:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70284804/reignsheyman2.0.jpg)
WWE SmackDown comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Dec. 17, 2021) with a show emanating from the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois, featuring all the latest build to the Day 1 pay-per-view event coming up on January 1, 2022.
Advertised for tonight: Roman Reigns is back on SmackDown after last week’s Samoan Sabbatical. How will the Head of the Table respond to Paul Heyman’s slip-up where he referred to Brock Lesnar as the likely future Universal champion? More importantly, how many wheelchairs and neck braces will Canadian alpha male Sami Zayn bring to the ring after Lesnar’s latest assault on him?
Come right back here at 8 pm ET when the SmackDown live blog kicks off once the show starts on FOX. It will be below this line here. (Note: Going forward, there will be no ban on GIFs or images in the live blog threads. Feel free to post as you wish.)
WWE SMACKDOWN RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG FOR DEC. 17
I travelled far and wide through many different times. What did you see there? I saw the saints with their toys. What did you see there? I saw all knowledge destroyed, and now I’m here to liveblog this pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with a recap of the Sami Zayn / Brock Lesnar angle from last week.
Paul Heyman is shown waiting for Roman Reigns to arrive.
Charlotte Flair & Shotzi Blackheart vs. Sasha Banks & Toni Storm
Blackheart and Storm to start, collar and elbow, Toni gets a side headlock takeover, Shotzi a wristlock, back and forth. Storm escalates with kicks, tag to Banks, double whip but Blackheart tags out and Flair comes in! Sasha looking for early pins, tag to Toni, Charlotte clears the apron with boots and stands tall!
Toni with a judo throw, cover for two, sending the babyfaces to the floor and us to break.
Back from commercial, double whip on Blackheart, cover for two, quick tags and double teams ensue. Shotzi gets a big forearm, Flair tries to coach her into the corner and makes the tag. Standing neck crank on Banks, trying to grind her down, tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for two!
Hot tag, Toni and Shotzi legal, Atomic Drop, Manhattan Drop, Storm in control, whip reversed, flying forearm, slam denied, standing switch, blind tag from Charlotte, exploder suplex connects and the kip-up follows and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Storm and Flair are down and out and looking for tags. Toni kicks her away, tag to Banks, knuckle lock, up top, lucha arm drag, clear the apron, duck a big book, looking for the lungblower but Charlotte blocks! Tilt-a-whirl countered into a crossbody but Flair won’t stay down!
Sasha with double knees in the corner, again, back and forth, looking for a cover, La Casadora bulldog spikes Flair on the head! Sasha up top, Toni tags in, Flair ducks under, lungblower fights Blackheart off, Charlotte dumps Banks, Storm up top... CROSSBODY CAN’T KEEP CHARLOTTE FLAIR DOWN!
Looking for a finish, Flair blocks and shoves her into the turnbuckles! Charlotte with the moonsault, knees are up, O’Connor roll...
Sasha Banks & Toni Storm win by pinfall with a bridging O’Connor roll from Storm on Charlotte Flair.
Backstage, a bunch of babyfaces are chanting for King Xavier Woods as he sits in his white throne.
He thanks them for their appreciation and offers his hand to kiss. Rick Boogs kisses it but before Ricochet can join in, the Usos roll up.
They say Woods looks like a joke and likes to pretend, and Xavier calls them ogres and reminds them of the royal beating they handed them last week, and promises to beat them again tonight and at Day 1 to become the tag champs.
Viking Raiders make their entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Natalya is interviewed backstage after watching Xia Li’s debut back.
She talks up her legacy as having the most matches in WWE women’s history and laughs at Li’s audacity to attack her and call it protecting. Not here on SmackDown, where Xia Li is a nobody and Natalya is the best of all time.
A recap of this week’s episode of Raw follows.
Jinder Mahal and Shanky make their entrance and we go to break.
Jinder Mahal & Shanky vs. Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar)
Back from commercial, match in progress, Erik beating Mahal up, Shanky runs interference and Jinder drops him with a knee! Tag to Shanky, big boot, beating Erik up in the corner, big overhand chops and a lariat leave the big man fired up for a cover... NOPE!
Mahal tags back in, short-arm lariat, Erik rolls away and tags Ivar in! Tilt-a-whirl slam, off the ropes, freight train crossbody and Warbeard is fired up! Cartwheel lariat, tag to Erik, scoop and a slam and Erik slams him into Jinder for a nearfall! Mahal with a jawbreaker, tag to Shanky, sidestep, tag to Ivar!
Warbeard with a corner lariat, Erik hits the shotgun knees, assisted Ode to Rikishi! Overhead belly-to-belly takes Jinder out, Ivar up top...
Viking Raiders win by pinfall with a 747 Splash from Ivar on Shanky.
We get a recap of Adam Pearce forbidding Drew McIntyre from taking his sword to ringside and then Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss stealing the desk.
They’re backstage with the desk, sword still stuck in it, as we go to break.
Back from commercial, Paul Heyman excitedly opens the door of a black SUV as it pulls up and greets his Tribal Chief, but Brock Lesnar hops out.
Paul admits he was expecting Roman and Brock wishes him luck with that.
Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss welcome us to Happy Talk, featuring SwordDesk.
Corbin says he’s extremely happy this week, because to him, Drew McIntyre’s sword is a multi-functioning, highly expensive piece of furniture. It’s a hat rack, a cigar cutter, and a nail file! Moss has bad jokes, as usual, and “CM Punk” chants go up, which Pat McAfee lampshades as “We want love”
Happy gifts Moss the sword, and Madcap tries and fails to pull it out of the desk. Corbin joins him but neither man can budge it.
Enter Drew McIntyre.
He beats the heels up and reclaims his sword! He swings it at Happy but Moss pulls his buddy out of the ring!
