Welcome to the Fightful.com live discussion & coverage for the 12/30/2022 edition of SmackDown on Fox from Orlando, Florida. We will bring full results and breakdowns for every match and segment on the show. Follow Fightful on Twitter.com/Fightful and Facebook.com/FIGHTFULONLINE
Here's what is set for the show
Preview.
WWE SmackDown (12/30/2022).
- John Cena & Kevin Owens vs. The Bloodline (Roman Reigns & Sami Zayn).
- WWE SmackDown Women's Championship Match: Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Raquel Rodriguez.
- Sheamus (w/ Butch & Ridge Holland) vs. Solo Sikoa (w/ Jimmy Uso & Jey Uso).
- Lacey Evans Makes her SmackDown Return.
Refresh for the latest updates as the show happens.
Live Coverage.
- Michael Cole & Wade Barrett welcomed the audience to the broadcast before quickly transitioning to the opening segment.
- Bray Wyatt came to the ring to cut a promo for the final WWE show of 2022. After headbutting a cameraman on the 12/23/2022 edition of SmackDown, Wyatt admitted that he did not think of himself as a good person but tried to change. Wyatt reflected on all the bad things he had done and admitted he did regret attacking the cameraman last week & apologized to him but was interrupted by LA Knight once again. Knight said Wyatt cannot keep his composure, but said that he believe that Wyatt was still the responsible party for the attacks on him despite the appearance of Uncle Howdie. Knight said that Wyatt has proven to be a fraud since his return, but had the medicine for his troubles, with it being a challenge for the Royal Rumble Premium Live Event. Wyatt called Knight "a little idiot" and said that he could have ended their issues long ago, but said that he needed to prove he cruel he can be when he felt like it before accepting Knight's challenge. After a video of Uncle Howdie appearing and saying "revel in what you are", Uncle Howdie came to the ramp to confront Wyatt & Knight. Howdie arrived and hit the "Sister Abigail" flat liner on Wyatt and left, which bamboozled the crowd & Knight.
- Sami Zayn walked around backstage before heading to the Bloodline locker room. Paul Heyman & Zayn talked about their experience in the holidays and told Heyman that he wanted to talk strategy with Undisputed WWE Universal Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns ahead of their match. Heyman said that the crowd chanting for Zayn did not seem to like a good idea, stating that the key to the Isle of Relevancy was to be three steps ahead of everyone else.
- Michael Cole gave condolences to the family of legendary IMPACT Wrestling commentator Don West after it was revealed that he passed away earlier in the day. You can view more tributes made to West here.
Sheamus (w/ Butch & Ridge Holland) vs. Solo Sikoa (w/ Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Jimmy Uso & Jey Uso).
Sikoa & Sheamus locked up to begin the match, with Sheamus locking in a headlock before the two collided after attempted shoulder tackles each other. Sheamus got a wrist lock on Sikoa, but Sikoa hit two forearm strikes before the two exchanged shoulder tackles, with Sheamus looking excited after their collisions. Sikoa hit three body shots and ran the ropes before Sheamus attempted a hip toss, but Sikoa blocked it and hit a short-hand lariat on Sheamus. Sheamus hit two body shots and an uppercut on Sikao before slamming his head to the top turnbuckle and laying in the punches on Sikoa. Sikao slammed Sheamus to the corner, but Sheamus booted him out of the corner before clotheslining him out of the ring. Sikoa threw a fit and hit the broadcast table with a chair after Sheamus' offense before the commercial break. After the break, Sikoa had Sheamus locked in a nerve hold before transitioning into an S-Grip chin lock on Sheamus. Sheamus broke the hold by hitting body shots at Sheamus, but Sikoa responded by hitting a pop-up Samoan Drop on Sheamus. Sikoa went for a hip attack on Sheamus in the corner, but Sheamus popped back up and hit a lariat on Sikoa. Sheamus laid in the punches before hitting a kick on Sikoa, but Sikoa shook it off and ran the ropes, but Sheamus hit a tilt-to-world power slam on Sikoa before getting Sikoa on the apron and hitting 14 Beats of the Battering. Sheamus prepared for the Brogue Kick, but Sikoa caught him with a thrust kick before Sheamus leaned back on the ropes and hit a V-Trigger Knee strike on Sikoa for a near fall. The two got up before Sheamus hit the Irish Curse backbreaker before locking in the Cloverleaf on Sikoa. Sheamus pulled Sikoa away from the ropes, but Jey distracted the referee before Jimmy pulled Sikoa to the ropes for the rope break. The Usos, Butch & Holland brawled on the outside before Sheamus dove onto the Usos from the top rope to the outside. Sikoa slammed Sheamus into the ring post and hit a Uranage on Sheamus onto the apron. Back in the ring, Sikoa hit the Samoan Spike on Sheamus for the pinfall win.
