Friday Night SmackDown descended upon the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut, on December 20, 2024, delivering an action-packed night of wrestling. The evening’s main attractions included a thrilling six-man tag team showdown as Andrade, LA Knight, and Apollo Crews sought revenge against The Bloodline. Additionally, the Women’s Tag Team Championships were on the line, and multiple storylines progressed throughout the night. Let’s delve into the exciting details of WWE SmackDown December 20 Results.
Drew McIntyre Interrupts the Bloodline
The Bloodline made their way to the ring to kick off SmackDown. Solo Sikoa grabbed a microphone and demanded that Hartford acknowledge him, but the crowd responded with an “OTC” chant instead. Solo received “What” chants as well, but he was unfazed.
Sikoa mentioned his upcoming Tribal Combat match against Roman Reigns on Raw’s Netflix debut and asked Reigns if he was ready to go to war. He proposed that they leave their respective crews behind for the match and vowed to emerge victorious on January 6.
Drew McIntyre interrupted him and stared down The Bloodline. Sikoa credited him for taking out Jimmy Uso and the OG Bloodline members. However, McIntyre had a question for Sikoa: “Do you ask yourself at night, ‘When is Drew coming after me?'” McIntyre reminded Sikoa that he was the one who cost him a shot at the Undisputed WWE Championship.
McIntyre proposed that Sikoa take out Roman Reigns, and then they could settle their score. Out of nowhere, Jimmy Uso blindsided McIntyre, sparking a wild brawl. LA Knight’s music hit, and he rushed to the ring with his partners, Apollo Crews and Andrade. The six men clashed in a chaotic brawl as the segment came to a close.
Grades: B
Analysis: It was a fine segment to open the show. McIntyre hasn’t forgotten what Solo did to him in the past, but they will collaborate for a common cause. Jimmy’s return was a surprise; we expected him to be out for a few weeks.
The Bloodline vs. LA Knight, Apollo Crews, and Andrade
Returning from a commercial break, the action was already underway as Crews and Tama Tonga locked up in the ring. The babyface team exchanged multiple tags and dominated Tama. Andrade and Crews landed a synchronized double dive to the outside. Fatu was tagged in and unleashed powerful moves.
Solo Sikoa is the legal man back from the break, dominating Apollo Crews. Fatu tagged in and continued the onslaught until Crews managed to tag Andrade. Andrade landed a cross-body on Fatu, followed by a running strike for a nearfall. Jacob rolled away from a moonsault from the top rope, only to be caught by Andrade’s standing moonsault for a two-count.
Back from another break, Jacob Fatu’s dominance continued. A narrow escape by Andrade led to an enziguri. Knight was tagged in, and he took out Tama with a clothesline and delivered a neckbreaker before tagging Crews.
Apollo climbed to the top for a splash for a two-count. Meanwhile, Knight was ambushed by Shinsuke Nakamura at ringside. Solo tagged himself in, delivered a running hip attack and a uranage, and finished with the Samoan Spike for victory.
Winners: The Bloodline
Grades: B-
Analysis: It was a fun six-man tag match. The Bloodline was victorious, as expected. Shinsuke Nakamura needs more TV time now that he’s US Champion.
Kevin Owens Refused to Return the WWE Championship
The scene shifted to Kevin Owens, who was holding the Undisputed WWE Championship. Owens asserted that he was not at fault for the events that transpired. Owens blamed WWE’s management, claiming he was robbed of the title. He described the situation as a tragedy, believing he should be the rightful champion.
Owens declared that he would keep the Winged Eagle belt until he got what he wanted. He warned WWE management about the consequences if they didn’t meet his demands, as he’s willing to take drastic measures to reclaim what is rightfully his.
The Grayson Waller Effect (special guest Braun Strowman)
Grayson Waller and Theory welcomed Braun Strowman to The Grayson Waller Effect. The Monster of All Monsters made a festive entrance, tossing presents to the crowd. Waller and Theory attempted to curry favour with Strowman, asking for presents and praising his charitable efforts, which almost angered the Monster.
