On a monumental New Year’s Day SmackDown LIVE, AJ Styles unleashed the newfound aggression he showed Mr. McMahon last week on four other Superstars en route to earning a WWE Championship Match against “The New” Daniel Bryan at Royal Rumble. Plus, John Cena came face to face with The Man in his return to Team Blue.

Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair and Carmella squared off in a Triple Threat Match to determine who would challenge SmackDown Women’s Champion Asuka at Royal Rumble. Elsewhere, WWE Champion “The New” Daniel Bryan felt pressure from all sides as his recent actions began to come back and haunt him.

When The Bar crashed The Miz’s “Bestie Birthday Bash” for Shane McMahon, it led to an impromptu match between Miz and Sheamus that saw The Bar covered in cake. Elsewhere, SmackDown Women’s Champion Asuka and Becky Lynch attempted to one-up each other as their Royal Rumble title clash approaches.

Rey Mysterio and Andrade brought the house down in another instant classic, this time a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match, but Samoa Joe and Randy Orton stole some headlines by match’s end. Elsewhere, the issues between SmackDown Women’s Champion Asuka, Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair intensified as all three look to dominate at the Royal Rumble event this Sunday.

WWE Champion “The New” Daniel Bryan looked to evade every single threat to his title on SmackDown LIVE, but he instead received news that he would have to face five of them inside the dreaded Elimination Chamber in three weeks. Elsewhere, Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair got into a wild brawl.

”The New” Daniel Bryan and Jeff Hardy squared off in the main event of SmackDown LIVE, but all six WWE Title Elimination Chamber Match participants couldn’t help but get involved by the end of the bout. Elsewhere, Becky Lynch confronted a McMahon Family member for the second consecutive night, going face-to-face with Triple H.

A highly competitive Gauntlet Match determined who would be last to enter the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Match this Sunday, a bout that now also has a new entrant. Elsewhere, Charlotte Flair spoke with elation on being chosen to replace Becky Lynch against Raw Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania 35.

Following a huge Six-Man Tag Team Match, the challenger for “The New” Daniel Bryan’s WWE Championship at WWE Fastlane was revealed. Elsewhere, NXT Superstars continued to shine bright as Tommaso Ciampa, Johnny Gargano, Aleister Black and Ricochet brought their best to the blue brand.

Mr. McMahon dropped a bombshell when he announced that Kevin Owens would replace Kofi Kingston as “The New” Daniel Bryan’s challenger for the WWE Championship at WWE Fastlane. However, matters complicated even more when the returning Owens suggested that he and Kingston team up against Bryan & Rowan in the main event of SmackDown LIVE.

Charlotte Flair personally invited Becky Lynch to SmackDown LIVE and matters quickly turned physical between the two WWE Fastlane opponents. Also, tension between WWE Champion “The New” Daniel Bryan and Kevin Owens reached a fever pitch as their title clash approaches this Sunday.

Kofi Kingston’s WWE Championship opportunity future was decided when Mr. McMahon made a major announcement regarding what The Dreadlocked Dynamo would have to do to face off against Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania. Elsewhere, Shane McMahon held nothing back in his explanation of why he betrayed The Miz at WWE Fastlane.

Kofi Kingston attempted to secure his place in the WWE Championship Match at WrestleMania, but just when he thought he was en route to The Grandest Stage of Them All, Mr. McMahon dropped a bombshell that would completely change The Dreadlocked Dynamo’s road to the title yet again.

After New Day threatened to quit WWE, Mr. McMahon gave Kofi Kingston one last chance to challenge for the WWE Title at WrestleMania … except his fate wouldn’t be in his hands. The Chairman decreed that if Kofi’s New Day brethren could prevail in a Tag Team Gauntlet Match, then The Dreadlocked Dynamo would get his WWE Championship Match on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

WWE Champion “The New” Daniel Bryan railed on Kofi Kingston’s good name one too many times, as a passionate Kofi finally lashed out verbally just five days before challenging The Planet’s Champion for the title on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

Kofi Kingston’s WWE Championship celebration was cut short when The Bar & Drew McIntyre crashed the party, challenging The New Day to a Six-Man Tag Team Match in the main event of SmackDown LIVE. Elsewhere, The Usos and The Hardy Boyz battled for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles, but the winners would not be able to enjoy the victory, as Lars Sullivan emerged to wreak havoc.

Night Two of the Superstar Shake-up seen on SmackDown LIVE with many surprises that include the arrivals of Roman Reigns, Finn Bálor, Bayley, Ember Moon and many more. Elsewhere, The New Day appoints a new honorary member of the group after appearing on “The Kevin Owens Show.”

It seemed the makeshift New Day of WWE Champion Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods and Kevin Owens was flourishing … but then the newly dubbed “Big O” shocked the WWE Universe with a jaw-dropping attack. Elsewhere, Roman Reigns faced steep repercussions for his Superman Punch to Mr. McMahon.

The dilemma between The New Day and Kevin Owens intensified, as Owens continued to target WWE Champion Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods. Elsewhere, the SmackDown LIVE representative’s in the Men’s and Women’s Money in the Bank Matches were announced.

The “Wild Card Rule” brought Raw’s AJ Styles and Sami Zayn to SmackDown LIVE, but WWE Champion Kofi Kingston upped the ante when he challenged both Superstars to a Triple Threat Match with WWE’s most prestigious prize on the line. Elsewhere, new SmackDown Tag Team Champions were crowned, but not in the way Shane McMahon intended when the “Wild Card Rule” struck again.

With WWE Champion Kofi Kingston as the scheduled guest on “The Kevin Owens Show,” it seemed likely that the two WWE Money in the Bank opponents would trade blows only five nights before their WWE Title Match … which they did, but no one could have predicted how it materialized, thanks to Mr. McMahon’s Wild Card Rule.

Roman Reigns took on Elias in a Money in the Bank rematch, with it clear that Shane McMahon would be doing everything in his power to slow The Big Dog down prior to WWE Super ShowDown … including using the Wild Card Rule to his advantage. Elsewhere, Big E returned to SmackDown LIVE … but so did Dolph Ziggler, and he made it clear he is coming for WWE Champion Kofi Kingston.

R-Truth’s journey as 24/7 Champion took another interesting turn when he accidentally interrupted Shane McMahon Appreciation Night. The mishap briefly cost him the 24/7 Title, but Truth’s fortunes changed when he teamed with Roman Reigns to take on Elias & Drew McIntyre in the blue brand main event.

Goldberg’s first-ever appearance on SmackDown LIVE brought the WWE Universe even more than they bargained for when his WWE Super ShowDown opponent The Undertaker arrived to create a one-of-a-kind moment. Elsewhere, WWE Champion Kofi Kingston and Dolph Ziggler mixed it up prior to their title match in Jeddah.

With Big E finally being cleared for in-ring competition, The New Day brought their best to the trio of Dolph Ziggler, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in the SmackDown LIVE main event. Elsewhere, Shane McMahon attempted to make an example out of The Miz as his Super ShowDown victory tour continued.

WWE Champion Kofi Kingston & Universal Champion Seth Rollins teamed up to take on Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn in a blockbuster 2-out-of-3 Falls Match main event on SmackDown LIVE. Elsewhere, the growing tension between SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley and Alexa Bliss finally boiled over in a tumultuous “Moment of Bliss” that would see fists fly.