Friday Night SmackDown aired from inside the Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania as we inch closer to the end of the year.
Candice LeRae was the first woman we saw tonight as she and Johnny Gargano tried to help Tomasso Ciampa defeat Ilja Dragunov in what was Dragunov’s latest open challenge for his United States Champion, pulling his head at the ropes while the referee was focused on Ciampa in the other corner of the ring.
Fortunately (or unfortunately), Dragunov kicked out and was able to retain his title in quick succession, shocking LeRae and Gargano, who joined his friend in attacking the champion afterwards before Carmelo Hayes made the save.
Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss were backstage. As Bliss was preparing for her match against Lash Legend, Flair was reminding her partner that Legend was bigger than her and might be the strongest girl on the roster, but she’s young, overconfident, and entitled, walking in like she owns the place – funny enough, behavior that The Queen once exhibited. However, Flair tells Bliss that she has more experience; it is her ring and she is going to win, with Flair intent on both of them getting the Women’s Tag Team Championships back afterwards.
The uttering of the tag team titles brings out Rhea Ripley, who tells the two that when it comes to who’s next for the titles, it is her and IYO SKY. Bliss replies by saying that although they respect them, when it comes to the titles, they’re not stepping aside for anybody. The two then wish each other good luck in their matches, ending the segment.
Bayley and Sol Ruca were featured among the fans in attendance as their match at Saturday Night’s Main Event tomorrow night was mentioned on commentary. Following that, the match between Alexa Bliss and Lash Legend was set to begin.
The match started with Bliss using her speed to take Legend out of the ring, but The Boujee Bully didn’t miss a step, countering her offense and throwing her into the timekeeper’s area, then dragging her by the ponytail and back into the ring. Legend took advantage of her size and strength difference to keep the smaller Bliss down. The Columbus, Ohio native was able to get in a single kick at her opponent, but when attempting a crossbody, Legend grabbed her right in mid-air, only for Bliss to successfully counter it into a DDT.
Bliss seemed poised to gain some momentum, hitting a dropkick onto Legend, but when she tried it a second time, Legend threw a forearm at her to stop her right in her tracks. Legend’s partner Nia Jax, who was in her corner watching from ringside, tripped Bliss on the ring apron, prompting Charlotte to get into her face. Flair gave The Irresistible Force a superkick, but would be the recipient of a big boot from Legend.
Still in the ring, Bliss tried the DDT once more, only for Legend to reverse it into her impactful finishing move, the Lash Extension, for the win, marking a successful SmackDown in-ring debut for The Boujee Bully.
Aleister Black and Zelina were walking backstage when Cathy Kelley asked for a word regarding their mixed tag team match, which would be the night’s main event. Zelina said that their issues with Damian Priest didn’t have to come to this; Damian is only doing this because he doesn’t like the man that he is, thinking he’ll be whole if he phones his friend Rhea. Black lastly says that if Priest is so keen to drag his friends to hell with him, so be it.
Later on in the hour, Rhea Ripley was stretching when Nia and Lash walked up to her, with Nia asking if she had seen what they did to Charlotte and Alexa, with Lash mentioning that it was a warning, and if she hadn’t noticed, things had changed around here. Questioning if their words were supposed to be a threat and noting that Jax has been acting brave now that she has a little bit of backup, Ripley doesn’t think she wants them to remind her that she is a problem they do not want to have. She lastly warns the two that when they want the Women’s Tag Team Championships, they’ll take them, and Nia and Lash walk off. Damian Priest walked up afterwards, telling Ripley not to worry about them, but that he can’t wait to see that energy out there against Aleister and Zelina.
Priest tells her that he’s going to go finish getting ready, and he himself walks away. Ripley now runs into the WWE Women’s Champion, Jade Cargill. While Rhea gives her a serious look, Cargill smugly looks at her up and down before a scheduled match with Michin.
After a commercial break, we return with Michin walking her way backstage, talking to the camera and stating that since Jade became champion, she has been picking on every single woman, and nothing pisses her off more than a bully. She knows Jade will be giving her everything she’s got, so Michin promises to give Cargill everything that she’s got. Cargill then suddenly attacks her in gorilla position, slamming her head-first into a box and into the wall.
Cargill then makes her way out and enters the ring with a mic in hand, telling the fans that her attack on Michin is what happens when women don’t know their place in the back. Like she’s said, anyone can step up and get stepped on, because she is that bitch.
Michin’s music interrupts, and this time, she’s not coming alone. Despite referees and officials trying to restrain her, The Hardcore Princess brought her trusty little sidekick, the kendo stick, using it to exact revenge and hit Cargill back. Taking out a table from under the ring, Michin’s attempt at inflicting more damage was met with a boot to the face, sending her to the ground.
With Cargill now throwing her into the ring, Michin tried to fight back but would ultimately get hit with a chokeslam. Cargill then exited the ring as she audibly demanded for real competition, with Michael Cole on commentary questioning who might stop her.
The mixed tag team match between Zelina and Aleister Black against Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest was underway in our main event. With the heel couple attacking Ripley and Priest to start things off, Zelina would try jumping on the back of Priest shortly after to try and stop him from tagging in Ripley. The Eradicator was tagged in anyway, but Zelina tried to slap her, which prompted Ripley to chase after her outside the ring. Once the two women got back inside, the two traded back-and-forth for control during the commercial break, with the show returning to the shot of Zelina performing the Meteora on Rhea, who kicked out of the subsequent pin attempt.
It wasn’t long before Aleister and Damian were tagged in, with Zelina pushing Rhea, still on the ring apron, against the ring post, before aiding her husband by hitting a dropkick on Priest. The two then worked together to hit moonsaults on both opponents, each at opposite corners of ringside. Zelina and Ripley were then the legal partners of the match, with Zelina reversing a Riptide attempt into two Code Reds, with Ripley still kicking out. Continuing to fight back, Ripley showed off her raw power as it nearly got her win had it not been for Black pulling at her leg.
A brief staredown followed, with Ripley headbutting Black to the floor. Vega went for a quick roll-up, which failed and only set herself in position for Ripley and Priest to execute a double Razor’s Edge on both of them. With Black out of the ring and Ripley now the legal partner, all she had left to do was hit Riptide on Zelina for the count of 3.
The show went off the air with the two giving each other a high five and a hug. Hopefully now, Priest can finally put his issues with Black and Zelina firmly in the past.
Saturday Night’s Main Event airs tomorrow night on Peacock from inside the Capitol One Arena in Washington, D.C. Here is a schedule for the show and related programming:
Countdown: 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time / 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time
Saturday Night’s Main Event: 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time / 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time
Post-Show: Immediately after the main event
Recap: hosted by Sam Roberts and Megan Morant, available on WWE’s YouTube channel Sunday
As for matches, one women’s match will be taking place:
- Bayley vs. Sol Ruca
Friday Night SmackDown airs next week from inside the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan but no women’s content is announced so far.
As always, make sure to share your thoughts on this week’s edition of SmackDown in the comments below.