WWE Friday Night SmackDown Results
December 30, 2022
Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL.
Commentary: Michael Cole and Wade Barrett
Results by: Roy Nemer of Wrestleview.com
WWE SmackDown kicks off with the lights going out and Bray Wyatt walking down to the ring.
He gets in the ring and introduces himself. He says he doesn’t think of himself as a good person although he does try really hard but when he looks back at all of the horrible things he had to do to get to where he is at today, he doesn’t regret much. Wyatt says last week he did something that he does regret and he wants to apologize. HE says he attacked a camera man. As he is talking, out comes LA Knight. He mocks Wyatt and says he has to be kidding.
LA Knight calls Wyatt the master of mind games. He says Wyatt can’t even finish a sentence before taking it out on a camera man. But he is concerned about Wyatt paying one of his goons wearing an Uncle Howdy outfit and attacking him. LA Knight tells Wyatt he used to be something. He used to be a force. The fans chant “You suck” to LA Knight as he stands on the ring apron.
He tells Wyatt all he has proven himself to be is a fraud, a broken down loser. He says the Royal Rumble is soon and it will be his first Rumble and he wants to make it a special one. LA Knight gets in the ring and tells Wyatt that he will take him and put him out of his misery. Wyatt calls LA Knight a little idiot. He asks him who he thinks he is talking to. Wyatt says he has been very patient and he knows he could have ended this any time he wanted. But he thinks LA Knight is right. It is time for Wyatt to remind LA Knight and the rest of the world how cruel he can be when he feels like it.
Wyatt says he accepts his challenge at the Royal Rumble. The lights go out and a cryptic message airs saying to embrace the dark. Sinister music hits and out comes Uncle Howdy. Wearing a black leather jacket and a hat, he walks down to the ring. He takes his hat off and places it on the ring apron. Uncle Howdy gets on the ring apron and into the ring. Uncle Howdy stands in between LA Knight and Wyatt. He turns to Wyatt as both men are face to face. He stands next to Wyatt and they look at LA Knight. THe music goes off as Uncle Howdy hits Wyatt with Sister Abigail. LA Knight leaves the ring and asks what is going on. Uncle Howdy leaves the ring, grabs his hat, places it on his head and starts to walk to the back.
We cut backstage to Sami Zayn walking and he knocks on the Bloodline’s door. The door opens and out comes Heyman as they hug. Heyman asks Zayn how his Hannukah was as Zayn tells him as good as his Ramadan. Zayn asks if Roman is there to speak with him. Heyman tells him he was talking to Roman about his pledge of loyalty to the Bloodline that he made last week. Heyman talks about the passion he showed and that Roman is proud of him. He tells Zayn that the concept of Roman Reigns standing in the middle of the ring and the entire crowd is chanting Sami is not the right look.
Zayn asks Heyman if Roman said something. Heyman tells him no and he doesn’t have to. Life on the island of relevancy is staying three steps ahead at all times. Heyman looks at his cell and tells Zayn to go speak with Roman.
-Commercial Break-
Sheamus with Butch and Ridge Holland vs. Solo Sikoa with the Usos
The bell rings and we are under way. A head lock by Sheamus as Solo sends him to the ropes. A shoulder block by both men and not one of them moves. Sheamus with an arm bar but Solo with a right hand. Sheamus to the ropes and a shoulder block but again, not one of them moves. A right hand by Solo followed by a clothesline. Solo gloats as Sheamus hits him with a right hand and uppercut. Sheamus slams him into the turnbuckle. Right hands by Sheamus and he clotheslines Solo to the outside of the ring. Solo grabs a steel chair as the Usos try to calm him down.
-Commercial Break-
Back from commercial, Solo with a head lock in the middle of the ring. Sheamus with right hands but Solo with a Samoan drop. Solo runs towards Sheamus but Sheamus with a big clothesline. Sheamus with a kick onto Solo followed by a powerslam and Solo rolls onto the ring apron. Sheamus grabs Solo and hits him with the 10 Beats of the Bodhran. Sheamus goes for the Brogue Kick but Solo hits him with a super kick as Sheamus stays on his feet and hits him with a knee to the face. He goes for the cover but Solo kicks out.
