Welcome to the Fightful.com live discussion & coverage for the 11/25/2022 edition of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX. 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's in store for the show:
Preview
WWE SmackDown (11/25/2022)
- Men's War Games Advantage Match: Drew McIntyre & Sheamus vs. The Usos (Jimmy Uso & Jey Uso).
- SmackDown World Cup Semifinal: Ricochet vs. Braun Strowman.
- SmackDown World Cup Semifinal: Butch (w/ Ridge Holland & Sheamus) vs. Santos Escobar (w/ Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro & Zelina Vega).
- Raquel Rodriguez & Shotzi vs. Shayna Baszler & Ronda Rousey.
- Raw Women's Champion Bianca Belair reveals the final member of her War Games Team.
Live Coverage.
- Wade Barrett & Michael Cole welcomed the audience to the go-home SmackDown for Survivor Series: WAR GAMES before transitioning to the opening segment.
- Bayley, Rhea Ripley, Nikki Cross & WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Iyo Sky & Dakota Kai began the broadcast calling out Raw Women's Champion Bianca Belair to reveal the final member of her team. Belair, Alexa Bliss, Asuka & Mia Yim made their way to the ramp and point it out that they did not come alone. As the crowd waited, the final member was revealed to be none other than a returning "The Man" Becky Lynch, returning to WWE from injury. The two teams brawled inside and outside of the ring before Lynch hit an Exploder Suplex on Bayley. Ripley got in the ring and confronted Lynch in the ring, but a bamboozled Kai convinced Ripley to get out of the ring and save it for Survivor Series.
SmackDown World Cup Semifinal.
Butch (England) (w/ Ridge Holland & Sheamus) vs. Santos Escobar (Mexico) (w/ Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro & Zelina Vega).
The two locked up to begin the match before Escobar got in the corner for a rope break. Escobar took down Butch before stomping his head and locking in a headlock on Butch, but Butch got out of the hold and stomped Escobar's left elbow. Escobar got up and hit a single-leg dropkick on Butch for a near fall before locking in an arm lock on Butch, but Butch broke the hold and hit a knee strike on Escobar to send him to the outside. Back in the ring, Butch tried to climb the top rope, but Escobar pushed Butch off the top rope with Butch crashing down into the apron before the commercial break. Back from the break, Butch stomped Escobar's hands before kicking his head. Butch hit a moonsault on Wilde & Del Toro, but Escobar evaded and hit a Tope Suicida on Butch to the outside. Back in the ring, Escobar hti an enziguri kick on Butch and went for a top rope Frankensteiner on Butch, but Butch instead got Escobar's fingers and snapped them before making Escobar crash onto the apron. Butch hit another moonsault off the top rope onto Del Toro & Wilde before getting Escobar back in the ring and hitting a top rope Tornado DDT on Escobar for a near fall. In the titantron, Kevin Owens and Drew McIntyre brawled with the Usos & Sikoa which caused the Brawling Brutes to leave ringside. Escobar hit a diving lariat on Butch for a near fall. Vega distracted the referee before Wilde ad Del Toro attacked Butch, allowing Escobar to hit the Phantom Driver on Butch for the pinfall win, advancing to the SmackDown World Cup Final.
Winner: Santos Escobar (Mexico) (w/ Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro & Zelina Vega).
- Bray Wyatt came to the ring to cut a promo addressing the accusations made against him for attacking LA Knight. Wyatt said that he thinks about the way people see him, but understands that he has a pulse of what people say and think about him. Wyatt that people wanted to see the monster in him, The Fiend in him, and welcomed the audience to see him destroy himself but then emphasized that he did not want to be that man any longer. Wyatt said that he did not attack LA Knight but then was interrupted by Uncle Howdie. Howdie said that everything he said was a lie and that everyone was a fool if the crowd listened to him before telling the crowd and Wyatt to wake up.
- Backstage, LA Knight was in a cast and stated that he did not enjoy his Thanksgiving because he was squashed by a pile of trash. Knight said that Wyatt did not get consequences for his actions and that he would have stomped Wyatt's head if he was face-to-face before he stormed out of the interview.
