11/11 WWE Friday Night Smackdown results: Powell’s review of The Usos vs. New Day for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles, Santos Escobar vs. Shinsuke Nakamura in a Smackdown World Cup match, Liv Morgan vs. Raquel Rodriguez vs. Shotzi vs. Sonya Deville vs. Lacey Evans vs. Xia Li for a shot at the Smackdown Women’s Title

By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)

WWE Friday Night Smackdown (Episode 1,212)
Live from Indianapolis, Indiana at Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Aired November 11, 2022 on Fox

[Hour One] Smackdown opened with a WWE Crown Jewel video package… The Smackdown opening aired and then pyro shot off on the stage… Michael Cole and Wade Barrett were on commentary, and Samantha Irvin was the ring announcer…

Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso made their entrance. Roman Reigns, Paul Heyman, and Solo Sikoa were shown watching in Roman’s dressing room. Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods made their entrance…

1. Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso vs. “New Day” Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles. Irvin delivered in-ring introductions for the title match. Cole emphasized that the winner of the match would hold the record for longest tag team title reign in WWE history, which New Day held going into the match.

Woods sent both Usos to the floor. Jey returned to the apron and Woods hit him with a running knee. Kingston went up top and dove onto both Usos heading into a commercial break. [C] The Usos took offensive control and then Jey hit Kingston with a suicide dive. Cole spoke about the New Day title reigns and noted Big E’s involvement.

The Usos isolated Kingston. The crowd chanted “we want Sami.” Jey covered his ears and then Jimmy barked that they wouldn’t get Sami. Kingston eventually kicked Jey away and dove for the tag, but Jimmy pulled Woods off the apron. Jey performed a neckbreaker on Kingston and covered him for a near fall. [C]

Woods took a hot tag shortly after the break. Woods worked over Jimmy. Jey ran in and Woods got the better of him and ran him into his brother. Woods took out Jey with a side Russian leg sweep. Woods put Jimmy down with a gutbuster and covered him for a two count. Kingston tagged in. Woods perfomred a double stomp on Jimmy and then Kingston covered him for a good near fall.

Kingston performed a Boom Drop on Jimmy. Kingston hit the SOS on Jimmy for another near fall. Kingston showed frustration over not getting the pin. A short time later, the Usos hit double superkicks on Woods and Kingston, then hit Woods with another. The Usos went to opposite corners and hit a double splash on Woods. Jey covered Woods for a great near fall.

The Usos set up for 1D, but Kingston pulled Jey out of the ring and ran him into the ring steps. Woods clotheslined Jimmy over the top rope. Kingston held Jey over his knee and then Woods leapt from the second rope and hit Jey with a move. Woods returned to the ring and DDT’d Jimmy. Kingston tagged in and hit the Midnight Hour on Jimmy, but Jey returned to the ring and broke up the pin.

The teams met in the middle of the ring and all four men traded punches. Woods and Jey ended up at ringside. Jey hit Woods with a pair of super kicks that sent Woods into the timekeepers area. Jimmy caught Kingston with a punch on the ropes. Jey returned and tagged in. The Usos went to the ropes for a move, but Kingston fought them off. Kingston leapt from the ropes into 1D from the Usos, and then Jey covered him for pin…

Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso defeated “New Day” Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods in 23:50 to retain the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles.

Cole said the Usos will become the longest reigning tag team champions in WWE history on Monday. Reigns, Heyman, and Sikoa were shown watching from backstage. Both team stayed down in the ring. Woods made a mean face while the Usos acknowledged the New Day duo with a head nod…

Cole hyped the Smackdown World Cup tournament. A graphic showed Mustafa Ali, Shinsuke Nakamura, Ricochet, Braun Strowman, Jinder Mahal, Sami Zayn, Butch, and Santos Escobar as the entrants in the tournament, which Cole said would start after the break… A Survivor Series WarGames ad aired… [C]

Powell’s POV: A match that lived up to my high expectations. The creative forces did a good job of setting the stage for the match by having the broadcast teams for both shows drive home how close the Usos were to the New Day record. I love that the match opened the show. There was no looking at the clock to get a rough idea of when the match would end, which made it more suspenseful.

