The road to WWE Survivor Series 2023 continues tonight.
WWE Friday Night SmackDown returns LIVE at 8/7c on FOX this evening from the Ford Center in Evansville, IN.
On tap for tonight’s show is LA Knight vs. Jimmy Uso, the return of Solo Sikoa, Damage CTRL will talk for the first time since adding new members, plus The Brawling Brutes vs. Pretty Deadly vs. The Street Profits in an Undisputed WWE Tag-Team Title Eliminator bout and more.
Featured below are complete WWE Friday Night SmackDown results from Friday, November 17, 2023. The following report was written by PWMania.com reporter Matt Boone (@MattBoone0709) as the show aired live from 8-10pm EST. on FOX.
WWE FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN RESULTS (11/17/2023)
The usual “WWE Then. Now. Forever. Together.” opening signature narrated by John Cena airs to get us started. From there, we see footage of the ending segment last week with Damage CTRL.
Damage CTRL Kicks Off This Week’s Show
Now we shoot inside the arena where Road Dogg is introduced as special guest commentator tonight alongside Michael Cole and Kevin Patrick. Damage CTRL’s theme hits and out comes the new-and-improved group.
Bayley talks about how dominant Damage CTRL is now and how they are playing chess when everyone else is playing Candyland. She continues to rant until she is caught off guard by hearing that one of the ladies in the ring isn’t part of Damage CTRL.
She calms down when they tell her they just mean they haven’t officially had Asuka join the group yet, because they wanted Bayley to do it. Bayley then officially declares her part of the group. They talk about WarGames and dare Bianca Belair, Shotzi and Charlotte Flair to find some partners.
Out comes Shotzi, Bianca and Charlotte and a big five on three brawl breaks out. Damage CTRL beats the three down and they are left backing off as Damage CTRL remains standing strong in the ring to end the opening segment.
Undisputed Tag-Team Title Eliminator
The Street Profits vs. The Brawling Brutes vs. Pretty Deadly
The commentators run down the lineup for tonight’s show and then the theme for The Street Profits hits and out comes Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins for our first match of the evening. They settle in the ring for this title eliminator to determine The Judgment Day’s challengers for the tag team titles next week.
On that note, we shift gears and head into a pre-match commercial break. When we return, we see Charlotte, Bianca and Shotzi talking backstage when they are told that they need to announce their fourth member by the end of tonight.
Back in the ring, The Brawling Brutes are wrapping up their ring entrance, in progress. Pretty Deadly’s theme hits now and out comes the third and final team for this high stakes title eliminator bout. Dawkins and Butch start off strong, with the legal Pretty Deadly member being rag-dolled every time he gets involved.
Butch and Holland hit the Ten Beats in a Bodhran spot on both of the Profits for a wild pop from the crowd, who counts along with each shot that lands. Pretty Deadly takes over with double-team action on the floor after sending Holland into the ring steps. On that note, we head into a mid-match commercial break.
When we return, we see Pretty Deadly and The Street Profits trying to work together on Holland, but Holland fights back and hits a double suplex on Wilson and Ford at the same time. Dawkins and Butch each tag in but it is Butch who fires up and takes over on offense.
As the action continues, we see Bobby Lashley watching on via a monitor backstage as B-Fab walks up. The two talk in friendly fashion as the focus goes back on the action in the ring, with Butch flying all over the place until he is dumped on the floor. Holland starts taking out Pretty Deadly with double clotheslines.
An accident happens when Butch blasts Holland with a Brogue Kick. The Street Profits follow up by emptying the ring of Pretty Deadly and Butch and then hitting their double-team finisher on Holland for the pin fall victory. With the win, they move on to challenge The Judgment Day next week for the tag titles.
Winners and NEW No. 1 Contenders to tag-team titles: The Street Profits
Damage CTRL Takes Out Potential WarGames Opposition
After the match, we see Bobby Lashley join the Profits on stage to celebrate, while Ridge Holland looks upset with Butch in the ring after how things played out. We shoot backstage and see Bianca Belair talking to Michin, presumably about joining her WarGames team. We head to another commercial break on that note.
