With WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event XXXVII just a night away, WWE SmackDown went to XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut. The show featured the Semi-Final matches in the WWE Women’s United States Championship Tournament along with the final face-off between Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens.
Announced in advance of Friday’s show:
- Bayley vs. Chelsea Green – Semi-Final matches of WWE Women’s United States Championship Tournament
- Michin vs. Tiffany Stratton – Semi-Final matches of WWE Women’s United States Championship Tournament
- Carmelo Hayes vs. Mystery Opponent
- The final face-off between Kevin Owens and Cody Rhodes before Saturday Night’s Main Event
Jimmy Uso kicks off the final WWE SmackDown before WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event
The show began with Jimmy Uso coming down to the ring. Jimmy was using a clutch, showing the effects of the WarGames match from two weeks ago where he broke his toe after jumping from the top of the WarGames structure. He then talked about the importance of the WarGames match and how much that meant to him.
Jimmy also talked about what could be his future, saying that he might enter the 2024 Royal Rumble, or he might go for the US Championship or else he might plan to go and win it to challenge for the Undisputed WWE Championship.
Just as Jimmy Uso finished talking, Drew McIntyre hit his with the claymore kick from behind. After taking out Sami Zayn this past Monday on WWE Raw, McIntyre now attacked the Big Jim. It is now for sure that McIntyre is coming after the OG Bloodline for everything they did to him in the last few years.
Backstage segment featuring Tiffany Stratton, Candice LeRae, and Nia Jax on WWE SmackDown
WWE SmackDown then featured a segment where Nia Jax was seen trying to give the Women’s Money In The Bank contract holder some confidence before her Semi-Fianls match in the Women’s United States Championship tournament.
Nia even asked Stratton that once she becomes the first-ever Women’s United States Champion, she won’t even need her Women’s Money In The Bank contract anymore.
The Women’s Champion could be seen clearly losing her confidence in the fear of the Money In The Bank Contract owned by Tiffany Stratton, which she won earlier this year at the Money In The Bank 2024 PLE.
Backstage segment featuring Drew McIntyre and Nick Aldis
Nick Aldis was seen asking McIntyre to avoid this kind of behavior here on the WWE SmackDown. Belair and Naiomi also appeared during the segment asking for an update on who attacked Jade Cargill. Nick Aldis unveiled that the investigation is still going on, and there are no signs of who attacked Cargill.
Aldis also told Belair that there is no other option right now besides, relinquishing the Tag Team Championship. Naiomi then jumped in as a replacement for Jade Cargill to defend the Women’s Tag Team Championship next week here on WWE SmackDown.
Michin vs. Tiffany Stratton – Semi-Final matches of WWE Women’s United States Championship Tournament
The show then featured the 1st of two Semi-Final matches in store for the WWE Women’s United States Championship Tournament. Tiffany Stratton started the match strong in the early moments before Michin got things back in control.
Michin tried to deliver an offense from the top turnbuckle before Stratton stopped her delivered rolling senton. Michin somehow managed to dodge the prettiest moonsault ever and deliver her signature Eat Defeat to secure her spot in the finals on WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event.
Result: Michin def Tiffany Stratton
Ratings: 8 /10
Recap from the WWE Tag Team Championship match from last week
WWE SmackDown then featured a segment showing Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano’s victory over the Motor City Machine Guns after Gargano delivered a low blow on the MCMG to win the match.
Ciampa and Gargano highlighted when the New Bloodline of Solo Sikoa screwed them in the Tag Team Championship match in front of their family.
Roman Reigns challenges Solo Sikoa to a Tribal Combat match on WWE Raw debut on Netflix
The show then featured an outdoor segment on a boat with Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman. Reigns highlighted on the Good Ol’ Days when the OG Bloodline used to dominate the entire WWE before he lost his Undisputed Championship to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania XL. He then lost his Wiseman after an attack by the New Bloodline.
Reigns also highlighted how lost his entire Bloodline. He also talked about his Ula Fala, which is now in possession of Solo Sikoa. Reigns also gave Sikoa a reality check as he told him about the day when his father and uncle crowned him Ula Fala after he defeated Jey Uso at Hell in a Cell 2020.
Roman Reigns then challenged Solo Sikoa to a Tribal Combat match at the premiere of WWE Raw on Netflix on Jan 6th, the winner becomes the only Tribal Chief.
Reigns also said that it is now a matter of respect for him to win against Solo Sikoa.
I say, Lets GOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
A backstage segment featuring Legado Del Fantasma and WWE SmackDown GM Nick Aldis
Santos Escobar pointed towards the recent attacks on WWE superstars backstage, saying that they all got attacked but not by them.
Carmelo Hayes vs. Braun Strowman aka “Mystery Opponent”
The show then featured a singles match between Carmelo Hayes and a Mystery Opponent who was later revealed to be Braun Strowman. Strowman started the match strong, but Hayes somehow managed to play around the big man using his quickness. Hayes tried to chop Strowman down before he delivered a Running Powerslam to win the match.
