WWE Smackdown 12/22/2023

WWE Smackdown 12/22/2023

Last week's show is here:  https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2023/12/wwe-smackdown-12152023.html

AJ Styles comes out to talk. He said Orton and LA Knight want Roman. He said he doesn't blame either of them but doesn't care about Orton or Knight. He said he wants Roman at the Royal Rumble.

LA Knight comes out. He said he won't argue with him about it as there's nothing to argue about. He says AJ can have Roman after he gets him first. LA says Roman will get him first and said AJ could be first on his list. AJ said LA stepped over his dead body to team with Cena. AJ said if he or anyone else gets in his way, he will drop them.

Randy Orton then comes out. He said he can appreciate them having issues with Roman. He said Roman and Bloodline put him on the shelf for 18 months. He said nothing is going to get in his way. LA said Orton and AJ got taken out, but he is bulletproof and wasn't taken out. LA then said he has Roman.

Nick Aldis comes out. He said in 2 weeks, we will have Smackdown New Years Revolution. He said it will be AJ vs LA Knight vs Orton in a triple threat match with the winner getting to face Roman Reigns. If only there was a way to do a match with 4 people where everyone could face Roman...

Holiday Havoc Match - Damage CTRL vs Zelina Vega, Shotzi, Michin and Bianca Belair

They have some food set up outside, trees and presents. Everyone fights to start and Iyo is stomped by Bianca in the corner. Bianca goes up and over her, Iyo grabs her by the hair then cartwheels out of a lariat. Bianca forward cartwheels over her and dropkicks her. Bianca suplexes Iyo.

Shotzi boots Iyo then pulls a chair out of the present box. Bayley grabs the chair and stops herself from being tripped into it. Shotzi rolls her up, walks up the bcukles and armdrags her down. Shotzi enzugiri's her then jumps off the chair to send her against the ropes. Michin holds the ropes open and Shotzi topes 2 girls outside.

Sane and Asuka hit Michin and Vega with candy cane kendo sticks. Bianca and Shotzi then hit them with the sticks. A table is brought out by the faces then Bayley and Iyo hit them in the stomach with it. Bayley and Iyo then dance under it as we go to break.

We return and Bianca and Shotzi take double suplexes off the buckles. Vega ddt's Iyo on the floor. Michin powerbombs Asuka then Iyo springboard dropkicks Michin. Bayley is thrown out and Iyo rolls Bianca up. Iyo shotei's Bianca then Bianca puts a present box on her head. Iyo takes a doomsday device + dropkick from Shotzi and lands poorly. Sane spinning trash can lid shots Shotzi then throws her into a christmas tree. Vega chairs Sane in the back then Kai shoves pumpkin pie in Vega's face. Asuka then mists Vega.

Bayley throws Bianca out and Bianca is stomped outside. Bianca and Sane open a present box up and find Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn. They beat up on Sane and Asuka. Sane takes a double flatliner move out of the gori special on the floor. Bianca hits a KOD on Bayley then Iyo top rope moonsaults Bianca. Michin hits soul foot on Iyo then top rope sentons her through a table to win it.

It was your usual holiday hardcore match with some basic weapons shots. Not real sure what Dawn and Fyre were doing here. It was entertaining but not super great or anything. I was surprised they didn't have Bayley take the loss here and I was surprised to see Michin pick up the fall.

Jimmy Uso talks to Solo Sikoa in the back about feeling pressure. Roman and Heyman look disgusted. Roman asks who the SD General Manager is. Paul says it's Nick Aldis and Roman says to bring him to him. Paul wants to brief him on Nick and Roman says no, bring him.

NXT North American Title - Dragon Lee (c) vs Butch

They showed an inset from Smackdown Lowdown. Butch said tonight is his night and Lee said he wanted to defend against anyone. Lee wristlocks him. Butch kips up out of it and wristlocks him. Lee cartwheels out of it then jumps backwards to roll him up. Butch flying armbars him. They kick each other at the same time and catch each others legs.

Butch drops him with a big forearm then knee drops his arm. Butch then pulls his fingers on his other arm. Lee flying headscissors him and hits combinacion cabron. Lee superkicks him then Butch stops his dive with a kick. Butch suplexes him on the apron and we go to break.

We return and Butch is twisting Lee's fingers. He stomps the arm then stomps both Lee's figners. Lee then jumps over the top rope and hurricanrana's him on the floor. Lee corner dropkicks Butch then Butch tiger drivers him. Lee front kicks him then takes a big forearm and enzugiri. Lee pumping knees him back then is rebound german suplexed. Lee rebound germans him then Butch buzzsaw kicks him.

Lee wrapsaround him then sitout powerbombs him for 2. Butch is crotched up top then Lee double stomps him while Butch is in tree of woe. Butch pop-up forearms him then Lee turns a bitter end into a canadian destroyer. Lee hits destino and wins it.

It was a flippy, indy match with lots of moves and not a lot of selling.

