WWE Smackdown 12/8/2023
Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2023/12/wwe-smackdown-1212023.html
Tonight is Tribute to the Troops.
US Title Shot Tournament First Round - Santos Escobar vs Dragon Lee
Dominik Mysterio is down at commentary for this. Lee lariats Santos over the top. Santos stares down with Dom then Lee flying headscissors him. Lee tope con hilos him. Lee sligshot headscissors Santos into the corner then superkicks him for 2. Lee goes to walk up the buckles but is pushed down. Santos then neckbreakers him over the 2nd rope for 2.
Lee jumps over the top rope to try and hurricanrana him on the apron but is instead powerbombed on it. We go to break and return. Lee hits punches on Santos then double axe handles him. Santos handstands on the ropes and is superkicked. Lee then dropkicks him against the bottom buckle.
Lee rebound germans Santos then takes a superkick for 2. Santos gets rolled up for 2 then Lee sitout powerbombs him for 2. Santos goes out and Lee has words for Dominik. Lee kicks the top buckle with Santos' head on it. Lee then gets crotched up top. Santos hits a cradle shock for the win.
I wasn't a fan of this. They did way too much with powerbombs on the apron and other stuff and didn't do that much selling.
Dom holds the title over Lee after then spits on him.
Randy Orton talks to Nick Aldis. He said he found out he's teaming with LA Knight against Jey Uso. Orton asks why and says he doesn't know him. Nick said he doesn't need to know him, he just needs to know boht of them want the Uso's. Orton then gave him a check for his fine for hitting him last week and he gave him too much, because he said half of it is for next time.
Cody Rhodes comes out to talk. He thanks all the service members and shows us a highlight video from past Tribute to the Troops shows. He then brings out the US Army Drill Team and that's it.
Brad Nessler joins the commentary booth. He commentates for college games and they shill tomorrow's Army/Navy football game.
We see videos on Bobby Lashley and Montez Ford talking about being in the service.
US Title Shot Tournament First Round - Bobby Lashley vs Karrion Kross
Kross hits shots on Lashley in the corner. Kross boots him and Lashley goes for the full nelson. Kross nails him and drops him. They go outside. Lashley jumps off the steps with a lariat on him, corner lariats him and belly to belly suplexes him. Lashley lariats him over the top.
We go to break and return. Kross corner lariats him then spinning forearms him. Lashley hits some punches then Kross superkicks him. Lashley hits a flatliner then lariats him. Lashley neckbreakers him then suplexes him. Lashley uranages him then hits a rolling spear to win it.
It was a very average match and was pretty much nothing. This was far from either guys best work and they both took this one easy. Brad only got a few lines in here.
The Street Profits pose with Lashley in the entrance way after.
Damage Ctrl are in the back and Bayley goes up to them. She apologizes for last week and said she is volunteering to stay in the back during the Asuka/Flair match tonight. She says the rest of Damage Ctrl should to. Kai says Damage Ctrl agrees that she should stay in the back but says they will be out there.
CM Punk comes out to talk. He grabs a fan's version of the World Heavyweight Championship and makes a face. He says he's not at the end of the show and he's not going to get his time cut. He tells the fans to chant if they want to. He said he is partly leaving where he signs to the fans. He asks if the fans want him to sign with Raw or SD and the fans cheer for SD. He mentions Cody's "what do you guys want to talk about?" line. He said some fans want him spicy and not the happy go lucky CM Punk. He said it's not what do you want him to talk about, but who do you want him to talk about. He brings up Cody and Roman Reigns. He says he acknowledges Roman but says don't forget who the OG Paul Heyman guy is. He said Paul was his wise man first.
Punk says Solo is a big, tough, sun of a gun. He said he doesn't know him but knows the Uso's. He said if he scraps with Jimmy Uso, he has endless cousins and he might need backup. He asks if he can trust or tag with Randy Orton. He said LA Knight would tag with him and then brings up Kevin Owens. He said Kevin is a bit prickly and probably too much alike. He said he doesn't know who would feel comfortable with working with someone who randomly punches people backstage. He said you can't be doing stuff like that in 2023, likely hinting at his AEW backstage fights.
He said everyone is welcoming him except one guy - Seth Rollins. He said he has a whiny voice and isn't even The Man in his own household. He said where we will find out where he signs on Monday night. He said he has a phone call scheduled with Shawn Michael to talk about NXT and said he will make his decision then after meeting Pearce on Raw. He said he's back and is the monkey wrench in everyone's future plans and goals. He said everyone wants to finish their story and he's back to finish what he started. He said he puts pen to paper on Monday and said he wants to finish his story - main eventing Wrestlemania. He then drops his mic.
Now this was a good promo. This is the promo he should have cut on Raw. He hinted as some future opponents, referenced some internet rumors and did a great job here.
CM Punk talks to Kevin Owens in the back. Punk asks if he saw Nick Aldis' locker room and Owens says "nope". Punk says thanks for the help.
Asuka vs Charlotte Flair
Zelina Vega and Michin jump Iyo and Kairi then Shotzi and Bianca appear, running Iyo and Kairi to the back. Asuka hits leg kicks on Flair. Flair catches her hip attack an backdrops her. Flair does a forward cartwheel lariat. Flair hits chops outside then chops the post on accident. Flair then has her head banged off the post.
Asuka sliding kicks her on the apron then Flair backdrops her on the rail. Flair top rope moonsaults her, misses her and hits her head somewhat on the commentary table. We go to break and return with both girls down in the ring. Asuka hits kicks to the body and back kicks her. Flair bangs Asuka's head off the middle buckle.
Flair figure eight's her then Bayley comes out. Bayley breaks the bridge and gets on the apron. Asuka is nearly pushed into Bayley but Bayley moves her. Asuka then rolls up Flair and wins it.
We didn't get a ton of this. It felt like we missed a lot with the break during this one.
Bayley says, "I did that" after.
Nick Aldis gives CM Punk a contract in the back. Cody Rhodes comes up to Punk. Cody says it sounds like Punk needs to win the Royal Rumble to finish his story and says that's interesting. He says it's good to have him back.
Randy Orton, LA Knight and CM Punk meet up in the back. Punk wishes them luck. Orton asks LA if he's ready for tonight, and he says yeah,
LA Knight and Randy Orton vs Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso
Orton hits punches on Uso to start. LA gets in and back elbows Uso. LA then baseball slides him. Orton and LA seem to either argue or discuss something and Solo gets in. Uso hits Orton from behind and we go to break. We return and Orton backdrops Uso. LA and Solo get in. LA hits punches then neckbreakers him.
LA stomps on Solo in the corner. LA lariats Uso on the apron then takes a big belly to belly suplex. Solo rakes LA's eyes then Uso hits LA from the outside. Solo suplexes LA then headbutts him. Solo hits a running hip attack on LA in the corner.
LA is double irish whipped hard into the corner. LA comes off the 2nd rope and bulldogs Solo. Orton and Uso get tagged in. Orton beats up on Uso and tries to hit Solo in the corner when he isn't there. LA dropkicks Solo through the ropes and powerslams Uso. Uso's head is banged off the commentary table then he is backdropped on it.
Orton gets hit by Solo from behind in the ring. LA then hits Solo from behind and ddt's him. Orton interrupts a BFT to RKO Uso to win it. LA and Orton then stare down after and shake hands.
It was a very basic and simple match. We only got about 10 minutes of it with the break and it wasn't anything too special.
Overall thoughts: This show was almost all video packages. There was little wrestling and even little talking here. The Punk promo was the only thing worth seeing. This show was truly a waste of time.
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