WWE SmackDown Results, Highlights & Winners (December 22, 2023): AJ Styles vs LA Knight vs Randy Orton announced
Triple Threat match between AJ Styles, LA Knight & Randy Orton announced, Owens & Escobar advanced, Escobar’s new stable revealed and more!
The December 22, 2023 episode of Friday Night SmackDown is officially over and it is the holiday celebration episode. A number of matches and segments were booked and some important announcements were made. Get to know what happened on this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown as we came with the complete summary of the show along with results, highlights and winners list.
WWE SmackDown Summary
AJ Styles, LA Knight & Randy Orton
AJ Styles kicked-off Friday Night SmackDown, he said that Randy Orton and LA Knight wants Roman Reigns and he doesn’t give a damn about them. He wants Roman Reigns first. LA Knight interrupted him and says that AJ can have a match at Roman but only after him. He wants a Crown Jewel rematch.
Styles says that he took his spot and had a match. Randy Orton interrupted them and says that The Bloodline took him away for 18 months and is waiting to have his hands on Roman Reigns. Knight says Styles and Orton were taken out by The Bloodline and not him, so he’s the bullet proof and wants Reigns.
Nick Aldis interrupted them and announced that two weeks from today at SmackDown New Year’s Revolution, AJ Styles, Randy Orton & LA Knight will go on a Triple Threat match to determine, who faces Roman Reigns first at Royal Rumble for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
Ratings: 3.5/5
Holiday Havoc 8-Women Tag Team Match
The match began as soon as The Damage CTRL enters the ring. IYO SKY & Bianca Belair showcase their acrobatic skills. Belair with a vertical suplex tries to finish off things, but Bayley stopped her. Shotzi counters Bayley and wraps a X-mas gift with a steel chair in it. Shotzi sent Bayley out and hit a suicide dive with Michin’s assist.
Michin and Vega looks for a suicide dive of them own, but Kabuki Warriors attacked them from behind with the Kendo Sticks. Asuka & Kairi Sane were attacked from back with Kendo Sticks from Bianca Belair and Shotzi. They tried to bring tables to the game, but Bayley and IYO SKY knocked them down with the tables they unvieled.
After the commercial,everyone where down, except IYO SKY and Vega, who fought out. Michin and Asuka fight inside the ring and IYO SKY joins them. Belair drops a box on her head and lifemted her up over the shoulders Shotzi with mediocre on Sky. Kairi unviels a gift which has the trash can lid in it. With that she strikes Shotzi.
Vega attacked her with the steel chair from the back. Asuka took her down with a Pumpik pie and mist to the face. Kabuki Warriors went on to unviel the big gift, in which Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn were in it. They took down Kabuki Warriors. Bayley and Belair fight each other. Michin took IYO SKY over the table and hit a senton breaking the table for the win.
Winners: Bianca Belair, Michin, Zelina Vega & Shotzi Ratings: 4/5
NXT North American Championship- Dragon Lee vs Butch
Lee and Butch fought each other like you strike-I strike. Lee tries for the win with a rollup, but Butch escapes. Butch hit an elbow to the face knocking Lee down. Lee fights back with a hurricanrana and springboard kick to the chest and another kick to the face. Butch is sent out and when Lee looks for a suicide dive, Butch hit him with the overhead kick and delivered a backdrop on the apron.
Butch stood on Lee’s hand, but he escaped the stomp. Lee hit him with a hurricanrana, running kick to the ribs and looks for a power bomb. Butch counters and delivers a Tiger bomb on him. Both were on there knees exchanging their hands.
Butch and Lee exchange powerful strikes, kicks and takedowns, however Lee took advantage and delivered a powerbomb, but wasn’t enough to finish him off. Lee made Butch hanging upsider down, Butch stretches Lee’s fingers, Lee delivered a stomp on him. Butch looks for a bomb, but Lee delivered a Canadian Destroyer and Operation Dragon for the win.
Winner: Dragon Lee Ratings: 4/5
Backstage- Nick Aldis met Roman Reigns
Heyman introduces Nick Aldis to Roman Reigns. Roman asks Aldis is he the one who booked The Triple Threat Match and Solo vs AJ Styles. Roman says that he need to ask him first as he is the Tribal Chief, as Adam Pearce does so.
