WWE SmackDown Results (12/23) - Undisputed Tag Team Titles Match, #1 Contenders Gauntlet Match, Miracle On 34th Street Fight
Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s results of "WWE SmackDown" on December 23, 2022, coming to you from the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois!
The Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships will be on the line tonight, as current titleholders Jimmy and Jey Uso will be defending against Hit Row (Ashante "Thee" Adonis and Top Dolla). Hit Row earned themselves their place in the match last week after they defeated Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde of Legado Del Fantasma and The Viking Raiders. The Usos have held the "Raw" Tag Team Championships for 216 days and are the longest reigning "SmackDown" Tag Team Champions at 523 days. Will new champions be crowned tonight?
A new number one contender for Ronda Rousey's "SmackDown" Women's Championship will be determined, as Raquel Rodriguez, Liv Morgan, Sonya Deville, Emma, Tegan Nox, and Xia Li face one another in a Gauntlet Match. Rodriguez will have some extra motivation to win the match tonight, as her tag team partner Shotzi was taken out by Rousey and her ally Shayna Baszler, and she herself suffered an elbow injury at the hands of the duo last month. Who will be next in line for a shot at the "SmackDown" Women's Championship?
Additionally, a Miracle On 34th Street Fight is set for tonight, as "The Monster Among Monsters" Braun Strowman and "The One and Only" Ricochet go head-to-head with Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci of Imperium. Ricochet and Strowman have formed an unlikely alliance in order to deal with a series of attacks launched on them by the trio over the past few weeks (which began after Ricochet beat Strowman in the semi-finals of the "SmackDown" World Cup). Which team will come out on top?
We are live! Michael Cole and Wade Barrett greet audiences at home as The Bloodline makes their way to the ring.
We Hear From The Bloodline
Paul Heyman introduces himself and The Bloodline, then hypes up the upcoming match for The Usos tonight, as well as the matches for Solo Sikoa, Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn next week. Heyman then hands the mic to Reigns, who says he's going to whoop Kevin Owens and John Cena asses next week. He observes that Zayn looks flustered, and asks him what's up.
Zayn takes the mic and says that while he should be on top of the world right now (due to the holiday season, the admiration of the WWE Universe and finding respect within The Bloodline), but he isn't because of Kevin Owens. He says Owens ruined his week for him last week, and says Owens has a problem with him rather than the entirety of The Bloodline. Zayn says The Bloodline is "the show", then tells Cena and Owens to listen up. He says they will rip them apart and leave them mangled because when you step to The Bloodline, you get smashed. He then tells them to acknowledge Reigns.
Back from the break, Hit Row heads to the ring.
The Usos (c) vs. Hit Row for the WWE Undisputed Tag Team Championships
Jey and Adonis begin the action. The bell rings and the two lock up. Top Dolla tags in and delivers a boot to Jey's face. Jey fires back with a chop block, then tags in Jimmy. Jimmy delivers several stomps before Jey tags back in. Top Dolla delivers an elbow, but Jey fires back with another chop block.
Back from the break, Jey delivers a headbutt to Top Dolla. Top Dolla manages to deliver a spinebuster, then tags in Adonis. Jimmy tags in and Adonis delivers a dropkick, followed by a right hand and a boot. He delivers a DDT, then ascends to the top and delivers a crossbody. Adonis looks for a dropkick, but Jimmy catches him and delivers a Samoan Drop. Jey tags in and The Usos look for 1-D, but Top Dolal drags him to the outside and sends him into the ring steps. Adonis delivers a superkick, then tags in Top Dolla. Hit Row delivers Heavy Hitter before Jimmy levels Adonis with a superkick. He tags in, and The Usos deliver a superkick and 1-D for the win.
Winners (and still): The Usos
We head to a video recapping the Intercontinental Championship match last week between GUNTHER and Ricochet. We then head backstage to Imperium and Kayla Braxton. Ludwig Kaiser says their upcoming match is a mockery and Vinci says that Ricochet and Braun Strowman belong in a circus rather than the ring because they are a disgrace.
Back at ringside, Emma heads down.
Back from the break, Xia Li heads to the ring.
Raquel Rodriguez vs. Tegan Nox vs. Liv Morgan vs. Xia Li vs. Sonya Deville vs. Emma in a Number One Contender's Gauntlet Match
The bell rings and Li shoves Emma. Emma delivers a clotheslines, then follows it up with a stomp and a running forearm. She delivers a running crossbody before Li fires back with a pair of kicks and a right hand. She hits the Cyclone Kick for the three count.
Xia Li eliminates Emma
Tegan Nox heads down to the ring next, and delivers a series of right hands to Li. She plants her, then delivers a senton in the corner. She ascends to the top and delivers a crossbody. The two battle it out on the apron before Li delivers the Cyclone Kick for the three count.
Xia Li eliminates Tegan Nox
Raquel Rodriguez is up next.
Back from the break, Li sends Rodriguez to the outside. Li delivers a running kick to her hand. She sends her head bouncing off the apron, then delivers a running knee and tosses her back in the ring. Rodriguez manages to deliver a back elbow and a running boot, then follows it up with the Fallaway Slam and a corkscrew elbow. Li delivers a kick to Rodriguez's midsection, then hits a right hand. She looks for the Cyclone Kick, but misses, allowing Rodriguez to hit the Texana Bomb for the win.
Raquel Rodriguez eliminates Xia Li
Liv Morgan then heads to the ring and Rodriguez shoves her into the corner. Morgan manages to hit a dropkick, then hits a hip attack and a running knee. She looks for a hurricanrana, but Rodriguez catches her and gets her on her shoulders. Morgan manages to roll her up, but Rodriguez kicks out. Morgan locks in a Sleeper, but Rodriguez escapes and plants her.
