WWE Friday Night SmackDown Results
September 22, 2023
Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
Commentary: Michael Cole, Corey Graves and Kevin Patrick
Results by: Roy Nemer of Wrestleview.com
WWE SmackDown kicks off with John Cena’s music as he makes his way down to the ring to a loud pop from the crowd.
He gets in the ring with the fans chanting “Cena”. He welcomes everyone to another sold out SmackDown. Cena says since they allowed him to come home, he has been able to do a lot of things. He has been a talk show guest, a host, a backstage correspondent, a referee and his journeys have taken him to Pennsylvania, Colorado and all of those shows have been sold out but they have not been like tonight.
Cena says tonight is a very special night. He wanted to come out and tell everyone that it’s different. He doesn’t want to be a referee, a host, a backstage correspondent. He came back to compete and he feels that tonight is the night that he would like to have a match. He asks the fans for their permission. He asks them if tonight is a good night to have a match and the fans cheer.
He says he is excited but also angry. He is angry at the Bloodline. He is angry enough to fight both of them himself but as luck would have it, he thinks he found himself a partner. Someone who is just as angry as him, he found himself a phenomenal partner and out comes AJ Styles!
Both Cena and AJ are face to face in the ring and AJ grabs the microphone from Cena’s hand. The fans chant “AJ Styles” as he asks the fans if they want AJ Styles and John Cena vs. The Bloodline and the fans cheer and do the “Yes” chant. AJ tells the Bloodline if they want some, to come get some.
Out come Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa. They stand on the ring apron as CEna and AJ challenge them to get in the ring. Jimmy drops to the outside and tells Solo to do the same as Solo backs down.
-Commercial Break-
John Cena and AJ Styles are backstage with Adam Pearce. Cena tells Pearce to make the tag team match tonight but Pearce says it’s complicated with the Bloodline. He says he has to locate Paul Heyman and see if he can get it done.
Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar with Zelina Vega vs. Street Profits with Bobby Lashley
The bell rings and we are under way. Escobar and Dawkins start the match. A head lock by Dawkins as Escobar throws him to the ropes but Dawkins with a shoulder tackle. Dawkins to the ropes but Escobar with a dropkick. Escobar goes for the cover but Dawkins kicks out. Rey is tagged in as they double team Dawkins. Rey with a head scissor take down.
He grabs Dawkins but Dawkins with a right hand. Ford is tagged in and they double team Rey. Ford goes for the cover but Rey kicks out. Ford throws Rey to the ropes and Rey with a springboard crossbody off the second rope. Rey throws Ford to the outside. He goes for a baseball slide but Dawkins moves Ford out of the way as Rey lands on the mat on the outside. Escobar runs towards Dawkins but Dawkins lifts him and drops him to the floor.
-Commercial Break-
Back from commercial and Ford with a clothesline onto Rey in the middle of the ring. A right hand by Ford as he tries to make the tag but Ford grabs him by the leg. He lifts Rey up on his shoulders but Rey with right hands and he flips, throwing Ford face first into the turnbuckle. Santos is tagged in and he knocks Ford down. Escobar with a right hand onto Dawkins who is on the ring apron. Escobar climbs the top rope and a crossbody onto Ford. He goes for the cover but Ford kicks out. Escobar rolls Ford up but Ford rolls out of it and he kicks Santos in the face. Ford climbs the top rope but Escobar with a kick. Escobar climbs the top rope as he lands a hurricanrana off the top rope. Escobar goes for the cover but Ford kicks out.
Ford is down in the corner and Escobar with the double knees. He lifts Ford up on his shoulders but Ford lands on his feet and he knocks Escobar down with a kick to the face. Dawkins is tagged in. He lifts Escobar up and slams him face first onto the mat. He goes for the cover but Escobar kicks out. Dawkins goes for an underhook suplex but Escobar with a kick to the face. Rey is tagged in and Rey lands a tornado DDT. He trips Dawkins up on the second rope and goes for a 619 but Dawkins hits him with the Sky High. He goes for the cover but Escobar breaks it up. Ford gets in the ring but Escobar throws him to the outside. Dawkins with a right hanb onto Escobar. Dawkins throws Rey to the outside but Rey lands onto Ford, knocking him down. Dawkins distracts the referee as Lashley slams Rey on the ring apron. Lashley tells Dawkins to pin him. Dawkins hesitates as he lifts Rey up but Rey rolls him up and gets the pin.
Winners: Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar
The Street Profits look at Bobby Lashley who is on the outside and he is angry. He looks at them and walks away as they sit in the ring.