Hit Row (Top Dolla & Ashante "Thee" Adonis) (w/ B-Fab) vs. Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar) (w/ Valhalla).
Prior to the match, Michael Cole revealed that Sarah Logan would now be named as Valhalla. Adonis began the match by hitting body shots at Ivar before hitting a dropkick on him, but Ivar responded with a forearm strike on Adonis. Ivar & Erik laid in the strikes on Adonis as Erik tagged in before hitting a vicious forearm strike on Adonis. Adonis got back up, but Erik took him down with another forearm strike. Ivar hit a knee strike on the abdomen before Erik hit a V-Trigger on Adonis. Top Dolla tagged in and hit shoulder tackles on Erik & Ivar before hitting a big boot on Erik. Adonis tagged in, but Ivar dumped Top Dolla over the top rope before hitting a leg lariat on Adonis. Erik & Ivar laid out Top Dolla before hitting a double-powerbomb on Adonis for the quick and decisive pinfall win.
Winners: Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar) (w/ Sarah "Valhalla" Logan).
- There was a digital vignette of Raw' Dominik Mysterio & Rhea Ripley attacking Dominik's father, Rey Mysterio in his him during his Thanksgiving dinner.
SmackDown World Cup Semifinal.
Ricochet (United States) vs. Braun Strowman (United States).
The match officially began with Strowman tossing Ricochet into the corner. Ricochet took offense to this before slapping Strowman in the face. Strowman responded by slamming Ricochet in the corner. RIcochet went for a springboard crossbody, but Strowmna caught him. Ricochet evaded Strowman before hitting two dropkicks and sending him to the apron and booting him to the to ringside. Ricochet hit a dropkick off the apron onto Strowman, but Strowmans hook it off and pounced Ricochet over the broadcast table. Back in the ring, Strowman hit an elbow drop on Ricochet for a near fall. Strowman slammed Ricochet to the corner with an Irish Whip before hitting a corner splash and a Big Veal on Ricochet. Strowman got Ricochet and teased going for a powerbomb, but Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER came to the ring distract Strowman. Vinci & Kaiser distracted Strowman before Ricochet came from behind and hit a Crucifix Bomb on Strowman for the pinfall win, advancing to the finals to face Escobar in the Finals of the SmackDown World Cup.
Winner: Ricochet.
- IMPERIUM attacked Strowman after the match, but Ricochet came to the ring to try and make the save. Instead, IMPERIUM attacked Ricochet before he hit a wicked chop on Ricochet. Strowman got back up and attacked Vinci & Kaiser before IMPERIUM walked down the ramp. Ricochet & Strowman shook hands after the match.
- Kevin Owens confronted Sami Zayn backstage, but Zayn told him to leave. Before leaving, Owens asked Zayn what would happen if he said something that would piss them off, telling him to think about how Reigns treats his own blood. As Owens told him this, Jey heard their interaction. Jey asked Zayn if he spoke with anyone before getting to the locker room, which Zayn denied.
- There was an interview backstage with Becky Lynch after her return to WWE earlier in the night by Kayla Braxton. Lynch said that she had been waiting 4 months on planning to retaliate on Damage CTRL, saying that they cannot go to War unless the man comes around.
- There was a video package promoting the concept of the War Games match, including recaps of the NXT War Games Matches from previous years and the rules of the match. The vignette also recapped the road to both the Men's & Women's War Games Matches ahead of Survivor Series.
- Raquel Rodriguez and Shotzi were interviewed backstage by Megan Morant, but Shayna Baszler and SmackDown Women's Champion Ronda Rousey attacked them from behind before Rousey placed Raquel's arm in a blue box and slammed it with the lid of the box, damaging her arm ahead of their tag match.
- After their onslaught on Shotzi & Raquel Rodriguez, SmackDown Women's Champion Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler came to the ring to cut a promo ahead of their match. The two said that the match would probably not take place before Baszler told Shotzi to sit at the kids table because she was not ready. Shotzi stormed to the ring and face Baszler & Rousey.
Raquel Rodriguez & Shotzi vs. Shayna Baszler & Ronda Rousey.
