wrestling / TV Reports
Winfree’s WWE Smackdown Review 12.22.23
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...A Merry Christmas to everyone and welcome to the penultimate episode of WWE Smackdown for 2023. As a quick reminder this episode was taped last week and if you want spoilers you can find them here. In the non-spoilery sense we’ve got a few matches lined up, the two semifinals for the US Title tournament will take place with Santos Escobar vs. Bobby Lashley and Kevin Owens vs. Carmelo Hayes. Dragon Lee will be on hand, we’ll get a holiday themed bit of silliness I’m sure, and the recently announced AJ Styles vs. Solo Sikoa. AJ returned last week and will playing the wildcard between Randy Orton and LA Knight it looks like. These pre-taped shows have an uneven history, frequently they’re padded out with more than usual recaps or similar video packages but there have been some decent ones as well so we’ll just have to wait and see. Anyway that’s the preamble so let’s get to the action.
We get a brief recap of Randy Orton calling out the Bloodline last week, and the return of AJ Styles plus AJ clocking LA Knight.
First for the “live” broadcast portion of the show here comes AJ Styles. AJ has a mic and brings up how Randy Orton wants Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble, LA Knight wants Roman anywhere at anytime and he doesn’t blame either of them. But AJ doesn’t care about either of them, he’s first in line to get Roman at the Royal Rumble. That brings out LA Knight to a big pop, Knight has a mic and talks on the stage, which is full of Christmas trees and presents. Knight wants to talk to us, and isn’t about to argue with AJ about the order of who gets Roman because there’s nothing to argue about. After what happened at Crown Jewel he’s happy to let anyone have Roman, after Knight gets him first. But after the cheap shot last week Knight could be coming after AJ next. AJ asks Knight to remember that he stepped over his body to team with John Cena and get his shot at Roman off of that. All of this brings out Randy Orton. Randy has a mic as well and talks on his way to the ring, he appreciates both of them and their issues with Roman and the Bloodline but he’s been on the shelf for 18 long months and while he enjoyed being at home he was missing this ring. Nothing will get in his way. Knight brings up how the Bloodline took out AJ and Randy, but they couldn’t take out Knight and that means they can take on the Bloodline but Knight gets Roman. Smackdown GM Nick Aldis interrupts now because who doesn’t love a revolving door promo? Aldis admits everyone has a legitimate gripe with Roman, so they’ll all get a shot at earning that match. In 2 weeks we get Smackdown New Years Revolution, and we’ll get the predictable triple threat between these three men for the title shot at the Royal Rumble. AJ will do whatever it takes to get to Roman, oh and he warns them to stay out of his match with Solo Sikoa later tonight. AJ heads out while Randy and Knight share a few off mic words in the ring.
Commentary runs down the rest of the card then Bianca Belair comes to the ring for our seasonal gimmick match. That match will be up after this break.
Post break here comes Damage Control.
Match #1 – Holiday Havoc 8 Woman Tag Team Match: Bianca Belair, Zelina Vega, Shotzi, and Michin vs. Damage Control (Bayley, Iyo Sky, Asuka, and Kairi Sane) w/ Dakota Kai
Massive brawl to start, no tags in this match. Belair and Iyo fight in the ring while everyone else brawls on the floor. Iyo avoids a suplex then avoids a clothesline. Eventually Belair lands a dropkick then a suplex. Bayley shows up to kick Belair out of the ring. Shotzi is in the ring with a present, it’s a steel chair but Bayley knocks her down then picks up the chair herself and sets it up in a corner then tries a suplex into it but Shotzi blocks then tries the Raven drop toe hold but Bayley blocks it. Shotzi with a Victory Roll for 2 then an arm drag and an enziguri. Now Shotzi sets the chair up in the ring and jumps off of it into Bayley, then tosses the chair out of the ring. Michin opens the ropes so Shotzi can hit a suicide dive, then Michin and Vega set for dives but Kairi and Asuka are here with kendo sticks to lay them out and then celebrate with a dance. Belair and Shotzi with kendo sticks now and take down Asuka and Kairi. Belair and Shotzi get a table but Bayley and Iyo cut them off and then use the table as a weapon to knock them both down then celebrate as we head to break.
