WWE Friday Night Smackdown Live Coverage - December 22nd, 2023

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AJ Styles takes on Solo Sikoa in his return match to SmackDown

The Phenomenal One is officially back and he has his eyes set on The Bloodline. AJ Styles returned to the blue brand on the Dec. 15 edition of SmackDown and immediately confronted Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa, prompting The Bloodline to retreat and recover.


:smackdown:

Your announcers are Michael Cole, Kevin Patrick, and Corey Graves.

We begin with a look back at last week when Randy Orton confronted Roman Reigns and Randy's match against Jimmy Uso. We also see what happened when AJ Styles returned.

AJ Styles makes his way to the ring, but he is not part of a Club at this point.

AJ says Randy Orton wants Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble. AJ says LA Knight wants Roman Reigns any time, any place, any where. AJ says he doesn't blame either of them. AJ says he does not give a damn about Randy Orton or LA Knight. AJ says he is number one when it comes to getting his hands on Roman Reigns. He says he wants Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble.

LA Knight's music plays and he makes his way to the ring and he wants to talk to ya.

Knight says he is not here to argue about who gets Roman first. After what happened to him at Crown Jewel, you can have Roman Reigns, after he gets Roman first. Knight says Roman is going to get this man first with everyone saying his name. Knight says after what happened last week, the first name on his list isn't AJ Styles.

AJ says that you walked over his dead body to get the tag match with Cena and the match against Roman at Crown Jewel. AJ says if anyone gets in his way, he will drop them too.

Randy Orton's music plays and he makes his way to the ring.

Randy says he can appreciate both of them and their issues with Roman Reigns and The Bloodline. Randy says Roman and The Bloodline put him on the shelf for 18 months. Randy says he enjoys being at home, but he was missing his second home, in this ring. Randy says nothing will get in his way.

Knight interrupts and says no disrespect. He says the Bloodline took out Orton and AJ, but did they take him out? He says they didn't and he is bulletproof. You can deal with The Bloodline, but he gets Roman Reigns.

Nick Aldis interrupts and he says the way he sees it, each of them have a legitimate claim to face Roman Reigns. He says he will give them a legitimate opportunity to face Roman next. In two weeks, we will have Smackdown New Year's Revolution. AJ Styles faces LA Knight and Randy Orton in a Triple Threat Match with the winner facing Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble.

AJ says he is fine as long as he gets a shot at Roman. AJ says he will see them in two weeks. He says if either of them get in his way during his match against Solo Sikoa, he will take them out.


Holiday Havoc Match
Bianca Belair, Shotzi, Zelina Vega, and Mia Yim vs Bayley, Asuka, Kairi Sane, and Iyo Sky (w/ Dakota Kai)

They all brawl to start the match until Bianca and Iyo remain in the ring. Iyo with an Irish whip and Bianca floats over and goes for a suplex but Iyo lands on her feet and grabs Bianca by the hair. Iyo with a series of back flips and Bianca with a drop kick. Bianca with a delayed vertical suplex to Iyo for a near fall. Bayley kicks Bianca and sends her to the floor. Shotzi brings a present into the ring and there is a chair in the box. Bayley with a forearm and kicks to Shotzi. Bayley grabs the chair and puts it in the corner. Bayley sets for a suplex into the chair but Shotzi blocks it. Shotzi tries for a drop toe hold into the chair but Bayley stops short. SHotzi with a rollup for a near fall on Bayley. Shotzi with a chop and wrist lock. Shotzi with a wrist lock take down off the turnbuckles followed by a drop kick.

Shotzi takes the chair and hits a back senton off the chair into Bayley. Shotzi sends the chair to the floor and Mia holds the ropes open and Shotzi with a suicide dive onto Iyo and Bayley. MIa and Zelina discuss what to do and they set for dives to the floor but Kairi and Asuka hit them with candy cane kendo sticks. Bianca and Shotzi hit Asuka and Kairi with their own kendo sticks. Everyone goes to the floor and then Bianca and Shotzi get a table. Iyo and Bayley stop them and they hit Shotzi and Bianca with the table.

We go to commercial.