When we return, we see Damage CTRL beating down Michin badly backstage. Help runs up to break things up and then we head back to the commentary position inside the arena, as they set up a video package looking back at last week’s interaction between Santos Escobar and the LWO, which saw Escobar turn on Rey Mysterio.
Dragon Lee vs. Axiom
Now we return inside the arena where Dragon Lee’s theme hits and out he comes to the ring for our next match of the evening. As he settles in the ring, we see “earlier today” footage of Dragon Lee talking to SmackDown G.M. Nick Aldis about wanting to defend the honor of Rey Mysterio.
Aldis informs him he brought in Axiom from NXT so he can show what lucha libre is all about. The pre-match split-screen segment wraps up and back inside the arena, Axiom’s theme hits. A video package airs to show WWE fans who the masked NXT fan-favorite is as he makes his way to the ring.
The bell sounds and we’re officially off-and-running with this one. We see some good high-flying back-and-forth offense and then head into a mid-match commercial break. When we return, we see Axiom hit a big dive off the top-rope onto Dragon Lee on the floor for a big pop from the fans in attendance.
They continue to battle back-and-forth trading leads in the offense and then Dragon Lee hits a wild brain-buster. Dragon hits a running knee and then stalks Axiom for his finisher. He hits the Operation Dragon and gets the three count in an excellent match. After the match, we head into another commercial break.
Winner: Dragon Lee
Santos Escobar Explains His Actions
When we return from the break, the heel theme music for Santos Escobar hits and out he comes in a white suit and sunglasses looking cocky and more heelish than ever. The fans loudly boo as the commentators dog Santos Escobar as the former LWO member makes his way to the ring to “explain his actions” from last week.
He starts by saying there’s something he needs to get off his chest. The fans boo as if he were Dominik Mysterio or Don Callis or something. The fans then break out into defeaning “You suck! You suck!” chants. He mentions an old expression — never meet your heroes. The fans boo again.
He says he comes from a rich lucha libre tradition and his family have all been labeled heroes, but to him, like most of you, his hero was Rey Mysterio. He says he patterned his career off of Rey. And it was his wish that he would be viewed by the current generation the way he used to view Rey Mysterio.
Santos goes on to say everything Dominik Mysterio said about Rey was true. He runs down how Rey took over running the LWO from him and adding new members, such as Carlito. He takes his sport coat off and talks trash to Carlito in Spanish.
Escobar continues by saying he knows Rey is watching and he hopes he remembers while in pain how he deserves everything he got. He says he hopes the surgery went bad and he catches an infection. As he continues talking badly, we see LWO watching on backstage. Zelina Vega comes out looking upset.
Zelina ends up slapping Santos. She walks off upset and crying as Santos smirks watching her leave. He says that was cute. Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde come out and he scolds them for siding with Zelina over him. He says they only exist because he allows them to.
They head to the ring and he tells them to leave. He calls them dead weight and orders them to leave. They turn to do that and he attacks them from behind. He goes to finish them off until Carlito’s theme hits. Carlito runs down to the ring and Santos exits the ring and walks off through the crowd to end an excellent, powerful segment.
Grayson Waller vs. Cameron Grimes
We are shown footage of Kevin Owens getting himself suspended last week and then the theme for Grayson Waller hits. He makes his way out and heads to the ring for our next match of the evening. As he does, we settle into a quick pre-match commercial break.
When we return, Cameron Grimes’ theme hits and out he comes as Austin Theory joins Road Dogg, Michael Cole and Kevin Patrick on special guest commentary for this one. Waller takes it to Grimes coming out of the gate, as Theory sings his praises and has some fun taking shots as Cole.
Grimes starts to take over and pop the crowd, while Theory makes excuses for Waller on special guest commentary. Grimes goes for a cover but Waller kicks out after the count of two. Theory leaves the commentary desk to check on Waller at ringside. Grimes launches out to the floor and takes out Theory, but this allows Waller to bring him back in the ring and finish him off for the win.
Winner: Grayson Waller
Solo Sikoa Makes His SmackDown Return
Now we head backstage where we see Bianca Belair talking with a distraught Zelina Vega. The official promotional graphic for Solo Sikoa’s return for the first time since conquering John Cena at Crown Jewel airs. He is coming up next. We head to a commercial break on that note.
