WWE SmackDown Results (12/02) - World Cup Tournament Finals, Sami Zayn Vs. Sheamus, We Hear From Damage CTRL

Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s results of "WWE SmackDown" on December 2, 2022, coming to you live from the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York!

The fallout from "Survivor Series: WarGames" will continue tonight, as "The Honorary Uce" Sami Zayn will square off with "The Celtic Warrior" Sheamus. The two men came face-to-face in the Men's WarGames Match this past Saturday, during which Zayn helped lead his fellow Bloodline members to victory by attacking his long-time friend, Kevin Owens, and proving his loyalty to them once and for all. What will happen when the pair collide in the opening match of the show?

Legado Del Fantasma's Santos Escobar will be going head-to-head with "The One and Only" Ricochet in the finals of the "SmackDown" World Cup Tournament. Escobar defeated Shinsuke Nakamura in the quarter finals and Butch in the semi-finals, while Ricochet overcame Mustafa Ali in the quarter finals and Braun Strowman in the semi-finals. Who will win the World Cup and earn themselves a future shot at GUNTHER's Intercontinental Championship?

Damage CTRL's Bayley, Dakota Kai, and IYO SKY will be also addressing the WWE Universe following their heated exchange and brawl with "The Man" Becky Lynch on this past Monday's "Raw". The three women, along with Nikki Cross and Judgment Day's Rhea Ripley, suffered defeat at the hands of Lynch, "Raw" Women's Champion Bianca Belair, Asuka, Alexa Bliss and Mia Yim in the Women's WarGames Match. What will they have to say?

In addition, Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER, "The Scottish Warrior" Drew McIntyre, former "SmackDown" Women's Champion Liv Morgan, The Bloodline's Solo Sikoa, and Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos are all slated to appear on tonight's show, as per WWE's events page.

We are live! Michael Cole and Wade Barrett greet audiences at home as The Bloodline make their way to the ring.

Jey Uso says The Bloodline is now in Buffalo before Jimmy Uso says tonight is all about Sami Zayn because he was the MVP of WarGames and calls him Sami Uso. Jey says he earned his respect after what he did at WarGames, and tells him he ultimately led them to victory. Jimmy asks how he's feeling and Zayn replies that he's feeling "pretty freaking ucey." The trio do a handshake.

The Brawling Brutes' music hits and they head to the ring. Sheamus tells Zayn he hates to beat up a fellow ginger, but he will have a massive smile on his face because it's fight night. 

The bell rings and the two lock up. Sheamus delivers a shoulder tackle to Zayn, then whips him into the corner and looks for an arm drag. Zayn blocks it and Sheamus hits him with a lariat. Sheamus sends Zayn to the outside, then tosses him into the barricade.

Back from the break, Sheamus delivers an uppercut to Zayn and tosses him into the ring. Zayn catches him with a DDT, then goes for a pin but Sheamus kicks out. Zayn choked Sheamus on the middle rope, then knocks him to the mat and hits a pair of right hands across his spine. He looks for a Sleeper, but Sheamus sends him into the corner to break the hold. Zayn delivers a Tornado DDT, then goes for a pin but Sheamus kicks out. He sets Sheamus up for The Ten Beats of the Bodhran, but Sheamus escapes and delivers a clothesline in the corner. He follows it up with a bodyslam, then sets him up for The Ten Beats of the Bodhran, but Zayn escapes. He ascends to the top and looks for a crossbody, but Sheamus catches him and hits an Irish Curse Backbreaker. He locks in the Cloverleaf, but Zayn manages to make it to the bottom rope to break the hold. Zayn knocks Sheamus to the outside, then follows it up with a cannonball over the top rope.