Winner: Solo Sikoa (w/ Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Jimmy Uso & Jey Uso).
- The Usos & Sikoa attacked Sheamus relentlessly before Sikoa prepared for a chair-assisted hip attack, but Drew McIntyre came back to SmackDown. McIntyre took out The Usos before clotheslining Sikoa out of the ring and hitting the Claymore Kick on Jimmy.
WWE SmackDown Women's Championship Match.
Ronda Rousey (c) (w/ Shayna Baszler) vs. Raquel Rodriguez.
Raquel pushed Rousey to begin the match. The two locked up before Rousey leaned Raquel into the corner. Rousey leaned Raquel in the corner again before slapping Raquel in the face. Raquel responded by hitting a shoulder tackle, a lariat, and a spinning slam on Rousey for a near fall. Rousey rolled out of the ring and talked strategy with Baszler, but Raquel Gorilla Pressed Rousey back in the ring before tossing her across the ring with a veal, hitting two corner splashes and went for a corner spear, but Rousey evaded to cause Raquel to crash onto the ring post before the commercial break. Back from the break, Rousey had Rodriguez in rope-assisted head scissors on Raquel before hitting a knee strike. Rousey had Raquel in a submission but Raquel stacked her up and got a near fall on Rousey. Rousey got on Raquel's leg and hit a right-hand punch before hitting a modified Fisherman's Suplex on Raquel. Rousey got a Kimura Lock on Raquel's injured arm, but Raquel powered through and hit a Samoan Drop on Rousey. Raquel hit two lariats and did a pump-fake before hitting a swinging lariat with her injured arm for a near fall. Raquel went for another spinning slam, but Rousey reversed it with a Juji-Gatame Armbar, but Raquel reversed it with a modified version of a Cloverleaf on Rousey, but Rousey rolled over and locked in an ankle lock. Raquel hit an uptick on Rousey before hitting a flap jack on Rousey. Raquel went for the Tejano bomb, but Rousey locked in an arm bar on Rodriguez before the two got tossed out of the ring. Raquel kept Rousey on her shoulder on the outside of the ring before hitting a Tejano Bomb on Rousey onto the apron before the commercial break. Back from the break, Raquel hit a delayed Vertical suplex on Rousey and went for a single leg hook, but Rousey got the rope to break the pin. Rousey slammed Raquel's left arm and targetted the injured arm by locking a hammerlock on Rousey, but Raquel rolled over and hit a Fall-Away Slam on Rousey to break the hold. Rousey got on Raquel's back and locked in a sleeper hold on Raquel, but Raquel slammed Rousey into the corner before slamming Rousey's head right on the top turnbuckle to get her off the hold. Raquel hit a Big Boot on Rousey and attacked Baszler off the apron before hitting a corkscrew splash on Rousey for a pin, but Baszler pulled Rousey's leg into the rope to get a rope break. Raquel got Rousey on the top rope and carried Rousey, but Rousey locked in the Juji-Gatame on the top rope. Raquel slammed Rousey off the top rope onto the mat, but Rousey cinched the hold tight on the mat before Raquel immediately tapped out, with Rousey getting the submission win & title retention.
Winner & Still SmackDown Women's Champion: Ronda Rousey (c) (w/ Shayna Baszler).
- After the match, the crowd exploded as it revealed that Charlotte Flair made her return to Friday Night SmackDown and confronted Rousey in the ring. Rousey asked Flair if she wanted to challenge Rousey for the title, but Flair responded by saying that she wanted to challenge her for the title tonight. Rousey laid the title on the mat and told Flair that she was in luck because she was feeling spicy, but Baszler tried to talk Rousey out of it.
SmackDown Women's Championship Match.
Ronda Rousey (c) (w/ Shayna Baszler) vs. Charlotte Flair.
Flair hit a big boot on Rousey for an immediately near fall to begin the match. Flair booted Baszler off the apron before going for a spear on Rousey, but Rousey reversed it with the Juji-Gatame before Flair reversed it with a Schoolboy Pin for the pinfall win, becoming the new SmackDown Women's Champion.