When we return, we see Damage CTRL standing over a beaten down Zelina Vega, who is crying. Bianca Belair walks up with refs and security to check on her and then we head back in the arena where the commentators show us footage of Solo Sikoa’s dominant victory over John Cena at Crown Jewel.
Solo stands in the ring now as Paul Heyman does all the talking. He boasts about Solo beating Cena and making it so he can’t talk due to so many Samoan spikes. He says Cena isn’t going to run down and save the day like always, because you’ve all seen him for the last time, and that’s all thanks to Solo.
LA Knight’s theme finally cuts Heyman off and he cuts a promo in his ring gear on the way to the ring, vowing to take out The Bloodline one-by-one starting with Jimmy Uso tonight. After he wraps up, we head to a pre-match commercial break.
LA Knight vs. Jimmy Uso
It’s main event time!
When we return from the break, the commentators confirm Carlito vs. Santos Escobar for Survivor Series. We shoot backstage and see Bianca Belair and Shotzi telling Charlotte Flair that Damage CTRL has attacked everyone they’ve talked to tonight. They say she needs to “make the call.” Charlotte agrees and walks off to do so.
Speaking of calls, as we return inside the arena, we see Paul Heyman and Solo Sikoa heading to the back. The commentators inform us that they received a call and walked off just as the bell sounds to start off the main event between LA Knight and Jimmy Uso. Knight starts off strong but Uso starts to take over.
Knight cuts Uso’s offensive run short and knocks him out to the floor. He follows up with a big dive splashing onto Uso on the floor. He repeatedly bounces Uso face-first off the commentator desk as fans chant “Yeah!” as each shot lands. He tosses Uso over the announce table and plays to the crowd as we head into a mid-match commercial break.
As we settle back in from the break, we see Uso is now dominating the action. The commentators run us through highlights from the break that shows how Uso took over control of the offense. He dominates for the next few minutes until Knight kills his momentum with a big DDT. He begins turning up the heat on Uso as the crowd rallies behind “The Mega Star.”
Uso tries fighting back, but when he goes for a top-rope high spot, Knight avoids it. Knight then plants Uso face-first into the mat with his Blunt Force Trauma finisher for the pin fall victory.
Winner: LA Knight
Cody Rhodes Saves LA Knight From The Bloodline
After the match, Solo Sikoa comes back out. Knight draws a fake line in the sand and dares him to come to the ring. Uso attacks him from behind and Solo follows up with a Samoan spike.
Solo takes apart the commentary desk at ringside as Jimmy Uso drags Knight over to that area. Solo lays him on the desk and begins drilling him with punches. Cody Rhodes’ theme hits for a big pop from the crowd.
“The American Nightmare” runs down in a suit and starts fighting it out with Uso and Solo as the crowd goes wild. He and Knight stand tall as Solo and Uso retreat. Cody’s theme plays again for another big pop.
Women’s WarGames Update
Backstage we see Belair and Shotzi approach Charlotte. They ask if she made the call. Charlotte said she did but she isn’t sure if she’s gonna be able to make it tonight on short notice. Belair says it is what it is and they gotta go now. They head out to the ring as we head to another commercial break.
When we return, out comes Shotzi, Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair. “The Queen” says she accepts Damage CTRL’s WarGames challenge. She mentions knowing what it’s like to turn on a best friend. She says there’s a thin line between love and hate, and if they’re going to war, there’s only one person she wants by their side.
Before she can reveal who it is, Damage CTRL’s theme hits and out they come. Bayley says she knows Charlotte is bluffing because they took down every girl in the locker room tonight. They say they ain’t making it to WarGames, because they aren’t making it out of the building tonight.
The Damage CTRL team heads to the ring to beat down the trio, but then Becky Lynch jumps the guard rail behind the commentators and slides in the ring alongside Charlotte, Belair and Shotzi. The four stand tall and then a big brawl breaks out between them and Damage CTRL. Charlotte hits a big mnoonsault onto the group on the floor. The show goes off the air as the brawl continues. Thanks for joining us!