Aldis says that he is a General Manager and not a middle level executive like Adam Pearce. He says that Solo is a big man who took John Cena. He looks forward for the Triple Threat Match and the winner takes on Roman Reigns at Royal Rumble. He does everything thats best and looks forward to get to know Roman Reigns.
United States Title Tournament- Kevin Owens vs Carmelo Hayes
Owens & Melo perform grappling moves on eachother for a takedown. Both counter ewch others strikes and Hayes hit Owens with a drop kick. Owens hit a chop to the chest with the left hand and delivered a senton. Hayes delivered a clothesline from the springboard to take down Owens and looks for a dive from the ring. Owens stops him and sends him back first to the steel stairs.
After the commercial, Melo delivered an Axe kick on the back of the neck and hit face first to the ground. Owens took Hayes’ legs to the top of the turn buckle and delivered an elevated DDT. Owens uses his broken hand and chops Hayes. KO looks for a pop-up powerbomb, but Hayes counters with a code breaker. He looks for a Nothing but net, but KO hit a popup powerbomb, swanton and Stunner for the win. After the win Owens shows some respect to Hayes for his gutsy performance.
Winner: Kevin Owens Ratings: 4/5
Backstage- The O.C.
Michin and The Good Brothers met AJ Styles and says that they are happy to be back together. Styles says that are they together, teasing of leaving O.C. and walked away.
Video Tape- Karrion Kross
Karrion Kross appeared on a video tape and said that everyone that crosses path with him are changed and says that more changes are coming through with the Authors of Pain.
United States Title Tournament- Bobby Lashley vs Santos Escobar
Bobby Lashley takes down Escobar right from the beginning. Escobar tries to fight back with a pull down and kick to the face. But Lashley took Escobar out of the ring, standing tall before the commercial.
Dyring the commercial, Escobar kicked Lashley’s head to the steel stairs and taks control of him. Escobar hit the double knees on Lashley thrice and took him to the top rope. Lashley pushes him down and delivered a slam. Meanwhile, two masked men attacked Street Profits, the distraction makes Hayes roll down Lashley for the win. After the match the masked men unmasked to be Los Lotharios (Angel Garza & Humberto Carillo).
Winner: Santos Escobar Ratings: 3/5
AJ Styles vs Solo Sikoa
Styles has the first strike with hard beatdown to the chest, but Sikoa’s power plays the game. Styles fights back, sends Solo outside the ring and kicked him on the face with a running knee and elbow from top of the rope to outside the ring.
After the commercial, Solo Sikoa takes control with a backdrop down and drives Styles to the ring post, brraking him in half. Solo delivered flying headbutt, send Styles face first to the turnbuckle and hit him with a Samoan splash. Solo went for the middle rope to deliver flying headbutt, but Styles rolled out.
AJ takes advantage lays down Solo and delivered a moonsault from middle rope. Solo fights back and delivered a popup Samoan Drop. Styles hit a Pele kick on Solo and looks for a Phenomenal ForeArm. Solo counters it and looks for a Samoan spike, but Styles escapes. Styles manage to deliver the Phenomenal ForeArm, and Solo rolled out. Roman Reigns ran to the ring and attacked AJ Styles from the back causing the disqualification.
Result: Disqualification Ratings: 3.5/5
Post-match Brawl
Styles fight back and Solo attacked him. Roman and Solo attack Styles and Orton came for the aid. Jimmy out numbered them. LA Knight took all the members of The Bloodline down and made them retreat.After which, AJ, LA and Randy started to fight between themselves and SmackDown goes off from air.
SmackDown Results
- Triple Threat Match between AJ Styles, LA Knight & Randy Orton announced for SmackDown New Year’s Revolution.
- Bianca Belair, Michin, Zelina Vega & Shotzi defeated Damage CTRL.
- Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn returned and attacked Kabuki Warriors
- Dragon Lee defeated Butch to retain the NXT North American Championship
- Kevin Owens defeated Carmelo Hayes to advance to the next round in the U.S. Championship Tournament.
- AJ Styles teases of leaving The O.C.
- Santos Escobar defeated Bobby Lashley by pinfall.
- Angel Garza & Humberto Carillo join hands with Santos Escobar.
- AJ Styles vs Solo Sikoa ended in a Disqualification.
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