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WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT
DECEMBER 6, 2024
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. AT TARGET CENTER
AIRED ON USA NETWORK
Commentators: Corey Graves, Wade Barrett
Ring Announcer: Alicia Taylor
Attendance: WrestleTix reported tonight that 7,815 tickets had been distributed right before showtime. The arena has a capacity of 20,500 spectators when configured for concerts.
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[HOUR ONE]
-They opened with an aerial view of U.S. Bank Stadium and the rest of Downtown Minneapolis. Michael Cole noted U.S. Bank Stadium would be the host of Summerslam 2026.
-A nearly three minute video package of Survivor Series highlights aired.
-They went to ringside where Cole and Corey Graves were sitting at the announce desk. (A fan held up a “Naz Reid” beach towel behind them, which started happening last year as Reid is a bit of a cult fan favorite member of the Minnesota Timberwolves pro basketball team that plays at this arena. He won NBA Sixth Man of the Year last year.) Cole noted that Bronson Reed suffered a severe ankle injury as a result of his splash off the top of the cage. They showed a slo-mo clip of the impact when his ankle turned unnaturally. He’ll be out indefinitely and needing surgery. They showed an X-ray of the broken ankle. Tonga Loa also suffered a torn bicep. They showed C.M. Punk ramming his arm with the red tool box. He’ll also be out of action indefinitely. They showed Jimmy Uso breaking his toe when he landed on his frog splash off the top of the cage.
(Keller’s Analysis: That’s a pretty serious list of injuries. I wonder if they’ll pull back a bit next year.)
-They showed the Street Profits with B-Fab arriving earlier. They showed The Motor City Machine Guns also arriving earlier.
-They showed Apollo Crews arriving and as he was about to go through the metal detector, Solo Sikoa pushed right past him. When Apollo took exception, Jacob Fatu superkicked him. When security intervened, Fatu, Solo, and Tama Tonga attacked them.
-Cody Rhodes made his ring entrance. Graves talked about him facing Kevin Owens on Saturday Night’s Main Event. Cole plugged his sitdown interview with Kevin Owens coming up. Cody said, “So, Minneapolis, what do you want to talk about?” He said “this Saturday” when referencing Saturday Night’s Main Event, but it’s “next Saturday.” He talked about the history of SNME briefly. He said it’d be an honor of a lifetime to etch his name alongside some of the greatest who were part of that series. He brought up Kevin Owens, but out walked Chad Gable, The Creed Brothers, and Ivy Niles.
Gable said Cody might be asking why the greatest athlete to ever come from Minnesota is out there. He said Nick Aldis has put a call in to possibly bring him Smackdown during the “trade window.” He said this is his hometown “and I know these people.” He said they’re a little bit simple-minded and gullible and will believe anything you say. He entered the ring as fans chanted “You suck! You suck!”
Gable said when Cody first came back to WWE, he was a workhorse who carried himself like a champion. He said that’s easy. He said what isn’t easy is being a loyal friend. He went off on Otis and said Cody is a terrible friend like Otis. He said Cody “is the definition of superficial.” He said all he cares about is what other people think about him. He said he teamed with the one guy (Roman Reigns) who made Kevin Owens’ life a living hell. He said whatever happens to him, he deserves it.
Cody asked the fans if they’ll be his friend. They cheered. He said he sees a lot of himself in Gable. He said he’s maximized his minutes. He said he was Shorty G at one time. Fans chanted “Shorty G” as Gable hung his head in shame. Cody said, “Shorty G, you’re looking at Stardust.” A “Stardust” chant broke out.
Cody said he knows what he’s seeking, but he has so much to lose. “What happens when you fail again?” he said. Cody said when he got pinned at WrestleMania, he could look nowhere but at himself. He asked if he’s going to take it out on Brutus Creed, Julius Creed, or Nile. Gable cut him off and yelled, “Don’t talk me like you know me.” He said if he didn’t have his suit on, he’d whoop Cody’s ass. Cody told Gable to ask Aldis to book them one-on-one tonight. Cody said he has KO on his mind, “and that is no good for you.” He shoved the mic into Gable’s chest and dropped the mic.
-They went to Cole and Graves. Graves said Aldis will do the right thing and make the match official. Cole said Raw debuts on Netflix next month. He said there will be major changes to all shows, as the G.M.’s will be getting together to move wrestlers around.
(Keller’s Analysis: I had previously reported there would not be an “early draft,” but it was hard to imagine they wouldn’t be shifting some wrestlers around one way or another, and this “trade window” appears to be how they’re going to explain it within the canon of TV storylines. It was always hard to imagine The Bloodline wouldn’t be part of Raw on Netflix out of the gate.)
