WWE SmackDown Results 11/21 - Ilja Dragunov Issues Another US Open Challenge, #DIY Face Nathan Frazer & Axiom

Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s results for "WWE SmackDown" on November 21, 2025, coming to you live from the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado!

United States Champion Ilja Dragunov will be continuing the US Open Challenge tonight when he puts his title on the line once again. As Dragunov still adamantly declines to allow the aforementioned Ciampa to answer the call and challenge him for his title, he has also had successful defenses against the lines of Aleister Black on October 24, Nathan Frazer on October 31, Ciampa's #DIY tag team partner Johnny Gargano on November 7, and the aforementioned Axiom during last Friday's edition of "SmackDown".

Speaking of #DIY, they will be going head-to-head with the aforementioned Frazer and Axiom in tag team competition tonight. Following Dragunov's successful defense against Axiom last Friday, Ciampa blindsided Axiom with an attack as his frustrations with not receiving a United States Championship match from Dragunov and Dragunov's choice of Axiom as his opponent boiled over.

Two more first round matches in The Last Time Is Now Tournament to determine John Cena's final opponent at WWE Saturday Night's Main Event on December 13 are set to take place tonight, as Bronson Reed of The Vision collides with Carmelo Hayes while Judgment Day's Finn Balor goes head-to-head with Penta. Whoever wins the match between Reed and Hayes will go on to face GUNTHER in a quarterfinals match this coming Monday on "WWE Raw", while the victor of the match will take on MFT leader Solo Sikoa in another quarterfinals match that same night.

After Rhea Ripley asked to speak with AJ Lee (who had cost Becky Lynch the Women's Intercontinental Championship to Maxxine Dupri) backstage this past Monday on "Raw", WWE has teased the reveal of who will be joining Ripley, IYO SKY, Charlotte Flair, and Alexa Bliss & Asuka, Kairi Sane, Nia Jax, and Lash Legend as the fifth member of each respective team in the Women's WarGames match on November 29 at WWE Survivor Series: WarGames.

Meanwhile, as Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk, Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso, and Roman Reigns prepare to square off against Drew McIntyre, Logan Paul, The Vision, and Brock Lesnar in the Men's WarGames Match, WWE has also teased some fallout from the brawl that broke out between all ten men in the closing moments of Monday's edition of "Raw" when Reigns and Lesnar were revealed as the final members of their respective teams.

We are live! Michael Cole and Corey Graves greet audiences at home before throwing it to a video of the brawl that closed out Monday's episode of "Raw".

Back at ringside, Paul Heyman, Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, and Logan Paul are waiting in the ring.

Heyman introduces himself and says he has a Vision for the Men's WarGames match. He says five heroes and main eventers will be locked inside a double cage with Breakker, Reed, and Logan as he hypes up the three men before Logan says he has a lot to say.

Before Logan can continue, Jey Uso's music hits and he makes his way to the ring down the entrance ramp with Jimmy Uso. Jey says no one wants to hear what Logan has to say, then says Heyman is running his mouth despite himself, Jimmy, Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, and Roman Reigns destroying The Vision, Logan, and Drew McIntyre.

Heyman says he created The Bloodline in order for Roman Reigns' family to eat, then says the first thing he taught Jimmy and Jey in The Bloodline is the numbers game is key. He points out that himself, Breakker, Reed, and Logan outnumber Jey and Jimmy.

Rhodes' music hits, but he doesn't appear on the entrance ramp as Jey and Jimmy look confused as to the delay. We head outside the arena and see McIntyre emerge from Rhodes' trailer The camera then pans over to show Rhodes laid out on the steps of his trailer, with Jimmy and Jey rushing to his aid.

Back from the break, Ilja Dragunov then makes his way to the ring. JD McDonagh follows, answering the call for his US Open Challenge. 

The bell rings and the two lock up. Dragunov and McDonagh exchange right hands with one another, but McDonagh sends Dragunov crashing into the bottom rope face first.

During the commercial break, McDonagh dumps Dragunov back in the ring and sends him crashing into the mat with a back suplex. McDonagh cinches in a chokehold on Dragunov, then lands an elbow drop on him off the middle rope and goes for a pin. Dragunov kicks out, but McDonagh fires off kicks on his head. Dragunov responds with a series of spinning backfist sto McDonagh and turns him inside out with a Constantine Special back from the break, then rains down Hammer and Anvil Elbows on him and sends him crashing into the mat with a Death Valley Driver.

Dragunov looks to land a second Constantine Special on McDonagh, but McDonagh reverses into a standing Spanish Fly. He goes for a pin, but Dragunov kicks out before himself and McDonagh spill out of the ring over the top rope.

When the pair get back in the ring during another commercial break, McDonagh wears down Dragunov with a submission hold. Dragunov escapes, but McDonagh levels him with a jawbreaker and goes for a pin. Dragunov kicks out, then teeters on the ropes with McDonagh back from the break and connects with a superplex on him.

McDonagh sends Dragunov crashing into the mat with a brainbuster, then follows it up with a moonsault to him off the top rope and goes for a pin. Dragunov kicks out, then connects with a powerbomb and the H-Bomb on McDonagh for the win.

Winner (and still): Ilja Dragunov

We then head backstage, where Nick Aldis warns Paul Heyman, Logan Paul, and The Vision about pulling any funny business later tonight before reminding them that Drew McIntyre is still suspended. Heyman insists that McIntyre is simply outside the arena tonight and says all that Bronson Reed is here to do tonight is leave Carmelo Hayes laid out.

Back at ringside, Hayes then makes his way to the ring. The Vision follows.

