It’s totally ridiculous that we aren’t taking the night off here but indeed we aren’t. A Christmas edition of WWE SmackDown is soon at hand and no rest for the wicked, holidays or no, I’ll still be here giving you the live recap and results of the show as they come! Stay tuned for the WWE SmackDown Recap.
Show started a bit late due to… well not the football game actually but the post-show which they decided to do in it’s entirety instead of cutting to this. Anyway a steel cage is set up for our WWE title match, it’s looking like a Night of Champions vibe for this show!
Steel Cage Match for the WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Kevin Owens
They come to blows immediately, Roman with a headbutt. Reigns slams him into the turnbuckle, big uppercut drops him. Reigns tosses him right into the cage, make that twice, Samoan Drop for a nearfall. Roman tries for a Superman punch but Owens nails him out of the air. Exchange of punches as they’re both groggy. Owens tosses Roman into the steel now. Whip reversed, Owens with a kick off a back body drop attempt. Uppercut from Roman but Kev rebounds for a lariat, half senton to follow!
Charges in the corner, Roman with a boot up but Kev catches it, pummels him, nails the Cannonball on the second attempt, nearfall! Owens with a whip, tries for the Pop-Up Powerbomb, Reigns counters with a Rough Ryder for a nearfall! Takes Owens up top, Kev hits him away, Bullfrog Splash for a nearfall! And there’s our first commercial break.
We come back to see Roman hit a Sit-Out Powerbomb for a nearfall! Roman takes him to a corner, series of pounding forearms. Hits the ropes, Owens with a shot to the face! Simultaneous blows, Roman charges, Pop-Up Powerbomb from Owens for a close nearfall!
Reigns drives Owens to the corner for shoulder thrusts, usual big uppercut. Takes him up top, headbutt! Kev limply kicking him away but Roman climbing anyway. Exchange of punches up top, Roman wins out and hooks him for a superplex. Owens blocks, reverses and spins him into an Avalanche Fisherman’s Buster! Rolls him over slow for a nearfall!
Kev up to his feet and stalking for a long while. KICK WHAM but no STUNNER, Roman blocks and hits a Superman Punch for a nearfall!
I’m sorry, I think that should actually read “KICK but no WHAM STUNNER”, pretty sure the WHAM would’ve been him hitting the mat… anyway Roman yelling at himself, Owens facewashes him and now Reigns is pissed. He repeatedly sends him bouncing off the cage, mounted punches.
Roman takes Owens to the apron and starts grinding him against the steel but Owens grabs his head and chokes him on the top rope to counter and gets some space.
Roman charges for the Spear – KICK WHAM STUNNER! For a nearfall?! And a commercial break as the WWE SmackDown Recap rolls on! We return with Owens trying to climb the cage but Roman pulling him down. They both scale the cage, Owens with headbutts. Sends him to the mat, now Kev scaling to the top! Roman leaps to the bottom rope to grab Owens’ ankle.
Now they’re fighting on the top rope, Owens with a headbutt… SUPERKICK FROM THE TOP ROPE!
Roman falls to the mat, Owens off the top with a Swanton Bomb but Roman gets the knees up! Spear follows – FOR A NEARFALL! Roman is stunned. Reigns decides to ask for the door to open, Kev grabs the ankle to stop him. Roman just looks sick of this as Kev won’t let go. As he yells at him, Owens pulls the door into his head! Now he rams his head repeatedly into the wall! Owens now trying to get out the door, Jey comes out for the Standard Finish of closing the door in his face except Owens saw it coming and avoided it! Slams the door into Jey instead and almost gets out but Roman catches him!
Back into the ring, Pop-Up Powerbomb countered with the Superman Punch! Tries for the Spear but Owens sidesteps and Roman nails the cage! Owens with the second Stunner! Ridiculously he does not try for the cover and instead starts crawling towards the door but Jey grabs his hand through a hole in the cage, he handcuffs his wrist to the steel!