-Bianca Belair and Naomi were chatting backstage. Belair told Naomi that now that WarGames was over, she could focus on who took Jade out. Naomi said she needs to first focus on her match and walked away. Chelsea Green and Piper Niven walked up to Belair. Green rubbed it in that she lost her first round match to her. Belair asked Green if Piper attacked Jade. Piper said she didn’t, but she said she’ll happily put her in a hospital next to her. A brawl broke out. Green hit Belair in her injured ribs, so Belair went down wincing.
-Tiffany Stratton made her ring entrance. She got a big pop. Cole noted this is her first match in her home state, as she’s from Prior Lake, Minn. Then the camera showed Jesse Ventura in the front row as Cole said Ventura will be on the broadcast team for SNME next Saturday. Cole said Ventura called 25 SNMEs in his career including the first one in 1985.
-Elektra Lopez made her entrance, Cole noted it was a commercial-free first 30 minutes of Smackdown. Naomi then made her entrance
(1) TIFFANY STRATTON vs. NAOMI vs. ELEKTRA LOPEZ – U.S. Title Tournament match
The bell rang 22 minutes into the hour. Stratton got in some early flashy spots and played to the crowd. Graves wondered if playing in front of her hometown crowd would throw her off her game. He said she might pander to the audience and lose focus on the match. Naomi took over briefly. Stratton landed a running dropkick on the ring apron. Lopez then got a moment of offense including a power uranage on Naomi for a one count.
Naomi set up a split-legged moonsault on Lopez a minute later, but Candice LeRae distracted Naomi. Naomi battled back and landed a split-legged moonsault on Lopez. Stratton hit Naomi with a springboard swanton, which broke up the cover (although there was no reason for the ref to stop the count since Lopez didn’t lift her shoulders and Naomi just stayed on top of her). Stratton threw Naomi out of the ring, played to the crowd, and then landed the Prettiest Moonsault Ever on Lopez for the win.
As Stratton celebrated, Cole noted the finals of the U.S. Title Tournament take place at SNME next Saturday.
WINNER: Stratton in 8:00 to advance in the U.S. Title Tournament.
-They went to Byron Saxton where Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins were down after being attacked backstage. Aldis told Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley that they’re hurt badly and they can’t make the title match. Johnny Gargano stepped in and said they would take their place. Aldis wasn’t sure, but Shelley said it was fine. Aldis said it was okay with him, then the match was on.
-A commercial aired for Raw’s debut on Netflix on Jan. 6.
(2) BIANCA BELAIR vs. PIPER NIVEN (w/Chelsea Green)
Belair made her ring entrance, during which they also showed Cargill being hurt two weeks ago. As Niven and Piper made their entrance, they showed Belair holding her sore rib cage. Cole sent out congratulations to Jelly Roll for being named “Changemaker of the Year” by Variety. The bell rang 35 minutes into the hour. Cole noted that no decision had been made yet about the future of the Women’s Tag Team Titles, but it does appear Jade will be out of action a while. Belair kicked Piper as she set up a backdrop. When Belair ran the ropes, Green grabbed her ankle. Piper landed a Sidewalk Slam for a two count. They cut to a double-box break at 2:00. [c/db]
Niven controlled the action during the break. She had Belair in an abdominal stretch after the break and then landed a running senton. Belair avoided a Piper splash a minute later and then rallied. She landed a top rope crossbody for a two count. A minute later, Belair took Niven down with a spear for a two count. Belair grabbed her ribs and pounded the mat in frustration with the pain. She tried to lift Piper, but couldn’t.
Niven then gave Belair a Saito suplex. Belair countered with a spinebuster seconds later. When she went for a handspring moonsault, Niven lifted her knees. Belair clutched her ribs. Piper went for a cannonball, but Belair moved. Piper countered Belair’s next move and landed the Piper Driver for a near fall. Fans chanted, “This is awesome!”
Belair got up when Piper set up a corner splash. Green stood on the ring apron. Belair yanked her into the ring, then lifted Piper onto her shoulders and delivered a KOD of Piper onto Green and then scored a three count on Piper.
WINNER: Belair in 12:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: Good match with dramatic back-and-forth action punctuated by Chelsea getting paid back for interfering.)
-They showed the interview set being arranged for Cole’s interview with KO.
-A vignette aired with Shinsuke Nakamura speaking about his transformation. He said it wasn’t done out of desire, but out of necessity. [c]
-A video package aired on the Women’s WarGames match.
-Backstage, Belair was wincing and holding her ribs and was being filmed for no apparent reason. Aldis was in the background chatting with Dominik Mysterio. Belair turned the corner and ran into Naomi. Naomi said she is so sick of Tiffany and LeRae. Byron Saxton walked up to them and told Belair that he knows she suspects Piper attacked Jade, but he saw her during her match elsewhere. Naomi listed a bunch of suspects. Belair said when she finds out who it was, it’ll be over for them.
[HOUR TWO]
-Nakamura made his entrance. Graves said he’s never seen L.A. Knight so far off his game, which shows how effective Nakamura was at his mind games. Knight interrupted Nakamura’s music theme and walked onto the stage to his music. Knight said, “Let me talk to ya’.” He said Nakamura is the single sorriest excuse of a U.S. Champion. He said Nakamura is not the real deal, because he is. He said he wanted his rematch right then. It took a few seconds, but an “L.A. Knight!” chant broke out. He said Nakamura was just standing there looking dumber than a box of rocks. He put on sunglasses and said that’s to block his mist. He said he was about to enter the ring and stomp him out. Andrade’s music played and he walked out.
Knight told Andrade that when he gets title back, they can talk. The Bloodline attacked Andrade and Knight. Nakamura stood and watched and then began to leak black goo from his mouth, which dropped onto the mat. He then slinked out of the ring as Fatu glared at him. Fans chanted, “OTC! OTC!” Knight recovered and saved Andrade from a Solo Spike. Tama and Fatu attacked Knight, and then Solo gave Knight a Solo Spike.
Solo said if anyone was thinking they’re weak or finished because they lost two soldiers last week, think again. He said they will lay out anyone who doubts them every single time. He said he’s tired of people not taking him seriously and thinking he’s a joke. He said they can laugh all they want, but he’s still their Tribal Chief and the Head of the Table. He pointed at the Ula Fala. He said anyone can come down to the ring to challenge him. He closed with, “Minneapolis, acknowledge me!”
-They showed Tommaso Ciampa angrily telling Gargano that if he thinks this fixes things, they should have had a title match long before this. He said he’s still waiting for an answer to what he brought up last week.
-Graves plugged the revamped WWE Tag Team Title match. [c]
-Graves showed Trish Stratus on the cover of Inside Fitness magazine.
-A selfie video aired of Kevin Owens in his car asking if anyone understands how it feels to be told he has to be in Minneapolis because Michael Cole wants to interview you. He said it sucks. “Is this supposed to be some kind of a thrill or honor?” He said he’s making Cole come to him. He said he’s at the arena and he told him to go find him. “Or not; I don’t really care,” he said. Cole whined that it’s 20 degrees outside. (It was 29.)
(3) THE MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) vs. DIY ( Johnny Gargano & Tomasso Ciampa) – WWE Tag Team Title match
The Guns came out first. Graves asked Cole if this interview with KO will be the last thing he does for WWE. Cole wondered if he needed a bodyguard. When Ciampa and Gargano came out, Graves noted how out of sync with each other they seemed. The bell rang 15 minutes into the hour. Ciampa started aggressively and told Gargano that’s how they should be doing it. Soon the Guns took over. When Ciampa made a comeback, he yelled at Gargano to pay attention or he’d do it himself. Cole asked why Gargano put up with that. The Guns double superkicked Ciampa from the ring apron as they cut to a break at 3:00. [c/db]
At 9:00, fans were chanting “Johnny Wrestling!” as Gargano stood on the ring apron. Ciampa told Gargano to go after Sabin at ringside. Gargano threw Shelley back into the ring. Graves said Gargano did all of the heavy lifting and he just has to finish the match. Ciampa shoved Gargano and yelled at him about being too soft. Gargano shoved Ciampa to the mat and told him he’d do it himself. Shelley drove Gargano’s face into the middle turnbuckle as Ciampa grabbed a chair at ringside. The ref turned to Ciampa as Gargano used a low blow on Sabin. Shelley entered and spun Gargano around and looked disappointed. Gargano superkicked Shelley. His expression and body language changed. Gargano smiled and said, “Well, that worked!” He tagged in Ciampa. Cole wondered if it was all a ploy. DIY finished Sabin with Meet in the Middle and scored a pin. “What a ruse!” said Cole. Graves called it a shocking turn of events. Cole said he was fooled.
WINNERS: DIY in 10:00 to capture the WWE Tag Team Titles.