We come back to an awkward modified Tower of Doom spot and everyone is down. On the floor Vega DDTs Iyo. Asuka and Michin trade striking flurries until Michin hits a powerbomb. Iyo with a springboard dropkick to Michin and Belair breaks up the resulting pin. Belair then tosses Bayley out of the ring only for Iyo to land a palm strike, but Belair then brains her with an empty box, Iyo then eats a Doomsday Dropkick from Shotzi while on Belair’s shoulders but Asuka saves the match. Kairi finds a trashcan lid and proceeds to murder Shotzi with a spinning backfist with it and then toss her into a tree. Vega smacks Kairi with a chair but Dakota Kai pies Vega in the face then Asuka with Blue Mist to Vega. Bayley hits a back suplex on Belair in the ring then tosses her out. Kairi staggers over to help Asuka stomp on Belair then they send her into the ring. Those two go to the big packages but find Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre who attack Asuka and Kairi, poor Kairi takes their tag team finisher on the floor. Back in the ring Belair kills Bayley with a Kiss of Death but Iyo lays out Belair with an Over the Moonsault. Michin in with Sole Food to set Iyo on the table, then Michin climbs the ropes for a senton through the table and she pins Iyo.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Bianca Belair, Zelina Vega, Shotzi, and Michin won in 12:48
Rating: 3 stars
Thoughts: Fun enough gimmick brawl, Damage Control continuing to take losses though and especially Michin pinning Iyo feels a little odd. I know they had to shuffle things after Charlotte’s injury but you’d think Belair pinning Iyo would make the most sense. Nice that the Unholy Alliance is back on TV though, the women’s tag team scene on Smackdown especially could use them.
We get a quick recap of Solo taking out AJ Styles 3 months ago. In the back Jimmy tries to fire up Solo, doesn’t really work. Roman Reigns asks Paul Heyman about the new Smackdown GM then asks for Heyman to bring him here. Heyman would like a moment to tell Roman about Aldis, but Roman just wants Aldis brought here and Heyman scurries off to do so.
Back to the ring here comes Dragon Lee. Lee will defend his title after this break.
Post break here comes Butch, still using the Brawling Brutes theme and titantron which pretty badly need to be changed.
Match #2 – NXT North American Title Match: (c) Dragon Lee vs. Butch
Circling then a tie up, they trade arm wringers and escapes then Lee grabs a headlock and a Victory Roll for 2. Butch tries an armbar but Lee rolls him up to avoid it. Both men miss kicks, then they catch kicks at the same time and we get a stand off. Butch then just clocks Lee with an elbow to change the tenor of the match. Butch starts working the arm of Lee with knee strikes, then some joint manipulation for good measure. Chops from Butch then Lee hits the ropes and lands a hurricanrana then his corner combination. Lee lands a superkick that sends Butch out of the ring, then he tries a dive but runs into a kick from Butch and Butch follows up with a rolling release suplex that drops Lee onto the apron to send us to break.
Butch is stomping on the fingers of Lee as we come back. Lee heads into the ring to avoid a moonsault, then hits a leaping hurricanrana as Butch is on the apron that sends both men to the floor. Lee with a basement dropkick in the corner then Butch avoids a powerbomb and hits a Tiger Driver for a 2 count. They start trading chops on their knees as they fight up then trade more strikes, eventually Butch with a rebound German suplex but Lee hits one of his own only for Butch to stomp his fingers, kick him in the head and try the release rolling suplex but Lee lands on his feet then counters a clothesline with a sit out Liger Bomb a la Will Ospreay for a near fall. Boot from Butch but Lee catches him on the ropes and hangs him in the tree of woe then tries a double stomp and hits it after Butch attacks his fingers. Lee resets his fingers but runs into a pop up elbow, then counters a Bitter End with a Canadian Destroyer. Operation Dragon connects to end this.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Dragon Lee retained the title in 9:44
Rating: 3.5 stars
Thoughts: A bit on the indy-riffic side but Butch is darn good and Dragon Lee is rapidly proving himself in the ring on the main roster. Good stuff from both men here.