Back from another break, the two men are teetering on the top rope. Zayn pushes Sheamus off, then goes flying but Sheamus catches him with a knee. He goes for a pin, but Zayn kicks out. Sheamus gets Zayn up for White Noise, then climbs to the middle rope. Zayn escapes and reverses it into a Sunset Flip. He goes for a pin, but Sheamus kicks out. Sheamus delivers White Noise, then goes for a pin of his own, but Zayn kicks out. Sheamus sets up for the Brogue Kick, but Zayn rolls onto the apron. Sheamus meets him there and delivers The Twenty Beats of the Bodhran. He sets up for the Brogue Kick once again, but Jey causes a distraction and allows Jimmy to kick Sheamus. Zayn follows it up with the Blue Thunderbomb and goes for a pin, but Sheamus kicks out.

The Brutes and The Bloodline begin to brawl with one another on the outside as Zayn sets up with the Helluva Kick. Sheamus meets him with a knee, and while the referee is distracted by Jimmy, Jey delivers a superkick to Sheamus. Zayn then rolls him up for the win.

Winner: Sami Zayn

We then head to a video hyping up Legado Del Fantasma. 

Back from the break, we head backstage to Megan Morant and Kofi Kingston. Morant says Kingston has some big news, and he announces he will be entering the Royal Rumble. Morant then asks for his thoughts on the World Cup Finals, and he says he's rooting for his boy, Ricochet. Imperium walks in and says he is a disgrace to wrestling. Kingston says he knows they want a match, but since Xavier Woods is not in the arena tonight he is more than happy to go one-on-one with any of them. GUNTHER says that sounds perfect and tells him he will see him later in the ring.

We head backstage to Bray Wyatt. He says that society has given everyone a lavish lifestyle that revolves around technology, and people have forgotten that they were once wild animals. He says that some must die so others can live, but nobody wants to talk about it because they will be seen as a freak. He says he wasn't the one to hurt LA Knight, but says he heard him. He says that if he had been the one to attack him, everyone would know because "there would be none of him left."

We then head to a video recapping Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler's alliance.

Back at ringside, Shayna Baszler heads down.

We see Emma preparing for her match. Madcap Moss walks in and checks in on her. Emma says she's good, but so much has changed since the last time she was here five years ago. Moss hypes her up and says she was a trailblazer who changed everything. He tells her she belongs here and Emma kisses him on the cheek. She then heads to the ring. 

The bell rings and the two lock up. Emma delivers a Side Russian Leg Sweep, but Baszler sends her head bouncing off the middle rope. Baszler goes to work on Emma's arm, then delivers a lariat. Emma fires back with a kick to her head, then follows it up with a forearm and a lariat of her own. She delivers a neckbreaker off the middle rope, then locks in a Tarantula. She ascends to the top, but Baszler trips her and pulls her off. She locks in the Kirifuda Clutch for the win.

Winner: Shayna Baszler

After the match, Baszler continues to attack Emma's arm. Shotzi heads to the ring to make the save, but Baszler overtakes her and delivers a knee. She looks to go to work on her arm, but Raquel Rodriguez heads down to the ring and stares her down. Shotzi and Emma get back to their feet, forcing Baszler to retreat.

We then head to a video hyping up Lacey Evans.

Kofi Kingston heads to the ring, followed by Imperium. 

The bell rings and Kingston delivers a drop kick. GUNTHER fires back with a Backbreaker, then delivers an uppercut. Kingston fires back with a forearm, but GUNTHER delivers a chop and charges at Kingston. Kingston low bridges the rope and sends him to the outside. Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser trip Kingston while the referee is distracted, allowing GUNTHER to take advantage. Before he can hit a move, Braun Strowman makes his way to the ring and takes out the two men to even the odds and get some revenge. This allows Kingston to deliver SOS. He goes for a pin, but GUNTHER kicks out.

Back from the break, Kingston delivers a chop and a drop kick. He delivers the Boom Drop, then looks for Trouble in Paradise, but GUNTHER ducks it. Kingston delivers a splash to his back, then follows it up with a kick to his midsection. GUNTHER fires back with a chop and a German suplex, then locks in a Boston Crab. He transitions the hold into a Crossface, but Kingston escapes and hits a superkick. GUNTHER delivers a dropkick, then follows it up with a powerbomb. He goes for a pin, but Kingston kicks out. GUNTHER then delivers The Last Symphony for the win.

