SmackDown January 30, 2026: Chaos In Riyadh As The Vision Clashes With The Old Guard

If you thought things were going to be calm and collected on SmackDown right before the Royal Rumble, you clearly haven’t been paying attention. The go-home show for one of the biggest nights in wrestling took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and it was absolute bedlam. We’re talking the kind of beautiful, disorganized chaos that makes you remember why you love this ridiculous sport in the first place.

This wasn’t just a wrestling show; it was a statement. The Vision (Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, Logan Paul, and Austin Theory) rolled into town looking to pick a fight with everyone. Specifically, Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, Sami Zayn, and Jey Uso. When you put that much ego and testosterone in one ring, something is bound to explode. And explode it did.

The Main Event Meltdown On SmackDown

The main event was billed as an eight-man tag match, which usually translates to “let’s get everyone on TV before the pay-per-view.” But this felt personal. “The Vision” jumped Rhodes before the bell even rang. It’s classic villainy 101. They managed to isolate the American Nightmare for a while until the hot tag to Orton.

Now, watching Orton in 2026 is like watching a vintage muscle car that still runs perfectly. He came in like a house on fire, planting Theory with a draping DDT that looked crisp enough to be in a museum. Then, the RKO “out of nowhere” hit Theory, and the match dissolved into anarchy. Everyone was hitting finishers left and right. It was glorious.

But then, Drew McIntyre decided he hadn’t had enough screen time. The Scottish Warrior stormed in, dragged Sami Zayn out of the ring, and forced a disqualification. Just when you thought McIntyre was going to stand tall, Jacob Fatu emerged to wreck him. The show closed with Bron Breakker spearing the soul out of Rhodes and Zayn. Message received, loud and clear.

Carmelo Hayes Still Has That Dog In Him

Earlier in the night, Carmelo Hayes reminded everyone why he’s holding the United States Championship. He threw out an open challenge, and Rey Fenix answered the call. If you’ve never seen these two wrestle, imagine two hummingbirds fighting over a sugar feeder, but with more kicks to the face.

Fenix started fast on SmackDown, hitting a springboard moonsault that defied physics. But Hayes is crafty. He weathered the storm, hit the “First 48,” and followed it up with “Nothing But Net” to retain. It was a solid reminder that while Hayes talks a big game, he absolutely backs it up when the bell rings.

The Queen and The Goddess vs. Judgment Day

The women’s division on SmackDown brought the heat, too. We had Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss teaming up against Liv Morgan and Roxanne Perez of The Judgment Day. Seeing Flair and Bliss on the same page is terrifying in the best way possible.

Perez and Morgan did their best to keep Bliss grounded, but once Flair got the tag, it was a wrap. She cleared the house with the kind of ferocity that makes you pity anyone standing across from her. Raquel Rodriguez tried to get involved because The “Judgment Day” can’t help themselves, but Stephanie Vaquer cut her off. That distraction let Bliss hit Sister Abigail on Perez for the 1-2-3.

Other Notable Moments on SmackDown

• Axiom Reclaims His Face: In a weirdly satisfying moment, Axiom defeated Johnny Gargano to get his stolen mask back. He actually put the mask on mid-match before hitting the Golden Ratio. That’s style points right there.
• Gunther and AJ Styles Talk Shop: These two had a face-off that was mostly verbal, but the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. Gunther promised to end Styles’ career. Styles looked like he was ready to fight right then and there. Their Rumble match is going to be uncomfortable to watch, in a good way.
• Ilja Dragunov Breaks The Miz: This was less of a match and more of a public execution. Dragunov, The Mad Dragon, essentially mauled The Miz. The Torpedo Moscow into the H-Bomb finished it. I almost felt bad for Miz. Almost.

Saturday is the Rumble. If SmackDown was the appetizer, I hope you’re hungry, because the main course is going to be heavy.