Next, a recap of Kevin Owens and Carmelo Hayes winning their matches last week to set up their match.
Kevin Owens heads to the ring for that match which will be up after this break.
Post break we see Roman in the back and Heyman introduces Nick Aldis who’s standing while Roman is seated. Roman dismisses Heyman and Aldis sits. Roman asks about the triple threat match and Solo vs. AJ, Aldis says he booked them, and Roman thinks he should be consulted about these kinds of things. Everything goes through him, and he needs Aldis to understand that, just like Adam Pearce did. Aldis says Pearce is more middle management while Aldis is General Manager, the buck stops with him. He puts over Solo and looks forward to Solo and AJ tonight, just like he’s looking forward to all of the matches he’s made and Roman eventually defending his title at the Rumble. He looks forward to more productive times with Roman and hopes they get to know each other better. Aldis heads out and Roman suppresses a snarl.
Back to the ring, here comes Carmelo Hayes.
Match #3 – US Title Tournament Semifinal: Kevin Owens vs. Carmelo Hayes
They tie up, Owens forces Hayes into the ropes and we get a clean break. Single leg from Owens and we get a bit of mat wrestling with Owens generally getting the better of things but Hayes holding his own until we get a stand off. They trade side headlocks then Hayes runs into Owens but can’t knock him over so he switches to a headscissors. Both men avoid each others offense before eventually Hayes lands a dropkick. Owens just chops Hayes down and starts stomping away at him. Heavy left handed chops from Owens but Hayes fights back only to run into a back elbow then Owens follows up with a senton. Hayes with a springboard clothesline but then he and Owens fight to the floor and Owens just shoves Hayes into the ring steps to send us to break.
Post break Hayes hits Owens with a scoop slam. Some strikes from Hayes then an enziguri and scissors kick for a 2 count. Hayes avoids a suplex but Owens catches him with a hanging DDT from the top rope but only a near fall. They trade superkicks then Hayes eats some chops before turning into a clothesline from Owens. Hayes counters a pop up powerbomb with the First 48 (Codebreaker) but misses Nothing But Net and then Owens spikes him with a pop up powerbomb for a 2 count. Owens up top now, Swanton Bomb but no cover instead he hits a Stunner and that’ll do it.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Kevin Owens won in 10:30
Rating: 3 stars
Thoughts: Good stuff from both men here, especially since they did this in close proximity to their matches from last week. Hayes definitely got to show off his stuff in his main roster debut and Owens remains the most likely candidate to take on Logan Paul at the Rumble.
Post match Owens offers a hand to Hayes and helps him up then shakes his hand before leaving.
In the back the OC find AJ Styles, Michin is happy to see him and Karl Anderson asks if they’re good. AJ: “I don’t know, are we?” Then AJ walks off. The OC has been pretty dead as a group for a while so AJ moving on from them makes sense.
To the ring, here comes Bobby Lashley. Bobby will take on Santos Escobar after this break.
Karrion Kross video, he warned the Bloodline their implosion was imminent, made Drew McIntyre spiral out of control, messed with Rey Mysterio so much he hit his own son in front of his family, and took away Shinsuke Nakamura’s honor leading to him misting people.
We get a quick recap of Bobby Lashley pinning Kross last week then Santos Escobar heads to the ring.
Match #4 – US Title Tournament Semifinal: Bobby Lashley w/ Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) vs. Santos Escobar
Escobar runs into a clothesline to start. Bobby overpowers Escobar and beats him down in the corner then launches him with an overhead belly to belly suplex. Escobar looks shell shocked as Bobby pulls him up and tosses him around some more. Escobar fights back with a kick then heads up top but his flying nothing is countered and Bobby just tosses him over the top rope and to the floor to send us to break.
