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Rey Mysterio announced his Royal Rumble entry, leading to a confrontation with Kevin Owens and a dramatic SmackDown episode.

Rey Mysterio made a significant announcement during the January 17, 2025, episode of Friday Night SmackDown at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California, declaring his entry into the upcoming Royal Rumble match. This declaration was met with an interruption from Kevin Owens, who expressed his admiration for Mysterio and urged him to win the Rumble so they could face off for the WWE Championship. However, tensions escalated when Mysterio referred to Cody Rhodes as the real champion, prompting a heated confrontation between the two.

In response to the escalating situation, SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis scheduled a match between Mysterio and Owens later that night. The match concluded with Owens defeating Mysterio via pinfall after executing a pop-up powerbomb. Following the match, a brawl erupted between Owens and Cody Rhodes, who intervened to save Mysterio from a potentially dangerous move. Aldis, visibly frustrated, announced that both Rhodes and Owens would need to sign an addendum to their one-on-one match at the Royal Rumble, with the stipulation that they would relinquish their title belts during a contract signing at Saturday Night`s Main Event, which will be mediated by Shawn Michaels.

In other matches, Bianca Belair and Naomi secured a victory over Candice LeRae after Naomi executed a full nelson bomb. The match between Jimmy Uso and Carmelo Hayes ended in a no contest due to interference from Jacob Fatu and Tama Tonga. The Motor City Machine Guns, consisting of Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin, triumphed over Los Garza after delivering their signature move, Skull & Bones. Piper Niven also claimed victory against B-Fab with the Piper Driver. LA Knight and Braun Strowman managed to fend off The Bloodline after Knight sought revenge on Fatu and Tonga. Solo Sikoa made his return to the ring after a loss to Roman Reigns but was met with boos from the crowd and left without speaking.

The main event featured Tiffany Stratton defending her WWE Women’s Championship against Bayley, where Stratton emerged victorious with her finishing move, the Prettiest Moonsault Ever. The episode also included a backstage altercation where Johnny Gargano attacked Apollo Crews, adding to the evening`s drama.

Royal Rumble, WWE Championship, SmackDown, Tiffany Stratton, Cody Rhodes

#WWE,#RoyalRumble,#ReyMysterio,#SmackDown,#TiffanyStratton