WWE Smackdown 12/12/2025

WWE Smackdown 12/12/2025

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2025/12/wwe-smackdown-1252025.html

We are in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Michael Cole and Corey Graves are on commentary. 

Nick Aldis talks about Drew McIntyre being suspended and says Drew won't respond to his messages. Nick invites him to come here tonight to discuss a resolution together to bring him back to SD.

Cody Rhodes walks in the back and talks to Nick. He asks if Drew McIntyre is here. Nick has a legal letter from Drew's attorney's claiming there is an unsafe working environment. Nick says he will go to Drew's house to get this solved once and for all. Cody crumbles up the paper.

Cody Rhodes comes out to talk. He says Drew said this is an unsafe working environment. Cody says Drew is only half-in and says that's why he doesn't sweat him. Cody says he'd fired Drew if he was his boss, but he's not. He says he can whip his @ss though. 

Oba Femi comes out and stares down Cody. Oba says he loves how fired up Cody is but says he's worried about the wrong man. He says he's worried about Drew but Drew isn't here. Oba says the NXT champ is. He says he's the ruler, the destroyer and the mountain he can't climb or conquer. He says he's also the man he faces tomorrow at SNME.

Oba says he's here knocking on Cody's front door to tell him the future is here and now. He says Cody's time is up and his time is now. 

Cody says he's the man that beat Cena for the title. He goes to leave and Oba grabs him. They hold their titles up at each other and the segment ends.

Thoughts: Oba got a good reaction here which is nice considering he has really only been on NXT.

We see various wrestlers arrive.

Ilja Dragunov talks to Fraxiom. NF says if DIY try anything out there, they will kick their teeth down their throats. Ax says they will have his back and Drag says no thanks. Drag says he will punch Ciampa in his place. He says Cena never backed down from a bully or fight. He says he will teach Ciampa that if he messes with a mad dragon, he will burn his fingers.

WWE United Statles Title - Ilja Dragunov (c) vs Tomasso Ciampa

They lock up and Drag is backed up into the corner. TC hits shots. Drag chops and euros back. They forearm each other then slap each other. Drag jumping kicks him. Drag spinning chops him. TC dropkicks him in the knee and pumping knee's him for 2. Drag facekicks him on the ropes. Drag facekicks him off the apron. Drag misses a charge and goes into the steps. TC suplexes him into the steps.

We go to break and return. Drag hits elbows while in a waistlock. Drag tiger feints but his leg gives out. TC knees him in the face and Drag gamengiri's him. Drag hits chops and slaps. Drag knees him in the chest. Drag germans him. Drag hits elbows to the head. 

They slap each other. Drag drives him hard into the mat with a backdrop for 2. Drag goes up top and is chopped. TC boots him in the knee and drops him to the apron. TC hits an air raid crash on the apron for 2. Drag top rope dropkicks TC in the side of the head. We go to PiP break and return. 

TC is up top and Drag hits slaps on him. TC hits a 2nd rope air raid crash for 2. Drag's nose is busted open. They get up and trade shots. They hit big slaps on each other. TC dragon screws him then runs into Drag's chest headbutt. TC germans him. Drag flying headbutts him in the chest. Johnny Gargano comes out. Candice LeRae pulls Drag's throat over the top. TC flying knees Drag for 2. Drag back body drops him and wins.

Thoughts: I didn't like the two air raid crashes not meaning much here when those should have finished Drag but I liked it otherwise. The finish seemed a bit random. Drag's nose bled like crazy here especially towards the end. They really got stiff with each other and it was mostly all strikes.

The heels jump Drag after. Carmelo Hayes saves Drag and clears off the heels.

We get a part of a Cena interview.

Je'Von Evans is interviewed. He says he's excited about being on SNME. The Miz comes in. He says this is all wrong. Miz says he should be interviewed about his match but he doesn't have one. He calls Evans a kid. Evans calls him "Unc" and "Uncle Miz". Miz says he wrestled on a level he's not ready for. Evans suggests they have a match. Miz says if he gets injured, he won't make it to SNME. He then calls him nephew.

The Wyatt Sicks then hijack the feed. Howdy says, "we're here".

The Wyatt Sicks come out. Howdy says Solo Sikoa made many claims this past week, trying to discredit him and his family. He says Solo may not have the power to look within himself but they do. Howdy says Solo's real family turned their backs on him as he uses and abuses those he claims to love. He says Solo is disillusioned and out of his mind saying The MFT's run SD. Howdy says The MFT's run nothing while they have the tag titles. Howdy tells Solo to come get the titles if he wants them.

The MFT's music hits and they appear on the tron. Solo tells his crew to look at these freaks. He asks if they thought they would show up on their terms. Solo says Howdy doesn't get to call the shots around here as he calls the shots. Solo says they will do things his way and will come to take the tag titles next week. Solo says to be ready for war and says if he wants to keep his family safe, give them the tag titles. He says if they don't, the only thing they can do is run.

Flair and Bliss talk in the back. Flair says Bliss has more experience and she will win today then they will focus on winning the tag titles back. Rhea Ripley comes in. She says her and Iyo are next when it comes to that. Bliss says they aren't stepping aside for anyone. Rhea wishes Bliss good luck tonight. Flair says Bliss doesn't need luck.

We get another Cena video.

Alexa Bliss vs Lash Legend

Lash has Nia with her and AB has Flair with her.

Lash misses a pump kick. AB gets on her back and is thrown over. Bliss flying headscissors her out. Bliss tries to cannonball her off the apron but is caught and dominatored on the rail top. Lash tries to bend AB's arm backwards then she lifts her by it. 