We are back and we get two double superplexes onto presents in the ring and everyone but Zelina and Iyo are down because Zelina hits a DDT to counter a suplex on the floor. Asuka and Mia miss kicks but Asuka with a back heel kick and back fist. Mia blocks a kick and hits a power bomb. Iyo with a springboard drop kick to Mia for a near fall. Bianca with a rollup after avoiding being hit with a present and she gets a near fall. Bianca sends Bayley to the floor and Iyo with a rollup for a near fall. Iyo with a shotei and Bianca with a kick and she hits Iyo with a box and it stays on her head. Shotzi with a missile drop kick to send Iyo off Bianca's shoulders for a near fall.

Kairi opens a present and gets a trash can lead and she is happy. Kairi with a back fist using the lid and Kairi sends Shotzi into a tree. Kairi dances and Zelina hits Kairi with the chair. Zelina gets hit with a pie and then Asuka mists Zelina. Bayley with a suplex in the ring and she sends Bianca to the floor. Asuka kicks Bianca and Bayley joins in. Kairi joins Asuka in the attack on Bianca. Bayley sets up the table and Bianca is sent back into the ring. Asuka and Kairi look at some of the presents and we see Isla Dawn emerge. Alba Fyre emerges form the other box and they attack Kairi and Asuka. Alba and Isla hit a Gory Bomb and reverse DDT combination.

Bayley tries to send Bianca into the table but Bianca stops short. Bianca avoids a belly-to-belly suplex and Bianca hits KOD. Iyo with a moonsault to Bianca. MIa with Eat Defeat to Iyo and she goes up top and hits a back senton through the table for the three count.

Winners: Mia Yim, Zelina Vega, Shotzi, and Bianca Belair


Backstage:
Jimmy Uso is in the back with Solo Sikoa and he wants to talk about strategy but Roman is not impressed. Roman asks Paul who is the Smackdown General Manager and he tells Paul to bring him to Roman. Paul wants to brief Roman about Nick but Roman stops him and he tells Paul to bring him to Roman.


North American Championship
Dragon Lee (c) vs Butch

They lock up and Lee with a wrist lock and Butch with a reversal. Lee with a side head lock and a victory roll for a near fall. Butch goes for a cross arm breaker but Lee counters with a rollup for a near fall. Both go for kicks and miss and then they try for a kick at the same time and block it. Butch with a forearm and an arm bar take down. Butch with a knee drop to the arm and then he works on the other hand and pulls at the fingers and adjusts the wrist. Butch with a kick to the back and chops. Lee with a head scissors take down and a kick in the corner. Lee with a leg sweep and slingshot kick to the chest. Butch with a chop and Lee gets Butch on the turnbuckle for a super kick. Lee goes for a suicide dive but Butch stops him with a kick before he can leave the ring. Butch with an X Plex on the apron.

We go to commercial.

We are back and Butch pulls at the fingers and the referee warns Butch since Lee has his foot on the ropes to force a break. Butch stomps on Lee and Lee goes to the floor. Butch stomps on Lee's hands on the apron but misses a moonsault to the floor. Lee leaps over the top rope and hits a rana to send Butch to the floor. Lee with a hesitation drop kick in the corner and he sets for a power bomb but Butch gets to his feet and Butch with a Tiger Driver for a near fall. They exchange chops from their knees. Lee with a kick and Butch with a forearm and jumping knee. Lee with a knee. Butch with a snap German suplex and Lee with one of his own. Butch stomps on the hand and Lee lands on his feet on an X Plex. Lee floats over and hits a sit out power bomb for a near fall.

Butch goes up top but Lee crotches him. Butch grabs the fingers and pulls at them but Lee hits the double stomp. Lee fixes his fingers and Lee with a pop up forearm. Butch sets for Bitter End but Lee counters with a destroyer. Lee with Operation Dragon for the three count.

Winner: Dragon Lee (retains championship)

After the match:
They shake hands.


We take a look at last week's first round matches in the Number One Contender Tournament.

Backstage:
We are back and Paul Heyman produces Nick Aldis for Roman while Roman is looking at his phone. Roman tells Paul to leave them. Roman asks Nick if he didn't know if he was talking to him and Nick says he doesn't care. Roman asks Nick if he booked the Triple Threat match and the Solo versus AJ match. Nick says he made those matches. Roman says those were good ideas. He says it would have been a better idea if Nick ran it by him first. Roman says he is the Tribal Chief and head of the table so everything goes through him. He says Adam Pearce understood that.

