By Jake Barnett, ProWrestling.net Co-Senior Staffer (@jakebarnett)
WWE Smackdown (Episode 1,321)
Taped December 13, 2024 in Hartford, Connecticut at XL Center
Aired December 20, 2024 on USA Network
A Saturday Night’s Main Event highlight reel was shown to begin the show, as well as the package piledriver from Kevin Owens to Cody Rhodes that took place once the TV cameras stopped rolling. Naomi and Bianca Belair were shown walking backstage, along with Candice LeRae and Nia Jax. Motor City Machine Guns and DIY were shown as well. In the arena, the New Bloodline made their entrance to kick off the show in the arena. Michael Cole and Corey Graves added some hype for Solo Sikoa vs. Roman Reigns in Tribal Combat on the January 6th episode of Raw on Netflix.
Footage was shown of Jacob Fatu causing a disqualification last week when Solo faced LA Knight. Solo grabbed a microphone and began to speak. He then demanded everyone acknowledge him. Solo then reiterated Roman’s challenge for the Ulafala for the Netflix debut. The crowd gave him some “What?” chants, and Solo shouted them down. He formally accepted the challenge, and said they would leave everybody else in the back, and he would walk in and out the Tribal Chief. Solo declared he would still have the Ulafala, and when he was done, Roman could get in his boat and sail off to the Island of Irrelevance.
Drew McIntyre’s music played and he made his way out to the ring. Solo told Drew that he was happy when he kicked Jimmy in the face last week, but said he better have a good reason for being out there. Drew asked if he liked it when he took out Jimmy, Sami, and Jey, and wondered if he lay awake at night wondering when Drew McIntyre was coming for him. He recalled that Solo cost him the World Title, but then praised him for having the courage to stand up to Roman Reigns. Drew said he could wait to resolve their business until Solo does him the favor of taking out Roman Reigns for good.
Jimmy Uso surprised Drew from behind and pulled him out of the ring. He then swung and hit Drew with his crutch a couple of times, and knocked him over the barricade. Drew then escaped into the crowd. LA Knight, Apollo Crews, and Andrade then ran down to the ring to confront the New Bloodline. A six man tag is up next…[c]
My Take: A decent opening promo, even if it was slightly anticlimactic. This crowd wasn’t great last week and it’s no surprise that carried over to this taped show.
1. LA Knight, Apollo Crews, and Andrade vs. Tama Tonga, Solo Sikoa, and Jacob Fatu: The match was joined in progress with Tama Tonga and Apollo Crews in the ring. Crews press slammed Tonga and then tagged in LA Knight. He entered and landed a neckbreaker and covered for a two count. Andrade then tagged in and landed a heavy chop. Crews then tagged back in for a double team clothesline. He then covered for another two count. Andrade sent Tonga to the floor. Jacob Fatu then charged into the ring and got sent to the floor as well.
Crews and Andrade then dove on both Tonga and Fatu on the floor. Knight taunted Sikoa, who refused to engage. Fatu made a blind tag and took out Crews with a running shoulder block…[c]
Solo Sikoa was in the ring and the Bloodline isolated Apollo Crews from his partners. Fatu tagged in, and Crews was able to make an escape and tag to Andrade. He entered the match and took out Fatu with a back elbow. He continued with a meteora in the corner and covered for a two count. Andrade went up top and landed his double jump Moonsault for another two count. Solo and Fatu managed a double team hotshot that sent Andrade out to the floor. Sikoa then threw him into the barricade and held up the ulafala…[c]
Andrade crawled for a tag after avoiding a charging Fatu in the corner. He was able to tag in Knight after he caught Fatu with an enziguri. Knight and Tonga entered the match, and Knight cleaned up on everyone. He then landed a suplex on Tonga, and tagged Crews for a top rope splash. Knight exited the ring to attack Fatu on the floor, but he got taken out by a running knee from an interfering Shinsuke Nakamura. Solo quickly tagged himself in and took out Crews with a Spinning Solo and a Samoan Spike. He then covered for the win.
Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Jacob Fatu defeated LA Knight, Apollo Crews, and Andrade at 14:38
Motor City Machine Guns were interviewed backstage by Byron Saxton. They both swore revenge on DIY. Shelley said he thought Gargano was a little brother, but he finally took off the mask and showed who he really was. He said he needed to face him alone, and he wanted to find out if Gargano was man enough to fight his own battles. Cole then introduced some highlights of Michin vs. Chelsea Green from Saturday Night’s Main Event.
An interview was shown from Chelsea after the match on Saturday. She took the gum out of her mouth and put it in the hand of Byron Saxton. She said she’s worked her entire life to be an overnight success, and she deserved it. Saxton asked her how it felt to be in the history books, and she said duh. She should have been there three years ago, but she got released, and it should have been in 2015, but she never got hired. Green said she was going to DisneyLand, so she had a plane to catch…[c]
My Take: Fun promo from Green. The six man tag went about exactly how you’d expect. The lack of suspense and quiet crowd didn’t do it many favors, but everybody worked hard.
Footage of Kevin Owens vs. Cody Rhodes at SNME was shown, including the post match attack with a package piledriver by Kevin Owens. We then got a prom from Kevin Owens where he was holding the Winged Eagle Title Belt. He said the attack was not his fault. Owens blamed Cody, the referees, Nick Aldis, and WWE management for screwing him out of the WWE Championship. He said he should be Undisputed WWE Champion, so he took the Winged Eagle because he deserves it. Owens said he hasn’t even snapped yet, and that it could get so much worse. He said whatever happens next is on WWE Management.
Braun Strowman will join the Grayson Waller effect next…[c]
My Take: Good promo from Owens. It’s going to be fun to see what it looks like when he gets completely unhinged.
DIY had a backstage promo. Ciampa called Shelley stupid for wanting a grudge match instead of a title match. Gargano asked Ciampa to stay in the back because he wanted to prove his manhood. It was tongue in cheek and they are clearly going to cheat. In the arena, introductions were made for the Grayson Waller effect. Theory and Waller introduced themselves to a few boos and mostly silence. Waller then introduced Braun Strowman, who made his way out to the ring in a Santa Costume.
Footage was shown of Strowman squashing Carmelo Hayes last week. Waller mocked Strowman for helping the poor people of Hartford. Strowman asked him if he wanted to piss him off already. Waller begged off and complemented Strowman for smartly wanting to associate himself with A-Town Down Under. They pitched him on the idea of becoming an alliance, and he asked them if they wanted him to shove the interview set up their asses.
Carmelo Hayes interrupted and said he wasn’t ready last week. He called Braun a big ol’ bitch and had to back off as Strowman started throwing the faux palm trees in the ring at him…[c]
My Take: Strowman has one speed, and it’s belligerent.
2. Carmelo Hayes vs. Braun Strowman: Hayes was evasive early, ducking into the ropes whenever Strowman approached him. He then slid to the outside to avoid a clothesline. Strowman gave chase, but Melo ambushed him when he slid back into the ring. Strowman finally got a hold of Melo for a chokeslam, but Melo countered into an awkward head scissors takedown. Braun ended up on the floor, and Hayes tried to take a run at him, but Strowman kicked him out of his shoes.
Jessika Carr counted as Strowman and Hayes fought on the floor. Strowman threw Hayes back into the ring just as Carr counted to 10, and he was counted out.
Carmelo Hayes defeated Braun Strowman by count-out at 3:45
After the match, Tiffany Stratton wished Nia Jax and Candice LeRae luck in their match. They informed her they didn’t want her at ringside, and that she could do them a favor by getting streamers and champagne for later. Tiffany walked away disgusted. Shelley vs. Gargano is up next…[c]
My Take: Hayes get a fluke win. I’m guessing we’ll see this match a few dozen more times between now and the Royal Rumble.
Backstage, Strowman was on the warpath looking for Carmelo Hayes. He asked Legado Del Fantasma, but got pointed in the wrong direction. Pretty Deadly asked him about the musical again, but she said he didn’t care. Hayes then attacked him with a chair from behind and ran away. Strowman got to his feet even angrier than before. In the arena, Alex Shelley made his entrance, followed by Johnny Gargano.