Winner: GUNTHER

We then head backstage to The Bloodline. Sami Zayn says he's going to bring his car around so they can go get some food, but he tells Solo Sikoa to do it with him because he's been making a lot of enemies. The two men walk off before The Usos get to talking. Jimmy asks Jey if he ever got to confront him about lying to him and he says no. Sheamus runs in out of nowhere and hits them with his shillelagh.

Back from the break, Damage CTRL heads to the ring.

Bayley rags on Buffalo and Michael Cole, then says Damage CTRL are on "SmackDown" because the show needs ratings. She says her, Dakota Kai, and IYO SKY were in WarGames for over 90 minutes, and asks fans if they understand what the match did for their bodies, all the while they cheered for Becky Lynch rather than them. She says nobody in the "SmackDown" locker room wants to face them, and that disappoints her. She says they're there to act as role models for the women in the back.

Liv Morgan's music hits and she heads out. She says if she has a problem with the "SmackDown" locker room, then she's here to address it. She then runs down to the ring at full speed and takes out Kai and SKY before raining down right hands on Bayley. Damage CTRL gets the upper hand on Morgan, but Tegan Nox's music hits and she runs down to the ring to make her return and the save!

Nox beats down Bayley in the corner, but Damage CTRL beats her down. Morgan takes them out with a kendo stick before Nox delivers the Shiniest Wizard to Bayley.

Legado Del Fantasma then head to the ring, followed by Ricochet.

Back from the break, we head to a video from Karrion Kross and Scarlett putting Rey Mysterio on notice. 

We then get a video from Uncle Howdy, who says he knows how Bray Wyatt thinks and feels, and says to "revel in what you are."

The bell rings and the two lock up. They exchange submissions before Escobar delivers a lariat from behind. Ricochet fires back with a missile drop kick that sends him to the outside, then delivers a suicide dive and looks to go flying off the top rope. Cruz Del Toro pushes him off the top rope, but the referee catches him and ejects Legado Del Fantasma from ringside.

Back from the break, Ricochet delivers several elbows and chops to Escobar. Ricochet delivers a head scissors and a kick, but Escobar manages to send him to the outside. Escobar delivers a suicide dive. He goes for a pin, but Ricochet kicks out. He locks in a Lion Tamer, but Ricochet escapes. Escobar delivers an elbow across his spine, then locks in a modified Bow and Arrow Submission. Ricochet reverses it into a pin, and Escobar kicks out. Ricochet delivers a shoulder to Escobar's midsection, then delivers a boot to his face and a kick to his head. He delivers a crossbody.

Back from another break, the two men exchange right hands as they teeter on the top rope. Ricochet gets the upper hand and manages to hit a superplex. He goes for a pin, but Escobar kicks out. Ricochet delivers a boot to Escobar's midsection before the two men level one another with crossbodies.

The two men spill to the outside and Ricochet charges at Escobar. Escobar ducks out of the way and Ricochet lands on the barricade. Escobar meets him there and delivers a hurricanrana. He tosses Ricochet into the ring, then goes for a pin but Ricochet kicks out. Escobar delivers an elbow to Ricochet, then delivers an overhand chop and an enziguri. Ricochet ascends to the top, and Escobar meets him there before Escobar looks for a hurricanara. Ricochet lands on his feet and delivers a knee, followed by a Northern Lights suplex, a Vertical suplex and a moonsault. He goes for a pin, but Escobar kicks out.

Ricochet climbs to the top once more, then looks for a Shooting Star Press. Escobar gets his knees up, then goes for a pin but Ricochet kicks out. Escobar looks for the Phantom Driver, then hits a reverse hurricanrana. He rains down right hands, then places him on the top rope. Ricochet reverses it with a reverse hurricanrana, a few superkicks, and a 630 Splash for the win.

Winner: Ricochet

After the match, GUNTHER heads to the ring and stares him down.