WWE SmackDown Results December 22, 2023- Styles vs Solo
WWE SmackDown episode of December 22, 2023 featured the semifinals of United States Championship #1 Contender tournament, a singles match between AJ Styles and Solo Sikoa, two semifinals of United States Championship contender tournament, and a women’s Holiday Havoc tag team match.
The build-up for Royal Rumble 2024 also continued with a big news on Roman Reigns’ title contender for the show. Check below for the complete results and updates from WWE SmackDown December 22, 2023.
RESULTS
AJ Styles opened the show and had a new look with a long coat on. Styles said while both Randy Orton and LA Knight are not to blame for wanting a match against Roman Reigns, he should be the number one to get his hands on Roman. Knight came out and told Styles that Styles was the #1 person on his list after Styles attacked him last week. Orton came out and said he lost 18 months due to the Bloodline, and therefore, deserves the chance first. Knight argued that since he was not taken out, he should be the one to face Roman next. SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis came out to announce a triple threat match for #1 contender between them to give them a fair chance. The winner would face Roman Reigns at Royal Rumble 2024.
Bianca Belair, Shotzi, Zelina Vega & Michin defeated Damage CTRL(Kairi Sane, Iyo Sky, Bayley and Asuka)(w/ Dakota Kai) in an Eight Woman Tag Team Holiday Havoc Match. Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre attacked Asuka and Kairi on the floor to take them out. Bianca hit Bayley with KOD. After Sky hit Bianca with Over the Moonsault, Michin hit her with Eat Defeat and then hit her with a leg drop to get the pinfall.
Roman Reigns ordered Paul Heyman to bring new SmackDown GM Nick Aldis to his room to talk as he had announced #1 contender match and Solo Sikoa vs AJ Styles without consulting him.
Dragon Lee defeated Butch to retain NXT North American Championship in a singles match. Lee countered Bitter End with a modified bulldog before hitting Operation Dragon to get the pinfall.
Heyman followed the order from Roman and brought in Nick Aldis to meet Roman Reigns. Roman told Aldis to run his plans through him first. Aldis told him that the Buck stops with him and he would not be like Adam Pearce to play the middle-management role. Aldis also said that Solo would be fine as he has taken down John Cena in a manner that Roman himself was not able.
Kevin Owens defeated Santos Escobar in the semifinal of United States Championship #1 Contender Tournament. Hayes countered a pop-up powerbomb with codebreaker, but Owens avoided Nothing but Net before hitting the powerbomb and Stunner to get the pinfall.
Santos Escobar defeated Bobby Lashley in the semifinal of United States Championship #1 Contender Tournament. Lashley was in control when two masked men attacked The Street Profits on the floor. Lashley got distracted, which allowed Escobar to roll him up and he got the pinfall leveraging the tights. The masked men were later revealed to be Humberto Carrillo and Angel Garza.
Butch was backstage when Pretty Deadly came in to mock him. Butch attacked them until the security pulled them apart. Nick Aldis told Butch he can have Kit Wilson and Elton Prince in the ring at New Years Revolution if he can find himself a tag team partner.
AJ Styles defeated Solo Sikoa via disqualification. Styles hi Solo with the Phenomenal Forearm to send him outside. Roman Reigns attacked Styles to cause the DQ.
Randy Orton came out when Roman and Solo were beating up Styles. Jimmy Uso and LA Knight also came out after this. Orton, Knight and Styles were able to scare off The Bloodline before starting to argue themselves. This led to a brawl between these three.