Lash lariats her for 2. Lash splashes AB for 2. AB superkicks her out of the corner. Lash catches AB off the 2nd rope but AB ddt's her off of it. AB knees her in the face and basement dropkicks her. Lash forearms her down. AB pulls Lash's throat down over the top rope. Nia sweeps AB on the apron. Flair superkicks Nia outside. Lash pump kicks Flair down. Lash back rack drops AB and pins her.

Thoughts: Lash was a bit off on some of her kicks and forearms here. I was surprised to see her win. Her getting a win so early like this is good for her but I don't know if Bliss should be going down that easy. This was just a match.

Aleister Black and Zelina Vega are interviewed in the back. Vega says it didn't have to come to this. She says Priest doesn't like the man he is. She says him phoning a friend won't make him whole. Black says if Priest wants to drag his friends to hell with him, then so be it.

They say Smackdown will return to 3 hours on January 2nd, 2026.

Thoughts: As a fan I like it, but as a reviewer, no. They just don't have the roster for it right now.

We get a video on Leon Slater and Je'Von Evans.

The Miz vs Je'Von Evans

They lock up. Miz side headlocks him. Miz shoulders him over. Mi pushes him down and Evans kips up into a monkey flip on him. Evans dropkicks him then seated springboard headscissors him. Evans and Miz both go out. Miz knees him outside in the gut. Evans jumps up to the apron and asai moonsaults him outside. Miz facekicks Evans on the apron and sends him into the post. Miz cranks Evans' arm down over the bottom rope. 

We go to break and return. Miz crossfaces him. Evans rolls him into a pin attempt. Evans hits chops then punches. Miz boots him down and Evans flying forearms him. Evans superkicks him in the face and corkscrew kicks him off the ropes for 2. 

Evans misses a top rope moonsault. Miz blue thunders him. He then does a five knuckle shuffle to Evans. Miz goes for an AA but Evans flips out. Evans sends Miz out then suicide dives him. Evans rolls up Miz for 2. Miz rolls him up for 2. Evans double jump os cutters him and pins him.

Thoughts: It wasn't bad. Evans did his flying as usual and Miz notably did some of Cena's moves here. I get why they had Evans lose here but I do think they could be getting a bit more out of Miz right now than this.

Lash Legend and Nia Jax talk to Rhea Ripley in the back. They said what they did to Flair and Bliss was a warning. Lash says things have changed around here. Rhea asks if it's a threat. She says she's a problem Nia doesn't want to have. Rhea says when her and Iyo want the tag titles, they will take them. Priest comes in and asks if she's good. Priest says he can't wait to see her energy out there. 

Jade Cargill comes up to Rhea and just looks at her and walks off.

Michin says Jade has been picking on everyone and nothing p!sses her off more than a bully. She says she will give her everything she got and says she knows Jade will do the same. Jade then attacks Michin and sends her into a box and the wall. Jade then sends to cue her music.

WWE Women's Title - Jade Cargill (c) vs Michin

Jade says to stop trying her as that is what happens when women don't know their place in the back. She says anyone can come step up and get stepped on. Michin then comes out with a kendo stick. She hits Jade with the stick. Mich grabs a title and Jade pump kicks her.

Jade comes in and is hit. Jade chokeslams Mich. Then stands over her and talks trash. She then leaves her laying without the match ever officially starting.

We another John Cena video. 

We then get a video on Oba Femi.

Aleister Black and Zelina Vega vs Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest

The heels attack while the faces pose on the buckles. AB kicks Dp in the corner then hits punches and elbows. DP hits punches in the corner. DP lariats him over the top. Vega gets on DP's back and Rhea is tagged in. Vega hits her then makes her chase her around the ring. Rhea hits short arm lariats inside. Rhea lariats her.

We go to PiP break and return. Rhea goes into the buckles. Vega 2nd rope diving meteora's her for 2. Vega hits mounted shots. Vega botches some kind of headscissors and ddt's her for 2. Vega tries it again and is thrown down. The men come in. DP hits shots on AB and lifting flatliners him. DP flying elbows him in the corner and hits a falcon arrow for 2.

Vega jumps on DP's back and is thrown off. AB spin kicks DP in the face then germans him for 2. DP boots AB out of the corner. AB sweeps DP. AB throws Vega into a headscissors on Rhea. AB pumping knees DP out. Vega and DP do stereo asai moonsaults outside.

Rhea catches Vega off the buckles. Rhea goes for riptide and Vega botches again. Vega hits a code red on Rhea for 2. Vega clubs on her. Rhea electric chair drops her on her chest for 2. AB breaks the pin up. AB and Rhea stare down. Reha headbutts AB then Vega rolls up Rhea for 2. DP and Rhea hit stereo razor's edge's. Rhea hits riptide on Vega and wins.

Thoughts: It was an ugly match. Vega botched almost everything with Rhea badly. The two didn't work together at all and destroyed this. I also didn't Rhea being able to headbutt Black in the chest right in front of the ref and not getting punished. This was bad and probably one of the worst TV matches of the year.

Overall thoughts: We had an okay Cody/Oba segment to start off. Ilja/Ciampa was very bloody and stiff but the selling could have been better. Bliss/Lash wasn't good. Miz/Evans was fine. We never really got Jade/Michin. The main was a total disaster with Vega botching everything. We also got tons of hype for Cena's retirement tomorrow which filled up a bunch of time. I wouldn't recommend this one at all and would just give it a 5 out of 10.