The bell rings and Hayes wastes no time firing off right hands on Reed. Reed shoves Hayes into the mat, then lands an overhand chop on his chest. Hayes responds with a series of chops to Reed, but Reed stomps on him in the corner and lands a knee strike on him. He rains down right hands on him and rocks him with a headbutt, then holds up the One symbol.

Hayes pins Reed, but Reed kicks out. Hayes dropkicks him off the apron and onto the floor, but Bron Breakker and Logan Paul run out to the ring to provide Reed with some backup. Reed gets back inside during the commercial break, then connects with a bodyslam to Hayes and wears him down with a submission hold.

Reed levels Hayes with a big boot, but Hayes catches Reed with a jawbreaker back from the break. Reed responds with a back suplex to Hayes, but Hayes rocks Reed with a superkick. Breakker hops up on the apron and distracts the referee, opening the door for Logan to trip Hayes as he runs the ropes. Reed then pins Hayes, but Hayes kicks out.

Hayes lands a boot on the side of Reed's head, then follows it up with a leg drop and a neckbreaker to Reed through the middle rope. He ascends to the top and looks to land a Frog Splash on Reed, but Reed gets his boot up and sends Hayes crashing into the mat with a powerslam. He looks to follow it up with a Tsunami off the top rope, but Hayes rolls out of the way and connects with The First 48 on Reed. He then flies over the top rope to level Reed, Breakker, and Logan on the outside and dumps Reed back into the ring, then ascends to the top rope and connects with a diving DDT on Reed. He goes for a pin, but Reed kicks out at the last second.

Hayes ascends back up to the top rope and flies, but Reed turns him inside out with a clothesline. As Logan distracts the referee, Breakker looks to deliver a running spear to Hayes on the outside. Jey intercepts Breakker with a superkick and brawls with Breakker through the crowd as Logan and Jimmy brawl with them.

As Heyman distracts the referee, Cody Rhodes takes advantage and blindsides Reed from behind. He dumps Hayes back in the ring, and the referee begins a ten count. Reed fails to beat it.

Winner: Carmelo Hayes (via countout)

After the match, Rhodes grabs a microphone and says while he said he was done with Drew McIntyre, he doesn't want to be done with him anymore. He tells Heyman that he can keep building relationships with whichever wrestlers he pleases, but he'll keep beating them.

Nathan Frazer and Axiom then make their way to the ring. #DIY and Candice LeRae follow. 

The bell rings and Frazer and Axiom go straight after Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa. Axiom and Frazer send Gargano and Ciampa crashing out of the ring and deliver The Dive Train to them before dumping Gargano back in the ring and both flying off the top rope.

Ciampa sends Frazer crashing into the ring steps shoulder first, then tags in and delivers a chop to Axiom during the break. Frazer tags in back from the break, then ascends to the top rope and sets up for Phoenix splash on Gargano (who has tagged in). Gargano rolls out of the way and tags in Ciampa, then delivers a Shatter Machine to Frazer with Gargano.

Gargano tags in and ascends to the top rope. Axiom follows him up there and delivers a Spanish Fly to him, and Frazer flies over the top rope to level Ciampa on the outside. As the referee checks on Frazer, LeRae rips off Axiom's mask. This opens the door for Gargano to roll up Axiom for the win.

Winners: #DIY

We then head over to a video of Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair sitting down with one another as a means of trying to put aside their differences for the sake of their Women's WarGames team. 

Back at ringside, Finn Balor makes his way out. Penta follows.

Balor tries to blindside Penta as Penta finishes making his entrance, but Penta sees Balor coming and levels him. The bell rings and Balor fires off a chop on Penta. He lands a right hand on him in the corner, then connects with a modified Bronco Buster on Balor and follows it up with a Sling Blade before flying over the top rope to level Balor on the outside.

Penta delivers a chop to Balor' chest during the commercial break, then lands a pair of kicks on his thigh and continues wearing him down. He sends Penta crashing into the mat, then wears him down with a submission hold and fires off a stomp on him in the corner.

Penta and Balor teeter on the ropes, but Penta sends Balor crashing into the mat with a headbutt back from the break and flies off the top with a crossbody to level Balor. Balor connects with his signature elbow drop on Penta, but Penta connects with an overhand chop on Balor's chest and turns him inside out with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. He sends Balor crashing into the mat and pins him, but Balor kicks out.

Balor connects with a shotgun dropkick on Penta, then ascends to the top rope and sets up for the Coup De Grace. Penta sees Balor coming and rolls him up, but Balor kicks out. Penta then delivers the Penta Driver to Balor and pins him again, but Balor kicks out. Balor sends Penta crashing into the corner, but Penta responds with a Mexican Destroyer to Balor for the win.

Winner: Penta

Charlotte Flair, Alexa, Bliss, IYO SKY, and Rhea Ripley then make their way to the ring.

Ripley says that Asuka, Kairi Sane, Nia Jax, and Lash Legend didn't realize how united SKY, Flair, Bliss, and herself were at Madison Square Garden. She says if she's going to war, she wants to make sure that it's with the right people. She says she knows that SKY has her back and would go down swinging with her, then says she's able to put aside her differences with Flair.

Ripley looks to introduce the fifth member of her, SKY, Flair, and Bliss' WarGames team. AJ Lee's music hits, and she makes her way out. Asuka, Sane, Legend, and Jax attack Ripley, SKY, Bliss, and Flair in the ring from behind, and while Lee looks to help, Becky Lynch blindsides her on the entrance ramp before Nia Jax delivers the An-Nia-Lator to Ripley.

Lynch slides into the ring and shakes Asuka's hand, revealing herself as the fifth member of Asuka, Sane, Jax, and Legend's team as the show goes off the air.