Friday Night Smackdown – Dec 2nd 2022: Results & Review
Welcome to this review of this past Friday’s episode of Friday Night Smackdown, right here on Nerdly. Let’s see what went down on the show!
Match #1: Sami Zayn def. Sheamus
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Sheamus’ power was on full display early as Sami Zayn’s multiple attempts at hip tosses were easily countered into a thunderous clothesline from The Celtic Warrior as Butch and Ridge Holland looked on from ringside. A distraction from Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos allowed Zayn to gain the upper hand, but a flying crossbody countered into an Irish Curse Backbreaker put Sheamus right back in charge. Sheamus took to the top rope with a White Noise in mind, but Zayn countered into a sit-out powerbomb. As the action continued, Sheamus hit a Brogue Kick on Zayn, but a distraction by Jimmy Uso and a subsequent superkick from Jey Uso allowed Zayn to roll up Sheamus for the win.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: Shayna Baszler def. Emma via Submission
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The ruthless Shayna Baszler was at the top of her game against Emma, mercilessly targeting her opponent’s arm. The savvy Emma fought back and hit Baszler with a neckbreaker through the second rope as well as a tarantula submission attempt. However, when Emma attempted a top-rope maneuver, Shayna countered and swiftly applied the Kirifuda Clutch to secure the win. When Baszler attempted to attack Emma after the match, Shotzi and Raquel Rodriguez hit the ring to confront Baszler, who promptly to avoid a 3-on-1 attack.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #3: Gunther def. Kofi Kingston
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Fresh off being the first competitor to declare for the Royal Rumble Match, Kofi Kingston battled Intercontinental Champion Gunther, with the high-flying former WWE Champion immediately using his speed to his advantage. Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci caused a distraction, allowing Gunther to knock down Kofi, but their actions prompted Braun Strowman to appear and neutralize the numbers advantage. As the two decorated wrestlers battled, neither could put the other away despite an S.O.S. from Kingston and a devastating powerbomb by Gunther. With both men clearly spent, Gunther mustered the energy to plant Kingston with the Last Symphony to finally claim the victory.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #4: Ricochet def. Santos Escobar
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Ricochet and Santos Escobar battled in the finals of the SmackDown World Cup with a chance to challenge for the Intercontinental Title on the line. As Ricochet went to the tope rope, Legado del Fantasma diverted the referee’s attention and pushed Ricochet off to save Escobar. The referee subsequently ejected Joaquin Wilde & Cruz Del Toro, as well as Zelina Vega. Escobar proved worthy without them, nailing Ricochet with a dive through the ropes. As both men looked for an advantage, Ricochet nailed Escobar with a ring-rattling superplex, but a subsequent double headbutt grounded both men. Thanks to absurd athleticism from each competitor, Escobar hit Ricochet with a hurricanrana off the barrier at ringside. Escobar tried to hit another hurricanrana, this time from the top rope, but Ricochet landed it and used his incredible offense to nearly put away Escobar. More scintillating offense from both men saw Ricochet finally have Escobar in position for the 630, which secured him the win, an Intercontinental Championship Match and the SmackDown World Cup!
My Score: 4 out of 5
News of the Night:
- Tegan Nox made her return to WWE television helping to beatdown Damage CTRL
Final Verdict: 4/5
This was a great episode of Smackdown, even if I would have appreciated a match or two more. The big thing this week was the return of Tegan Nox (yes, mentioning her on WWE programming recently WASN’T a fluke) and THAT fantastic main event which saw Ricochet and Escobar have a highly anticipated rematch from their Lucha Underground days… Anticipation that was well placed AND the pair were given plenty of time too, which is a rare commodity in WWE sometimes.