WWE Crown Jewel still shots aired… Cole hyped Fox’s college football coverage…

The Usos returned to Roman’s dressing room. The Usos were excited and asked Reigns what he thought. Reigns remained expressionless as he stood up, but then said it feels good. Reigns told the Usos that this is what it feels like to be the greatest of all time. “This is the promise land right here,” Reigns said. He added that he had some things to handle and said he would need the Usos by his side later in the show. Reigns hugged his cousins…

The broadcast team spoke about the Smackdown World Cup Tournament. The trophy was shown at ringside and Cole reminded viewers that the winner would also get a shot at the Intercontinental Championship… Entrances for the first tournament match took place…

2. Santos Escobar (w/Zelina Vega, Cruz Del Toro, Joaquin Wilde) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura in a Smackdown World Cup tournament match. A pre-taped promo aired with Escobar saying he wasn’t just representing Mexico, he was going to show Nakamura how they deal with reckless people where he comes from. Cole noted that Nakamura would face Great Muta as part of Muta’s retirement tour in Japan on New Year’s Day. Nakamura was in offensive control heading into an early break. [C]

Nakamura remained in offensive control and set up for his finisher, but Wilde dragged Escobar to the floor while Vega distracted the referee. Nakamura dropkicked Del Toro and then threw Escobar back inside the ring, Del Toro leapt off the ring steps and was caught with a Nakamura knee. Back in the ring, Escobar took control and performed a Phantom Driver and scored the pin…

Santos Escobar defeated Shinsuke Nakamura in 8:20 to advance to the semifinals of the Smackdown World Cup tournament.

After the match, Legado Del Fantasma celebrated inside the ring. A graphic listed Escobar facing “?” in the semifinals… Cole set up a Veteran’s Day video package. The live crowd responded with applause and a USA chant…

Liv Morgan made her entrance. Cole said they would hold the 20th annual Tribute to the Troops next month (the show is reportedly being taped tonight). Cole said the Six Pack Challenge would be up next… An ad for Raw hyped The Miz addressing Johnny Gargano’s accusations on Miz TV, plus U.S. Champion Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor in an apparent non-title match…

Powell’s POV: First off, thank you to our military veterans on this day and every day. The match was solid. I could have done without all the interference, as they really haven’t established Escobar on Smackdown as a guy who can win without help. Perhaps that will change during the tournament. Either way, I’m never a fan of a tournament starting without the brackets being announced.

A graphic touted this year’s Crown Jewel as being the most watched Saudi Arabia WWE event in history while also noting that it doubled last year’s viewership… Cole hyped Roman Reigns and The Bloodline “in a special moment” for later in the show…

Megan Morant interviewed LA Knight on the interview set. Knight complained about not being in the Smackdown World Cup tournament. Knight noticed that Morant was looking at the monitor behind him, which flickered with the Bray Wyatt logo. Knight complained to someone off-camera.

[Hour Two] Bray Wyatt was standing where Morant had been previously when Knight turned around. Wyatt said he could see all the anger brewing inside Knight and said he feels the same. He said people have told him that the rage inside him would make him a monster. Wyatt recalled saying that he’s not proud of the things that he does, but he laughed and said he’s not sure how true that is anymore.

Wyatt said he knows what it takes get respect. Wyatt asked Knight how far he was willing to go. Knight said it was none of Wyatt’s business. Knight told Wyatt to go back to his romper room, play with his puppets, and stick them anywhere that gives him pleasure. The monitor flickered with Wyatt imagery again. Wyatt headbutted Knight before Knight could say his name. Wyatt walked away. Knight stood up and wondered where he went…

Shotzi made her tank entrance and then Raquel Rodriguez made her entrance while the other Six Pack Challenge participants were inside the ring…

3. Liv Morgan vs. Raquel Rodriguez vs. Shotzi vs. Sonya Deville vs. Lacey Evans vs. Xia Li for a shot at the Smackdown Women’s Title. Cole said the winner would challenge Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series. The match quickly spilled over to ringside. Morgan set up the bottom of the ring steps next to the broadcast table. Deville tripped Morgan, who fell face first onto the steps. In the ring, Li worked over Shotzi with kicks and then up top.

