The 13^th January 2012 episode of Friday Night SmackDown! starts with a video recapping the events of the World Heavyweight Championship match last week between The Big Show and Daniel Bryan, with the video also hyping the rematch to take place later on in this episode.

Daniel Bryan makes his way to the ring and talks about how winning the title is a dream come true for him and that defending the title is what he lives for, but says that he doesn’t want to say to his grandchildren that his first title defense ended in a disqualification.

He says that it is because of this that he was happy to find out from The Big Show on Monday Night Raw that Teddy Long had made a rematch with no disqualification and no count-out stipulations (click here for our Raw report).

Bryan blames the end of last week’s match on Mark Henry and says that if it was up to him, then Henry would be suspended. This appears to be Mark Henry’s cue to give his own side of the story, as his music hits and he makes his way to the ring.

Henry blames it on Bryan goading him and says that he is banned from ringside for the match later on this episode, which Bryan is happy about as he states that it has nothing to do with Henry anyway.

Mark Henry does not agree with Daniel Bryan however, and says that it has everything to do with him as he says that Teddy Long promised him that if he kept his nose clean and didn’t interfere, and because he didn’t get his championship rematch, then next week he will get his rematch.

Bryan clarifies that if he beats The Big Show for the third time on this episode, that it means that he will have to defend his title against Henry next week, getting a simple “yes” in response from Henry, and after a few moments, Daniel Bryan says that he is fine with that.

After a video recapping the Over The Top Rope challenge between Heath Slater and Hornswoggle last week as well as its aftermath involving Justin Gabriel, Justin Gabriel takes on Heath Slater in a match which sees Gabriel get the victory, when he takes advantage of Hornswoggle’s distraction by hitting Slater with an enzuigiri to knock him off the top rope, followed by the 450-Splash for the 3-count.

After an interaction between Daniel Bryan and AJ in which AJ tells Bryan that she is proud of him and loves him regardless of whatever happens in his match later on, and a video hyping the 2012 Royal Rumble and recapping the 1998 Royal Rumble match that was won by “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Cody Rhodes makes his way to the ring with a microphone.

He reminds everyone that he has been the Intercontinental Champion for five months, and says that he has out-shined such luminaries as Tito Santana and Goldust among others, but he says that his goal in 2012 supersedes being the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time and states that he will “pull an Ultimate Warrior”.

Rhodes says that although this could mean a number of things, but that what he means by it is that he will be both the Intercontinental Champion and the World Heavyweight Champion, which he says starts with him being the youngest and hungriest dog in the 2012 Royal Rumble match.

Cody Rhodes is pitted against Ezekiel Jackson in a match which sees Rhodes get the victory, when he hits Jackson with a springboard kick to the face, followed by Cross-Rhodes for the 3-count.

After a video repeating the video announcement from Raw of Edge being one of the inductees of the 2012 Hall Of Fame, and an interaction between Santino Marella and Teddy Long that is interrupted by David Otunga and leads to Long agreeing to Marella’s suggestion of a match between himself and Otunga, an interaction between Teddy Long and Drew McIntyre sees Long tell McIntyre that he is getting closer and closer to getting fired and that he better win his match on this episode, which he states is next.

Hunico and Camacho join commentary as Drew McIntyre goes against Ted DiBiase in a match which sees DiBiase get the victory, when he hits McIntyre with Dream Street for the 3-count.

After a video recapping the events last week involving Sheamus, Jinder Mahal, and Wade Barrett, Sheamus takes on Jinder Mahal. Before that match takes place however, Mahal says that he is glad that nobody expects him to win this year’s Royal Rumble match, as he says that he is most dangerous when least expected.

The match sees Sheamus get the victory, when he hits Mahal with a shoulder-block from the top rope, and follows it up with the Brogue Kick for the 3-count.

After an interaction between The Big Show and referee Jack Doan where Show asks Doan to count the three if he pins and just call the match if he knocks Daniel Bryan out, an interaction between AJ and The Big Show sees AJ ask Show not to hurt Bryan, but also sees Bryan mistake the interaction for Show attempting to take “his girl” from him.

Bryan says to Show that he will not be taking his title in their match later on, and that he damn sure will not be taking “his girl” either, and he suggests that Show just leave. The Big Show can’t believe what he is hearing, and says that the title has changed Daniel Bryan.

After a video hyping this year’s Royal Rumble and recapping the 2002 Royal Rumble match that was won by Triple H, David Otunga is pitted against Santino Marella in a match which sees Otunga get the victory, when he counters Marella’s attempt at The Cobra with an over-the-shoulder belly-to-back piledriver for the 3-count.

After a video repeating the video announcement from Raw of The Four Horsemen also being inductees of the 2012 Hall Of Fame, and a video recapping the events of Raw involving Kane, Zack Ryder, Eve, and John Cena, “Funkasaurus” Brodus Clay makes his Friday Night SmackDown! re-début by being pitted against Tyson Kidd in a very short match that sees Clay get the victory, when he leaps at Kidd, knocking him down and pinning him for the 3-count.

After an interaction between Teddy Long and Aksana, and a video hyping this year’s Royal Rumble and recapping the 1995 Royal Rumble match that was won by “Heart Break Kid” Shawn Michaels, Natalya goes against Tamina in a match which sees Tamina get the victory, when she hits Natalya with the Superfly Splash for the 3-count.

Now, Wade Barrett’s music hits and he makes his way out onto the stage, where he talks about how people may have been impressed by Sheamus in his earlier match, but he says that he isn’t impressed by a big, burly Irishman who clearly has a temper problem.

He says that he himself is a man of class, dignity, servility, and who is in control of his faculties at all times, and he says that he is the man who will win the 2012 Royal Rumble match and that he is Wade Barrett.

Barrett says that this is why he is challenging Sheamus to a match next week on the “Sin City” SmackDown!, which he says is ironic as many people in attendance may consider what he does to Sheamus next week to be a sin.

Next up, The Big Show takes on Daniel Bryan (accompanied by AJ) in a match which is halted before a winner can be declared, when Show chases Bryan and accidentally knocks AJ over in the process.

The Big Show is shown clearly distraught at what he has accidentally done, and he watches on as medical personnel tend to AJ and start to take her backstage, though the crowd are heard chanting “she’s okay”.

Bryan and Show both follow the medical personnel as they take her away, and Bryan yells at Show for his actions, asking if the title is that important to him, and stating that he can have it. As they get to the entrance, Bryan halts Show from following further, and calls him a bastard.

The Big Show stands on the stage crying, as SmackDown! goes off the air.