Winner & New SmackDown Women's Champion: Charlotte Flair.
- Reigns & Zayn were backstage ahead of their match against Kevin Owens & John Cena. Zyan asked Reigns if it bothered Reigns that the crowd chanted for Zayn, but Reigns responded that he did not mind and said that he was impressed by Zayn's dedication to the Bloodline. Zayn said that tonight would be a great night for The Bloodline.
- There was a video of Dominik Mysterio being arrested by the San Diego Police after he & Rhea Ripley went to Rey Mysterio's house.
- New Day (Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston) were backstage bantering with Hit Row (Top Dolla & Ashante Adonis), Maximum Male Models (Mace & Mansoor), Madcap Moss & Ricochet after Top Dolla landed on his head from a Tope Con Giro on the apron. . Ricochet that at least they now knew that not many can make flippy things as easy as him. Top Dolla pushed Ricochet before Adonis escorted him out of the scene.
- IMPERIUM (Ludwig Kaiser, Giovanni Vinci & Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER) came to the ring to cut a promo, with Vinci calling GUNTHER the most dominant Intercontinental Champion in history. After Kaiser played a video of GUNTHER's challengers for the title (which included Shinsuke Nakamura, Rey Mysterio, Sheamus & Ricochet), GUNTHER was about to speak before Braun Strowman interrupted the proceedings to confront GUNTHER. Strowman said that there may not be a man that can beat him, but what about a monster? Strowman said that he was not asking for an opportunity, but that he was telling him. Strowman clohteslined Kaiser & Vinci out of the ring before hitting a lariat on GUNTHER to send him out of the ring. Strowman hit shoulder tackles on Vinci & Kaiser, but GUNTHER pushed Strowman onto the barricade before blasting Strowman with a chair to the back. Vinci & Kaiser slammed Strowman into the stairs before GUNTHER hit a PK kick on Strowman's injured left arm before locking in an elbow lock on Strowman's arm. Referees came in to break the hold before Ricochet came to the ring with a chair, hitting Vinci & Kaiser with the chair.
John Cena & Kevin Owens vs. The Bloodline (Roman Reigns & Sami Zayn) (w/ Solo Sikoa, Paul Heyman & Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Jimmy Uso & Jey Uso).
Zayn & Owens began the match, with Zayn getting a headlock on Owens before leaping over Owens and hitting a lariat on Owens. Owens went for a stunner, but Zayn blocked it before Owens hit a back elbow and a senton on Zayn. Zayn kicked Owens in the abdomen and went for a suplex, but Owens lifted Zayn and slammed him onto the top rope, somehow causing Zayn to get busted open from the nose. Reigns asked Zayn to tag him in, to which Zayn obliged. The crowd demanded Cena to tag in as Cena begged to be tagged in by Owens but Reigns hit a swinging lariat on Owens before stomping away on Owens and hitting a Uranage on Owens for a near fall before the commercial break. Back from the break, Owens hit a series of punches on Zayn in the face before clubbing Reigns off the apron. Zayn hti a half-Dragon Suplex on Owens, but Owens got back up and hit a lariat on Zayn. Owens tried to tag in Cena, but Reigns tossed Cena off the apron onto the barricade before Zayn hti a Helluva Kick on Cena. Zayn went for a Helluva Kick on Owens back in the ring, but Owens caught him with a Thrust Kick. Owens hit a Thrust Kick & a Pop-Up Powerbomb on Zayn, but Reigns broke the pin attempt and laid the punches on Owens. Reigns pulled Zayn to the corner and tagged himself in before going for a Superman Punch on Owens, but Owens hit a Thrust Kick & a Frog Splash on Reigns for a near fall. Owens went for a Pop-up Powerbomb, but Reigns turned it mid-air with a superman punch and went for a spear, but Reigsn crashed into the ring post before Owens finally tagged Cena in. Cena hit two shoulder tackles, a Back Suplex on Zayn & a back suplex on Reigns before he & Owens hit stereo Five Knuckle Shuffles on Zayn & Ownes. Cena hit an Attitude Adjustment on Reigns before Owens hit a Stunner on Zayn for the pinfall win. Owens & Cena stood tall to end the broadcast.
Winners: John Cena & Kevin Owens.
- 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.