Waller’s comments continued to needle at Strowman. Strowman was about to lose his cool, but Carmelo Hayes emerged to address their match the previous week. Hayes claimed he wasn’t ready last week and challenged Strowman to a rematch, confident he could take down the big man. Strowman accepted the challenge. Waller and Theory wisely exited the ring, and a referee rushed down to officiate the impromptu match.
Grades: C
Analysis: This segment was solely to make a match between Hayes and Strowman. The Grayson Waller Effect is a fun show overall. Theory and Waller need more time to display their entertaining skills.
Braun Strowman vs Carmelo Hayes
The match between Carmelo Hayes and Braun Strowman was a clash of speed versus power. Hayes attempted to take down the big man, but Strowman’s strength proved too much. Hayes relied on quick movements and clever tactics to evade Strowman’s powerful strikes. The chase went to the ringside area.
In a dramatic turn, as the referee’s count neared ten, Braun managed to launch Carmelo back into the ring, but just a split-second too late to beat the count himself. The referee counted Strowman out, and Hayes secured the win via count-out. After the match, we saw Strowman still chasing Hayes in the backstage area.
Winner: Carmelo Hayes via Count-Out.
Grades: C
Analysis: It was a short match, but the ending was quite interesting. This story will likely continue in the upcoming weeks, which is fine as both Strowman and Hayes will have the opportunity to appear consistently on weekly TV.
Johnny Gargano vs. Alex Shelley
Gargano charged at Alex Shelley, who quickly countered. Gargano taunted Shelley and the crowd as he took control. Shelley fought back, sending Gargano out of the ring and catching him with a kick to the face before landing a dive onto him from the apron. Gargano delivered a jawbreaker. Shelley bounced back with a thrust kick, followed by a series of chops and a big kick for a nearfall.
The two traded strikes until Gargano hit Shelley with an enziguri and sent him face-first into the turnbuckle for a two-count. Tommaso Ciampa rushed down for a distraction, only for Chris Sabin to intervene. The distraction allowed Gargano to roll Shelley up for the win!
Winner: Johnny Gargano
Grades: C
Analysis: Gargano and Shelley are great but couldn’t muster a high-quality performance tonight. This feud will continue in the tag team division for a while.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match: Bianca Belair and Naomi vs Nia Jax and Candice LeRae
The match started with Bianca Belair squaring off against Candice LeRae. Bianca quickly gained control, only for Nia Jax to tag in. The camera cut to Tiffany Stratton, who was watching the action backstage. Nia fought back, allowing a tag to Naomi, and the champs double-teamed for a near fall. Candice intervened, sparking a brawl between all four competitors as we headed to a commercial break.
Returning from the break, Jax took Belair to the mat, driving a knee into her back and mocking the crowd. Jax followed with a snap mare and distracted the official, allowing Candice to land a cheap shot on Bianca. The challengers dominated Bianca, preventing her from tagging Naomi. Jax accidentally took out LeRae. Taking advantage of the situation, Belair tagged in her partner.
Naomi charged in and delivered a facebuster to Jax for a nearfall. Jax recovered and took out Naomi. Annihilator was countered, and Bianca delivered a 450 splash from the top. She covered, only for Candice to break the pin. Tiffany Stratton arrived at the ringside with her Money in the Bank briefcase. Jax called for the briefcase, and Stratton handed it over hesitantly, resulting in the ref catching her in the act.
Bianca knocked Stratton off the apron and landed a cross-body on Jax outside. In the ring, Naomi nailed Candice with a split-legged moonsault for the win. Jax, Candice, and Stratton are left to regroup outside as the champions celebrate their victory, bringing SmackDown to a close.
Winners: Bianca Belair and Naomi
Grades: B
Analysis: The main event delivered good action! Stratton’s late appearance added an interesting twist, as Jax had previously told her to stay in the back. It was great to see Naomi stepping up to shine in Jade’s absence.
Final Word
This episode had its moments, especially with McIntyre’s compelling promo. The tensions between him and Sikoa, even with their shared goal, add an intriguing layer to the ongoing feud. McIntyre is all set for a significant push in 2025.
The rest of the show felt skippable, as it lacked exciting stuff. Hope so, WWE improves the quality of the blue brand shows in the coming time. Did you enjoy the WWE SmackDown December 20 Results?
