On December 22, 2023, WWE hosted a new episode of Friday Night SmackDown on Fox.
The show was headlined by AJ Styles going one-on-one against Randy Orton. Live results & highlights are listed below.
Refresh the site for the latest updates as the show happens.
WWE SmackDown (12/22/2023).
- AJ Styles kicked off the show with a promo to address his actions last week. Styles said that he understood why LA Knight & Randy Orton wanted a shot at Roman Reigns, but said that he did not give a damn about them because he wanted a shot at Reigns first at Royal Rumble. LA Knight interrupted and said that he wanted Reigns first, but Styles told Knight that he already got his shot at Reigns after stepping over his "dead body". Randy Orton interrupted and told them that nothing would get on his way to get a shot at Reigns.
Knight pointed out that, unlike Styles & Orton, he was not taken out by The Bloodline so he had first dibs. SmackDown GM Nick Aldis came to the ring and announced that they would face each other in a Triple Threat to crown the #1 Contender for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at the 2024 Royal Rumble. Styles agreed but said that if anyone interfered in his match against Solo Sikoa tonight, they would take them out. - Holiday Havoc: "Michin" Mia Yim, Zelina Vega, Shotzi, & Bianca Belair def. Damage CTRL (Asuka, IYO SKY, Bayley, & Kairi Sane).
- The finish came when Isla Dawn & Alba Fyre attacked Asuka & Kairi Sane outside of the ring. This allowed Bianca Belair to hit the KOD on Bayley while Yim hit the Eat Defeat on Sky. Yim then set Sky and hit a Senton on Sky through the table for the win.
- The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, Jimmy Uso, Solo Sikoa & Paul Heyman) spoke backstage before Reigns told Heyman to bring Nick Aldis to him.
- NXT North American Championship Match: Dragon Lee (c) def. Butch.
- SmackDown GM Nick Aldis met with Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns backstage. Reigns told Aldis that it would have been a good idea if he ran his ideas through him, like Adam Pearce. Aldis told Reigns that he did not have feelings because he was an executive, but appreciated the productive dialogue with Reigns. Reigns was seething after the interaction.
- WWE United States Championship #1 Contender Tournament - Semifinal Match: Kevin Owens def. Carmelo Hayes.
- AJ Styles was training backstage before being interrupted by The OC (Mia Yim, Luke Gallows & "The Machine Gun" Karl Anderson). Anderson asked Styles if they were good, but Styles asked the following response before leaving: "I don't know, are we?".
- Karrion Kross had a vignette backstage on his impact in WWE but said that even his proclamations would be forgotten without a scribe and without "Authors" as two giant figures and smaller figures were shown. The vignette ended with Scarlett shouting after asking: "Do you see the vision?".
- WWE United States Championship #1 Contender Tournament - Semifinal Match: Santos Escobar vs. Bobby Lashley (w/ Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins).
- The finish came when two masked men attacked Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford, briefly distracting Lashley to allow Escobar to get the Schoolboy Roll-Up for the win. The masked men were revealed to be Angel Garza & Humberto Carrillo.
- Butch was interviewed backstage, but he was interrupted by Pretty Deadly (Elton Prince & Kit Wilson), who made fun of him. Butch brawled with them before Nick Aldis & an army of security guards stopped the brawl. Aldis booked a match pitting Pretty Deadly against Butch and a partner of his choosing for New Year's Revolution.
- WWE United States Champion Logan Paulcut a brief promo backstage, where he made fun of Santos Escobar & Kevin Owens
- AJ Styles def. Solo Sikoa (via Disqualification).
- Styles hit the Phenomenal Forearm on Sikoa, but Roman Reigns attacked Styles to end the match. Styles caught Reigns with an enziguri, but Sikoa attacked Styles. Randy Orton made the save to even the odds. Jimmy Uso came in to help Sikoa & Reigns, but LA Knight joined in on the brawl. Knight, Styles & Orton brawled with The Bloodline before they brawled with each other to end the broadcast.
At #SmackDown: New Year's Revolution it'll be: @AJStylesOrg vs. @RealLAKnight vs. @RandyOrton --
— WWE (@WWE) December 23, 2023
Winner gets @WWERomanReigns at #RoyalRumble! ------
Thank you, @RealNickAldis. pic.twitter.com/WgxdjYUNQ8
It's not the holidays until the Candy Cane Kendos come out! ----
— WWE (@WWE) December 23, 2023
This Holiday Havoc 8-Woman Tag Team Match is everything we wanted for Christmas and more! --#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/wWS11smXzI
We don't think @IslaDawn and @wwe_alba were on #DamageCTRL's Christmas list! ----#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/JvFaTUPrtw
— WWE (@WWE) December 23, 2023
THIS MATCH IS INCREDIBLE! ------@dragonlee95 @PeteDunneYxB #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/ibjBdr0ckH
— WWE (@WWE) December 23, 2023
"Everything goes through me." --@WWERomanReigns isn't happy with how @RealNickAldis is running #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/OrzsinRhh7
— WWE (@WWE) December 23, 2023
Can @FightOwensFight keep up with incredibly quick @Carmelo_WWE? --
— WWE (@WWE) December 23, 2023
Both of these men would like nothing more than to get a shot at @LoganPaul's #USTitle. ----
Who will advance in the #USTitle Tournament on #SmackDown? pic.twitter.com/7st1P2GIma
ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ꜱᴇᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠɪꜱɪᴏɴ? @realKILLERkross @Lady_Scarlett13 #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/2CZTelAw6X
— WWE (@WWE) December 23, 2023
WHAT THE????
— WWE (@WWE) December 23, 2023
Who are these guys helping @EscobarWWE??? ------#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/pwQasbvGqO
NO WAY! @AngelGarzaWWE and @humberto_wwe just helped @EscobarWWE move one step closer to @LoganPaul's #USTitle! ------#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/ewIfQ3raOD
— WWE (@WWE) December 23, 2023
#SmackDown: New Year's Revolution just keeps getting better and better! ------
— WWE (@WWE) December 23, 2023
Who will @PeteDunneYxB get to be his tag team partner against #PrettyDeadly? pic.twitter.com/s6oEk0iAch
"THIS HAS BECOME A NIGHTMARE FOR ROMAN REIGNS!"
— WWE (@WWE) December 23, 2023
Despite their differences @AJStylesOrg, @RealLAKnight and @RandyOrton all have one thing in common... they want to take down #TheBloodline. --
Who will be the one to face @WWERomanReigns at #RoyalRumble? #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/LkI0ufYWAV
- Check out the post-show podcast for a full review of the show on Fightful's YouTube & Twitch channels. You can check Fightful's Results Section here.