Result: Braun Strowman def Carmelo Hayes
Ratings: 6 /10
LA Knight vs. Solo Sikoa
Solo Sikoa made his way to the ring, trying to talk before his match. I’m pretty sure he wanted to respond to Roman Reigns’ challenge to a Tribal Combat match on WWE Raw debut on Netflix, but just when he was about to say something Knight decided to interrupt him.
Knight started the match strong, taking the fight to Solo Sikoa. Sikoa got the control of the match for a moment before Knight got the control back. Sikoa looked to be thinking about Roman’s challenge to a Tribal Combat match as he unleashed his offense. He even delivered Reigns’s signature drive-by. He also mocked Reigns with a Superman punch, but Knight contered him.
Knight then took the fight to Sikoa, taking out both Tama Tonga and Jacob Fatu on the ringside. Sikoa then took the advantage to deliver his signature Samoan Spike but Knight contered it. Jacob Fatu then attacked Knight causing a DQ win for Knight.
Sikoa then delivered a Samoan Spike to Knight as Tama Tonga and Jacob Fatu started attacking Knight. Andrade and Apollo Crews then rushed to the ringside to aid Knight but became victim to the New Bloodline of Solo Sikoa.
Result: Knight def Sikoa via DQ
Ratings: 6.5 /10
A backstage segment featuring Braun Strowman
WWE SmackDown then featured a segment where the Pretty Deadly were seen trying to convince Strowman for the Pretty Deadly Mucial. Byron Saxton then tried to interview Strowman before he was interrupted by A-Town Down Under.
A-Town Down Under then tried to invite Strowman to The Grayson Waller Effect next week here on WWE SmackDown. Strowman then accepted the invitation for the next week.
Bayley vs. Chelsea Green – Semi-Final matches of WWE Women’s United States Championship Tournament
After that Bayley and Chelsea Green made their way to the ring for the 2nd Semi-Final of the night in the WWE Women’s United States Championship Tournament. Bayley began the match strong for herself as she managed to cover Green a few seconds into the match. Both womens tried to cover each other in the early stages of the match to save some energy for the Finals on WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event.
Piper Niven on the ringside was definitely an advantage for Green as she took the fight to Bayley. The role model then decided to take out Niven as she focused her attention on her allowing Green to take advantage to win the match and qualify for the WWE Women’s United States Championship Tournament along with Michin.
Result: Green def Bayley
Rating: 7 /10
Motor City Machine Guns respond to what happened last week here on WWE SmackDown
MCMG responded to last week’s action of Johnny Gargano, saying that he has broken 18 years of friendship after what he did last week. Motor City Machine Guns then challenged #DIY to a rematch next week on WWE SmackDown.
Promo Segment Featuring Shinsuke Nakamura
A cinematic promo segment was then featured where Shinsuke Nakamura told LA Knight that was just the beginning. Saying that: “He held something that he never deserved. Something he should have never touched.”
A backstage segment featuring Nia Jax, Tiffany Stratton, and Candice LeRae
Jax and LeRae tried to bring Stratton down as she fell short in the match against Michin in the Semi-Final matches of the WWE Women’s United States Championship Tournament. LeRae also Jax that he has talked to the WWE SmackDown GM Nick Aldis and got herself and Jax a shot at the Tag Team Championships against Naomi and Bianca Belair next week here on WWE SmackDown.
The final face-off between Kevin Owens and Cody Rhodes before Saturday Night’s Main Event
Michael Cole began the segment as he called out Cody Rhodes, and when he called out Kevin Owens he did not appear. Cole then asked Cody about the gift that Triple H had given him for just one night only on WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event. Just as Rhodes was about to say something, Owens finally appeared from his car.
Owens then mocked Rhodes, saying that he used everyone during his match at WrestleMania XL against Roman Reigns to finish his story. Owens also told Cody that he was way better than this when was the Stardust — mocking an old gimmick of Rhodes which led to him being fired from WWE.
Rhodes then decided to go backstage to find Kevin Owens, who attacked him from the back. Owens then took the fight to Rhodes. Security then tried to stop the two men but Rhodes was having none of that as took out the guards. Rhodes then took the fight to Owens as more officials tried to separate them. Owens attacked Rhodes just after officials had held his arms trying to separate the two men.
What will down when the two men face each other for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event?
WWE SmackDown, Dec. 6: Results Highlights
Semi-Final match of the WWE Women’s United States Championship Tournament:
Michin def Tiffany Stratton
Singles Match:
Braun Strowman def Carmelo Hayes
Singles Match:
Knight def Sikoa via DQ
Semi-Final match of the WWE Women’s United States Championship Tournament:
Green def Bayley
My thoughts on this week’s edition of WWE SmackDown
WWE has managed to pull off a very good show before Saturday Night’s Main Event. The show was focused on building the storyline between Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens ahead of their WWE Undisputed Championship match at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
I personally loved the Reigns segment as he called out Solo Sikoa to a Tribal Combat match on WWE Raw debut on Netflix. Let me know your thoughts in the comments down below.
My Ratings for the show: 7 /10