We see clips of The Rock’s return to SmackDown last week. We cut to the announce team and Austin Theory jumps the barricade and faces them. He yells at them as WWE officials come out. Theory yells at Cole as the officials tell him to leave.
-Commercial Break-
A video package airs showing Alba Fye and Isla Dawn talking about the recent injuries to the Women’s Tag Team Champions and how they want to be Champions.
Austin Theory and Adam Pearce are backstage yelling at each other. As they are walking, Ridge Holland and Butch are backstage. Holland tells Theory he got outstaged last week. In comes Waller who tells Theory that they don’t know what stars look like. Pearce makes a tag team match for tonight but Theory and Waller are not happy.
We cut to Street Profits and Lashley is shown yelling at them. He says they had the win and if they’re not up for it, to return the suits, the watches and everything. He tells them that he can find someone else.
-Commercial Break-
WWE Women’s Championship – IYO SKY (c) with Damage CTRL vs. Asuka
As the bell is about to ring, Charlotte Flair’s music hits and out she comes. She sits next to the announce team. The bell rings and we are under way. Asuka with an arm bar and both women exchange armbar reversals. A head lock Asuka turned into a crossface. IYO gets to her feet and elbows by IYO as she gets out of it. A headlock by IYO in the middle of the ring but Asuka reverses that into a head lock take down. IYO gets out of it and both women are on their feet. Asuka extends her hand for a handshake. IYO goes for it but IYO goes for a kick, Asuka moves and she kicks IYO.
An arm drag by Asuka. She climbs the second rope but IYO jumps onto the second rope and she slams Asuka onto the mat and Asuka rolls to the outside. IYO goes for a moonsault off the second rope but Asuka moves out of the way and IYO lands on her feet. Asuka with a kick to the face.
-Commercial Break-
Back from commercial, IYO with a dropkick off the top rope. She gets on the ring apron and hits Asuka with another dropkick. IYO stomps on Asuka and hits her with a double knees. She goes for the cover but Asuka kicks out. IYO climbs the top rope but Asuka trips her up. Asuka with kicks to the face as she climbs the top rope. Asuka with a superplex off the top rope! She goes for the cover but IYO kicks out. Both women back to their feet and right hands by IYO but Asuka with a big kick. She goes for the cover but IYO kicks out. Asuka with kicks to the face. She runs to the ropes but IYO with a right hand. She goes for the cover but Asuka kicks out. IYO with a waist lock turned into a German suplex but Asuka kicks out. Asuka grabs IYO and gets her in an arm bar but IYO with punches, gets out of it. A kick to the face by IYO and both women are down.
Back to their feet, a kick to the face by Asuka. She climbs the top rope and lands a drop kick. Asuka with a knee to the face followed by elbows and kicks. Asuka goes for the cover but IYO kicks out.
Asuka climbs the second rope but IYO gets up and lands a springboard dropkicks Asuka to the outside of the ring. Asuka gets onto the ring apron, IYO grabs her and goes for a powerbomb onto the outside but Asuka grabs the ropes. IYO finally slams Asuka onto the outside. Both women slow to get up, Asuka goes for a kick but IYO moves out of the way and Asuka kicks the ring post. IYO climbs the top rope and lands a moonsault onto the outside.
-Commercial Break-
Back from commercial, IYO with a chin lock in the middle of the ring. Asuka gets out of it but IYO with a German suplex. She goes for the cover but Asuka kicks out. IYO with a crossface but Asuka rolls out of it and gets her in the Asuka lock! IYO on top of Asuka as the referee goes for the cover but Asuka kicks out. Asuka with a kick and she climbs the second rope. Asuka with a drop kick. She goes for the cover but IYO kicks out. Asuka with an arm bar, IYO tries to get out of it but Asuka goes for the Asuka Lock. IYO tries to get out of it and an elbow by IYO. She rolls Asuka up but Asuka kicks out. Asuka with the Asuka Lock and Bayley tries to push the rope towards IYO and she places IYO’s foot on the bottom rope. Flair gets to her feet and hits Bayley with a right hand, that distracts Asuka as IYO hits her with a double knees from behind. IYO climbs the top rope and hits her with a moon sault. IYO goes for the cover and gets the pin.
Winner: Still WWE Women’s Champion, IYO SKY
Damage CTRL celebrate in the ring as IYO clutches her left arm.
We cut backstage and the Bloodline are talking. In comes Adam Pearce. He has a contract and shows it to Heyman as Heyman tells him that as long as this match is not tonight, he is fine with it. Pearce says it’s at Fastlane. Heyman asks who made that decision. Jimmy says that looks good to him, they will be in the ring to sign it. Pearce says he will let Cena and AJ Know.
