angle.

    Worse yet was the lack of any real reaction for Rousey, who has seen her star diminished by lackluster, sub-par programs and a lack of understand of what makes her character effective.

    Moments later, Sonya Deville and Chelsea Green battled Raquel Rodriguez and Liv Morgan in tag team action.

    Despite effort by Deville and Green to stunt the momentum of their opponents, both of whom will compete in next Saturday’s Elimination Chamber, Morgan and Rodriguez won a perfectly acceptable match.

    That it highlighted Green’s character even in defeat was impressive and proof that Triple H and Co. have an idea of where they want that particular performer to go.

    Result

    Morgan and Rodriguez defeated Deville and Green

    Grade

    C+ for the tag team match

    Top Moments

  • Backstage, Sami Zayn caught up with Jey Uso and admitted that he may not know how things end with The Bloodline and Uso, but he acknowledges the Right-Hand Man. The fist bump that ended the segment was fantastic and the moment Uso betrays Zayn at Elimination Chamber, fans are genuinely going to be pissed.
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