Nick says that could hurt his feelings but he is an executive and he doesn't have feelings. He says that Adam is a middle manager and the buck stops with Nick. He says Solo is a big boy and he took care of John Cena in a way that Roman didn't take care of Cena. He says he is looking forward to AJ and Solo. He says he is looking forward to the Triple Threat match and then the match at the Royal Rumble. Nick says he appreciates the invitation and he looks forward to some more productive dialogue and he looks forward to knowing Roman better.

Backstage:
Logan says Carmelo impressed him but he has to face the disgusting Kevin Owens who shouldn't be here because Owens cheated.


Semifinal Match in the Number One Contender Tournament
Kevin Owens vs Carmelo Hayes

They lock up and Kevin with a clean break. Owens with a single leg take down into a waist lock. Kevin with a front face lock but Hayes takes Kevin to the mat. Kevin with a waist lock and Hayes rolls Owens to the mat and applies a wrist lock but Owens gets to the ropes. They lock up and Kevin with a side head lock. Hayes with a shoulder tackle and Kevin stays on his feet. Hayes with a head scissors take down but Owens gets a near fall after a leg sweep. Hayes with a near fall after a leg sweep. Owens with a take down and misses a back senton. Hayes with a drop kick. Owens with kicks to Hayes. Kevin with chops to Hayes. Hayes with forearms and Owens with a back elbow and back senton.

Hayes with a springboard clothesline and Owens sends Hayes to the apron. Hayes pulls Owens to the floor and Hayes misses a pescado but lands on his feet. Owens sends Hayes into the ring steps.

We go to commercial.

We are back and Hayes with a slam but Hayes falls back into the corner. Hayes with forearms and chops. Hayes floats over and hits a drop kick in the corner followed by a forearm. Hayes with an axe kick for a near fall. Hayes sets for a suplex but Owens counters. Hayes lands on his feet. Owens with a forearm and chop but Hayes with a boot to the head. Hayes with La Mistica for a near fall. Hayes goes for a suplex but Owens blocks it and puts Hayes on the turnbuckles and hits a hanging DDT for a near fall. Owens goes for a cannonball but Hayes with a super kick. Owens with a super kick. Owens goes for a package power bomb but Hayes lands on his feet. Kevin with chops and Hayes misses the springboard clothesline when Owens moves. Kevin with a clothesline. Hayes counters a pop up power bomb with a Codebreaker.

Hayes misses Nothing But Net and Owens with a pop up power bomb for a near fall. Owens goes up top and hits a swanton followed by a kick and stunner for the three count.

Winner: Kevin Owens (advances to Finals)

After the match:
Owens starts to walk away but he helps Carmelo to his feet and shakes his hand before leaving the ring.


Backstage:
AJ Styles is in the back and Mia Yim shows up with Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows. Mia is happy to see AJ while Karl says he hadn't heard from AJ so he didn't expect him back. Karl asks if they are okay and AJ asks "ARE WE'?

Logan Paul says he likes their style but do they have what it takes to take the title from him? He says there is no chance.

Karrion Kross says he knows the power of words and how they lead to actions. The time of the Bloodline is coming. He says he had to take away Drew Mcintyre's temperament. He sprialed out of control He took away Rey's patience and made Rey Mysterio strike his son in front of the child's mother. For fun, he took away Nakamura's honor and look at him now. Even the greatest proclamation is soon to be forgotten, without a scribe. Without authors.

Scarlett talks about the vision.


Semifinal Match in the Number One Contender Tournament
Bobby Lashley (w/ Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins) vs Santos Escober

Santos charges into a clothesline. Bobby with an Irish whip and a shoulder into the corner. Bobby sends Santos into the corner and Bobby with punches. Bobby with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex. Bobby biels Santos. Santos drops Bobby on the top rope and Santos with a kick. Santos comes off the turnbuckles but Lashley catches Santos and sends him over the top rope to the floor.

We go to commercial.

We are back and Santos with a suicide dive onto Bobby. During the break, Santos hits a drop kick to Lashley against the ring steps. Santos kicks Lashley in the back of the leg many times to get him off his feet. Santos with a spinning knee drop to the leg for a near fall. Santos with a running double knee strike in the corner. Santos with a second running knee strike. Santos hits a third double knee strike followed by more kicks to the leg. Santos puts Bobby on the turnbuckles. Santos with an enzuigiri and sets for a Frankensteiner but Bobby pushes Santos to the mat and he lands chest first. Lashley with a flatliner and then he sets for the full nelson.