3. Johnny Gargano vs. Alex Shelley: Gargano dominated the early going with chops and strikes. Shelley fired back with a knee strike and a running forearm. Gargano replied with a kick and then beat down Shelly in the corner. He then charged into the corner, but Shelley sent him out to the floor instead. Shelley then dove off the apron and took out Gargano on the floor…[c]
Shelly countered Gargano with a jawbreaker, but got caught with a backbreaker a few seconds later. The action spilled out to the apron, where Gargano attempted a slingshot spear but ate a book for his trouble. Shelley attempted a Gargano Escape, but it was reversed into a pin for a two count. Shelley landed some hard chops, but Gargano cut him off with an enziguri. He then sent Shelley hard into the second turnbuckle and covered for a near fall.
Gargano then applied the Gargano Escape, but Shelley countered and got to his feet. They ended up in the corner, where the referee broke things up. Gargano took a cheap shot, but Shelley countered with a flatliner into the second turnbuckle. He then went to the top rope, but Ciampa jumped on the apron to cause a distraction. Sabin walked down to confront him and ran him around the ring. Shelley landed a flying crossbody on Gargano, but he rolled through and grabbed the tights to get the win.
Johnny Garagno defeated Alex Shelley at 10:40
After the match, we got some highlights from the Raw on Netflix kickoff at WWE HQ. We then got a rundown for the January 6th Raw card. Backstage, Bianca Belair and Naomi were interviewed by Byron Saxton. Bianca said the last few weeks have been rough. She said she would get to the bottom of what happened to Jade, but she was glad she had a friend like Naomi who had her back.
Naomi said she would always have her back, because she knows how important these titles are to Bianca and Jade. Bianca offered to let her hold one of the titles, but Naomi said not until she earned it. Bianca and Naomi made their ring entrances for the Main Event…[c]
My Take: Gargano getting the win makes sense given which stage of the feud they are in. The Guns going into chase mode is good for them, although I’m surprised we haven’t seen the Street Profits get involved in some way yet.
Nia Jax and Candice LeRae made their ring entrance. Alicia Taylor made ring announcements.
4. Candice LeRae and Nia Jax vs. Bianca Belair and Naomi for the Women’s Tag Team Championships: Bianca and Nia started the match. Bianca avoided an elbow drop and tagged Naomi. They landed a double team splash combo, but Nia quickly recovered. She landed a spinebuster on Naomi and covered for a near fall…[c]
Nia remained in control and covered Bianca for a two count. She then backed Bianca into the corner, where Candice took some cheap shots. Nia went back to a head and arm hold, and Bianca struggled to her feet. Bianca tried to power up Nia for a suplex, but couldn’t get it done. Candice tagged in and landed a double team missile dropkick spinebuster combo with Nia. She then jumped off of Nia’s back for a senton splash, and covered for a two count.
LeRae and Nia had miscommunication that allowed Bianca to escape and tag in Naomi. She landed an enziguri on Jax, followed by an X-factor for a near fall. Naomi side stepped Jax in the corner, and she hit the ring post with her shoulder. Bianca tagged in and Naomi took down Nia and placed her in position for a splash. Bianca landed an impressive long distance 450, but LeRae broke it up.
Tiffany Stratton walked down to ringside. LeRae managed to roll up Bianca, and Naomi broke it up. Stratton tried to give Jax her briefcase, but the referee caught them and Bianca splashed Jax at ringside. Naomi managed to land an Enziguri on LeRae, followed by a split legged Moonsault for the win.
Bianca Belair and Naomi defeated Nia Jax and Candice LeRae at 10:19
Naomi and Bianca celebrated with their Tag Titles as the show came to a close.
My Take: They haven’t played many of their cards yet, but I would bet Jade returns and resents Naomi, only to find out it was Bianca that had taken her out. Alternatively, Naomi could have setup Jade, and could be aligning with someone else unexpected. Perhaps a returning Charlotte Flair. Charlotte vs. Bianca or Jade vs. Bianca are both plausible WrestleMania feuds. Overall, this was a middle of the road episode of Smackdown. The taped aspect of it in front of a quiet crowd made for a low energy atmosphere, and the crowd was already quiet to begin with last week. The action wasn’t bad, but only a few things feel like they really matter at the moment unless it’s for the Raw debut on Netflix.
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