Back from another break, the two women teeter on the top rope before Rodriguez delivers a superplex. She follows it up with a back elbow and a clothesline, then hits a splash. Morgan targets Rodriguez's arm, then climbs to the top rope and delivers a dropkick. Morgan locks in the Rings of Saturn, but Rodriguez escapes. She gets Morgan up on her shoulders, but Morgan escapes and plants her with a Code Breaker. Rodriguez fires back with a Fallaway Slam and a corkscrew elbow. The two women slap one another before Rodriguez delivers a big boot and a Fallaway Slam. Morgan delivers a step-up enziguri, but Rodriguez manages to hit the Texana Bomb for the three count.
Raquel Rodriguez eliminates Liv Morgan
Sonya Deville is the final competitor, and clocks Rodriguez with a forearm. She delivers a series of kicks and right hands, then targets Rodriguez's arm. She hits a knee to Rodriguez's jaw, then goes for a pin but Rodriguez kicks out. Deville delivers a few right hands, but Rodriguez delivers a pair of shoulders and a bodyslam. Deville continues to work on Rodriguez's arm, but Rodriguez manages to plant Deville with a chokeslam for the three count.
Raquel Rodriguez eliminates Sonya Deville
Ronda Rousey heads down to the ring and informs Rodriguez she has one more unannounced opponent: Shayna Baszler.
Baszler delivers a kick to Rodriguez's head, then rips off her brace. She delivers several stomps to her elbow, then gloats. Rodriguez takes advantage and rolls her up.
Raquel Rodriguez eliminates Shayna Baszler
Winner: Raquel Rodriguez
We then head to a video recapping the feud between LA Knight, Bray Wyatt, and Uncle Howdy.
Back from the break, Bray Wyatt heads to the ring.
We Hear From Bray Wyatt
Wyatt says one of the hardest things to do is to confront WWE fans, and says he will never get used to people being excited to see him. He says he doesn't look at himself that way and says while he tries to present the most genuine version of himself, he doesn't know who that is. He then says LA Knight owes him an apology because he and no one else thought that Uncle Howdy was a separate entity. He says he was never Uncle Howdy, then loses his train of thought. He crouches in the ring with his hand over his mouth, then attacks the camera man out of nowhere. He whips him to the mat, then locks in the Mandible Claw. Adam Pearce and other officials run down to the ring and get Wyatt off him. They pull the cameraman out of the ring, all as Wyatt eerily stares into the distance.
Back from the break, Angel and Humberto wait in the ring as Rey Mysterio heads down. We see Karrion Kross and Scarlett watching from the crowd.
Rey Mysterio vs. Angel
The bell rings and Angel mocks Mysterio by asking him to shake his hand. Mysterio slaps him before delivering a dropkick and several right hands. He delivers an tijeras, but Angel catches him with a dropkick. He follows it up with a backbreaker and a forearm to his back, then whips him into the top turnbuckle. Mysterio delivers a senton off the top rope, then sends him into the ropes with the head scissors. Humberto pulls him out of the ring, but Mysterio levels him and the pair get back in the ring.
Angel delivers a superkick, then mocks Mysterio. Humberto takes a cheap shot as Angel distracts the referee, then sets up for the 619. Mysterio escapes and sends him into the ropes, then delivers a 619 of his own followed by a DDT for the win.
Winner: Rey Mysterio
After the match, Mysterio and Kross stare one another down.
Back from the break, Karrion Kross and Scarlett run into Emma. Emma asks them who they think they are for disrespecting a legend like Rey Mysterio and expresses her anger towards Scarlett for calling Madcap Moss a joker. Scarlett says she actually called him a fool, and Emma slaps her. Kross tells her she has no idea what she's just done.
We then head to a video showcasing John Cena's career over the last 20 years ahead of his tag team match next week.
Commentary then runs down the card for next week's show.
We see the ring surrounded with Christmas trees, ornaments, presents of varying sizes, and Christmas cookies as Ricochet and Braun Strowman head to the ring. Imperium follows.
Ricochet and Braun Strowman vs. Imperium in a Miracle On 34th Street Fight
The bell rings and Kaiser tosses Ricochet out of the ring. Strowman then clotheslines Kaiser to the outside before Ricochet delivers an assisted dropkick. Kaiser sends Ricochet into the ring steps before Strowman delivers a splash to him in the corner. Vinci goes off the ropes, but Strowman catches him. Kaiser saves Vinci, allowing Vinci to deliver a chop block. Imperium beats Strowman down before Strowman tosses them to the outside and Ricochet delivers a tijeras off the ring steps.
Back from the break, Kaiser sends Strowman into a ring post, then into a Christmas tree and a pile of presents. Vinci hits Ricochet with a candy cane kendo stick as Kaiser hits Strowman with a steel chair. The pair parade around the ring before Strowman levels them both and breaks the candy cane kendo stick. He delivers several stomps and right hands, then sends them both into Christmas trees. Strowman gets them both up for the powerslam, but Imperium escapes by raking his eyes. They then deliver a double suplex, but Ricochet beats them both down. Kaiser hits Ricochet with a steel chair, then goes after Kaiser once again and buries him under a tree and several presents. They spot the big present and open it, revealing a ballerina. She performs The Nutcracker out of the arena. They open the other big present, revealing New Day dressed as tin soldier.
Woods and Kingston low blow Imperium, allowing Strowman to hit a pair of running shoulder tackles. Strowman grabs some mistletoe and tells Ricochet to kiss Samantha Irwin. He does so, and he gets fired up, allowing him to deliver a moonsault off the ropes to Vinci. Strowman plants Kaiser through a table with cookies, then delivers the running powerslam to Vinci. Ricochet ascends to the top and gets on Strowman's shoulders, then hits a crossbody for the win.
Winners: Braun Strowman and Ricochet