WWE SmackDown Results: Top faction turns on leader; Randy Orton confirms his status after attack from Bloodline
We got another big night on WWE SmackDown after Survivor Series: WarGames, with the General Managers of both brands trying to sign Randy Orton and Logan Paul announcing a big tournament to pick his first title challenger.
- Bobby Lashley def. Butch
- Santos Escobar def. Joaquin Wilde
- Kevin Owens def. Grayson Waller
- Bianca Belair def. Kairi Sane
Bianca Belair kicked off SmackDown to talk about her team's win at Survivor Series: WarGames before being interrupted by Damage CTRL, but Bayley was nowhere to be seen.
Dakota Kai and the rest of Damage CTRL taunted Belair before Charlotte and Shotzi showed up, and a brawl broke out. Damage CTRL was ejected from the ring before IYO took a spinebuster from Belair.
Backstage, Bayley ran into the rest of Damage CTRL on SmackDown and said no one told her about their plans tonight.
WWE SmackDown Results (December 1, 2023): Butch vs. Bobby Lashley
Butch slapped Lashley right off the bat and went for a big dropkick. The former WWE Champion was sent outside before Butch hit a big dive off the apron and took him out. Back in the ring, Lashley hit a vertical suplex and a spinebuster on Butch before tossing him outside and into the ring post.
Butch came back with some stomps to the arm and hit an inverted DDT before Lashley got the running powerslam for a near fall. Butch took a massive Spear before Lashley picked up the win.
Result: Bobby Lashley def. Butch
Grade: B
Backstage, Nick Aldis told Paul Heyman that he wanted to sign Randy Orton even if it upset Roman Reigns and the Bloodline.
Butch was unhappy with the current state of the Brawling Brutes, and when The Pretty Deadly made fun of him, he snapped and attacked the duo.
The Deadly duo took him out and left him on the floor while making fun of him for being alone.
Santos Escobar vs. Joaquin Wilde on WWE SmackDown
Wilde got some big shots early and sent Santos outside before hitting a senton and then a Swanton Bomb from the top rope. Back in the ring, Santos took control and got a takedown and some stomps.
Santos was caught in the tree of woe before taking a dropkick and a rolling DDT for a near fall. Santos came back with some strikes and hit the Phantom Driver before picking up the win.
Result: Santos Escobar def. Joaquin Wilde
Wilde was taking a beating after the match, and Dragon Lee came out to make the save and wiped Santos out in the corner with a big dropkick before Escobar retreated.
Grade: C
Adam Pearce walked up to Aldis backstage and said that he, too, would try to sign Randy Orton onto his brand RAW.
Logan Paul was out next and said a tournament would decide his first challenger for the United States Championship.
The participants in the tournament would be Santos Escobar, Bobby Lashley, Dragon Lee, Grayson Waller, Karrion Kross, Kevin Owens, Austin Theory, and a surprise name from NXT.
Kevin Owens came out and made fun of Logan and his drink before the latter said he would need one second to KO him.
Grayson Waller and Austin Theory showed up, and Theory was saying something before KO punched him in the face and took him out.
Kevin Owens vs. Grayson Waller on WWE SmackDown
Owens blocked a suplex early on and took Waller into the corner before laying down some kicks but missed the cannonball. Outside the ring, KO was slammed into the announce desk before he came back with a clothesline and a crossbody off the apron.
Theory got a cheap shot from ringside and kicked KO's hand against the steel steps before Waller slammed the same hand against the ring post.
After a break, Waller was sent into the corner and took the cannonball before KO hit the Swanton off the top rope. Waller went after the injured arm, but Owens managed to dodge the move and rolled him up for the win on SmackDown.
Result: Kevin Owens def. Grayson Waller
Grade: B
We learned that CM Punk is set to return next week on SmackDown before heading for the main event of the night.
Bianca Belair vs. Kairi Sane on WWE SmackDown
Just before the match, Bayley was upset with how her team treated her, and IYO told her to stay back for the match. Kairi was in control early on before Belair managed to get a takedown, but Asuka dropped her by dragging her feet.
Asuka entered the ring to interrupt the match as the referee sent Damage CTRL and Flair & Shotzi backstage. Kairi dodged the KOD but was taken down before hitting a big diving elbow strike.
Belair was sent outside before slamming Kairi into the barricades. Bayley showed up and attacked Belair, but the distraction caused Sane to miss a top rope move. Belair got the KOD and picked up the win, as Bayley looked even more upset than before.
Result: Bianca Belair def. Kairi Sane
Grade: B
Randy Orton was out next, and so were Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis with their respective contracts.
The two GMs were practically falling over each other to sign Orton, and Pearce offered him a Heavyweight Title match while Aldis offered the Bloodline.
Paul Heyman walked out and said that the Bloodline would decide for Randy.
Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa came out and attacked Orton and kicked him down before LA Knight came out to make the save.
Knight took Solo and Jimmy out before beating Solo down the entrance ramp. Randy got back up and hit Jimmy Uso with the draping DDT before taking him out with the RKO.
Randy took both contracts and tossed the RAW one out before signing onto SmackDown. Randy spoke to Paul and asked him to tell Roman that "Daddy's Back."
Aldis celebrated with Orton but took an RKO before SmackDown went off the air.