Sheamus with the Irish Curse backbreaker. He grabs Solo and gets him in the Texas Cloverleaf. Jey tries to push the bottom rope towards Solo and that distracts the referee. Jimmy grabs Solo and drags him towards the bottom rope. Ridge Holland and Butch grab Jimmy and Jey and fight on the outside. Sheamus climbs the top tope and jumps onto the Usos. Solo grabs Sheamus on the outside and slams him into the turnbuckle. He throws Sheamus into the ring. Solo hits him with the Samoan Spike. He goes for the cover and gets the pin.
Winner: Solo Sikoa
The Usos gets in the ring and attack Sheamus. Butch and Holland get on the ring apron as the Usos hit them with super kicks. Solo walks to the outside and grabs a steel chair. He places it around the neck of Sheamus and Sheamus is down in the corner. Drew McIntyre’s music hits and out comes McIntyre to the ring.
He hits Jey with a big boot and headbutts Jimmy. Drew gets in the ring and is face to face with Solo. He clotheslines Solo to the outside. Jimmy goes for a super kick on Drew but Drew ducks and hits him with the Claymore.
-Commercial Break-
WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship – Ronda Rousey (c) with Shayna Baszler vs. Raquel Rodriguez
The bell rings and we are under way. Right hands by Ronda onto Raquel but Raquel hits her with a shoulder tackle. Raquel lifts Ronda up, spins her and slams her onto the mat. She goes for the cover but Ronda kicks out. Ronda rolls to the outside of the ring. Raquel to the outside. She hits Ronda with a right hand and lifts her up and throws her into the ring. She throws Ronda across the ring and Raquel hits her with a big splash. She goes for a spear in the corner but Ronda moves out of the way and Raquel hits shoulder first and falls to the outside of the ring.
-Commercial Break-
Back from commercial, Ronda with a submission in the middle of the ring but Raquel reverses it. Both women to their feet and Raquel with a right hand. She goes for another but Ronda with a right hand. Ronda throws Raquel and goes for the cover but Raquel kicks out. Ronda with a submission onto Raquel’s left arm but Raquel lifts her up on her shoulders and slams her onto the mat. Raquel with a clothesline.
Raquel hits Ronda with a clothesline using her bad arm. She goes for the cover but Ronda kicks out. Raquel lifts Ronda up but Ronda gets Raquel in an arm bar. Raquel gets out of it and reverses it into a Boston crab. Ronda reverses it into an ankle lock but Raquel kicks her away. Ronda runs towards Raquel but Raquel slams her with a flapjack. She lifts Ronda up but Ronda grabs her by the arm and both women fall to the outside of the ring. Raquel lifts Ronda up and slams her into the ring apron.
-Commercial Break-
Back from commercial, Raquel with a fall away slam. She lifts Ronda up for the power bomb but Ronda with a sleeper hold in the middle of the hold. Raquel slams Ronda into the corner. Ronda stays on her back. Raquel runs face first towards the top turnbuckle and ducks as Ronda hits the turnbuckle face first. Raquel with a big boot. Shayna gets on the ring apron and Raquel knocks her down. Raquel with a spinning corkscrew elbow off the second rope. She goes for the cover but Shayna places Ronda’s foot on the ropes. The referee argues with Shayna. Raquel lifts Ronda up and places her on the top rope. Raquel climbs the second rope and places Ronda on her shoulders. Ronda with elbows to the face. Ronda with an arm bar on the second rope. Raquel falls back onto the mat and taps out.
Winner: Still WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion, Ronda Rousey
Shayna Baszler and Ronda Rouser are in the ring. Charlotte Flair’s music hits and it’s a new theme and she is in new gear as she walks out to the ring.
Ronda tells Charlotte that her rehab must be doing good and she must want a match at the Royal Rumble. Flair tells her no. She is challenging her tonight. Shayna tries to talk Ronda out of it as the crowd cheers. Ronda places the title in between them both and tells Charlotte she is in luck because she is feeling spicy. Ronda gives the title to the referee. The bell rings.
WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship – Ronda Rousey (c) with Shayna Baszler vs. Charlotte Flair
Charlotte hits her with a big boot. She goes for the cover but Ronda kicks out. Shayna gets on the ring apron and Charlotte kicks her down. Charlotte hits her with a spear but Ronda reverses it into an arm bar but Charlotte reverses that into a cover. She gets the pin.
Winner: New WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion, Charlotte Flair
Charlotte celebrates with the fans and walks back to the stage.
We cut backstage as the Bloodline and Sami Zayn are backstage sitting and laughing. Zayn tells him that he wants to make sure they are on the same page. He asks him if it bothered him that last week the fans were chanting Sami. Heyman gets worried as Roman takes a few seconds and tells him it didn’t bother him. Roman tells him it’s going to be a great night. Zayn tells him it’s going to be a great night for them.
-Commercial Break-
The New Day are backstage with Hit Row, MMM, Ricochet and Madcap Moss. They all make jokes about Top Dolla being unable to jump over the top rope. Ricochet says at least now he knows it’s not as easy as he makes it look. Top Dolla pushes Ricochet as they all break it up.
-Commercial Break-
Imperium are in the ring and they talk about how 2022 has been the year of Gunther. We see a video clip of Gunther’s year. We cut back to the ring and out comes Braun Strowman. He gets in the ring and asks for a microphone.
Strowman tells him he was not in Gunther’s video which means he has not beaten him. Maybe there isn’t a man on SmackDown that can defeat him but what about a monster. Gunther laughs and turns his back. Strowman says he is not asking him for a title opportunity, he is telling him. Kaiser and Vinci attack Strowman as he throws them to the outside.
Gunther goes for a chop on Strowman but Strowman blocks it and hits Gunther with a clothesline. Strowman with the Strowman express and he runs into Kaiser and Vinci. He runs towards Gunther but he moves out of the way and Strowman runs through the barricade. Gunther grabs a steel chair and hits Strowman with it across the back. Imperium hold Strowman and Gunther hits him with another chair shot. They throw him into the steel steps. They throw Strowman back into the ring and Gunther kicks him. Gunther with a submission as he targets Strowman’s left arm.
Out come WWE officials who try to break it up but Gunther is not letting go. Ricochet runs out with a steel chair as Gunther leaves the ring.
-Commercial Break-
John Cena and Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn
The bell rings and we are under way. Owens and Zayn start the match. A clothesline by Zayn. Owens gets back up and hits him with right hands. A senton onto Zayn and Zayn falls to the ring apron. Zayn hangs him up on the top rope. Zayn goes for a suplex but Owens reverses it and he throws Zayn on the top rope and he falls back onto the mat. Zayn is bleeding from the nose. Roman extends his hand to be tagged in. Zayn tags him in as the fans chant for Cena. Owens looks at Cena but Roman hits him with a clothesline. Roman kicks Owens and slams him onto the mat. He goes for the cover but Owens kicks out.
-Commercial Break-
Back from commercial, Owens with a clothesline on Zayn in the middle of the ring. Roman drags Cena off the ring apron and throws him into the barricade as Owens was going for the tag. Zayn hits Cena with the Helluva Kick on the outside. Zayn gets back in and Owens hits him with a super kick. Owens with another super kick and he hits Zayn with a pop up powerbomb. He goes for the cover but Roman breaks it up. Roman with right hands onto Cena. Roman drags Zayn to the corner and Roman is tagged in. Roman goes for the Superman Punch but Owens moves and hits him with the super kick. Owens climbs the top rope and hits him with the frog splash. He goes for the cover but Roman kicks out. Owens goes for a pop up powerbomb but Roman hits him with the Superman Punch. He goes for hte spear but Owens moves out of the way and Roman hits shoulder first onto the ring post. Cena back on the ring apron and he is tagged in and Roman tags Zayn in. Cena with a shoulder tackle.
Cena slams Zayn into the mat. Cena looks at Roman and says you can’t see me. Roman gets in the ring and Cena slams him onto the mat. Owens is tagged in. They simultaneously do the you can’t see me and five knuckle shuffle onto Roman and Zayn. Cena hits Roman with the AA. Owens hits Zayn with the stunner. Owens goes for the cover and gets the pin.
Winners: John Cena and Kevin Owens