Cruelly Owens can still get his legs out the door but has to act like his feet can’t touch. Roman just casually walks past Owens and down the steps. Stops to mock him before walking down. Kevin yells at him that he can’t do it, can’t beat him without his bitch. I kinda expected this to lure Roman back but nope, he steps onto the floor and gets the win.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Definitely a bit of an exhibition in the sense that the story wasn’t really altered at all from where we already were coming off of TLC, but a fun match nonetheless and a somewhat fresh finish for a Cage match which they often struggle for.
And we move on from one title match to the next, women’s tag titles on the line in this one! As the WWE SmackDown Recap rolls on… (sorry for SEO purposes I think it’s a good idea to say that every now and then.)
Charlotte and Asuka in the ring with mics. Charlotte says the Empress and the Queen have returned to Friday Night SmackDown. Asuka starts to cut her own promo when Bayley interrupts. Bayley says this is impressive. But what’s really impressive is her! 2020 was a downer for everyone else in the world but not for her!
She held the title for 388 days; Sasha Banks’ music cuts her off. She comes to the ring purely to tell her that she’s the champ now and THAT’S impressive. Bianca comes out to do her impressive one-liner and then Carmella comes out to insult everybody and this was one of the most nothing segments of all time. That was seriously like a sentence per minute. My browser froze for like three minutes as that was going on and I missed nothing.
Triple Threat Elimination Match for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships: Charlotte & Asuka (c) vs. Bayley & Carmella vs. Bianca Belair & Sasha Banks
Charlotte starts with Bayley. Chop drops her, Charlotte takes her to the corner. Asuka tags in, kicks and chops on both sides for Bayley! Asuka with a roundhouse kick for a 2 count. Bayley takes her up for a chop. Takes her to her corner, Carmella tags in. Double teaming in the corner. Pulls Asuka out, she shoves her away. ‘Mella with a cheap shot to Sasha. Asuka attacks her, whip, Hip Attack! Carmella with a knee up on a charge, chokes her with a headscissor in the ropes!
Sasha tags in and Thesz Presses Carmella for punches! Takes her to the face corner, first Meteora of the match, tag to Bianca Belair! Shoulder thrusts. Pulls her to the center, body slam but ‘Mella slips out, tags to Charlotte as she scurries away. Riott Squad watching backstage. Duck unders and leap frogs in the ring, shoulder tackle absorbed! Flair with a headlock. Bianca shoots her off, Charlotte with some backflips and taunts her. Belair floats over and has her own backflips to mock Flair back.
Big boot ducked, stereo dropkick spot, stereo kip-up! Fun to see. Charlotte with a body slam but Bianca escapes and sends her into the turnbuckle, Flair sidesteps a charge and Belair hits the buckle now! Bayley tags herself in as does Asuka. Fight immediately spills to the outside. Charlotte laying in chops on Carmella. Meteora #2, this one off the apron! Back into the ring, Asuka punches Carmella, Bayley hits her with a Bayley To Belly for a nearfall!
Commercial break as the WWE SmackDown Recap rolls on…
We come back to see Bayley holding Asuka with a front facelock. Sends her to the corner but she springs off the second rope with a Missile Dropkick for a nearfall! Bayley with a sudden lariat, basically didn’t sell that dropkick at all. Drags her over, Carmella tags in, sends her face into her boot in the corner. Charging bronco buster for a nearfall. Snap suplex, 2 count. Bayley tags in, kicking Asuka into the corner. Quick tags and isolation from Bayley and Carmella, only heel team in the match.
Some illegal offense behind the ref’s back. Bayley pulls Asuka up, knee to the face. Asuka fighting out of the corner but Bayley takes her up, Carmella tags in. Pulls her to the center, Asuka with body blows but ‘Mella whips her to the mat. Drags her up by the hair, Bayley tags in again to hold her with a headlock. Asuka with a Pop-Up Knee Lift for the comeback! Charlotte was taken off the apron, Asuka tags to Bianca!
Belair going wild, dropkick to Bayley, kip-up, charging shoulder thrusts in the corner. Stomping a bit of a mudhole. Pulls her to the center, Delayed Veritcal Suplex for a nearfall, Carmella breaks up the pin. Sasha comes in to deposit her, tries a Crossbody to Charlotte but gets caught, Fallaway Slam! Belair with a Glam Slam to Charlotte, Bayley rolls Bianca up for a nearfall, Belair with a Sit-Out Spinebuster for a nearfall! Sasha tags in now, Top Rope Frog Splash and she pins Bayley!
