Backstage: Jimmy Uso & Naomi
Backstage, we see Jimmy Uso talking with Naomi. Naomi is upset about the fact that she has to wrestle a match tonight with one arm tied behind her back. We head to a commercial break on that note.
Naomi vs. Alicia Fox
We head to the ring after the commercial for Divas action. They tie one of Naomi’s arms behind her back for this match, which will be against Alicia Fox. The bell rings and here we go.
Fox taunts Naomi early on and messes with her before they finally get down to action. Naomi tries fighting with one arm early on, but eventually the odds are too much for her, as Fox hits the Scissors Kick on Naomi for the 1-2-3. Fox wins.
Winner: Alicia Fox
Backstage: Dean Ambrose with his Doctor
Backstage, we see Dean Ambrose and the doctor sitting on couches. The doctor shows Ambrose a series of pictures and asks him for one-word thoughts about them. Some of them were, Roman Reigns — which Ambrose says, “Brother.” Another was “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, which Ambrose replies by saying “Hoooooo!” The final picture is of Stephanie McMahon, and Ambrose again says, “Hoooooo!” We head to another break on that note.
Brock Lesnar & Paul Heyman In-Ring Segment
We return from commercial and Brock Lesnar’s theme music hits. Out comes the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, accompanied by his “advocate,” Paul Heyman. Heyman tells us what his name is, as he always does, and then talks about how good it feels to return to “the scene of the crime,” New Orleans, where Lesnar conquered the streak.
Having said that, Heyman introduces a video package, which in movie-style fashion, showcases Lesnar’s victory over Undertaker at WrestleMania XXX, conquering Undertaker’s WrestleMania undefeated streak in the process.
Heyman goes on to promote the fact that his client, Brock Lesnar, and his next victims, John Cena and Seth Rollins, will all share the same ring later tonight for the official contract signing for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match at the upcoming WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view.
Jey Uso (with Jimmy Uso) vs. The Miz (with Damien Mizdow)
From there, we head back to the ring for our next match of the evening. Out first are The Usos to a nice reception from the fans here in New Orleans. Their opponents, The Miz and Damien Mizdow make their way down to the ring next.
Actually, as it turns out, this will be a one-on-one match, with Jey Uso representing The Usos and The Miz representing his team. The bell sounds to make this one official, so here we go.
This match was kept pretty short. Uso was in control of the offense for the most part, with Mizdow doing his fake selling on the outside of the ring. Eventually, via a distraction, Miz manages to hit his Skull Crushing Finale on Uso for the pinfall victory. After the match, we head to another commercial break.
Winner: The Miz
In-Ring Promo: Daniel Bryan, Stephanie McMahon & Kane
When we return from the break, Daniel Bryan’s music hits and the leader of the “Yes! Movement” makes his way to the ring in street clothes, with the fans in New Orleans, who witnessed his WWE World Heavyweight Championship victory at WrestleMania XXX last year, cheering along with a giant “Yes!” chant.
The “Yes!” chants switch to “Daniel Bryan! Daniel Bryan!” chants as Bryan begins to speak. He says something seems familiar about all of this. He says he seems to recall something major happening the last time he was here in New Orleans.
He says it’s all coming back to him now. He says this time last year, in this city, he won the main event of WrestleMania and became the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. He says, “not bad for a lumberjack-looking B+ player, huh?”
Bryan goes on to remind everyone that he announced his entrance into the 2015 Royal Rumble match. He says he’s going to win it and he’s going to repeat history and do it all over again this year. He says he doesn’t care what anyone says, nobody is going to be able to stop him.
With that said, Stephanie McMahon’s theme music hits and out she comes to the ring. As soon as she enters the ring, the fans begin chanting “No! No! No!” Stephanie says in case Bryan isn’t feeling fit yet, she’d like to give him a present, her “Fit Series” DVD, which stars herself. Bryan shakes his head no.
Stephanie admits that Bryan proved them wrong and proved himself to be an A+ player. She says unfortunately, it all came crashing down, and this is what she remembers. A video package is shown of Kane attacking Bryan on RAW last April, tombstone piledriving him over and over again on the floor, resulting in him being stretchered out, only for Kane to yank him off the stretcher and tombstone him on the announce table. We see Daniel Bryan getting stretchered out to close out the video package.
We return live, and now Stephanie talks about Bryan having multiple neck injuries and surgeries. She says a real A+ player doesn’t just win the big one, they stay on top. She questions whether or not he’ll ever be able to do that.
Stephanie asks him to look inside himself and ask if he really thinks he can do it again. The fans chant “Yes! Yes! Yes!,” so Bryan does as well. Bryan tells Steph to raise her arms and join along in the “Yes!” chant, telling her it’s probably a better workout than the one in her little DVD that she’s holding. He says she called him an average joe, and that’s what she doesn’t get. He will never stop fighting. They (the fans) will never stop fighting. He says he will fight through the Royal Rumble, WrestleMania and once again prove her wrong.
Stephanie says Bryan isn’t so smart and his first match isn’t going to be at the Royal Rumble. She says it’ll be at SmackDown, the first edition of the show to air on Thursday. She says his opponent is someone he is quite familiar with. With that said, Kane’s theme music hits and out he comes to the ring.
Before Kane can get into the ring, Bryan dives through the ropes and splashes onto Kane. He punches and kicks away at him, but Kane reverses the tide and slams him into the ring steps. Kane stomps away at Bryan on the floor. Bryan ends up fighting back, leaving Kane reeling and heading to the back and leaving Bryan triumphant in the ring.