Paul Heyman brings in Nick Aldis for Roman. Roman tells Paul to leave us. Roman asks how Nick knows he wasn't talking to him when he said to leave us and Nick said he wouldn't care. Roman asks if he booked the triple threat match and booked Solo vs AJ. Roman says those are good ideas and said it would have been a better idea if he ran it by him first. He says he's the tribal chief and everything goes through him. He said he needs to understand that and said Pearce stood that. Nick said he's an executive and odesn't have feelings. He said the buck stops with him and says he's the sharp end of the stick on SD now. He said Solo is a big boy and said he took care of Cena in a way Roman couldn't. He said he's looking forward to Solo vs and AJ, the triple threat and the triple threat winner facing Roman for the title at the Royal Rumble. He says he looks forward to more productive dialogue and hopes they can get to know each other better.

United States Title Shot Tournament 2nd Round - Kevin Owens vs Carmelo Hayes

Logan Paul does an inset. He said Melo impressed him and has to face Owens, who he said we all saw cheat last week. They do some amateur wrestling. They collide with shoulders then Melo flying headscissors him. Owens swats a dropkick away then takes one on the 2nd attempt. Melo then kips up.

Owens chops Melo down then stomps him. Melo hits forearms then takes a back elbow and senton. Melo springboard twisting clotheslines him then Melo pulls Owens out. Owens' head is banged off the apron then Melo is pushed into the steps.

We go to break and return. Melo rolls over Owens' back then slams him. Melo step up enzugiri's him then legdrops him over the back of the neck. Melo pump kicks him then hits a la mistica drop for 2. Owens hits a nasty bridging ddt on Melo's head. They trade superkicks and Owens face kicks him. Owens lariats him, pops him up and Melo codebreakers him out of it.

Owens pop-up powerbombs him for 2. Owens hits a top rope swanton then cutters him. OWens then wins it.

I wasn't a fan of this. They didn't really sell at all and it was just move after move. The ddt Melo took on his head looked nasty but it meant nothing here. 

The OC talk to AJ in the back. Michin is happy to see him and hugs him. Karl said they didn't hear from him and Luke asks if they are good. AJ says, "I don't know, are we?". AJ then leaves.

Karrion Kross says he's knows the powers of the words. He talks about people he beat up including Roman, Drew and Rey. He then said he took Nakamura's honor and says to look at him now. He said the greatest proclamation is soon to be forgotten without a scribe or authors. We then see 2 other people with him in the video and it appears it is the return of The Authors of Pain. The AOP were rumored to be signed and there was a big post about it today that said they were signed since last year but hadn't been used.

United States Title Shot Tournament 2nd Round - Bobby Lashley vs Santos Escobar

Santos charges at him and is lariated. Bobby corner spears him  then overhead belly to belly suplexes him. Bobby throws him by the neck. Santos comes off the top, is caught then thrown over the top in a cool bump.

We go to break and return. Santos topes Bobby then stomps on the leg inside. Santos hits a jumping double knee in the corner and does it twice more. Santos hits kicks to the leg. They fight up top and Bobby throws him off. Bobby flatliners him. A security guard then comes down and grabs someone in a mask, pushing them out from ringside. Bobby spinebusters Santos then The Street Profits are attacked by guys in masks. Bobby goes to help and Santos enzugiri's him in the back of the head. Santos then rolls him up by grabbing the tights and wins it.

The ending was lame here and the match wasn't that much before it ended. I liked Santos' bump on the outside here.

The masked guys take off their masks after and it's Carrillo and Garza. I guess this ends their NXT run. Santos says he's not alone anymore.

Butch is in the back and looks down. He said tonight wasn't his night but he brought the fight. Pretty Deadly show up behind him singing. Butch attacks them both and throws Elton into boxes. Staff then come to break it up. Nick said we don't do this here, we do it in the ring. He told Butch to find a tag partner to fight them with.

Logan Paul talks. He said he thought this tournament would get him the best WWE has to offer, but instead it got him either a guy who cries or someone who shouldn't take their shirt off in the pool. He said both are waiting to be pinned by the best champ of all time. He tells them to enjoy their temporary clout as that's all they will get from him.

AJ Styles vs Solo Sikoa

AJ hits punches to start. Solo blocks his irish whip and sends him into the buckles. AJ hits chops then Solo back elbows him. Solo slams him then AJ running knees him. AJ then sliding knees him on the apron. AJ plancha forearms him.

We go to break and return. Solo hits a big back body drop. Solo throws him into the post under the bottom rope then pounds on him. Solo headbutts him as he lays on the mat. AJ is sent face first into the bottom buckle then Solo running hip attacks him. Solo misses a 2nd rope headbutt. AJ sliding forearms him  then asai moonsaults him for 2.

AJ hits strikes then takes a pop-up samoan drop. AJ pele kicks him. AJ rolls him up for 2 then enzugiri's him. AJ hits a springboard forearm and Solo rolls out. Roman Reigns then comes in and nails AJ for the DQ.

The two matched up well here but the finish was lame. AJ moved really well here and took some nice bumps.

AJ enzugiri's Roman after then is 2v1'd. Orton comes out to make the save. Jimmy Uso then come sout and nails Orton from behind. LA Knight then comes out as expected. The faces clear off the heels.

The faces argue and AJ beats up Orton and LA. LA pushes Orton then they fight. Roman holds The Bloodline back as the faces fight and we end the show with a stupid ending.

Overall thoughts: I didn't like this show. We didn't get much of an explanation for AJ being more mad at his friends and other faces than The Bloodline. The ending was weak and the matches weren't that good except for the main.