Head to head with AEW Collision, SmackDown emanates live from Evansville, Indiana. Results from November 17th, 2023.
Broadcast live from the Ford Center, Evansville, Indiana, USA.
Road Dogg is standing in for Corey Graves on commentary this week.
Damage CTRL Kick Off SmackDown
Bayley says bringing Asuka into Damage CTRL has to be one of the top moments of all time. She puts herself over for such an inspired move and mocks Charlotte, Bianca Belair and says that they were not ready for Asuka. The Japanese ladies chatter and Dakota Kai says that this can’t be the new and improved Damage CTRL because there’s a non member in the ring. Bayley starts to panic but Dakota assures her that it’s just because Bayley hasn’t officially welcomed Asuka into the group yet. Bayley does so, Asuka accepts and they challenge Charlotte, Bianca and Shotzi for War Games. The babyface three, outnumbered, come to the ring and are sent packing by Damage CTRL.
Backstage, Bianca, Charlotte and Shotzi discuss what just went down and how they need a fourth member for their War Games team. Nick Aldis appears and says he need to know who the fourth member is by the end of the night. As Aldis walks into his office, a figure is pictured deep within…
The Street Profits vs The Brawling Brutes vs Pretty Deadly – #1 Contenders Match for Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship
The opening contest on SmackDown will decide a #1 contender for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship in a Triple Threat Tag Team Match. In the match are The Street Profits, The Brawling Brutes and Pretty Deadly. The Street Profits pick up the win, pinning Ridge Holland after The Revelation. They will fight for the Tag Titles on next week’s SmackDown. Holland walks out on Butch after this error caused the Street Profits double team.
Bianca Belair is pictures chatting to Mia Yim, ostensibly recruiting for War Games. After a commercial break, Yim has been demolished by all of Damage CTRL.
Rey Mysterio underwent successful surgery after Santos Escobar’s betrayal last week.
Dragon Lee vs Axiom
In a match supposedly to showcase Lucha Libre talent on SmackDown and pay tribute to Rey Mysterio, Axiom visits from NXT to take on Dragon Lee. Confusing booking choices aside, this was a decent showcase for the pair. Unsurprisingly, though, Dragon Lee rallied to victory, pinning Axiom after Operation Dragon – his signature somersault Reverse DDT.
RELATED: AEW Collision/Rampage Results – November 17th, 2023
Santos Escobar Breaks His Silence
Santos Escobar was booed fairly heavily, coming to the ring to ‘get something off his chest.’ Escobar says that you should never meet your heroes. He himself comes from a rich lucha libre tradition, a family of heroes but still his hero was Rey Mysterio. He had wished that children would see Santos Escobar the way that he looked up to Rey Mysterio. Last week, though, he realised that Dominick was right about everything he said about his father. Escobar said that he was supposed to be tight with Rey Mysterio but Rey kept bringing in new members to the LWO, like Carlito. Santos hopes the pain that Rey is feeling gives him a taste of the pain he is feeling. Escobar hopes the surgery went badly, that he gets an infection and has to have his leg amputated and that he never comes back.
Hearing enough, Zelina Vega made her way to the ring. Vega slapped Escobar and left, distraught. Raul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde came to the ring next. They told Escobar off and so he told them to leave because he didn’t need them and never did. As the pair followed his wishes, Escobar attacked them from behind, prompting Carlito to come and make the save. Santos Escobar flees.
Grayson Waller defeated Cameron Grimes
In the next match, Grayson Waller took on Cameron Grimes. Grayson Waller picked up the win with a little assistance from Austin Theory.
Zelina Vega was the next victim of Damage CTRL after she was seen being consoled by Bianca Belair after the Santos Escobar drama earlier.
Impromptu Acknowledgment Ceremony for Solo Sikoa
Footage of Solo Sikoa crushing John Cena is shown and, after it, Paul Heyman, Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa are in the ring. Heyman states that they are holding an impromptu acknowledgment ceremony for Solo Sikoa before declaring that John Cena would never show his face in WWE again.
Heyman added that Cena doesn’t have the heart to say goodbye to the WWE Universe, so he will. After saying goodbye, Heyman continued to talk down John Cena and put over Solo Sikoa. He was eventually interrupted by L.A. Knight who verbally cut down all three men in the ring in preparation for the main event match.
Before the match, Charlotte went to make a call to fill the fourth spot at War Games. Who would it be?
L.A. Knight vs Jimmy Uso
The main event match saw L.A. Knight face Jimmy Uso. As the match began, Paul Heyman got a phone call and he and Solo Sikoa left the arena. Knight defeated Uso after Blunt Force Trauma. Solo Sikoa’s music hit and he returned to the ring. As Knight waited for Sikoa, Uso jumped him from behind and took him down. The Anoa’i brothers were poised to put L.A. Knight through the announce table but Cody Rhodes music hit and he made the save. Rhodes and Knight stood tall in the ring as The Bloodline retreated.
Who’s the Fourth Woman at War Games?
Backstage, Charlotte told her group that she’s made the call but she doesn’t know if “she” is going to make it in time. In the ring, Charlotte officially accepted Damage CTRL’s challenge for War Games. Damage CTRL came to the ring to attack the group but through the crowd came Becky Lynch, the team’s fourth War Games member! Both teams brawled around ringside as SmackDown rolled off the air.
Which show was better, SmackDown or Collision? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
