WWE Friday Night Smackdown results (12/1): Powell’s review of Randy Orton’s appearance, Kevin Owens vs. Grayson Waller, Logan Paul’s search for a U.S. Title challenger – Pro Wrestling Dot Net

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

WWE Friday Night Smackdown (Episode 1,268)
Brooklyn, New York at Barclays Center
Aired live December 1, 2023 on Fox

[Hour One] The broadcast team of Michael Cole, Kevin Patrick, and Corey Graves welcomed viewers to the show and plugged the sponsor. Bianca Belair made her entrance. A video package recapped the women’s WarGames match from Survivor Series.

Belair started her promo by playing to the Brooklyn crowd. She shouted out her WarGames teammates and then said her war with Damage CTRL isn’t over. Belair said she’s coming for Iyo Sky because she wants the WWE Women’s Championship back.

Damage CTRL’s Iyo Sky, Asuka, Kairi Sane, and Dakota Kai made their entrance. Kai spoke as they walked to the ring and trashed Brooklyn. Sky, Asuka, and Sane entered the ring while Kai spoke from the apron. Kai said that Sky has already beaten Belair twice and she’ll have to go through the rest of Damage CTRL to get another title shot.

Charlotte Flair’s entrance music played and she walked out with Shotzi. Flair said Belair isn’t the only one coming for Sky. She added that she would love to go through all of Damage CTRL. Shotzi said it looked like there was enough of Damage CTRL to go around.

Flair and Shotzi charged the ring and joined Belair in fighting the Damage CTRL trio while Kai remained at ringside. The babyfaces got the better of the brief fight, which Belair capped off with a spinebuster on Sky. Belair’s music played while the babyfaces stood tall…

Patrick hyped a look back at CM Punk’s return on Raw, and Graves hyped the Kevin Owens vs. Grayson Waller match. Cole said U.S. Champion Logan Paul would appear live for the first time since Crown Jewel…

Ring announcer Mike Rome introduced Butch, who made his way to the ring for a match against Bobby Lashley heading into a commercial break… An ad listed “a special Tribute to the Troops edition” for next week’s Smackdown… [C]

Powell’s POV: The opening segment was pretty basic, but it established that the issues between Damage CTRl and the three babyfaces were not full resolved at WarGames. Meanwhile, it looks like Tribute to the Troops will not get its own standalone special this year. Finally, I’m filling in for Jake Barnett tonight, but he will be back covering Smackdown next week.

Patrick announced Bianca Belair vs. Kairi Sane for later in the show…

Backstage, Sky, Asuka, Sane, and Kai found Bayley. Sky asked Bayley where she was. Bayley said she would have gone to the ring had she known and things may have ended differently. Kai said Sane had a match and would appreciate Bayley’s help…

Bobby Lashley made his entrance and was accompanied by The Street Profits. Lashley took the mic and recalled telling Butch to make a name for himself when they had a backstage argument on Saturday. Lashley said Butch shouldn’t have tried to use him to make a name for himself. He said he could break Butch into pieces and then asked him if he was ready for that. Butch slapped Lashley, who smiled in response…

1. Bobby Lashley (w/Montez Ford, Angelo Dawkins) vs. Butch. Butch kicked Lashley and then threw punches at him. Lashley took control for a moment. Butch came back and hit Lashley with a knee off the apron and eventually moonsaulted onto him. [C]