Shotzi attacked Baszler and Rousey before Shotzi hit a spinning jab on Rousey. Baszler caught Shotzi with a lifting knee strike for a near fall. Rousey hit an elevated knee strike on Shotzi before locking in a rope-asssited Arm Bar on Shotzi. Baszler got Shotzi in a Kimura Lock before turning it into a wrist lock and firing away with punches and clubbing blows on Shotzi. Raquel finally made her way to the ring before Shotzi rolled Baszler into the corner and tagged in Raquel. Raquel fired away with punches on Baszler and Rousey before going for a chokeslam on Baszler, but Rousey slammed Raquel's arm to the mat before Baszler stomped Raquel's arm. Rousey focused on hyper-extending Raquel's arm before locking in a vicious Yuji Gatami Arm-bar on for the decisive submission win.
Winners: Shayna Baszler & Ronda Rousey.
- Shotzi revealed that Raquel's arm was dislocated after Rousey's Yuji Gatami. Shotzi promised to tear Rousey apart and beat her up senseless to win the title on Survivor Series.
Men's War Games Advantage Match.
Sheamus & Drew McIntyre (w/ Butch, Ridge Holland & Kevin Owens) vs. The Usos (Jimmy Uso & Jey Uso) (w/ Solo Sikoa & Sami Zayn)
Sheamus and Jimmy began the match locking up before Sheamus did a headlock takedown on Jimmy, but Jimmy got a rope break. McIntyre and Sheamus hit a double back-elbow on Jimmy for a near fall before hitting a chop on Jimmy. Drew & Sheamus hit a double hip toss on Jimmy before clotheslining Jey out of the ring as the Brawling Brutes and The Bloodline stared at each other on ringside before the commercial break. Back from the break, Jey lowered the top rope to send Sheamus to the outside of the ring before hitting an ax handle on Sheamus. Zayn taunted in front of Sheamus before Jey told him to back off and allowed him to work on Sheamus. Jimmy tagged in and hit some punches on Sheamus, but Sheamus caught him with a tilt-to-world powerslam before tagging in McIntyre. McIntyre hit two lariats on Jimmy, a neck breaker on Jey, and a Spinebuster on Jimmy before going for a Jack-Knife cover for a near fall. McIntyre hit a neck breaker on Jimmy before doing a kip-up and aiming for the Claymore, but Jey intercepted McIntyre's foot before Jimmy hit a thrust kick on McIntyre. Jimmy & Jey hit consecutive Topes Suicida on McIntyre before they tossed him onto the barricade before the commercial break. Back from the break, Jimmy hit a Hip Attack on McIntyre before hitting a second vicious Hip Attack on McIntyre. Jimmy went for a third, but McIntyre hit a Glasgow's Kiss on Jimmy before Sheamus & Jey tagged in. Sheamus hit two lariats and a corner lariat on Jey, a forearm strike on Jimmy, an Irish Curse backbreaker on Jey, and 17 Beats of the Battering on Jey before McIntyre & Sheamus went stereo batterings before Jey tossed Sheamus tot he barricade. Drew hit a Claymore on Jimmy, but Jey caught him with a Thrust Kick. Back in the ring, Jey and SHemaus were back before Sheamus hit a Pump Knee on Jey for a near fall. Sheamus hit a forearm strike on Zayn, but Jey caught him with a Thrust Kick for a near fall. Jey climbed to the top rope, but Sheamus hit a chop on Jey before climbing to the top rope. Sikoa distracted the referee before Zayn tossed Sheamus to the ring, allowing Jey to hit a Frog Splash on Sheamus for a near fall. All hell broke lose on ringside before McIntyre hit a Tope Con Giro on Sikoa & The Brawling Brutes. Zayn tried to get the title in the ring to help Jey, but Owens stopped him on his tracks before Zayn was kicked out of the match. Owens hit a Stunner on Jey as the referee was distracted, allowing Sheamus to hit the Pump Kick on Jey for the pinfall win. The Brawling Brutes stood tall in the ring to end the broadcast.
Winner: Sheamus & Drew McIntyre (w/ Butch, Ridge Holland & 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.