Rodriguez returned to the ring and cut off Li. Evans went for a tower of doom spot, but Shotzi took out Evans. Rodriguez performed a superplex on Li. Deville covered Li for a two count. Deville covered Shotzi for two. Deville covered Rodriguez for two. [C]

Rodriguez powerbombed Li and had her pinned, but Deville pulled Rodriguez off from the floor. Deville tried to steal the pin, but Rodriguez stopped her. Rodriguez set up Deville for a powerbomb from the bottom piece of the ring steps at ringside. Morgan leapt from the barricade onto Rodriguez. In the ring, Shotzi put Evans down with a Never Wake Up DDT and scored the pin…

Shotzi defeated Lacey Evans, Raquel Rodriguez, Sonya Deville, Liv Morgan, and Xia Li in roughly 12:00 to win a Six Pack Challenge to earn a Smackdown Women’s Championship match at Survivor Series.

The broadcast team hyped Roman Reigns’ special moment for later in the show… [C]

Powell’s POV: The crowd was flat and it’s hard to blame them given how random this felt. It looked like the plan was for Morgan’s dive to put Rodriguez through a table on the floor, but it didn’t go as planned. Shotzi winning out of nowhere sets up what feels like a predictable outcome for Survivor Series. Even so, I’m curious to see what type of match she and Rousey can produce. Here’s hoping the booking of the women improves so that it feels like wrestlers are climbing the ladder, not just winning multi-women matches to earn title shots.

Cole hyped Fox’s NFL coverage and touted the Dallas Cowboys vs. Green Bay Packers as a game for the ages…

Powell’s POV: Has the person who wrote the copy watched the Packers this season? Fox has been building up this game as a big showdown for two weeks now despite Green Bay being on a five-game losing streak. As much as I enjoy trading friendly jabs with my neighbors to the east, I would be pointing this out if the Cowboys were the team on the long losing streak.

Shotzi was shown celebrating backstage when Emma showed up and congratulated her. Shotzi praised Emma for taking Rousey to her limit. Emma said they should talk. Emma asked if Shotzi had seen Madcap Moss. Shotzi asked her if she was crushing. Once Emma walked away, Shayna Baszler showed up and told Shotzi about the damage that Rousey would do to her. Shotzi said Rousey had never been in the ring with someone like her. Shotzi said she belongs here and will prove it.

Baszler said Shotzi had a lot to say to Rousey and then told her to turn around and say it to her face. Shotzi turned around and Rousey was there. Baszler put Shotzi in a choke hold until she faded out. Rousey laughed and said, “Cleanup on aisle green” before walking away with Baszler…

Ricochet was interviewed by Kayla Braxton on the backstage interview set. She noted that Ricochet will be facing Mustafa Ali in a first-round match next week. Ricochet spoke about how talented and hungry Ali is. Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser, and Giovanni Vinci showed up. Gunther told Ricochet to fight with all his heart because he would love to beat him again…

Cole set up a video package on Braun Strowman beating Omos at Crown Jewel… Cole hyped that Braun Strowman would be in action in a World Cup Tournament match after the break… [C]

A sponsored video package recapped Drew McIntyre beating Karrion Kross in a steel cage match at Crown Jewel…

Jinder Mahal was shown standing at ringside looking at the Smackdown World Cup trophy. Mahal cut a promo from the floor and said the greatest WWE Champion of all-time was back. The fans booed. He said he missed them too. Mahal said there was no man who could stop him from winning the tournament and the Intercontinental Championship. Braun Strowman made his entrance…

4. Braun Strowman vs. Jinder Mahal in a Smackdown World Cup tournament match. Mahal attacked Strowman before the bell. Strowman rallied and performed his running shoulder block on Mahal at ringside. In the ring, Strowman clotheslined Mahal in the corner and then powerbombed him in the middle of the ring before pinning him.