Bayley and Carmella have been eliminated.
Sasha with an around the world headscissor into the Bank Statement! Charlotte fights to her feet, Sasha blocks a kick but Flair does as well. Trip into a Figure Four attempt but Sasha stacks her up for a nearfall! Flair with a big boot! Pulls Sasha into the Figure Four this time. Sasha reaching for the tag. Belair hilariously lends her hair for Sasha to pull herself to the corner, tags in! Handspring Moonsault finally breaks the hold, nearfall!
Belair goes up top, Charlotte with a big boot sends her to the mat. Belair with an Inside Cradle for a nearfall! Flair with a trip, Figure Four – Meteora #3 from Sasha breaks it up! Asuka tags in, Hip Attack sends Sasha into Reginald with a rather wild spill. Bayley comes in with a distraction, Asuka with an O’Connor Roll for a nearfall. Roundhouse kicks to Bianca, until she catches one and powers her up for a big Sit-Out Powerbomb! Close nearfall! Belair goes for a suplex but Asuka tags in Charlotte, she sneaks in for the Natural Selection and gets the pin.
Winners: Charlotte Flair & Asuka
Fun stuff, a pretty dang big match for these titles’ standards, has to be said.
Street Profits in Santa hats backstage hyping up the show. Ford has a present. They overhear Sami Zayn yelling at a social media manager, demanding she tell him who told her to announce the Lumberjack match. She shrugs and walks off. Sami is annoyed to see the Profits but they tell him they bought him a gift. He apologizes for going off on them. They pull out a version of his shirt that just says “I Was Intercontinental Champion”. He yells at them that they aren’t funny and storms off.
Daniel Bryan makes his way out for a match with Jey Uso but Jey attacks him on the stage! Throws him into the presents and Christmas trees! Drags him by the boot towards the ramp, refs and agents spill out to pull him off but they do a terrible job as he manages a punt to the ribs. Bodyslam onto the ramp! Commercial break as they deal with this and yep, the WWE SmackDown Recap rolls on!
Jey Uso vs. Daniel Bryan
Bryan chooses to continue the match in spite of the attack. Bell rings and Jey charges to batter him with stomps. Deposits him from the ring, Suicide Dive nailed. Throws him into the steps. Takes him into the ring. Stalks him slowly, seething. Jey pulls Daniel up, big chop to the chest. Commentary calls Jey the No. 1 Soldier for Roman, as if he’s not the only one. Chops traded. Bryan with a roundhouse kick, whip reversed but Bryan kicks off the corner, Jey with a Samoan Drop to cut off his momentum, nearfall!
Uce with a punch to the face. Pulls him up for a bodyslam. Goes for an old Wild Samoans diving headbutt but Bryan rolls out of the way! And he might not be a true Samoan as he sells his head! But as Bryan tries to rally, Jey sidesteps a corner charge, hip attack lands! Jey with a boot up off a back body drop, charges but Bryan sends him to the floor and he’s selling his ankle! Bryan with a Suicide Dive lays him out, though he also lands on the announce table himself!
Bryan takes Jey into the ring and goes up top but Jey crotches him! Hooks him for a superplex, Bryan slips between the legs and crotches him! Now he goes up top, Back Superplex lands! Commercial break. Whoops keyphrase density low, so WWE SmackDown Recap shall continue! Sorry but I’m pretty sure that’s important… we come back to see Bryan kick the leg out from under Jey. Bryan with a charging dropkick in the corner! Takes his leg into the second rope to wrench on it, leg kicks and body blows. Dropkick to the injured leg! Takes him up top, Super Rana! Nearfall.
Now the Yes Kicks ensue, and the head kick lands this time!
Yes chant kicks up, charges but Jey with a Superkick! Another lands and he goes up top, Frog Splash hits but his leg is bothering him! Slow cover, and Bryan kicks out! Jey drags himself up top. Tries another Frog Splash but Bryan with the knees up, pulls him into the LeBell Lock!