A masked man is taken from ringside and Santos escapes Lashley. Lashley with a choke slam.

Two masked men attack Ford and Dawkins. Santos with a knee to the back followed by a rollup and a handful of tights for the three count.

Winner: Santos Escobar (advances to finals)

After the match:
The two masked men reveal themselves to be Angel Garza and Humberto Carrillo.


Backstage:
Cathy Kelley stops Butch and says things didn't go as planned. Butch gives credit to Dragon Lee on the win. Pretty Deadly sing Christmas Carols that mock Butch and he attacks them. Nick tells Butch that they do stuff in the ring and not in the back. He tells Butch to find a tag team partner to face Pretty Deadly in two weeks.

We go to commercial.

We are back and Logan Paul says he thought he would face the best after this tournament and he is facing a guy who cried when Rey turned on him and a guy who doesn't take off his shirt at the pool. He says they are fighting to be pinned by the greatest US champion.

In two weeks, Kevin Owens faces Santos Escobar in the tournament finals. Mia Yim faces Iyo Sky for the Women's Title. AJ Styles, Randy Orton, and LA Knight will meet in a Triple Threat Match to see who faces Roman Reigns at Royal Rumble.


AJ Styles vs Solo Sikoa

AJ with chops and punches. Solo pushes AJ away and AJ with a kick and chops. Solo blocks an Irish whip and he Irish whips AJ. AJ with a kick and punches followed by chops. Solo with a back elbow. Solo with a slam. AJ with kicks to Solo followed by a running knee to the head. AJ with an enzuigiri that sends Solo to the floor. AJ goes to the apron and hits a sliding knee to Solo. AJ with a slingshot forearm to Solo on the floor.

We go to commercial.

We are back and Solo with a back body drop. Solo sends AJ into the ring post and then he punches AJ from the floor and follows with head butts. Solo sends AJ back into the ring and hits a diving head butt. Solo gets a near fall. AJ with chops but Solo with an Irish whip that sends AJ face first into the turnbuckles. Solo sets for a running hip into the corner and hits it. Solo pulls AJ into position as Solo goes to the turnbuckles. Solo misses a splash when AJ moves. AJ with a flying clothesline into the corner followed by a snap mare and a sliding forearm. AJ with a quebrada for a near fall.

AJ with a forearm and kicks but he misses a clothesline. Solo with a pop up Samoan drop for a near fall. Solo gets AJ up on his shoulders but AJ gets to his feet and AJ with a Pele Kick. Solo sends AJ to the apron and AJ with a forearm and he sets for the Phenomenal Forearm but Solo catches AJ and sets for the Samoan spike but AJ with a rollup for a near fall. AJ sets for the Styles Clash but Solo blocks it. Solo gets AJ up but AJ holds on to the ropes and AJ with a forearm. AJ goes for the Phenomenal Forearm and hits it but Solo rolls to the floor.

Roman Reigns attacks AJ and the referee calls for the bell.

Winner: AJ Styles (by disqualification)

After the match:
Roman gets AJ on his shoulders and he walks around the ring. AJ gets to his feet and he hits an enzuigiri. Solo hits AJ from behind and pushes AJ away. Solo punches AJ and Roman kicks him.

Randy Orton's music plays and he makes his way to the ring in a Non-Orton way.

Randy punches Roman and Solo with a punch to Orton but Orton with a kick and punches to Solo. Roman hits Randy but Randy punches back.

Jimmy Uso comes out and he punches Orton and kicks him.

LA Knight's music plays and he makes his way to the ring and he clotheslines Jimmy and punches Solo and Roman. LA passes Jimmy to Randy and Randy sends him to the floor. Knight sends Solo to the floor.

While the Bloodline is on the floor, AJ has some words for Orton and Knight. AJ tells them he didn't need their help. All three men argue and AJ punches Knight and gives Orton a back elbow. Knight takes AJ down and Knight pushes Orton away. Orton and Knight exchange punches. Knight kicks Orton and AJ kicks Knight. AJ punches Knight. Knight with an elbow and he sends AJ into the turnbuckles followed by a clothesline.

End of show