As the coldest and most wonderful time of the year approaches, WWE SmackDown continues to deliver the heat with the best sports entertainment action the industry has ever seen. On the last SmackDown before Christmas, the Blue brand looks to jingle some bells and provide the WWE Universe with an exciting and heart-pumping edition of the premier Friday night show.
So, strap yourselves in, and get a drink that will warm you up. Because, as we all know, it’s Friday night fight night! Without further ado, here’s a preview of WWE Friday Night SmackDown. Let’s run it down.
Full WWE SmackDown Match Card:
- United States Championship Tournament – Semifinals: Carmelo Hayes vs. Kevin Owens
- United States Championship Tournament – Semifinals: Bobby Lashley vs. Santos Escobar
- “Holiday Havoc” 8-Woman Tag Team Match: Bianca Belair, Shotzi, “Michin” Mia Yim, & Zelina Vega vs. Damage CTRL
- NXT North American Championship: Dragon Lee (c) vs. Butch
Enter the Dragon
Christmas will come early for the WWE loyalists as the brand new NXT North American Champion Dragon Lee will have his first title defense against a mightily ticked-off Butch. Lee had his first taste of gold when he finally defeated ‘Dirty’ Dominik Mysterio at NXT Deadline to capture the hardware.
It hasn’t been long since that major win, but Dragon Lee will not have the luxury to breathe a sigh of relief as a new challenger comes in the form of the brutal ‘Bruiserweight’ and former NXT United Kingdom Champion Butch.
The man from the Brawling Brutes has had a rough go over the past few months. He lost his mentor Sheamus to injury and a misunderstanding led to the destruction of his friendship with Ridge Holland. On top of that, he missed out on the opportunity to compete for the U.S. Title after losing to Santos Escobar.
Butch will be in an extremely bad mood come this Friday night, but gold will definitely cure that seasonal downturn if the Brit happens to dethrone the new champion before his reign even properly starts. Dragon Lee will have work cut out for him.
Will Dragon Lee notch his third straight NXT North American Championship defense? Or will Butch get on the right path and secure the crown for himself?
Read More: The Many Successors of Rey Mysterio: Why They Didn’t Pan Out and Why Dragon Lee Will
Seasonal Showdown
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Damage CTRL has laid waste to practically anyone who tried to oppose them. They have carved out a path of destruction many factions in WWE History can only ever hope to match. According to Bayley, the wheels are in motion to achieve their goal of holding all the championships in the division, and they will do whatever it takes.
That said, Bianca Belair, Shotzi, ‘Michin’ Mia Yim, and Zelina Vega may have something to say about that as they face off in an 8-Woman ‘Holiday Havoc’ tag team affair this Friday night! Is no one still ready for Damage CTRL or will Bianca Belair and her band of warriors finally put an end to their reign of terror?
One Step Away from a Shot at Destiny
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The initial round of the United States Championship tournament has been nothing short of spectacular. We are now down to the final four from eight competitors, with the winner advancing to face Logan Paul for the WWE United States Championship.
These men include the biggest and brightest WWE has to offer: Santos Escobar, Bobby Lashley, Carmelo Hayes, and Kevin Owens. For the latter two men, they will be facing each other for the first time, making this a monumental dream match we thought we wouldn’t see for many years.
Fortunately, similar to what Kevin Owens did all those years ago when he faced John Cena and more than held his own, Hayes rose to the occasion and conquered SmackDown mainstay, Grayson Waller.
Owens and Melo have walked very identical paths, imposing their will on the supposed “dominant roster members” and proving that they have more than it takes. That last statement rings very true when Hayes issued a stern warning to Kevin that he would not back down against the former World Champion.
Kevin, being the prized fighter that he is, does not seem fazed and relishes the opportunity to take on and possibly teach a lesson to the young upstart. Regardless of who advances, this will be a contest the WWE Universe does not want to miss. Will Owens overcome adversity or will Hayes make history?
We’ll see this Friday night on WWE SmackDown only on Fox!
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