But then he transitions to the Single Leg Boston Crab on the injured leg, Jey grabs the bottom rope for the break! Jey kicks him away, forearms to the face. But Bryan rolls him around, they’re doing one helluva catfight here. Jey’s forearms and headbutts land and Bryan goes limp! He’s still awake though. Ducks a superkick, Buisaku Knee lands and Bryan gets the win!
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Good match as always. Looks like after a good bit of foreshadowing, Daniel Bryan is now next in line to go after Roman Reigns. Looking forward to it! Most of the way through the show now, WWE SmackDown Recap shall continue ’til the end!
Daniel Bryan with a promo backstage. He says he always looks for new things to achieve, new goals to pursue. Says one thing he’s never done in his entire career, he’s never won a Royal Rumble. This is the next thing he’ll pursue, the mountain to climb. So he announces his entry in the 2021 Royal Rumble match!
Sami Zayn walks by and chides Bryan, says he’s had it out for him since the start, constantly saying he should defend the title more and now he defends it tonight! And suddenly it’s a Lumberjack match! Accuses him of stooging him to WWE management. Starts to threaten him but says karma will catch up to him. Tells him at the Rumble, he will fail and Sami will be there laughing in his face. Bryan says Santa must not have given him a PS5, is that what the kids are into?
Lumberjack Match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship: Sami Zayn (c) vs. Big E
Lock-up. E overpowers him obviously, into the corner, ref breaks them up. Sami with a waistlock. Big E rips his hands off, hip toss. Cover for 2. Sami with a side headlock, Big E shoots him off, duck under, leap frog, back elbow drops him! Sami with a drop toe hold into the second buckle. Stomps him and kicks him out of the ring. The heels pummel E on the outside, shove him into the ring. Sami deposits him again so he can eat more stomps, they bring him back in, cover for a 1 count.
Sami hooks for a suplex, E escapes for a roll up into a Stump Puller, Sami grabs the rope for the quick break. Rolls out towards the babyface side. They won’t let him leave, Big E pulls him to the apron but Sami gets him with a Hot Shot! Tries to slam E’s head into a buckle but E counters, clothesline sends him onto the apron! Stomps ensue… and there’s the big Apron Splash but Sami rolls out of the way! He hits the apron hard and lands on the floor, and on the heel side no less!
Lumberjacks pummel him, Sami Zayn with a tope con hilo!
Commercial break as the WWE SmackDown Recap shall soon conclude! Sami rips his shirt off as we come back and throws it at E. Peppering him with punches. Hits the ropes, E grabs him for the big Overhead Belly to Belly! And another! Regular Belly To Belly attempted, Sami elbows his way free. Boots up off a charge, Helluva Kick attempted but Big E counters with the uranage! Nearfall!
Big Ending attempted, Sami slides off his shoulders and powders but the faces grab him and drag him right back into the ring! E grabs his ankle and pulls, Sami hangs onto the ring skirt, ref has to deal with this, Sami pokes the eye and cradles him for a clooose nearfall! E sends Sami to the apron, tries for his Big Match Spear but Sami with a knee catches him! Sami goes up top, Big E stops his ascent. Goes up top, Sami pounds on him… Sunset Flip Sit-Out Powerbomb, beautiful! Nearfall!
Sami tries for the Helluva Kick again but E ducks and sends him to the apron – BIG MATCH SPEAR takes them both to the floor! Heel and face Lumberjacks swarm in and a big brawl starts! Amongst the chaos Sami escapes, as though crawling out of a fight cloud. But Apollo Crews rushes up the ramp and tackles him! The faces lift Sami up together and cart him back into the ring! E ducks a line, Belly to Belly! Hits the ropes twice, high splash! Aaaaand here it comes – Big Ending! And that is that!
Winner: Big E
Good stuff! Big E winning the Intercontinental Championship seems like a solid idea, and doing it on Christmas is just adorable. He gets a big celebration too, confetti and all like it’s a WrestleMania main event! And that’s the show, thus ending the WWE SmackDown Recap!