Heyman looks at Jimmy and tells him that decisions like that need approval from the Tribal Chief first. Jimmy tells him to let him know what he says and he walks away. Solo tells Heyman not to worry about it. After tonight, there won’t be nobody left to fight them at Fastlane.
-Commercial Break-
A video package shows Kit Wilson speaking about Elton Prince and how he suffered a catastrophic shoulder injury. We see comedic clips of Prince in rehab.
Ridge Holland and Butch vs. Grayson Waller and Austin Theory
The bell rings and we are under way. Theory and Butch start the match. Theory with a clothesline. Left hands by Theory as Waller is tagged in. Knees to the face by Waller. He grabs Butch but Butch grabs Waller’s fingers and twists them. He stomps on Waller’s arm. Ridge is tagged in as he grabs Waller and spins him around in the ring. An underhook suplex by Ridge. He throws Waller to the corner and hits him with a splash. Butch is tagged in and he stomps on Waller. Butch to the ropes as Theory lowers the middle rope and Butch falls to the outside of the ring. Waller to the outside as he goes for a clothesline but Butch moves and jumps the barricade. He grabs Waller and Ridge grabs Theory who is on the ring apron and they hit them with 10 Beats of the Bodhrán.
-Commercial Break-
Back from commercial, Theory with left hands onto Butch in the middle of the ring. Waller is tagged in and they double team him. Butch on the ring apron as Waller goes for the 10 Beats of the Bodhrán but Butch twists Waller’s fingers. Butch jumps into the ring and tags Ridge into the match. Ridge knocks Theory off the ring apron and throws Waller across the ring. He lifts Waller up but Waller lands on his feet and tags Theory in. Theory with a double chop block onto Ridge. Butch gets in the ring as he and Waller fight. Waller is thrown to the outside. Theory with a left hand onto Butch. Waller gets in the ring but Ridge knocks him down. Ridge grabs Theory and slams him onto the mat. He goes for the cover but Theory kicks out. Holland grabs Theory but Theory lands on his feet and rolls him up but Ridge kicks out. Holland with the Alabama slam. He goes for the cover but Theory kicks out. He gets Theory into a Boston crab and Butch with a sleeper on Waller on the outside but Waller slams Butch into the ring post. Waller jumps in the ring and hits Ridge with the Rolling Stunner. Theory with the A-Town Down. He goes for the cover and gets the pin.
Winners: Austin Theory and Grayson Waller
-Commercial Break-
Fastlane Tag Team Match Contract Signing
Adam Pearce is in the ring with four chairs and a table set up. He introduces John Cena as the Great of all Time. Out comes Cena and he introduces his tag team partner AJ Styles.
We cut backstage and see Jimmy Uso attacking AJ Styles. He slams AJ onto equipment and John Cena runs to the back. Solo stands atop a platform and hits a splash onto AJ. WWE officials run towards AJ as Jimmy leaves the scene. We see AJ down through a table and John Cena runs to check up on him with the officials.
-Commercial Break-
Back from commercial, AJ is shown on a stretcher.
Paul Heyman walks down to the ring as we cut to the back and AJ, who is on a stretcher, is shown being put into an ambulance. Anderson and Michin are with AJ and Anderson tells Cena that he told AJ not to get involved in the Bloodline stuff. The ambulance drives away with Michin and Anderson with AJ Styles.
Back in the arena, out come Jimmy and Solo to the ring.
Solo throws the chairs and the table to the outside of the ring. Heyman begins to speak and as he is introducing himself, the fans begin to boo. Heyman holds the contract and says it is signed by the second greatest of all time, John Cena, without any tag team partner for Fastlane. As he is talking, Jimmy grabs the microphone out of his hands.
The fans chant “Rocky” as Jimmy says look what happens when you mess with the Bloodline. He tells Cena that if he is smart like he says he is smart, he would go into that ambulance with AJ Styles and go far away from the Bloodline.
Jimmy says Cena will end up in an ambulance and that’s not a prediction, that’s a spoiler. John Cena runs down and he knocks Solo down. He slams Jimmy onto the mat. Solo gets to his feet and Cena goes for the AA but Jimmy hits him with a superkick. Solo hits Cena with the Samoan Spike.
Jimmy and Solo stomp on Cena as the fans boo. Solo with another Samoan Spike as Jimmy lands an Uso Splash onto Cena. Jimmy grabs the contract from Heyman and signs it. Solo looks at Heyman who is standing on the outside and he signs the contract. Jimmy places the contract on top of Cena. He climbs the top rope and hits him with another Uso Splash. Jimmy and Solo stand in the middle of the ring as SmackDown goes off the air.