(Keller’s Analysis: Gargano looked deliciously self-satisfied when he revealed he was with Ciampa all along or at least for a while. I’m not sure the ploy gave them a predictable and decisive advantage until the very end sequence, but it was entertaining.)
-Cole stood and began his journey to find KO. [c]
-They showed the skyline of Minneapolis as Graves talked about Minnesota being home of the Vikings, Wild, Twins, and 2026 Summerslam. (He left off the Timberwolves, the pro sports team that actually plays in the arena he was sitting in.) He encouraged fans to hold up signs. Graves then commented on a replay of the DIY finish.
-Candice LeRae joined Gargano and Ciampa in celebrating what they just pulled off. Gargano said LeRae was his beautiful wife. She was happy for them.
-They went to Graves at ringside who said Cole went looking for Owens to interview him outside the arena. The Naz Reid towel made another appearance behind him.
-They went to Cole who was making a fuss about it being cold. He got inside a car with Owens who said he had it a toasty 68 inside. Cole got in and said they had a nice warm room all set up. KO said he kept showing up at arenas and was told he wasn’t welcome inside. Cole said he was going to do an unbiased interview. KO mocked that notion. Cole talked about how much time they spent together in NXT when KO arrived. KO said he was trying to get people to like him back then, but if he knew then what he knows now, he would have never bothered to spent time with him.
KO ranted about how Cody left years ago because he wasn’t happy with his opportunities, but now he’s got the fancy entrances and merchandise. Cole said it wasn’t just Cody who thought it was a good idea to help out Roman. He said Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, and Sami Zayn also thought it was a good idea. KO said he doesn’t care what Roman’s pawns think. He said he will cross the bridge with Sami eventually, too. He said Cody stabbed him in the back. Cole said KO was being petty and he should look in the mirror. KO said he sees a handsome man who is right. KO told Cole to get out of his rental car. Cole did. KO called him to wait and come back. Cole asked if he was going to apologize. KO rolled up his window and drove away.
-Graves hyped the Cody-KO match at SNME. He then plugged Bayley vs. Green and Stratton vs. Michin in the U.S. Title semi-finals next week on Smackdown.
-Aldis shook hands with Gunther backstage. Carmelo Hayes walked up and asked why Aldis is talking with Gunther, but not making time for him. He said he wants to know where he belongs because being part of Raw on Netflix sounds good to him if Aldis doesn’t covet him. “Monday Night Melo sounds good,” he said. Aldis said Carmelo saying he wants to be Adam Pearce’s headache instead of his doesn’t sound like a threat, it sounds like it should come with balloon and a cake. Aldis said he does have something special in mind for him. Carmelo seemed happy, but then Aldis left him without notice.
-Cody made his ring entrance. [c]
(4) CODY RHODES vs. CHAD GABLE (w/Ivy Nile, The Creeds)
Gable made his entrance after the break. The bell rang 46 minutes into the hour. Nile distracted Cody on the ring apron. Gable took over and yanked Cody’s leg into the ringpost. They cut to a break at 2:00. [c]
Cody made a comeback a few minutes later while still selling his leg. He powerslammed Gable and then connected with a Disaster Kick. He followed up with a Cody Cutter. Julius pulled Gable to ringside. The ref ordered all three to the back. Julius got to throw out a massive fit. Cody rolled up an upset Gable from behind. Gable pulled off the boot on Cody’s injured ankle. He then applied a standing anklelock. Graves said wrestling boots are made to protect ankles. Cody powered out and sent Gable face-first into the turnbuckle. Cody landed a Cody Cutter and then fired up the crowd. The crowd responded. When he set up Cross Rhodes, Gable slipped out and applied an anklelock again. Cody reached the bottom rope to force a break. Gable suplexed Cody, but Cody avoided a moonsault and then hit Cross Rhodes for the win.
WINNER: Cody in 12:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: A quintessential Cody-style match, making every move count and working efficiently with an eye on the story of the match. Gable was a fun opponent.)
-KO entered the ring and stomped on Cody’s ankle. Aldis and officials ran out to separate them. Cody broke free and leaped through the ropes and tackled KO. They brawled at ringside. Graves said, “We have a main event to protect next Saturday night.” Fans chanted, “Let them fight!”
(Keller’s Analysis: They’ve done a good job making Cody vs. KO feel main event worthy for SNME.)
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PWTorch editor Wade Keller will be joined by PWTorch’s Chris Adamsto review Smackdown LIVE. We’ll be incorporating live viewer comments into the show so join us LIVE!
Email our post-show at wadekellerpodcast@gmail.com with your comments and questions about Smackdown. We’ll read your emails live during the post-show.
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