Escobar hits a suicide dive as we come back. Bobby makes his way back into the ring where Escobar starts landing leg kicks to keep Bobby off of his base. Some more leg work from Escobar then flying double knees in the corner, and a second one for good measure. Escobar wants a third one of those and sort of gets it, looks like they might have botched a counter spot. Escobar sets Bobby on the top rope and kicks him in the face. Bobby powers up on the ropes though and launches Escobar down to the mat, he follows with a Flatliner. Two masked goons attack the Street Profits, that sets up Escobar to grab the tights of Bobby on a School Boy and get the 3 count.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Santos Escobar won in 8:02
Rating: 2.5 stars
Thoughts: Not the best pairing here, they didn’t quite blend the way you’d hope but this wasn’t bad at all. Escobar getting some new flunkies makes sense and I guess Humberto and Garza work. Rehabbing Escobar in his heel persona has been quite successful, pity that the Profits and Bobby don’t seem to have anything to do these days.
Naturally the masked goons unmask to reveal Humberto Carillo and Angel Garza.
Cathy finds Butch in the back and Butch says everyone brought the fight tonight. Pretty Deadly show up for some reason, naturally a fight follows until officials pull them apart. Nick Aldis says Butch can find a tag team partner and take on Pretty Deadly in 2 weeks.
Logan Paul video mocking both Santos Escobar and Kevin Owens, Owens apparently looks like if Reddit were a person. Doesn’t matter who it is, he’s pinning them at the Rumble. Escobar and Owens will have the finals in 2 weeks, I think next week will be a Best Of kind of year end show.
Commentary run down more of the show in 2 weeks.
To the ring, here’s AJ Styles. I don’t know about that jacket AJ is wearing. Solo follows.
Match #5: AJ Styles vs. Solo Sikoa
AJ goes right at Solo with chops and strikes, then a boot to the face and more strikes. Solo blocks an Irish whip but then runs into another boot and AJ keeps throwing strikes at him. Back elbow from Solo then a scoop slam. AJ avoids a slam and dropkicks the knee of Solo then kicks him down and follows with a Shining Wizard. Enziguri from AJ sends Solo out of the ring then he follows with a sliding knee on the apron. AJ wants a dive and connects with it as we head to break.
Solo lands a very high amplitude back body drop as we come back. Then he launches AJ under the ropes and into the ring post. Follow up headbutts from Solo as they head to the floor. Back in the ring Solo with a jumping headbutt but only a 1 count. AJ tries to fight back with strikes but Solo sends him face first into the second turnbuckle, gnarly bump from AJ there. Solo wants a hip attack and hits it. Slowly Solo climbs the ropes and misses a second rope headbutt as AJ rolls away. AJ looks to rally with a clothesline then sliding elbow and a lionsault for a 2 count. Striking flurry from AJ but then Solo catches him with a pop up Samoan Drop for a 2 count. AJ hits a Pele kick to slump Solo. AJ sets for the Phenomenal Forearm but Solo catches him then misses a Samoan Spike and AJ lands a jumping kick. Solo blocks a Styles Clash and sends AJ to the apron. Again AJ wants the Phenomenal Forearm and hits it but Solo rolls out of the ring to avoid a pin, then Roman runs in to jump AJ.
OFFICIAL RESULT: AJ Styles won via disqualification in 11:40
Rating: 2.5 stars
Thoughts: Average stuff here, AJ is still knocking off some rust but he’s quite good. Solo continues to grow but still needs seasoning that this kind of match will help him with.
Roman unloads on AJ but AJ fights back with a kick. Solo returns to frame and starts punching down AJ. Randy Orton shows up and jogs to the ring then fights both Roman and Solo for a bit. Jannetty Uso eventually shows up to jump Randy, naturally La Knight shows up to even the odds. Knight clobbers Jimmy then jabs up Solo and Roman. Randy ejects Jimmy and Knight clotheslines Solo out of the ring while Roman laments things on the floor. AJ, Knight, and Randy then start fighting as AJ didn’t need their help and their egos just wont get along. Knight clobbers AJ, Randy tries to get him to back off so Randy and Knight start fighting. Jimmy and Solo think about re-entering the fray but Roman holds them back, just let them take each other out. We end with AJ, Knight, and Randy still brawling in the ring.