Sami Zayn is backstage with Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville.
Sami says his doctor/lawyer told him he didn’t need the neck brace anymore and he just came by to wish them a happy holiday in the spirit of giving. They’re skeptical about him wanting something and says he doesn’t want to be given anything, he just wants his rightful Universal Championship match.
Pearce offers him a 12 Days of Christmas 12-man gauntlet match to win a shot at the Intercontinental Championship.
We get entrances for Cesaro vs. Ridge Holland.
Sheamus with a distraction, Holland gets a cheap shot with his truncheon and Cesaro is down and out and referee Charles Robinson checks on him as we go to break.
Back from commercial, Cesaro’s ribs are taped up and he wants to fight!
Cesaro vs. Ridge Holland
Holland in control early, bow-and-arrow to target the ribs, following it up with a Cobra Twist, but Cesaro is able to land a back suplex for some breathing room. Corner uppercut, back elbow, body blows but a single shot to the ribs knocks the Swiss Superman back! Lariat puts Ridge over the barricade and to the floor, uppercut into the barricade!
Sheamus running interference, Holland nails him in the ribs, scoop lift...
Ridge Holland wins by pinfall with an Emerald Flowsion.
We see Drew McIntyre backstage with his sword, hunting Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss.
Naomi makes her entrance to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Naomi is in the ring and on the mic.
She says there’s only one thing on her Christmas list— she wants Sonya Deville, one-on-one. She says Sonya has done everything but face her one-on-one at this point, and she wants to have the match tonight!
Deville makes her entrance and says as long as the suit is on, she’s untouchable, but she has an opponent who’s been begging to get her hands on Naomi, Shayna Baszler.
Naomi says that’s fine, she’ll fight Shayna, but she wants Sonya. Deville makes a show of saying she’ll beat her up right now and Baszler attacks from behind!
Repeated elbow drops to the knee, DDT the knee, and Sonya orders the bell to ring!
Naomi vs. Shayna Baszler
Heel hook applied, Naomi struggles for the ropes and manages to pivot...
Naomi wins by pinfall with a folding press.
Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss are hiding in a dark conrer backstage when an interview rolls up.
They protest having the lights turned on, and Happy says he’s happy because his life is good and he can look down on the common people and smile, and he’s gonna laugh all the way to new year’s, because Drew McIntyre is going to lose to Madcap Moss at Day 1.
Moss is clearly displeased but tries to maintain a smile for his pal.
New Day make their entrance and we go to break.
New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) vs. the Usos (Jimmy & Jey Uso)
Kingston and Jey to start, collar and elbow, Uso with a headlock, shot off, shoulder block. Off the ropes, drop down, leapfrog, leapfrog, hanging back in the ropes, SOS connects after a struggle but it’s only two. Kicks and chops, Jimmy with the blind tag, Kofi still punching away and Uso lands an enzuigiri!
Jimmy draws him up, into the corner, isolating Kingston and working him over. Eventually Kofi gets a superkick to even the odds and tags out! Woods in hot but referee Jason Ayers didn’t see the tag! Usos attack Kofi on the floor and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Kofi with a hope spot, the path is clear and he makes the tag! Woods in hot, forearms and leg lariats, fighting Jey off with a boot, Honor Roll connects! Jimmy goes for a tilt-a-whirl but Xavier reverses to a side Russian legsweep! Off the ropes, lariat sends Uso to the floor, wrecking ball dropkick takes him out on the floor!
Back inside, Woods up top, diving leg drop... SO CLOSE! Kingston in the ring, SOS denied, Trouble in Paradise denied, Jimmy hits a superkick for a nearfall! Tag to Jey but this time Ayers didn’t see the Uso tag! Bickering, Kofi takes advantage...
New Day win by pinfall with Trouble in Paradise from Kofi Kingston on Jimmy Uso.
Paul Heyman is still in the loading dock, and this time, Roman Reigns does get out of the car when he greets him.
Roman wants to go out to his ring, and we go to break.
Back from commercial, we’re informed that Toni Storm will get a title shot against Charlotte Flair next week.
Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman make their entrance and get in the ring with the Usos.
Reigns tells the crowd to acknowledge him and says he doesn’t like it when his cousins lose, and he checks with Jey to make sure he knows that. But they’re family, he says, and they can get through anything, because they’re blood. But Paul, he’s not blood.
And he should know better than anybody that he can’t have people disrespecting him, because if he’s disrespected, the whole family is disrespected, and he’s gonna ask a few questions. He asks Paul if he can trust him and says he took a week off but he knows everything that happens around here, and last week Heyman seemed shady.
He wants to get it straight, did he know Brock was returning at SummerSlam? Did he know he was going to be at Madison Square Garden? Did he know his suspension was gonna be lifted? And most importantly, is he a special counsel or is he an advocate?
Paul is anxious and sullen and begs off for time to get a microphone, looking like he’s about to spew at any given moment.
Roman warns him that he wants the truth, and asks why he’s protecting Brock Lesnar. Heyman says he’s not protecting Brock Lesnar from him, and looks up briefly, begging for help. He continues, saying that he’s protecting Roman Reigns from Brock Lesnar.
Reigns is barely able to reign his anger in and goes in for a hug. He tells Heyman he loves him and thanks him for his honesty and for 40 years of service to his family... and he’s fired.
SUPERMAN PUNCH TO HEYMAN! Roman asks the Usos for a steel chair and then for a second... BROCK LESNAR IS HERE!
He takes one Uso out with a lariat and the other with suplex before picking one up for an F-5! Jimmy lands a superkick but Brock gets right back up and hits the F-5! Lesnar slides in the ring and Roman attacks him with the chair but Brock gets him up for the F-5 too!
He picks Reigns up again and hits a second F-5!
That’s the show, folks.
Loading comments...