WWE Smackdown 12/20/2024

WWE Smackdown 12/20/2024

Last week's show is here:  https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/12/wwe-smackdown-12132024.html

We are in Hartford, CT.

Michael Cole and Corey Graves are on commentary.

We see clips from SNME. We see various wrestlers arrive.

The Bloodline comes out. Solo says to acknowledge him. He talks about Roman challenging him for the necklace in Tribal Combat. Solo agrees and says lets leave everyone behind. He says he's walking and out as the tribal chief and will still be the head of the table. He says Roman can sail back to the island of irrelevancy and finally acknowledge him. 

Drew McIntyre comes out. Solo says he was happy when Drew kicked Jimmy Uso in the face but he better have a good reason for interrupting him. Drew says he will make it quick as it causes him pain to be this lcose to him and not beat him within an inch of his life. He asks Solo if he stays awake at night wondering when he will come for him. Drew says Solo cost him the WWE Title at Clash at The Castle. He said he caused him misery but stood up to Roman Reigns.

Drew says he should keep working on his hit list and take out more OG Bloodline members. He says Solo should take out Roman for good then they will finish their business after. Jimmy Uso then pulls Drew out and hits him with a crutch. Jimmy knocks him over the rail with it and chases him to the back.

LA Knight, Apollo Crews and Andrade then come out. They fight with Solo, Fatu and Tonga. The faces get the edge and knock the heels out of the ring. 

LA Knight, Apollo Crews and Andrade vs The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu and Tama Tonga)

Crews hits a big dropkick on Tama then gorilla press slams him. Tama takes a double back elbow. Andrade headscissors Tama out then pulls Fatu out. Andrade and Crews do stereo dives outside. LA teases diving out onnto Solo but Solo backs off.

Fatu hits a flying back elbow on Crews. We go to break and return. Solo is in control of Crews. Fatu slams Crews and goes for the senton but Crews gets his knees up. Andrade flying forearms Fatu. Andrade corner meteora's Fatu for 2. Andrade does a top rope moonsault into a standing moonsault for 2. Andrade is popped-up and goes gut-first into the top rope. Solo pulls him down and sends him into the post. 

Fatu pop-up samoan drops Andrade. We go to PiP break and return. Fatu pounds on Andrade. La lariats Tama over then stomps on him in the corner. LA running knees Tama in the corner. LA jumping neckbreakers Solo. LA backdrops Tama then Crews top rope splashes Tama for 2. Shinsuke Nakamura comes in and flying knees LA over the commentary table.

Crews has Tama in a crossface but Solo breaks it up. Solo corner hip attacks Crews then spinning uranages him. He then hits a samoan spike on Crews and wins.

Thoughts: It was an okay tag. It had 2 breaks which hurt it some. It wasn't great or anything and we didn't get a great finishing section. It did help Crews some though to be in a bigger match than usual and it furthered the Nakamura/Knight feud.

Byron interviews The Motor City Machine Guns. Alex says he's thinking payback tonight. Sabin says Gargano showed who he really is. Alex says Gargano made the biggest mistake of his life. Alex says he needs to do this alone and wants to see if Johnny can fight his own battles.

Chelsea Green and Piper Niven are interviewed by Byron, I believe at SNME. she talks about her title win and says she always knew it would happen. She says this is her night and it's red, white and green (referencing her last name I guess). Byron says she goes down as the first Women's US champ. She says she's in the history books where she belongs. She says she's going to Disney and wants to wrap this up.

We see clips of Owens vs Rhodes from SNME. We see clips from after the show. Owens nails Cody from behind then package piledrivers him. Cody is stretchered out. They said he had cervical swelling and is now home resting.

Kevin Owens then talks afterwards. He has the winged eagle title Cody had. He says what happened was not his fault. He said there's a lot of people to blame for it like the refs, Cody, Aldis and WWE management. He says he was screwed out of the title. He says it was a travesty and tragedy. He says he should be WWE champ but he's not.

He said he took the title because he deserved it. He says he's not taking it back until he gets what he wants. He says you can only push someone too hard until they snap. He said he didn't snap yet and says you don't want him to as it can get so much worse. He says what happens next is on Aldis and the WWE officials.

DIY talk in the back. Ciampa says it's surprising that Alex wants a grudge match with Gargano. Lohnny says he understands. He says he's all man and made a kid. He says Alex wants to do this on his own so Ciampa needs to stay in the back. He says he wants to handle business by himself. He says he will show him he's Johnny Freakin' Wrestling.

The Grayson Waller Effect

Waller says he has scoop after scoop and has a big one tonight. He brings out Braun Strowman. Braun comes out in a Santa hat and vest throwing out shirts to the crowd.

Waller says it's nice of Braun to help the poor people of Hartford out. Waller says he spent a lot of money on the new set. Waller says Braun is intimidating. Waller says Braun should join A-Town Down Under as they'd be untouchable. Waller says it would be "the brain and the braun". Braun gets mad. Carmelo Hayes comes out.

