WWE SmackDown 22nd of December 2023

In-Ring Segment: AJ Styles
Styles notes that both Randy Orton and LA Knight want Roman Reigns. He doesn’t blame either of them and doesn’t give a damn about Orton or Knight. Styles proclaims that he is number one when it comes to getting Roman Reigns. Styles wants Reigns at the Royal Rumble. LA Knight interrupts. Knight says Styles can have Roman Reigns after Knight gets him first. Considering what happened last week, Knight says Styles has a get-back coming. Styles claims that Knight stepped over his dead body to get his match with Reigns a few months back. Knight climbs into the ring. Styles says he’ll climb over anyone to get what he wants. Randy Orton’s music hits.
Orton joins Styles and Knight in the ring. Orton can appreciate Knight and Styles’ issues with Reigns, but they put him on the shelf for 18 months. SmackDown GM Nick Aldis walks down to the ring. Aldis notes that each of them has a legitimate claim to face Reigns. Adlis is going to give them all a chance in two weeks at SmackDown New Year’s Revolution. Knight, Orton, and Styles will face off in a triple-threat match. The winner gets Reigns at the Royal Rumble. Styles says fine and notes that if Orton or Knight get near the ring during his match with Solo Sikoa tonight, Styles will take them out.

Holiday Havoc Match: Bianca Belair, Mia Yim, Shotzi, and Zelina Vega vs. Damage CTRL
The ring is surrounded by holiday decorations and food. A brawl breaks out before the bell rings. Sky and Belair are left in the ring while everyone fights outside the ring. After a bit of back and forth, Belair lands a dropkick followed by a suplex. Bayley breaks up the pin. Shotzi unwraps a gift, and there is a chair inside. Bayley attacks Shotzi and sets the chair up in the corner. Bayley blocks a drop-toe hold into the chair attempt by Shotzi. Shotzi gets a near fall with a roll up. Ropewalk arm drag by Shotzi. Shotzi leaps off a chair and lands on Bayley. Yim holds the ropes open while Shotzi lands a dive.
Yim and Vega set up duel dives, but the Kabuki Warriors attack them from behind with candy cane kendo sticks. Belair and Shotzi attack Asuka and Sane with kendo sticks. Shotzi and Belair pull a table from under the ring, only to be attacked by Bayley from behind. After the break, Asuka hits Vega in the face with a pie. Vega is incredulous. Asuka laughs and spits the mist in Vega’s face. Asuka and Sane go outside the ring and open a big gift. Isla Dawn is inside.
Alba Fyre is in the gift behind Asuka and Sane. Dawn and Fyre attack Asuka and Sane. Fyre and Dawn drop Sane with a Gory Bomb/facebuster on the ramp. In the ring, Bayley walks into the KOD from Belair. Before Belair can get off the mat, Sky hits the Over the Moonsault. Yim blasts Sky with Eat d’Feet. Sky falls on a table set up in the ring. Yim puts Sky through the table with a senton of the top. Yim pins Sky!
Winners- Bianca Belair, Mia Yim, Shotzi, and Zelina Vega

NXT North American Championship Match: Dragon Lee (c) vs. Butch
Butch and Lee trade counters. Lee and Butch have a staredown after a stalemate. Butch drops Lee with a nasty elbow. Butch works Lee’s arm. Lee surprises Butch with a rana. Slingshot corner dropkick by Lee. Butch tries a headstand in the corner. Lee superkicks Butch in the face. Butch falls to the floor. Lee tries a dive, but Butch meets him in the rope with a stiff head kick. Butch sends Lee flying with an X-plex on the apron. After the break, Lee tries the tree of woe double stomp. Butch snaps Lee’s fingers, but Lee hits the stomp anyway. Butch almost hits the Bitter End, but Lee reverses it into a Canadian destroyer. Lee hits the Destino for the win.
Winner and STILL NXT North American Champion, Dragon Lee!

United States Championship Tournament Semi-Finals: Carmelo Hayes vs. Kevin Owens
Hayes and Owens trade submission attempts. Neither man can get the advantage. After another series of reversals, Hayes lands a dropkick and kips up. Owens floors Hayes with a right and stomps Hayes in the corner. Owens lands a flurry of strikes, but he favors his broken hand. Senton by Owens. Owens sends Hayes into the rope. Hayes springboards off the ropes and catches Owens with a clothesline. Hayes tries a dive, but Owens moves. Owens pushes Hayes into the ring steps. After the break, Hayes bodyslams Owens.
Ax kick by Hayes. Owens kicks out. Hayes and Owens trade strikes. Tilt-a-whirl facebuster by Hayes. Owens kicks out again. Owens counters a suplex with a rope hang DDT. Hayes kicks out! Hayes counters a cannonball with a superkick. Owens hits a superkick of his own. Hayes tries a springboard, but Owens moves out of the way. Hayes reverses a popup powerbomb into the first 48. Owens kicks out. Hayes misses Nothing but Net. Popup Powerbomb by Owens. Owens lands a swanton. Stunner by Owens. Owens pins Hayes.
Winner- Kevin Owens
After the match, Owens helps Hayes up. Both men shake hands.

United States Championship Tournament Semi-Finals: Bobby Lashley w/The Street Profits vs. Santos Escobar
Lashley runs over Escobar. Belly-to-belly suplex by Lashley. Escobar stuns Lashley on the top rope. Escobar dives off the top and gets caught by Lashley. Lashley tosses Escobar over the top rope. During the break, Escobar dropkicked Lashley into the ring steps. After the break, Escobar lands a dive and works over Lashley’s injured knee. Lashley fires up and hits a spinebuster. Two men in lucha masks hop the barricade and attack the Street Profits. In the confusion, Escobar rolls up Lashley for the win.
Winner- Santos Escobar
The masked men remove their masks. Its Humberto Carrillo and Angel Garza. Escobar exclaims he’s not alone anymore.

Backstage, Pretty Deadly makes fun of Butch for losing his match and being alone. Butch stands on business and attacks Wilson and Prince. Nick Aldis and several officials break up the fight. Aldis tells Butch to find a partner, and he can face Pretty Deadly at New Year’s Revolution.

AJ Styles vs. Solo Sikoa
Styles lights Sikoa up with chops and kicks. Sikoa blocks a whip and sends Styles into the corner. Styles fights out of the corner with more chops. Sikoa floors Styles with a back elbow. Sikoa slams Styles. Styles escapes another slam attempt and dropkicks Sikoa in the knee. Running knee by Styles. A kick from Styles sends Sikoa out of the ring. Sliding knee by Styles. Styles lands a diving elbow strike to Sikoa, who is still outside the ring. After the break, Sikoa sends Styles flying with a high backbody drop. Sikoa works over Styles.
Sikoa misses a second rope headbutt. Styles lands a flurry of offense but walks right into a popup Samoan drop. Before Sikoa can capitalize, Styles lands a Pelé kick. Sikoa almost counters the Phenomenal Forearm with the Samoan Spike. Styles counters with a roll up. Sikoa kicks out. Styles hits the Phenomenal Forearm. Sikoa rolls out of the ring to avoid getting pinned. Roman Reigns hits the ring and attacks Styles to cause a disqualification.
Winner- AJ Styles
After the match, Styles floors Reigns with a kick. Sikoa attacks from behind. Randy Orton hits the ring to try to make the save. Jimmy Uso attacks Orton. LA Knight runs down to the ring and helps Orton clear the ring. Styles yells at Knight and Orton for getting in his business. Styles, Knight, and Orton get into a huge brawl as the Bloodline watches on.