WWE SmackDown Results [01/17/25]: Tiffany Stratton Retains, Charlotte Flair Return Teased!

Tiffany Stratton defeated Bayley in the main event on Friday Night SmackDown to successfully defend her WWE Women's Championship.
Tiffany Stratton vs. Bayley
Tiffany Stratton vs. Bayley / WWE.com

The road to WrestleMania 41 is heating up as the Royal Rumble approaches.

Friday night's episode of SmackDown from the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California saw a WWE Hall of Famer declare for the Men's Rumble Match, a first ever match in WWE, Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens trade blows once again and a highly competitive WWE Women's Championship Match.

Tiffany Stratton successfully defeated Bayley for the first time ever to hang onto her WWE Women's Championship, as a potential NXT call-up watched on from the crowd.

Here's everything that went down on the 1/17 edition of Friday Night SmackDown.

Full SmackDown Match and Segment Results:

  • Rey Mysterio made a surprise appearance in front of his hometown crowd to open up the show. The WWE Hall of Famer reminisced about winning the 2006 Men's Royal Rumble Match from the No. 2 position and then going on to win the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania. He said he couldn't think of a better place than San Diego to officially declare for the 2025 Royal Rumble Match.
  • Kevin Owens interrupted Mysterio's announcement. He said he's done many great things in his career, but he still has one big match to cross off his bucket list. Owens told Rey that he believes he will win the Royal Rumble, and respectfully asked that Mysterio to give him his dream match at WrestleMania 41 by challenging him for the WWE Championship.
  • Mysterio said he'd gladly give Owens the match, but he'd have to beat Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship first. Still believing he's the rightful WWE Champion, winged eagle belt over his shoulder and everything, Kevin snapped at the comment and tried to hit Rey with the title. Mysterio ducked and delivered a drop toehold that sent Owens into the middle rope. He'd slide out of the ring before getting hit with a 6-1-9.
  • Naomi and Bianca Belair are shown having a conversation backstage ahead of their tag team match against Nia Jax and Candice LeRae. Naomi said she spoke to GM Nick Aldis and he still had no lead on who attacked Jade Cargill ahead of Survivor Series last year. She then asked Bianca to wrap up her braid so she doesn't accidentally get whipped again, like she did in last Friday's Fatal 4-Way Match.
  • Back from commercial break, we hear Nick Aldis grant Rey Mysterio a match with Kevin Owens later tonight. Cody Rhodes then emerges after undergoing a medical exam. The real WWE Champion informed Aldis that he's officially cleared for action. The SmackDown GM is unsure that's a good thing, given how hungry he is for a fight with Kevin Owens. Aldis told Cody he has an addendum for his match at the Royal Rumble that he needed to sign. Rhodes said he would, after Owens put his name down first.
  • Bianca Belair and Naomi defeated Nia Jax and Candice LeRae. Naomi beat Candice with the Bubba Bomb after she was the victim of some friendly fire. Nia attempted a leg drop on Belair as she went for a cover on Candice, but she crushed LeRae instead. Bianca dumped Jax outside, which opened the door for Naomi to tag in and drop Candice for the win.
  • Byron Saxton interviewed Bayley ahead of her title match with Tiffany Stratton. The Role Model said that a main event match in her home state is something she dreamed about growing up. She talked about the disappointment of her WWE Women's Championship run last summer and getting screwed out of the belt by Tiffany, only for her to then steal it from Nia Jax. While part of Bayley respects her for doing it, her actions only make her want to beat Stratton even more.
  • Michin and B-Fab are chatting in the locker room when they are interrupted by Piper Niven and Chelsea Green. Niven got in the face of B-Fab as she stepped toward the United States Champion, which led to a challenge for a match later tonight. Green told Niven, who was acting as Chelsea's Secret Service Agent, that she needed to neutralize B-Fab immediately.
  • Jimmy Uso and Carmelo Hayes fought to a no contest after Jacob Fatu and Tama Tonga attacked 'Big Jim' during the match. Melo seemed appreciative of their assistance, but ended up getting clotheslined by Fatu.
  • Solo Sikoa made his way to the ring to meet Fatu and Tonga. It's the first time the former Tribal Chief has been seen since losing Tribal Combat to Roman Reigns. We would not hear from Solo, however. The San Diego crowd booed him to the point where he took off his jacket and left the arena through the audience.
  • A befuddled Jacob Fatu then grabbed Solo's mic and went off. The Samoan Werewolf put everyone on notice, that he's tired of the disrespect and that he's just getting started with his crazy and violent behavior.
  • LA Knight then hit the ring to get some revenge on Fatu and Tonga for costing him the United States Championship last week. The numbers game started to get the better of the Megastar, but then Braun Strowman returned from his recent illness to run off the Bloodline.
  • Motor City Machine Guns defeated Los Garza. A Pretty Deadly distraction that was meant to help Angel and Berto backfired and opened the door for MCMG to connect with Skull and Bones for the win.
  • Nick Aldis asked Kevin Owens to sign the mysterious contract addendum for the Royal Rumble, but he said he won't put pen to paper until Cody does.
  • Pipen Niven beat B-Fab. Chelsea Green was talking all sorts of trash on the outside of the ring and it got to the point where B-Fab just couldn't take it anymore and she hit the United States Champion with a diving clothesline. Unfortunately, she ran into a pop-up driver from Niven when she got back in the ring and it cost her the match. Green then attacked B-Fab after the bell, but Michin ran down with a kendo stick to make the save.
  • Kevin Owens defeated Rey Mysterio. These two men may have been going one-on-one for the first time ever, but they had the chemistry of opponents who have been fighting each other for years. Mysterio was able to connect with a 6-1-9 and had Owens in position for a splash, but KO stumbled up and knocked the ref into the ropes. That sent Mysterio crashing down to the mat below and Owens capitalized by delivering a Pop-up Powerbomb for the win.
  • KO was seemingly showing Rey some respect after the match as the two shook hands, but then Owens kicked Mysterio in the gut and set him up for the package piledriver. Cody Rhodes' music hit and the American Nightmare rushed the ring for the save. He and Owens battled each other until they were separated by WWE officials.
  • Back from commercial break, a visibly frustrated Nick Aldis ordered Cody Rhodes to show up at Saturday Night's Main Event so he and Owens can sign that contract addendum. To keep things from breaking down between both men once again, Aldis says that contract signing will be moderated by San Antonio's own Shawn Michaels.
  • #DIY ran into Pretty Deadly backstage and Tommaso Ciampa scolded them for essentially helping the Motor City Machine Guns defeat Los Garza earlier in the night. He said no one takes them seriously and if they want a shot at the WWE Tag Team Championships, they'll need to start acting like men.
  • Apollo Crews then attempted to chat with Pretty Deadly when he was attacked by Ciampa, who told him to keep #DIY's name out of his mouth.
  • WWE aired a video package hyping Charlotte Flair's return to the company.
  • Tiffany Stratton defeated Bayley to retain the WWE Women's Championship. Tiffany countered a Rose Plant attempt into a cartwheel Alabama Slam, and then hit the World's Prettiest Moonsault for the three count. Former NXT Women's Champion Roxanne Perez was on hand to watch Bayley in the main event after their altercation Tuesday night on NXT.

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino has been covering professional wrestling since 2019, but his broadcast career has spanned over 15 years. He can be heard every weekday morning on 700WLW radio in Cincinnati, OH. You can also read his work over on SI's Cincinnati Reds Talk. Follow Rick on X and Instagram: @RickUcchino