Melo says Aldis thought he would humble him against Braun. He says he wasn't ready and it wasn't fair. He says you can't humble greatness. He says he'll never quit and calls Braun a santa claus b!tch. He says he's ready now. Braun says he'll show him what The Braun Effect is. Braun then throws trees from the set at Melo.

A ref comes out and the match is set.

Carmelo Hayes vs Braun Strowman

Melo hits kicks to the leg and tries to hide behind the ropes. They break on the ropes and Melo hits him. Melo tries to irish whip him and can't. Melo sides out and stalls. Braun chases him around the ring and is kicked when they get in. Melo back springboards into an elbow on him. Melo hits knees and clubs on him. Braun pushes him over.  

Braun throws Melo in. Melo dropkicks Braun in the knee. Braun is body-hurricanrana'd on a chokeslam attempt. Melo poses and Braun recovers behind him. Braun is pulled over the top. Melo tries to do Braun's running around the ring move and takes a big boot.

Melo slaps him. Braun throws him into the ring from the outside and is counted out.

Thoughts: It was a lame finish here but I get it. I thought we were getting close to a countout and that's what we got. It made sense with Melo running away from Braun and hitting kicks to the leg.

Braun chases him into the seats and to the concessions after.

Nia Jax and Candice LaRae walk. Tiffany stratton walks in. She wishes them luck and says she wants to be at ringside for their tag title match. LaRae says it's best if she stays in the back and can take notes on what a championship victory looks like. LaRae says she wants streamers and champagne and tells her to get to work as it's a lot.

Melo runs into Legado del Fantasma while running from Braun. LdF won't tell Braun where he went then Angel says he went that way. Pretty Deadly try to recruit Braun for their musical. Melo then chairs Braun from behind. Melo runs, Braun gets up quick and chases him.

Alex Shelley vs Johnny Gargano

Alex hits punches and bangs his head off the buckles. Alex boots him in the corner. Alex hits corner punches and JG pulls him down face first on the buckle. JG hits chops. Alex 2nd rope knee drops JG's arm. Alex running forearms JG. 

JG backrolls him into a kick. JG boots him in the corner. Alex kicks him from the apron and flying knees him. We go to break and return. JG neckbreakers him on the knee. JG slingshots in and is kicked.

Alex knees him in the gut then kicks him in the back for 2. Alex armbars him. Alex hits a standing shiranui for 2. JG hits forearms. Alex hits chops. JG step up enzugiri's him then superkicks him.

JG battering rams Alex into the 2nd buckle for 2. JG tries the border city stretch but Alex ropebreaks. JG hits Alex over top the ref. Alex flatliners JG into the 2nd rope. Ciampa goes up and distracts Alex on the buckles. Sabin then comes out and chases Ciampa. Alex top rope crossbodies Jg but JG rolls through it and pulls the tights to win.

Thoughts: The crowd wasn't into it at all which is often the norm with Gargano matches. It was about average and nothing too great. JG won by pulling the tights so this is continuing.

Bianca Belair and Naomi are interviewed by Byron. BB says the last few weeks have been rough but she won't let what happened with Jade strip her of the tag titles. Naomi says she has her back forever. She says she knows how important the titles are and says she will do everything she needs to in order to make sure they leave as champs. BB gives her a title to hold but she says, "not until I earn it".

WWE Women's Tag Titles - Bianca Belair and Naomi vs Nia Jax and Candice LaRae

CL = Candice LaRae

This is for the vacant titles as Jade Cargill is out.

CL piefaces BB then elbows her out of the corner. BB gorilla presses CL but CL escapes the slam. Nia is tagged in. Tiffany Stratton is watching in the back. BB flying dropkicks Nia and Nia misses an elbow drop. BB hand springmoonsaults while Naomi does a split drop.

Naomi takes a pop-up headbutt from Nia for 2. We go to PiP break and return. BB does some kind of tilt-a-whirl breaker on CL. BB takes a codebreaker variation into a samoan drop for 2. Nia pulls BB's arms back. 

Nia pulls on BB's hair. CL grabs BB from the apron. Nia cobra clutches BB. BB is held in the air for a missile dropkick from CL. CL walks off Nia's back and sentons BB for 2. They mess up some spot where Nia is supposed to hit CL.

Naomi flying lariats and flying euros Nia. Naomi springboard kicks Nia. Naomi 2nd rope facebusters Nia for 2. Nia misses a corner charge and Naomi misses a split-legged moonsault. Naomi powerbombs Nia while she's on the buckles. Nia gets busted open and BB hits a top rope 450 on Nia for 2.

Tiffany Stratton comes down with the MITB briefcase. CL 2nd rope tornado ddt's BB for 2. Nia asks Tiff for the MITB briefcase. The ref catches her. BB handspring kicks Nia off the apron then dives on her outside. CL cradles Naomi for 2. Naomi pumping knees CL then hits a split-legged moonsault for the win.

Thoughts: It was just average. It does continue the storyline with LaRae/Nia/Tiff having problems though. Nia got busted open somehow during this one. 

Overall thoughts: It was a decent show overall but nothing was that great here. The opener was maybe the best match but that was not saying much on this. I'd give it a 6 out of 10 but you don't really need to see this one.