Braun Strowman defeated Jinder Mahal in 1:50 to advance to the semifinals of the Smackdown World Cup tournament.

Cole said Strowman would compete in a semifinal match in two weeks on Smackdown. The graphic listed Strowman as facing “?” in the second round…

Cole hyped the Roman Reigns’ special announcement for later in the show… [C]

Powell’s POV: Well, at least they kept the predictable match brief.

Crown Jewel still shots were shown… Cole hyped WWE Survivor Series WarGames…

Zelina Vega, Cruz Del Toro, and Joaquin Wilde were in the ring. B-Fab made her entrance with Top Dolla, Ashante Thee Adonis for her match against Vega. The Viking Raiders entrance played. Sarah Logan appeared on the stage and they played audio of her saying Valhalla is here.

Erik and Ivar attacked both teams at ringside. Vega hopped the barricade to avoid Logan. Ivar performed a top rope splash on Adonis. Erik and Ivar hoisted up Top Dolla and slammed him to the mat. Logan brought B-Fab in the ring. B-Fab tried to fight Logan, who popped her up and put her down with a headbutt…

Powell’s POV: It’s good to see Ivar back from his injury and Logan officially back after being released by the company in April 2020. Logan has the sides of her head shaved and is wearing black makeup over the top half of her face and head. It’s not identical, but Logan’s look is similar to that of independent wrestler Max the Impaler…

Clips aired of Roman Reigns beating Logan Paul at WWE Crown Jewel…

“The Bloodline” Roman Reigns, Paul Heyman, Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso, and Solo Sikoa made their entrance… [C]

Mustafa Ali vs. Ricochet, and Butch vs. Sami Zayn in Smackdown World Cup tournament matches, and Shotzi vs. Shayna Bazsler were for next week’s Smackdown…

The Bloodline stood in the ring. An “Ucey” chant broke out. Reigns cut it off by having Indianapolis acknowledge him. Heyman spoke about how he and Reigns were talking on the private jet on their way “to this hell hole.” The fans booed loudly. The screen went black, so something may have been censored. Heyman told the crowd that it wasn’t very Ucey of them.

Heyman spoke about great sports rivalries and said the Usos vs. New Day is not one of them because the New Day can’t compare to the Usos. Reigns had Heyman pass him the mic. Reigns said it’s not easy being his cousin because everyone has acknowledged his greatness throughout his entire life. Reigns said he never thought this moment would come. Reigns was interrupted when he tried to address the Usos.

Ridge Holland and Butch made their entrance. Holland said it was fight night an they brought backup. Sheamus walked out and spoke on the stage, but his mic was cutting out. Sheamus said tonight is the beginning of the end of The Bloodline. Reigns laughed and said Sheamus couldn’t even get the mic to work. Sheamus said he had no problem saying it to his face. The Brawling Brutes entered the ring and were quickly outnumbered by The Bloodline.

Drew McIntyre made his entrance and took out Jimmy on his way to the ring and then headbutted Jey once he was inside it. Sikoa stepped up. McIntyre put him down with a clothesline. Reigns blasted Reigns with a big boot and then threw punches at him. McIntyre pulled him off and threw punches at Reigns. The two groups continued to brawl to close the show…

Powell’s POV: I guess we may never know what Roman’s special announcement was going to be. Anyway, it appears we know eight of the ten wrestlers who will compete in the men’s WarGames match. I assume Sami Zayn will be the final member for The Bloodline, but it remains to be seen who will be join McIntyre and the Brawling Brutes. Kevin Owens?

Overall, Smackdown was a quality show and the tag team title match is worth going out of your way to see if you missed it live. I will be back later tonight with my weekly same night audio review for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons).