WWE SmackDown airs live tonight from the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Usos defend their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships against The Brawling Brutes and Kurt Angle celebrated his birthday.
SmackDown Results (12/9/22)
- The Usos def. Brawling Brutes to retain the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships
- Legado Del Fantasma def. Viking Raiders via DQ (Hit Row attack)
- New Day & Ricochet def. Imperium
- Liv Morgan & Tegan Nox def. Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show
The Usos Retained the Undisputed Tag Team Championships
The Usos defended their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships against Sheamus and Butch of The Brawling Brutes to kick off tonight’s SmackDown. Footage of Solo Sikoa’s brutal attack on Matt Riddle from this past Monday was shown before the match. Solo Sikoa, Sami Zayn, and Ridge Holland were ringside for the match.
Sheamus and Jimmy Uso started off the match. The Celtic Warrior controlled the action and Jimmy rolled out of the ring to regroup with The Bloodline. Butch and Jey tagged in and Uso hit a forearm to the face for a two count as SmackDown went to a break.
The Usos hit Butch with a combination move as the Honorary Uce danced around outside the ring. Butch connected with an Enzigui on Jimmy Uce and started crawling toward the corner. Jey tagged in and prevented Butch from making the tag as Sheamus flipped out on the ring apron.
Butch connected with a German Suplex and tagged in Sheamus. The Celtic Warrior hit Jimmy with a Backbreaker and fired up the Pittsburgh crowd. Butch and Sheamus hit 20 Beats of the Bodhran. Butch got in about 50 strikes on Jey and then sent him into the barricade.
Back in the ring, Sheamus charged at Jimmy but he sent the Celtic Warrior into the ring post. Sheamus battled back and hit White Noise from off the middle turnbuckle. He went for the cover but somehow Jimmy kicked out at two as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
Butch hit a Moonsault onto The Usos outside the ring when SmackDown returned. He followed it up with a Tornado DDT on Jey for a near fall. Sheamus dragged Jey out of the ring and threw him into the barricade. Butch connected with a Powerbomb and went for the cover but Jimmy was able to kick out at two and the match continued.
Brawling Brutes hit a Razor’s Edge/Neckbreaker combo on Jimmy in the middle of the ring. Sheamus went for the cover but Jey broke it up at the last moment. Sami Zayn got in to the ring while the referee was distracted but Ridge Holland leveled the Honorary Uce with a Clothesline. Sheamus hit a Running Knee for a near fall. Solo Sikoa hit Ridge with a Spinning Solo that sent him into the timekeeper’s area.
Jey counted a Brogue Kick with a Superkick. Jimmy Uso tagged in The Usos hit the 1D for the pinfall victory. The Usos are still the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions. Sami Zayn prevented Sheamus from getting into the ring and breaking up the cover.
LA Knight Called Out Bray Wyatt
Kurt Angle and Gable Steveson were shown walking backstage. Braun Strowman showed up and shook Gable’s hand. The Monster of All Monsters told Steveson to come see him when he gets out of the WWE PC.
LA Knight made his way to the ring to demand justice for the backstage attacks on him the previous few weeks. He claimed to have struck fear in Bray Wyatt because he keeps getting him. Knight rolled footage of him buried under a bunch of stuff on a recent edition of SmackDown. He showed the interview showing a masked man in the background.
Another masked man was in the background as well. A Wyatt vignette interrupted with Uncle Howdy saying Knight deserves to suffer and the door is closed. Knight said he’s going backstage to fight Bray Wyatt right now and exited the ring.
LA Knight was later shown backstage and the lights turned off. He flicked on his cell phone light and a masked person was there when SmackDown went to a break.
Hit Row Attacked
Cruz Del Toro & Joaquin Wilde battled The Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar) tonight on SmackDown. Santos Escobar and Valhalla (Sarah Logan) were ringside for the match. Zelina Vega joined commentary for the match.
Joaquin Wilde and Erik started off the action. Erik hit a shoulder tackle and followed it up with a kick to the ribs. Ivar tagged in and beat down Wilde in the corner. B-Fab of Hit Row interrupted and she took a seat on the entrance ramp as Top Dolla and Ashante Adonis attacked Santos Escobar. Hit Row brought a chair into the ring and hit Ivar with it. B-Fab leveled Valhalla with a kick and Top Dolla connected with a slam on Wilde. Hit Row then posed in the ring to end the segment.
Intercontinental Championship Contract Signing, 6-Man Tag Team Match
Jason Jordan and Kurt Angle had a family reunion backstage.
SmackDown World Cup winner Ricochet and Gunther had a Contract Signing for the IC Title tonight. Before it started, New Day interrupted and said they wanted a front row seat. Kofi said they can not allow Imperium to just jump Ricochet 3-1. Woods hyped their tag title match against Pretty Deadly tomorrow night at NXT Deadline.
Gunther boasted about Ricochet twice and claimed he was not worthy of being Intercontinental Champion. The Ring General vowed to win next week’s title match. Ricochet told Gunther he’s in for the fight of his life next week and vowed to become IC Champion once again. A brawl broke out and it led to a 6-man tag match.
Ricochet started off the match with Ludwig Kaiser. Ricochet hit a Body Slam and tagged in Xavier Woods. Xavier hit a slam of his own for a near fall and unloaded some strikes. Giovanni Vinci tagged in and hit Woods with an Arm Drag before beating him down in the corner.
Vinci connected with a Backbreaker on Woods when SmackDown returned. Gunther tagged in and planted Woods with a Body Slam before booting Ricochet off the ring apron. Kaiser tagged in and unloaded strikes on Woods in the corner. Xavier battled back and climbed to the top rope. Woods hit a Dropkick and tagged in Kofi Kingston.
Kofi hit Vinci with a Dropkick and climbed to the top turnbuckle. Kingston connected with a Splash and followed it up with the Boom Drop. Kaiser hit Kingston with an uppercut outside the ring and hurled him over the announce table. Imperium posed and talked trash as SmackDown went to a break.
When the blue brand returned. Kofi hit Kaiser with a Back Body Drop and tagged in Ricochet. Gunther tagged in as well and Ricochet hit him with some punches. The Ring General responded with a thunderous chop and a big boot to the face. Ricochet hit an Enziguri and a knee to the face. Ricochet kept unloading strikes to the champion and then ducked under a kick. Gunther leveled him with a chop and went for a Powerbomb but Ricochet countered into a DDT for a near fall.
Woods and Vinci then tagged in and Xaver hit a Tornado DDT. New Day set up for Midnight Hour but Kaiser broke it up. Vinci hit a Moonsault on Kingston as Ricochet hit a Hurricanrana on Kaiser. Kingston hit Trouble in Paradise and tagged in Ricochet. He hit a Shooting Star Press for the pinfall victory. Ricochet will battle Gunther for the IC Title next week.
Next Week’s SmackDown is Going to be a Big Night for Sami Zayn
Jey Uso stopped Sami Zayn before The Bloodline was about to head out for a bite to eat. Jey said the Tribal Chief is going to be back next week and Sami should trim his beard. Zayn wondered why he would have to do that and Jey suggested it is going to be a big night for him next week following WarGames.
Karrion Kross Warned Rey Mysterio
Karrion Kross confronted Rey Mysterio backstage and said it is always a sad thing when you have to put an animal out of its misery. Kross took a look at Rey’s injured ankle before security showed up.
Liv Morgan & Tegan Nox Picked Up A Win
SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler battled Tegan Nox & Liv Morgan. Tegan hit Shayna with a Senton in the corner to start off the action. The Queen of Spades battled back and tagged in Ronda Rousey. Ronda whipped Tegan around and then did Liv Morgan’s pose.
Rousey applied an Ankle Lock on Nox in the middle of the ring but she was able to break free and launched Rousey into the turnbuckle. Liv and Baszler tagged in and Morgan hit Shayna with a knee to the face. Morgan followed it up with a Dropkick for a two count.
Raquel Rodriguez tried to interfere but Adam Pearce and security stopped it. Ronda was distracted and Nox hit Baszler with a Shining Wizard. Liv covered Shayna for the win as Raquel Rodriguez watched on from the entrance ramp.
Gable Steveson and Kurt Angle Took Out American Alpha With a Milk Truck
Kurt Angle told Gable Steveson that he was going to head to the ring by himself as SmackDown went to a break. Angle entered the ring with a giant cake already in it. American Alpha weren’t let into Kurt’s party backstage earlier and Gable was pissed off.
Chad Gable claimed that Kurt Angle was petty because he didn’t want them outshining him. Gable agreed with the crowd when they chanted “you suck!” at Kurt and then shushed the audience. Chad told Angle he has no integrity, he’s lost his intensity, and said he can keep a shred of integrity if he leaves the ring.
American Alpha told Kurt Angle to get out of the ring or he will wind up with another broken neck. Gable and Otis ate some of Kurt’s care and Angle said they are going to need a lot of milk. Gable Steveson showed up with the milk truck. They began throwing milk at Otis and it staggered the big man. Angle then sprayed American Alpha with the milk hose as Gable Steveson jumped around. Kurt and Gable Steveson got into the ring as American Alpha retreated. Angle and Steveson chugged some milk and posed on the turnbuckles to end the show.