WWE SmackDown recap, review: Hall of Famer Lita returns, more
By Ryan Satin
FOX Sports WWE Analyst
SmackDown this week featured the return of a Hall of Famer, an intense in-ring segment between former partners and a banger of a match.
While it's true that last week’s episode was a bit more momentous due to the monster showdown between WWE Champion Brock Lesnar and Universal Champion Roman Reigns, this week’s show still had plenty to enjoy throughout.
Let’s get into the highs and lows of the January 14, 2022 edition of Friday Night SmackDown.
SMACKDOWN HIGHS
Lita and Charlotte Flair
I grew up a huge fan of Team Extreme, so anything involving Lita is a highlight for me, especially a segment where she’s interacting with one of the top stars of today and teasing the idea of another run in WWE.
Watching one of my all-time favorite female wrestlers trade jabs on the mic with Charlotte Flair felt like one of those video game confrontations you wouldn’t expect to see in 2022, yet it really happened this week — and it was awesome.
When Lita was first announced for the Rumble, I assumed it would be nothing more than a legends spot in the match and didn't give it much thought. Now, however, her tease for one final run in WWE has me wondering if she’ll be featured in a match at WrestleMania this year and her opponent for that will be setup during the women’s Rumble.
::fingers crossed::
The Shield Showdown
Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins acknowledging the history they share to build up the importance of their upcoming Royal Rumble match was the right way to go.
These are two of the top performers of this generation, and a match between them needs to feel like a big deal (especially with how few singles World title matches they’ve been in together). In my opinion, this episode did a good job in starting that.
The video flashbacks helped whet the appetite of fans by reminding viewers of their past and the in-ring segment at the end of the show kick-started some badly needed tension between them — since this is ultimately a feud between two heels.
Seth reminding Roman that he’s never beaten him in a world title match was a good bit of long-term storytelling, too, and Reigns saying he’s on God mode now ruled.
Ricochet vs. Sheamus
There’s not a ton to analyze when it comes to the match itself, but I just wanted to give a little recognition to these two Superstars for their work here, as it’s deserved.
Sheamus continues to put on consistently great matches and not enough people are talking about it. The finish with a Brogue Kick out of a handspring looked incredible.
I will say, however, that I think WWE needs to put a little more focus on building up babyfaces for the coming future. Roman Reigns is going to need challengers for the Universal title in a few months and Ricochet is one of the few names who could potentially be that for him if they were to give him a proper push.
With the right storylines and a string of wins under his belt, repackaging Ricochet into a serious contender for the Universal title could be done.
SMACKDOWN LOWS
Madcap Moss defeating Kofi Kingston
I totally understand the need to build Madcap Moss into a credible in-ring threat. They’ve dedicated a lot of TV time to his act alongside Happy Corbin, and getting wins on TV is the natural next step.
To me, though, beating Kofi Kingston clean in five minutes was a bad call.
Kingston is a former World Champion and beloved by fans. A loss like that adds further disrespect to his title reign, no matter how long ago it might have been. Honestly, at this point, with the way New Day have been treated on WWE TV, I’m ready for the group to turn heel again and fight back against everyone who isn’t giving them enough respect.
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Ryan Satin is a WWE analyst for FOX Sports. Satin previously appeared on FS1's "WWE Backstage" and founded Pro Wrestling Sheet, where he broke countless news stories as editor-in-chief.
