January 6 , 2012 Smackdown results The January 6 , 2012 Edition of Smackdown is a Professional wrestling television show of the WWE ' s Smackdown brand , which took place on January 3 , 2012 at the Verizon Arena in North Little Rock , Arkansas . Summary . Heading into their blockbuster title rematch , both Cody Rhodes and Booker T possessed one victory over each other – the former at WWE TLC and the latter on Raw several weeks ago . In the height of their earth - shattering third encounter , the Intercontinental Champion would ultimately prevail . Shortly after escaping the three - count attempt that resulted from the Master of the Spin - A - Roonie ’ s signature scissor kick , Rhodes roared back , hitting his own springboard kick to earn a monumental victory over a decorated WWE legend . After being humiliated by Sheamus and Hornswoggle one week ago , Heath Slater challenged the latter to an Over - the - Top Rope Challenge . Although it looked like The One Man Southern Rock Band would find success in hurling his pint - sized opponent over the ropes and into the loss column , Hornswoggle latched onto his long , red hair at the last second , causing Slater to plummet to defeat . When Slater jumped back into the ring to try and get his revenge after the bell , his former WWE Tag Team Champion partner Justin Gabriel came to the rescue , dropping the 450 Splash on his old ally . Riding to the ring on a low - rider driven by his amigo Camacho , Hunico mocked Ted DiBiase , suggesting that he and his cohort might need to crash one of the DiBiase Posse Parties in the near future . In the culmination of their heated battle , Hunico backed up his tough talk – conquering DiBiase with an impressive submission maneuver - pin combination . One week after leaving Randy Orton injured at the bottom of an arena staircase , Wade Barrett came before the WWE Universe to declare The Viper " finished " – the latest victim of The Barrett Barrage . But , when he insisted that he would triumph in the Royal Rumble Match , Sheamus emerged to dispute his claim , insulting the English Superstar in the process . Just as things were heating up with the two intense Superstars , Jinder Mahal interrupted their stare down , slapping The Celtic Warrior . Mahal and Barrett proceeded to launch a vicious double assault on The Great White . Though Sheamus fought back with pure Irish tenacity , he could not overcome the odds – ultimately suffering the Winds of Change by Barrett and the “ Punjabi Clutch ” by Jinder . In a match that would decide whether Santino would become the new Assistant to the General Manager Theodore Long or whether Drew McIntyre ’ s job would truly be in jeopardy , The Italian Stallion would prevail . With both Superstars battling on the ropes , McIntyre ended up smashing his head into the steel ring post . This set up the infamous Cobra to strike , earning Santino the career - changing three - count . Amidst the bedlam of a high - octane tag team match - up , Rosa Mendes blocked Kofi Kingston ’ s path as he looked ready to launch himself on Epico outside the ring . This distraction paved the way for Epico to grab the high - flyer ’ s legs and hurl him out to ringside with incredible velocity . This did not stop the legal man Evan Bourne from gaining an advantage over Primo in the ring . However , as he attempted to hit the Air Bourne off the top rope , Epico struck again , pulling his cousin out of harm ’ s way as Bourne crashed to the canvas . This allowed Primo to pick up the victory , giving his team another win over the WWE Tag Team Champions . Channeling the wild side of her WWE Hall of Fame father Jimmy “ Superfly ” Snuka , an animalistic Tamina overcame Jim “ The Anvil ” Neidhart ’ s daughter Natalya with an explosive splash off the top rope . At WWE TLC , Daniel Bryan cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase , snatching the newly captured World Heavyweight Championship from a war torn Big Show . This week , the new champion put the title on the line against a determined World ’ s Largest Athlete , looking for payback – and to take back what was once his . With Mark Henry sitting in with the SmackDown announce team , the David and Goliath showdown unfolded , with the fierce might of the giant clashing full force with the technical skill of the reigning champ . In the height of the fury – after escaping the LeBell Lock – Big Show looked ready to finish things off with the WMD . However , Bryan was able to avoid the crippling assault , ducking out of the ring . There , he got into strong words with Henry , leading to a powerful shove by The World ’ s Strongest Man that left the referee no choice but the call for the disqualification . As a stunned and furious Big Show looked on in the ring , Daniel Bryan – lucky to get out of the match with the World Heavyweight Championship still in his grasp – raised his title high above his head , celebrated his controversial title defense .