“SmackDown” Friday: Preparations for Survivor Series: War Games
The recent episode of “SmackDown” focused on the teams seeking to survive and thrive as Survivor Series: War Games approaches. In addition to the team action, the show offered high-quality individual matches.
A weekly highlight is the open challenge by the United States Championship. This segment has proven to be a constant draw for fans.
Similar to what happened in “Raw” with Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns, AJ Lee’s participation in War Games was made official.
“SmackDown” Results from Friday
- Ilja Dragunov retained the United States Championship by defeating JD McDonagh.
- Carmelo Hayes defeated Bronson Reed in the “Last Time Is Now” tournament.
- DIY defeated Fraxiom.
- Penta defeated Finn Ballor in the “Last Time Is Now” tournament.
AJ Lee and Becky Lynch join War Games
AJ Lee is officially the fifth and last member of the team led by Rhea Ripley, which also includes Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair, and Iyo Sky. On the other side, Becky Lynch joined the team of the Kabuki Warriors, Nia Jax, and Lash Legend. Lynch attacked her War Games opponents at the end of “SmackDown”, but Lee helped the heroines stay on their feet. It will be a star-studded women’s War Games match, but will Rhea’s team be able to get the victory on November 29?
Other key points and arguments
Cody Rhodes suffered an injury to his mouth and the side of his right eye after being attacked by Drew McIntyre on his bus. Rhodes returned later on “SmackDown” to help Carmelo Hayes in his match against Bronson Reed and offered an emotional promo, establishing the men’s War Games match. Rhodes stated that he is not finished with McIntyre, which generated great anticipation for the match.
Ilja Dragunov and JD McDonagh are exceptional wrestlers. The open challenge for the United States Championship is a success, and is expected to continue until, at least, the Royal Rumble. The title dispute between the MFT and Tommaso Ciampa adds value to the championship.
Michael Cole paid tribute to Bob Caudle, a renowned wrestling commentator, who passed away on November 16 at the age of 95. Cole recalled Caudle’s famous phrase “Hello, wrestling fans” and listed his accomplishments.
The MFT will face Sami Zayn, Rey Fenix, Shinsuke Nakamura, and the Motor City Machine Guns in a traditional Survivor Series match next week on “SmackDown.” The MFT are expected to win this match, which could lead to a confrontation with the Wyatt Sicks. With Solo Sikoa in the United States Championship match, that match could happen soon.
Sometimes, WWE presents cinematic scenes in which wrestlers discuss whether they can trust each other. An example was the segment between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns. Although not all segments are perfect, the main goal was clear: Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair are on the same page heading into War Games.
